Reverberate: A Berean Bible Church Podcast | Knoxville, TN

Title: Christ or the Checklist
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00:00 - Does the Christian Life Feel More Like Slavery or Freedom?
01:49 - Reading Galatians 5:1-13
03:24 - For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free
05:59 - The Pull Away From Freedom
08:35 - You Were Running Well, Who Hindered You?
12:12 - Why Is Slavery Persuasive to Us?
13:29 - The Mindset of Performance Poisons Our Relationship with Christ
16:54 - Paul's Strong Language Against the False Teachers
19:19 - You Can't Mix Christ and Your Checklist
20:17 - Potential Response One: My Performance is Still Tied to My Acceptance
21:50 - Potential Response Two: Freedom, Not Slavery
23:53 - Depend on the Law, Christ is of No Advantage to You
28:50 - Resting in the Promise of God
31:14 - Our Approval is Not Connected to Our Performance
33:19 - God is Still Pleased When We Fight Sin
36:17 - Our Faith Energizes Our Love
38:37 - Does Your Walk With God Feel like Slavery or Freedom?
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Galatians 5:1–13
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.
Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.
You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!
For you were called to freedom, brothers. (ESV)
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Jed Gillis shows how Paul’s message in Galatians 5:1–13 is a call to live in the freedom Christ has already purchased, rather than slipping back into the slavery of legalism. He explains that the false teachers in Galatia were persuading believers to tie their acceptance with God to circumcision and law-keeping, and Paul warns that any attempt to gain or protect God’s favor through performance makes Christ of no advantage and cuts us off from grace. Using the image of leaven, Jed explains how even a small dose of self-reliance spreads through the whole Christian life and turns joyful obedience into a heavy burden. In contrast, the Christian life is meant to be resting in God’s promise that righteousness and approval come through Christ alone, by the Spirit, through faith. From that rest, faith expresses itself through love, so that obedience feels like something we get to do rather than a checklist we must keep. Jed closes by urging listeners to examine how they relate to rules, success, and failure, and to stand firm in gospel freedom so that walking with God feels like freedom rather than slavery.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

00:30 Doesn't Grace Undermine Our Motivation to Fight Sin?
10:38 Grace Versus the Carrot-And-Stick Approach?
20:23 What's Next?
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* **Romans 6:1–2**: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”
* **Titus 2:11–14**: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”
* **Matthew 1:21**: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
* **John 8:36**: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”
* **2 Corinthians 5:14–15**: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”
* **Hebrews 2:14–18**: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”
* **Hebrews 2:13**: “And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’”
* **Hebrews 11:6**: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
* **Hebrews 12:6**: “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”
* **Matthew 22:32**: “‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
* **Galatians 3:1**: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”
* **Galatians 3:21**: “Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.”
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In Does Grace Make Us Soft on Sin?, the conversation unpacks one of the oldest misunderstandings of the gospel: that grace leads to apathy. Drawing from Romans 6 and Titus 2, the pastors explain that true grace doesn’t just pardon; it trains, redeems, and transforms. Grace saves us from sin, not in it. It reshapes our hearts, not through fear or external rewards, but through the Spirit’s work and the love of Christ that compels obedience from within. Unlike the carrot-and-stick approach of behaviorism, the gospel changes what we love and trust, cutting at the root of sin’s power. Because we’ve been freed through Jesus, we now live differently, not to earn favor but because we already have it. Grace is not permission to sin; it is the very power that makes holiness possible.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Don't Go Back to Chains
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01:22 - Reading Galatians 4:21-5:1
03:21 - Revisiting the Story of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar
08:31 - Why Does Paul Bring Up This Story?
10:24 - Sarah Didn't Trust God
12:51 - Why Did Paul Bring This Up for the Galatian Church?
15:41 - Separate God's Favor Towards Us from God Being Pleased with Our Actions
26:29 - Turn From Dependence on Performance and Enjoy God's Favor 
30:49 - In Prayer
33:23 - In Scripture Reading
35:25 - In Connecting with Other Believers
37:49 - In Fighting Sin
39:20 - God Always Has Favor to You
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Galatians 4:21–31
Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,
“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;
break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!
For the children of the desolate one will be more
than those of the one who has a husband.”
Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (ESV)
Galatians 5:1
For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (ESV)
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In this sermon, Jed Gillis explains Paul’s use of the story of Sarah and Hagar to show the Galatians that returning to law-keeping as a way of securing God’s favor is a return to slavery. Paul contrasts Ishmael, born through human effort, with Isaac, born through God’s promise. Hagar represents the covenant tied to human performance, which only leads to bondage. Sarah represents the covenant of grace, where God acts through his promise. 
Paul warns that the Galatians are in danger of treating God’s law the way pagans treated idols, using obedience as a way to manipulate blessing or avoid harm. Jed stresses that this is the same slavery Christ has freed them from. The heart of Paul’s concern is that God has already shown favor through Christ, and believers now belong to the “Jerusalem above,” as true children of promise. Jed presses the point that salvation is described as knowing God, or rather being known by God, which highlights God’s intimate love and removes every attempt to rely on performance. He calls out the flattery of the false teachers who push the Galatians toward self-reliance, and he contrasts that with Paul’s mother-like labor to see Christ formed in them. 
Jed then applies this to everyday Christian practices such as prayer, Scripture reading, fellowship, and fighting sin. Each of these can become slavery if viewed as a way to earn God’s favor rather than enjoy it. The call of the passage is simple and urgent: do not go back to chains. Stand firm in the freedom Christ gives, and approach God as a Father who already loves you, rather than a master to be appeased through performance.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Performance, Blessing, and Grace
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00:18 I Haven't Done Enough. Will God Still Bless Me?
10:34 The Grace of Failure
14:03 But What About Sowing and Reaping?
20:41 What's Next?
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* **Luke 15:21**: “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”
* **Luke 15:19**: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”
* **Acts 20:35**: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”
* **Isaiah 55:11**: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”
* **Galatians 6:6**: “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.”
* **Galatians 6:7**: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”
* **Galatians 6:8**: “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”
* **Galatians 6:9**: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”
* **Hebrews 11:6**: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”
* **Numbers 22:28**: “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’”
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In Performance, Blessing, and Grace, the conversation explores how believers often confuse God’s blessing with their own performance. Using the parable of the Prodigal Son, the book of Job, and Paul’s teaching in Galatians, the discussion reveals how both pride and despair can come from the same misplaced trust in effort. Pastor Jed and Pastor Isaias remind listeners that God’s grace does not operate by a transactional formula. He blesses out of relationship, not merit. Faithful preparation, obedience, and hard work matter, but as acts of love and worship, not leverage to force God’s hand. Even failure can be grace, driving us from self-reliance to dependence on Him. The episode closes with the call to keep sowing good seed, trusting that in due season, God will bring fruit by His grace, not our control.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Flattery of Performance
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01:33 - Recap of Galatians Thus Far
05:45 - Reading Galatians 4:8-20
07:24 - Paul Reminds the Galatians of Their Love
08:18 - The Galatians Were Enslaved
08:57 - Both Gentiles and Jews Were Enslaved
13:47 - Don't Pervert God's Grace as Another Form of Slavery
15:48 - Paul Worried he Labored in Vain
16:36 - We Are Known by God
19:09 - The Idols We Worship Cannot Know Us
21:18 - We Are Known AND Loved by God
22:43 - God Intimately Loves You
24:46 - The Galatians Embraced Paul in Spite of Physical Ailments
27:12 - Where Did the Love of the Galatians Go?
28:20 - The Flattery of False Teachers
31:40 - Paul's Motherly Love
33:04 - The Gospel Transforms Us to Be Like Christ
35:21 - How Can We Keep from Turning to Slavery?
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Galatians 4:8–20
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.
Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (ESV)
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Jed Gillis preaches Galatians 4:8–20 as Paul’s plea to a church drifting from grace back into a new slavery. Once captive to idols, the Galatians are now “known by God,” yet false teachers flatter them into rule-keeping and calendar observances as a way to secure standing. Paul appeals to their shared history: how they welcomed him despite his illness, and asks why truth now makes him their enemy. He exposes the agitators’ praise as self-serving and contrasts it with his own costly, mother-like labor “until Christ is formed” in them. The sermon stresses that even good practices like prayer, Scripture reading, and gathering can turn into performance if they’re used to manage God rather than enjoy his favor. The remedy is to return to the gospel, rest in the Father’s love, and live from being known and loved by God, not from achieving.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Stapling On the Fruit of the Spirit
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00:29 When Does Not "Feeling It" Cross Over Into Hypocrisy?
06:22 Shouldn't the Fruit of the Spirit Feel Automatic?
18:47 What's Next?
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* **Galatians 5:16–18**: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”
* **Galatians 5:22–23**: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
* **Galatians 5:13**: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”
* **Galatians 2:11–14**: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”
* **Psalm 1:3**: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”
* **Romans 8:13**: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”
* **Romans 6:11**: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”
* **Romans 6:13**: “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”
* **Philippians 1:6**: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
* **Philippians 2:12–13**: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”
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This conversation explores what it means to follow Christ when your emotions lag behind your convictions. Pastors Jed and Isaias distinguish hypocrisy from sincere struggle, noting that hypocrisy masks indifference, while a sincere believer wrestles honestly and seeks to obey even when feelings falter. Galatians shapes the discussion, reminding us that the fruit of the Spirit grows in the tension between flesh and Spirit and often through active dependence, not passivity. God calls us to act in love even before desire catches up, while confessing coldness and asking Him to shape our hearts. Rather than seeing forced obedience as false, the discussion points to a life where confession, prayer, and faith-filled action align us with the Spirit’s work, trusting that He forms true love, joy, peace, and self-control over time.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Psalm 103
Note: at 22:41, the audio of the sermon cut out for about 9 minutes. We apologize for the equipment failure. This section is skipped in the video.
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00:09 Introduction: The Need for Remembrance
02:18 Reading of Psalm 103
05:13 A Call to Worship Without Petitions
06:20 Blessing God's Holy Name
07:44 The Worthiness of Christ
10:34 God's Benefits: Forgiveness of Sin
13:17 Everything Flows from Forgiveness
14:04 Praise Through Healing And Sickness
17:14 Deliverence From the Pit
18:23 Crowned with Steadfast Love and Mercy
22:05 Satisfaction and Renewal
22:41 Audio cuts out for 9 minutes of the sermon. This section is skipped
22:45 God's Anger and Mercy
24:29 The Greatness of God's Love
26:53 These Benefits Are For Those Whose Faith is in Christ
28:21 God Knows Our Frame
30:52 God's Kingdom Rules Over All
31:49 All Creation Called to Worship
33:31 Pointing One Another to the Lord
34:41 Closing Prayer
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Psalm 103
Of David.
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and all that is within me,
bless his holy name!
Bless the LORD, O my soul,
and forget not all his benefits,
who forgives all your iniquity,
who heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit,
who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,
who satisfies you with good
so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
The LORD works righteousness
and justice for all who are oppressed.
He made known his ways to Moses,
his acts to the people of Israel.
The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.
As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.
The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,
and his kingdom rules over all.
Bless the LORD, O you his angels,
you mighty ones who do his word,
obeying the voice of his word!
Bless the LORD, all his hosts,
his ministers, who do his will!
Bless the LORD, all his works,
in all places of his dominion.
Bless the LORD, O my soul! (ESV)
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Isaias Viñales opens Psalm 103 as a call to worship grounded in remembrance. He urges the soul to bless the Lord for concrete graces: God forgives all sin, heals and restores, redeems from the pit, and crowns His people with steadfast love and compassion. The Lord does not repay us as our sins deserve. His love reaches higher than the heavens, and He removes our transgressions as far as east from west. Like a father, He knows our frailty and pities us, while His mercy outlasts our brief days. Because His throne rules over all, the fitting response is wholehearted praise and steady encouragement for those who fear Him in Christ.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Why Did Paul Rebuke Peter Publically?
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00:27 Correcting Leaders Privately Vs. Publically
01:35 Do You Care for Those You're Rebuking?
03:27 Consider Their Public Influence
04:24 Should We Rebuke Leaders on Social Media?
05:49 Not Everything is a Galatians 2 Issue
07:46 Why Didn't Paul Follow the Matthew 18 Principle?
11:10 What's Next?
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Galatians 2:11–16
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. 
Matthew 18:15–20
“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV)
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Pastors Jed and Isaias join Jason to unpack why Paul corrected Peter in public at Antioch. They show that Paul’s goal was care and restoration, not clout. Peter’s withdrawal from Gentile believers was both public and influential, so the harm required a public response. The conversation weighs Matthew 18’s private steps with the reality that some sins already affect many. They caution against turning every dispute into a Galatians 2 moment, especially on social media, and call listeners to pursue correction in relationship, with a posture of love, for the good of the person and the church.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Freedom's Cry
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00:00 Humans Rally Around Cries
03:01 Reading Galatians 4:1-7
03:51 Do You Cry "Abba, Father?"
06:01 What Type of Cry?
07:45 What is Your Cry in Distress?
09:42 Abba, The Cry of a Child
13:13 A Cry of Distress
15:50 The Cry of God's Children is Not Based on Your Morality
19:44 The Cry of Christian Freedom is Not the Absence of Distress
20:55 The Cry of Freedom
22:56 What Are the Elementary Principles to Which We Were Slaves?
31:15 Christ Came to Free Us From Slavery
36:06 God Wants You to Rest in His Favor
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Galatians 4:1–7
I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)
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“Freedom’s Cry” centers on Galatians 4:1-7, showing how life before Christ leaves people enslaved to performance and the elementary principles of the world. In the fullness of time, God sent his Son, born under the law, to redeem us and grant adoption. God then sent the Spirit of his Son into believers’ hearts, forming a new reflex in hardship and in worship: Abba, Father. That cry, not a moral résumé, marks the children of God. Christian freedom is belonging to the Father amid distress, no longer slaves but sons and heirs who rest in his favor.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Peter, Paul, and Meals that Preach
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00:00 - Introduction
00:33 - To Have Fellowship or To Break Fellowship?
05:31 - Our Fellowship Reflects Consistency with the Gospel
07:29 - What About Family Meals with Unrepentant Family?
11:49 - But Jesus Ate with Sinners and Pharisees?
15:13 - Trusting in God's Wisdom in Nuanced Situations
17:46 - It's About the Gospel
20:37 - What's Next?
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Galatians 2:11–16
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”
We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.
1 Corinthians 5:9–13
I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (ESV)
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This conversation traces how table fellowship can either confirm or confuse the gospel. From Galatians 2, Peter’s withdrawal from Gentile believers denied gospel unity, so Paul confronted him because the meal itself signaled family in Christ. From 1 Corinthians 5, the call to withhold fellowship concerns a professing believer who remains unrepentant after the Matthew 18 process; the aim is restoration, and the stance treats them as an unbeliever while still pursuing them with evangelistic love. The hosts apply this to family and church life, distinguishing everyday meals from communion, and urging churches to carry out discipline so families are not left alone in hard decisions. Our welcome should match God’s welcome, guarding grace that both forgives and transforms.
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Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.
Learn more at berean.church.