Woodland Hills Church of Christ

By Woodland Hills Church of Christ

a Church of Christ in Nashville, TN... more

4.7

3030 ratings

Download on the App Store

Download on the App Store

Get it on Google Play

FAQs about Woodland Hills Church of Christ:

How many episodes does Woodland Hills Church of Christ have?

The podcast currently has 1,242 episodes available.

Woodland Hills Church of Christ episodes:

February 17, 2025 Which Athenian Are You?
Acts 17:16-34
The post Which Athenian Are You? appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
38min
February 16, 2025Revelation 21:1-8 A New Heaven and New Earth
A New Heaven and a New Earth
Revelation 21:1-8
Introduction: Have you ever spent much time in study of Revelation 21 and 22? Most Christians have certainly read the text and were able to grasp the general idea of “what heaven is like,” but as we have seen throughout the book, the various figures that are used have a rich background in the OT. When this background is neglected, we cannot grasp the full meaning of what is awaiting us on that great day.
Quickly consider words and phrases that are dependent on a knowledge and understanding of the OT:
New heaven and new earth
New Jerusalem
Prepared as a bride adorned for her husband
The dwelling place of God is with man
The former things have passed away
Behold, I am making all things new
The Bride
The focus throughout these final chapters is the bride, “the wife of the Lamb.” She is the focus of the first two verses, then mentioned again in verse 9 as the rest of the chapter describes her beauty, and finally in 22:17 as “the Spirit and the Bride say ‘come.’”
We should find this truly amazing. This all started thousands of years ago. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth…” But then the Serpent and sin, man’s loss of his Garden home, and the curses. We have lived with it millennium after millennium as we waited for God to redeem us and fulfill his promises from before time began. And then we come to the final biblical episode, and what do we see? What is it about? It is about the bride adorned for her husband. It is not simply us who have waited for that joyous day, it is God himself and the Lamb. Indeed, there is a great day coming.
Once we grasp this picture, it seems silly and trite to say we want to “go to heaven when we die.” When that is all the knowledge a Christian has of the next life, no wonder so many have a half-hearted devotion to the Lord. That understanding can only be reserved for children who cannot conceive of the greater promise.
Psalm 45: the marriage of the bride and bridegroom. An amazing picture.
The Dwelling Place of God Is with Man
This statement is arguably the primary theme of all the scripture. God dwelled with man in the Garden prior to sin. But sin separated us from God. However, we very quickly see God giving us glimpses of the day when he will again dwell with us:
Genesis 5: Enoch doesn’t die.
Abraham is given promises of blessing that reverse the curse of death life is given to barren women.
God foreshadows our deliverance by delivering Israel out of the bondage of the Serpent-like Egypt.
In building the tabernacle, God said, “Let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst” (Ex. 25:8)
When entering Canaan, an angel stood guarding the entrance just as an angel guarded the return of man to the Garden. But his angel opened the gate for Joshua and the people to enter, symbolizing God bringing them back to his Garden. You will notice in each of these instances, God is coming down to dwell with man, but God is also preparing the place.
The Promised land and the Sabbath rest were used to foreshadow God’s people permanently entering God’s rest.
And then through Jesus we were made to be the temple of the living God with the presence of the Spirit of God with us.
The pinnacle picture is now seen with God bringing his dwelling place into a new heaven and new earth, and the beautiful statement: “and God himself will be with them as their God.” This seems to be a merging of what we call “heaven,” God’s present dwelling, and the new heaven and new earth. All have become one. We will be where God is, and God is where we will be.
A New Heaven and a New Earth
The phrase is used two other times in scripture (Isaiah 65 and 2 Peter 3), but there many other allusions that relate. Keep in mind, by looking at these other references, we can more fully appreciate John’s use of the phrase.
First, notice the various descriptions in our text:
“New” heaven and “new” earth does not just mean something similar but different. “New” refers to that which is superior, far above what we see now. In 1 Cor. 5:17, we are called a new creation. Just as with the original heavens and earth, God created us physically, but now we become a new creation, superior to the old.
The newness is identified in verse 5: “Behold, I am making all things new.”
Verse 4 further emphasizes the newness: no tears, no death, no mourning, or crying, or pain. Man is freed from all loss that would disappoint and create pain and crying.
Verse 6: the refreshing “water of life” that is always available without cost, the free gift of life from the Lord.
Isaiah’s new heaven and earth gives us another view:
25:6-9
65:17-25 Remember, this is not “literal,” but earthly pictures that contrast the cursed condition of life in the present heavens and earth.
Note the word, “create.” It is the same word used in Genesis 1:1. It is a new creation, a creation from nothing.
18-19 We are called upon to “be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create.” But notice especially God’s response in verse 19, “I will rejoice and be glad” in Jerusalem and in my people. Talk about a bride and bridegroom picture! We and the Lord rejoice in each other. “A bridegroom can think of no greater joy in the world than to look at his beloved and bask in her love” (Oswalt), and a bride has no greater joy than to see the excited gladness that her bridegroom has in her and the prospect of eternity together.
Note again verse 18: “I create Jerusalem to be a joy and her people to be a gladness.” It is not that we will just be glad, it will be our very nature. There is nothing that could change it!
Verse 20 is another picture of never again will we see death, not of our children, not of our family, and not of our brothers and sisters. To illustrate, NIV translates, “the one who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere child, and to only reach a hundred will be considered a curse.” Remember, chapter 25 told us that death would be no more. So, this is hyperbole. (Isa. 25:7 already said death would end)
Verse 24: We enjoy this now. How much more then?
Verse 25: Everything is described as peace. The serpent is done. He eats the dust.
Peter’s new heaven and earth (2 Peter 3):
13: “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” How special! To dwell where only righteousness dwells.
11-12, 14: the practical outcome: “Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God… Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace.”
John’s new heaven and new earth:
Verses 4-5 The ending of death and mourning, the wiping away of all tears, is because “the former things have passed away,” and “Behold, I am making all things new.” Now, can any of us imagine that? Can we compare it to anything that we now experience? When Paul spoke of the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy of Christ, he said, “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor. 2:9).
Concerning the wiping away of tears, David said concerning his trials, “You have kept count of my miseries; put my tears in your bottle, are they not in your book?” (Psalm 56:8). God has saved every tear and will justify every one in that new heaven and earth.
Verse 6: It is done! Isaiah and Peter spoke of the coming prophetically, but John actually sees it in a vision. It is done! All that God had planned and promised has now come. What a great day it will be!
Verse 7: Who will be in this great family that enjoy the new heaven and new earth? Those who conquer. Those who conquer through trials. Those who conquer when temptations come. Those who conquer when persecution threatens jobs and security. Those who conquer when family members betray them and the Lord. Those who conquer will be sons and daughters of God.
Verse 8: In contrast, whose portion will be the second death? Notice the list carefully. We have seen most of these before in sins listed by Paul, but one stands out: the cowardly or fearful. When the pressure is on, these caved in. When their life or livelihood was threatened, they were afraid and did not trust the Lord.
What about us? We are not even threatened. But are we afraid to speak about our Lord and what he has done? Are we afraid to invite and teach those whose lives deny the Lord?
Jesus said, “For whoever is ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him will the Son of Man also be ashamed when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38).
Conclusion: Two conclusions:
Did you notice that the descriptions given of the new heaven and new earth are relational images. The Lord is not emphasizing a place, but an identity of what we will be and what we will enjoy with the Lord and with each other. It would be immature of us to concentrate on a place instead of what it means to be with the Lord and with each other as those who have obtained victory.
What more could God do or say to cause us to deny ourselves and take up his cross and follow him? If before you ever read the Bible, God had said to you, write down all that you can think of that I could do for you to cause you to live for me, would you have come up with anything close to what we have just seen? Impossible.
Berry Kercheville
The post Revelation 21:1-8 A New Heaven and New Earth appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
37min
February 16, 2025 The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 7
The Fruit of the Spirit – Patience

The post The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 7 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
45min
February 13, 2025 2 Samuel Chapters 23, 24
The post 2 Samuel Chapters 23, 24 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
45min
February 10, 2025 Speeches of Eliphaz and Job 4:1 – 7:21
The post Speeches of Eliphaz and Job 4:1 – 7:21 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
46min
February 09, 2025 The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 6
The post The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 6 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
43min
February 09, 2025Revelation 20:11-15 Final Judgment: The Great White Throne
Final Judgment: The Great White Throne
Revelation 20:11-15
Introduction: Judgment Day! We typically do not give it too much thought primarily because it is surreal, kind of like dying. We know it is coming, but since we have never experienced it, we can’t imagine it. It seems distant, almost fantasy like. But as Peter said (2 Peter 3), Judgment Day is as sure as the destruction of the world in the days of the Flood.
Every second the clock ticks brings us closer to that fateful day. Jesus and all the writers of the NT warn us of it. It is what everything in our life should be about, and yet it is so easy to live with almost casual disinterest.
Summing Up the Text
“Judgments” began in chapters 17-19 with the judgment of the prostitute, and then of the beast and the false prophet. Then in chapter 20 the dragon himself is judged. The only judgment left is that of mankind.
That this is the final judgment is evident. God appears on a great white throne, causing the earth and sky to flee with no place found for them. In other words, the present heavens and earth are no longer needed nor are they in God’s plans for the future. Jesus said, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Matthew 24:35).
The main point of this context is not so much the righteous on the day of judgment, but the outcome of the wicked. That has been the focus since chapter 17. God is bringing justice to the wicked. As Paul said, “God is just. He will pay back trouble to those who trouble you and give relief to you who are troubled, and to us as well. This will happen when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven in blazing fire with his powerful angels” (2 Thessalonians 1:6-7.
Vs. 12: “The dead, great and small, stand before the throne.” No one is left out. No one is exempt. “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)
Vs. 12: “…books were opened…and the dead were judged by what was written in the books.” Evidently, the books represent the deeds of each person, “whether they are good or evil.”
Vs. 13: “The sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them.”
The “sea” is where the dragon had raised up the beast in chapter 13 and from which all the previous beasts had come in Daniel 7. A few verses later in 21:1, there is a new heaven and new earth and the sea is no more.
“Death,” the perpetual enemy of mankind, takes the body so that it is left to decay. “Hades” claims the spirit.
The main point is that all the dead are raised for the great Day of Judgment. No one can hide from the judgment of the Lamb.
Vs. 14: With all the dead raised, both death and Hades are now destroyed by being thrown into the lake of fire.
According to Jesus’ Parable of the Rich Man and Lazarus in Luke 16:19ff, Hades is the unseen realm of the dead. In that realm, the wicked are “tormented” and the righteous are “comforted.” In each case they are waiting for the day of judgment when the final rewards for the righteous are given and the final sentences for the wicked are given.
Jesus himself “descended to Hades” (Acts 2:27). He also told the thief on the cross, “Today, you will be with me in Paradise.” Therefore, “paradise” is part of Hades. The word simply means “the unseen.” It is the unseen realm of the dead.
Paul refers to Paradise as the “third heaven” (2 Cor. 12:2-3) where he “heard things that cannot be told, which man may not utter.”
Paul also referred to his departure in death as “departing and being with Christ” (Phil. 1:23).
Conclusion: the “two parts of Hades” is being comforted with the Lord and being tormented without the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:21-28 describes this as the end. Everyone has been raised, all enemies are put under Christ’s feet, with death, the last enemy, being destroyed. Thus when Jesus has fulfilled his purpose in subjugating all things under God’s authority, he delivers the kingdom to God and subjects himself to the him, “that God may be all in all.”
Considerations and Applications
Judgment is according to our works.
Romans 2:4-11 “He will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury…”
Our “works” communicate our desires for God and his kingdom and express our thankfulness for the salvation he has given us. We prove ourselves as those who are either self-seeking or seeking for glory and honor and immortality. In other words, though salvation is by grace because there is nothing we can do to deserve the gift of God’s Son, God is not just saving us from sin, he is saving us for his glory. Paul said, “For by grace you have been saved through faith…for we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:8, 10).
To in any way suggest that we are the sons and daughters of God without fulfilling God’s purpose in us to glorify him in the world, is the essence of faith without works. Such faith is dead (James 2:24).
Why a final judgment?
First, it reminds us that all God has done is far, far greater than what we have allowed ourselves to realize or accept. We grow up selfish, completely self-centered. Everything is about satisfying needs and pleasures and finding new things to explore and enjoy. God is not against us enjoying blessings he has provided (1 Timothy 6:17), but he does mind when his cause gets crowded out of our lives and is not our number one passion. Judgment reminds us why we are here!
Judgment reminds us of the value of God’s creation and the seriousness of how our sins have destroyed all that God has done and planned.
Judgment reminds us of how the world has despised the priceless sacrifice God made by submitting to the cross. The Hebrew writer explains, “How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and has outraged the Spirit of grace?” (10:29).
Judgment reminds us of an eternal joy and pleasure God planned with a relationship with him that is beyond imagination. God cannot allow those who rebel, refuse to trust in him, or refuse to obey him to be a part of that eternity.
Judgment reminds us that we have a choice. This is not about God “sending us to the lake of fire.” It is about us choosing to live without God! Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:11, “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each one may receive what is due for what he has done in the body, whether good or evil. Therefore, knowing the fear of the Lord, we persuade others.”
Judgment reminds us of the vanity of all things earthly: Ecclesiastes 12:13-14, “This is the end of the matter; all has been heard: Fear God, and keep his commandments; for this is the whole [duty] of man. For God will bring every work into judgment, with every hidden thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” (ASV)
This is the conclusion after the Preacher explored every pursuit of man in life under the sun. Every one of these “life under the sun” pursuits was vanity – vapor, brief, short-lived and without eternal value.
Therefore, “fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole of man.” Fearing God and keeping his commandments is the whole purpose of man and it is what makes man whole.
Conclusion: What if just one minute from now – just one minute – the last trumpet sounds and we are standing before the great white throne with the Lord God sitting on it. Now, what is this life about? One minute from now, what is it in your life that you kept saying you needed to change, but did not? One minute from now, how much will you wish you had made those changes?
Berry Kercheville
The post Revelation 20:11-15 Final Judgment: The Great White Throne appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
43min
February 06, 2025 2 Samuel Chapter 22
The post 2 Samuel Chapter 22 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
46min
February 03, 2025 A Living Sacrifice
Romans 12:1-2
The post A Living Sacrifice appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
27min
February 02, 2025 The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 5
The post The Fruit of the Spirit – Lesson 5 appeared first on Woodland Hills Church of Christ.
...more
40min

FAQs about Woodland Hills Church of Christ:

How many episodes does Woodland Hills Church of Christ have?

The podcast currently has 1,242 episodes available.

More shows like Woodland Hills Church of Christ

Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ by Brent Kercheville - West Palm Beach church of Christ on Haverhill Road

Biblical Truths from West Palm Beach church of Christ

60 Listeners

Henderson Blvd church of Christ by Henderson Blvd. church of Christ

Henderson Blvd church of Christ

47 Listeners

Northwest Church of Christ Podcast by Northwest Church of Christ

Northwest Church of Christ Podcast

61 Listeners

Bible Study Podcast by Wes McAdams

Bible Study Podcast

363 Listeners

Fairview Church of Christ by Fairview Church of Christ

Fairview Church of Christ

13 Listeners

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast by That Sounds Fun Network

The 1000 Hours Outside Podcast

1,880 Listeners

Church of Christ Northwest Arkansas by The Church of Christ Northwest Arkansas

Church of Christ Northwest Arkansas

23 Listeners

Excel Still More by Kris Emerson

Excel Still More

775 Listeners

Charlestown Road church of Christ by Charlestown Road church of Christ

Charlestown Road church of Christ

17 Listeners

Amarillo Church of Christ Sermons by Amarillo Church of Christ Sermons

Amarillo Church of Christ Sermons

35 Listeners

Exton church of Christ Podcast by Exton church of Christ

Exton church of Christ Podcast

4 Listeners

Text Talk by Edwin Crozier & Andrew Roberts

Text Talk

67 Listeners

The Megyn Kelly Show by SiriusXM

The Megyn Kelly Show

37,372 Listeners

Sermons: Campbell Road Church of Christ by campbellroadsermons

Sermons: Campbell Road Church of Christ

2 Listeners

The Tucker Carlson Show by Tucker Carlson Network

The Tucker Carlson Show

13,732 Listeners