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A podcast that is meant to encourage you and help you grow in your life with God.
Episodes
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Saturday Mar 30, 2024
Have you ever wanted to get away? Have you ever felt that you are in a rut and perhaps some alone with God is your best option? This week I decided to embark on my own personal adventure to find solitude. I had west to the mountains of North Carolinato spend some alone time with God and was taught some wonderful life lessons that I wanted to share with you
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
Sunday Feb 11, 2024
Episode 47
"Put up your sword" John 18:11
Then said Jesus unto Peter, Put up thy sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?
- Who: Peter
- What: Cutting off the ear of Malchus
- Where: The Garden of Gethsemane
- When: Before the Crucifixion
- Why: Judas betrayal of Jesus
- How: with a sword
- How much:
I. Peter’s Troubling Response
- He responded in a way that was contrary to the big picture.
- The difference cups in Scripture
- Cup of Salvation: Psalm 116:13
- Cup of Consolation (comfort): Jeremiah 16:17
- Cup of Joy: Psalm 23:5
- Cup of Judgment: Matthew 26:39
- He bore this for us on the cross
- Those who reject Christ must drink this cup
- He, sinless and in perfection, drank this cup for us and bore our sins (Hebrews 12:2)
- Wise (understanding of big picture)
- The difference cups in Scripture
Wisdom: “having or showing experience, knowledge, and good judgment”
Jesus foretells His Death and Resurrection: Matt 16:21
II. Peter’s Thoughtless Response
Sober (keeping your head despite circumstances)
Jesus tells the Disciples that one would betray him: John 13:21
III. Peter’s Treacherous Response
Vigilant (Keeping watch to detect Danger)
Jesus specifically tells Peter to pray against temptation: Matthew 26:36-46
Despite being taught the big picture of Jesus mission, being told that Jesus would be betrayed, and being directed to pray against temptation; Peter acted in carelessly in haste without thought of consequence.
“Put up your Sword”
Jesus tells Peter in v.11 “put up thy Sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
Matthew 10:34 “Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword.” (“strife, discord, conflict; deadly opposition between eternally hostile priciples” – Jamieson Fausset and Brown)
- Who is Jesus talking to? The twelve, commissioning them to go to the Nation Israel and preach the Gospel of the Kingdom.
- Who were the Jews looking for? The Messiah (a warrior Messiah to overthrow the Romans
- What is the Kingdom? Kingdom of God that originates in Heaven, and will be established on earth through Israel. Jesus was born of the seed of David and presents himself as Messiah to the nation of Israel. “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand” – Matthew 4:12 (The promised King was present)
- So now that we have the context… what does Jesus mean?
“As a result of His visit to earth, some children would be set against parents and a man’s enemies might be those within his own household This is because some who follow Christ are hated by their family members. This may be part of the cost of discipleship, for love of family should not be greater than love for the Lord. A true disciple must take his cross and follow Jesus.” – John Walvoord
The Sword is referring to the strife that will be caused in a fallen world due to the first coming of Christ.
Luke 22:36 “Then said he unto them, but now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one”
- The Sword was needed for personal protection. Jesus pointed out during the last supper, that when they were with Him, they never lacked anything. But since he was about to go away, they would need some things for their ministry: 1.) a purse; 2.) a bag; and 3.) a sword.
Now, this goes hand and hand with Jesus words to Peter. “put up thy Sword into the sheath: the cup which my Father hath given me, shall I not drink it?”
Forbear: “To stop; to cease; to hold from proceeding;”
- Peter could have easily been arrested and no longer a vessel for God’s use. (John 18:8-10)
A lack of Wisdom and Understanding can be catastrophic
- Peter could have caused those present to misunderstand Jesus Mission (John 18:11)
Three things that can help:
- Clearness
- Caution
- Charity (love)
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Saturday Feb 03, 2024
Saturday Feb 03, 2024
"Uncharted Territory" Joshua 3:1-5
(This is a re-recording and more concise version of episode 31)
“In Joshua 3, the children of Israel were on the brink of blessing. Between them and a land of opportunity was a raging river of difficulty. However, they had with them the Ark of the Covenant, a reminder of God’s presence with His people, and their guide to the Great Unknown.” – Adrian Rogers
Uncharted Territory – an unknown place not yet explored.
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Saturday Jan 27, 2024
Saturday Jan 27, 2024
Episode 46
"How to Prepare for a Sermon"
"The test of a preacher is that his congregation goes away saying, not 'what a lovely sermon,' but, ' I WILL DO SOMETHING" - Francis De Sales
I. Pray before preparation
- Is there anything in your life that shouldn’t be there? “search me O God…”
Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. – Psalms 139:23,24
- What text do you need to preach from?
- What’s the theme?
- Spend time in prayer and really seek God’s Will for your message.
II. Prepare a sermon using the LIPS acronym
- LEARN: Learn the text and context (read and re-read)
*Tools needed: Bible, Strongs Concordance or equivalent, Journal or pad/computer to take down basic notes
Remember this is you are learning the text:
- Dispensation (who is God talking to, period, etc.)
- Interpretation (the exact meaning of the text)
Capture what you are learning in your journal/notepad
- Who:
- What:
- Where:
- When:
- Why:
- How:
- How much:
Learn the themes of the passage
Tools needed: Bible, Concordance, your Journal you have been using for notes, (this is a time of prayer and reflection and seeing which direction you are headed with the text.)
Essentially you are taking what you have learned from the text and seeing what the theme is going to be for your sermon.
Learn from others.
Tools needed: books, magazines, phone, computer, etc.
- Listen to other sermons/podcast/interviews on text; read commentaries, articles, reach out to Brothers/Sisters in the faith for their own commentary, etc.
- (be sure to do this after you have spent solitude with God praying over and reading the text directly from the Word and concordance.)
- INSCRIBE (pen to paper)
- Inscribe a detailed summary (pen to paper) of what was learned and what you want to tell the audience. These are not rough draft notes from reading as before.
- Essentially, you are writing down what you want to tell them, what you’re going to tell them, and what you told them. It is as if you are giving your audience the sermon in essay form.
- Plan (outline the sermon) Begin the final draft of the sermon by taking the inscription and putting it in outline form.
The introduction is what you want to tell them, the discussion is what you are telling them, and the conclusion is a recap of what you told them.
- The goal is that this is continuous. As if one big run-on sentence. The goal is to not take a break, but simply let the entire thing flow
- Use alliteration to help audience remember points (optional)
- Stay (dwell on the sermon)- Meditate on the sermon; Live the sermon (practice what God is telling you to preach. Remember, the Holy Spirit has preached this sermon to you before you will ever preach it to anyone else. This is your sermon to receive, live, and then proclaim. What an honor!)
III. Practice the sermon
Here are some tips:
- Record yourself preaching to get rid of any bad habits when you are speaking( “we see here…”; “um”; “uhh when you uhh look uhh here uhh” )
- Practice over and over so you are not depending too much on your notes. What happens if you leave your notes at home? You going to still give the Word?
- Give the Word to your family and close friends. There is nothing like practicing a good sermon your wife in the car on the way somewhere.
IV. Pray again
- Sermon preparation is stressful, and the enemy is also at work. You can never pray too much for a sermon. You never know who is going to hear it and what they stand in need of. The enemy is also very crafty, a lot can happen from the time you finish sermon preparation and when you actually preach it. (Frustration, fear, shame, over-confidence, the list goes on and on!)
- Pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit while preaching, pray for the audience, and pray for a right heart and humble spirit. Pray without ceasing!
V. Preach (let it fly!)
- Try not to go into “preaching mode” meaning you flip a switch and turn into a robot. (Refrain from cliches, crowd-pleasing, and humble bragging.)
- The main thing here is that you have gotten this message directly from God, you are in fellowship with God, you have been living this and meditating on it, and now you have the wonderful opportunity to give it to others.
Question: How much time should I spend a week in preparation for a sermon?
Answer: 168 hours.
Think about it.. in Psalm 1, the Blessed man (Happy man) meditates on the Word “day and night”. In the Epistle to the Thessalonians, Paul told the Church to “pray without ceasing” which essentially means to have our minds on God and be in constant communication with Him. Now, you may not be spending day and night meditating over the text God has given you to preach, nor may you be spending your days in the attitude of prayer over your sermon, but it all goes together. Let the Holy Spirit lead and direct your thoughts and actions. I would recommend a solid 3 to 4 hours on the LIPS method to construct the specific sermon. But you will be amazed how much of what goes on every day in a life with God that is apart of the sermon He is giving you.
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Saturday Jan 20, 2024
Saturday Jan 20, 2024
Episode 45
“And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” Genesis 2:18
Feeling connected is a basic human need. Solitary confinement is now being argued as inhumane and ineffective. Studies show that there are multiple negative mental and physical health effects. There is a need for connectivity and community. But before we have good relationships within community, we first must have to explore our connection to God.
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Saturday Jan 13, 2024
Saturday Jan 13, 2024
Episode 44
There is a great picture in the Old Testament of what happens when we reject sound Doctrine.
Amos 7:10 “the land is not able to Bear his words” (maintain, contain, receive)
2 Timothy 4:3 “when they will not Endure Sound Doctrine” (hold up; to sustain, to bear)
When Amos prophesied against the other nations, his prophesy was accepted. But when he prophesied against Israel's specific sin, they told him to leave. The question we must ask ourselves, is "how do we respond to the truth?" Not only the truth that we accept, but the entire truth, even the parts that call out our own personal sins and disobedience.
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
Sunday Jan 07, 2024
Episode 43
“People often tell me I could be a great man. I’d rather be a good man.” – JFK Jr.
“Great” in the world’s eyes can be defined as a person who has accomplished more than ordinary and is celebrated. Sometimes, we can focus so much on being great people, that we forget how to be good people.
What does God want for us? To be great, good, or both? In this episode, we will talk about how we can pursue a life with God, and not only achieve Great things, but be Good people in the process.
A special thank you to my Pastor, Mike Barnette, for the song “All Things New.” Please support his podcasts by clicking and sharing the links below.
The C.O.D.E. of Man Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/6Oglxqy35Wg4m4YMfU8Q28?si=074063174e334747
The Way of Holiness Podcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/08UgdbUrBDZoWWnfiCYxbO?si=oG-EaQzfQMC5GN-N7NaxvA
Daybreak Devotions Podcast:
https://open.spotify.com/show/2Z25hqT5DNOZcwBLBXc67I?si=1f1c8f24a3e24618
Monday Dec 25, 2023
Monday Dec 25, 2023
Christmas episode special. When a person believes in the true meaning of Christmas they are changed from the inside out. What can be nothing more than another excuse to horde, indulge, and binge on all the activities of the Holiday season, actually can be a life changing experience that leads to joy and utter fulfillment. It's easy to become a "Grinch" (character of Dr. Seuss "How the Grinch Stole Christmas") when we look around and see so much greed, consumption, and noise during this time of year. But Christmas is actually about so much more. Join me as we discuss the Meaning, the Message, and the Merriment of Christmas.
Quoted material:
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! (TV special) - Wikipedia
Sunday Mar 26, 2023
Sunday Mar 26, 2023
Episode 42
What is Christian Nationalism?
“Patriotism is the love of country…It is different from nationalism which is an argument which is how to define our country. We are thankful for the United States as a country, as a land… as a Christians we can and should love the United States. Which also means working to improve our Country by holding it up for critique and working for justice when it errs. Christian Nationalism is the belief that the American Nation is defined by Christianity and that the government should take active steps to keep it that way…” - Christianity Today
Why is it so Dangerous?
- Fashions the Corruptible, not the Incorruptible: Matthew 6:19-21
- Focuses on the Community, not Identity: Ephesians 4:20-24
- Favors the Country, not Instruction: Matthew 28:18-20
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
Sunday Mar 19, 2023
Episode 41.
Zechariah gives a message of comfort and reassurance to Israel.
Zechariah and Haggai were prophets who were tasked with purging the remnant who returned to Israel from Babylon. The rebuilding of the temple was stopped by the remnant due to opposition. With Haggai, and Zecharia they prompted the restart of the building project and saw it completed soon after.
When the foundations were laid, it was very small compared to Solomon’s temple. Rivals doubted, supporters doubted, I can only imagine that the fellow-labors were very distraught. Notice what Zechariah says in 4:10.
“For who hath despised the day of small things? For they shall rejoice, and shall see the plummet in the hand of Zerubbabel with those seven; they are the eyes of the LORD, which run to and fro through the whole earth” - Zechariah 4:10
Who hath despised the day of small things?
Israel was Renovating. They had been in captivity, and now the returned remnant needed to be purged. The renovation was needed. Not only Israel but their hearts.
We want BIG:
- Responsibility – We want to go big (hard to say no) seems like you are a part of everything. A false mindset that busy means productive.
- Results – Professions, baptisms, numbers, Facebook likes, youtube views.
- Knowledge – Be able to debate; teach/preach eloquent messages/sermons, etc.
God used a small boy named David, to take 5 smooth stones and a slingshot and slay a giant.
God took only a handful of flour with a little oil to feed Elijah, a widow and her son
5 barley loaves and 2 fishes to feed a crow of five thousand
To help a man with anxiety and depression who just wanted to give up, God made Himself known to Him through a still small voice.
To call a mighty prophet, who would be used to establish a monarchy in Israel, and anoint Israel’s first two kings, He spoke softly to a small child.
Instead of despising the small things, we should be thankful for them. We can learn from a small child who responded to the voice of God…
“And the LORD came and stood and called as at other ties, Samuel, Samuel. Then Samuel answered, Speak; for they servant heareth.” 1 Samuel 3:10