248 – Have you ever heard someone talk about Jesus in a way that just didn’t quite fit with what was in the Bible?

Or maybe you read a book or saw a movie or a play about Jesus that either fell short of capturing the true essence of Jesus or it kind of stretched the truth and over-exaggerated things?

Recently in Season 4 of "The Chosen," there was a scene where Jesus made no effort to heal Ramah, when Thomas asked him to and openly confessed his faith that Jesus could heal her.

And back in Season 3, Jesus explains to Little James, one of the twelve disciples, why he wasn't going to heal him.

This is not the Jesus I believe in.

There's nothing in the Bible that describes Jesus ever acting this way.

Now, don't get me wrong. I love The Chosen. I've been deeply inspired by the show, but when it depicts Jesus in a way that's inconsistent with what the Bible reveals about Jesus, I have a hard time swallowing the story line.

That's what this week's episode is all about:

• Is God sometimes willing to heal but not other times?
• Is God always able to heal or not?
• Was Jesus unable or unwilling to heal on some occasions?
• How does it affect the way you pray if you believe God might choose not to heal you or cannot heal you?

No matter what others say about who Jesus is or what he does, always come back to the Bible to find him. Don’t take The Chosen’s version of Jesus. Don’t accept a preacher’s version of Jesus. Don’t take the Church’s traditionalized view of Jesus without coming back to the Bible.

When you do find Jesus in the Bible, you will find the Jesus you can follow and believe in.

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 29: Is It Ever God’s Will You Are NOT Healed When You Pray?

Show notes:
To read a full transcript and the Bible quotes in this episode, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/248

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
  
  

247 – Have you ever felt like some folks are preaching man-made doctrines without even realizing it?

Have you ever felt intimidated by people insisting their doctrines are correct? And then someone with a different doctrine insists they are right and the other person is wrong?

How do we tell if a doctrine is man-made or a God-ordained truth?

This week's episode jumps into this and give some basic tools you can use to help determine if a doctrine is man-made or not.

We talk about:

• What does it mean to be a Christian?
• Is being a Christian based on doctrine or deeds?
• Jesus's litmus test for what it means to be a true Christian
• Lots of Christians believe things that don't really agree with what Jesus said
• The one most important quality to have in your heart when thinking about whether you believe man-made doctrines or God's truth

I encourage you to take an honest look at your beliefs. Are they in line with what Jesus said and did? Do they express the love he lived?

The best way to find out is to pay careful attention to everything Jesus said and did and follow his example and obey his teachings. Do this until it’s totally natural to love your enemies and forgive those who have wronged you, among other things.

Then look through this practice and obedience to Jesus as a lens to evaluate your doctrines.

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 224 – Why Should I Believe in the Nicene Creed? 

Show notes:
Full transcript and Bible verses mentioned: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/247

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
  
  

246 – Is your faith based on what someone told you you're supposed to believe or on your relationship with God?

I've talked to several people lately who have recently realized they believe what they were taught without questioning it. They never really made their faith their own. 

They have finally given themselves permission to ask questions, read the Bible for themselves, and focus on their relationship with God, instead of just believing and doing what other people tell them they should.

This week's episode is about making your faith your own. Jesus's disciples had to learn this same lesson. It wasn't enough to just repeat Jesus's words. They had to practice what he taught them.

How to make your faith your own:

• Get spiritually curious and ask questions
• Spend some time alone with God and ask questions
• Read the Bible for yourself
• Start with what resonates with you, like loving your neighbor as yourself
• Always ask God to direct the next steps you need to take
• Keep a record of how God has worked in your life
• Don't be surprised if you find yourself surrendering to God to guide your life
• Be an active part of a community of like-minded believers

The best way to make your faith your own is to practice the basic teachings of Jesus and see where that leads you.

If you just repeat what someone else says, or even the words of Jesus, without putting them into practice, it's like buying seeds and not planting them.

When you practice your faith, it will grow, just as seeds grow when they're planted.

Trust the process. 

Show notes:
Full transcript of this episode and Bible references--thebiblespeakstoyou.com/246

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
  
  

245 – What do you do when people or circumstances rob you of your joy?

Have you ever been on top of the world and full of joy when something terrible happens, your joy  vanishes, and you feel like you're sinking into a pit of quicksand?

Is there a way to hold onto your joy when a challenging situation comes up?

That's what this week's episode is all about.

The Bible talks a lot about joy. But it's not the fleeting happiness that is like a weather vane, which shifts depending on which way the emotional winds are blowing.

True joy goes deeper than that:

• Joy comes from within because of who we are as children of God
• Joy is a result of knowing our relationship with God
• True joy comes from being in God's presence
• It comes from understanding your place in the kingdom of heaven
• When you've lost your joy, the remedy is gratitude

The more you feel your deep spiritual connection with God, the less you’ll be influenced when terrible things happen or you get bad news.

Jesus says nothing can take away your true joy, your connection with God.  (John 16:22)

There may be times when it feels like circumstances have robbed you of your joy. But your joy is actually still there, still part of who you are as a child of God.

Are you ready to discover your true spiritual joy? Listen now.

Show notes:
Full transcript and Bible verses--thebiblespeakstoyou.com/245

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 111 : What Was Jesus Thankful for?

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
  
  

244 – Do you want to be a more effective dad, or know someone who does?

This week I talk with Jared Haley and Chris Wilson about what it means to be a good dad, to nurture your kids and support their spiritual growth.

Jared and Chris are both passionate about being good dads, spending quality time with their families, and guiding their kids spiritually as they grow up. But most important of all, loving and respecting them under all circumstances.

We talked about all kind of dad things. I asked each of them:

• What's your favorite thing about being a dad?
• Who is your favorite father figure in the Bible?
• How do you help your kids hold onto their innocence and creativity?
• What's your biggest challenge being a dad?
• How do you guide your kids with healthy boundaries without stirring up resentment? 
• How do you quit repeating the patterns of temper or anger that you learned from your own parents? 
• What if we treated our children the way we would treat Jesus? 

And of course, I asked my famous three last questions.

1. If you could talk to any Bible character other than Jesus, who would it be and what would you ask them?
2.  Is there any Bible character you especially identify with?
3. This podcast is about getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus. How would you describe Jesus’s original message of how he wanted us to live our lives?

Listen now to hear the answers to these questions.

Show notes:
To download a pdf transcript and to see all Bible quotes, check out the show notes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/244.

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
  
  

243 – What's the best way to experience spiritual restoration?

Have you ever felt like you needed some spiritual restoration in your life? I sure have.

The key word here is "restoration." It means that God is restoring us to the original condition of how He made us in His image and likeness.

It's kind of like someone cleaning an old oil painting, removing all the dirt and varnish from so you can see the original intention of the artist in the original colors. Check out the video below.

Spiritual restoration

God removes from our hearts and minds everything that is not in keeping with His original intention for us: past hurts and fears, sins we’ve committed and bad choices we’ve made, pride or self-depreciation, to name a few.

The secret of spiritual restoration is the simple fact that God originally created you in all glory, beauty, purity, and wholeness. Whatever has covered that up is not part of God’s original intention for you, any more than layers of dirt on a painting are part of an artist’s original intention for a piece of art.

It's not that is not that God transforms you from a sinner into a saint. He removes the sin, the hurts, the fears, whatever it is that’s covered up God’s original creation, because these things are not part of the original way God created you.

Resources mentioned:
Episode 227: God Still Loves You
YouTube video of painting being restored

Show notes:
Transcript and Bible quotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/243

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
  
  

242 – What is your priority at church, getting new members or taking care of the sheep you have?

I used to think my church should focus only on reaching out to the community, sharing the gospel, and getting more people to come to church.

But over the years I've realized it's equally important to nurture and care for the members we already have.

This week's podcast episode talks about the difference between the Great Commission and, what I call, the Great Shepherding of the flock.

• Jesus knew his followers would need to be cared for and fed spiritually
• He commissioned Peter (and all of us) to feed and care for all his lambs and sheep
• If you just focus on getting new members and don't "feed" them, they'll leave sooner or later
• If you only focus on taking care of your church members, you're missing out on the joy of sharing your faith with others.

Sharing your faith with others and caring for the sheep are both very important but they should not be mixed up. Each one has its place and each works together to enrich the other.

I encourage you to take an honest look at the way you as an individual, and your church (if  you’re a member of one) fulfill or don’t fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Shepherding, sharing your faith and feeding the sheep of Jesus.

How can you get closer to the way Jesus preached and fed his sheep?

Previous episode mentioned:
Episode 155: Aramaic in the New Testament with Roy Gessford 

Show notes:
Full transcript and Bible quotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/242

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
  
  

241 – Why should you read the Gospel of Thomas?

Well, do you want to be closer to Christ? Then the Gospel of Thomas is for you.

But you have to learn how to decode it. That's where Kieth Giles comes in. His book helps find the deeper meaning:  The Quantum Sayings of Jesus: Decoding the Lost Gospel of Thomas*

This week I talk with Keith Giles about the Gospel of Thomas. Keith explains why this ancient text is really important and how it helps us get a really deep insight into how to follow Jesus.

We dig into all the questions you have about the Gospel of Thomas:

• How do we have this ancient text?
• What did church politics have to do with the disappearance of The Gospel of Thomas?
• When and where was it discovered and how was it found?
• Why wasn't it included in the Bible?
• How does it help us follow Jesus better?
• Is it really written by Thomas?
• What is the secret to understanding the Gospel of Thomas?
• Should Christians be wary of the Gospel of Thomas? Is it dangerous to read?
• What is the main message of the Gospel of Thomas?
• Why is it so relevant today?

Keith was on The Bible Speaks to You Podcast on a previous episode:
Episode 76: Keith Giles and the Atonement of Christ

Other resources mentioned:
Book by Elaine Pagels: Beyond Belief–The Secret Gospel of Thomas*
Book by William Duffy: The Hidden Gospel of Thomas: Commentaries on the Non-Dual Sayings of Jesus*
Blog: KeithGiles.com
Quoir Publishing Company: quoir.com
Happy Heretic Podcast
Second Cup with Keith Podcast

Show notes:
Full transcript and Bible references:

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
  
  

240 – If Jesus was here today, would he get involved in politics?

Do you think he would be a member of your political party? Would he take sides at all? Or would he take a different approach to solving the problems people are facing today?

How would Jesus bring healing to the political divisions in today’s society? Would he go to Washington, D.C. and make a speech in congress? Would he meet with opposing political opponents and try to get them to agree on things? Or would he hold a political rally and campaign for one candidate over another?

I don’t think so. 

In this week's episode:

• The difference between your perspective and God's perspective
• Trying to solve the problem on same level of the problem never works
• If you want to heal like Jesus, you have to act, pray, and love like Jesus
• To do that, you have to think like Jesus
• What does the kingdom of heaven have to do with politics?

Jesus never got involved in the politics of his times. He never made it a priority to resolve the conflicts with the government of Rome, with its intrigues and powerful personalities. He never tried to resolve the disputes between the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Zealots, and the Essenes. 

As we get closer and closer to the election this fall in the United States, and as you see the political scene do whatever the political scene will do, don’t be impressed or get absorbed in what’s going on. Don’t be alarmed or fearful. Don’t believe everything you hear. Don’t judge any situation by the outward appearance of things pro or con.

If you really want to bring healing to the political scene, start with yourself, surrender your personal opinions and perspectives and see everyone and everything from the perspective of what is true in heaven right now. This will bring healing to you, to others, and that can and will, in turn, bring healing on a larger scale, even to the political arena.

Show notes:
Read the full transcript and all Bible citations: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/240

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
  
  

239 – Have you ever felt far away from God?

Maybe you've made some huge mistakes, or someone had done something that harmed you. But no matter what has happened in your life, God is always with you, even if you're not aware of it.

This week's episode digs deep into this idea that God is always with us, no matter what. 

Highlights this week:

• Psalm 139: Wherever you go, God is there
• My parents story of losing their business, but feeling God's presence with them during the challenges
• Romans 8:38, 39: Nothing can separate you from God's love
• Modern day challenges and situations that cannot separate you from God's love

But whatever the situation is, even if it is a direct attempt to keep God out of things, it doesn’t mean God went away. No person, policy, or procedure has the power to make God disappear. Nothing can separate you from God. Nothing can separate God from you.

Under every  circumstance, God is with us. Whatever tempts you to think  you are separated from God, you cannot be deceived to believe that lie. God is always with you, no matter what.

Previous episodes mentioned:
Episode 126 – You Can Never Be Separated from God
Episode 238 – Everything Jesus Did Proves How Much God Loves You

Show notes:
Full transcript and Bible quotes: thebiblespeakstoyou.com/239

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