Podcast
God's Word in Our Lives
Hosted by Pastor Pete Zaferos · EN
Words are a big deal. In an understood word, my thoughts become your thoughts! And this happens almost instantly. Then you speak, I listen, and your thoughts become mine! Remarkable.
That the God who created all things, sustains all things, and fills all things would communicate with us is nothing short of beautiful. God speaks. We listen. Then we speak. God listens. Join us to hear what God has to say every week!
God's Word in Our Lives is a weekly dive into God's Word with Pastor Pete Zaferos.
22episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
What Makes Christians Different? Christians Are Planted By The Word
5d ago00:24:39Tap to summarizePlanting seed by hand can be extraordinary. In your hand, the seed looks lifeless and insignificant. You put the seed into the soil, and suddenly, all by itself, the seed germinates and sprouts and reaches to the sun. Except when it doesn’t! Plant multiple seeds, and often only some will grow.The Bible describes Christians as planted by the Word. Why do some people grow in faith, and not others? What makes Christians different? The Bible describes the supernatural process by which God calls people to faith through the gospel. He promises that his Word always accomplishes his purpose. It is powerful all on its own, without our help. As we grow in faith, we give God thanks for the miracle of his work in our lives.
Transcribe →Say It Out Loud: Keep The Faith
2w ago00:28:34Tap to summarizeBelievers in God and their ministers have always been persecuted. Religious leaders in Jerusalem tried to muzzle the truth, but they only succeeded in sending people to preach the Word throughout the land. The Roman Empire persecuted Christians with stakes and lions, but God’s Church exploded with growth. In Martin Luther’s day, both pope and emperor tried to limit the gospel movement that was spreading from Germany, but God led many people to speak his truth. God wants his people to keep the faith and preach the Word even in the face of opposition.
Transcribe →Say It Out Loud: Jesus Leads Us
3w ago00:23:45Tap to summarizeThe Law was given through Moses. He was a marvelous leader of his people, but he could not take them to the Promised Land. The Law can never get God’s people to the promised land. Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. Joshua, the successor of Moses, defeated the enemies of the people and led them into the Promised Land. Jesus defeats our enemies and shepherds us as his flock. The gracious Gospel of forgiveness of sins through faith in Jesus is the only way to the promised land of heaven. Jesus leads us all the way there.
Transcribe →Say It Out Loud: God Loves Sinners
4w ago00:22:31Tap to summarizeThey never forgot their past. Moses never forgot how he killed a man in a fit of anger. Paul never forgot how he had savaged the Church of God. Matthew never forgot how, as a tax collector for the Roman Empire, he was considered a traitor to his people.But God forgot their past. He forgave all their sins and called them to proclaim his mercy. Christians are sinners whom God has mercifully called. Only mercy can explain why Jesus brings people to faith and promises them salvation. Only grace can explain how he calls them to serve as they are able, even in the ministry of the gospel. God loves sinners.
Transcribe →Say It Out Loud: God Is Triune
May 3100:22:49Tap to summarizeWe believe in the triune God. He is the only true God. The festival of the Holy Trinity is a time to celebrate God revealing himself to us as one God in three persons. The triune God wants his people to teach this mystery in its biblical truth and purity. This festival of the Holy Trinity begins the second half of the Church Year with a proclamation of people being baptized and blessed in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, the only true God.
Transcribe →What Difference Does It Make? He Lives To Pour Out His Spirit
May 2400:23:57Tap to summarizeWhen the disciples were distressed about Jesus ascending into heaven, he assured them, “It is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7). That Advocate is the Holy Spirit. If Jesus had stayed in the grave, the Holy Spirit would have had no reason to enter the lives of disciples.But Jesus lives, and it makes a difference. The Spirit provides faith and purpose for life. Pentecost, the celebration of the special arrival of the Holy Spirit, is the third great festival of the Church, along with the Nativity and the Resurrection. Pentecost closes the fifty-day period after Easter and ends the festival half of the church year. The Church dresses in red on this day to commemorate the tongues of fire that marked the Spirit’s gift as well as the blood of the martyrs.
Transcribe →What Difference Does It Make? He Lives To Give Me Eager Expectation Of Glory
May 1700:21:26Tap to summarizeWithout the resurrection of Jesus, my uncertainty can easily lead to anxiety. I am waiting for everything to turn out, and not knowing what will happen is much harder if I think I cannot rely on anyone. It’s been a long time since Jesus ascended into heaven. Sometimes I suffer. Has he forgotten about me?He lives, and it makes a difference. I know how my life will turn out, and that certainty about the future helps with life’s present difficulties. While I wait in the time between Christ’s ascension and his return on judgment day, I know that God will work everything out for my good.
Transcribe →What Difference Does It Make? He Lives To Call Me To Live For Him
May 1000:18:23Tap to summarizeWithout the resurrection of Jesus, I would be tempted to live only for myself. After all, I have to be in good shape before I can be of help to anyone else, right? I think I know what’s right for me, and I can identify when other people are standing in the way of my self-improvement. If Jesus is dead, I don’t have to worry about what he said or what he thinks.But he lives, and it makes a difference. He takes care of my basic needs. He promises to do more for me than I can imagine. He puts people into my life so I can help them. Now I live for him.
Transcribe →What Difference Does It Make? He Lives To Be The Only Way To Heaven
May 500:18:44Tap to summarizeWithout the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to wonder if he wasn’t just a human being. If my last view of him is a criminal crucified on a cross, he would look like someone to be rejected. He couldn’t even help himself, much less anyone else!But he lives, and it makes a difference. He is the only way to heaven. This gospel message is the most inclusive message in the world. The benefits of the resurrection of Jesus are meant for every man, woman, and child who has ever lived.
Transcribe →What Difference Does It Make? He Lives To Be My Good Shepherd!
Apr 2600:17:52Tap to summarizeWithout the resurrection of Jesus, I would have to choose my own direction in life. I would be terrible at it, because, like a sheep, I can generally see only what’s in front of me at the moment, and I get myself into trouble. It is especially difficult for me to look far into my future as planned by Jesus. If he had not risen from the dead, I would be on my own.But he lives, and it makes a difference. I have the reliable direction of the Good Shepherd. He feeds us with his Word. He protects us from the roaring lion, Satan. He is leading us into the green pastures of eternal life. For centuries, the Church has observed this Fourth Sunday of Easter to celebrate that Jesus lives to be our Good Shepherd.
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