The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

By James EarlyReligion & Spirituality Christianity Spirituality Religion

The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus episodes

January 24, 2023172 – Living in the Holy Spirit
172 – What is it like to live in the Holy Spirit?

Is it still possible today? Yes, it is!

To understand why, we need to go back to when Jesus promises his disciples he will send the Holy Spirit to guide them, teach them everything they need to know, and remind them of everything he taught them.

In this week's episode I talk about
Why Jesus had to leave before the Holy Spirit would come
How to know that you have the Holy Spirit in your life
2 things you can do that bring the Holy Spirit
The overall purpose of the Holy Spirit in Scripture and today
Whether to say the Holy Spirit or just Holy Spirit
How to actually live in the Holy Spirit
Examples in the New Testament of people living in the Holy Spirit
Are you willing to let go of your agenda, your preconceptions, your opinions about what and how things have to be done, and be completely willing to go where the Holy Spirit guides you?

Is your church willing to do this collectively?
Never think you are exempt from being "employed" by the Holy Spirit to further the Cause of Christ in the world.

God can use your talents and abilities, and even your perceived lack of them, to His greater purpose. It’s not about how capable or holy you are, but how capable and holy God is.

My prayer for you is that you will feel the presence of the Holy Spirit in your life, that you will live in the presence of the Holy Spirit and that the light of Christ in you heart will shine out into the world to bless all mankind.

Blog posts mentioned in this week's episode:
What Does the Holy Ghost ACTUALLY Do?”
The Holy Spirit: Advocate, Comforter, and Defense Attorney

Bible verses quoted this week are in the show notes:
thebiblespeakstoyou.com/living-in-the-holy-spirit/

Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
27 min
January 17, 2023171 – Why Did Jesus Talk in Parables?
171 – Have you ever wondered why Jesus spoke in parables so often?

Recently I got an email from a listener, Brian, wondering why Jesus spoke so often in parables but didn't ever explain things to the crowds of people who were listening. He only explained them to his disciples.

So I decided to do a whole episode about this. There's actually a lot to it and Brian actually had a lot of related questions.

Here are the questions Brian asked and that I talk about this week. He was referring specifically to the Parable of the Sower:
What benefit was it to telling the multitude to plant seeds in good soil? Jesus wasn't trying to teach them how to grow their crops.
What benefit could the crowds get if they didn't have an explanation?
Did Jesus think people would think deeply about what he said and eventually figure out what he was talking about?
Did he not care that most of the crowd didn't understand as longs a few people did?
Did Jesus know that his words would be written down and shared in the future?
Why didn't Jesus speak more clearly to his disciples?
I also talk about the number 1 problem in trying to figure out what the parables, or any of Jesus's teachings, mean.

And I share the very best way to actually discover the meaning of Jesus's parables.

To see all the Bible verses quoted in this week's episode, check out the show notes at thebiblespeakstoyou.com/171.

NOTICE: If you have a topic you'd like me to talk about on The Bible Speaks to You Podcast, please click the contact link in the bio below.
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
27 min
January 10, 2023170 – Leaving Legalistic Religion for God's Abundant Grace with Emily Louis
170 – If you're stuck in a legalistic church, it may be time to leave.

Being in a legalistic church is like being stuck in a small, tight box with little freedom.

In today's podcast, I have a conversation with my friend Emily Louis, a worthiness coach and the host of the Abundant Grace Podcast, who left legalism for God's abundant grace.

Here are some of the things we talked about:
Why did you start your podcast, Abundant Grace and how has it blessed folks?
What was the first thing you found freedom from in you journey out of legalism?
Why was it so hard?
Why do you think people find comfort in the box, in the rules and the legalism?
What caused you to rebel against legalism?
Why do people obey the legalistic rules if they don't agree with them?
What was your concept of and your relationship with God growing up and how has that changed?
How has your approach to prayer changed?
What are some of the theological things you don't believe anymore?
How did you find your worth as a child of God?
How do you help people discover and accept their worth?
What is God's abundant grace and unconditional love like?
How did it feel when you actually left the church you grew up in?
To see all the Bible references mentioned in this episode, go to:
thebiblespeakstoyou.com/170

Resources:
Instagram: emily.abundantgrace
Podcast: Abundant Grace
Please visit this special page Emily created just for you: emilyklouis.com/thebiblespeaks
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
58 min
January 03, 2023169 – What Is Your Spiritual Vision for 2023?
169 – Have you thought about what your spiritual vision for 2023 will be?

It's not just setting a goal and making it happen but seeing what God is doing in your life.

The book of Proverbs shares a powerful truth: "Where there is no vision, the people perish:" (Proverbs 29:18)

But this vision doesn't just mean what you see with your eyeballs. It means spiritual or prophetic vision, the ability to see what God is doing in your life and the world.

In this week's episode, I talk about
Why spiritual vision is important
What spiritual vision is
How to look at your life from a more spiritual perspective
Looking at yourself and others with your spiritual vision
How did Jesus see things?
Can you and I have the same spiritual vision Jesus did?
Where will you go spiritually in 2023?
God has given us spiritual vision, we just need to use it.

God has given you the ability to see way beneath and beyond the surface appearance of things and discern the things of the Spirit
Use this gift often. Open your spiritual eyes and you will see what God is doing in 2023.

For Bible references mentioned in this episode, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/169.
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
25 min
December 27, 2022168 – Best Podcast Episodes: 2022
2022 Highlights of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast

Sometimes at the end of the year and before the new year begins, you need a little reminder of all the good things that happened in the last 12 months.

In this episode I share clips from 10 of the most listened to episodes of The Bible Speaks to You Podcast during 2022.

Here are links to the full episodes of all those mentioned:

# 120 Jason Elam: You Are Loved and Accepted by God
# 125 Can Your Prayers to End War Make a Difference?
# 136 Cultivating the Mindset of Christ
# 139 The Healing Power of Blessing Others with Pierre Pradervand
# 146 You Are Filled with All the Fullness of God
# 149 You Are Here for Such a Time as This
# 153 Where Does Your Self-Worth Come From?
# 157 How to Find Inspiration when You Feel Uninspired
# 159 Following Wise Women in the Bible
# 161 You Are Already Complete
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
40 min
December 20, 2022167 – What Will You Give Jesus for Christmas?
167 – Have you ever thought about what you'll give Jesus for Christmas this year?

Christmas is in just a few days (if you're listening to this episode when it comes out). And you probably have most of your holiday preparations already taken care of except for the things that have to wait for the last minute.

In all you've done to get ready for Christmas, have you ever stopped to consider what you'll give Jesus for Christmas this year?

What could you possibly give him that he doesn't already have? He doesn't need any more gold, frankincense, or myrrh. He doesn't need any things. What he wants is the love in your heart, your whole heart.

And maybe we need to ask the question in a different way: What will you give up for Jesus this Christmas? The hurts, the fears, the unforgiving attitude, the desire to get even with someone.

When we clear out these negative thoughts, there's more room for Christ in our hearts. That is a beautiful gift for Jesus.

Every time you obey one of Jesus's commandments, you are giving him a gift.

In Matthew, Chapter 25, Jesus reminds us that we need to treat everyone we meet the same way we would treat him, because, that's actually what's happening.

This Christmas, I encourage you to see Jesus in everyone you come in contact with:
in the stores
in traffic
on the sidewalk
at church
at home
on the phone
wherever
Express the same love to these people you would to Jesus.

And if you get so busy you forget, do it retroactively before you go to bed at night.

When you love everyone you meet the way you would love Jesus, that's the very best gift you can give him. It's the best gift you can give someone else. And it's the best gift you can give yourself.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas. I recognize and cherish the Christ in you today and always.
To read a transcript of the episode and see the Bible quotes mentioned this week, go to: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/167.
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
17 min
December 13, 2022166 – Getting Ready for Christmas with the Sermon on the Mount
166 – How do you get ready for Christmas spiritually?

Christmas will be here in less than two weeks. Are you ready?

I'm not talking about the shopping and the cooking, the decorations and the Christmas cards. I'm talking about being ready spiritually to celebrate the birth of Jesus.

Usually at this time of year, I read the Nativity stories in Matthew and Luke. And I look at the prophecies in the Old Testament the tell how Jesus will be born.

But this year I've been studying the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7), to get in the Christmas spirit.

And I'm seeing things I've never seen before.

There's not time to go over every verse in this podcast episode, but here's what I talk about. And I share how these verses shed light on the spiritual meaning of Christmas.
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God
Do not do your charitable deeds before men, to be seen by them
Love your enemies
Do not call anyone on earth ‘father,’ for you have one Father, and he is in heaven
Each line of the Lord's Prayer
Don’t store up treasures here on earth, store your treasures in heaven
Don't worry about what you'll eat, drink, or wear because God will care for you
Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness
Don't judge others or you will be judged
I encourage you to read the whole Sermon on the Mount and think about how each verse brings vibrancy to the Christmas message.

I wish you a very blessed and holy Christmas.

For all the Bible quotes in this episode, go to the show notes page:
thebiblespeakstoyou.com/166
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
27 min
December 06, 2022165 – How Did Jesus Love His Disciples?
165 – Have you ever noticed all the ways Jesus loved his disciples?

If you were going to tell someone you loved them, what would you say? How would you say it? There are so many possibilities. Just saying the words, “I love you,” doesn’t always convey love does it?

It’s about the tone of voice, the circumstances, your facial expressions and body language, the sincerity in your heart. A lot more than just words goes into letting someone know you love them.
And if you were going to show someone you loved them, what would you do? To them? For them? With them? Again, there are lots of ways to show someone you love them, sometimes without even saying a word. Actions often express much more love than words ever could.
A listener recently requested I explore in a podcast episode, all the ways Jesus expressed love to his disciples.

Well there's no way to talk about them all in one short episode, but this week I take an overview of many of the ways Jesus loved his disciples. And the implication is that he loves us in the very same way.

Here are the ways Jesus loved his disciples mentioned in this episode:
Jesus loved them first and foremost by being true to himself and his purpose
He loved them by choosing them to follow him
He taught them publicly and privately
He appointed them to preach and teach and empowered them to do so
He taught them not just with his words but with his example
He was patient with them
He answered the questions
He rebuked them
He prepared them for when he would no longer be with them
He sent the Holy Spirit to guide them once he was gone
He trusted them to do what God called them to do
When you look at every single word and action through the lens of how much Jesus loved his disciples, his love is so much more obvious.

And remember, the love in Jesus's heart for his disciples includes you and me as well.

Here's how Jesus summed up this love: "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love." John 15:9 NIV
Jesus loves us the way the Father loves him. Are you willing to open your heart to and accept that kind of love?

To see all the Bible quotes in this week's episode: thebiblepseakstoyou.com/165

Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
24 min
November 29, 2022164 – Sitting in Heavenly Places with Christ
164 – Wouldn't it be great to be sitting with Christ in heavenly places?
Have you ever just wanted to get away from all the struggle, the challenges, and the busyness of daily life? Sometimes it seems the cycle of events never stops and we don’t have time to just be still and feel God’s presence as much as we’d like to.

I have certainly felt this way many times. But a phrase from Ephesians has been coming to me the last week or so which has given me a lot of comfort: “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Ephesians 2:6
That actually sounds pretty good doesn’t it? To sit in heavenly places in Christ.
But how on earth do we do that? Or, how in heaven do we do that, I should say. How can we get there, sitting in heavenly places?

In this week's episode I explore what this means:
The verb tense indicates that God has already made us sit in heavenly places
It's not just way off in the future
To sit in heavenly places is part of our spiritual inheritance as co-heirs with Christ
It is spiritually true now, we just can't see it looking through a distorted lens
We need to accept the fact we are heirs to the kingdom and that we deserve this inheritance because God has ordained it for us, and us for it
When we look the the lens of God's grace, we can see more of our divine heritage
Before we can completely accept our divine inheritance we must give up a sin-oriented mindset that sees everyone, including ourselves, as miserable sinners
Jesus looked at people through the lens of what's true in the kingdom of heaven and saw them "sitting with him in heavenly places."
Take a moment right now, and open your spiritual vision to see yourself sitting in these heavenly places we’ve been talking about. Quit looking through the smudged and cracked lens of a world full of sin. Look at yourself, and everyone you meet, through the lens of God’s grace, God’s divine influence in your heart.
This is not something to do just once or twice. It begins with that. But it’s a daily practice. It’s a mindset shift. The more you look through the lens of grace, the more grace you’ll see everywhere you go. And you will see yourself and everyone you meet sitting in the heavenly places in Christ.

For Bible references in this episode: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/164
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
24 min
November 22, 2022163 – Being Grateful for Little Things
163 – What are you most grateful for?

What’s the first thing you think of? Is it something big or small? Something recent, something in the distant past, or is it for something in the future that hasn’t even happened yet?

Recently, when I asked someone in a class I was teaching what he was grateful for, he said it was his toothbrush. There's more to the story when you listen to the full episode, but it got me to thinking.

What does the Bible say about gratitude? A lot actually.

But most of the references I found have to do with thanking and praising God for the great things He has done, like create the heavens and the earth, deliver the children of Israel from Egypt and warring armies, and other grand and important things.

But I got curious about what the Bible says about being grateful for the little things in our lives.

I found some wonderful examples where the Bible brings out the importance of small things.

Here are just a few:
Jesus giving thanks before a meal
An angel tells Zechariah not to despise small beginnings
Jesus telling his disciples they needed faith as a grain of mustard seed
The widow who gave two copper coins to the Temple treasury
Bits in the mouths of horses
A rudder on a ship
Yeast in bread dough
But we can take our gratitude way beyond just being grateful for these things. How about turning them into spiritual metaphors!

For example, Jesus's parable of the woman putting yeast in the bread dough gives us a hint of when we get a little taste of the kingdom of heaven, it completely changes our lives.

In this episode, I give a lot more examples of how to take the everyday things in your life, and see them as spiritual metaphors. Things like a light switch, a window and door, a steering wheel in your car. Check it out.

I'd love to know what are the little things you're grateful for.

To see the full show notes with all the Bible references mentioned in this week's episode, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/163.

Subscribe to the podcast
Text me your questions or comments.
Support the show
If you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify

__________________
James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life.
Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)
Subscribe to the podcast (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)
Make a donation to support the show
Schedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for you
Contact James here
27 min

About The Bible Speaks to You: Think, Pray, Love like Jesus

From the publisher's feed

Have you ever poured out your heart, almost begging God to solve a problem, but it doesn’t feel like your prayer is ever answered? You wonder if there’s a better way to pray you don’t know about.…