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Following Jesus by Learning and Living the Bible
Episodes
Thursday May 23, 2024
Thursday May 23, 2024
There's Meaning to Our Suffering | Colossians 1:24
In this present world, suffering is everywhere and pain is unavoidable. And western societies don't know what to do with this fact. Suffering is an interruption. It's always bad and has no value.
But not in the Bible. Not to Jesus. And not to the Apostle Paul. He writes,
"Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions in behalf of His body, which is the church."
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https://www.listenerscommentary.com
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Wednesday May 15, 2024
Wednesday May 15, 2024
An Ode to Jesus | Colossians 1:15-20 -
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation: 16 for by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones, or dominions, or rulers, or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him. 17 He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 18 He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything. 19 For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him, 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, whether things on earth or things in heaven, having made peace through the blood of His cross.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Wednesday May 01, 2024
Moving to a New Realm | Colossians 1:13-14
Becoming a Christian entails a rescue operation in which we are delivered from the realm where darkness reigned to the realm where Jesus is King.
13 For He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
Wednesday Apr 24, 2024
Learning to Pray with the Apostle Paul | Colossians 1:3-12
Prayer is challenging.
One of the ways we can learn to pray is by reading and reflecting on the prayers of God's saints in the Bible. So I find Paul's prayers to be insightful and challenging.
Colossians 1:3-12
3 We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, 4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints; 5 because of the hope reserved for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel 6 which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth; 7 just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, 8 and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason we also, since the day we heard about it, have not ceased praying for you and asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;11 strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all perseverance and patience; joyously 12 giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
Thursday Apr 18, 2024
What kind of father is God the Father?
What is God like? What kind of Father is He?
This sermon introduces the Trinity and reflects on God as Father, helping us see that knowing God as Father is good for us.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Thursday Apr 11, 2024
Four Final Reflections on Faith and Politics
On this episode we wrap up our series on Faith and Politics with four final reflections.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
Thursday Mar 28, 2024
What's Better than Criticizing Culture?
Fact: it’s easier to criticize “them” - those people out there - than to do the hard work needed to offer something better.
Post mocking memes.
Ridicule on Reels.
Use spiteful or derogatory rhetoric.
That’s easy.
But the early Christians model a more powerful path. They show us what's better than criticizing the culture and what's more powerful for changing culture.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
Thursday Mar 21, 2024
How to Live in Exile?
Since the New Testament, describes those of us who follow Jesus as foreigners and exiles, how does God want people to live in exile? In this episode, we look at Jeremiah 29 and 1 Peter 2-3 to answer that question.
Jeremiah 29:4-7
4 “This is what the Lord of armies, the God of Israel, says to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon: 5 ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their produce. 6 Take wives and father sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, so that they may give birth to sons and daughters; and grow in numbers there and do not decrease. 7 Seek the prosperity of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to the Lord in its behalf; for in its prosperity will be your prosperity.’
1 Peter 2:11-12
11 Beloved, I urge you as foreigners and strangers to abstain from fleshly lusts, which wage war against the soul. 12 Keep your behavior excellent among the Gentiles, so that in the thing in which they slander you as evildoers, they may because of your good deeds, as they observe them, glorify God on the day of visitation.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Thursday Mar 14, 2024
Reflections on Healthy Detachment and Civil Disobedience
In this episode, I offer some reflections on two questions:
1. With all the anxiety, fear, and emotion around the political season, what should the disposition of disciples of Jesus be?
2. When should we disobey the governing authorities?
At the heart of this episode is this: as disciples of Jesus our deepest allegiance is to Jesus and His kingdom and hope lies with Him. So our investment of energy and emotion is with that kingdom, and our prayer is "Your kingdom come, Your will be done."
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
Wednesday Mar 06, 2024
The Values of God's Kingdom are Good for the World
Christianity emerged in a world vastly different from the values espoused by followers of Christ. Slavery was assumed a necessary part of a functioning society and slaves could be thought of as living property and tools. An adulterous wife was a disgrace to be dealt with harshly, but men were free (even expected!) to have numerous sexual partners. Infants were routinely abandoned, left in the wild to die. Care for the poor, weak, and marginalized was laughable, contrary to all good sense. And a god who would sacrifice himself for others by dying the most shameful death of all could be pictured as a jackass on a cross!
But as Christianity spread, the values of Christ - values now taken for granted as good and right - transformed the Roman Empire and the world.
To be fair, the Church has not always lived up to the values she espouses. Nevertheless, over the course of history the values of the Christian faith have brought great good to the world and our society needs Christians to bring these values into the world today.
Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible:
Support this ministry:
Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below.
http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/
The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:
https://www.listenerscommentary.com
Connect with John:
Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram
Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.