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This week on Beyond the Message, Ian, Jake, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message which was the final week of our look at the church in Ephesus in Acts before returning to the book of Ephesians, this week focusing on how Christian devotion causes gospel disruption. How can we recognize the idols competing for our devotion? And what happens when Christians live distinctly enough that their faith begins affecting the people and culture around them? We explored how repentance leads to devotion, how following Jesus reshapes our priorities and everyday lives, why Christians shouldn't be surprised when faithfulness creates opposition, and how gospel change in a community begins with God's people being changed by the gospel themselves. We study the Bible carefully, just as we teach it carefully on Sundays. Take time during the week to work through the steps in our Ephesians Series Bible Study Guide to prepare for Sunday's teaching. We believe studying the text in advance can help you get more out of this series. Message Highlights: Gospel disruption begins with repentance. The disturbance in Ephesus traces back to the previous passage, where believers confessed their sin, abandoned their former practices, and turned fully toward God. Repentance leads to devotion, and devotion changes how we live. The Christians in Ephesus were known as followers of “the Way” because following Jesus produced a way of life that was distinct from the surrounding culture. Devotion to Jesus dismantles idols. The gospel threatened the worship of Artemis because people who turned to Jesus stopped giving their worship—and their money—to idols. Jesus either becomes our treasure or threatens what we treasure. Idolatry is more than bowing to statues. We can make idols out of money, possessions, careers, sports, our children, comfort, status, or the approval of others whenever we look to them for the joy, satisfaction, fulfillment, and security that belong to God. The gospel disrupts more than our beliefs. Devotion to Jesus changes how we spend our money, use our time, structure our schedules, pursue relationships, and make everyday decisions. The disruption in Ephesus happened because Christians themselves had first been disrupted by the Word of God. Disruption is not the goal; devotion is. Paul did not organize the riot or deliberately provoke the city. He proclaimed Christ, people believed, and their changed lives began affecting the culture around them. Christians shouldn't seek opposition, but shouldn't be surprised by it. Living distinctly as followers of Jesus can create conflict when our devotion challenges what the surrounding culture values. Gospel change happens through changed people. The transformation in Ephesus wasn't primarily produced through laws, policies, protests, or boycotts. People repented, abandoned idols, devoted themselves to Jesus, and the effects spread into their community. When the gospel disrupts individuals, it can disrupt communities. The sermon ends with the picture of Christians as salt and light: people whose devotion to Christ becomes visible and influential in the places where God has put them. Main Point: Christian devotion causes gospel disruption.  Practical Application: Ask whether your life is actually distinct because you follow Jesus. Could someone looking at your priorities, schedule, spending, relationships, and habits recognize that your life has been reordered around Christ? Identify the idols competing for your devotion. The sermon offered several diagnostic questions: What do I worry about most? What gives me a sense of self-worth? What do I think would finally make me happy or fulfilled? What would crush me if I lost it? Our answers can reveal what we're tempted to treasure alongside—or above—God. Move from wanting repentance to actually repenting. It isn't enough to recognize something needs to change. Repentance means actually abandoning sin, turning to God, and pursuing a life devoted to Him. Expect devotion to cost you something. Following Jesus may affect relationships, opportunities, entertainment, finances, schedules, or the approval of others. Opposition isn't something to pursue, but neither should avoiding it determine our obedience. Think about cultural change beginning with personal devotion. Before asking how Cedar Rapids—or any community—needs to change, the sermon challenges Christians to ask how the gospel needs to disrupt us. Changed communities begin with changed people living faithfully as salt and light. Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matthew, and Sam discuss yesterday’s message as the next teaching in Part 1 of the Ephesians Series. In this message, we continued to look at Paul’s ministry in Ephesus before returning to Paul’s letter to the Ephesians, this week focusing on spiritual warfare, genuine devotion to Jesus, and the power of repentance. How should Christians think about the reality of spiritual warfare without becoming obsessed with it? And what does it look like to turn from the duplicity of professing Christ while continuing to hold onto sin? We explored the authority of Jesus over spiritual darkness, the connection between the fear of the Lord and sensitivity to sin, the costly nature of genuine repentance, and how God works through repentant people to magnify Christ and advance the gospel.  We study the Bible carefully, just as we teach it carefully on Sundays. Take time during the week to work through the steps in our Ephesians Series Bible Study Guide to prepare for Sunday's teaching. We believe studying the text in advance can help you get more out of this series. Message Highlights: A powerful gospel ministry involves both turning from sin and turning to Jesus. Repentance is not merely trying harder to stop sinning; it is turning away from sin and toward Christ. The most effective spiritual warfare is an obsession with Jesus, not an obsession with demons. Acts 19 acknowledges the reality of spiritual evil without making evil spirits the focus. The power belongs to Jesus. The authority of Jesus cannot be separated from genuine devotion to Jesus. The sons of Sceva attempted to use Jesus’ name as a technique or incantation, while Paul belonged to Christ and lived for His glory. The passage contrasts artificial devotion with genuine devotion. The sons of Sceva tried to use Jesus’ name; the believers responded by worshiping and magnifying Jesus’ name. A healthy fear of the Lord produces greater sensitivity to sin. When God’s holiness becomes weightier to us, offending Him becomes weightier to us as well. The Ephesian believers were confronted with their duplicity. They had believed the gospel while continuing to participate in practices belonging to their former way of life. Acts 19 forced them to decide whether they would continue trying to have both. Genuine repentance can be costly. Burning books worth 50,000 pieces of silver demonstrated that they weren't simply admitting their practices were wrong; they were deliberately removing them from their lives. Repentance magnifies Jesus. Turning from something sinful communicates that Christ is more desirable and satisfying than what we are abandoning. God doesn't work through perfect people; He works through repentant people. The passage ends not with flawless Christians, but confessing Christians—and the Word of the Lord “continued to increase and prevail mightily.” Main Point: God doesn't work through perfect people. He works through repentant people.  Practical Application: Examine your life for duplicity. Where are you professing devotion to Christ while continuing to participate in something inconsistent with that profession? The sermon particularly challenged the tendency to excuse something because “everybody does it.” Practice specific confession. Rather than a general acknowledgment that you're sinful, examine yourself, identify sin, name it before God, and bring it into the light. Ask whether repentance has actually cost you anything. There may be habits, relationships, entertainment, technology, or environments that you acknowledge are spiritually harmful but have been unwilling to surrender because doing so would be inconvenient or costly. Take the Lord’s Supper seriously as an opportunity for examination and repentance. Rather than treating communion as a routine religious practice, use it to judge yourself honestly, confess sin, turn again to Christ, and rest in the sufficiency of His grace. Cultivate a bigger view of God rather than merely trying to develop a bigger hatred of sin. The sermon’s logic is that greater fear and reverence for God produces greater sensitivity to sin. Lasting repentance ultimately grows from valuing Christ more highly than what we're being called to leave behind. Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now! Recommended Resources: Repentance by JC Ryle The Way of Repentance by Chris Brauns  How to Be a Repenter

This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Ian, and Sam discuss the message from Acts 18:24-19:10 in Part 1 of the Ephesians Series. In this message, we looked at the establishment of the church in Ephesus, focusing on where the power for genuine Christian ministry comes from. What is the difference between simply calling people away from sin and proclaiming the transforming gospel of Jesus Christ? In Acts 18–19, we see people who were devoted, knowledgeable, and religious, yet still needed the fullness of the gospel. We explored the danger of being an “almost Christian,” why true repentance means turning not only from sin but to Christ, and why powerful ministry comes through accurate, bold, persuasive, and resilient gospel proclamation.  We study the Bible carefully, just as we teach it carefully on Sundays. Take time during the week to work through the steps in our Ephesians Series Bible Study Guide to prepare for Sunday's teaching. We believe studying the text in advance can help you get more out of this series. Message Highlights: Religious devotion is not the same thing as gospel transformation. Apollos and the disciples Paul encountered in Ephesus had knowledge, enthusiasm, and outward signs of devotion, but something was still missing. External Christian traits can accompany genuine faith, but they can never replace the internal transformation that comes through faith in Christ. Christian repentance means turning from sin and turning to Christ. John the Baptist rightly called people to repentance, but his ministry pointed beyond itself to the One who would bring forgiveness and the Holy Spirit. Christianity is therefore more than rejecting what is sinful; it is depending upon Christ as Savior and being transformed from the inside out by His Spirit. Powerful ministry comes through proclaiming a powerful gospel. The church's power is not found in shared outrage over cultural brokenness, greater enthusiasm, or better ministry strategies, but in the gospel of Jesus Christ. As the church accurately, boldly, persuasively, and resiliently proclaims Christ, God works through that message to save and transform people. Main Point: Powerful ministry comes from a powerful gospel. Practical Application: Examine whether your Christianity is ultimately centered on Jesus. It is possible to love church, embrace Christian culture, know Christian language, and practice Christian habits without truly depending upon Christ. Ask whether your faith rests in what you are doing for God or in what Christ has finished for you. Turn to Christ, not merely away from sin. Biblical repentance certainly involves rejecting sin, but Christianity cannot be reduced to stopping bad behavior. Run toward Christ as your Savior, King, and the One who satisfies your soul. Depend on the Holy Spirit for genuine transformation. Christianity is not a self-improvement project in which we simply try harder to become better people. God gives His Spirit to His people and changes them from the inside out, replacing hearts of stone with hearts that love and obey Him. Be more captivated by Christ than frustrated by the culture. Christians should hate what God hates, but shared outrage over the world's sin cannot become the foundation of our unity or mission. Let your love for Jesus and amazement at His grace be more defining than your anger over what is broken around you. Keep the gospel central in ministry. Whether you are discipling your children, leading a group, serving in ministry, or sharing your faith, don't assume people can graduate beyond the gospel. Christ and His finished work remain the power source for salvation, transformation, and faithful Christian living. Proclaim the gospel accurately and boldly. Doctrine matters because changing the gospel ultimately removes its power, while fear of offending people can tempt us to soften what Scripture actually says. Care enough about people's eternities to speak clearly about both our sin and the Savior who rescues us. Proclaim the gospel persuasively and resiliently. Confidence in the gospel should be evident because we genuinely believe it is God's power for salvation. When the message is rejected or mocked, continue faithfully proclaiming Christ rather than assuming opposition means the gospel has failed. Celebrate evidence of God's saving power. Baptism provides the church with a visible opportunity to rejoice that God is still saving and transforming people today. Let testimonies of conversion renew your confidence in the gospel and stir your worship of the God who saves. Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matt, and Sam discuss the first message of Part 1 of our new Ephesians Series, focusing on how grasping God’s sovereign grace produces unshakable peace. How does understanding God’s sovereignty in salvation change the way we worship, endure suffering, and view our lives as Christians? In Ephesians 1:1–2, Paul points to his own conversion and the identity of believers as saints to show that salvation begins with the will and grace of God. We explored the difference between God’s sovereign and revealed will, why God deserves all the credit for salvation, and how a deeper understanding of amazing grace produces gratitude, faithfulness, worship, and peace.  Message Highlights: God’s sovereign will accomplishes His purposes. Scripture distinguishes between God’s revealed will—what He commands us to do—and His sovereign will—what He has determined will ultimately take place. God’s sovereignty may stretch our understanding, but it should ultimately stir our worship as we recognize that His purposes cannot be stopped. Salvation is the work of God’s sovereign grace. Paul’s conversion demonstrates that God does not leave sinners to themselves but graciously pursues, awakens, and saves people who would never come to Him on their own. Like Paul, every Christian can ultimately say, “I am a Christian because of the will of God,” which means God receives all the glory for our salvation. Grasping God’s grace produces unshakable peace. Paul could have peace even in prison because he knew firsthand the saving power and unstoppable purposes of God. When we understand that we have been forgiven, redeemed, adopted, and made saints entirely by grace, we can trust the same sovereign God with whatever circumstances we face. Main Point: Grasping God’s grace leads to having God’s peace. Practical Application: Study your salvation more deeply. Don’t settle for knowing when or where you became a Christian; seek to understand from Scripture what God actually did to bring you from death to life. A deeper understanding of salvation should lead to deeper amazement at grace. Give God all the credit for your salvation. Recognize the people, circumstances, and ministries God used to bring you to faith while remembering that God Himself was working through all of them. Let that reality cultivate humility rather than allowing yourself to take credit for making the right decision. Let difficult doctrines lead you to worship. When God’s sovereignty stretches the limits of your understanding, resist the temptation to make God fit comfortably within what you can comprehend. Search the Scriptures faithfully and allow the greatness and mystery of God to deepen your awe of Him. Remember your new identity. If you are in Christ, you have been forgiven, redeemed, adopted, and made a saint by God’s grace. Let what God has declared about you shape how you see yourself and how faithfully you live in a culture opposed to Christ. Preach God’s sovereignty to yourself when life feels unstable. Trials, suffering, uncertainty, and opposition do not mean God has lost control of His plan. Remember the sovereign grace that saved you as evidence that the God who began His work in you remains completely in control. Respond to grace with gratitude, faithfulness, worship, and peace. Amazing grace should never become so familiar that it stops affecting us. Regularly remember who you were apart from Christ and what God has done for you so that the gospel continues to stir your heart. Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Danny, Ian, and Sam discuss the final message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on Jesus’ call to make disciples. What does it actually mean to be a disciple of Jesus, and why is making disciples the central command of the Great Commission? We explored the difference between making attenders and making devoted followers of Christ, why discipleship is essential to the health and power of the church, and how every Christian can play a meaningful role in helping others take another step toward becoming more like Jesus.  Message Highlights:Jesus calls His church to make disciples, not simply converts or attenders. The central command of the Great Commission is to make disciples—people who are devoted learners, imitators, and followers of Jesus. Christianity is not merely about being saved from sin's penalty but increasingly being freed from sin's power as Christ is formed in us. Discipleship is essential to the health and power of the church. A church can grow numerically while remaining spiritually immature, but a community of mature disciples produces holiness, unity, devotion, and gospel impact. The goal is not simply a fuller church but a healthier, more powerful, God-glorifying church. Making disciples is a team effort in which every Christian has a role. The Great Commission was given to Christ's church, freeing individual Christians from believing they must accomplish the mission alone while also keeping them from becoming bystanders. Every believer can play their position by intentionally doing spiritual good in the lives of others and helping them become more like Jesus. Main Point: Be a devoted follower of Jesus who seeks to help others become devoted followers of Jesus.  Practical Application:Evaluate whether you are becoming a devoted follower of Jesus. Discipleship begins with personally learning from, imitating, and submitting to Christ. Don't settle for merely believing Christian truths or attending Christian gatherings; pursue increasing maturity and Christlikeness. Commit to the local church rather than remaining on the fringes. The church is not simply a service you consume but a body in which God has given every member a meaningful role. Commit yourself to relationships where others can help you mature and where your gifts can contribute to their maturity. Identify the people God has already placed around you. Disciple-making does not always require creating a new program or formal mentoring relationship. Ask who in your family, church, workplace, or circle of relationships you can intentionally help take another step toward Christlikeness. Look for opportunities to do deliberate spiritual good. Encourage someone with Scripture, pray faithfully for them, model godliness, invite them into your life, teach what God has taught you, or help them develop a spiritual discipline. Ordinary acts of intentional faithfulness can become significant tools God uses to form Christ in another person. Play your position passionately. You don't need to possess every spiritual gift, know every doctrine, or disciple everyone around you. Identify the particular opportunities and gifts God has entrusted to you and faithfully use them for the spiritual growth of others. Reject both the burden and bystander mentalities. You are not personally responsible for discipling everyone, so the Great Commission should not crush you with guilt. But because you are part of Christ's body, you also cannot assume someone else will always fulfill the responsibility God has given you. Value maturity more than momentum. Resist measuring the health of a church primarily by attendance, excitement, facilities, or visible growth. Celebrate people becoming increasingly devoted to God's Word, prayer, fellowship, holiness, service, and the mission of Christ. Embrace the multiplying potential of ordinary discipleship. Faithfully helping even one person become a more mature follower of Jesus can extend far beyond what you will ever personally see. Trust Christ to multiply the ordinary faithfulness of His people as He fulfills His promise to make disciples of the nations. Recommended Resources:Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoungDiscipling by Mark DeverThe Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Help us help you apply God’s Word. Ask a question to be answered in an upcoming episode. Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Michael, and Sam discuss the third message of our four-part Answering the Call series, focusing on what it means to actually prioritize Jesus as Lord in every area of our lives. What does Jesus mean when He tells us to seek first His kingdom, love Him above even our closest relationships, and count the cost of following Him? We explored the danger of a domesticated Christianity that wants Jesus as Savior without fully submitting to Him as Lord, how good things can quietly compete with our devotion to Christ, and why prioritizing Jesus necessarily reshapes our commitment to His church, His people, and His mission. Message Highlights: Jesus doesn't simply belong somewhere among our priorities—He is the priority that orders everything else. Jesus' calls to seek first His kingdom, love Him above family, and count the cost confront a Christianity that wants His benefits without surrendering to His lordship. Following Jesus means counting the cost rather than fitting Him conveniently into the life we already want. The narrow road of discipleship requires genuine surrender, but that costly obedience flows from grace rather than becoming a way of earning God's favor. Prioritizing Jesus necessarily changes how we prioritize His church. Hebrews presents regular gathering, exhortation, encouragement, and stirring one another toward love and good works as essential means God uses to keep His people faithfully following Christ. Main Point: Jesus-following people prioritize the work and worship of Jesus. Practical Application: Examine whether Jesus is truly first or simply one of several important priorities. Look honestly at your time, money, relationships, ambitions, and commitments and ask whether they are being ordered around Christ's kingdom or whether Christ is being fitted around them. Stop asking Jesus merely to bless the life you've already decided to pursue. Following Jesus means submitting our plans to His lordship and being willing for Him to redirect our goals, relationships, schedules, and ambitions. Pay attention to what your goals require you to sacrifice. Sports, careers, hobbies, education, and other pursuits can be good gifts, but something is out of order when pursuing a lesser priority consistently requires sacrificing what we claim matters more. Count the cost of discipleship without turning obedience into a means of earning salvation. Jesus calls His followers to costly surrender, but we follow Him from the security of His finished work rather than trying to prove ourselves worthy of Him. Take spiritual drift seriously. A lukewarm faith rarely appears overnight, so cultivate relationships and rhythms that regularly exhort, encourage, correct, and redirect your attention toward Christ. Prioritize meaningful involvement in the local church rather than merely occasional attendance. God has designed His people to function as a body in which every member contributes, so gathering, serving, encouraging, praying, giving, and developing relationships are meaningful parts of following Jesus. Consider what your priorities are teaching the people around you. Especially within families, what receives your consistent time, sacrifice, excitement, and commitment communicates what you actually believe is most valuable. Remember that costly discipleship is not the same thing as burdensome Christianity. Jesus may call us to sacrifice deeply for His kingdom, but we do so knowing His grace is sufficient, His finished work is secure, and following Him ultimately leads to life. Recommended Resources:Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoungDiscipling by Mark DeverThe Cost of Discipleship by Dietrich Bonhoeffer Help us help you apply God’s Word. Ask a question to be answered in an upcoming episode. Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Jake, Matthew, and Sam discuss the second message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on what it means to actually experience the rest Jesus offers by believing in the work of Jesus. What does Jesus mean when He promises rest for our souls while also calling us to a life of costly discipleship? In Matthew 11, Jesus gives three commands: “come to me,” “take my yoke,” and “learn from me.” We explored why Christianity can be hard without being heavy, how the finished work of Christ frees us from performance-driven faith, and what it looks like to live with genuine peace and confidence under the light and easy yoke of Jesus.  Message Highlights: Christianity is hard, but it is not heavy. Following Jesus involves sacrifice, suffering, opposition, and dying to ourselves, but we do not carry the crushing burden of earning God's acceptance or controlling the results. Under Christ's yoke, we can endure genuinely hard circumstances without being crushed because we are already loved, forgiven, and secure in Him. Jesus offers rest for our souls, not merely relief from our circumstances. Our deepest unrest comes from being made for God while looking to relationships, success, comfort, money, or even religion to provide what only He can give. Jesus does not simply offer to improve our circumstances; He restores us to the God for whom our souls were created. Taking Jesus' yoke means resting in Jesus' work. Jesus calls us to come to Him, take His yoke, and learn from Him—not to invite Him to carry the yoke of our own plans and priorities. The Christian life becomes crushing when we obsess over our performance, but Christ gives rest when we trust His finished work and live as people who are truly forgiven, adopted, loved, and secure. Main Point: To experience the rest of Jesus is to actually believe in the work of Jesus.  Practical Application: Ask what yoke is directing your life. Consider what most influences your emotions, priorities, decisions, and sense of worth. If your peace depends on success, approval, comfort, relationships, or your own spiritual performance, you may be carrying a yoke Jesus never asked you to bear. Come to Jesus rather than merely coming to Christian things. Church attendance, connection groups, Bible knowledge, and religious activity are good, but none are substitutes for personally coming to Christ. Take His invitation seriously: come to Him, submit yourself to Him, and learn from Him. Stop asking whether you are a good enough Christian and remember that Jesus is a sufficient Savior. Your confidence before God ultimately rests on Christ's performance rather than yours. When failure produces fear and condemnation, rehearse what Jesus has accomplished through His death and resurrection. Live like you are actually forgiven. Christ's finished work means your sin has truly been covered and there is no condemnation for those who are in Him. Refuse to carry guilt for sins Christ has already paid for, and let His grace lead you toward repentance and practical holiness. Live like you are actually loved and adopted. You do not need to prove your worth to God or impress Him enough to remain in His family. Let the security of being His child produce peace even when your circumstances are uncertain. Distinguish difficult circumstances from a heavy soul. Following Jesus does not promise an easy life, but hardship does not have to destroy your peace. When suffering comes, remember that the difficulty of the road does not mean Christ has removed His yoke or abandoned you along the way. Let grace fuel your pursuit of holiness. Practical holiness is not how you earn a holy position before God; it flows from the position Christ has already secured for you. Pursue obedience because you have been loved and accepted, not because you are trying to become lovable and acceptable. Recommended Resources: Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung Discipling by Mark Dever Help us help you apply God’s Word. Ask a question to be answered in an upcoming episode. Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Sam, Jake, and Michael discuss the first message of our four-part Answering the Call series, this week focusing on what it means to actually follow Jesus and how that should play out in our lives. There is a difference between simply professing faith in Christ and surrendering our lives to follow Him. In this message, we were invited to explore the cost of discipleship, the immediate response of Jesus’ first disciples, and why following Jesus is ultimately a joyful exchange: giving up the temporary treasures of our own kingdoms to gain the infinitely greater treasure of King Jesus.  Jesus calls ordinary, broken people to follow Him. Jesus did not wait for extraordinary or accomplished people to seek Him out; He graciously called ordinary fishermen and sinful people to come be with Him, learn from Him, and become like Him. Following Jesus is more than agreeing with truths about Him—it is attaching your entire life to the King. Message Highlights: Following Jesus will cost you everything, but Jesus is worth everything. The disciples immediately left their work, security, relationships, and familiar identities because Jesus Himself was calling them. Discipleship requires surrender, but it is not a miserable loss—it is a joyful exchange in which we give up lesser treasures because we gain Christ. The worth of Jesus makes the call to follow Him worth answering. The ultimate motivation for discipleship is not the purpose, adventure, or impact Jesus might give our lives, but Jesus Himself. When we see Him as the Messiah, King, Savior, and greatest treasure, surrender becomes the reasonable and joyful response to His call. Main Point: Actually follow Jesus. Practical Application: Examine whether your life matches your profession. Ask whether the priorities, habits, relationships, finances, and decisions of your life demonstrate that you actually follow Jesus. Following Christ cannot remain something we profess with our lips while denying with our lives. Identify what you are reluctant to surrender. Consider what comfort, relationship, possession, ambition, identity, or sin you would struggle to give up if obedience to Jesus required it. Bring those things honestly before Christ and remember that nothing you surrender compares with what you gain in Him. Respond to Jesus with obedience rather than delay. The fishermen responded immediately when Jesus called them, rather than waiting until following Him became convenient. When Scripture makes Christ's will clear, practice decisive obedience instead of continually finding reasons to postpone it. Pursue becoming like Jesus, not simply knowing about Jesus. A disciple learns from his teacher in order to become like his teacher. Let your time in Scripture, prayer, church community, and everyday obedience increasingly shape your character into the likeness of Christ. Remember who is calling you when discipleship becomes costly. Jesus does not merely ask you to abandon something; He invites you to gain Him. When obedience feels costly, rehearse the character, promises, authority, and worth of the King you are following. Choose the better kingdom every day. Following Jesus is not merely one decision made in the past but a lifetime of decisions that keep Christ at the center. Continually exchange the temporary comforts and treasures of your own kingdom for the lasting joy of living under King Jesus. Recommended Resources: Impossible Christianity by Kevin DeYoung Discipling by Mark Dever Help us help you apply God’s Word. Ask a question to be answered on an upcoming episode. Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Matt and Ian discuss the final message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on The Trap of Money. Scripture doesn't condemn wealth itself, but it repeatedly warns about the love of money and the false security it promises. Together, we discuss how families can pursue contentment, cultivate godliness, and treasure Christ above earthly riches so that they leave behind a legacy of faith that lasts for generations. Message Highlights:The love of money is a spiritual trap. Scripture warns that the desire to be rich leads people into temptation, spiritual ruin, and even wandering from the faith. Families must recognize that the greatest danger of wealth is not financial loss but allowing money to replace God as their hope and treasure. Contentment grows through pursuing godliness. Biblical contentment is not found by acquiring more possessions but by pursuing Christ and trusting that He is enough. As we seek godliness, we discover that our deepest satisfaction comes from belonging to Jesus rather than accumulating wealth. Our hope determines how we use what God has given us. When our confidence rests in Christ instead of earthly riches, we become generous, joyful stewards rather than fearful owners. God blesses His people not merely to increase their standard of living but to increase their capacity to do good and bless others. Main Point: Strong families aren’t built by pursuing earthly treasures, but the Greatest Treasure. Practical Application:Evaluate what your family is truly pursuing. Take an honest look at your calendar, budget, and conversations to determine whether your family is primarily investing in spiritual growth or simply pursuing a more comfortable lifestyle. Let your priorities reflect the kingdom of God rather than the values of the culture. Cultivate biblical contentment in your home. Regularly remind yourself and your children that contentment is found in Christ, not possessions. Teach the difference between needs and wants, and intentionally celebrate God's provision rather than constantly pursuing the next upgrade. Model generosity instead of accumulation. Look for practical ways to use your home, time, finances, and resources to bless others. Let your children see generosity as a normal expression of trusting God rather than something reserved for special occasions. Pursue a legacy of faith over financial success. Invest intentionally in discipling your children, praying with them, reading Scripture together, and helping them treasure Christ above everything else. A lasting spiritual inheritance is far more valuable than any financial inheritance you could leave behind. Examine where your hope is placed. Ask yourself whether your sense of security rises and falls with your bank account or with the unchanging promises of God. Repent wherever money has become a functional savior, and continually redirect your heart to the sufficiency of Christ. Practice generosity before it feels comfortable. Giving, serving, and sharing loosen the grip that money can have on our hearts. As you intentionally hold your resources with open hands, you will grow in trusting God as your true provider. Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore:The Household and the War for the CosmosGospel Powered ParentingMarriage by Paul David TrippRedeeming Money Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Matthew, Sam, and Ian discuss the second message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on Gospel-Reflecting Marriages. In this message, we explored God's design for marriage. In a culture that often treats marriage as a contract built around personal fulfillment, Scripture reveals marriage as a covenant designed to display the gospel. We heard how husbands and wives uniquely reflect Christ and the Church, why marriage ultimately exists for God's glory rather than our own happiness, and how worshiping Christ transforms the way we love, serve, and sacrifice for one another.  Message Highlights: Marriage is designed to reflect the gospel. God created marriage to be far more than a relationship centered on personal happiness or fulfillment. As husbands and wives faithfully live out their God-given roles, they put the relationship between Christ and His Church on display for a watching world. God calls husbands and wives to complementary responsibilities. Husbands are called to sacrificially love their wives as Christ loved the Church, while wives are called to joyfully respect and submit to their husbands as the Church submits to Christ. These complementary roles are not rooted in superiority or inferiority but in God's wise design to display the gospel. Christ-centered worship produces Christ-honoring marriages. The strength of a marriage is not ultimately determined by the character of a spouse but by the depth of each person's devotion to Christ. As husbands and wives revere Jesus above all else, the Holy Spirit enables them to love, forgive, serve, and persevere in ways that reflect God's grace. Main Point: Marriage is witness and worship. Practical Application: Examine what your marriage is communicating. Ask whether your relationship primarily reflects personal preferences, unmet expectations, and selfish ambitions or whether it increasingly points others to the beauty of Christ and His Church. Invite trusted believers to lovingly help you identify areas where your marriage can better display the gospel. Pursue Christ before pursuing change in your spouse. Instead of focusing on everything your husband or wife should do differently, devote yourself to growing in worship, obedience, and dependence upon Christ. A healthy marriage is built as each spouse takes responsibility for their own faithfulness before the Lord. Replace a contractual mindset with a covenantal one. Remember that biblical marriage is not sustained by keeping score or negotiating mutual obligations but by continually extending grace, forgiveness, and sacrificial love. Let your commitment be shaped by God's covenant faithfulness rather than by changing emotions or circumstances. Practice intentional habits that cultivate unity. Pray together regularly, spend time in God's Word together, confess sin quickly, and pursue reconciliation before bitterness has an opportunity to grow. Small acts of faithfulness repeated over time strengthen both your marriage and your witness. See your marriage as an act of worship. Every opportunity to forgive, serve, sacrifice, encourage, and love your spouse is ultimately an opportunity to honor Christ. Let your daily interactions become expressions of reverence for the One who first loved you and gave Himself for you. Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore: The Household and the War for the Cosmos Gospel Powered Parenting Marriage by Paul David Tripp Redeeming Money Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Matthew, Sam, and Ian discuss the second message of our four-part Families Built for War series, this week focusing on The Importance of Parenting. In this message, we examined the God-given mission of parenting. In a culture that often views children as interruptions, burdens, or projects to be managed, Scripture presents them as gifts entrusted to us for an eternal purpose. Together, we discuss how parents are called to make disciples by modeling authentic faith, intentionally teaching God's Word, and lovingly disciplining their children so that the next generation will know the Lord, place their hope in Him, and faithfully follow Him. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. Message Highlights: Children are God's gift with an eternal purpose. Scripture presents children as a blessing and a stewardship from the Lord, not as an inconvenience or merely another life decision. God entrusts parents with the privilege of raising children who know Him and live for His glory. Discipleship happens through everyday faithfulness. Deuteronomy 6 calls parents to saturate ordinary moments with conversations about God's character, His Word, and His faithfulness. Children are shaped most deeply when they consistently see and hear genuine devotion to Christ modeled in everyday life. Biblical discipline is an expression of love. Loving discipline is about far more than correcting behavior—it teaches children about God's authority, the seriousness of sin, and the beauty of repentance. When exercised consistently and graciously, discipline helps form hearts that are prepared to submit joyfully to the Lord. Main Point: Parenting is more than raising good children, it is making disciples of Jesus Christ. Practical Application: Evaluate your definition of success as a parent. Consider whether your greatest hopes for your children revolve around worldly achievements or spiritual maturity. Pray that your deepest desire would be to see them know Christ, treasure the gospel, and faithfully follow Him throughout their lives. Model the faith you want your children to embrace. Your children are constantly watching what you love, what you prioritize, and how you respond to both joy and hardship. Let them regularly see your dependence on Christ through repentance, prayer, worship, and a genuine love for God's Word. Redeem the ordinary moments of family life. Rather than viewing discipleship as limited to family devotions, intentionally use meals, car rides, bedtimes, celebrations, disappointments, and everyday conversations to point your children to God's truth and His faithfulness. These ordinary moments often become the most formative opportunities for shaping a child's heart. Discipline with eternity in view. View correction as an opportunity to shepherd your child's heart rather than merely changing outward behavior. Loving discipline helps children understand both the seriousness of sin and the grace available through Jesus Christ. Trust God with the results. Parents are called to faithfully plant, water, teach, and model the gospel, but only God can transform a heart. Find freedom in faithfully obeying God's calling while entrusting your children to His sovereign grace. Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore:The Household and the War for the CosmosGospel Powered ParentingMarriage by Paul David TrippRedeeming Money Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

This week on Beyond the Message, Garrett, Sam, and Michael discuss the opening message of our four-part Families Built for War series on The Power of the Family. We unpack the sermon's main points and go beyond yesterday with additional insight into the text. Message Highlights: God's faithfulness demands our wholehearted worship. Before Joshua calls Israel to choose whom they will serve, he reminds them that every blessing, victory, and provision they possess came entirely from the Lord's gracious hand. Right worship begins by remembering God's faithfulness, producing reverent fear and joyful obedience rather than self-reliance. Serving the Lord requires rejecting competing idols. Joshua exposes Israel's hypocrisy by confronting their desire to worship both the Lord and the false gods around them. Genuine allegiance to God always requires putting away the idols that compete for our hearts, whether they are ancient statues or modern pursuits like comfort, success, approval, or personal ambition. Christian families are called to intentionally cultivate faithfulness. Joshua's declaration, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord," demonstrates that faithful homes are built through intentional leadership, joyful obedience, and a shared commitment to God's purposes. Every member of the family has a God-given role that contributes to displaying His glory to the next generation. Main Point: A right ordering of the family begins with the right ordering of our worship. Practical Application: Evaluate the worship of your home. Ask whether your family's schedule, priorities, conversations, and decisions reveal wholehearted devotion to Christ or subtle allegiance to competing idols. Intentionally remove anything that consistently draws your hearts away from serving the Lord. Lead your family with eternal purpose. Whether you are a parent, spouse, grandparent, or child, faithfully embrace the responsibilities God has entrusted to you and intentionally cultivate a home where Christ is honored above all else. Resolve that your household will be known not for cultural success but for joyful obedience to the King. Referenced Resource: Identifying and Dismantling Idols - Tim Keller Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore: The Household and the War for the CosmosGospel Powered ParentingMarriage by Paul David TrippRedeeming Money Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

Sunday Worship & Prayer Service We gathered for a morning of church-wide Worship & Prayer centered on God's faithfulness, His saving grace, and His ongoing work of building His church. We spent an extended time in worship, Scripture reading, and guided prayer. We reflected on Ephesians 2:1–10, Ephesians 4:15–16, and Psalm 46.We remembered that we were once dead in our sins, but by God's rich mercy and amazing grace have been made alive with Christ—not because of anything we have done, but because of His gracious work on our behalf (Ephesians 2:1–10).  We thanked God for His salvation, rejoiced in the new life we have in Christ, and asked Him to continue shaping us into the people He has created us to be. We also prayed for the health and unity of our church as we considered God's design for His body in Ephesians 4:15–16. As every member speaks the truth in love and faithfully serves one another, Christ causes His church to grow into maturity.  We asked the Lord to strengthen our love for one another, deepen our commitment to His mission, and continue building His church for His glory. We spent time in prayer anchoring our hearts in the confidence of Psalm 46, remembering that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. No matter what uncertainties surround us, we can rest in the unchanging sovereignty of our God. We get to pray with confidence, trusting that the Lord of hosts is with us and that He alone is our refuge. Let's continue seeking the Lord together through worship, prayer, and the truth of His Word. We are thankful for a time to be together to glorify God, encourage one another, and depend on Him together. Referenced links: Postures of Praise Podcast( Link this to that text: https://www.veritaschurch.org/resources/podcast/postures-of-praise )

1 John 5:18-21 In closing this letter, John reminds believers that confidence in the Christian life is not found in themselves but in Christ. In a world filled with uncertainty, deception, and shifting values, Christians can live with unwavering assurance because they are protected by Christ, belong to God, know the truth through Jesus, and are called to guard their hearts from anything that competes with their worship of Him.  Message Highlights: Our confidence rests in Christ's protection. Believers can face a hostile world with confidence because Jesus faithfully keeps His people and the evil one cannot ultimately overcome them. Our security is found in Christ's grip on us, not our grip on Him. Our identity is secure because we belong to God. Christians are no longer defined by the world but by their relationship with the Father. Knowing we are God's possession provides stability even when the world around us is unstable. Jesus gives us true understanding and lasting purpose. Christ came so that we might truly know God and enjoy a genuine relationship with Him. Real certainty comes from knowing the One who is true rather than chasing the false promises of the world. Guarding against idolatry protects our confidence. John ends his letter by warning believers to keep themselves from idols because misplaced worship always undermines assurance. The more we treasure God above everything else, the more firmly we stand in an uncertain world. Main Point: Intimacy with God is the key to certainty in a world of instability. Practical Application: Anchor your confidence in Christ instead of your circumstances. When life feels unstable, remember that your security is rooted in Jesus' faithfulness, not your own strength. Let His promises shape your confidence rather than your circumstances. Pursue intimacy with God every day. Spend regular time in God's Word and prayer, knowing that closeness with Him strengthens your assurance and keeps your heart fixed on what is true. As you draw near to Him, you will grow in confidence that He is holding you fast. Identify and reject competing idols. Examine the things that most capture your affection, trust, and hope, and ask whether they are replacing God in your heart. Turn from anything that promises security apart from Christ. Live as someone who belongs to God. Remember that your identity is not determined by the world, your performance, or your failures but by your relationship with Christ. Let that certainty produce steadfastness, hope, and joyful obedience. Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore:1 John - The Gospel-Centered Life in the Bible1-3 John - Knowing The Bible 12 Week Study1,2, & 3 John For You - God’s Word For YouDon’t Follow Your Heart1, 2, and 3 John: Joyful Certainty: 7-Session Bible Study1-3 John ESV Scripture Journal Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!

1 John 5:14-17 In 1 John 5:14-17, John encourages believers to approach God with confidence because of the assurance they have in Christ. Rather than treating prayer as a way to accomplish our own agendas, Christians are invited to trust God's will, intercede for fellow believers, and rest in the character of a faithful Father who hears and answers according to His perfect purposes.  Message Highlights: Confident prayer is grounded in our relationship with God. Our confidence in prayer is rooted in the finished work of Christ and the assurance of eternal life, not in our own worthiness. Because we belong to God, we can approach Him with boldness and trust that He hears us. Confident prayer submits to God's will. Prayer is not about persuading God to accomplish our plans but about aligning our hearts with His purposes. Like Jesus in Gethsemane, believers learn to pray, "Not my will, but yours be done." Prayer is one of God's primary means of caring for His people. John calls believers to pray for brothers and sisters who are struggling with sin, demonstrating that Christian love moves toward others through faithful intercession. God uses the prayers of His people as part of His restoring work. Our response to sin shapes our confidence before God. John distinguishes between a heart that continually confesses sin and one that hardens itself against God. The invitation for every believer is to walk in the light, confess sin, and enjoy the confidence that comes through Christ. Main Point: Confident Christians pray and trust God’s will. Practical Application: Evaluate what shapes your prayers. Ask whether your prayers are primarily centered on your own desires or on God's kingdom and His will. Practice surrendering your requests with confidence that His purposes are always better than your own. Make intercession a regular expression of loving others. Instead of merely worrying about struggling believers, intentionally bring them before the Lord in prayer. Trust that God is able to accomplish what you never could through your own efforts. Confess sin quickly and honestly. Don't allow hidden sin to erode your confidence before God. Walk in the freedom of repentance, knowing that Christ has already secured your forgiveness. Approach God with confidence, not fear. Because Jesus is your Advocate, you do not need to wonder whether God welcomes you into His presence. Come boldly to Him, trusting His character and resting in His grace. Resources Currently Available at the Veritas Church Bookstore: 1 John - The Gospel-Centered Life in the Bible1-3 John - Knowing The Bible 12 Week Study1,2, & 3 John For You - God’s Word For YouDon’t Follow You Heart1, 2, and 3 John: Joyful Certainty: 7-Session Bible Study1-3 John ESV Scripture Journal Do you have a question you want us to address? Submit it now!