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De-Greecing the Church
By David PawsonFrom modern day politics, sports, and culture to the mindset of the church towards "heaven", the resurrection, and the Kingdom of God, the Greeks have had a significant effect on the way that we perceive the world.
The Bible was written by Hebrews, but we tend to view it through Greek glasses and come away with wrong understanding as a result. In this teaching, English author and teacher David Pawson speaks on the influence that Greek philosophy and culture has on the church beginning early after Jesus' ascension all the way up through modern day. His simple and easy to...
Deception and the Preeminence of Jesus
By Josh HawkinsThe same question Jesus asked His disciples 2,000 years ago is the same one He is posing to us today. "Who do you say that I am?" Answering this question correctly is essential for the believer, especially because of the hour that we live in.
In this teaching, Josh highlights the identity of Jesus and His equality with God as the primary issue of deception at the end of the age. Currently we are witnessing four general negative trends today that must be viewed as nothing short of a full-blown crisis in light of the coming delusion spoken about in the Scriptures.
Our only...
Episode 35 - John the Baptist and the Maccabean Revolt
By Josh HawkinsIn 166BC, the Jews revolted against their Greek oppressors in a time historians call the Maccabean Revolt. After the Jews violently fought and regained control of Jerusalem, leaders would be set in place over the next century that would cause Israel to stray from the Lord, setting the stage for a Roman takeover in 63BC. Learn more in this episode about what happened and why it's significant to the life and message of John the Baptist and the broader story of the Gospels.
Biblical Foundations of "Messiah" and "Christ"
In today's culture, "Christ" is often a synonym for "Jesus" or perhaps His last name. "Messiah" is a synonym for "Savior" and often just means "the one who died on the cross for us". While there is some measure of truth to those things, "Christ" and "Messiah" have largely been misunderstood. You may be surprised when you find out what the Bible is really saying when the scriptures use those words!
This video is a supplement to Episode 21 of Opening Up the Gospels. Watch the original episode...
Episode 52 - The Woman at the Well
By Josh HawkinsJesus heads north to Galilee after John the Baptist was imprisoned, but first passes through Samaria. Unlike His reception in Jerusalem, Jesus was joyfully received by the Samaritan people. This episode discusses the significance of Jesus' exchange with the woman near Jacob's well.
Episode 1 - Christianity and True Friendship
In this premiere episode of my weekly video series, Opening Up the Gospels, I talk about the first of four reasons why I'm doing a series on the life of Jesus as seen in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John instead of other hot topics like grace, prayer, or hell. I discuss what it means to actually have a relationship with Jesus and how it must be based on real, substantial knowledge of His life and words. As Christians, we ought to treasure the details of His life simply because we confess that we love Him.
Episode 49 - The Cleansing of the Temple
By Josh HawkinsThe very first, overtly public act of Jesus' ministry was the cleansing of the Temple in Jerusalem. Jesus drove out money changers and those selling animals, indicting the Jewish authorities and asserting His authority over the temple. Learn why this event is so important to the story of the Gospels in this episode.
IHOP-KC Prayer Room Funny - Lasers
January 6, 2010, 6am set, Justin Rizzo leading, I'm playing keys. We're praying for California's college campuses, and we get into a cool groove with the horns. Earlier in the cycle, Justin gets on the talkback mic and asks me to try to come up with a sound he first described like "lasers", but then said "well, not lasers, but you know what I mean". I found a sound that worked, but I also found a laser sound.
There was a particularly light mood in the prayer room that morning.
The funny moment is where the laser sound blares at 0:41. The remainder of the video is the rest of...
The Priesthood of Humanity
By Josh HawkinsGenesis 2 says that God set Adam in the Garden in Eden to "tend and keep" it. Contrary to our modern assumption, God created Adam with much more than farming in mind. Adam's primary created purpose was that of a priest - ministering to God in a sanctuary.
Rightly understanding Adam as the model for all of humanity's created purpose as priests brings clarity to the reason for the increase of night and day prayer across the globe today.
From the assimilation of God into our worldview to the purpose of our worship, Josh develops and traces this biblical foundation established...
Episode 37 - The Message of John the Baptist, part 2
By Josh HawkinsThe significance of John's message to the nation of Israel is only heightened when we see that he is baptizing. Yet it is important to remember the audience of his proclamation was not Gentiles, but the Jews, the physical descendants of Abraham. This episode examines the importance of baptism and how offensive it would have been for John to call the Jews to be baptized.
Resources sorted by total number of views today.
The 30 silent years of Jesus - what it means for us
By Josh HawkinsScripture’s hush regarding the first 30 years of Jesus’ life can speak volumes to us if we have ears to listen (see my earlier article here). There is a great feast of the knowledge of God at the table of Christ’s early years as a growing man. Various facets of His family life, the customs of Galilee, the geography of Nazareth, and the religious culture of the Jewish people collectively paint for us an informative picture of what Jesus’ days might have been like. The loud silence heard in these...
Biblical Foundations of "Messiah" and "Christ"
In today's culture, "Christ" is often a synonym for "Jesus" or perhaps His last name. "Messiah" is a synonym for "Savior" and often just means "the one who died on the cross for us". While there is some measure of truth to those things, "Christ" and "Messiah" have largely been misunderstood. You may be surprised when you find out what the Bible is really saying when the scriptures use those words!
This video is a supplement to Episode 21 of Opening Up the Gospels. Watch the original episode...
Episode 102 - The Parable of Dishonest Manager
By Josh HawkinsWhile still in Bethany Beyond the Jordan, Jesus gives a story to the tax collectors and sinners who had surrounded Him to hear His words. Through the story of the Dishonest Manager, Jesus teaches them to be prudent and wise with their wealth, unlike the Pharisees who loved money. This episode develops the parable and the words following it found in Luke 16.
Episode 36 - The Message of John the Baptist, part 1
By Josh HawkinsThe story of John the Baptist precedes the ministry of Jesus in all four Gospels and is critical for rightly understanding why Jesus says what He says and does what He does. John speaks to the people of Israel of soon judgment and gives an urgent plea for repentance. The God of Israel was coming in person to reckon with His people and divide them. This episode begins to develop the details of John's message to Israel, some of which may be surprising to you!
The heavenly armies at Jesus' birth
By Josh HawkinsThe Christmas story evokes so many beautiful emotions in us this time of year. For those who have eyes to see, Jesus' humble birth fills us with joy and stuns us with amazement. What churned in the heart of the LORD of glory to be born in such lowliness?
Amazement was also a common reaction of many in the four Gospel accounts. Whether it was because of Jesus' gracious words and wisdom (Luke 4:22) or His miraculous deeds (Matthew 8:27; Luke 9:43; Luke 24:41), the crowds, single individuals, and His inner core of disciples were constantly astonished by Him.
The events...
The Passover Feast
By Josh HawkinsIn Exodus 12, God commands the people of Israel to hold a yearly feast remembering their slavery in Egypt and God's miraculous deliverance of the entire nation after the death of all of the firstborn of Egypt. This short teaching on the significance and simplicity of the "mechanism" of the Passover meal was given to a group of students at Texas A&M University in April 2019.
The politicizing of the church
By Josh HawkinsThe church and the state have become increasingly entangled since Constantine's rise to power in Europe in the early 4th century. Theologians call this time the Constantinian shift where Christianity was adopted as the state religion of the Roman Empire. As Christianity was legalized, persecution virtually stopped. The church began to acquire power, wealth, and land in Europe like never before. Theology was altered and the "spiritual interpretation" hermeneutic began to take root, dramatically affecting the church'...
Our invitation into the knowledge of God
By Josh HawkinsUnderstanding how God feels, thinks, acts, and who He is in His nature radically changes the way we live our lives. Our view of ourselves, others and life in general is fundamentally and profoundly affected by our idea or view of God. A.W. Tozer says that “all of the problems of heaven and earth, though they were to confront us together and at once, would be nothing compared with the overwhelming problem of God: That He is; what He is like and what we as moral beings must do about Him. The man who comes to a right belief about God is relieved of ten thousand temporal problems.”
In...
Episode 50 - Jesus and Nicodemus
By Josh HawkinsAt some point after Jesus cleanses the Temple, He meets with Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. In this well-known scene in John 3, Jesus corrects Nicodemus' confidence and hope. Jesus was indeed the Messiah but would not establish His kingdom by an insurrection, and adherence to the Law of Moses qualify anyone to be a part of it. With a historical and biblical background, Jesus' words with Nicodemus take on a meaning that is quite different from the understanding of many today.
Finding contentment in riches and poverty
By Josh HawkinsSince the Renaissance and the Enlightenment when numerous scientific discoveries and social advancements were made, Western culture has increasingly been marked by progress, convenience, and abundance. According to the UNU-WIDER study on The World Distribution of Household Wealth from December 2006, America and Europe comprise only 15% of the world's total population yet possess 66% of the world's wealth. Information is accessible at our fingertips or just down the road in a library. We ate breakfast this morning and don't have to worry about where...