The Commands of Christ Podcast

There are two common responses we have to the Law of God: we summon our will power to try to do the Law; or, we assume it “doesn’t apply to us”, and we throw it out. But what is God’s purpose for the Law? Join Nate and Gabe as they talk about the purpose God has for His Law and how it applies to us in our day! In a day and age where rules are subjective and there are no absolutes, the church needs...

It’s been said, “You can’t save someone who doesn’t want to be saved.” A huge part of God’s purpose for His Law is that it exposes us. We need to be exposed! If we didn’t have the Law of God to expose us, we wouldn’t know that we were sinners, and we wouldn’t know our need for a Savior! In a day and age where rules are subjective and there are no absolutes, the church needs more than ever to learn...

What comes to your mind when you think of the Law of God? Is it the rulebook of a harsh task master to His slaves? Or is it an expression of the love and nature of God to a people who He desires to know Him? Join Nate and Gabe as they talk about how your view of God will determine your view of His Law. In a day and age where rules are seen as subjective and absolutes are disregarded, the church ne...

Missionary C.T. Studd wisely stated, “The light that shines farthest shines brightest nearest home.” The light that shines in our public life will be greatly determined by whether or not our light is shining in our private life. Can those in your home testify to seeing the light of Jesus in you? In scripture we see that God is Light and Jesus is Light. It is almost shocking then when we hear Jesus...

One of the most important aspects of letting our light shine before men is this: in order to be light, we need to first be filled with light. Consider a lamp in the Bible times – in order to give light, it needed to first be filled with oil. In the same way, we were not designed to produce light; we were made to simply contain light. As we walk in relationship with the God who is Light, we are fil...

Does our behavior determine our identity? Or does our identity determine our behavior? Ephesians 5:8 says that we were darkness, but now we are light! It follows that by saying “Walk as children of the light.” Join Nate and Gabe as they discuss the exchange of identities that we have been given in the Lord, and how this exchange ought to impact our behavior! In scripture we see that God is Light a...

We often blame someone or something else for the corruption that we see in the world (politicians, Hollywood, etc.). But Jesus declared that we are the salt of the earth and the light of the world! The purpose of salt is to preserve things, and the purpose of light is to illuminate darkness. Join Nate and Gabe as they discuss our identity as salt and light. In scripture we see that God is Light an...

Have you ever wondered what would have happened to Paul and Silas if they had not chosen to rejoice during that dark night in prison? In view of their circumstances, they could have sat back and complained. But in this story, we see that the power of rejoicing in suffering is great and glorious! When we rejoice, we invite God's presence into a situation. When we do this, not only are we set free,...

As we engage with God in the classroom of rejoicing, one of the first things He will do is change our perspective on suffering and persecution. From our human perspective, suffering and persecution threaten our happiness and comfort. They don’t feel good. However, joy is not a feeling. Joy is a choice. In trials, we can choose to rejoice, despite our feelings. God longs to mature us so that instea...

How do we prepare for suffering and persecution? Consider how you would train for lifting weights – you would start with small weights and increase from there. In the same way, God desires to train us in the small things. The best preparation for rejoicing in the bigger tests and trials in life is by rejoicing in our day-to-day lives. By rejoicing everything right now, we will be prepared to rejoi...

Have you ever thought of joy as being a part of persecution and suffering? In this command, it is. As ironic as this sounds, the command to rejoice is an invitation to hope and courage during  trials. Enduring persecution and suffering for the sake of Christ conforms us to His image, and secures eternal rewards. Join Gabe and Nate as they explore the rich treasures of the command of Christ, Rejoic...

While he’s best known for his role in the movies Fireproof and Courageous , Ken Bevel's story goes far beyond these films. Growing up in Jacksonville, Florida, Ken’s family did not have a lot of money, but they were happy. This all began to change when Ken’s dad started to drink. Alcohol led to drugs and things began to spiral downward in his home.  By age 17, Ken found his life heading toward dis...

Our focus determines our effectiveness. Just as a sheep will only follow one shepherd, so we as believers in Christ can only follow one Lord. It is easy to think we are following Jesus when, in reality, many other things compete with how we follow Him. These can include relationships, possessions, or even ministry. Following Jesus with all our hearts means that He is our central focus. In this, ou...

Are we willing to follow Jesus wherever He leads? Or do we say that we trust Him while we reserve the right to make our own decisions? Following Jesus means trusting Christ to determine the direction of our lives -- even when it doesn’t make sense. Join Nate and Gabe as they talk about following the Shepherd Who is trustworthy. As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him i...

Following Jesus is about getting to know and listening to His voice. Listening takes time — and it competes with the many noises and distractions of a busy life. But if we take the time to still our hearts and listen to God’s voice, we will learn to trust Him and follow where He leads. Join Nate and Gabe as they share examples of what it means to follow Christ. As we follow Christ, we find that th...

When Jesus approached two fishermen with a life-changing call, they embraced the call wholeheartedly. To these men, following Jesus meant a complete change of identity and purpose. Jesus gives the same invitation to those who desire to follow Him today. As we follow Christ, we find that the key to reaching others for Him is being filled with Him! When we give God the right to guide, lead, and dire...

Used over 150 times in Scripture, "grace" is perhaps one of the most important words in the entire Bible! But what is the grace of God, and how does it function in our lives as believers? In this episode, Gabe Cleator and Eric Ludy dig deep into the vital topic of grace. Just as a diamond has many facets, the grace of God has many different aspects. When we just take one aspect of grace and claim...

How would you describe the vibrancy of your love for the Lord? Is it more vibrant now than when you first got saved, or has it grown cold? Join Nate and Gabe as they discuss how the goal of repentance is restoration of our relationship with the God of the Universe. One way that we can lose our intimate relationship with God is by becoming too focused on our serving and losing focus on the God Whom...

“Sow a thought, reap an action; sow an action, reap a habit; sow a habit, reap a character; sow a character, reap a destiny.” — Stephen Covey. Do you realize that the thoughts you think actually determine the destiny of your life? We may assume that our thoughts are harmless and don’t affect our lives much, but the exact opposite is true! Join Gabe and Nate as they talk about how our thoughts lead...

Have you ever wondered where a desire to seek the Lord and a longing to abide in His Word comes from? Do you long to experience these desires? Listen as Gabe and Nate explain how the command of Christ to repent answers these crucial questions. In the command repent, we see our desperate need for the Word of God to dwell preeminently in our minds and hearts. Why? Scripture tells us that God’s Word...

So often, when we think of repentance, we think of “cleaning up our lives” or “getting our acts together.” We tend to “try harder” to change our lives by building better habits. This may work for a time, but it always ends in defeat. Sorrow or grief over sin is another aspect of repentance that we often focus on. When the Lord convicts us of sin in our lives, it is all too easy to fall into depres...

In this episode, we focus on a liberating truth: when we abide in Christ, and His Words abide in us, this gives the Holy Spirit the ability to produce His fruit in and through us. Why is this so liberating? It’s liberating because God's calling for believers is not to produce fruit. His calling is that they bear fruit. It’s important to note that fruit is not a byproduct of self-effort; fruit is t...

Do you walk in fellowship with the Lord throughout the day? In reality, as we face hectic workweeks and busy weekends, how do we abide in Christ? In this episode, we discuss how abiding in Christ is more than simply reading a chapter of Scripture and having a quick prayer time in the morning. It is maintaining a constant connection with Christ that revitalizes us and gives us purpose all day long....

Does your spiritual productivity seem constricted and fighting to flourish? In this episode, we discuss how the only way to experience an intimate relationship with God the way He intended, is by making Christ Himself our source of life. In our world today, there are so many competing things to do that can quickly become the most important thing to us. These things can crowd out our relationship w...

Are you tired of trying to live the Christian life in your own strength and failing? Is your spiritual life dry and fruitless? In this episode, learn how abiding in Christ is all about receiving the life and work of Christ, so that He can live through us and our lives can be a reflection of Him. The basic definition of the word “abide” means “to dwell.” Our dwelling place is not where our physical...