Heirs in Christ

1Pe_3:7 Husbands, in the same way be considerate as you live with your wives, and treat them with respect as the weaker partner and as heirs with you of the gracious gift of life, so that nothing will hinder your prayers. 

Men this message from Saint Peter helps us to understand how we should view and treat our wives as heirs with Christ, partners in our journey as Christian men.

Growing in Wisdom

Luke 2:52 And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and man. 

If the King of the universe grew in wisdom and stature as a young man, then we think we as born again Christians should also do the same.

Beatitudes: Who Mourn

Mat 5:4 - Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

When we read Mat 5:4 we can think it only means that we will be comforted when we get to heaven, but Jesus says God will send The Comforter or the Holy Spirit when He leaves. The fact of the matter is the disciples were commanded to wait for the baptism of the holy spirit in Jerusalem.

Martyrs: Paul

In session we are looking at a Christian Martyr by the name of Paul. Paul was an Apostle of Jesus and was originally known as Saul of Tarsus, but it is important to note that he was not one of the original Twelve Apostles. According to writings in the New Testament Paul, who was originally called Saul, was dedicated to the persecution of the early disciples of Jesus in the area of Jerusalem.

Different, Divided or United

As Christians we can be very different and still be united and effective in our faith, but most of the time we seem to be divided and somewhat crippled in our faith. The problem is we can easily become disconnected with the body of Christ even while attending church.

Beatitudes: Poor in Spirit

As we think more about being poor in spirit, one would think this is a bad thing. Most of the time when the bible mentions that someone is blessed it is associated with having an abundance of something, but here we see Jesus association being blessed with lacking in spirit.

Authority

1Cor_11:3 But I want you to realize that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is man, and the head of Christ is God. 

The Apostle Paul lays out the order of authority for the man and woman. Our focus here can easily tune in on being authoritative and ruling over the woman, as many have done over the centuries.

Godly Correction

A critical component of being a disciple of Jesus is understanding that being corrected is a part of learning. Many people attribute correction as punishment but that is not always the case. Godly correction can come in the various forms, ranging from being corrected about our understanding to punishment for our wrong actions.

Martyr: Stephen

Stephen is first mentioned in Acts of the Apostles as one of seven Christians appointed by the Apostles to distribute food and charitable aid to poorer members of the community in the early church.

Protection

Mat_1:19 Because Joseph her husband was faithful to the law, and yet did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 

Even when we think it is justified, it is never OK to publicly embarrass or humiliate our mate. In all respects Joseph did not know or understand that God was responsible for Mary’s conception and Joseph had the full right to be angry and expose Mary for what seemed to be adultery.

Preaching vs Teaching

Eph_4:11 So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers. 

The Apostle Paul is telling the Christians in Ephesus that there are different roles in the body of Christ. It is important to notice that Teaching is listed as a distinct role for the body of believers and it is not just a subset of skills listed under the other roles. And although these roles have distinct characteristics, they also have some overlap.

Martyrs: Peter

This podcast is about a Christian Martyr named Peter. According to Christian tradition, Peter was crucified in Rome under Emperor Nero Augustus Caesar. It is traditionally held that he was crucified upside down at his own request, since he saw himself unworthy to be crucified in the same way as Jesus.

Christ-Like Husband

Eph_5:25 Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her. 

This is a perfect verse to outline the clear expectation of a husband serving his family and spouse. Christ did not come to be served, but to serve. How often the role of the male is painted as the authoritarian and leader in the family.

Being a Disciple

2 Timothy 3:16-17 All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work. 

This verse tells us that the entire bible was given to us by God so we would learn about Him and if you are a Christian believer you should be learning about God.

Leaving All for You

Gen 2:24 That is why a man leaves his father and mother and is united to his wife, and they become one flesh. 

This scripture is very clear that the husband is to leave his parents and to unite with his wife. His wife is now his main priority. The husband is to be the caregiver of his own family. Not to say he forsakes his parents, but that now he needs to provide for his wife and care for her needs.

Spiritual Understudy

John 14:26 But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

Here we see Jesus telling His followers that they shouldn’t worry that He’s going away, because the Holy Spirit will come and be their rabbi. Christians can easily get so focused on learning the bible that they forget that it is a tool for connecting with Jesus and the Holy Spirit.

Home Church

1Cor_16:19 The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house. 

This scripture is an important passage in the New Testament. Although it’s nice that Aquila and Priscilla sent a warm greeting, let’s key in on the source of the warm greeting.

Testing by Fire

There needs to be some testing about what has been learned. After all, what would being a student be like without being testing. The kind of testing a student goes through as a disciple of Jesus is not about what they know, but about what they do and how they maintain their faith in times of testing and temptation.

We all go through testing and being tempted at one time or another, and we see in the bible that even Jesus was tempted by the devil.

Co-Workers

Rom_16:3 Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. 

Once again we see the Apostle Paul mention Aquila and Priscilla in one of his letters. Aquila and Priscilla are always mentioned together in Paul’s letters, which suggest that they shared equally in the service to the Lord.

Subbing for Jesus

Matt 23:8 But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers. 

This verse is one of those teachings by Jesus that seems opposite to all the thinking we have about teachers. He says you are not be be called a teacher, yet we see in the letters from the Apostle Paul that teachers are a part of his plan for the church.

Created for Ministry

Act_18:26 He began to speak boldly in the synagogue. When Priscilla and Aquila heard him, they invited him to their home and explained to him the way of God more adequately.

Priscilla and Aquila were Jewish Christians like many of the first believers, yet what we see here is their ministry as a couple at work.

Teacher from God

God sends believers to help other believers to learn and grow in the faith. As a teacher sent from God we should be careful to teach exactly what’s meant by God and not water down the message of God based on who’s listening right? This can easily be confused with teaching a message that has been developed specifically for an audience's level of understanding.

My Lover My Friend

Songs of Solomon 5:16 -“His mouth is sweetness itself; he is altogether lovely. This is my beloved, this is my friend, daughters of Jerusalem.” 

Marriage has many facets like a diamond and like a good diamond, a good marriage is hard to come by in the world we live in today and It’s so easy to divorce your spouse for any reason and Sadly according to the stats, the majority of marriages, Christian and non-Christian end in divorce.

Woe to You Teachers

[Mat 23:23 NIV] 23 "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices--mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law--justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 

This’s a tough teaching for the religious leaders of Jesus’s day. Jesus was making sure they knew that they would be held accountable for not practicing what they teach. Just because someone is a good teacher it does not mean they are living faithfully.

Mustard Seed

[Mar 4:31-32 NIV] 31 It is like a mustard seed, which is the smallest of all seeds on earth. 32 Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants, with such big branches that the birds can perch in its shade.

In all the parables about seeds Jesus took the time to explain them in plain language to his disciples, so we think it is important to play close attention to these parables. I don’t know about you, but I think when Jesus repeats himself and teaches a lesson a second time in plain language I am going to listen closely.

Spiritually Naked

[Gen 2:25 KJV] 25 And they were both naked, the man and his wife, and were not ashamed. 

In Gen 2:25 we have a quick glimpse into the original condition of Adam and Eve. Adam and Eve had no shame between them in their relationship, despite being completely naked. The idea of being naked suggest that we have nothing to hide from our mates.

Above the Teacher

Matthew 10:24 - "The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. 

This statement by Jesus tells us that our goal as teachers is to make sure we point everyone to Jesus, and not just to limit their development to our level. You know some may think this means every student should only worry about being like their teacher or that as a teacher I need to create replicas of myself … and that should be enough, ….not even close right?

Good and Bad Seed

[Mat 13:27 NIV] 27 "The owner's servants came to him and said, 'Sir, didn't you sow good seed in your field? Where then did the weeds come from?' 

We see this even today when unbelievers question the existence of a God because of the evil that exist in the world. They think that the world should be free sin and evil because if God exist and is a loving God, he would wipe out all that evil. So they refuse to believe that God exist.

Joining with Christ

[1Co 6:15-16 NIV] 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ himself? Shall I then take the members of Christ and unite them with a prostitute? Never! 

As Christians, we should not think the act of sex is limited to our own personal privacy. Rather, it also affects the Holy Spirit that lives in us. The Apostle Paul is suggesting physical intimacy is also a spiritual experience.

Seed on Good Soil

[Luk 8:15 NIV] 15 But the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop. 

The parable of the seed along the path comes to a close with Jesus explaining that the word of God will produce a crop, it will multiply and produce a crop in its proper time. The problem with many people is that they don’t give enough thought and effort into producing a crop.

Deep Love

1 Peter 4:8 - "Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins." 

We’re going to take this scripture and apply it to how we should handle the flaws and imperfections in our mates. I think many times we believe that loving our mates is about fixing all their flaws and solving all their problems, but deeply loving is about accepting your mate as a broken vessel.

Seed on Rocky Soil

[Luk 8:13 NIV] 13 and it says this: Those on the rocky ground are the ones who receive the word with joy when they hear it, but they have no root. They believe for a while, but in the time of testing they fall away. 

Now this term fall away is not a good one, in Strong’s concordance the definition ranges from either meaning to make oneself distance from something or in a christian sense to be faithless … none of the definitions are good, but I think we can all remember someone that has fallen away from the faith.

Harsh

Col 9:15 Husbands, love your wives and do not be harsh with them. 

We know that we should all have compassion and love for our neighbor and even our enemy, so we know God is saying little more than about loving your spouse, but also how to show love, right?

Seed Along The Path

[Luk 8:12 NIV] 12 Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved.This is a very popular parable from Jesus and he is explaining how a seed if planted in bad soil will not grow to maturity. This whole idea of growing into christian maturity is repeated in many places in the New testament, so we should take note of this message.

Love and Respect

There are some major differences between males and females, but one thing is certain, we love ourselves equally. We are the first one’s to ensure we are taken care of and our needs are met. See what God says about our self-love!

Seat with Satan

James 2:19 You believe that there is one God. Good! Even the demons believe that--and shudder. 

This is undoubtedly a statement being made to the Jews in the first century, because they believed in one God who would save them, but they rejected Jesus.Many folks think that if they just believe there is a god then they will be fine. Many even believe Jesus was a real person who lived, but yet they do not accept Him as their personal savior. The demons of course know there is God and Jesus is His son...why then are they damned to hell?

Seed Among Thorns

[Luk 8:14 NIV] 14 The seed that fell among thorns stands for those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by life's worries, riches and pleasures, and they do not mature. 

This scripture mentions a topic that we see repeated throughout the new testament and that’s to grow in your Christian faith and to spiritually mature. Maturing as a Christian is something we choose to do and it doesn’t happen automatically, you see spiritual growth is not like physical growth, it requires effort.

Blessed who See and Hear

[Mat 13:16 NIV] 16 But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.

It seems that we have lost sight of what should be seen in Godliness. The challenge is making sure we balance our observed godly behavior with giving glory to God when it is seen. The scriptures do say we should give to the poor, but secretly.

High Places

2 Chronicle 14:3 He removed the foreign altars and the high places, smashed the sacred stones and cut down the Asherah poles. 

The Old Testament scriptures make it very clear that God wants us to tear down our high places of worship, we can see this echoed in the New Testament as well. The issue is we modern days Christians do not realize we have many high places of worship that need to be torn down.

Empty Knowledge

1 Cor 8:1 Now about food sacrificed to idols: We know that "We all possess knowledge." But knowledge puffs up while love builds up.

Knowing more about God does not make us more Godly. See how being wise is really about knowing about what you don't know and not about what you think you know.

Face of Grace

Hebrews 10:29 - How much more severely do you think someone deserves to be punished who has trampled the Son of God underfoot, who has treated as an unholy thing the blood of the covenant that sanctified them, and who has insulted the Spirit of grace? 

We hear a lot about God's grace, but how are we handling this today?

Bond of Peace & Cord of Three

We are going to be looking at several scriptures today that focus on marriage, and how we should be grounding our marriage on bible scriptures.

In Ephesians we see a scripture about how we should keep the Bond of Peace and we think keeping the bond of peace starts in our homes, followed second at our church. Our next scripture will come from Ecclesiastes and we will see how it applies to the battle a husband and wife face in a dark world.

Wise and Faithful

Matthew 24:45 Who then is the faithful and wise servant, whom the master has put in charge of the servants in his household to give them their food at the proper time? 

The kingdom of this world says to prepare for the end times and Jesus says His servants will be ready. Listen to how Jesus never says to prepare for His return, but how we will be ready without preparing.

Covenants (Martyrs & Miracles)

In this week's episode of A Word on the Word we will be looking at a Christian Martyr by the name of Stephen and his death in the early church in Jerusalem, followed by discussion on covenants and how it binds a man and woman to God in marriage, with our last topic being a woman who visited heaven for 9 minutes.

Beware of Leaven

Jesus warns to be aware of the yeast, what did He mean? Listen to how yeast is used to represent various aspect of sin and false teachings in the bible.

Fruit Inspection

The bible compares christian behavior with that of a fruit tree, see how we are to be both fruit farmers and fruit plants, and not so much fruit inspectors.

Til Death & Martyrs of Augunum

In the episode of A Word on the Word we are looking at a scripture from Mark where Jesus says that where God has joined a man ans woman, let know man separate them. We are also looking at a story about an entire legion of solders who were martyred for their faith in Jesus.

Broken Cisterns

God tell the prophet Jeremiah that their religious practices are like a broken cisterns, listen to how this applies to today's church as well.

Miserable Principles

Paul tells the Christians in Galatia not to return back to "weak and miserable principles" or the cross would be of no use to them. What could those miserable principles be?

Flesh of My Flesh (Martyr and Miracles)

In this weeks episode we will be looking at a martyr by the name of James the Just, followed by a discussion on the scripture that talks about females being made of mans flesh, and then a spotlight of a woman who was healed of stage 4 cancer.

Insulting Grace

Grace is poured out abundantly from heaven, given freely, but priceless, so we should not take for granted a priceless free gift. The scriptures tell us not to insult the spirit of grace ... how do you insult grace?