Claim OwnershipThe Word Unleashed
Subscribed: 97Played: 4,749
Subscribe
© Copyright 2026 Tom Pennington
Description
Tom Pennington is Pastor-Teacher of Countryside Bible Church in Southlake, Texas and featured teacher on The Word Unleashed.
1186 Episodes
Reverse
If we're justified by faith apart from works of the law, doesn't that render God's commands legally void and meaningless? It's a legitimate concern—but the answer is stunning. The great doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ alone doesn't invalidate the law of God—it actually validates it.
In Romans 3, Paul makes this clear: because there is only one God, He must be the God of all humanity—Jews and Gentiles—and there can be only one way to be reconciled to Him: justification by faith alone in Christ alone. This exclusivity challenges our pluralistic culture that claims all religions are equally valid paths to God.
As Paul unfolds the implications of justification in Romans 3:29–30, he makes a staggering claim: God is the God of both Jews and Gentiles. This isn't a casual statement—it's rooted in the foundational declaration of Israel's faith, the great Shema from Deuteronomy 6:4: "Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one!" In other words, f there is only one God, then there can be only one way of salvation for all humanity.
One of the apostle Paul's most definitive statements about salvation is recorded in Romans 3:28: "For we maintain that a man is justified by faith apart from works of the Law." The implications are staggering—if any gospel presentation allows even the smallest place for human boasting, it is not the true gospel.
The Scriptural teaching on the doctrine of justification is that an unredeemed sinner is declared righteous before the bar of God’s justice by God’s grace alone, through faith alone, based on the work of Christ alone.
God gave Israel a powerful priestly benediction—and it wasn't just for them. This ancient prayer shows us today what it means to come before God's throne humbly and confidently, requesting the spiritual blessings He promises to give.
The great English puritan Thomas Watson wrote that “prayer is ... the soul’s breathing.” In that brief statement, Watson captures the seriousness of prayer: it is to your spiritual life what breathing is to your physical life! In other words, without prayer, your Christian life can’t survive.
The Bible teaches that God is one being in three distinct persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. But unfortunately, the Holy Spirit is the most misunderstood member of the Trinity. In this series, Pastor Tom seeks to shed light on the powerful working of the Spirit in the life of the believer, that the Spirit serves not only as our seal but also as God's down payment on our future inheritance.
The third person of the Trinity, the Holy Spirit, is the most misunderstood and neglected person of the Trinity—and there are several reasons that have contributed to a lack of care for the Spirit. But there is one particular aspect of His ministry that is often overlooked or even sometimes forgotten and that is His “sealing.”
The virgin birth of Jesus Christ is a fundamental doctrine of the Christian faith that must be embraced and never ignored or rejected. The fact that the eternal Son of God took to Himself human flesh is a nonnegotiable aspect of the gospel message and is absolutely necessary for the salvation of mankind.
As we continue studying Matthew's account of Jesus' birth, we have to ask a key question: Why, when announcing Jesus’ birth, does the angel Gabriel explicitly quote Isaiah 7:14? What does that Old Testament passage have to do with Jesus Christ? On today’s broadcast, Pastor Pennington helps us understand an important prophecy from Isaiah chapter 7 that describes the virgin birth of Christ 700 years before it happened.
What does it mean that Jesus will save His people from their sins, and what are the implications of that statement for Christians today? Today, Pastor Tom helps us understand what it means for Jesus to be the savior of the world.
In the gospel of Matthew we find an important verse that describes the angel Gabriel instructing Joseph to name Mary's child ""Jesus."" The name Jesus, however, isn't arbitrary. But rather, it is the Greek form of the Hebrew name for ""Joshua"" or ""Yeshua,"" which means ""Yahweh saves."" And that is the message of the gospel—that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners from their sin. And the virgin birth plays a crucial role in God’s eternal plan of redemption.
The Bible teaches that it was the only way God's eternal Son could add complete humanity to His divine nature without becoming two persons. This allowed Jesus to become fully human like us in every way except sin, which was absolutely necessary for Him to serve as our Great High Priest and offer Himself as the perfect sacrifice for our sins.
The gospel of Matthew can be summarized this way: Jesus of Nazareth is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scripture, the divine Savior and King. So as Matthew writes his gospel, he has that grand theme in mind. But Matthew chapter 1 is unique in that it records not only the genealogy of Jesus Christ but also the narrative surrounding His birth. And only Matthew and Luke record the details of Jesus’ birth.
According to Scripture, we as Christians must treat God with the highest reverence and worship. But God’s holiness not only requires that we view and treat Him a certain way but also that we ourselves live holy lives unto Him and His glory. But practically, what exactly does this look like?
The Bible teaches that we as Christians are to be holy because God Himself is holy. This certainly means that God is without sin—He is completely pure in His unchanging character. But God’s holiness also means that He is set apart from His creation as the sovereign Creator who is absolutely transcendent in majesty.
According to the Nicene Creed, the church can be summarized in four powerful words: one, holy, catholic, and apostolic. Last time, we began unpacking what Scripture reveals through these ancient marks. Today, we conclude this series with a personal challenge: What does your commitment to Jesus Christ look like in practice?
The Nicene Creed offers this: "We believe in one, holy, catholic, and apostolic church." These four attributes define Christ's true church with clear biblical support. Today, Pastor Tom uses this historic creed as a framework to explore what Scripture teaches about the church. Our prayer is that God's Word will deepen your understanding and draw you more fully into the life Christ designed for His people—for your good and the glory of Jesus Christ.
Throughout this series, we've explored the church as Christ's body, His family, and His temple—each metaphor revealing something vital about who we are as believers.
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States
True, Biblical teaching.