Here we kick off our 2023 series on classic Spiritual Disciplines, beginning with prayer. I discuss three facets of prayer: that we need to learn to pray, that prayer and righteousness must go hand in hand, and that we must persevere and never give up in our prayer life.

Here I interview Ellen Radcliff, a licensed marriage and family therapist who used to live as a lesbian, and now lives her life radically for Jesus. And no, she didn't pray the gay away. Ellen serves as COO (deputy director) of Strength In Weakness ministries and helps Christians with unwanted same sex attractions and gender identity issues find their hope, joy, fulfillment, and identity in Jesus. In this interview we discuss topics of homosexuality, transgender, and other sexual identity issues. This interview will help young people that are saturated in a culture that encourages, even demands, a gender and sexual identity that is far from the creator's intent. It will also help parents and grandparents be better able to discuss topics of faith, gender and sexuality in ways that are helpful and promotes dialogue. Strength In Weakness Ministries: https://www.StrengthInWeakness.org Ellen's Site: https://www.HeartSetAbove.com Ellen + Guy's Book: https://www.ipibooks.com/products/gay-christian

A visual bible study of Col 1:9-14 where Jon breaks down various ways to study the Bible together in community while looking at the topic of joy. #kingdomofGod #joy #biblestudy

In this installment of the Apocalypse we look at how the book of Revelation critiques power, especially of that between Jesus and Babylon, and what that has to do with us today in America. #sermons #biblestudy #revelation

Here we look at how Revelation's call for the church to remain separate from "the beast" applies to us today in modern America and her civil religion. #sermons #biblestudy #revelation

Here we look at Mat 5:21-48, the "6 antitheses" of Jesus' sermon on the mount. In particular we discuss the upside down nature of God's kingdom of peace and non-violence. #kingdomofGod #kingdom #kingdomofheaven #peace #nonviolence

Here we continue the conversation about how our lives in the kingdom of God reflect a war in three specific areas: Biblical Illiteracy, Christian Nationalism, and Pride. #sermons #kingdomofGod #kingdom #kingdomofheaven

Continuing the Kingdom of God series, here we take a look at God's kingdom as a kingdom of grace and mercy, but we also must see to it that no one falls short of that grace. Romans 8:31-39; James 1:17; Hebrews 12:14-15. #kingdomofGod #kingdom #kingdomofheaven

On Palm Sunday, in this sermon we take a look at the arrival of an unexpected king riding into Jerusalem on a donkey, and what that has to do with our lives today. Matthew 21:1-11 #kingdomofGod #kingdom #kingdomofheaven

In a word play, Jesus said that just as the wind is mysterious and you don't know where it comes from or where it goes, so it is with those born of the Spirit (Jn 3:8). The same Greek word pneuma is used for both "Spirit" and "wind". So this leads us to the question: is the Spirit of God an impersonal it, or a personhood of God? The earliest Christians wrestled with the triune nature of God, that God was three unified, but distinct, persons in one, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Spirit. Of course these concepts are difficult for our finite minds to comprehend, but would we expect anything less when pondering the creator of the universe (Isa 55:8; 1 Cor 1:18-25)? The Spirit of God, while certainly mysterious and difficult to understand at times, is a person, a personhood of the triune God. So the Spirit of God is referred to as a person, and not an impersonal "it". This can have profound meaning and impact for Christians as they are to be filled with the Spirit and to walk with the Spirit (Gal 5:16), as the Spirit is their counselor, comforter, advocate (Jn 14-16), and guarantor (2 Cor 1:22; Eph 1:14) of the eternal promises of God. This is to be a personal and intimate relationship with God the Father (and mother) as we interact and surrender to God's personal Spirit that lives in us. So, perhaps one of our first steps toward this kind of intimate relationship is to believe and understand the personal nature of God's Spirit, and that the Spirit is not an impersonal "it." Even this small change of nomenclature can help us as we walk with the Spirit, experiencing the personal nature of God's Spirit as the Spirit interacts, leads, and guides us on the journey toward the new creation, and helps us transform more into the likeness of Jesus. Memory Scripture: "The one who keeps God’s commands lives in him, and he in them. And this is how we know that he lives in us: We know it by the Spirit he gave us." - 1 John 3:24 Meditation/Reflection/Prayer: Lord, help me to know, believe, understand, and experience, your personal presence that is in me through your Spirit. Action Item: If you have a tendency to refer to the Spirit as an "it", try to begin changing your language to refer to the Spirit as a person. See how this simple shift can make a difference in your relationship with God. Study Questions: If you refer to the Spirit as an "it", why do you think you do so? Where do you think that originated? Try having a conversation with another Christian about the personal nature of the Spirit in their lives.