Episode 54 The Worst of the Worst Made Clean

Loving God is more than a Sunday thing. It's more than a Bible study thing or a once-a-year Easter thing. It's more than a tithing thing or a give-to-the-poor kind of thing. It's not an "I'll do it when I'm not so tired" kind of thing, or when it agrees with my politics kind of thing. Nor does it have anything to do with how we feel. Loving God is a heart, mind, soul, and strength kind of thing, and here's why.

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I love the Lord. And if you’re listening to this podcast, I have a feeling you do too. But how extravagant is our love for God? Does it push the boundaries of cultural norms? Or have we put up parameters around our faith? Are we willing to only go so far? Today’s passage is all about extravagant love, and I think you’ll soon see why. We’re in Mark 14:3-9 today.

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Over the past few weeks, I’ve been researching the Triumphal Entry, and do you know what I’ve realized? That, in many ways, the Triumphal Entry wasn’t at all what the people were expecting. Jesus wasn’t entering as the long-awaited King to claim the military victory the people desired. Jesus was entering as the long-awaited King to claim the spiritual victory they had no idea they needed. We’re in Mark 11:1-11 today.

Happy Easter!
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Just before Jesus arrived in Jerusalem for Passover week, He changed the life of a blind man named Bartimaeus by granting him what he’d always longed for: his sight. Overcome with gratitude and joy, Bartimaeus then follows Jesus to Jerusalem. This means one of the very first things Bartimaeus saw with his eyes wide open was the triumphal entry, followed by the Crucifixion of the very man who’d just given him sight. For Bartimaeus, there was a cost to having his eyes opened. A cost I think he was more than willing to carry. We’re in Mark 10:46-52, and I think you’re going to love it.

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Appearances can be quite deceiving. Do you agree? We know things aren’t always as they seem, yet the way things appear can have powerful effects on us. This, my friends, is why we live by faith and not by sight. If you’ve been discouraged by the way things look these days, you’re not alone. I’m praying today’s podcast hands you some much-needed encouragement as we look at a few examples from Scripture.

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Today we’re in Mark 10:28-31, and I have to tell you, this isn’t the easiest passage for me. And I doubt it’s at the top of your list either. Radical abandonment of worldly treasure in exchange for radical trust in God’s goodness is easier said than done. But according to the promise God gives us in Mark 10:30, it’s worth it. If anyone’s going to reward me, let it be the Lord, right!?

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What does it mean to strengthen yourself in the Lord? That's the question we're talking about today. 1 Samuel 30:6 says after David’s wives and his men’s families were captured by the Amalekites, “David strengthened himself in the LORD his God.” But how? When difficulties smack us in the face, what does that actually look like?

It looks like remember, surrender, and worship, and then doing it again tomorrow.

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I’ve had a heavy heart lately. As I watch national events unfold from my little corner of the world, I’m grieved. What is going on? What is the church in for and how did we get here? Not to mention, what do we do about it? Church, for some reason, we’ve been pretty quiet, but the days of silence need to be over. This world needs Jesus, and there’s no one else to blame but us if we don’t speak up.

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We made it to episode 100! Today’s episode is something I’ve been thinking about a lot. January is notoriously a time of resolutions, especially when it comes to reading God’s Word more. Yet, most of the time, we don’t keep our resolutions. We might read for a week, or even exercise for a week or two, and then we’re done. But why? Why is it so hard? Because honestly, I think we have too much to lose.

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In Case You Need a Reminder This Christmas. It’s been a long year. I don’t think any of us expected 2020 to turn out the way it has. But as believers, we still have much to celebrate this Christmas. The gospel is still the gospel. Jesus is still the sovereign King of kings, and it’s still the most incredible story ever that our God laid aside His glory to wrap himself in human skin.

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