By PursueGOD
5
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The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) is crucial for successful relationships, including marriage. EQ is different from IQ and focuses on understanding and managing emotions, as well as understanding others. The five traits of EQ are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. In this episode, Bryan and Tracy discuss the importance of EQ for a healthy marriage.
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
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In this conversation, Bryan and Tracy discuss the topic of selfishness in marriage. They explore five areas where selfish attitudes and behaviors tend to appear: finances, preferences, emotions, time, and chores. They emphasize the importance of recognizing and admitting one's own selfishness and making a commitment to be less selfish. They also discuss the need for open communication, compromise, and serving each other in order to have a healthy and thriving marriage.
Takeaways:
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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In this conversation, Bryan and Tracy discuss the importance of understanding personality types in marriage and parenting. They focus on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) as a framework for understanding different personality types. They explain that the purpose of understanding personality types is not to change the other person, but to gain insight into their strengths and weaknesses. They discuss the four main indicators of the MBTI: introvert vs. extrovert, sensor vs. intuitive, thinker vs. feeler, and judger vs. perceiver. They provide examples and personal anecdotes to illustrate how these indicators can impact relationships. They emphasize the importance of self-awareness and empathy in building healthy relationships.
Takeaways:
Find discussion questions to talk about this at FLEXTALK.org.
Or for a faith-based conversation, find it at pursueGOD.org.
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Almost every world religion offers a pathway to heaven through good works and personal efforts. Some even include a list of sacraments: Holy rituals by which a person can merit salvation. But Christianity is different. According to the Bible, there’s only one way to know if you’re good enough for God, and it has nothing to do with what you can do.
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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
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Before we look at what the Bible says, let’s do a quick survey of a few popular world religions…
Hinduism: Hinduism does not have a singular concept of salvation but rather multiple paths (yogas) that lead to spiritual liberation (moksha) from the cycle of birth, death, and rebirth (samsara). These paths include devotion (bhakti), knowledge (jnana), and selfless action (karma yoga), among others. Salvation is achieved when an individual realizes their true self (atman) as one with the ultimate reality (Brahman). (Liberation depends on YOU.)
Buddhism: Salvation in Buddhism is the cessation of suffering and the cycle of rebirth, achieved through the elimination of desire and ignorance. In Buddhism, the goal is to attain enlightenment (nirvana) by following the Noble Eightfold Path, which includes principles such as right understanding, right intention, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. (Nirvana depends on YOU.)
Islam: In Islam, the plan of salvation involves belief in the oneness of God (Allah) and the prophethood of Muhammad. Muslims believe in living a righteous life according to the teachings of the Quran and the Hadith (sayings of Muhammad). Salvation is achieved through faith, repentance, and good deeds, with the ultimate reward being entry into paradise. Salvation in Islam is not guaranteed solely by faith or deeds but is ultimately dependent on the mercy and judgment of Allah. Muslims strive to live a life that is pleasing to Allah and to follow the teachings of Islam in the hope of attaining salvation in the afterlife. (Paradise depends on YOU.)
(Note: similarity with Mormonism. “Saved by grace after all we can do.”) - Don’t include this in sermon!
TRANS: So what does Christianity teach? To find that answer we need to look at one more world religion: Judaism. Jesus was Jewish. Christianity came out of Judaism. Understanding the link between those two religions, and specifically the key difference between them, will give us the insight we need to answer our question today. Let’s start with the words of Jesus from his famous Sermon on the Mount:
Matthew 5:17 (NLT) “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.”
When Jesus talks about “the law and the prophets” he’s referring to Judaism. Here’s Judaism in a nutshell:
In Mt 5 Jesus is basically saying: “There’s nothing wrong with the law; there’s something wrong with the people.” That’s why he said this:
Matthew 5:20 (NLT) “But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!”
Jesus goes on in the sermon to list examples in every area of life:
Then Jesus finishes the section with this crazy statement:
Matthew 5:48 (NLT) But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.
This leaves us in a pickle. God requires perfection, but people are far from it. The Apostle Paul explained this clearly in his letter to the Romans:
Romans 3:20 (NLT) For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
This is crazy: Paul used to be a Pharisee! He was one of those guys from the Sermon on the Mount that Jesus was talking about. He was trying to get to God through his own works. Here’s how Paul himself explained it:
Philippians 3:5-6 (NLT) I was circumcised when I was eight days old. I am a pure-blooded citizen of Israel and a member of the tribe of Benjamin—a real Hebrew if there ever was one! I was a member of the Pharisees, who demand the strictest obedience to the Jewish law. I was so zealous that I harshly persecuted the church. And as for righteousness, I obeyed the law without fault.
This next verse I want to use the NIV, because it helps us to calculate what Paul is trying to say:
Philippians 3:7 (NIV) But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ.
Here’s how Paul explained the math to the Ephesians:
Ephesians 2:8-9 (NLT) God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it.
Think about the word “gift”. How much do you pay for it? Exactly nothing. Once you pay for it, it’s no longer a gift!
Two things about a gift:
Back to Romans for two more verses:
Romans 3:21-22 (NLT) But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law…. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
So the Bible’s answer to the question “How good is good enough for God?” reveals the difference between Christianity and every other religion.
We’ve been on a long journey through the gospel of Mark. We started this in January of 2023. Throughout Mark’s gospel, he has been building a case that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. He opened his gospel with this declaration and has spent the last 16 chapters stacking up the evidence. Today we're looking at this question: What would it take to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God?
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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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We’ve seen testimonies:
We’ve seen teachings:
We’ve seen his miracles:
TRANS: But there’s one miracle that stands out above them all. It’s the final and most important piece of evidence to point us to the true identity of Jesus. Today we’re looking at the incredible resurrection of Jesus.
The resurrection is the climax of Mark’s gospel. Without the resurrection, there is no good news. Jesus’s death would simply be the most tragic case of injustice in history, with not an ounce of goodness to it. It was the resurrection that changed the minds of his disciples. It was an encounter with the risen Christ that changed them from cowardly, sniveling men who deserted him and were always arguing about who would be the greatest… to brave, faith-filled men who unashamedly proclaimed Mark 1:1 – that Jesus is the Son of God.
NOTE: As we dig into Mark 16, we’re going to go through verse 8. If you’re reading in your Bible, you’ll likely have a footnote that says the “earliest manuscripts stop at verse 8.” I want to talk about that for just a moment. I want to share with you why this strengthens my confidence in the accuracy, historicity, and authority of God’s Word. I’m going to give you some reasons why we’re choosing to stop at verse 8 today and why many Bibles still include verse 9-20.
Mark 16:1-4 Saturday evening, when the Sabbath ended, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome went out and purchased burial spices so they could anoint Jesus’ body. 2 Very early on Sunday morning, just at sunrise, they went to the tomb. 3 On the way they were asking each other, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance to the tomb?” 4 But as they arrived, they looked up and saw that the stone, which was very large, had already been rolled aside.
They purchased burial spices. They had no expectation of an empty tomb. They expected to find a dead body. This anointing was not an attempt to preserve the body. Jews didn’t practice embalming. It was an act of love and devotion. They bought the spices at the first opportunity and made their way to the tomb at the first safe opportunity (as soon as it was daylight). They didn’t put off showing their devotion to Jesus. The touching of a dead body would have made them ceremonially unclean, another sacrifice they were willing to make for Jesus. What are we willing to sacrifice for him?
It’s powerful testimony that all of the gospels record women being the first to hear/see the good news of the resurrection. If you were making the story up, you’d never have women be the first to confess the resurrection. Their testimony wasn’t admissible in court. (honesty/transparency)
Who will roll the stone away? We know from Matthew’s gospel that there was an earthquake and the angel is the one who rolled the stone away and then sat on it. We also know from Matthew’s gospel that the Roman guards who had been assigned to guard the tomb shook with fear and passed out at the sight of the angel.
Mark 16:5-7 When they entered the tomb, they saw a young man clothed in a white robe sitting on the right side. The women were shocked, 6 but the angel said, “Don’t be alarmed. You are looking for Jesus of Nazareth,[b] who was crucified. He isn’t here! He is risen from the dead! Look, this is where they laid his body. 7 Now go and tell his disciples, including Peter, that Jesus is going ahead of you to Galilee. You will see him there, just as he told you before he died.”
He is risen. Resurrection vs. resuscitation. Jesus is the first to be resurrected. There were resuscitations in the Bible prior to Jesus - Elijah raised the son of the widow from Zarephath back from the dead, Elisha raised the Shunammite’s son, Jairus’ daughter, Lazareth - but all these would die again. Jesus didn’t resuscitate, he resurrected. He came back to life never to die again. Jesus was the first to do this. This had never before been seen in history.
Look The angel challenged the women to see for themselves that the body was not there - “Look, this is where they laid his body.” God is always willing to prove himself to anyone who’s willing to seek. But he won’t force you to go looking. You’re listening today; are you willing to really look into Jesus?
Including Peter. The women are specifically told to communicate the news to Peter. Had he withdrawn because of his shame at denying Jesus three times? Had the other disciples ostracized him because he had failed in the moment after being so adamant that he would die with Jesus? He was supposed to be the rock, but had crumbled like a cookie. The last interaction Peter had with Jesus was looking into his eyes after he had denied him three times. How miserable these past days have been. He probably no longer considered himself a disciple because of his denial. He was too ashamed to be counted among his followers. This is why the personal invitation is so important. Jesus extends that same personal invitation to you today.
You will see him in Galilee. The women are commanded to go and tell the Good News that Jesus is risen. The women went to the tomb looking for closure; they got anything but closure! Now they would be on mission again with Jesus, meeting him in Galilee - the place where he first called his disciples. The place that represented the whole world, not just the Jews!
Mark 16:8 the women fled from the tomb, trembling and bewildered, and they said nothing to anyone because they were too frightened.
What a way to end Mark’s gospel! Five admissions of the women’s weakness:
Not surprising. After all, we’ve learned throughout this gospel two simple truths over and over: people are broken; Jesus can fix us.
So the women fled, broken but convinced. How could they not be? They just heard that Jesus performed his ultimate miracle: he was raised from the dead. Their lives would never be the same.
Back to the question for today:
Q: What would it take to convince you that Jesus is the Son of God?
Mark’s gospel lays out all the proof we need. The testimonies. The teachings. The miracles. And now this: the resurrection.
What we think about Jesus and how we respond to that is the most important thing about us. It is what determines where we spend eternity.
Today we’re looking at the famous story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. It’ll give us some insight into our question for the day: How should you pray in your hour of need?
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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Today we’re looking at the famous story of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane. He’s moments away from his betrayal and death, and he knows it. His actions – and by contrast his disciples’ actions – give us some insight into our question for the day:
Q. How should you pray in your hour of need?
Personal example:
Let’s go to the text…
Mark 14:32-34 (NLT) They went to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and Jesus said, “Sit here while I go and pray.” He took Peter, James, and John with him, and he became deeply troubled and distressed. He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.”
“Stay here and keep watch with me”
But here’s the most interesting part:
“he became deeply troubled and distressed” and “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death”
Here’s what was happening: the picture of Jesus at Gethsemane shows us the human side of Christ.
And here’s why it was crushing: not because Jesus was afraid to die, but because he would have to absorb the wrath of God for our sake.
Let’s read on to hear his actual prayer:
Mark 14:35-36 (NLT) He went on a little farther and fell to the ground. He prayed that, if it were possible, the awful hour awaiting him might pass him by. “Abba, Father,” he cried out, “everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
“If it were possible” – maybe there’s another way, an “out”, a pathway that avoids suffering
“Everything is possible for you…Please take this cup of suffering away from me.”
In the most human moment in Jesus’ life – in the Garden of Gethsemane – he says the thing that’s hardest for a human to say: “not my will, but yours be done.”
“Abba, Father” - look at the personal language. “Daddy”
But look at how hard that is for us:
Mark 14:37-38 (NLT) Then he returned and found the disciples asleep. He said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak.”
Observations: This all occurs at a very late hour. Sleep is understandable given the hour, the stress of the day, etc. Yet they had an assignment, which they could have fulfilled.
Mark 14:39-40 (NLT) Then Jesus left them again and prayed the same prayer as before. When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. And they didn’t know what to say.
Interesting: the same prayer as before. Let’s spell it out: ““Everything is possible for you. Please take this cup of suffering away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”
Mark 14:41-42 (NLT) When he returned to them the third time, he said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But no—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”
NIV: “Are you still sleeping and resting? Enough! The hour has come.”
Look at the incredible contrast: Jesus is in anguish; his disciples are snoring! And then the climax: “The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.”
“Up, let’s be going”
Close:
Q. How should you pray in your hour of need?
Today we’re joined again by Josh and Katie Walters, authors of the new book New Marriage, Same Couple. In today’s episode we talk through chapters 11-13 in the book as we wrap up our series and cover the “Y” in the STAY acronym: yield to vision.
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Today we’re joined again by Josh and Katie Walters, authors of the new book New Marriage, Same Couple. In today’s episode we talk through chapters 8, 9, and 10 in the book as we cover the “A” in the STAY acronym: allow others to be a part of your story.
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Mentioned in this episode:
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Today we’re joined again by Josh and Katie Walters, authors of the new book New Marriage, Same Couple. In today’s episode we talk through chapters 5-7 in the book as we cover the “T” in the STAY acronym: take quitting off the table.
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Mentioned in this episode:
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Today we're talking with Josh and Katie Walters about their recently released book, "New Marriage, Same Couple". In this episode, we explore aspects of forgiveness, the power of worship, blame shifting, and more!
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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.
Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.
Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.
Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.
Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at [email protected].
Donate Now
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Summary
In this conversation, Josh and Katie Walters share their personal story of overcoming infidelity and rebuilding their marriage. They discuss the importance of starting with oneself and taking responsibility for one's actions and emotions. They emphasize the role of forgiveness in the healing process and the transformative power of worship. The conversation provides practical tips for finding worship music that can help in the journey of rebuilding a marriage. In this conversation, Katie and Josh Walters discuss their journey of rebuilding their marriage after infidelity. They emphasize the importance of choosing a posture of love and humility, feeding their souls with things that honor God, and seeing their situation with different eyes. They also share their experience with confession therapy, where they brought their hidden thoughts, desires, and emotions to the light, leading to intimacy and healing. The conversation concludes with a discussion on the importance of using resources like workbooks and processing with others, as well as the significance of taking quitting off the table in a marriage.
Takeaways
Choose a posture of love and humility in your marriage, focusing on the good in your spouse rather than dwelling on their faults.
Practice confession therapy by bringing your hidden thoughts, desires, and emotions to the light, fostering intimacy and healing in your relationship.
Utilize resources like workbooks and process the content with your spouse or a trusted couple to personalize and deepen your understanding.
Commit to taking quitting off the table in your marriage, vowing to work through challenges and believing that your best days are ahead.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to the book and the couple's story
03:00 The devastating season and the confession
06:27 The hope for struggling couples
08:09 The four principles of rebuilding a marriage
09:29 Principle 1: Start with me
17:39 The importance of forgiveness
23:18 The role of worship in transformation
34:07 Practical tips for finding worship music
43:04 Choosing a Posture of Love and Humility
45:20 Confession Therapy: Starting with Me
51:43 Using the Workbook and Processing with Others
52:22 Taking Quitting Off the Table
The podcast currently has 35 episodes available.
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