The One Thing - United Faith Church Podcast

Matthew 16:24 "Then Jesus said to his disciples, 'Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.'"Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. Today the question is: Are you a disciple? God calls us to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. What do we know about being a disciple? Well we can easily look at the 12 who were trained by the Lord Jesus for years.Now we know, besides for Judas, that the disciples who remained with the Lord, they were men who were transformed literally by the power of the gospel. They were filled with the Spirit of God and they carried the message of the gospel in power all throughout the nations. They were so influential, they influenced others simply by being who they were in Christ. God calls us today to be no different. To be disciples, those who would seek after the Lord, those who would simply seek His face for who He is. And to make a dent in our nation, to make a dent in our families and in those who are around us, simply by walking in the power, in the message of the gospel. And so the scripture I wanted to share is Matthew 16, chapter 16 verse 24, it says, then Jesus said to his disciples “whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me.” "...put down the way that we want to do things." Something that Jesus presented here, He said if you want to follow me, if you want to be a disciple, first off you have to deny yourself. What does it mean? Does it mean that we deny ourselves food? Does it mean that we deny ourselves earthly pleasures or different things? Whatever it may be. Listen, the whole idea of denying ourselves means this, put down the way that we want to do things, put down our own mindsets, put away how we’re used to doing everything and simply come to the Lord, and say Lord here is my mindset. "I want to think according to your word." I don't want to think the way that I did anymore, I want to think according to your word. I want to think according to your Spirit and what your Spirit desires for me to do today. Really to deny ourselves is to simply lay down our will. Now I know it sounds simple right, but apart from the gospel of the Lord Jesus, man has his own will and desires to do that, putting God's will aside. But today, He says deny yourself, come to me, believe in me, lay down your will and let me do my will in you. "...the only one that will live in me is Christ." And what do we know about the next part of this verse, to take up our cross and to follow Him. Now when we think of the cross, we know that Jesus was placed upon that cross that was a criminal's death of that day for the Romans. They would take their enemies and put them on a cross, an excruciating way of punishment. He's saying pick up your cross. What man would ever want to pick up the cross? What would ever make us want to do that? I tell you this, that when we believe in the Lord Jesus, we are not only filled with the power of His word but we are able to pick up our cross. Simply to pick up our cross, it's an attitude, it's a mentality. The cross is an attitude, it's a way of doing things. It's saying, you know what, my way is finished. The old way is done. That old man, that old woman, that old child, that old teenager, you know what, I've come to Christ and he/she is gone. Now, the only one that will live in me is Chrsit. As Paul said, to live is Christ and to die is gain. "He will empower you to do the work of God." You see for us the cross, is a powerful, powerful, moment. The cross for us is a moment that we live in every day. Knowing that because our Lord sacrificed His life, we also lay down our life to Him. I want to say what the Bible makes very clear, the man or woman, the child, the teenager who lays down their life for the sake of the gospel,

1 Timothy 1:18-19 The Charge to Timothy Renewed "Timothy, my son, I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you, so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and so have suffered shipwreck with regard to the faith."Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast...reading a scripture from the book of first Timothy today. It's first Timothy chapter one verses 18 or 19 and this is Paul speaking to Timothy who he considered to be a son in the faith. Timothy was his right side man, he was a man who loved Paul and really love the Lord. And Paul is speaking to Timothy, he's giving him instruction.... Timothy being a young man in such a defiled world, a world that comes against everything about the message of the gospel but here we find this man Timothy who many of us can relate to being in a place where we want to stand for the Lord. We want to do what He has called us to do and Paul is giving him a command, he's giving him this more than just advice but really command from God that we can all partake in today and follow. And find ourselves being trained by him. And it says here, Timothy my son I am giving you this command in keeping with the prophecies once made about you so that by recalling them you may fight the battle well, holding on to faith and a good conscience. And I wanted to focus on really what Paul first is saying here. He says listen Timothy I'm giving you this command in terms of the prophecies made over you recall what God has spoken to you. Now these prophecies to Timothy, we could speculate that it could have been numerous things it could have been a prophecy of Timothy being a man of God and leading a people of God closer to Him in the pastoral ministry. Whatever it may be God we can relate to today has spoken many things into our lives. Maybe He says and has prophesied or spoken His word you know that you would stand in your family that your family would serve Him. Maybe he prophesied that you would simply be a person of powerful prayer that God is going to use to touch the nations...whatever it may be. We find that it can be a weapon in our battle against the darkness of this world. "we've got to recall what God has already given"He says Timothy recall them recall them so you would fight this battle well. We have to recall the words that God has given us even if it takes us going back in our journal to certain points of life where God had spoken clear and we knew it was a word for the Lord. Sometimes we've got to just go back we've got to recall what God has already given. And in those things we remember God's power we remember who He is. And I love this because Paul says holding on to the faith in other words cling to the faith to make the claim to the faith John cling to the faith Suzanne whoever it may be listening right now, he's saying recall the words that God has giving you and cling to the faith and don't let go. "...and what is our faith? Our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ"When I think of clinging to the faith holding to the faith I think of a a small child where we've all seen at some point a young child where we approach them and say hello and maybe they're shy maybe they're a little frightened and what do they do? They hold on to their mom to their dad they cling to them and it's no different for the Christian. We want to cling to our faith and what is our faith? Our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ.  That all the things that He spoke and all the things that He's called us to do for His will and for His kingdom, it's all rooted in clinging to the faith, never forgetting that it is the Lord Jesus who works in and through us. So we go back over and over knowing that it is Christ who pleases God knowing that every work that is in faith in Christ is p...

John 15:4 "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me."Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. I have a Scripture to share with you today coming from John chapter 15 verse 4. You may be very familiar with it but it's very important. It's where Jesus says, "Remain in Me, and I will also remain in you." "Take every step in faith"How crucial it is to realize that the greatest thing that we can do is to remain in Christ.  What does that mean, what does it mean to remain in Him?  Does it mean that we stay at home with just our Bibles does it mean that we stay in the prayer closet?   No...what it means is that we continue to make every step to take every step in faith knowing that apart from Christ there is no good thing. "Without remaining in His Word we cannot do a thing that is good"Without His blessing without His love in our hearts without remaining in His word and just continuing to trust in Him we cannot do a thing that is good. But those who remain in Him, those who throughout the day whether you feel it or not, whether you're at work or you're at school you just continue to trust that Jesus will lead you through...He will lead you to the Father despite every circumstance despite every situation. Remain in Him, keep your eyes fixed on Him in your thoughts focus every thought to Him and even when you get caught up at work even when your mind seems to wander away to get consumed in your study or something else just immediately come right back to the Lord. Bring your thoughts to Him think about the Lord seated on the throne. May our hearts remain in Him. "When we remain in Christ we are kept safe"May we continue to focus our heart on Him in our devotion or affection and simply come by faith knowing that those who trust in His name, those who look to Him, they will remain in Him and He will bring to completion the great work that He started in our lives. Remain in me and I will also remain in you. This life this world the devil himself seems to try with all of its effort to sway us to the left to sway it to the right every voice tries to you know get us to go another direction. But when we remain Christ we are kept safe. Would you remain in Him today? Would you take that effort to continue to focus your mind and your thoughts on Him, asking His Spirit to help you, asking for the Spirit to give you reminders throughout the day, asking for the Spirit of God to always direct your heart toward His will and toward His kingdom. God can do it, He can do it in each one of us, He can do it in those who trust in the name of the Lord Jesus. So may you look to Him today, may you remain in Him and may you produce an abundance of fruit that comes from His great power and great love.

Romans 8:6 "The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace." Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. I have a scripture coming from Romans chapter 8 verse 6, it says, “the mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.” What does that mean for us today? You see when we look at the world, we see that the world doesn't have peace. Right now you can tune into the news and there are so many crazy things that are happening from earthquakes to wars and rumors of wars. So many bad things seem to be happening all throughout the nation, but do not be fooled. In this day and age, this right now is the season of power and glory for the people of God. "What is it that the Spirit of God is doing?" So as we look around and we see the bad or negative things that are happening. What is it that we can do? The Bible makes it very clear, be governed by the Spirit of God. Let the Spirit of God fill your mind today. You're wondering what to do, how to act, what to say, what should our reactions be, how do we make the right decisions. Our duty is simply, not to walk in the flesh, not to walk around thinking only on the world or our basic physical needs, but to stop and to think about the desires of the spirit. What is it that the Spirit of God is doing? What is it that He is looking to do or to speak in and through us today? You see, the mind that is governed by the flesh is death, in other words, it's separate from God. It doesn't allow us to walk in peace and to be filled with the life that God causes to be filled with. But, the mind that is governed by the Spirit is life. "What is life? It's to be in the will of God, it’s to spread His word. " What is life? It’s to be in the will of God, it's to spread His word. It's to live out in the power of the spirit, the work and the will of God in our lives. And it is peace because it is at peace with God. Our decisions are all influenced by the spirit. We begin to decide in light of God's will, we begin to speak in light of God's will and simply live and function through the power of the spirit. How do we come into the spirit? The Lord Jesus has made a way! For those who trust in Him, those who are born of God, those who were born of the Spirit, are also filled with the Spirit of God. "...may we trust that He made a way" May we look to the Lord Jesus today, may we trust that He made a way, may we trust Him. And as we trust Him, we too can receive the very Spirit of the Lord Jesus, the Spirit of God, the Spirit of life. Will you walk, not in the flesh today, but will you walk in the spirit!

Psalm 36:9 "For with You is the fountain of life; In Your light we see light."Hello and welcome back to the One Thing podcast.  I have great news for all the listeners today and it comes from Psalm 36 verse 9.  The word says "For with you is the fountain of life; in your light we see light." "Are you dry, are you thirsty?"God is saying today that there is a fountain that never runs dry.  There is a fountain of life.  You see many people choose to drink and live from the fountains of this world.   Fountains of money, fountains of things.  All these things that are temporary and leave us dry weary and thirsty.  But God says today there is a fountain that never runs dry.  There is a fountain that you can drink from and never thirst but find satisfaction in the deapths of your souls. That fountain is the Lord Jesus.  He said in the scriptures come to me, come to me and drink from the fountain of everlasting rivers of over flowing water.   And that water, those waters are the very breath and life that the Lord Jesus gives to those who trust in Him...to those who turn to him to drink from this wonderful fountain.  Will you turn to the Lord today?  Are you dry are you thirsty?  Are you looking for the light of the Lord Jesus.   He says come!  This scripture says in your light we see light.  You see as we drink from that fountain there is a life and a light that begins to flow through our minds and through our hearts.  "Spring up a well in us today God!"In that light we see light, in other words when the light of God is upon us we see that He truly is the light and we take Him to be all that he promised to be... the light of the world who would always guide us to the father who would always guide us into the Kingdom of God and calls us to live in the life in the goodness that He promised.  For with you God is the fountain of life in Your light we see light.  Will you drink from the fountain of God today?  Will you turn from the world?  Would you turn from all other cisterns that are broken and empty and drink from the well of living water?  Spring up a well of life with in us today!  Thank you God that you are the fountain, thank you Father that you have sent your light.

1 Samuel 3 "And the Lord came and called as before, 'Samuel! Samuel!' And Samuel replied, 'Speak, your servant is listening.'”Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast.  I'm very excited to share a few verses here of a story about a young boy named Samuel, and we're gonna be looking at first Samuel chapter 3. I encourage you to read this entire chapter as God I know can speak so much through His Word, but I'm only going to share a few verses. "We are all called to serve in the house of the Lord"And to give you an idea of the story, Samuel is a young boy who is dedicated to serving the Lord in His house and around this time history states that he was probably around 11 years old.  Samuel was being trained by his mentor Eli who was the head priest at the time.  And you can imagine this young boy who was so excited to learn of what it meant to serve God to walk with Him and to follow Him. "Speak Lord for your servant is listening..."And for us today maybe we're not in a ministry, maybe we're not, you know, on the worship team or pastors.  Whatever we may be, the whole point is that we are all called to serve in the house of the Lord by worshiping and ministering to the Lord by having our hearts filled with His word, filled with His presence.  And God has called us to all truly have this ministry within our hearts. And so we can relate to Samuel, now one night young Samuel was sleeping, Eli was in his place sleeping and Samuel was in his place and Samuel hears a voice call his name.  He immediately assumed it was Eli so he runs to Eli and he says, "Did you call me here I am," and Eli says, "I didn't call you, go back to bed."  This happens 2 times, Samuel hears his name called, he hears a voice not knowing that it's actually the Lord calling him. And he goes to Eli. Now there came a point - now we're gonna look at verse 8, and we're gonna see what Eli finally realized. It says, "A third time the Lord called Samuel and 'Samuel!' And Samuel got up and went to Eli and said, 'Here I am; you called me.' Then Eli realized that the Lord was calling the boy. So Eli told Samuel going and lie down, and if He calls you, say, 'Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening.' "So Samuel went and lay down in his place. The lord came and stood there calling as at other times, 'Samuel! Samuel!' Then Samuel said, 'Speak, for Your servant is listening." You see originally prior to you Eli instructing Samuel on what to do, he wasn't familiar with the voice of the Lord yet. How many of us today may feel as though we always speak with God, we pray and we do a lot of different things but we don't commonly find ourself listening to His voice and maybe we don't find ourself familiar with His way of speaking and what He may be saying this day. "Those who begin to hear His voice live in victory!"I encourage you as Samuel that today you would change your prayer and yes we can you know bring our petitions before God. There's a time for thankfulness, there's a time to pray for others, and those things are all special. But I encourage us before all other things today to come as Samuel did, and to stop in the midst of our jobs, to maybe stop in the midst of our lunch break or schooling whatever we may be doing and just in our hearts begin to say, 'Lord here I am; speak, for Your servant is listening." And as we begin to practice this, as we begin to open our hearts and our minds which really is a work of the grace of God in our lives, may we begin to hear God speak into our hearts speaking to our mind.  And we know that as those who begin to hear His voice as we begin to follow it, we live in victory. Practice, practice...God speaks!And what is the victory, first of all we get to know God!   We get to know His voice.  This is the greatest thing.  The apostle Paul said that you know for all things I press on to know Him everything else is worthless. So may we come to that point in our lives where we begin...

Colossians 1:15-16 "The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.  For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him."Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. The word of the Lord says in Colossians 1, verse 15 "the Son is the image of the invisible God the firstborn over all creation for in Him all things were created things in heaven and on earth visible and invisible whether thrones our powers are rulers authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him." This verse is so powerful for the Christian man or woman who believes and truly has faith in the Lord Jesus.  What is faith, what is the essence of faith?  It is knowing and believing that God is capable of doing all the things.  He's able to do anything because He is God who is in control.  "His hands are big enough..."You see as Christians when we see each other or when we send our kids off to school or when we see our spouses goodbye to work we don't say "good luck." We don't say "hopefully you'll have a good day."  We say "be blessed in the name of the Lord Jesus" and we believe. We believe that as we bless our family, we believe that as we bless one another, truly it is God who will guide in lead our days. "His voice is loud enough..."You see for us we know that every rain drop that falls from the heavens is counted by God, every hair on our head God knows each and every strand.  God in His wisdom is unfathomable, His knowledge is beyond the scope of what we can ever understand.  And see faith knows this about God.  Faith says "God you know it all, all things are in your hands.  Father I will trust in you and I will look to you." The God who is before all things the Lord Jesus who was King in which all things were created for Him by Him in for Him.  Will you trust in the Lord today, will you put away the idea of luck, will you put away the idea of chance?...knowing that all things are in the hands of the Lord God Almighty.  "Faith says: God you know all things."This is our faith, knowing that we and those who trust and believe in the power of His name will be carried through.  That the work that He began in you, the work that He began in me will be brought to completion. Knowing that as we begin in Christ we also continue in Christ and we will also one day bring an end this life in Christ and begin the new life with Him in the heavens above. Will you trust in the Lord today?  Will you put away all other thoughts or ideas?  Will you simply look to His truth knowing that the Lord Jesus is King and trust in him. That His hands are big enough, that His voice is loud enough and that His ways are greater than all the ways of men. Bless each person today, may you grasp the truth of the kingdom of God. May we seek His kingdom and all that we do. May we trust in the mighty name of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Proverbs 9:10 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding."Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast!  The question that we have for today is: How do we begin? You may be saying to yourself and even beginning to pray to God saying "Father I want to come close to you, I don't want to live apart from you, I don't want to wander away from your ways, but lord Jesus I want to come close to you, to get to know you.  I want to know your word." "We begin with the fear of the Lord..."There maybe so many different things that you are seeking with God and you're wondering how do you begin.   Praise God His word is so precious and so dear and also so clear.  Proverbs 9 10 says "the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."  This is right where we began in the Christian life.   We begin with the fear of the Lord,  saying "Father release your fear into my life."The Fear of the Lord is the Beginning of KnowledgeThe fear of the Lord is not like the fear of the world that is distraught without hope.  But the fear of the Lord draws us close to God.  It is the fear of the Lord that causes a man or woman to turn from sin.  It's the fear of the Lord that gives us instruction, that causes us to see and to understand that God is in control,  that He is the almighty God the one who holds the keys to death and life in His hands. So where is it that we began?  We begin with the fear of the Lord.  Praying "Lord let the fear of God rise in my heart Father as I read your word today.  Let the fear the Lord begin to come into my heart in to my mind as I am praying.  As I am seeking to follow you Father, let the fear the Lord guide and instruct me in all in every decision that I make today." The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.Praise God He always gives us instruction and he says it's very simple my son and my daughter.  Begin with the fear of the Lord.  It is the beginning of wisdom, true wisdom, which is the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ.  To know that He is King, to know that He is in control, to know that He is the only hope of salvation and the One who empowers His people with a wisdom and knowledge, not of this world but a wisdom and knowledge that leads us into salvation.  The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom.

Ephesians 5:14 This is why it is said: “Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you.” Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast, today I will be sharing from the book of Ephesians chapter 5 verse 14...but before I read the scripture I want to think for a moment about how what we see, how what we perceive with our minds and what we see with our eyes, the effect that it has in our lives. It's a great tremendous affect.  When we see trouble we can sometimes be caught up in fear.  When we perceive that things aren't going our way or when we perceive that something bad is about to happen or we just don't see anything at all we seem to be in the confusion of this world. "What is the light that makes everything visible?  His name is the Lord Jesus."We find ourselves in trouble.  We may see things incorrectly, we may see God incorrectly, we may perceive His word in the wrong way.  We may be walking and attempting to fill this Christian life, looking at it from all the wrong ways.  But hallelujah praise the Lord for the scripture today it says "for the light makes everything visible, this is why it is said awake o sleeper, rise from the dead and Christ will give you light. What is the light that makes everything visible?  His name is the Lord Jesus.  As we come to the lord Jesus today and I encourage you to run to the foot of the cross asking for the Lord God to bring about His life in our hearts, in in our minds.  You see the light of the lord Jesus makes everything visible. He allows us to see trouble from afar, He allows us to seek God for who he truly is and to understand the Word of the Lord.  And why is that so important, you see the word of the Lord is the very word that will set us free.  He says that if you know the truth, the truth will set you free. "When we see things in the light of Christ everything in our life changes."When we see things in the light of Christ everything in our life changes.  What vision, what light are we walking by today?  Is it the light of the Lord Jesus or are we walking by the light in this world.  The false light, the false light that leads us away from God, that leads us into doing into making decisions our own way and doing things according to what we think is right. But praise God we can live by the light, the light of Christ.  Where in all of our decisions in everything that we do today, in our jobs and our schooling, in all of our walking, we can arise from the deadness  of this world and walk in the light and in the goodness of the lord Jesus Christ. "May your light shine from my life!"May we today all come....come to God praying "father let your light dwell in my mind, may your light dwell in my heart, may your light shine from my life."  Not only that I would walk in that light and benefit from truly living in the goodness of God in bringing glory to his kingdom, but also may we be a light to others that they too would come in to the true light.  Out of the darkness of the world into the true light of the Lord Jesus Christ. And also be those who would serve in this magnificent kingdom of light, bringing God the God of all light (who said from the beginning let there be light) bringing Him glory and bringing Him praise among all those who would look in and see what great salvation we have come to. May you today be blessed in the light of the Lord Jesus.

Proverbs 2:6 For the Lord gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding. Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. For the Lord gives wisdom from his mouth come knowledge and understanding...that's Proverbs 2 verse 6. And proverbs, the book of wisdom it teaches us and helps us to learn how to live right in a pleasing way before God. "What wisdom are you in need of today?"And so it says the Lord gives wisdom. * What wisdom are you in need of today? * Are you trying to figure out how to please God? * Are you looking for how this day you can bring Him honor and bring Him glory? Well in order to bring God glory, in order to serve Him we need His wisdom. But this is a great hope because the very God that requires us to walk in his wisdom is also the One who gives it! What is the wisdom of God? The wisdom of God is His skillfulness and His way of doing things, it's taking on Jesus' godliness, Jesus' way of making decisions and walking before his father. So ultimately wisdom is Jesus. "...wisdom is Jesus."Would you cry out to Jesus today? Will you seek and ask when you look for his wisdom to be poured into your heart and into your mind? Also from His mouth comes knowledge and understanding. What is this knowledge, what is this understanding? It is the way to the Father. True knowledge, the greatest knowledge we can have is knowledge of God which is a knowledge of His great love and who He is. So, as we're coming to the Lord Jesus not only can we take Him to be the wisdom of God but also the One who reveals the Father...who gives true knowledge and understanding. Knowledge, wisdom, and understanding.Do you need knowledge today? Do you need understanding? Do you need wisdom? Do you need direction on where to go, how to pray, what to do? Then praise God this day you can cry out for such wisdom for from His mouth also come knowledge and understanding! So may we seek Him in such a way today. May we trust knowing that He will lead us through. And He will lead us to Himself. Thank you father for your wisdom for your knowledge and for your understanding.

John 15:5 I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast! The question of the day for today is: “what is it to be a Christian?” "...love the Lord your God and second, to love your neighbor as yourself." For those of us who have said we believe in the Lord Jesus and we want to follow Him- what is it that God requires of us? What is our life all about as Christians? Jesus makes it very simple for us, He brings it to two very important commands, two very important ways of living that God calls us to live in. He says first of all, to love the Lord your God and second, to love your neighbor as yourself. Without me you can do nothing "See, apart from the Lord we cannot produce the fruit of God." So how do we do this, how do we abide in the vine? We know that if we read the scriptures, that man is incapable of fully completing and keeping the commands of God due to our sinfulness, but the Lord Jesus has made a way. He says John 15:5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” See, apart from the Lord we cannot produce the fruit of God. The fruit of God, the fruit of the Spirit, is love. Love for the Lord and love for one another. abide in the vine Now Jesus himself is the one whom we believe in. As we believe in the Lord Jesus, as we remain in Him, meaning we trust and we depend on Him to fulfill the promise of hope within our lives, the promise of God empowering us by allowing and causing His son to be burst within our soul. This is our faith, this is Christianity. Not that we're living in our own strength, not that we're striving to fulfill the commands of God in our own strength or with our own abilities, but simply trusting in the Lord, remaining in the Lord Jesus. Abide in the vine! "...and trust that He is the sent one from God..." If we remain, some versions say if we abide in Him, this is the Christian life. That we would abide and trust in the Lord Jesus and trust that He is the sent one from God, the one who is the hope of God in order to be all that God has called us to be. A people producing the fruit of God 's love. Demonstrating to this world that the world would know us by our love for God and our love for one another. "He has the power to also cause us to remain" ...and to abide in the vine! May today, each of us come close into the vine. May we drink from the goodness of the Spirit of the Lord Jesus. May we trust in Him, may we know that He has the power to keep, He has the power to also cause us to remain. Thank you God for your son Jesus, may we look to Him this day and may we trust in is great power.

1 Corinthians 4:20 "For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power." Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. Today's scripture is coming from first Corinthians chapter 4 verse 20, it says, “for the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.” As Christians, What is life on earth all about? "...turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, come into His kingdom" You see, at one time in our lives without the Lord Jesus we’ve lived for the kingdom of this world, on and on living every day in opposition to God. Going our own way, doing our own thing, making our own decisions, and what sinfulness that we lived in prior to knowing the Lord Jesus. But today, the Gospel of the Lord Jesus says to turn to the Lord Jesus Christ, to come into His kingdom. He's made a way where we no longer have to live in the opposition to God, under the oppression of this world and the darkness, but we are able to come alive and to live for His kingdom. "When Christ comes in, there is a new creation that is formed..." What a wonderful thing! You see, the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk. We don't just talk about being Christians, we don't just talk a little bit about God, we don't just speak just a couple verses that haven’t tagged and really come alive in our hearts. No, it is not a matter of talk, but a matter of power! When Christ comes in, there is a new creation that is formed, nothing else matters but a new creation in Christ Jesus. This is what that means! It’s that the one who hated God, now loves Him with all their heart. The one who didn't live for His kingdom, is now empowered to not only live in His kingdom but to expand His kingdom. "...I want to live in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ" Will we cry out to God today saying father, I don't want to just live in the so-called norm. Father, I don't want to live in just talk, but I want to live in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we call upon His name today and may our lives not be just a matter of talk but living in the power of God as the new creations in Christ Jesus our Lord, amen!

1 Corinthians 1:21 "Since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe." Welcome to the One Thing Podcast! Today reading from first Corinthians chapter one verse 21, it says, “since God in his wisdom saw to it that the world would never know Him through human wisdom, he has used our foolish preaching to save those who believe. ” "...the wisdom of God and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ" God made very sure that the only way we would find Him, would be through the way in the path which He has laid, which is the wisdom of God and His name is the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the way, He has the power, He is everything that we need in order to find God and to serve Him in this earth and to one day meet with Him in heaven. "What do we live by?" When we read this scripture it says that He “saw to it that the world will never know Him through human wisdom.” We know that the world is the world, it functions as the world, it looks to act from its own power, in its own ways, and its own thinking. That is the world, we know this. But for Christians- but for us, what do we live by? Are we living by human wisdom or are we living by the wisdom of the Lord Jesus Christ? We find many Christians today, yet living as the world. Living in the world's ways. Maybe trying to fit in with the world, maybe saying, “I want to serve God but I guess I'm gonna have to take up the ways of the world in order to do this. Let me fit in, let me look like everyone else, let me do things as the rest of the world does.” "...we do not forfeit our identity in Christ" But this is not who we have been called to. Yes, we know that the scripture says that we become all things to all men, but we do not forfeit our identity in Christ. We are to live in Christ by Christ and by His power! You see as Christians, we’re never called to fit in. We were called to break out and to make a difference in our families and our communities and even in our nations. As Christians, we live by the wisdom and the power of God. We're not boisterous, but we are loud and clear of the message in a God who we serve. We don't cause riots, but we do shake the heavens and we do shake the earth by the power of the gospel and by the power of the Spirit in our lives. We're never rude or disrespectful, but we are confident in the Lord Jesus Christ and we are confident in the gospel we preach, which the salvation of God, the hope of God is only found in wisdom and the wisdom of God, who is the Lord Jesus Christ. "Christ made us right with God" It says further in first Corinthians that God has united you with Christ Jesus, for our benefit God made Him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God, He made us pure and holy and He freed us from sin. There is no other way! It's not about fitting in, it's not about trying to be like the world. It is those who are in the world, yet not of it. Living in the power of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, living by His wisdom. The wisdom that doesn't need to fit in, the wisdom that doesn't need to know how to speak and to do as the world does but to be the one who would draw from heaven, that would draw from the power of Christ and would be the voice of God. That would be the very instrument, the hands, and the feet. Those who have been freed from sin, now ready to serve Him and to serve Him in demonstrations of His power. The ones who say, we have broken through. The one who says, yes I was in hatred and could not be free, but Christ had set me free to now love the Lord my God and to love my neighbor.

Galatians 6:15 "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation." new creation Hello and welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. Today I would like to talk about the new creation. As Christians it's something that God wants us to grasp, to understand that really nothing else matters unless we are new creations in Christ Jesus. Unless we are living and walking in the power of the Lord Jesus Christ in our lives. So it says in Galatians 6:15 "Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is the new creation." It's simply saying it doesn't matter how well I can sing, it doesn't matter how good of speech I have, it doesn't matter how good I think I am or even how bad I think I am...what matters is whether or not we are new creations in Christ Jesus; whether or not His power is at work within our souls in our lives. "We are new creations in Christ Jesus." This has me thinking for a moment that in the beginning, God created mankind, Adam and Eve. Creation in itself is a miraculous thing to think about. When God creates new life, when children are born, when a child is created it is a beautiful, wonderful, powerful thing. But God takes it a step further. There is something even more powerful than just creation of mankind. What is powerful is that the Bible says all of us have been born into sin. By nature we are sinful people that all are unrighteous, not one is found in this earth to be found pure without the Lord Jesus Christ. What is the result of that? We have been dirtied by sin. Our minds have now reflected our rebellion against God. We have lived hostile lives. It's when we struggle just to do right, it's when we struggle to hear God and to walk with Him and to do His will - This is the result of sin. This is the result of our rebellion against God. "I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness to be enough for me " But here goes something truly miraculous-- not only does God create life, but He takes a life that is deadened in sin, He has taken a life deadened in transgressions and our iniquities and now He takes that dark, empty life and He recreates it into something new. Where no longer are we bound in our sin, no longer are we oppressed and under the consequences of our rebellion, but we have become new creations in Christ Jesus. Where now - maybe I couldn't love before, but by faith, I take the Lord Jesus to be love inside of me. Maybe I didn't live righteously, but today I take faith, I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His righteousness to be enough for me - that it would begin to come out because He is living on the inside. And we could go on and on. I take Christ Jesus for me to be a husband, for me to be a brother because He is the perfect husband, He is the perfect brother. By faith, I trust in Him that He is on the inside and that today I am a new creation in Christ Jesus. What wonderful hope we have in the Christian life? This is what it's all about. Are you a new creation today? Are you still living in the old? Is there a renewal of life that God must create within you? Is there something that is pulling you toward the Word of truth that says - Turn to the Lord Jesus Christ - Repent - That is the hope of the Christian life. That we would be new creations. Those created in the likeness of the Lord Jesus Christ. What a miracle! What a wonderful work that God has done! "He calls us to be new creations in Christ Jesus. As we come closer to the Easter season, to the Resurrection season, where Christ laid down His life - not only to die for our sins, but He also resurrected, showing the power of the indestructible life to those who believe in Him. We also shall rise with Him, not just in heaven,

Hebrews 12:2 "...looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Author and Finisher of our Faith Hello welcome back to the One Thing Podcast. Today I would like to reflect just for a moment on one of the titles that Jesus carries. When I say title - a name that He's known to be. We know that all throughout the scriptures He is given the name as the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End, He is the Son of God, He is the son of David. There so many titles and names that he carries as our wonderful savior and mighty God. "...the finisher, the one who carries us through the end." One that I would like to reflect on today comes from Hebrews chapter 12 verse 2 where Jesus is called the author and finisher of our faith. The author, the one who begins our faith as we trust in Him. But not only the one who begins it - the one that initiates it. But He is also the finisher, the one who carries us through to the end. We know that the word says that the Lord Jesus is able to keep us. He's able to keep as close to the Father as we look to Him and as we trust in his mighty power. What does it mean that He is the author and finisher? Let's think and look even deeper. We know that in order to come into salvation, we know that we must recognize that we are sinful people who have turned away from God. The Bible makes so clear that all have turned away, all have done evil in the sight of God. "...turn to Jesus and all who look to Him..." But God has given us the message of hope, that we turn to Jesus and all who look to Him, trusting not only that He would forgive us of our sins but that He would also bring new life within His life. The very life of the Lord Jesus. The divine life that causes us and empowers us to live in glory and power for the kingdom of God as His sons and daughters. But not only that, what a wonderful message, but God takes it even further. He says, not only do I initiate such a faith, but I will also carry it through. You see when we come to the Lord, we come broken, we come desperate, we come really unable, incapable. But God says it never stops at the beginning, but we continue to live. "...the same faith that brought us to Christ is the same faith that will also empower us..." You know not only do we come into salvation in humility and in humbleness and brokenness but we also continue to have faith in the Lord in every step of the way. Maybe today He's calling you to speak about His goodness to somebody. Maybe today he's calling you to go deeper in seeking out His Word. Maybe there's so many different things that He's calling for you to step forward to in His kingdom. Well today, there is good news: the same faith that brought us to Christ is the same faith that will also empower us to do that which he has called us to do. "You’re the only one that can bring forth truth." The same faith that says Lord Jesus even as I study your word, you're the only one that can open my deadened mind. This same faith that says Father, I know you're calling me to speak your word to this person, you are the only one that can bring about the right word. You're the only one that can bring forth truth. So what will it be today? Will we trust the Lord Jesus not only as the initiator, the author of our faith, but will we continue in Him every step of the way. Trusting in Him, hoping that He's the only one that can empower us to live for the kingdom of God in this day of the world. In a world that is dark yet we are the ones who will bring light. Praise God today that we can fix our eyes on Jesus,