The Commands of Christ Podcast

How do we prepare for suffering and persecution? Consider how you would train for lifting weights – you would start with small weights and increase from there. In the same way, God desires to train us in the small things. The best preparation for rejoicing in the bigger tests and trials in life is by rejoicing in our day-to-day lives. By rejoicing everything right now, we will be prepared to rejoice when faced with greater trials. 

To rejoice in suffering and persecution is not a natural response to us. But the good news is, this response is natural to Jesus! This is the way He responds, and this is how He will respond through us if we allow Him to. When trials come, God calls us to step into Jesus' supernatural response and respond with rejoicing. In this, our display of joy in trials is how we can showcase Jesus's life to the world!

Have you ever thought of joy as being a part of persecution and suffering? In this command, it is. As ironic as this sounds, the command to rejoice is an invitation to hope and courage during  trials. Enduring persecution and suffering for the sake of Christ conforms us to His image, and secures eternal rewards. Join Gabe and Nate as they explore the rich treasures of the command of Christ, Rejoice. 

To rejoice in suffering and persecution is not a natural response to us. But the good news is, this response is natural to Jesus! This is the way He responds, and this is how He will respond through us if we allow Him to. When trials come, God calls us to step into Jesus' supernatural response and respond with rejoicing. In this, our display of joy in trials is how we can showcase Jesus's life to the world!

While he’s best known for his role in the movies Fireproof and Courageous, Ken Bevel's story goes far beyond these films. Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Ken’s family did not have a lot of money, but they were happy. This all began to change when Ken’s dad started to drink. Alcohol led to drugs and things began to spiral downward in his home. 

By age 17, Ken found his life heading toward disaster as he sought love and affirmation in all the wrong places. After a failed attempt to improve his life by changing locations, he finally came to the “end of his rope” and cried out to God. This desperate plea began a journey of learning to surrender and say “yes” to God no matter the circumstance. Join host Gabe Cleator and guest Ken Bevel as they walk through Ken’s story and what God has done in his life.

Ken Bevel is a graduate of the University of Memphis with a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Engineering Technology and a graduate of the Naval Postgraduate School with a Master of Business Administration degree in Logistics Management. After 20 years of active service in the United States Marine Corps, including tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, Ken retired to serve in the ministry. Associate Pastor of Assimilation and Events" at Sherwood Baptist Church. Ken and Launa have been happily married for 16 years and have two children, Kyra and Kaleb.

Our focus determines our effectiveness. Just as a sheep will only follow one shepherd, so we as believers in Christ can only follow one Lord. It is easy to think we are following Jesus when, in reality, many other things compete with how we follow Him. These can include relationships, possessions, or even ministry. Following Jesus with all our hearts means that He is our central focus. In this, our supreme love for Him governs all other relationships and priorities.

As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him is being filled with Him! When we give God the right to guide, lead, and direct our lives, Christ’s life within us will bless and minister to those around us. The more Christ increases in our lives, the more we can invest in the lives of others for eternity. This is how we can walk as "fishers of men."

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

Are we willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads? Or do we say that we trust Him while we reserve the right to make our own decisions? Following Jesus means trusting Christ to determine the direction of our lives -- even when it doesn’t make sense. Join Nate and Gabe as they talk about following the Shepherd Who is trustworthy.

As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him is being filled with Him! When we give God the right to guide, lead, and direct our lives, Christ’s life within us will bless and minister to those around us. The more Christ increases in our lives, the more we can invest in the lives of others for eternity. This is how we can walk as "fishers of men."

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

Following Jesus is about getting to know and listening to His voice. Listening takes time — and it competes with the many noises and distractions of a busy life. But if we take the time to still our hearts and listen to God’s voice, we will learn to trust Him and follow where He leads. Join Nate and Gabe as they share examples of what it means to follow Christ.

As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him is being filled with Him! When we give God the right to guide, lead, and direct our lives, Christ’s life within us will bless and minister to those around us. The more Christ increases in our lives, the more we can invest in the lives of others for eternity. This is how we can walk as "fishers of men."

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

When Jesus approached two fishermen with a life-changing call, they embraced the call wholeheartedly. To these men, following Jesus meant a complete change of identity and purpose. Jesus gives the same invitation to those who desire to follow Him today.

As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him is being filled with Him! When we give God the right to guide, lead, and direct our lives, Christ’s life within us will bless and minister to those around us. The more Christ increases in our lives, the more we can invest in the lives of others for eternity. This is how we can walk as "fishers of men."

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleship

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

Used over 150 times in Scripture, "grace" is perhaps one of the most important words in the entire Bible! But what is the grace of God, and how does it function in our lives as believers? In this episode, Gabe Cleator and Eric Ludy dig deep into the vital topic of grace. Just as a diamond has many facets, the grace of God has many different aspects. When we just take one aspect of grace and claim it as the totality of grace, we miss out on much of the riches of God's amazing grace. More than just a divine smile from heaven, grace is the mighty power of God in Christ working in us to will and to do His good pleasure. In short, when God gave us His grace, He gave us everything we need for life and godliness. In this episode, come marvel with us at the amazing grace of God!

Eric Ludy is the president of Ellerslie Mission Society and the bestselling author of eighteen books on Christian thought and living. Eric functions as the director of Ellerslie Discipleship Training in Windsor, Colorado, and serves as the teaching pastor at Ellerslie’s campus church.

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

How would you describe the vibrancy of your love for the Lord? Is it more vibrant now than when you first got saved, or has it grown cold? Join Nate and Gabe as they discuss how the goal of repentance is restoration of our relationship with the God of the Universe.

One way that we can lose our intimate relationship with God is by becoming too focused on our serving and losing focus on the God Whom we are serving. The Church of Ephesus in Revelation 2 had this exact problem. What was God’s message to them? Repent! 

In this passage, God called the church to repent and return to doing the “first work” — making their relationship with Him preeminent over all other things in their lives. As we see in this passage, there are tragic consequences for missing this as a priority.

In relationships, we are either growing closer or we are drifting further away — there is no in-between. So where is your relationship with God—are you pursuing Him?

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” — Stephen Covey. Do you realize that the thoughts you think actually determine the destiny of your life? We may assume that our thoughts are harmless and don’t affect our lives much, but the exact opposite is true! Join Gabe and Nate as they talk about how our thoughts lead to the outcome of our lives.

Have you ever gotten into a “rut” of negative thinking? Are you struggling with detrimental habits that you can’t seem to break free from? The command to repent not only gives us the keys to walking in freedom from these things, but also gives us hope and purpose in the One who has set us free from these things!

The power of repentance does not lie within my ability to change my actions or in possessing an attitude of remorse. The secret lies within the power of the living Word of God to change me from the inside out. Genuine change begins when the Word of God is abiding within me, transforming the way I think and determining what is in my heart and ultimately what I will do!

Want to go deeper in studying this command of Christ? Download a free study guide at www.homediscipleship.com

Study guide includes: 

• Scriptures referenced in podcast
• Review of Old Testament context
• Guide for Scripture meditation
• Questions for application and prayer

For more information, visit us at www.homediscipleship.com

Find us on Facebook and Instagram @homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.facebook.com/homediscipleshipnetwork

https://www.instagram.com/homediscipleshipnetwork