revivanary

This week we begin a series of podcasts about the topic of adoption. On today's podcast we have Emily Myers sharing part of their families experience with fostering and adoption. A few years ago Emily and her husband Daniel adopted three children that they added to the there own three children they already had. Now a family of eight, Emily shares the joys, the struggles, the excitement, and the te...

This study focuses on Revelation 11:7-13

The Church is the family which we are "born again" into. It is not our carefully crafted, personally percolated, acutely articulated design; it is God Almighty who places each member of the body where He chooses for His purpose. Too often we try to create a particular "vibe" in order to attract a specific demographic or societal subset into our congregations to appeal to our own selfish, prideful...

On today's episode special guest Dave Webb joins us as we discuss Paul's words to Timothy, specifically his instruction to Timothy on how pastors must endure conflict with the grace of God. It is very easy to be offended as a pastor, as it is very often that the parishioners will experience suffering in life that spills over into the treatment of the pastor and other church members. While we must...

On today's episode we continue the discussion on being introverted. We have a tendency to view other people as being superior to us because of the talents and traits they possess that we do not. For the introvert, they often feel that because they aren't an extrovert that they are weak, and therefore they cannot be effective for the Lord. Our podcast today focuses on how God has uniquely and wonde...

Do you ever find it hard to live in today because you are so overwhelmed about what may happen tomorrow? Jesus spoke directly to this subject, telling us to just focus on today's problems because we cannot foresee the future and what it holds. I am sure that many relate to the crippling anxiety brought on by the constant thoughts of what may happen tomorrow, fears based off of our past experience...

Irrational fears. We all deal with them. We make something out of nothing and live as if the nothing is something. On today's podcast we will address the effect that irrational fears have on the believer and discuss how we can overcome them. David gives us a formula in Psalm 34 for how to handle fear, both real and imagined fear, and we will break that down in our episode today. 

Jesus did not stand at a distance and comment on the people around him, complaining and ridiculing them for their sin. He actively loved them, even going so far as touching and allowing Himself to be touched by the unclean. Running afoul of the law keepers, the legalists of His day, Jesus taught the Church a very important lesson about what loving God looks like; it is all about showing His love t...

Yes, I know the title is not a real word, and yes we will explain what it means in the podcast. In the meantime, let me introduce today's topic. Introvert. One who is shy. On today's podcast we discuss the introverted believer and how that affects the process of being member of a church family, a witness in the world, and making disciples. We discuss the reason, the cause if you will for introvert...

Paul makes a bold statement in Romans 15:17. He states that all of his work that he is proud of was done "in Christ". Join us as we discuss Paul's "accomplishments" in his work as a Pharisee before coming to Christ, and how being born again changed his outlook and his trajectory in life. 

Have you ever noticed how much some people love to expose the mistakes, wrongs, failures, weaknesses, and flaws of others? It is as if they feel it is their duty to make sure and sniff out and reveal every inadequacy they can possibly find in someone. When this attitude and activity finds it's way into the Church it has devastating consequences, both inside and outside of the Church. Jesus command...

How many times have you heard Galatians 5:13 used to warn Christians to not think they can go about sinning because of grace? A simple reading of the whole verse tells us that the meaning is in reference to how believers treat other believers. Why are we so eager to find fault in others? Why do we gleefully listen to gossip and secretly hope it is true? Jesus specifically said He did not come to c...

On today's podcast, Braden Howard joins us to discuss the topic of allowing the Lord to "plant" us, to let the Lord place us where He wants us and to permit Him to use us according to His will. Many times in life we will find ourselves in places we would not have chosen for ourselves because of discomfort caused by the situation or circumstances. If we walk away from those moments prematurely, dec...

On today's episode we have special guest Ellie Anderson joining us to have an open and honest discussion about her struggles with anxiety. Ellie is a 17 year old senior in high school. Her story is a very powerful testimony about the reality of mental health and the wonderful progress she made in dealing with it. She credits her faith, family, and therapy for all working together to help her make...

Do you tell the truth? What I mean by that is do you as a believer share the truth of God's love with others or do you tell them another story: do you share the love of God or do you seek to bring condemnation and assign guilt and shame? Jesus told a group of Pharisees and scribes one day that they were children of the devil, whom he called a liar and murderer from the beginning. They were lying t...

Of all people, believers should exude happiness. Why is it then that many see believers as miserable, unhappy people? On today's episode we dive into the discussion of why this perception is held, the evidence for why it is believed, and the root cause of the unhappiness. We will discuss the biblical reasons for why the believer should be the happiest of all people, and attempt to uncover the dark...

As believers we must always be on watch, vigilant to protect our minds from thoughts that run contrary to the will of God. It is so easy for us to fall into the trap of negativity. We become so consumed with what the enemy brings into our minds. We begin to believe the lies that he tells us about ourselves and others. The only hope we have is to remain firmly planted on the only true and sure foun...

What "nations" is Paul referring to in Romans 15? Is there no desire from God for His people to reach the lost because of the place where they were born? Do we as believers get to become the sole arbiters of God's sovereign will in regards to who gets to be redeemed and who doesn't based off of whether or not we "like" or "agree" with them? Join us as we discuss these questions and more in today's...

Today's podcast is a difficult one. My wife, Jennifer Warren, shares her story of being abused and how that affected her life. So many people in our world have been hurt in so many ways. Far too often we turn away from them because their behavior is off putting or they are difficult to deal with, never realizing the trauma they have endured that has caused them to be the way they are. I hope that...

Statistics report that many young people have begun to abandon the church. Part of that is cultural, parents have made church an option instead of a priority therefor their children do not see church life as necessary. Another aspect is equally as troubling; many churches have been derelict in the duty of embracing and developing the young men and women in their church. I suppose it's a case of "t...

As believers we must be careful not to fall into the trap of being surface level; making sure our exterior appears clean and free of stain while ignoring the ugly self that far too often controls our words and actions. So often unbelievers refuse to respect so called "believers" because they try to make themselves appear to be something they are not. We are not believers because of what we do or d...

The topic of predestination is a difficult one for many. Questions about why God allows things to happen if He knows beforehand can be debilitating. It's the age old question of "why does a good God allow bad things to happen"? On today's podcast we discuss the omniscience of God, the inability of humanity to see and understand how God's will works out, and how love is the motivating factor in pre...

Often times believers avoid the "mirror"...looking into the Bible to check and see if their reflection is like that of Jesus. Sometimes the most critical people can be those who claim a faith in the goodness and mercy of God. On today's podcast, we will hear about how Jesus made it clear that we have plenty to keep us busy just trying to work on ourselves and how we are not called to find fault bu...

Sometimes it seems like the Church forgets that their mission is to reach the lost, not just care for themselves. Paul faced down the doctrine of the  traditionalists that sought to protect their righteousness from the outsiders, the Gentiles. Of all people to stand up for and reach out to the "pagans", Paul the famous Pharisee does a complete turn around after being born again and begins to...

Many people have been negatively affected by the modern churches attempts to bridge Christ and culture. When you try to accomplish spiritual goals by using carnal systems you are bound for trouble. Whether it is skinny jeans and smoke machines or hymns and not thems, so many people have been wounded because we tried to present Christ through trend and tradition. When you attempt to separate Christ...