The Commands of Christ Podcast

What does it mean to deny yourself? And what does it look like to deny yourself daily ? Listen as Nate and Gabe discuss the freedom that comes when we forget ourselves and our own interests and begin to live for the Lord’s purposes. At the core of this command to “Deny Yourself” is that we learn to say “no” to ourselves and “yes” to Jesus every time. Simply put, to deny self is to look away from s...

Do you ever hear the words “deny yourself” and interpret them to mean something austere and lifeless? In this episode, Nate and Gabe will challenge you to think about the lifegiving implications of Jesus’ command to Deny Yourself. Where living for self brings bondage, depression, and darkness, you will see that turning from self and following Jesus brings life, and joy and peace. Simply put, to de...

We can know a lot about God, but information doesn’t change us. One of the Greek words used in Scripture for the word know is “ginosko.” The meaning is deep and beautiful and refers to something beyond just knowing information — it is an experiential knowing, a knowing that changes us. In this episode, Nathan Johnson testifies to the fact that your Christian life will change dramatically once you...

How are we to deal with the compromise, the hypocrisy, the unbelief (i.e., the leaven) in our lives? In this episode, Nate and Gabe give encouragement on how to allow the Lord to search our hearts, expose us, and bring us back into fellowship and communion with Him in every area of our lives. As we humble ourselves under His Word, He will replace the leaven with His truth. Do you seek to keep cert...

It has been said that “Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay.” Beware of the lie that “little things” are not a big deal. In this episode, Nate and Gabe will expound on the fact that, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” Do you seek to keep certain things hidden so people will have a good opinion of you? Do...

Jesus said that the leaven of the Pharisees was hypocrisy. They loved the praise of men, they looked good on the outside, they did and said all the right things, but inwardly they missed the mark! Hypocrisy is very connected to pride - “I want to look better than I am.” In this episode, Nate and Gabe exhort us to ask ourselves the question, “Is there leaven in me?” Do you seek to keep certain thin...

What is leaven? And what are its effects? In this new study on the command of Christ to “Beware of Leaven”, Nate and Gabe will take a deeper look into the metaphorical “leaven” in our own lives. Leaven is something very small that grows in secret, and ends up permeating the whole.   Do you seek to keep certain things hidden so people will have a good opinion of you? Do you care more about looking...

The question needs to be addressed: how do we honor parents or in-laws who are difficult? If we really want to honor our parents, we need to walk in forgiveness toward them. This episode is packed with encouraging truth! Listen as Nate and Gabe give encouragement on how God desires to free us from bitterness toward our parents and enable us to honor them even in difficult situations. In a day wher...

It is important to  see that not only does Scripture address those under authority - it also addresses those in authority. Being in a position of authority is a weighty responsibility. Parents are accountable before God for how they lead their children. Listen as Nate and Gabe discuss how one of the greatest ways to encourage your children to honor you is by living and walking in an honoring way....

It is all too common for us to have a list of excuses for why we don’t have to honor our parents. While there may be situations in which we need to “obey God rather than men”, most often we are just looking for an excuse because honoring them is hard and uncomfortable. It all boils down to our heart - if our heart is to honor our parents, we will look for ways to do it. In a day where it is cultur...

Honor is not just an outward action; it is something generated in a heart that is humble before God. Honoring our parents will flow from a heart that is honoring God. In this episode, Nate and Gabe will share important truths from the Word of God on this often overlooked command. As we humble ourselves before God and choose to give honor to our parents, we will see His blessing on our lives. In a...

Have you ever pondered the meekness, lowliness, and humility of Christ? In this episode, Nate and Gabe open up several scriptures revealing the humility of Jesus. As you listen, your heart will be moved to yield more fully to the One who’s description of Himself was “meek and lowly in heart.” One of the marks of a person who is walking yoked to Jesus is this same humility and meekness. What is the...

The key to walking the Christian life is learning that it is not about me - it’s not about my effort, my abilities, my strength. It’s about yielding and surrendering to the ability and strength of Christ. Join Nate and Gabe as they explore more of the beauty of allowing our weakness and inability to be yoked to the power of Christ.  What is the fruit of a life that has come to Jesus and taken His...

How is it that Christ’s yoke is easy and His burden is light? The key is realizing Who we are being yoked to. As we are yoked together with the Lord Jesus, He does the heavy lifting - He is the One who carries the weight and responsibility of fulfilling God’s commands. He does in and through us what we could never do on our own.  What is the fruit of a life that has come to Jesus and taken His yok...

Have you ever considered what it means to be yoked to Christ? The picture is a beautiful one – an immature, inexperienced ox being yoked together with a mature ox full of experience and strength. Join Nate and Gabe as they explore the precious implications of being yoked with Christ. This command is an invitation to rest and relationship.  What is the fruit of a life that has come to Jesus and tak...

Have you ever asked the question, “How do I know if God is speaking to me?” This is a very important question! Sometimes we can get confused by our own thoughts, our own desires, or our own feelings. Listen in on this episode as Nate and Gabe discuss key truths we can employ to confirm the Lord’s speaking and direction in our lives. One of the biggest things that will motivate us to turn aside fro...

We know from Scripture that God wants to speak to His children. But what hinders us from hearing God’s voice? Join Nate and Gabe as they share key hindrances that block our ability to hear from God. We may feel like God doesn’t speak to us, however often the problem is that we cannot hear Him because we are listening to something else. One of the biggest things that will motivate us to turn aside...

Have you ever wondered “How do I learn to recognize God’s voice?” or “How do I know what God’s voice sounds like?” In this episode Nate and Gabe share encouraging truth on this topic. If you were to hear your parent’s voice over a phone, you would know in an instant who it was. But how? Because you’ve spent time listening to them! It is the same with God — as we take time to listen to His Word, we...

There is a big difference between hearing with your ear and perceiving with your heart. When Jesus said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear,” He wasn’t just talking about physical ears. God doesn’t just desire for us to hear with our ear and understand with our mind. He desires that His truth would enter our hearts and transform our lives. One of the biggest things that will motivate us to tur...

Imagine growing up in a poverty stricken family in Communist China, having financial and political aspirations, taking part in the Tiananmen Square protest, being labeled an “instigator of unrest” by the government, then being brought to public shame that led to despair and almost suicide. All this was the backdrop for young Bob Fu’s life, and became the means that led him to open his heart to the...

From Daniel who continued to pray openly to David who ran toward Goliath, Scripture gives many examples of those who lived boldly and confidently in the midst of fearful circumstances! The strength that these men demonstrated in the face of fear was because they kept the gaze of their soul on God and Him alone. If we as believers walk in the fear of the Lord, our lives will not only be free from c...

In this encouraging episode, Nate and Gabe expound on several Scriptures that address fear. This episode paints a beautiful picture of how treasuring the Word of God in our hearts is directly connected with learning to live in the fear of God. His words hidden in our heart becomes a shield that protects us from the fiery darts of the enemy. It is when we forget the words and works of God that fear...

Have you ever been confused by the fact that we are commanded to “fear not” while also being commanded to “fear God”? In this episode, Nate and Gabe give beautiful descriptions of what it means to fear God while maintaining a proper view of Who He is - a God Who loves us and cares for us, but also a God Who is righteous and holy. As we gaze upon God and know Him for Who He truly is, we are deliver...

Fears plague us - fear of the future, fear of the unknown, fear of man, fear of financial loss, fear of the opinions of other people. Is it even possible to be free from fear? Listen as Gabe and Nate share from the very words of Jesus telling us how we can walk in trust of our loving Heavenly Father and be free from fear. In a day of political correctness and pressure to conform, we need more than...

In this episode, Nate and Gabe share stories from the Bible of ones who exemplified this command being “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”. From Gideon to Moses to Stephen to Paul, the Bible has countless illustrations of how this command can be applied, how it should impact our lives and the lives of those around us. Throughout scripture, Jesus made it clear that He would send His followers...