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Following Jesus by Learning and Living the Bible
Episodes
Monday Oct 28, 2019
Monday Oct 28, 2019
Psalm 37 begins, "Do not fret because of evildoers, be not envious toward wrongdoers."
The picture painted in the psalm is of a person with little to no interest in God or in God's ways, and yet his life seems to be going great. And the person who's seeking God and walking in his ways is struggling to just make life work.
And it doesn't feel fair.
"What's going on God? Why is his/her life going so well and I'm barely making in it?!"
Ever felt that way? Ever looked around at the world and wondered, "Is being good really worth it?"
Sometimes it seems like the godless and immoral people are the ones who get ahead. So why bother being good and doing right!
That's the subject taken up in Psalm 37 and that's what we wrestle with in this episode of the Bible in life.
Psalm 37:1-11
1Do not fret because of evildoers,
Be not envious toward wrongdoers.
2 For they will wither quickly like the grass
And fade like the green herb.
3 Trust in the Lord and do good;
Dwell in the land and cultivate faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord;
And He will give you the desires of your heart.
5 Commit your way to the Lord,
Trust also in Him, and He will do it.
6 He will bring forth your righteousness as the light
And your judgment as the noonday.
7 Rest in the Lord and wait patiently for Him;
Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Because of the man who carries out wicked schemes.
8 Cease from anger and forsake wrath;
Do not fret; it leads only to evildoing.
9 For evildoers will be cut off,
But those who wait for the Lord, they will inherit the land.
10 Yet a little while and the wicked man will be no more;
And you will look carefully for his place and he will not be there.
11 But the humble will inherit the land
And will delight themselves in abundant prosperity.
▶️FREE BIBLE READING PLAN: https://www.johnwhittaker.net
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
▶️Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Monday Oct 21, 2019
Church.
Interestingly, when it comes to church, the Bible says very little about the things we all too often focus on … it says virtually nothing about buildings, programs, order of services, or any such things that often first come to mind for us when we think of church
And I actually think this silence should be highly instructive to us - because the things we prioritize about a church aren’t priorities in the New Testament!
So, what does the Bible say the church is supposed to be like and how is it supposed to function?
Bible Passages referenced in this episode:
Matthew 28:18-20: And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
Acts 2:41-47: So then, those who had received his word were baptized; and that day there were added about three thousand souls. They were continually devoting themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer. Everyone kept feeling a sense of awe; and many wonders and signs were taking place through the apostles. And all those who had believed were together and had all things in common; and they began selling their property and possessions and were sharing them with all, as anyone might have need. Day by day continuing with one mind in the temple, and breaking bread from house to house, they were taking their meals together with gladness and sincerity of heart, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord was adding to their number day by day those who were being saved.
Ephesians 4:12-13: for the equipping of the saints for the work of service, to the building up of the body of Christ; until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a mature man, to the measure of the stature which belongs to the fullness of Christ.
1 Timothy 3:15: but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth.
Ephesians 4:14-15: As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; 15 but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him who is the head, even Christ,
A couple of the books mentioned in this episode that I'd recommend:
Jerry Cook and Stanley Baldwin. Love, Acceptance, and Forgiveness.
(note: above links are affiliate links which means if you use them to buy the book I get a small commission at no extra cost to you.)
Connect with me:
▶️FREE BIBLE READING PLAN: https://www.johnwhittaker.net
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
▶️Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Oct 14, 2019
Monday Oct 14, 2019
What does it take to live the life you believe God has created you to life, the life you really want to live? I think there's one key factor that underlies all the other components of living that kind of life.
In this episode, I interview college student, college quarterback, business owner, and follower of Jesus, Brock Johnson. He's got a lot going on in life, and none of it happens on accident. And at the center of it all is Jesus. I think you'll enjoy getting to know Brock, a young man who knows who he is and what he wants life to be all about.
Follow Brock on Instagram at brock11johnson.
Check out his Focus Formula course for living life on purpose at focusformulacourse.com
___
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▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
▶️Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Oct 07, 2019
Monday Oct 07, 2019
On this episode I answer two listener questions:
1. What does it mean to love your enemies? Are Christians supposed to be doormats?
In Luke 6:27-31, Jesus teaches us this:
27 “But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, 28 bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. 29 Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. 30 Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back.31 Treat others the same way you want them to treat you.
2. Why does some of the New Testament say women can be pastors while other parts say they can’t?
In answer to this question, I share my understanding of the New Testament about the equality and dignity of women and what that means regarding women pastors.
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️HOW-TO GUIDE: The 7-Step Plan to Understanding and Applying the Bible https://www.johnwhittaker.net/understand-apply-bible
▶️BIBLE INTRO: Need help grasping the Bible? Here's a quick intro to the Bible at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/get-a-grip-on-the-bible
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
▶️Email - john@johnwhittaker.net
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Sep 30, 2019
Monday Sep 30, 2019
In this Episode, John answers two questions from a listener.
First, was Jesus really forsaken by God? Matthew puts it this way in his gospel: About three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). - Matthew 27:46. Jesus' cry actually comes from Psalm 22 ... so how does the original context in the Psalms shape what Jesus means when He utters these words on the cross?
Second, what do you think about the idea of "once saved always saved"? Can you lose your salvation? We explore eternal security, eternal insecurity, and what the Bible actually teaches. Two of the most helpful texts are:
"to obtain an inheritance which is imperishable and undefiled and will not fade away, reserved in heaven for you, who are protected by the power of God through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time." - 1 Peter 1:4-5
"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have obtained our introduction by faith into this grace in which we stand" - Romans 5:1-2
▶️HOW-TO GUIDE: The 7-Step Plan to Understanding and Applying the Bible https://www.johnwhittaker.net/understand-apply-bible
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Sep 23, 2019
Monday Sep 23, 2019
What is the armor of God in Ephesians 6:10-17? How do you put it on so you can stand firm?
In the passage, the apostle Paul uses the imagery of a Roman soldier (it was very familiar to the original audience) to picture what Christians should wear to deal with the spiritual battle we face on a daily basis. The whole point of the passage is standing firm against the spiritual forces of wickedness, but the image of the armor of God is given as the way we do that.
Everyone of us who wants to be faithful to Jesus over the long haul need this. Scripture consistently describes this world as a battleground not a playground. So we need to be serious, level-headed, and prepared for enemy attacks ... and those enemies are not "flesh and blood" as Paul says in Ephesians 6. They are spiritual.
So what does it mean to put on the armor of God?
Ephesian 6:10-17
10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of His might. 11 Put on the full armor of God, so that you will be able to stand firm against the schemes of the devil. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore, take up the full armor of God, so that you will be able to resist in the evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm. 14 Stand firm therefore, having girded your loins with truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 in addition to all, taking up the shield of faith with which you will be able to extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️BIBLE INTRO: Need help grasping the Bible? Here's a quick intro to the Bible at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/get-a-grip-on-the-bible
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - Check out more of my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Sep 16, 2019
Monday Sep 16, 2019
The Bible Project is probably the best online Bible teaching resource. And Tim Mackie is a key part of it. If you've ever watched a Bible Project video, Tim is the voice. In this interview we talk about the backstory to Tim's life and the Bible Project. It basically works like this: how one church decided to reach out to the skate community and that led to one of the most influential Bible resources of our time!
For more about the Bible Project go to: https://thebibleproject.com.
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️BIBLE INTRO: Need help grasping the Bible? Here's a quick intro to the Bible at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/get-a-grip-on-the-bible
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Sep 09, 2019
Monday Sep 09, 2019
The apostle Paul writes, "You are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God dwells in you" (Romans 8:9). If you are a Christian, you have undergone such a radical change that you are a totally different kind of human being. You are not a flesh-person; you are a Spirit-person!
That means God's very own Spirit - the Holy Spirit - lives in you and enables you to live a new and different kind of life. Not only that, the Holy Spirit guarantees eternal life in the future. If you have the Spirit, God will raise you from the dead just like He raised Jesus.
All this means that the Christian Life is life in the Spirit!
Learn more what that means in the study of Romans 8:9-17.
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️BIBLE COURSES: https://www.johnwhittaker.net/courses
▶️BOOK: Here's a link to the book on walking in the Spirit mentioned in this episode: https://amzn.to/2ZOdmXV
(note: this is an affiliate link which means if you click and buy using this link I get a small commission)
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Sep 02, 2019
Monday Sep 02, 2019
How can your days be marked by life and peace?
The apostle Paul knows the secret, and in Romans 8:1-9 he shares that secret with you and me. Romans 8 is Paul’s grand, climactic solution to all the problems of sin, death, and condemnation that we see in the world all around us.
Paul says God solved all these problem now and forever in Jesus.
Paul has already told us that trying to keep God’s law apart from Christ won’t solve it. Paul himself tried that approach and knows firsthand that it doesn’t work.
No, he says, the secret to experience life and peace now has to do with what you allow to occupy your mind. We can focus on and fill our mind with the values, ambitions, goals, and life strategies of the world around us. Or we can set our mind on the things of God’s Spirit.
And then we carry out our life according to the values, ambitions, goals, and life strategies of the Spirit.
This podcast will explore this life-changing passage of Scripture and help you learn how to walk by the Spirit!
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️BIBLE INTRO: Need help grasping the Bible? Here's a quick intro to the Bible at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/get-a-grip-on-the-bible
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Monday Aug 26, 2019
Romans 7:13-25. "The things want to do I don't do and the things I don't want to do, I do." Can you identify with the struggle with sin the apostle Paul describes? I think many of us do.
And because we identify with it, we easily miss the point of what he says!
That's not the best communication strategy, right. Like, you're talking to someone and they say something that makes you think of something in your life and before you know it, you're talking about yourself and never really heard what they were saying!
So, let me be totally clear: Romans 7:13-25 is not about the conflict of two natures in the christian life. What is it about? That's what this episode is all about. Check it out.
▶️FREE RESOURCES: Get the “Read the Bible Right” bundle at https://www.johnwhittaker.net/free-resources.
▶️SUPPORT THIS SHOW
Two ways you can support the show:
- Become a patron for as little as $5 per month at https://www.patreon.com/johnwhittaker
- Donate through World Family Mission at http://worldfamilymissions.org/missionaries/john-whittaker/ … all gifts are tax deductible.
Other resources and ways to connect with me:
▶️YouTube - I release short Bible studies every Thursday on my YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/c/JohnWhittaker
▶️Social Media-I would love to connect with you on facebook and instagram
As always, if you appreciate this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.