Afgespeeld
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This is an audio narration of sections 10-19 of Pilgrim's Progress, by John Bunyan. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/ken-matey/support
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Technology, medicine, communication and interdependence allow a previously unimaginable world of seemingly unlimited possibilities of societal advancement and personal fulfillment. Our communication is instantaneous, and our collective demands for entertainment and happiness have never been louder. While some of this has been a blessing, Satan, as this world’s master of confusion, has blurred the lines of morality, resulting in our discovery of new methods for old ways to sin. Our focus as Christians, is to please God and obey His righteous laws as outlined in the Bible. We already know God considers murder, lying and pride as sinful, but what about all the contemporary situations the Bible does not directly address? Do we face gray areas now that never before existed? How can we know what God considers sinful?
There are two easy things to understand about sin
First and foremost, Jesus died for Adam’s sin and for our sins as well. This means there is a final solution to all the problems that sin causes. Second, the Bible’s definition of sin is easy to remember - “to miss the mark,” which means anything less than perfection is sin. As Christians, our job is to take these two understandings and use them as guideposts for how we live our lives. This brings us to asking a lot of questions about a wide variety of areas of life where we can easily be misdirected.
Is it a sin if a woman wears artificial fingernails, jewelry, or makeup?
Many of us might look at this question and roll our eyes, as these things are and have been so common for so long that they are a fundamental part of our culture. However, the Bible does have several texts that can be understood to mean such things should be off limits for Christians. If we claim to follow Jesus and the teachings of the Bible, we need to look at this kind of question with thought and care. What do the Scriptures truly teach on this matter, and am I willing to follow?
Is it a sin if a man dresses like a woman?
While for Christians this question may feel like it would be easier to define, it still needs to be carefully considered. Interestingly, there is really only one Bible text that seems to deal with this question, and that scripture is not a direct statement. To have an accurate understanding on such a matter, we need to be clear on any biblical principles that apply - and there are many!
Check out our August 1, 2022 podcast, “Is It a Sin If I…? (Part I)" for more. We dig deeply into these two questions and lay out WHY we should approach them in specific ways. We also address several other practical and difficult issues that our 21st century lives are sure to encounter including gambling. Join us as we work to put these challenging things into a God-honoring perspective that we can live with daily. Then head over to Part II, where we pose several important questions about sex. -
Christmas is such a great time of year! It gives people something to look forward to, something to be excited about. Decorations spring up and brighten our environment. We love giving gifts and we certainly love receiving them. Most of us get some extra time off to be with family or to just be able to do things. Sadly, the foundational reason behind this great time of year has become less and less relevant. All of this giving and good will stems from recognizing and honoring the birth of the most influential and heroic human being in all of world history. With the birth of Jesus, the world began to change. For most people that change has been imperceptible for the last 2,000 years, but it is happening. How do we know? An angel told us! Did you hear what he said?
400 years of silence
God often communicated with ancient Israel by sending prophets and angels to deliver His messages. Before the time leading up to Jesus’ birth, there was a 400-year prophetic and angelic silence from God. When angelic messages began to be delivered after this 400-year silence, it meant that something of great importance was happening. That something was the birth of Jesus, and it was a sacred and important event in God’s eyes. When angels speak, those being spoken to should listen with care.
Zacharias was literally left speechless
To have one angelic message delivered regarding a specific series of events would be dramatic, especially after centuries of God’s silence. It could easily have left the recipient speechless, and as a matter of fact, that is exactly what happened. Zacharias, the man who would be John the Baptist’s father, was struck speechless when he was visited by an angel and doubted the angel’s message. Zacharias learned much from this, and his experience made him stronger in faith and devotion. The point is, after his initial doubts, he listened to the angel and acted on what he had heard.
To have two angelic messages delivered would be awe inspiring. Mary would be the next recipient of an angelic message. She also listened to the angel, even though her responsibilities from that message would fundamentally change every aspect of her life. One common thread from both of these angelic messages was their connection to ancient biblical prophecies. By listening to the angel’s messages, both Zacharias and Mary were also listening to Bible prophecy.
But this is just the beginning. In all, there were seven messages from God to those who were involved before and after Jesus’ birth. Check out our December 26, 2022 podcast, “Am I Listening to the Angel?” for more. We outline these seven messages and look at their connection to prophecy and God’s plan. What we find is a profoundly revealing pattern. Those angelic messages were not merely meant for those specific individuals to whom they were given. They were and are ageless messages for all of us. The question is, are we listening to the angels? -
It is a given that life is stressful. We all know that the sheer quantity of input that we are each exposed to from the various parts of our lives is overwhelming. Now come the decisions. Do I watch, do I listen, do I click, do I respond, do I message, do I like? Now comes what is supposed to be the main part of our day, our work, or schooling or caregiving and attempting to do a good job. Next comes our down time, which for many is laughable. It is now in our downtime that we watch, listen, click, respond, message and like, so downtime easily becomes stress time. As Christians, we are supposed to have God’s peace covering our lives. I say "supposed to" because many of us have a really hard time finding that peace in the midst of our daily chaos. Where are we going wrong, and how do we correct it?
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In John 15, Jesus gives His final I AM statement and boldly declares that He is the True Vine — the only source of life for the branch … and apart from Him you can do nothing.
In this episode, we examine Jesus' statement of being the True Vine and give three implications for what that means for us as branches abiding in Him.
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Deeper Christian Podcast • Episode 283
View the shownotes for this episode and get other Christ-centered teaching and resources at: deeperChristian.com/283
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In this episode, Joshua and Sarah Groves a long time Good Christian Co Blog Contributor, dive into to what does it mean to let the Holy Spirit lead you to making Jesus be Lord over everything.
She shares from her relationship with the Lord, he experience with church planting, being on the mission field in Lithuania as well as her perspectives after the mission field and her recent visit to the Asbury Revival.
She shares her spirit filled writing regularly on the blog and is wonderful encouragement to the body of Christ. Take a listen!
Jump over the her latest blog at :https://www.thegoodchristian.co/blog/may-your-cup-overflow -
In this episode, Ryan and Georjeanna discuss a forthcoming article about climate anxiety in adolescents from 10 different countries. We delve into the mental health aspects of worsening climate change and the ways in which climate change is impacting anxiety in young people across the globe.
Access the articles discussed in our episode using the links below.
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=3918955
https://news.trust.org/item/20210914091125-w7v5d -
When we regret our past, it can feel like we’re incapable of changing our future. But it may be our past “mistakes” that help us realize there is room to evolve.
In the finale episode of How to Start Over, we explore how regret can be a catalyst of change, what holds us back from self-forgiveness, and how to reconcile our past mistakes—and move forward for good. Conversations with Shai Davidai, an assistant professor at the Columbia Business School, and forgiveness expert Everett Worthington help us identify whether regret hinders our growth or serves as a catalyst of change.
This episode was produced by Rebecca Rashid and is hosted by Olga Khazan. Editing by A.C. Valdez and Claudine Ebeid. Fact-check by Ena Alvarado. Engineering by Matthew Simonson. Special thanks to Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic.
Be part of How to Start Over. Write to us at [email protected]. To support this podcast, and get unlimited access to all of The Atlantic’s journalism, become a subscriber.
Music by FLYIN (“Being Nostalgic”), JADED (“Blue Steel”), Mindme (“Anxiety [Instrumental Version]”), and Timothy Infinite (“Rapid Years”).
Click here to listen to more full-length episodes in The Atlantic’s How To series.
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