In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Phil and Les are joined by Pastor Jonathan Buttram, the pastor of Re:generation recovery ministry at Abundant Life. Pastor Jonathan talks about the life change he has seen through Re:generation and shares his testimony of coming to faith in Jesus.

Re:generation is a transformative ministry that combines discipleship and recovery, offering a path to freedom, peace, and hope for both the spiritually healthy and those struggling. Everyone has struggles, and Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy the things God wants to do through us. Re:generation is about taking back stolen ground from the enemy and reconciling people to bear God’s witness.

Healing is a journey, not a destiny. We have to go through a daily process of taking our thoughts captive because the lies of the enemy create a counterfeit reality that takes us into captivity and stops us from living life abundantly. But Jesus said the truth will set us free. If you believe what He says, He will restore you to abundant life.

As believers, our job is to reproduce and carry the message of reconciliation to the world through evangelism and discipleship. The world emphasizes head knowledge, but God desires heart transformation. Biblical discipleship is about building a relationship with another believer and passing on maturity and wisdom to them.

A changed life changes lives. When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive the power of God, and we get to be a supernatural witness to the lost people around us. Think intentionally and purposefully about seeking relationships and opportunities to share Jesus with people.

Two questions to ask yourself if you’re a follower of Jesus:

Am I living out the Great Commission?

Am I living out the Great Commandment?

The call of every Christian is to reach the lost with the gospel and teach them how to follow Jesus. There are many forms of discipleship, so we encourage you to prayerfully consider what next step God is inviting you to take and anticipate the life change He is going to bring!

Learn more about Re:generation recovery ministry at Abundant Life: https://livingproof.co/get-involved/groups/recovery/

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well podcast, Pastor Phil, Les, and Olivia talk about how to follow Jesus as the Good Shepherd and live the abundant life He offers. They emphasize that following Jesus is about more than just salvation; it's about pursuing sanctification and consecrating your life to Him. We receive the gift of life abundantly when we confess Jesus as our Savior and consecrate our lives to Him.

Many Christians today are like the Ancient Israelites, with enough faith to get out of Egypt but not enough faith to come into the Promised Land. The Israelites chose to wander in the wilderness for 40 years because they forgot God’s faithfulness. If we want to live abundantly, we cannot settle for an average or apathetic life. We must remember and rely on God’s faithfulness to have the endurance to press on toward the fullness of His promises.

Our primary calling is to intimacy with God, not ministry. The conversation highlights the importance of growing intimacy with God, recognizing that true growth comes from God's work in believers, not their work for God. Listeners are challenged to examine what might be hindering them from fully embracing the gift of life abundantly in Jesus.

Pastor Phil shares a transformational truth that has sustained him through 25 years of ministry: the difference between commitment and consecration. He emphasizes that Jesus calls believers to a daily Calvary road of suffering, requiring them to deny themselves and take up their cross daily. Referencing Ephesians 6, he also discusses spiritual warfare and the need to "stand" on the finished work of Calvary, resisting the enemy's attempts to steal the ground Christ has already won.

Fruitfulness comes from remaining in Christ. The abundant life is a life of eternal value with supernatural power, freedom, victory, and liberty that we could not live apart from Christ.

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Phil is joined by Pastor Jeremy to talk about missions and living sent.

Jeremy believes he wouldn’t be where he is if he hadn’t said yes to the invitation he received to go on his first mission trip in 2007. He talks about how taking next steps is vital in our relationship with the Lord. Your destination is only discovered as you’re going in that direction. We should pray for boldness daily as we seek God’s plan for our lives and practice sharing the gospel with our neighbors and the nations.

In the Book of Acts, the early Christians didn’t pray for safety, security, healing, or a better job. They prayed for boldness. Every time the Christians prayed they were filled with the power of the Holy Spirit to proclaim the gospel. What if we began to pray like the early church and started to live on mission in boldness?

When God calls you to live on mission, the only thing to ask for is boldness.

If you want to have a burden for the lost, ask God to open your eyes to the needs around you. You cannot begin to have a heartbeat for the nations until you see those people the way God sees them and begin to interact with their cultures and lifestyles. Jeremy challenges listeners to consider taking the next step by signing up for a short-term mission trip.

Pastor Phil and Pastor Jeremy talk about how the number one enemy of evangelism in America is distraction. They challenge listeners to think about how they can create an Acts 2 lifestyle in the United States and practice sharing the gospel with the lost.

If you are wondering what God’s purpose is for your life, look no further than the example of the early church. God calls you to share the gospel with boldness, and He will equip you if you have a willing heart.

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Phil and Les talk about the biblical view of marriage and how spouses can meet each other’s emotional needs.

Men and women are equal, but not the same. We’re all created in the image and likeness of God, but the fact that we’re equal doesn’t mean we’re the same. Society fails to recognize and appreciate the differences between men and women and tries to teach us that equality means sameness.

Men and women have different emotional needs, and you must be willing to learn the emotional needs of your spouse and get to know them by being a student of them. These emotional needs are not learned, they’re innate needs we are born with.

In Song of Solomon, we see Solomon and the Shulamite compliment each other openly and make emotional deposits into each other’s accounts. These emotional deposits are how you fall in love. If you feel that you’ve fallen out of love, do the things that made you fall in love in the first place. When you feel like you don’t have the emotion, go back to the source of love: God! You can’t look to another human being to give you life when only the life-giver, Jesus, can give you love.

God holds love and marriage very dear because He is love. His character is love. As His image bearers, we were created to love and be loved. God demonstrated His love for us by sending Christ to die for us, and this is the sacrificial love men are to show their wives. This is why He takes the breaking of the marriage covenant so seriously.

Three types of love in your marriage:

Agape love – Loving your spouse unconditionally.

Eros love – Sexual love shared by a husband and wife.

Phileo – The love shared by close friends.

The biblical view of marriage says that wives submit to their husbands' leads, and husbands submit to their wives' needs. We don’t have any chance of submitting to another if we’re not submitting to God first.

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well podcast, Pastor Chad is back with Les to discuss how to navigate romantic relationships in a way that honors God.

The Bible is full of wisdom that can be applied in various areas of our lives, including romantic relationships. When you apply the word of God to your life, it begins to dictate your relationship. Our romantic relationships are just a shadow of our greater relationship with Jesus Christ.

Most people don’t know what they need to be doing to prepare for dating and marriage, but they are longing for that next phase in their lives. One of the best gifts you can give your future family is to get healthy spiritually. A stable person will create a stable family.

Our culture treats romantic relationships with the mindset that you need to “try before you buy.” When we put too much stock in the physical, we get things out of balance. If you don’t determine if you’re compatible socially, relationally, and theologically, you will become disappointed by the sexual parts of your relationship. When you seek counsel and wisdom, you posture your romantic relationship in humility, and you want that heart to continue in marriage.

If you want your marriage to thrive, you have to have two people who are fully surrendered and submitted to the Lord. The single most important decision you will make in your life outside of your relationship with Jesus is who you marry. While you are dating, there are a few things you need to do to prepare for marriage:

Keep God as your focus.

Date in community.

Go through a wisdom process.

Seek the Lord individually and together.

Purity paves the path to marital intimacy. Following this biblical wisdom for romantic relationships will allow you to have a thriving, intimate marriage!

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Chad and Les talk about what the Bible says about dating, sex, and how to walk in purity.

There’s resistance against walking in purity in Christian culture when that should be something we highly value. Our culture is all over the map when it comes to how to navigate dating relationships. There’s no line when it comes to sexual immorality in our culture.

The Bible is clear: flee sexual immorality! It uses poetic language to talk about God’s design for sex. His intent is for sex to happen only within marriage between a man and a woman. Your sex life should bring you closer to God, but if you don’t use it in the right place, it will be destructive.

God is holy, and He wants us to be like Him. Although the Bible does not specifically talk about dating, it does tell us that God wants us to walk in sexual purity. When you practice sexual purity, you’re becoming more like Him and showing that you want to honor Him.

Practical ways to honor each other in dating:

Walk in a way that honors the Lord.

Seek accountability.

Surrender your purity to the Lord.

Pray without ceasing!

You can’t rewrite the story you’ve lived up to this point, but you can make a decision today that changes the ending of your story. No one is beyond the grace of God. The devil will call you by your shame even though he knows your name; Jesus will call you by your name even though He knows your shame! The story of God’s redemption is a story that can be lived!

Join in on this conversation as we unpack what the Bible says about dating.

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well, Katie Ward, the Crossroads Ministry Leader, joins Pastor Phil and Les to talk about the gift of singleness.

Katie shares how singleness allows her to live lighter and gives her freedom with her desires, time, and finances. She also has an honest conversation with Pastor Phil and Les about the seasons of struggle, loneliness, and contentment she’s walked through in singleness.

Marriage is not a reward. It is a gift that God gives, and so is singleness. You don’t have to be married to experience the greatest love this life offers. As a believer, your mission is to fulfill God’s mission and in doing that, to become more like Christ. That will bring more fulfillment than any other pursuit. As you pursue Christ, He will help you to be content in singleness.

It’s easy to glorify marriage because of what we see on social media, but we only see the good things. Many people get married with false expectations, which leads to frustration. For singles, it is important to look for someone who has godly character qualities and is actively working to become more like Jesus. Your spouse does not complete you, but they can complement you as you pursue God’s mission together.

Katie encourages singles to be confident and content in who they are becoming in Christ and to live in community. Having a healthy relationship with people who will help you grow in godliness is essential.

Join us as we answer questions about singleness, including…

Does singleness hinder ministry?

What godly character qualities should singles look for in a partner?

Does physical attraction matter in marriage?

How can parents help their children in a season of singleness?

What should singles pray for?

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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Studying the historical and cultural context of the Bible helps us better understand our relationship with Christ and what we should do while we wait for Him to return. The love story recorded in Song of Solomon depicts the three stages of a Hebrew wedding. This story gives us hope in the promise of the return of Christ.

In Hebrew culture, an engagement was binding and unbreakable. That’s the same as the covenant Christ made with us. Solomon would have told his bride that he would build a room for her and then return for her when it was ready. In the same way, the return of Christ will happen when God tells Jesus to go get His bride. While we wait, He wants us to prepare by being a chaste and holy bride.

What does it mean to be a chaste, holy bride? Sin makes us spiritual adulterers. Compromising with sin hurts our Bridegroom deeply. We practice holiness and prepare ourselves by keeping our hearts focused on Jesus. Saving our hearts solely for Jesus allows us to be prepared for the return of Christ.

Many people in Christian circles debate when and how the return of Christ will happen. The pattern of Scripture supports a Pre-Tribulation rapture. We must prepare like every day could be the day! The way you prepare is by saying “I do” to the One who said “I do” to you.

The good news of the gospel is that if you are in Christ, He no longer sees your sin! On the cross, He took our sin-stained robes and replaced them with a pure, clean, robe of righteousness. You can be ready for the return of Christ by saying yes to Jesus today!

Resources on the return of Christ:

Book of Daniel Bible Study

Revelation Sermon Series

What is the Day of the Lord?

God’s Plan for Israel

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well Podcast, Pastor Phil and host Les Norman talk about the redeeming love of Christ pictured in the Song of Solomon.

Song of Solomon tells the story of a man and woman and a love that lasted a lifetime. 1 Kings 4 tells us that Solomon composed more than a thousand songs during his lifetime, but he believed this one was the song of all time.

Why was Solomon considered an authority on marriage? Although he was a wise and godly king, he had 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kings 11:3). Despite this, God used Solomon to write a story of His redeeming love for us in the Song of Solomon.

Like Solomon’s Shulamite bride, we’ve lost our spiritual purity because of sin. But the good news of the gospel is that our worst failure does not define us. Jesus’ redeeming love saved us from our shame and pain and looked beyond our sins. He sees something beautiful and desirable, just like Solomon saw in the Shulamite.

Song of Solomon gives us timeless wisdom for pursuing relationships in singleness, dating, and marriage.

Singles:

Pursue contentment in your season, even while wanting to get married.

Focus on being a good friend to the people in your life.

Embrace the truth that in Christ, you are as complete as you will ever be!

Married people:

Walk in God’s love.

Offer forgiveness.

Prioritize your relationship with the Lord first.

Your relationships can only be as healthy as your relationship with the Lord! We cannot love another person perfectly. You must walk in God’s redeeming love to have any chance at loving others or receiving love.

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Be a part of the Great Commission: https://livingproof.co/irresistible/

More information on our sermons: https://livingproof.co/sermons/

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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In this episode of The Well podcast, Pastor Phil and host Les Norman kick off season 3 by discussing how to discern God's call and live the abundant life He offers.

Discerning God’s call doesn’t mean waiting for a burning bush! Sometimes people are waiting for an unmistakable epiphany from Him, but that’s not the reality of how God leads most of the time. The voice of God is found in the Word of God. When you are reading the Word of God, you hear the voice of God.

You’re never too young or too old to obey God and step out to do something new for Him. God promises to bless our obedience. Obedience is often costly, but only as you put your faith in motion does God go into motion.

In the journey, God is preparing you for your destiny. He wants to develop your character and your faith as you seek to discern His call. God confirms the calling He’s placed on your life when you put your faith in motion.

The abundant life is about a life lived fruitfully for the things of eternity. Anything that’s healthy will grow to maturity. The mark of spiritual maturity is when you start to bear the fruit of lives changed by Jesus. Discerning God’s call requires us to die to ourselves if we want to bear fruit.

Healthy things grow, and growing things change. The abundant life is also an adventurous life. Control gives us a mirage of security, while change makes us feel like we’re out of control. The truth is that change is inevitable, and it is always coming. We can either embrace and lean into God, or we can embrace change apart from God. God’s call on your life may lead to change, but it also can lead to abundant growth.

Thanks for joining us this week!

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Abundant Life exists to see lives changed by Jesus by being living proof

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