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On today’s podcast, we will discuss, “𝐁𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐅𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐇𝐚𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐭𝐬”. on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Today we continue our reading in 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟓:𝟏𝟐-𝟏𝟕, and we will see the common theme we have read over the last three chapters: that we are to love one another. When we bear fruit in our lives, one of the byproducts is that we love others as Christ first loved us. In 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝟐𝟐:𝟑𝟕-𝟒𝟎, Jesus is asked what the most important commandment is. He shared with them the Jewish Shema, a prayer said by Jews every morning and evening that states that the Lord God is one and that we should love the Lord God with all of our heart, soul, and might. Then He added a second commandment, that we should love our neighbor as ourselves; all the law and prophets hang on these two commandments. We see Jesus here telling His disciples that they are no longer just servants, but that they are His friends. Many of us have a large number of friends who are not close to us and only a few who are in our inner circle. We also have friends who have turned on us or that have been unfaithful and betrayed us, such as Judas Iscariot. To be honest, even our closest friends can let us down when we need them the most. When Peter, James, and John should have been praying, they went to sleep in the garden, and Peter, even denied Jesus three times. Jesus is saying that the only person that will never let you down in Him. Being a friend and a servant are not mutually exclusive. Abraham is the perfect example of this. According to 𝟐 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝟐𝟎:𝟕, he was a “friend of God” and a “servant of God”. God desires that we have a deep friendship with Him, but in order to do so, we must remain in Him and obey Him. The more we get to know Him, the more we become acquainted with his thoughts, ideas, and purposes. It’s then that the incredible intimacy and love grow within us as a result of that. God will never stop loving us in spite of us, but we cannot know Him as a friend if we don’t remain in Him. This kind of relationship that Jesus is describing is supernatural, it is unlike anything any of us will ever experience here on earth. It is a relationship of deep love, both for Him and for each other. The friends of the King, could not compete with each other for attention or promotion. They were a part of the inner circle, not to promote themselves but to serve their King. We must remember that Christian love is not simply a feeling, it is a deliberate act. The evidence of our love is not in our feelings, but in our actions, even if it means laying down our lives for Christ and one another. Jesus gave His life for both His friends and His enemies (Romans 5:10) While emotions are definitely involved in how we love it's more than that. True Christian love is an act of will and a byproduct of the fruit we produce. We can love naturally as Christ loves when we remain in Him. One of the greatest privileges of being a friend of Jesus is getting to know God better and learning God's secrets. Servants get first dibs, and each of us can get as close to Jesus as we want. We are His friends, and we should be near the throne, hearing His word, enjoying His intimacy, and obeying His commands. 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝟏𝟓:𝟓 says the evidence that we know we are Jesus’s disciples is because we bear fruit. We are in the kingdom-building business with Jesus. Where there is true fruit, it remains forever. But if it is manufactured by Man, done in the flesh by man’s own power, then that fruit will eventually disappear. Jesus closes this part of His message by reminding them and us of the most important commandment of all: Love one another. There are dozens of “one another” statements in the New Testament, but all of them are summarized in “Love one another”. To wrap up everything today, we can put it like this; Being a friend of God has many spiritual and practical benefits. Friendship with God is a source of strength, comfort, and peace. It provides a feeling of being connected to something greater than ourselves. We can draw on His wisdom and power to help us through life’s challenges. God’s friendship offers us guidance. He knows our personality, strengths, and weaknesses. He knows what is best for us and can provide direction as we make decisions. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Sign up for the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024): https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-footsteps-of-moses-tour Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodcast/ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4jgyxf4j5Sxgmz84Ukgvg The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

On today’s podcast, we are going to discuss How dating matters? on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In honor of Valentine's Day this week in the United States, we thought we'd do a show about ways to date your spouse or, for those who are single, your girlfriend or boyfriend. When most people think of "dating," they envision pre-engagement fun filled with long talks, throbbing hearts, and flower bouquets. But, who says it has to end after engagement "or, for that matter, after marriage? What is the purpose of dating? “A purpose”, according to Merriam-Webster, is "something set up as an object or end to be attained." A purpose defines the ultimate goal, destination, or intended outcome of an action. If your ultimate goal is having a great relationship, then dating should be a part of your purpose. While Christ-centered intimacy is the great prize in marriage, Christ-centered clarity is the great prize in dating. In the context of marriage between a man and woman, intimacy is the safest, and marriage is safest in the context of clarity. We must date to get married and date to stay married if we want to have and enjoy a Christ-centered intimacy. We know the person we are dating best, and because of this, we can hold them accountable. Dating is a time to get to know each other better and to focus on how we can elevate one another. It is not to focus on how bad each other is, but on how Good God is, and how together, you can grow in Holiness. If you are not married and you want to grow in Holiness together, practice self-discipline by setting and keeping boundaries. Always show compassion and forgiveness toward each other. Practice patience with each other and look for ways to complement each other. Display the gospel to others through your relationship, and be a light to others. The longer you date someone, the more you’ll know how to love them really well. You learn their love language. For instance, how hugs make them happy, so you go out of your way to give them a quick embrace before anything else happens on the date. Learn their love languages and sacrifice what you want first to focus on them. If you both do this the date will be unbelievable. What are love languages? Time, Touch, Words, gifts, service. Do you want to keep your romance fiery and fresh after the wedding cake has been eaten and the thank-you notes delivered? Now that we established our purpose in why we date, let’s explore some great ways to date our significant other! Hebrews 10:24-25 “24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of his return is drawing near.” The first step to dating your spouse is commitment. After all, commitment is what marriage is about! So, commit to doing something fun with each other regularly. This can look any way you want it. Always plan one date a week, you don’t have to be stuck on a certain day unless your schedule demands it. The bottom line is to make it a priority, not an every once in a while, sort of thing. Communication, along with sex and money, is one of the top three reasons that marriages go south. Creating space for healthy communication is important! Dates are the perfect opportunity for you and your spouse to reconnect. Spend time talking so that you can keep acquainted and stay in touch with each other’s lives! Don’t stare at your phones or always go to the movies to avoid conversation. Get face-to-face! Always bring your conversations to spiritual things, and always ask yourself what God wants in your discussions. A relationship is stronger when they work together but it’s even stronger when they have God as their leader. To wrap up all that we discussed “We will look at how God's action in our lives can shape our approach to dating and how we can use it to build healthy, God-honoring relationships. Through scripture and conversations with Christian thought leaders, we will delve into topics such as getting to know yourself, developing meaningful connections, and honoring God in the process”. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Sign up for the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024): https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-footsteps-of-moses-tour Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodcast/ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4jgyxf4j5Sxgmz84Ukgvg The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

The planting of vineyards was essential to Israel's economy and way of life back then. According to history, a golden vine decorated Herod's temple. When Jesus employed this picture, He was not introducing anything new; it was well-known to every Jew. Let's dissect four aspects of Jesus' teaching to better comprehend what He is saying. The first is the vine itself. In the Bible, there are three different vines. The past vine is “Israel”, the future vine is “the earth” as described in Revelation 14:14–20, and the present vine is “Jesus”, which Includes His church as its branches. Let's break down each one, starting with the past. Psalms 80:8-10 1. The Past Vine: The past vine mentioned here is an act of God’s grace, He transplanted Israel into the land of Canaan. He blessed them with fruit, milk, and honey. 2. The second vine talked about here is “the future vine of the earth” Revelation 14:14-20 3. The last vine mentioned here is “the present vine”.This vine represents Jesus, the only true vine all other vines of religion are false. So, let's look at what Jesus says, “The first, was that He is the vine, and the second, was that we are His branches. This crucial idea of connection and communion is emphasized in a number of the biblical passages that relate to Christ and the believer. Eph 5:25-33 talks about Jesus as “The Bride” and as “His bridegroom”. In 1 Cor 12, Jesus is the Head of the body and we are its members, and in John 10 we are Jesus’ “sheep” and He is “our shepherd”. Jesus, in referencing the branch being broken off here, is saying, that a body part that is severed from the body will die. As Christians, we must accept that we are branches that need to be in communion with Jesus in order to live and breathe. How can we know for sure that we are continuing to abide in Christ? Is there a distinct feeling we get? We must keep in mind that while the branches do not consume the fruit, others do. We don't grow fruit to please ourselves, but to help others. We should be the type of people who nourish others through our words and actions. Prov 10:21 says, “the Lips of the righteous feed many.” There are several different kinds of spiritual fruit that are named in the Bible. Romans 1:13 says, “we bear fruit when we win others to Christ.” In John 4:35 it says, “we are a part of the harvest.” Romans 6:22 says, “We grow in holiness and obedience when we are bearing fruit.” Paul, in Romans 15:28, said that believers that are committed to bearing fruit have a dedicated life bringing of bring God's glory. And we know that Gal 5:22 says, “we will bear the fruit of the Spirit which are Joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.” Bearing fruit will always build up others around us and point them to Jesus. What does yielding fruit not entail? That would be living in the flesh. Living in the flesh is living in our effort that produces dead results and cannot be reproduced. If it were Spirit-produced fruit, then it will go on producing from one life to another. In John 14:27, Jesus spoke about having God's peace living within you. In verses 9-11, He talks about having love and joy in you. The first three fruits of the Spirit are love, joy, and peace. When we abide in Jesus, we will always produce His love, joy, and peace in our hearts. To wrap up all that we have learned today, we can sum it up like this; We, as branches are to remain in the Vine, we are now entrusted with the dual roles of being faithfully obedient to God and producing fruit so that others can eat from us. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Sign up for ”https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-footsteps-of-moses-tour" the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024) Subscribe to our "https://riotpodcast.co/newsletter" Newsletter for your FREE T-shirt Today! Follow us on "https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast" Follow us on "https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast"TwitterFollow us "https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodcast/"Instagram Subscribe to our "https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4jgyxf4j5Sxgmz84Ukgvg"Youtube Channel The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: @Pete"https://riotpodcast.co/donation/"Donate Now

Fear not, Help is here John 14 16-18 is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast In episode 115, titled “Let not your hearts be troubled”, we unpacked John 14:1-15. During the show we talked about the key encouraging assurance statements by Jesus to His disciples. He shared with them that one day they will be with Him in heaven for all eternity. He also shared with them, that now in His name, they can pray directly to the Father and that their prayers will be answered. It was a very encouraging show for anyone that might be going through hard times currently, if you have not listened to it yet, we highly recommend that you do. In our coming shows, we are continuing this conversation that Jesus is currently having with His disciples. In today’s show through John 14 verses 16-18, Jesus will be sharing with them about the assurance they will have in the Holy Spirit. In the following shows coming up, we will unpack vs 19-24 when Jesus will talk about how, that when He is gone, they will enjoy the Father's love and lastly in vs 25-31, Jesus will share with them that they will have the same peace here on earth as He had. Let’s read our text for today John 14:16-18 Jesus had a great deal to say about the Holy Spirit in His upper room message, for apart from the help of the Spirit of God, we cannot live the Christian life as God would have us live it. We must know who the Holy Spirit is, what He does, and how He does it. Our English word “comfort” comes from two Latin words meaning “with strength”. We usually think of comfort as soothing someone, consoling him or her, and to some extent this is true. But true comfort strengthens us to face life bravely and to keep on going. It does not rob us of responsibility or make it easy for us to give up. Vs 17 says that the HS is “the Spirt of Truth”. Here Jesus is relating the HS to himself, “The Truth” and the word of God, which of itself is the truth. If we want the HS to work in our lives, then we must seek to glorify Christ, and we must make much of the Word of God. When we compare Eph 5:18- 6:9 with Colossians 3:16-4:1. To be filled with the Spirit is the same as to be controlled by the Word. The Spirit of Truth uses the Word of Truth to guide us into the will and the work of God. The HS abides in the believer. He is a gift from the Father, an answer to the prayer of Jesus. During His earthly ministry, Jesus had guided, guarded, and taught His disciples, but now He was going to leave them. Jesus also called the HS another helper, or in some translations, a councilor or comforter. Jesus said the word “another” before helper, that word translated in Greek means “another of the same kind”. So, has the HS been on earth before Jesus? Of course. He empowered men and women in the OT to accomplish God’s work. However, during the OT age, the Spirit of God would come upon people and then leave them. Remember King Saul, in 1 Sam 16:14 and David’s writing in Psalm 51:11. Both illustrate the leaving of the HS. In Acts 2 at Pentecost, the HS was given to God’s people to remain with them forever. Even though today, we may grieve the HS, but he will never leave us. Something to think about, the way we treat the HS is the way we treat Jesus. The believer’s body is the temple of the Spirit (1 Cor 6:19-20), so what he or she does with their body affects the indwelling HS. Another truth to remember is that the world cannot receive the Spirit because the World lives “by sight” and not by faith. The world does not know Jesus, and you cannot have knowledge of the Spirit apart from Jesus. Lastly, in vs 18, John uses the word “comfortless”, that word translated in the Greek is “orphans”. We must know that in Jesus we are never alone, abandoned, helpless, or hopeless! Wherever we go, the Spirit is with us, so why should we feel like orphans? There is no need to have a troubled heart when you have the very Spirit of God dwelling within you! Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Sign up for the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024): https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-footsteps-of-moses-tour Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodcast/ Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4jgyxf4j5Sxgmz84Ukgvg The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Let not your heart be troubled (John 13:36–14:15) is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In our reading today, we are continuing the conversation the disciples have been having with Jesus at Passover. Jesus is letting them know He will no longer be with them physically and that He now has to go be with the Father. We will read in John 13:36-38, Peter asks Jesus where He will be going. Wondering if they could join Him. With the questions that Peter was asking, Jesus shows us that they are perplexing questions, which was causing their hearts to be troubled. We know this because in John 14:1 Jesus tells them, “Let not your heart be troubled.” As we read through this Chapter, we will see Jesus bring them a sense of calm with encouraging words of comfort. Jesus is the only one that can truly know our hearts. Peter did not know him, and we sometimes have trouble truly knowing our hearts. One thing is for certain in this life we live there will come a time when our hearts will be troubled. These next couple of podcasts will help bring to life Jesus’s words of comfort and assurance. We will focus on 6 wonderful assurances. Assurances, that we today may claim and enjoy when life gets messy and confusing. Read John 13:36 and John 14:6 Did you notice Jesus did not rebuke Peter for asking him where He was going? But his reply was somewhat cryptic. He said, “One day, Peter, you will follow me to the cross, and then you will follow me to heaven. But first, you will deny me 3 times.” He starts to calm their hearts with the mention of heaven as a real place. It is not a product of religious imagination or the result of a psyched-up mentality, looking for pie in the sky by and by the fairytale. According to Jesus, heaven is the place where God dwells and where Jesus sits today at the right hand of the Father. Another encouragement from Jesus we find in Vs. 3 is a clear promise that Jesus will return one day for His people. Some will go to heaven through the "valley of the shadow of death," but those who are alive when Jesus returns will never see death. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 says, “In that day, we will be changed to be like Christ, and we will go to heaven." What a great promise! Jesus assured his disciples that once they died, they would be with Him in heaven for all eternity. Paul wrote in Romans 8:18 that he considers the sufferings of this present time not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. We, along with the disciples, will suffer in some way, shape, or form here on earth, but Jesus’s words give us the eternal blessing of heaven to look forward to. Read John 14:7-11 We do not have to wait until we enter heaven to get to know the Father. We can know Him today and receive from Him the spiritual resources we need to keep going when the days are difficult. What does the term “know the Father”, here mean? The Greek construction of the question in John 14:10 indicates that the Lord expected a yes answer from Phillip. Remember Jesus asked Philip “Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you, I do not speak on my authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.” The word “Believe” used in John 14:10 is singular, for Jesus was addressing Phillip, but in John 14:11, it is plural, and He is addressing all of His disciples. The tense of both is “go on believing”. Let your faith grow! There is a plaque out there that says “Why pray when you can worry? Too many people take this statement as truth for their own life. Jesus in these verses is saying quite the opposite. If God is going to answer our prayers and give us peace in our hearts, then there are certain conditions that we must meet. Jesus pointed out those conditions in these verses. Pray in faith. The promise is for us to claim, and the claiming of it demands faith. When Jesus used the double “Truly, truly," it assured us that this was a big announcement. The fact that Jesus did return to the Father is an encouragement, for now, He is interceding for us. The statement about the greater works applies initially to the apostles, who were given the power to perform special miracles as the credentials of their office. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024): https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-... Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Humility with Holiness brings Happiness (John 13:12-35) is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In last week’s show, we talked about “humility and grace” and it was a powerful one. If you haven’t listened to it yet, we highly recommend you go back and listen after this show. This week, we will be in John 13:12-35 to finish off this chapter. The three key highlights in our reading today are: 1st, Judas Iscariot is pointed out as a traitor by Jesus to the disciples; 2nd, The battle between darkness and light; 3rd, Jesus is teaching His disciples that, in order for people to know that they are His disciples, they will know them by their love for each other. Read John 12:12-17 to start off our reading. This section is a continuation of our reading from last week of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet. I notice here that John 13:17 is the key verse in this section, where it says, “If you know these things, happy are you who do them.” What is Jesus talking about? Jesus asked the disciples if they understood what He had done regarding washing their feet, and it is likely that they did not. So, what we read here, is that Jesus is explaining to them the lesson in humble service. He said this is an example for them to follow. The world thinks that happiness results from others serving us, but the real joy comes when we serve others in the name of Christ. Jesus was their master, so he had every right to command their service. Instead, He served them! He gave them an example of true Christian ministry. On more than one occasion during the previous three years that Jesus has been with them, He had taught them lessons about humility and service, but now He had physically demonstrated the lesson to them. The world asks, “how many people work for you?”. But Jesus asks, “how many people do you work for and serve?” Our leadership should be measured by our servant’s heart within us. The last will be first, the first will be last, (Mathew 20:16). We should care more about the people, than the work they do, and in return, the work they do will be more productive. Let’s move on to read verses 18-35. But before we do, be sure to keep these lessons that Jesus has taught us in this chapter close to our hearts. The sequence is, we first must be humble, then walk holy, then we will receive the fulfillment of happiness. Submit to the Father’s will, keep your life clean, and serve others. The true formula for true spiritual joy. A dark shadow now fell across the scene as Jesus dealt with Judas, the traitor. It is important to note, as we mentioned last week, that Judas was not a true believer, but he was a hypocrite. Remember in last week’s show, we said He had never believed in Jesus. Read John 6:64-71 The most remarkable thing is that everyone sitting at the table with Jesus did not know that Judas was an unbeliever and a traitor. Up to the very hour of his treachery, Judas was protected by the Savior whom he betrayed. Peter signaled to John, whom Jesus loved, and who was the closest to Jesus at the table, to ask him who the traitor was. Jesus replied by saying “It is whom I give this bread to”. To the disciples, this probably didn’t register yet because, this was an act that was interpreted as an act of love and honor, so Jesus' actions were seen in that light. Even though Satan had entered Judas, it was Jesus who was in charge. He lived on the timetable given to Him by the Father, and He wanted to fulfill what was written in the Word. John’s little phrase it was night, carries a tremendous impact when you remember that light and darkness are important spiritual images in his gospel. In 8:12 he wrote, “Jesus is the light of the world”. But, Judas rejected Jesus and went out into the darkness, and for Judas, it is still night. Did you notice in vs 31 the minute Judas was gone; the atmosphere was cleared and Jesus began to instruct His disciples and prepare them for His crucifixion and His ultimate return to heaven? His core message to them was to love one another. He told them their greatest responsibility was to love one another, just as He had loved them. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for the Footsteps of Moses, Egypt, Israel & Jordan Tour (June 2024): https://mailchi.mp/1eb2e496efde/riot-... Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

“Do you desire humility and grace?” is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Last year we unpacked John 1-12. John detailed to us the truth of Jesus’s claims as the Messiah. Time and time again, he proved to us through the testimony of many eyewitnesses that Jesus truly is who He says He is. His testimony of Jesus’s teachings showed us that Jesus spent 3 years preparing His disciples for His departure. As we begin this year in John 13, we will see Jesus’s farewell tour, as He begins to give His disciples their final exam. Jesus’s earthy ministry, as they have known it, is now over. He is now transitioning into His final hours, where He will leave them to carry on His work. In chapters 13-21, John presents, for the most part, the private ministry of Christ with His own Disciples. He was preparing them for their future service when the Holy Spirit would come and empower them. Read John 13:1-5, but before we do let’s give you context to what we are going to read. Last year, we already studied the days leading up to today’s reading. We learned Jesus had entered Jerusalem on Sunday and then on Monday had cleansed the temple. Tuesday, was a day of conflict as the religious leaders sought to trip Him up and get evidence to arrest Him. The details of these events are in Mathew's chapters 21-25. Wednesday, was probably a day of rest, and in our reading today, it must be Thursday, as He is meeting with His disciples in the upper room to observe the Passover. Here, Jesus washes His disciples’ feet. Read John 13:1-5 We observe two things in these 5 verses. The first emphasis in verses 1-3 is on what Jesus knew, and the second is in verses 4-5 on what Jesus did. Jesus knew that his hour has come. More than any of the other gospel writers, John emphasized the fact that Jesus lived on a heavenly timetable, as He did the Father's will. What was this divinely appointed hour? It was the time when Jesus would be glorified through His death, resurrection, and ascension. From a human point of view, it meant suffering, but from the divine point of view, it meant glory. He would soon leave this world and return to the Father who sent him, Jesus had finished His work on earth. Jesus also knew that Judas would betray Him. Judas is mentioned eight times in John’s gospel, more than in any of the other gospels. Why? Let’s unpack Vs 3 a little further, where it says “the Father had given Him all things”. This statement parallels John 3:35, “The Father loves the Son and has given all things into his hand.” It also reminds us of Mathew 11:27 “All things have been handed over to me by my Father, and no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him”. In Vs 4 and 5 the disciples must have been shocked when they saw their Master rise from supper, lay aside His outer garments, wrap a towel around His waist, take a basin of water, and wash their feet. Jesus knew His disciples’ hearts and He knew that they had a competitive spirit about them. We read within a few minutes; the men were disputing over which of them was the greatest in Luke 22:24-30. The Father had put all things into Son's hands, yet Jesus picked up a towel and a basin! His humility was not born of poverty but of riches. He was rich, yet He became poor (2 Cor 8:9) Jesus was sovereign, yet He took the place of a servant. He had all things in His hands, yet He picked up a towel. He was Lord and Master, yet He served others. Read John 13:6-11 and see Peter’s impulsive statement out of ignorance and then his correction by Jesus. The word translated as “wash” in John 13:5-6 is “nipto” and means “to wash a part of the body”. But the word “washed” in John 13:10 is “louo” and means “to bathe all over”. The distinction is important, for Jesus was trying to teach His disciples the importance of a holy walk. But why is it essential to keep our feet clean? We learn an important lesson from Peter here. Don’t question the Lord's will or work, and don’t try to change it. He knows what He is doing. Notice that John carefully pointed out that Peter and Judas Iscariot were in a different relationship with Jesus. Yes, Jesus washed Judas’ feet! But it did Judas no good because he had not been bathed all over. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Learn and Move Forward is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. At the end of the year, business owners are often busy taking inventory. To know if they have made a profit or not, they must face this painful but necessary reality. They analyze the data they gather and make changes for the following year. As Christians, we need to stop at the end of the year and measure our progress. Sometimes this is a very painful thing to do. But that is what we are going to talk about today. In our reading today Paul is taking inventory of his life and he gives us the 5 next steps of how we are to evaluate our life by still moving forward. Read Philippians 3:12-16 PAUL’S EVALUATION OF HIS LIFE INVENTORY 1. His Dissatisfaction With Himself Obviously, Paul was satisfied with Jesus, but he was not satisfied with his Christian life. A sanctified dissatisfaction is the first essential to our progress in the Christian race of life. Many Christians are self-satisfied because they compare their running with that of other Christians, usually those who are not making much progress. Had Paul compared himself with others, he would have been tempted to be proud and perhaps to let up a bit. Has this year produced in us a self-satisfied life where we are tempted to be proud? 2. His Devotion Paul said one thing I do, not many things I do. Many Christians focus on too many things and Paul wants us to evaluate the one thing we do great. The true follower of Jesus must devote himself to running the Christian race. No athlete succeeds by doing everything; he succeeds by specializing. (James 1:8 A double-minded man is unstable in all his ways) Has our year been focusing on many things or the main one thing? 3. How He Viewed His Direction 13c Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead. The unsaved person is controlled by the past, but the Christian running the race looks toward the future. Imagine what would happen on the racecourse if the runners started looking behind them. They could possibly have a collision or serious injury. Believers should be future-oriented, To Forget means to no longer be influenced by or affected by. Not fail to remember Have we been breaking the power of our past by living for our future hope in Jesus? 4. His Own Determination I press, this same verb is translated “I follow after” and it carries the idea of intense endeavor. The Greeks used this word to describe a hunter eagerly pursuing his prey. A follower of Jesus does not become a winning athlete by listening to lectures aka sermons, watching movies, reading books, or cheering at the games. He becomes a winning athlete by getting into the game and determining to win! Has our past year been an intense endeavor to win for Jesus 5. His Discipline It is not enough to run hard and win the race; the runner must also obey the rules. Paul is emphasizing the importance of the Christian to remember the spiritual rules laid before him in the word of God. If we are not in our word daily we will in essence break our training and be disqualified. We cannot compete at the highest level if we do not understand the rules. Bible history is filled with people who began the race with great success but failed in the end because they disregarded God’s rules. As we evaluate our year, have we been in God’s word daily so we can know the rules required for battle? Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Jesus, the humble King—Matthew 2:13-23 is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In our last two episodes, we uncovered two facts related to Jesus’s qualifications as a King. The first qualification we discussed was that Matthew was proving that Jesus’s genealogy from both Joseph and Mary gave Him the right to David’s throne. But He knew that would not be enough because there were other men who could claim that as well. We then discussed Jesus' divine ancestry and how it alone distinguishes him from any other living human being. From there, we talked about the Magi paying Jesus homage and how that also proves His kingship. Today we want to read Matthew 2:13-18 and uncover the hostility that came against Jesus and then finish up with Matthew 2:19-23 and talk about the humility of a King Read Matthew 2:13-18 Matthew knew that a person is identified not only by his friends but also by his enemies. Herod pretended to worship the newborn King when, in reality, he intended to destroy him. Herod’s anger was evidence of his pride; he could not permit anyone to get the best of him. This led Herod to kill the baby boys, who were two years of age and under, who were still in Bethlehem. What we see in these verses is that Matthew is introducing us to the theme of hostility, which he focused on throughout his book. Satan is a liar and a murderer, as was King Herod. The first mention of Bethlehem in Scripture is in connection with the death of Jacob's favorite wife, Rachel (Gen 35:16–20). Rachel died giving birth to a son, whom she named Benoni (son of my sorrow). Jacob then renamed his son, Benjamin (son of my right hand). Both of these names relate to Jesus, for He was a “man of sorrows and acquainted with grief,” Isa 53:3, and He is now the son of God at God's right hand, Acts 5:31. With all of this said, Jacob put up a pillar to mark Rachel's grave near Bethlehem. Jacob saw Bethlehem as a place of death, but the birth of Jesus made it a place of life! Because of His coming, there would be spiritual deliverance for Israel, and in the future, the establishment of David’s throne and kingdom. Israel, the son of my sorrow, would one day become the son of my right hand. Very few people today think of Bethlehem as a burial place; they think of it as the birthplace of Jesus. Bethlehem is a much bigger story than most people realize. And because Jesus died for us and rose again, we have a bright future before us. Without the new life in Bethlehem, we cannot have our new life, which leads to eternal life. Let’s now read Luke 2:19–23 and talk about the humility of the King. Herod died in 4 BC, which means that Jesus was born sometime between 6 and 5 BC. It is impossible not to notice the parallel between Matthew 2:20 and Exodus 4:19, the call of Moses. “The LORD said to Moses in Midian, “Go back to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead” Archelaus, one of Herod's sons, is mentioned in Verse 22; Herod had willed the title of king to him. However, the Jews discovered that, in spite of his promises of kindness, Archelaus was as wicked as his father. So, history shows that they sent a delegation to Rome to protest his kingship. Augustus Caesar agreed with the Jews and appointed Archelaus to govern half of his father's kingdom. But even this fulfilled prophecy! Once again, Matthew points out that every detail in the life of Jesus was foretold in the Scriptures. It is important to note that Matthew did not refer to only one prophet in Matthew 2:23 but instead says that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets (plural) We will not find any specific prophecy that calls Jesus a Nazarene. The term "Nazarene" was one of reproach. John 1:46 says, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?” In many Old Testament prophecies, the Messiah's lowly life of rejection is mentioned, and this may be what Matthew had in mind. Who has ever heard of a king born in a humble village and growing up in a despised city like Nazareth? No one. He is different and entered this world this way to show us how we also ought to live. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

“Why a divine birth and homage to the King?” is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In episode 109 titled “God's family tree is messed up, find out why” Matthew 1:1-17 we unpacked Jesus’s human heredity. His family members in His family tree were far from perfect, but God still chose to use their lineage to the birth of Christ, the Messiah, the Savior of the World. In the show this week, we will discuss Jesus’s Divine heredity and just how Matthew will make it clear that Jesus’s birth was way different from that of any other Jewish boy named in the genealogy of Christ. Read Matthew 1:18-25 As we mentioned in our previous episode, Matthew pointed out that Joseph did not beget Jesus in the genealogy. Rather, Joseph was the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ. Jesus was born of an earthly mother without the need for an earthly Father. This is known as the doctrine of virgin birth. Miracles happen every day and, in this case, a miracle of the Holy Spirit happened. Jesus was conceived in the womb of Mary, a virgin, by the Holy Spirit. Both Mary and Joseph belonged to the house of David. The OT prophesies indicated that the Messiah would be born of a woman Gen 3:15, of the seed of Abraham Gen 22:18, through the tribe of Judah Gen 49:10 and of the family of David 2 Sam 7:12-13. To the Jewish people at that day, betrothal (engagement) was equivalent to marriage, except that the man and woman did not live together. They were called husband and wife, and at the end of the engagement period, the marriage was consummated. But what if she became pregnant during that time, what would happen? Before we move on to chapter 2 let’s consider the three names assigned to God’s son. The name “Jesus” means Savior and comes from the Hebrew name Joshua (Jehovah is salvation). There were many Jewish boys with the name Joshua (or, in the Greek, Jesus), but Mary’s boy was called “Jesus the Christ” Let’s move on to chapter 2 and read vs 1-12. Remember, in episode 109 we talked about what people want to see if someone calls themselves a king. They want to see if they have the proper bloodline, which we have already shown. We also proved that Jesus’s birth is a fulfillment of prophecy and He has through divine heredity. There is another thing people want to see and it is to see who are those that pay homage to Him. If He truly is a king then the people will bring honor to him. Read Matthew 2:1-12 First and foremost, we must confess we know little about these men. The word translated as "wise men” (magi) refers to a group of scholars who studied the stars. Their title connects them with magic, but they were probably more like astrologers. With this said, their presence in the biblical record is not a divine endorsement of astrology, but a way that God used science to bring people to him. We do not know how many magi were there. From the three gifts listed, some people have naturally assumed that there were three kings from the Orient, though this is not certain, When their caravan arrived in Jerusalem, there were enough of them to trouble the whole city. In Jesus are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge Col 2:3. In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily Col 2:9) It is no surprise that Herod tried to kill Jesus, for Herod alone wanted to bear the title, of King of the Jews. There was also another reason why, because Herod was not a full-blooded Jew, he was actually an Idumaean, a descendant of Esau. This is a picture of the old struggle between Esau and Jacob that began even before the boys were born. Gen 25:19-34. It is the “spiritual” versus the “carnal”, the “Godly” versus the “worldly”.) The King and the Jewish priests in vs 4 were ignoring the King. These priests knew the scripture and pointed others to the Savior, but they personally would not go to worship Him themselves! Matthew 2:9 indicates that the miraculous star was not always visible to the magi. As they started toward Bethlehem, they saw the star again, and it led them to the house where Jesus was. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

“God's family tree is messed up, find out why” is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In the next 3 weeks leading up to Christmas, we are going to unpack Matthew 1 and Matthew 2. We will focus on the birth of Jesus and His proclamation to be king. Imagine you were alive during that time, and a man suddenly appeared and claimed to be a king, which you, the public, would want proof of. You might ask yourself, "What is his background? Who pays homage to him? What credentials can he present to prove that he is a King? Anticipating these important questions, Matthew opened his book with a careful account of the birth of Jesus and the events that accompanied it. He presented 4 facts about the King and over the next three weeks, we will unpack all 4 of those facts. The first one we will cover today is in chapter 1 verses 1-25 - The Heredity of the King. Since royalty depends on heredity, it was important for Jesus to establish His rights to David’s throne. Matthew gave His human heredity in verses 1-17, as well as His divine heredity in verses 18-25. Let’s read Mattew 1-17 Genealogies were very important to the Jews, for, without them, they could not prove their tribal membership or their rights to their inheritances. Anyone claiming to be the son of David had to be able to prove it. Many bible readers usually skip over this section of reading, especially all the unpronounceable names. But this list of names is a VITAL PART of the gospel record. It shows that Jesus is a part of history and that all of the Jewish histories prepared the way for his birth. The genealogy also illustrates God's wonderful grace. It is most unusual to find the names of women in Jewish genealogies since names and inheritances came through the fathers. But in this list, we find 4 women from the Old Testament history: Tamar, Rahab and Ruth, and Bathsheba. Without Jesus’ birth as a gentile, we have no right to heaven or eternal life. We are all flawed sinners, in desperate need of God’s grace. These four women were all involved in sexual scandals and far from perfect, but God still chose to include them in His family tree. Then there was Rahab, we find her story in Joshua 2 and 6. She ran a brothel in Jericho, and she heard about God’s army advancing toward her town. She knew that they would win and helped the Israelites spy on her people, and in so doing, she became a part of the Israelite family. She and her family were the only ones saved from the destruction of Jericho. This former madam became a mother and grandmother and still found a way into Jesus’ lineage. Next Ruth, we find her story in Ruth 1-4, she was a Moabite, which means she traced her ancestry, not to Abraham but to his nephew Lot. Lot was the guy that impregnated his daughters while drunk. The family itself was an incestuous family and the culture Ruth came from. Her husband died and left her childless so she moved to Bethlehem with her mother-in-law, Naomi. There she met a Godly man named Boaz and He redeemed her and married her and gave her a child. Thus Ruth, a foreigner brought into the family, became a great-grandmother to David, whose greater son was Jesus. Last but not least, is Bathsheba the wife of Uriah. We find her story in 2 Samuel 11-12. We all know her story, David had an affair with her and then killed her husband to cover up the affair. But God restored her and gave her and David a son, Solomon, the wisest king ever to live. He found his way into Jesus’ genealogy. Jesus came from a long line of outsiders, outlaws, scoundrels, and sinners. When he entered into the world, he entered into the messiness of the human family, even in his own family. He was the only one in his family that did not bring shame to his family. Instead, he took upon himself the shame of every person in the family tree. Many Jewish men could have traced their family back to King David. Matthew knew it would take more than human pedigree to make Jesus the son of David and heir to David’s Throne. That is why next week we will unpack the divine heredity and show why it is so important to the authenticity of Jesus’ claim to be King. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Are you entitled and don't know it is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Imagine if many of your friends were recently invited on an all-expenses-paid international trip. It is great for them — but you were left out. Of course, your first reaction might be not to rejoice for their good fortune, or delight that they got to enjoy an incredible experience. Initially, your heart might be jealous, hurt, and stinging under a sense of entitlement. You wonder why they were chosen and not you, it’s not like you don’t all know the same people. In fact, you reason in your mind that you do more than they do for Gods kingdom, and if anyone deserved to go it was you. Before you know it, you realize that you might have an attitude of entitlement. Many times, throughout our lifetime we have moments when we think we deserve more than we actually do, and when we don’t get it, our entitlement siren starts blaring. Watch out because when it does, we often act irrationally — in a way that looks foolish and maybe childish even, from the outside. Read James 4:1-12 On the show today, we want to talk about how to recognize our own sense of entitlement, and what steps we can take to surrender it to God. First, we need to understand what entitlement truly is. Entitlement is the belief that we inherently deserve privileges or special treatments, or that we have the right to something. Entitlement shows no partiality; it will reach for life’s greatest gifts and claim its smallest pleasures. When it comes to the big parts of life, we can find ourselves thinking along these lines: “I deserve to have children, so why am I struggling with infertility? After all, aren’t children a blessing from God?” “I’m tired of being single. I’ve remained pure and sought Christ, so why hasn’t he brought a spouse into my life?” “I’m such a hard worker. I don’t understand why I still can’t manage to find a high-paying job.” But entitlement can also touch on smaller issues: “I’m a good homemaker and work hard to keep the house clean and tidy. I deserve to have a nicer, bigger home.” “I work so hard to provide for my family. I deserve to watch TV when I come home.” “I’ve been good with my finances. I deserve to buy what I want for a change.” What Are We Entitled To? There is no question that a sense of entitlement dominates many cultures around the world. If you think about it, it has been that way from the beginning, right back to the Garden of Eden. The issue of Entitlement has been cited by many as one of the major problems in the world, especially in America. To help us understand entitlement better, we must think of it as a foundation in our sinful nature. And, as you do, look at it in the context of personal relationships, particularly in marriage. If you are single, think about it from the perspective of expectations in a relationship, now and in the future. What do we deserve? We deserve nothing! But a true believer has been given everything! That’s amazingly good news! “He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with Him graciously give us all things (emphasis mine)?” (Romans 8:32). That’s grace, and it is “unmerited favor.” It is something we didn't earn; it is the gift of God. God's grace, His unmerited favor, is simply God giving you something you don't deserve. At the same time resist the common practice of comparing your situation to others. To help in that process, think about our Lord and Savior and how He took all that He had as a right and set it aside. “Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though He was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to grasp, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, He humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil, 2:5-8). As Christians, we should not only trust God when we don’t get what we want. We should also follow the example of our Savior and choose to give up what we think we deserve. The reward might not be immediate, but we’ll become more like Christ, and that is always worth it. Humility and the willingness to give up our rights are not prized virtues in our world, but they are stunningly beautiful to Christ. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Being thankful when life isn’t fair is the topic that will be discussed today on the RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Thanksgiving Day marks an annual celebration of family, food, football, and fun. But for Christians, Thanksgiving has a much deeper meaning that goes to the core of their spiritual beliefs. The original Thanksgiving celebration was held by the Pilgrim settlers in Massachusetts during their second winter in America in December, 1621. The first winter killed 44 of the original 102 colonists. At one point, their daily food ration was down to five kernels of corn apiece, but then an unexpected trading vessel arrived, swapping beaver pelts for grain, providing for their severe need. The next summer’s crop brought hope, and Governor William Bradford decreed that December 13, 1621, be set aside as a day of feasting and prayer to show the gratitude of the colonists that they were still alive. These Pilgrims, seeking religious freedom and opportunity in America, gave thanks to God for His provision for them in helping them find 20 acres of cleared land, for the fact that there were no hostile Native Americans in that area, for their newfound religious freedom, and for God’s provision of an interpreter to the Native Americans in Squanto. Along with the feasting and games involving the colonists and more than 80 Native Americans (who added to the feast by bringing wild turkeys and venison), prayers, November sermons, and songs of praise were important in the celebration. Three days were spent in feasting and prayer. From that time forward, Thanksgiving has been celebrated as a day to give thanks to God for His gracious and sufficient provision. President Abraham Lincoln officially set aside the last Thursday of November, in 1863, “as a day of thanksgiving and praise to our beneficent Father.” In 1941, Congress ruled that after 1941, the fourth Thursday of be observed as Thanksgiving Day and be a legal holiday. Scripturally, we find things related to the issue of Thanksgiving nearly from cover to cover. Individuals offered up sacrifices out of gratitude in the book of Genesis. The Israelites sang a song of thanksgiving as they were being delivered from Pharaoh’s army after the crossing of the Red Sea Exodus 15:15 Then Moses and the people of Israel sang this song to the Lord, saying, “I will sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea. 2 The Lord is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; In the New Testament, there are repeated admonitions to give thanks to God. Thanksgiving should always be included in our prayers. Some of the most remembered passages on the giving of thanks are the following: 1. "Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, and in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you" (1 Thessalonians 5:16–18). 2. "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God" (Philippians 4:6). 3. "Therefore, I exhort first of all that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks be made for all men" (1 Timothy 2:1). If the stresses of life are getting the best of you this Thanksgiving season, Maybe try some of these ideas that might help re-center your focus: * Write a Thanksgiving Poem or Prayer * Share Thanksgiving Bible verses with friends and family * Remember things of the past that you were thankful for * Take communion and be thankful to Jesus for what He did for you * Be a blessing to someone else and give of your time or a gift so that you pass on a thanksgiving blessing to them We, like the Pilgrims, have a choice. In life, there will always be things that we can complain about (the Pilgrims had lost many loved ones), but there will also be so much to be thankful for. As our society becomes increasingly secular, the actual “giving of thanks to God” during our annual Thanksgiving holiday is being overlooked, leaving only the feasting. May God grant that He may find us grateful every day for all of His gifts, spiritual and material. Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Why is Christian Fellowship so important is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. God never intended for His people to be separate. In the very beginning, God said, “It is not good for man to be alone.” That has not changed. It is even more important for the followers of Jesus to come together. Terms such as “family,” “together,” and “fellowship” are all important concepts in the New Testament for us to gather together and encourage one another. Fellowship is the relationship that we have with one another as Christians. It is based on the relationship we have with Jesus Christ. When you and I became Christians, three relationships changed: Jesus became our Savior; God became our Father, and the church became our family. In other words, believers are now my brothers and sisters in Christ and accepted into the family of God. To help us set up why Christian fellowship is so important, let’s read Acts 2: 41-47. The 1st reason why it’s so important is that FELLOWSHIP GIVES US A PICTURE OF GOD. Each of us coming together shows all of God’s graces to the world. No one is perfect. We all sin, but each one of us has a purpose here on Earth and that is to show aspects of God to those around us. Each of us has been given specific spiritual gifts. When we come together in fellowship, it’s like us, as a whole, demonstrating God. Think of it like a cake. You need flour, sugar, eggs, oil, and more to make a cake. The eggs will never be the flour. None of them make up the cake alone. Yet together, all those ingredients make a delicious cake. It’s like that with fellowship. All of us together show the glory of God. The 2nd reason is that FELLOWSHIP MAKES US STRONGER. No matter where we are in our faith, the fellowship provides us with strength. Being around other believers gives us the chance to learn and grow in our faith. It demonstrates to us why we believe, and sometimes it is an excellent food for our souls. It’s great to be out in the world evangelizing others, but it can easily make us hard and eat away at our strength. When we deal with a hard-hearted world, it can become easy to fall into that hard-heartedness and question our beliefs. It’s always good to spend some time in fellowship so that we remember that God makes us strong. The 3rd reason is that FELLOWSHIP PROVIDES ENCOURAGEMENT. We all have bad moments. Whether it’s the loss of a loved one, a failed exam, money problems, or even a crisis of faith, we can find ourselves down. If we go too low, it can lead to anger and a feeling of disillusionment with God. Yet these downtimes are why fellowship is essential. Spending time with other believers can often lift us up a little bit. They help us to keep our eyes on God. God also works through them to provide us with what we need in darker times. Coming together with others can aid in our healing process and give us the encouragement to move forward. The 4th reason is that FELLOWSHIP REMINDS US WE ARE NOT ALONE Coming together with other believers in worship and conversation helps to remind us that we are not alone in this world. There are believers everywhere. It’s amazing that no matter where you are in the world when you meet another believer, it’s like you suddenly feel at home. That’s why God made fellowship so important. He wanted us to come together so that we always know we were not alone. Fellowship enables us to form long-lasting relationships, ensuring that we are never alone in the world. The 5th reason why is that FELLOWSHIP HELPS US GROW CLOSER TO JESUS Coming together is a great way for each of us to grow in our faith. Reading our Bibles and praying are great ways to get closer to God, but each of us has important lessons to impart to one another. When we come together in fellowship, we teach each other things. God gives us a gift of learning and growing when we come together in fellowship and show each other how to live as God wants us to live and walk in His footsteps. Satan does not want us to fellowship together, so we must resist the temptation to remain separated. Let us learn to adjust our lives to be in one another’s presence. When we meet together let’s learn to ask these three questions to each other How did we feed our faith this week? What did we do this week that fed our faith? How did we feed our flesh this week (confess your sins)? Thanks for listening, and don't forget to: Sign up for our newsletter to receive your free T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Are Current World Events signs of the End Times? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Our thought on this show is to talk about world events and give our opinions. The key to the show is to help Christians learn how to view all of this in light of Christ and the Bible. Give them hope and encourage them to be ready for Christ's return at any moment. We spoke about some of the global events taking place right now. Some of these are: 1. China's Threat to Taiwan 2. China joins forces with Iran and Russia 3. Iran is close to having a Nuclear bomb, BB Netanyahu says they cannot allow them to have a bomb 4. Iranian Christian movement, how they are big in Afghanistan 5. What about the USA sending money to Ukraine, how does it make sense. With 30 trillion in debt, and high inflation can we afford to be the world's policeman? 6. Biden says were close to Armageddon and Nuclear War 7. Biden administration spends 300 million on radiation pills 8. American election what’s on the ballot 9. North Korea sending missiles over Japan 10. Drought in the west, lake mead, lake Powel at record lows 11. Conservative Leaders in Italy and Sweden is conservative better than liberal politics? The first signs (the beginning of the “birth pains”): * Many will come in Jesus’ name claiming to be the Messiah; they’ll deceive many. * There will be wars and threats of war. * Famine, earthquakes, and plagues (widespread disease) in many parts of the world. * Terrible sights and great signs from heaven. The next stage: * Christians will be hated all over the world; they will be arrested, persecuted, and killed. * Many will turn away from Jesus; they will betray their own family and hate each other. * Many false prophets will appear; they will deceive many people. * Sin will be rampant, and people’s love will grow cold. * The Good News of the Kingdom will be preached throughout the entire world so that all nations will hear it; then, the end will come. The final stage: * You will see the “abomination of desolation,” prophesied by Daniel, in the holy place. This refers to Daniel 11:31, which is some sort of unholy sacrifice in the temple. * Armies will surround Jerusalem. * A great tribulation – or persecution – like nothing ever seen in the world’s history, will happen. * False messiahs and false prophets will arise. They will perform miracles and even deceive Christians. The end: * Immediately after the tribulation, the sun and moon will be darkened, stars will fall from the sky, and heaven’s powers will be shaken. * The Son of Man (Jesus) will appear in the heavens. Everyone will see Him coming on the clouds with great power and glory. * Most people in the world will mourn when they see Jesus (probably suddenly realizing they were wrong about Him, or knowing they are in sin) (Revelation 14) * Jesus will send out His angels with the mighty trumpet blast. They will gather His chosen ones from everywhere. * Matthew 24:14 (ESV) “And this gospel of the kingdom will be proclaimed throughout the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.” * For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16-17) * Matthew 24:44 “So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Does God send people to hell? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we are finishing up John chapter 12, we have been in this chapter now for 3 shows. In Episode 101 we unpacked John 12:1-19, we called that show “Worship, Triumph, and Tears”. In verses, 1-8 we saw Jesus visiting with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the highlight of those verses was when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume as an act of worship. Then in vs 12, we went to the “Triumphal entry” of Jesus into Jerusalem where the people cried out Hosanna blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We cross-referenced a verse and learned in Luke, that Jesus was weeping for His people during this time. He loved them so much and yet, they were still going to reject Him. In episode 102 titled “The Greatest Life investment ever,” we read John 12:20-36 in which Jesus was talking about His certain death to come. We uncovered nugget verses like vs 25, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Those were two great shows and are definitely worth the listen if you haven’t already done so yet. This week we will finish up John chapter 12 in verses 37-50. The key word in this section of the reading is “believe”. It is used 8 different times in these verses. First, John explained the unbelief of the people. Then in vs 37-38, he said they would “not believe” with a quotation from Isa 53:1; in vs 39, He said they “could not believe” and finally in vs 40-41 he said they “should not believe” with a quotation of Isa 6:9-10 Read John 12:37-49 In spite of all the clear evidence that was presented to the people, the Jews would not believe it. The “arm of the Lord” had been revealed to them in great power, yet they closed their eyes to the truth. They had heard the message (report) and seen the miracles and yet still would not believe. Why? There were those who would not believe, and there were those who would not openly confess Christ, even though they had believed. They cared more about the praise of the people than they did about the praise of God. Why?! In John 12:44-50, we have Jesus’s last ever message before He hid from the people. A number of basic themes in John’s gospel are: God sent the Son; to see the Son means to see the Father; Jesus is the light of the World; His words are the very words of God; faith in Him brings salvation; to reject Him is to face eternal Judgement. In fact, the very word that He spoke will judge those who have rejected it and Him! Many people reject truth simply because of their fear of people as we discussed earlier. Among those who will be in hell, are the fearful (Rev 21:8) The word “judge” is repeated 4 times in this message's closing words, and it is a solemn word. Jesus did not come to judge; He came to save! As we have studied these first 12 chapters of the gospel of John, we have seen Jesus in His life, His ministry, His miracles, His message, and His desire to save the lost sinners. John 12:36 While you have the light, believe in the light, that you may become sons of light) Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Should Christians Participate in Halloween? is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Should Christians participate in Halloween? We have found that this question can be a very controversial topic. Some Christians celebrate Halloween simply by dressing up in a costume and having fun, seeing it as innocent and harmless. Other Christians are equally convinced that Halloween is a satanic holiday established to worship evil spirits and promote darkness and wickedness. So, who is right? Is it possible for Christians to celebrate Halloween without compromising their faith? Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has almost completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not celebrate Halloween. For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing innocuous costumes, e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, superheroes, etc. Some choose not to do anything, electing to lock themselves in their house with the lights off. With our freedom as Christians, we are at liberty to decide how to act. Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18 18 l“ You shall not permit a sorceress to live. The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear. Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don’t mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness, and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19). Should Christians watch Horror films? Movies are a powerful medium, and they have a profound impact on culture. And the sad truth is that many movies these days, including those outside the scary “horror” genre, are either completely antithetical to Christian values or at the very least are at odds with God’s divine standard of holiness. As for most horror movies, their “entertainment” value often lies in their ability to titillate our youthful desire to be scared witless. The gruesome means by which moviemakers attempt to shock our consciences usually involves an abundance of carnage and bloodshed. The problem is, however, that it takes more and more to shock seared consciences these days, which means the level of depravity is continually on the rise to accommodate our increasing desensitization to hard-core gore and evil. All things considered, true Christians would likely find it difficult to enjoy the majority of today’s horror movies. So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely! If parents are going to allow their children to participate in Halloween, they should make sure to keep them from getting involved in the darker aspects of the day. If Christians are going to take part in Halloween, their attitude, dress, and most importantly, their behavior should still reflect a redeemed life (Philippians 1:27). There are many churches that hold "harvest festivals" and incorporate costumes but in godly environments. There are many Christians who hand out tracts that share the Gospel along with the Halloween candy. The decision is ultimately ours to make. But as with all things, we are to incorporate the principles of Romans 14. We can’t allow our own convictions about a holiday to cause division in the body of Christ, nor can we use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith. We are to do all things as to the Lord. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Greatest Life Investment Ever is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In Episode 101 we unpacked John 12:1-19, we called that show Worship, Triumph, and Tears. In verses, 1-8 we saw Jesus visiting with Mary, Martha, and Lazarus, the highlight of those verses was when Mary anointed Jesus with costly perfume as an act of worship. Then in vs 12, we went to the Triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem where the people cried out Hosanna Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord. We cross-referenced a verse and learned in Luke that Jesus was weeping for His people during this time. He loved them so much and yet they were still going to reject Him. This week we are going to be back in John 12 with our reading of verses 20-36. We will see Jesus talking about His certain death to come. We will uncover some nugget verses like vs 25, He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Many people are greatly concerned about success but understand so little of its true nature. We want bigger, better, and longer lasting, but many times end up with what is smaller, worse, and short-lived. It is much like running around doing everything you can do to catch your dream. You grab your piece of the dream and once you grab it you hold on to that dream, but life happens and it crumbles into small pieces of dust in your hands, like sand it runs through your fingers to the ground. The circle of life is hard and you wonder if there is more to this life. Today, we are going to unpack Jesus teaching the people about how to invest in their life properly. He will teach us how to make the greatest investment in our life and why trusting Him with our dreams will always end better than them ending up crumbling in the end. Read John 12:20-36 These Gentiles visitors either did not know of the danger surrounding Jesus or didn’t care. We have to commend them for wanting to see Jesus. The Jews would say they want to see a sign but, these men said we would see Jesus. The funny thing is there is no record that Jesus did talk with these men, but the message that He gave in the response contains the truth that all of us need. A seed is weak and useless, but when it is planted, it dies and becomes fruitful. God’s children are like seeds. They are small and insignificant, but they have life in them, God’s life. However, that life can never be fulfilled unless we yield ourselves to God and permit Him to plant us. Jesus knew that He was facing suffering and death, and His humanity responded to this ordeal. No doubt vs 27 says “His soul was troubled, not because He was questioning the Father's will, but because He was fully conscious of all that the cross involved.” Note after Jesus said His soul is troubled He did not say “What shall I do” but He said, “what shall I say.” The Term Father glorify your name, got an audible reply from God. The Son's past life and ministry had glorified the Father, and Son's future suffering and death would glorify the Father. It is significant that the Father spoke to the Son at the beginning of Son’s ministry Matt 3:17 as the Son began his ministry and now as the son entered the last days before the cross. Notice the people heard the sound but did not know the message that had been conveyed. Yet, if the voice was for their sakes and they could not understand it, what good was it? In that the voice assured Jesus, who was to die for their sakes, the voice was for their good. They heard him pray and a sound from heaven in response to that prayer. As usual, the people did not understand what Jesus was teaching. They knew that Son of Man was a title for the Messiah, but they could not understand why the Messiah would be crucified. So they asked Jesus who is this Son of Man you are talking about. They understood Psalm 72:17, 89:36, 110:4, and Isa 9:7 all talk about the Messiah living forever. So in their minds, if He was the son of the man he could not be crucified. In vs 35 Jesus brings up the “light is shining”, and they had better take advantage of this opportunity now and be saved. We met this image of light and darkness before John 1:4-9, 3:17-20; 8:12. By the simple step of Faith, these people could have passed out of spiritual darkness and into the light of salvation. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Worship, Triumph, and Tears (John 12:1-19) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. It’s been about a month since we last studied the Book of John. We have had a month of celebrating our 100th episode. It’s been a crazy ride! So this is episode 101 and the start of our next 100 episodes. We will be in John 12 vs 1-19 and here we will see John recording the second major crisis in the ministry of Jesus as it was seen by the apostle. If you remember the first one occurred when many of His disciples no longer walked with Jesus in John 6:66. In this chapter, the same thing happens as John tells us that many would not believe in Him. John opens his book by telling us that Jesus came unto his own world and his own people received him not, we read this in vs 11. In the first 12 chapters, John presented one witness after another and one proof after another, to convince us that Jesus is indeed Christ. All of this evidence was seen firsthand by the nation's leaders, yet they rejected His claims. We will see here in John 12, Jesus as He relates to four different groups of people, and there are lessons that we can learn as we study this section. Read John 12:1-11 and unpack Jesus and His friends Jesus knew that the Jewish leaders were out to arrest Him and kill Him. Remember, we read that in John 11:53 and 57, but He still returned to Bethany, only two miles from the very citadel of His enemies. Why? John 12:4-6 records the disciple Judas Iscariot's first words found anywhere in the four gospels. His last words are found in Mathew 27:4, where he said, “I have betrayed innocent blood”. We know that Judas was a thief and was in the habit of stealing money from the money box. There is no doubt at this moment in time Judas has decided to abandon Jesus, and he wanted to get what he could out of what he considered a bad situation. As we look at this event we see three different lifestyles represented, all are examples to us. Martha represents “work”, as she served the dinner. Mary represents “worship” and Lazarus represents “witness”. People would travel just to see Lazarus and the miracle that took place. Read John 12:12-19 and unpack Jesus and the Passover Pilgrims We see here John shifting the scene from a quiet dinner in Bethany, to a noisy public parade in Jerusalem. All four gospels record this event, and their accounts should be compared. This was the only public demonstration that Jesus allowed while He was ministering on earth. His purpose was to fulfill the OT prophesy in Zech 9:9.The result was a growing animosity on the part of the religious leaders that eventually lead to His crucifixion on the cross. There were three different groups in the crowd that day. The Passover visitors from outside of Judea, the local people who witnessed the raising of Lazarus, and the religious leaders who were greatly concerned about what Jesus might do at the feast. What did this demonstration mean to the Romans? Note nothing in history is recorded about the Roman viewpoint, but it is certain that they kept a close watch that day. They had to be smiling at Jesus riding on a baby cult with palm branches being laid on the ground; it would have been completely different than their triumphal entries. Read Luke 19:37-44 The nation had wasted its opportunities, and its leaders did not know the time of God's visitation. They were ignorant of their own Scripture. The next time Israel sees the king, the scene will be radically different. Rev 19:11, “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness, he judges and makes war.” He will come in glory, not in humility and the armies of heaven will accompany him. Lastly, how did the Jewish Leaders respond to the triumphal entry? The Pharisees were quite sure that Jesus had won the day. They were anticipating some kind of general revolt during the Passover season. How little they really understood the mind and heart of the Master! What they did not realize was that Jesus was forcing their hand so that the Sanhedrin would act during the feast. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

100th Episode Celebration! Wow, what a journey we have had on the RIOT podcast. For the show this week we took the show on the road and visited Aruba, Curacao, and Haiti while on the Royal Caribbean Cruise line's, Allure of the Seas. As we commemorate our 100th episode today, we'll look back on some of our most popular previous episodes that have had a lasting impact on our listeners. The joy, the laughter, and the conversations have all been an honor to share with you all. We believe this episode will bless you as much as it blessed us to do it. Thank you for your support and for continuing to listen to the RIOT Podcast!! Don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

How to walk in the Spirit while on vacation is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In the last episode, we addressed the negative habits that drain our energy and the actions needed to change them. Today, we are going to discuss how to be Spirit-Filled while on vacation. 1. You can yield your mind to His control, asking Him to expose the lies of the enemy and replace them with His truth. You can invite Him to be free to place His thoughts in your mind as you fill it up with the truth of His word. 2. You can yield your tongue to His control so that your speech will build up and not tear down. 3. You can yield your emotions to His control so that you will weep over the things He weeps over, and rejoice over the things He rejoices over. 4. You can yield your will to His control so that you will make decisions that would glorify God, trusting that He is at work both to will and do what is pleasing to Him. That means He can and will empower you to make wise choices. 5. You can yield your body to His control, both in the maintenance of your body as the temple of the Holy Spirit and in the ministry of your body, using your energy to serve God. 6. You can yield your personality to His control letting Him use you to be His special agent of love. 7. You can yield your strengths and weaknesses to His control, trusting Him to use your strengths for good and letting His strength be perfected in your weaknesses. 8. You can yield your finances to His control, seeing yourself as a steward of His resources. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Habits that hurt your health and drain your energy is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. Habits are the foundation of who we are as a person and as Christian. We are the product of our everyday habits, and we choose daily whether we want to improve ourselves, maintain excellence or contribute to our own discontent. But first, we must be aware of bad habits that drain our energy, so we can take the necessary steps to change them. It is your daily bad habits that have the most impact on your energy, making you tired and less productive. Energy is the ability to do work. We need a certain level of physical, mental, and emotional energy to work at a high level at any given time. 1. Watching excess TV and porn The bad habit of TV, where we watch way too many hours per week, is something many of us don't even think about anymore. 2. Not getting enough sleep What happens when you sleep less? The symptoms you might experience are lethargy, hunger attacks, reduced focus, and mood swings. Most importantly, you want to go to bed early the night after. That’s great because it means you noticed your lack of sleep. 3. Excessively scrolling through social media It's hard to find someone these days that isn't on some form of social media. Although Instagram and Facebook can definitely be fun, they can also come with a dark side. Some social media habits can be bad for your health, so it's important to make sure you're using these websites and apps in a way that is benefitting your life and not harming it. How do we know if we have a bad habit? * Using Social Media at Meals ** Checking Your Notifications When Driving *** Comparing Yourself to Others **** Using Social Media When You're Lonely Scrolling before Bed Ask ourselves the question Why are we on? What is being on doing for you? Do you have a purpose? 4. Eating unhealthy processed food Buying processed foods can lead to people eating more than the recommended amounts of sugar, salt, and fat as they may not be aware of how much has been added to the food they are buying and eating. 5. Relying on other people to make you happy The problems we’re facing with ourselves and other people are not new. And one of those problems is that we are needy. We often turn outwardly for important things: Happiness, advice, affection, love, and approval. We ask experts for advice. We use drugs when we’re in pain. We expect others to solve our problems. Spouses, kids, friends, parents. 6. Holding onto resentment and not forgiveness bitterness Who hasn't been hurt by the actions or words of another? Perhaps a parent constantly criticized you growing up, a colleague sabotaged a project or your partner had an affair. Or maybe you've had a traumatic experience, such as being physically or emotionally abused by someone close to you. 7. Stressing about things that are outside of your control There's a brutal truth about life that some people refuse to accept—you have no control over many of the things that happen to you. People who resist this truth fall into two categories—control freaks or worry warts. Control freaks believe if they can gain enough control over others, and the situations they find themselves in, they can somehow prevent bad things from happening. 8. Breaking promises to yourself and to others A promise is a vow or pledge to take an action or an assurance that something will definitely happen. There is nothing inherently wrong or sinful about making a promise. In fact, the Bible records a great number of promises God Himself has made. As we are imperfect humans, we should only make promises with care and introspection so they do not turn into sin. Promises can be easily broken or made with the wrong motivation, which may result in damage to ourselves or others. 9. Getting little or no exercise After a rough day of work or taking care of the kids, it's easy to succumb to the siren song of your comfy couch. And it's becoming increasingly common for people to live a lifestyle with little to no exercise. 10. Not living in the moment. Most of us have a tendency to live in the past or the future. How often do you find yourself thinking about what happened yesterday, or what might happen tomorrow? Living in the present moment means letting go of the past and not waiting for the future. It means living your life consciously, aware that each moment you breathe is a gift from God. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

How to know God's pre-determined plan is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. In episode 95 “How do life’s circumstances increase our faith”, we covered John 11:1-27. In that show, we talked about how the emphasis in John 11 was on faith. We saw the word “believe” used at least 8 times throughout the chapter. We also talked about another theme regarding the “glory of God”. We began to learn that in everything that Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of His disciples, Mary and Martha, and lastly the Jews. We also dove into Jesus’s 7th, but greatest miracle by raising Lazarus from the dead. This miracle was so significant that the religious leaders could not deny who He was. This week we will turn our attention to Jesus focusing on increasing Mary’s Faith and then the Jewish people’s faith. Read John 11:28-40 In the previous reading of our last show, Jesus dealt with Martha’s faith, now He had to help Mary. The first question we should try and unpack is; “Why did Martha call Mary secretly? “ Mary is found three times in the gospel record, and each time she’s mentioned, she is at the feet of Jesus, in Luke 10:39- John 11:32 and 12:3. She sat at His feet and listened to His word, she fell at His feet and poured out her sorrow, and she came to His feet to give Him her praise and worship. Mary’s only recorded words in the Gospels are given here in John 11:32, and they echo what Martha had already said in vs 21. “If you have been here, Lazarus would not have died.” The mystery of Jesus' incarnation is seen by His question in vs 34, where have you laid him? Why did He ask this? Vs 35 “Jesus Wept” is the shortest and yet the deepest verse in Scripture. He was silently weeping (the Greek word is used nowhere else in the NT). He was not weeping loudly as mourners do. But another question we have to ask is, “Why did He weep at all?” After all, He knows that He would raise Lazarus from the dead. The spectators saw in His tears evidence of His love. But some of them said, “If Jesus loved Lazarus so much, then why did He not prevent his death?” Perhaps they were thinking, that Jesus is weeping because He was unable to do anything. In vs 27, Martha declared her faith but failed at the last minute. She said when Jesus asked to open the tomb, “that surely by now he smells!” Jesus gently reminded her in vs 40 of the message He had sent at least three days before and He urged her to believe. So now that Jesus has dealt with His disciple's Faith, as well as Mary and Martha’s, He now turns His attention to the Jews. Read John 11:41-57 Jesus turns His attention off to His friends and now addresses the people who had come to comfort Mary and Martha. Jesus paused to pray vs 41 and thanked the Father that the prayer had already been heard. When had he prayed? It’s probably when He received the message that His friend was sick. Lazarus was set free from the grave clothes and given new liberty. You find him seated with Christ at the table in John 12:2 and all believers are seated with Christ in heavenly places enjoying spiritual food and fellowship. As with the previous miracles, the people were divided in their response. Some did believe and on Palm, Sunday gave witness to the gift that Jesus had performed. But others immediately went to the religious leaders and reported what had happened. Keep in mind these informers were so near to the kingdom, yet there is no evidence that they believed. In vs 49, the name Caiaphas is mentioned. He was a High priest at the time. He was a Sadducee, not a Pharisee. Unknown to himself and to the council, Caiaphas uttered a divine prophecy in vs 50: Jesus would die for the nation so that the nation would not perish. Isa 53:8 says “For the transgression of my people was he stricken”. The official decision that day was that Jesus must die. The Leaders thought that they were in control of the situation, but it was God who was working out His predetermined plan (Acts 2:23) Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

How do life’s circumstances increase our faith? This is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we will begin to unpack John 11 and the raising of Lazarus from the dead. This incredible miracle was Jesus’s greatest and the one that aroused the most response from both His friends and His enemies. John selected this miracle as the seventh in the series he recorded in his book because it was really the climactic miracle of Jesus’s earthly ministry. He had raised others from the dead, but Lazarus had been in the grave for 4 days. It was a miracle that could not be denied or avoided by the Jewish leaders. If Jesus can do nothing about death, then whatever else He can do amounts to nothing is what John’s point is in this chapter. 1 Cor 15:19 “If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all men most miserable.” Death is man’s last enemy, but Jesus has defeated this horrible enemy totally and permanently. The emphasis we will see in John 11 is faith. We will see the word “believe” at least 8 times throughout this chapter. Another theme that we will see is the “glory of God”. In everything that Jesus said and did, He sought to strengthen the faith of His disciples, Mary and Martha, and lastly the Jews. Read John 11:1-16 We sometimes think of the disciples as “super saints”, but such was not the case. They often failed Jesus and wandered off. He was constantly seeking to increase their faith. He knew that His time on earth was coming to an end and that they would have the responsibility of carrying on the ministry. If their faith was weak then their work could never be strong. The setting of these verses is that Jesus was in the city of Bethabara when the news about Lazarus was given. This city is about 20 miles from Bethany, so for the messenger to get there, if he was moving quickly, would take him at least a day to do so. If you notice Jesus sent him back the next day with the message in vs 4 “This sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified through it. Then Jesus waited 2 more days before He left for Bethany and by the time He arrived, Lazarus has been dead for 4 days. This means that Lazarus died the same day the messenger started his journey. Let’s talk about why there was a delay. Jesus was not waiting for Lazarus to die, for he was already dead. We must remember, that Jesus lived on a divine timetable and he was waiting for the Father to tell Him when to go to Bethany. The fact that the man had been dead for 4 days gave greater authenticity to the miracle and greater opportunity for people to believe, including His own disciples. In vs 7, Jesus said ok let’s go to Judea again. His disciples were alarmed because they knew how dangerous it would be for them. Bethany is about 2 miles from Jerusalem, but Jesus was willing to lay down His life for His friends. He knew that His return to Judea and the miracle of raising Lazarus would bring about His own arrest and death. Read John 11:17-27 Jesus was concerned not only about the faith of His own disciples but also about the faith of Mary and Martha. Each experience of suffering and trial ought to increase our faith, but this kind of spiritual growth is not automatic. He transformed this doctrine in a second way: He took it out of a book and put it into a person, Himself. While we thank God for what the bible teaches, we realize that we are saved by the Redeemer, Jesus, and not by a doctrine written in a book. But perhaps the greatest transformation Jesus performed was to move the doctrine of the resurrection out of the future and into the present. Martha was looking to the future, knowing that Lazarus would rise again and that she would see him. Her friends were looking to the past saying He could have prevented Lazarus from dying. But Jesus was looking at the present. Martha did not hesitate to affirm her faith. She used three different titles for Jesus. Lord, Christ, and Son of God. The words I believe are in perfect tense, indicating a fixed and settled faith. I have believed and I will continue to believe. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/

Creating God moments, not conversation killers (Part 2) is the topic that will be discussed today on RIOT Podcast, a Christian Discipleship Podcast. This week we are doing another episode of creating God moments and not conversation killers (part 2). Our Episode 90 was called Creating God moments and not conversation killers. In that show, we discussed that there is no way to create a God moment with someone if we do not fully believe in God ourselves. When they talked about how to get outside the Christian box so people don’t stereotype us immediately. Next, we talked about how awkward transitions can make it hard for us to create those God moments. Lastly, we talked about how speaking Christianese to people makes no sense to them. We must meet people where they are in order to reach them. Great show; we highly recommend going back and listening to it. This week we are going to continue that discussion on conversation killers part 2. In order for us to meet people where they are so that they can come to know Jesus as we do, we must be willing to lay down our lives for them while honouring them above ourselves. To do this we must love them with the same love Jesus loves us. Our first conversation killer is having an agenda in mind before we actually love them. God-moment conversations cannot take a natural course if we are directing the agenda. 9 out of 10 times if we are leading with an agenda in our minds it will ultimately lead to an awkward moment. Instead, we should ask the person honestly about their kids, find out about their dreams, just find out anything about them and let the spirit lead the conversation. Then the conversation will lead to spiritual things naturally if God is opening up the opportunity. Spiritual Conversations should be our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive. Let me say that again, Spiritual Conversations should be our ultimate motive, not our ulterior motive. If we approach our conversations without any agenda and God is opening up opportunities, naturally people will warmly embrace us. If we approach our conversations with an ulterior motive, we will then create an awkward experience and will most likely kill most future conversations people might have with them. Our ultimate motive is to serve them period, without trying to convert them. In our last conversation killer show, we talked about why we should not just play home games but also go to where the people are. We need to go with no agenda, but to have fun knowing that God could use us to speak into someone’s life at any moment. In our culture today most Christians are considered to have negative perceptions. Honestly, we have worked hard to earn this label. They know what we’re against and not what we are for. Our body language, tone of voice, and verbal responses are dead giveaways. The truth is we disagree a lot with what is happening in the world today and the world knows it and they don’t care. Essentially, we are sending the culture this message: Not only do we not endorse your point of view, but we also don’t accept you. This lack of acceptance crushes opportunities for spiritual conversations. Many times, not yet Christians will say or do things just to see how we will react. This is often a test to determine whether it’s safe enough for them to engage with us in real conversations. Reacting to things we hear or see comes naturally for most of us. But what we need are the supernatural responses of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control which are the fruit of the Spirit - Galatians 5:22-23. How many times have we viewed a person as an opponent who must see things from your point of view? Heated debates are not necessary and should be avoided. Have you ever been in a conversation in which you felt you couldn’t get a word in edgewise, or that the spotlight never seemed to shift off the person who was talking? They are usually not the person you want to talk to most often. James 1:19 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; The secret to being interested in a conversation is to be interested. Philippians 2:4 encourages us to look not only to our own interests but also to the interest of others. Thanks for listening and don't forget to: Subscribe to our newsletter for your FREE T-shirt. https://riotpodcast.co/ Visit our website https://riotpodcast.co/ Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRIOTPodcast Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/TheRIOT_Podcast Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theriotpodc... Subscribe to our Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCf4j... The RIOT PODCAST is a listener-supported podcast: Donate Now https://riotpodcast.co/donation/