WHO RIGHTLY OWNS THE LAND KNOWN AS “ISRAEL”? Yahweh, the Most High God, said to Israel, “The land shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine; for you are strangers and sojourners with Me.” (Lev 25:23). This episode discusses the land and the people known as Israel, and the complicated relationship between Muslims and those so-called “Palestinians.”

Real love & leadership has no strings attached (is not this-for-that). Loving and leading this way (God’s way…) means wanting more FOR those we lead, and expecting less FROM them. That said, a healthy & balanced relationship requires love going both ways. (Jesus loved us; He said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments”) Also, real love brings accountability— “don’t expect what you don’t inspect.” I offer this as one guilty many years of “loving” only to be loved back (…my needy,...

God has a plan and purpose for our suffering and weakness. He calls us to partner with Him by faith. This episode discusses Paul’s “thorn in the flesh”, Satan’s role in human suffering, and the challenges of finding our strength and identity in Christ vs. our own.

False apostles snuck into the church—in their “stolen valor”, left un-checked by those who should have known better, they selfishly took advantage of believers in Corinth. However, one’s capacity for suffering is a great character-reveal. Paul’s resume’ (his afflictions, one trial after another for the gospel of Christ) validated his apostolic authority. While he’d rather lead with love and trust vs. referring his God-given position, it was time to talk some sense into this church duped by...

Sharing to challenge Christ-followers to broaden their aperture when it comes to investigating the topic of extraterrestrials and the supernatural in general. The fact is the church has not always done a good job discussing issues like extraterrestrials, UFOs, and the paranormal (aliens, ghosts, big-foot, moth-man, etc.). Yes, we do well to filter what we see and hear by the Scriptures and Holy Spirit discernment, but many of us have presuppositions & paradigms that are not Biblically...

Beware of wolves in sheep’s clothing! Some will come into our lives & churches, eloquent in speech, credentialed, good looking; claiming to be someone/something they aren’t. Their intent is to get, take, and mislead us. These are (like Satan) leeches…deceitful, spiritual vampires, sucking the life and resources out of us. We need God’s Word and Holy Spirit discernment to know the difference between those who look good and those who are good.

Is your Jesus the Biblical Jesus, or the “Jesus” you want Him to be? Have you received a different spirit other than (or in addition to) the Holy Spirit who propagates the false “Jesus” you worship? Have you received a different “gospel”, which is really not good news but damning? We ought not walk in doubt, but it’s good to take inventory… Judas believed in a different “Jesus” from the One right in front of Him.

Are you “10 feet tall and bulletproof” on social media, or simply pretending to be someone else in order to be taken seriously? The apostle Paul is a great example for us—be in person whom we claim/purport ourselves to be in writing. If you haven’t heard it before, you need to hear it now, “Be yourself!” That is, be whom God has called you to be while operating in the gifts, calling, mannerisms, talents and abilities/disabilities consistent with who you are as a person, and most especially in...

We are in a spiritual war; the battles of which are won only if/when we use the spiritual weapons given us! Spiritual = that which exists in both, the seen and unseen realm. This episode discusses what and with whom we wrestle; the armor God has given us, as well as the “five fingers” we need to effectively handle the sword of the Spirit (the Word of God).

Discipline trumps laziness, feelings, and/or motivation (or lack thereof). Doing the right thing is still the “right thing” whether we feel like doing it or not. If, and when we have committed ourselves to doing something (especially when God has called us to it), discipline will get us across the finish line.

The Christian knows what it means to commit to something (to Someone) greater than one’s self. We ought to be a people known for keeping our commitments—letting our “yes” be yes, and our “no”, no. Whether we like it or not, we make and leave an impression on others. If we say we are going to do something, we need to follow through.

Are you teachable? Correctable? Whether caught in, confronted with, captured by, or convicted of sin, our response is crucial! Are we sorry…like truly sorry enough to do something positive about it (repent, turn to God, choose life) after we’ve failed? Or are we sorry only to the point of hopelessness—circling the mental/emotional drain, buying the lie that we’ve gone too far this time? There are two sorrows—godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. The former will save your life; the latter may kill...

That moment you realize God’s talking to YOU! It’s natural for us to shift the blame for our sinfulness to others. The apostle Paul, however, wasn’t having it! He addressed the church’s worldliness head-on—no pulling punches. No sugar-coating. They were worldly! Being a new creation in Christ (2 Cor 5:17) means living like it! “Come out from among them and be separate”, he said. This call to repentance and realigning/prioritizing our affections is applicable to the 21st century church as well.

To be reconciled to God in Christ is to have participated in an exchange—“Christ who knew no sin became sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.“ Not because of anything we have done, but based entirely upon the merits of Christ, His death in our stead allows the Father to see us in good favor. We now have a place at the table in God‘s Divine Council; as ambassadors for Christ we are called to make known to all the peace of God made possible by this great exchange!

Like a parent who instinctively knows their child’s cry (i.e., just “what kind” of cry it is), even so, some things are mysteriously yet clearly communicated in a series of hearty exhales—Sometimes a sigh says it all! Christian, the Father knows you’re exhausted. He hears you…He understands… He’s prepared you for this and more, for which reason you long to be present with Him. Don’t rush His extract-plan (immortality is coming!). In the meantime, whether in heaven or on earth, aim to be well...

We have the treasure of God’s power and presence inside of us—jars of clay. While the world around us, and perhaps our own bodies might be falling apart, within the believer lies the incredible resurrection power of Jesus Christ. This episode dispels the myths of “the strong Christian” & “the perfect Christian”, while encouraging a relentless pursuit of the well-read & faithful Christian.

How has God’s mercy changed your life? What is it like to be free, and have you told somebody about it? What kinds of “veils“ have you noticed (i.e., things that might keep people from seeing Jesus) in the church or amongst some believers? When considering how God has shone in our hearts to give light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ, what are we are often afraid of by letting the Light out?

While Moses’ face was a little less shiny as time went on, the fact remains it once shined gloriously. Even so, if the written commandments (“the ministry of death” —Paul’s words) were accompanied by a fading glory, how much more glorious is the never-fading “ministry of the Spirit”? The old covenant (God’s word in stone) is trumped by the new covenant (the Word of God, made flesh, who tasted death for all, and was made alive in the Spirit)! Curiously, believers in Jesus are being transformed...

Where does your confidence come from? In whom, from what or where do you draw your strength? Is there room for self-confidence in the life of a Christian? How do we balance confidence and humility? What is keeping you from carrying out the Great Commission? In this episode the apostle Paul emphasizes his sufficiency as a minister of the new covenant comes not from man, but God. As far as he was concerned, his sufficiency (and ours) is from God in Christ.

Those close enough to Jesus in the garden, before the Sanhedrin, Pilate, Herod, on the way to Calvary, and when laying His body to rest, would very well have smelled the fragrant aroma of the oil poured upon His head by that thoughtful woman at Bethany. For some that aroma would provide a lasting memory of His loving sacrifice; for others it would trigger hatred or remorse. This same Jesus (our victorious General) leads us in triumph, and through us makes known what His “smell” was/is all about.

When we love—especially with godly (no-strings-attached kind of) love—we run the risk of not being loved back; of being misunderstood. The apostle Paul loved the church at Corinth enough to tell them the truth—to confront them on an issue he could not ignore. He ran the risk of disturbing the peace, hurting their feelings by pointing it out and calling them to address it. He leaned forward in love, which meant being truthful. Some today equate “tolerance” with the love & grace of God, but...

What happens when we’ve promised to do something, but, for good reason, we’ve changed our minds or altered our plans? It may appear to some we are fickle, and without explanation it might as well be true. However Paul (2 Cor. 1:12-2:2) shares why he changed his plans to visit (or rather, not to visit) the Corinthians at the time he promised, yet managed to have a good conscience. This episode discusses the importance of having a good testimony, a clean conscience, and good timing when it...

(2 Cor 1:1-11) The first in a series of sermons through the apostle Paul’s second letter to the church at Corinth. In this episode, Paul wants his audience to know that God in Christ has (and is) what we need in our suffering; that God does indeed give us more than we can handle, but also provides the strength and comfort we need to both, triumph in our own trials and comfort others in theirs.

How is it that, “God works all things together for good”? And what did the apostle Paul mean by “good”? As always, context is king! Feelings come and go; God’s promises remain true yesterday, today, and forever.