Discern Daily

Discern Daily Ep. 37 - Keeping Christ in Mind In order to follow Jesus' example, and live sacrificially, we must keep Christ at the forefront of our mind. If we don't keep Christ in mind, it's easy to forget about the mission and focus on selfish goals. On this episode we looked at a great, thought-provoking tweet by Dustin Benge (@DustinBenge). [embed]https://youtu.be/xfzegZm1rZk[/embed] Dustin Benge's Tweet Self-promotion creates platforms. Self-denial creates ministries. — Dustin Benge (@DustinBenge) August 11, 2020  View Dustin's original post on Twitter here.

Discern Daily Ep. 36 - Revival Starts With Us As tempting as it is to complain about how much our country needs a revival, we must ask ourselves whether or not we need revived by God. Revival starts with the Church. On this episode, we are highlighting a fantastic article by Obbie Todd, titled, "Waiting for a Revival." Let's go! [embed]https://youtu.be/ZIbwIrl2nuQ[/embed] Quotes From Obbie Todd "The people of God in America continue to hope for, and pray for, a great outpouring of the Holy Spirit. While the expectation for revival hasn’t changed, the way in which Americans expect God to bring revival has gradually altered through the years. For centuries, revival was something that began with the people of God, not the country itself." "Today, however, when Christians anticipate revival, many of them seem to expect God to reform American culture before he reforms the church." "It is simply not enough to 'pray for a revival' if we believe that somehow God should reveal to our enemies their sin before He reveals to us the gravity of our own. Indeed, the church has nothing to offer the world unless it is changed by the gospel it proclaims. Reform begins in the church, not the culture." Read Obbie Todd's full article here.

Discern Daily Ep. 35 - How Close Should We Be to Society? On this episode, we are highlighting a great response from a listener named Austin. He felt led to record some thoughts of his own regarding episode #34 and sent it our way. It was too good not to share! [embed]https://youtu.be/T7pFhiTE7nk[/embed] Episode Highlights Many are overwhelmed by the amount of news and information that is thrown around every day. Jesus frequently separated himself from others to spend time alone. (Luke 5:16, Matthew 14:23, Mark 1:35) Social media is designed to grab your attention and keep your attention. "Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test!" (2 Corinthians 13:5) Shoutout to Austin for keeping the conversation alive by sharing some great, beneficial thoughts!

Discern Daily Ep. 34 - Being a Christian on Social Media On this episode, we discussed how Riley has been engaging others on his personal social media accounts. Recent events have ignited many interesting conversations online, but how should we respond to them as Christians? Join the discussion! [embed]https://youtu.be/iu06moi9Nok[/embed] Episode Highlights Many are quick to label others as racists, but we should avoid slandering one another. Each of us should join together to combat racism or any sin out there. Only, we need to do so righteously without partiality. “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice, nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his lawsuit" (Exodus 23:1-3). Here is one of the main examples of Riley's posts which brought him a lot of heat for pointing out what he did (it will only show a few comments publicly, but the post itself had over 140 comments on it): https://www.facebook.com/ravoth5/posts/10158431857059241   Here is an example of one of his tweets that wasn't the mainstream take: https://twitter.com/rileyadamvoth/status/1267923778018869250?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1267923778018869250%7Ctwgr%5E&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Frileyadamvoth2Fstatus2F1267923778018869250widget%3DTweet   As a whole, social media is currently a hot mess. Do we back away from it and leave it alone, or do we speak up and engage more online? The Kingdom isn't a matter of being on the Right or the Left — it's about whether or not you're spiritually dead or alive. How exactly should we partner online as brothers in Christ in order to make a positive impact?

Discern Daily Ep. 33 - The Most Underrated Way to Get More Time in the Bible If we are going to live intentionally and obediently, we should read the Bible as much as we can. However, it's difficult when our schedules are busy. Sometimes we need to get creative. On this episode, we discuss a way to get more time in the Bible without having to change your schedule. [embed]https://youtu.be/-iF0MiD6ZdE[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/DiscernDaily/status/1282356558052184065[/embed]

Discern Daily Ep. 32 - Train Yourself and Those in Your Care Are we training and preparing ourselves to engage with the world? What about those in our care? Are we helping them prepare too? On this episode, we are highlighting an article written by Jared Sparks, titled, "In Defense of Sheltering Your Kids." Join in! [embed]https://youtu.be/DT7ffIz9Zaw[/embed] Quotes From Jared Sparks "I want to protect my children from the world until they are trained and ready to take the world for the Glory of Jesus! They are not yet ready to walk into a worldview that hates God (The World). I won’t pretend like they are. Neither should you. Children are not to be sent to the front lines of battle! That’s for the men! The kids are to be protected, or I guess I should say, sheltered." Read Jared Sparks' full article here. Episode Highlights Not only must we prepare our children for the world, but we must prepare ourselves as well. Are we training ourselves for godliness? What comes to mind when you think about training in the Christian faith? "Have nothing to do with irreverent, silly myths. Rather train yourself for godliness; for while bodily training is of some value, godliness is of value in every way, as it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come" (1 Timothy 4:7-8). "All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Just like physical training... You may need a personal trainer It takes repetition It's not always fun

Discern Daily Ep. 31 - Suffering Deepens Our Relationship With Christ Some good can come from our suffering. This is the topic we discussed today while highlighting an article by Sean McDowell, titled, "10 Biblical Reasons God Allows Suffering." Join the discussion! [embed]https://youtu.be/PiOpl-mSG3s[/embed] Quotes From Sean McDowell "Believers suffer so they can know Christ more fully (Philippians 3:10)." View Sean McDowell's full article on his blog here. Episode Highlights Reminder: Discern Daily doesn't exist to tell viewers what to think or believe. Instead, every episode exists to encourage listeners to think well for themselves and practice discernment each day. "Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God that depends on faith — that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, that by any means possible I may attain the resurrection from the dead" (Philippians 3:8-11). Are we too caught up in working for more ways to become more comfortable on earth? Are we seeking to know Christ more? What are we working towards? If we got the opportunity to suffer for Christ today, how would we respond? What must we do to get in the right mindset here to be willing to joyfully suffer for Christ? Share Your Thoughts Take a look at Sean McDowell's article. We only touched on one of his ten points! Feel free to share any thoughts with us and help share this episode on social if you found it useful.

Discern Daily Ep. 30 - Christians Can't Not Forgive Others Forgiveness should be a mark on the life and mind of every Christian. No Christian forgives perfectly, but we should strive to be known as forgiving people. On this episode, we are highlighting Brandon Hanson's article for 1517, titled, "Out of Ammo." Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/cHpyskqYtcE[/embed] Quotes From Brandon Hanson “We expect the world to shoot its wounded. But not even the world expects Christians to shoot their wounded." "Scripture teaches us to love our enemies, pray for those who persecute us, and that Jesus isn't for winners, but losers. The Church, as the embassy of heaven on earth, teaches unearned, unmerited favor and forgiveness.” “How often God freely forgives men who return the favor by only forgiving others based on a catch-22 of as many or more conditions. And still, God forgives us, again, and again, and again. For all our talk, maybe our trouble to forgive isn't that we haven't been taught and lectured and preached and talked at enough about forgiveness; perhaps it's that we don't actually believe God in Christ has reconciled the world to Himself." "Maybe it's not that we don't intellectually understand the concept of forgiveness, but that we disbelieve that kind of forgiveness has really been extended to us. We don't take that check to the bank. We're afraid it will bounce. So we stuff it in our Bibles along with another 20 checks there from earlier Sundays this year where we heard the forgiveness of our sins proclaimed. No wonder when we have to forgive others, we can't do it. We have nothing in our spiritual banks to forgive others with." "We can only forgive others as God in Christ has forgiven us. Maybe the command isn't as much of an imperative as it is a call to recognize an obvious fact. When you forgive, you are only forgiving because God has forgiven you in Christ. As you are in Christ, so too are you able to forgive. If God hasn't forgiven you, and if you aren't in Christ, then any attempts at forgiveness are going to be pointless. You will fail to forgive because you've failed to grasp the fact that you've already been forgiven by God of more sins you've committed against God, than all the sins the world could ever commit against you." “A bank account full of forgiveness means your ammunition to shoot others has run out." View Brandon Hanson's full article for 1517 here. Episode Highlights The world is about winning or losing — defeating or being defeated. Therefore, it's about survival of the fittest. However, the Church is supposed to be sacrificial and withhold forgiveness from no one. What do people know you by? Are you known for holding grudges and gossiping? Are you known for being gracious and humble? It's beneficial to examine ourselves. "We love because he first loved us. If anyone says, ‘I love God,’ and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen” (1 John 4:19-20). If we are going to make a difference in the world, we need to be known as forgiving. We aren't going to make many disciples without it. Withholding forgiveness has consequences. "If you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Matthew 6:15). Share Your Thoughts Did anything stand out to you in the episode...

Discern Daily Ep. 29 - How God Is Moving in Japan God is always at work, even when we can't see it. Sometimes we can't see it because God is moving on the other side of the world. Hearing about Gospel works occurring overseas is exciting and may teach us something new. On this episode, Jonathan Hayashi shares about his recent trip to Japan and how God is moving overseas. [embed]https://youtu.be/nEb2ZMZn5Ms[/embed] Episode Highlights Jonathan made the trip in order to meet with other believers in Japan and partner with others to lead a discipleship conference. The conversation we had on the episode consists of two main parts — what kind of fruit and needs Jonathan saw in Japan. One noticeable fruit that was seen overseas is the amount of younger believers involved in ministry. The Senior Pastor had a great relationship with younger members and gave them opportunities to carry the ministry load. One noticeable need is a lack of resources. There isn't an abundance of articles, podcasts, conferences, books, and other valuable resources at their disposal. Pray for our brothers and sisters overseas and think about ways to get involved in ministry. Share Your Thoughts Did anything stand out to you in the episode? Leave a comment below and help share this episode on social media if you found it useful. Follow Jonathan Hayashi on social media and be sure to visit his personal site here!

Discern Daily Ep. 28 - Discovering and Guarding Our Purpose A plethora of content exists today regarding purpose. Discovering one's purpose in life can take time and requires a sacrificial amount of searching. As Christ followers, we know our purpose is to glorify God, but how focused are we really on glorifying God at all times? On this episode, we are taking a look at an article by John MacArthur, titled, "How Do I Glorify God in the Gray Areas?," found on Grace to You. Let's seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/-WaXL8hu4a8[/embed] Quotes From John MacArthur “You might know believers who abuse their freedoms. Their lives are routinely bombarded by temptation—often it’s temptation they’ve unnecessarily heaped upon themselves through their own choices. And the closer they get to the line between sin and liberty, the harder it is to stay on the right side of it. Over time, that kind of lifestyle is an invitation to moral shipwreck." “On the opposite end of the spectrum from unbridled Christian liberty is legalism. In that camp are believers who want to make hard-and-fast rules about matters on which Scripture is silent." “The biblical pattern for dealing with life’s gray areas isn’t found in either of those extremes. While it is true that the Bible doesn’t specifically mention every possible decision you might face, it provides general principles and parameters that help you make decisions that honor God." View the full post on Grace to You here. Episode Highlights Our main purpose in life is to glorify God. It's not a purpose that we decide for ourselves — our purpose was given to us by our Creator. There's a bigger picture to the smaller decisions we make each day. Romans 14:13-23 is a great passage that relates to this. Here, Paul teaches about not causing one another to stumble and uses food as an example. If a brother stumbles by what we eat, we should not eat it. This is not just about food — it's about our heart, mind, motivation, and purpose. We read through 1 Corinthians 10:23-33, where we learn that we're called to do all things to the glory of God. Some may not understand their purpose in life yet, but others just don't like the purpose they've been given. Sometimes a purpose other than the one God has given us seems more enjoyable, comfortable, and entertaining. Hearing from God every single day is vital to discovering and guarding our purpose. The Word of God always leads us to righteousness, peace, and life. We must stay rooted in the Word. Share Your Thoughts Is the Spirit of God speaking to you regarding your purpose in life? What stood out to you in John MacArthur's article for Grace to You? What are some of the challenges you face on this subject?

Discern Daily Ep. 27 - God's Sovereignty Is Our Security Is anything burdening you? What tends to stress you out or cause you to worry? When it comes to spiritual matters involving our relationship with God, it's common to lose our sense of security in Christ at times. But God is our true confidence and security! On this episode, we are highlighting a blog post by Pastor Gabe Hughes, titled, "Predestined By God." Engage the content with us and let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/rsO-SEhPl2I[/embed] Quotes From Gabe Hughes "When you first became a Christian, you had a very elementary understanding of your sin against God and the work that He had done to redeem you—that Jesus Christ had died on the cross and risen from the grave, and that by faith in Him, you have the forgiveness of sins and eternal life with God. As far as you were concerned, you decided to follow Jesus. But as you grew to understand God's word, your perspective has likely changed." “From the word of God, you come to find that you had nothing to do with your salvation at all. You were a wretched sinner enslaved to sin, incapable of doing anything pleasing to God. You came to faith not because you did anything good but because God is good. You believe not according to the purpose of your will but according to the purpose of Him who wills it.” [Five reasons why this topic is important for us to pursue together] “First, so your prayers would not be hindered. Second, so you would be relieved of your burdens. Third, so you will be more considerate of others. Fourth, so you would understand your sin rightly. Fifth, so you may worship God appropriately.” “If you believe that your salvation is dependent upon a choice you've had to make or it's dependent upon your continued choices to maintain it, then you are being weighed down by an unnecessary burden. I hope you see from the Scriptures that salvation—including faith and belief, even repentance itself—is not the work of man. Salvation is from beginning to end the gracious work of God.” Read Gabe's full blog post here. Episode Highlights Everyone should follow Gabe on social media. He's a great guy and faithful leader. Does anything tend to take away your sense of security or cause you to worry? When it comes to spiritual matters, have you ever doubted God or wondered about not getting into heaven? The best news ever is that our salvation is completely in God's hands, not ours. The big picture of “God's sovereignty" is that God is totally in control. For real. We read through Galatians 3:2-14 together to provide additional encouragement for listeners. Our security in God’s sovereignty is still through faith. God’s promise to Abraham reaches Gentile believers who “receive the promised Spirit through faith” (v. 14). When you heard the good news of Jesus Christ and believed in him, you received the Holy Spirit. We don't earn the Spirit by obeying a law, but receive the Spirit through faith as a gift from God. It's by grace you have been saved through faith, and it's by grace you will stay saved through faith. Share Your Thoughts What stood out to you on this episode? What did you think of Gabe's blog post? We’d love to hear what God is speaking to you. If you found this content useful, share about it on social media!

Discern Daily Ep. 26 - Loving Your Neighbor Through Politics Another season of political discussions is here with the help of the 2020 Democratic primaries. Many Christians stay far away from politics in America; however, politics may be a useful means to bring God's Kingdom to earth. David Closson composed an excellent article for ERLC, titled, "4 Reasons Christians Should Care About Politics," and it's worth unpacking together. [embed]https://youtu.be/zYdrh3hDwfQ[/embed] Quotes From David Closson "The gospel is a holistic message with implications for all areas of life, including how Christians engage the political process." "Here are four reasons Christians should care about politics... The Christian worldview speaks to all areas of life. Politics are unavoidable. We need to love our neighbor. Government restrains evil and promotes good." [Under #3's section] "In a very real sense, politics is one of the most important areas in which Christians demonstrate love to neighbor. In fact, how can Christians claim to care about others and not engage the arena that most profoundly shapes basic rights and freedoms? Caring for the hungry, thirsty, naked, sick and lonely is important to Jesus and should be to His followers as well. Jesus said, 'As you did it to one of the least of these you did it to me' (Matthew 25:40)." "Good government can serve as a conduit for the furthering of the gospel and human flourishing." "Christian withdrawal opens a moral vacuum susceptible to influences that pressure government to move outside the purview designated by God." View David Closson's full article for ERLC here. Episode Highlights The following episode was sparked from lengthy conversations on Twitter about whether or not Christians should participate in voting for presidential candidates. Some refuse to vote because the candidates are not exemplary Christian examples. What's wrong with voting for the best candidate with the most biblical policies and beliefs? If Christians stay completely out of politics, the government loses its biblical influence and godly direction. We must not sit on the sidelines. We must get involved somehow. Christians should both pray and vote. We must vote in order to demonstrate our beliefs, and we must pray in order to receive help and guidance from God. Here's the big question: How are you involved in bringing God’s Kingdom to earth? For some, it’s by getting involved in politics.  Share Your Thoughts Did you find David's article for ERLC helpful? Do you believe Christians should get involved in political matters, such as voting for the next president? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Are Christians Allowed to Be Financially Rich? The Bible says a lot about money, but it's difficult for people to give their finances over to God. Christians today should have a proper understanding of how to handle money and worship God with it. Bible Gateway published a helpful post, titled, "What Does the Bible Say about Wealth and Prosperity?," adapted from a book by Costi W. Hinn. Let's walk through the post together and seek the truth. [embed]https://youtu.be/sdjSR9Kd7EU[/embed] Quotes From Costi W. Hinn “Is God opposed to a Christian making a high salary? What’s wrong with an employer rewarding an employee for doing his job? Should Christians take a vow of poverty and purposely try to suffer? Is poverty God’s will for us?" “Bragging about not buying shoes (when you can) or using a verse about rich people not getting into heaven to excuse yourself from being a steward is no better than a prosperity preacher living on the other side of the spectrum." “Probably the most important stewardship principle to remember is this: God owns everything. God owns the cattle on a thousand hills (Ps. 50:10); he owns everything under heaven, for that matter (Job 41:11). The psalmist declares, 'The earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains, the world, and those who dwell in it' (Ps. 24:1). There is no arguing with the Bible on who owns everything. God does." "Even though wealth is not guaranteed on earth, God does give the opportunity to gain wealth. You may say, 'Nobody gave me wealth—I earned it!' The children of Israel thought the same thing, but Moses reminded them that it was God who was blessing them based solely on his sovereign will. Deuteronomy 8:17–18 says, 'You may say in your heart, "My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth." But you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.' If God has blessed you with wealth, you ought to humbly thank him and realize that you have a great responsibility. Speaking to the rich, John writes, 'But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth' (1 John 3:17–18)." “Sure, it’s biblical and prudent to leave an inheritance for your children (Prov. 13:22), and it’s good to work hard and save for the future (Prov. 6:6). But you know what the greatest purpose of wealth is? To advance the gospel and do God’s will!” Read the full post on the Bible Gateway Blog here. Episode Highlights There's a spectrum to acknowledge — some Christians believe in a prosperity gospel, and some believe in a poverty gospel. They both fall off track. What the Bible says about money is not for richer Christians only. Every Christian must faithfully steward the finances that God provides for them. God is Lord over all creation. He owns what we have. What we have came from him. If our wealth grew from our hard work, God still deserves the glory because he gave us the ability to work. Money is a resource we should use to promote change and increase gospel works. Far too often, we just use money to comfort ourselves. Having money isn’t sinful; loving money is. “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils. It is through this craving that some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselv...

Discern Daily Ep. 24 - The Core of the Saving Gospel Our discussion today centered around a tweet sent by Mark Dever. The Pastor of Capitol Hill Baptist Church wrote, "I recently heard someone say 'The core of the Gospel is God's commitment to protect the vulnerable.' What do you think?" What is at the core of the gospel message? What exactly is meant by the term vulnerable? Watch the episode and let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/Fw1b0rAJfRk[/embed] Tweets Mentioned in the Video [embed]https://twitter.com/MarkDever/status/1139009311173201920[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/ExFideHarde/status/1139162743737638913[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/SlowToWrite/status/1139161199441055744[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/dennisdjackson/status/1139254923915403264[/embed] [embed]https://twitter.com/ToddPruitt6/status/1139158747555782656[/embed] Tweets not showing? Want to view them on Twitter? Click here.  Episode Highlights We've got new music for the show! Did you like it? What the original tweet communicated to me was an underlying question as to whether or not we are victims or sinners — did something happen to us or did we cause something to happen? The core of the gospel is not that we are victims; it's that we are sinners, and Christ died to reconcile elect sinners to himself. For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. 7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— 8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 9 Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. 10 For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. 11 More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. (Romans 5:6-11) Why does it matter to clarify that we are sinners? It reveals God's love in a greater light. Which person is harder to love: someone who has been wronged or the wrongdoer? We have done wrong and God made a way to not only forgive us, but also make us righteous through faith in Jesus Christ. Share Your Thoughts What stood out to you in Mark Dever's original tweet? What important truths do you see at the core of the gospel message? Which Bible verses come to your mind on this subject? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Ep. 23 - Helpful Thoughts on Prayer On this episode, we walked through three sections of a great post found on Focus on the Family, titled, "Seeking God in Prayer." If you're new to praying, this episode will give you a great starting point. If you know someone who is new to praying, this can be a beneficial resource to share with them. If you're already a prayer warrior, you'll find great reminders here. [embed]https://youtu.be/B14D2y3V_zY[/embed] Quotes Via Focus On The Family [On "P.R.A.Y." as an acronym to guide us in our prayers] "Praise: We're to enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise (see Psalm 100:4). Sit quietly and thank God for who He is and what He has done." "Repent: A sober reminder comes from Psalm 66:18: 'If I had cherished sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.' A spiritual cleansing is needed in order to come nearer to the throne of God." "Access: We're not telling God anything new — 'All my longings lie open before you, O Lord: my sighing is not hidden from you' (Psalm 38:9). Even so, He gives us access to talk to Him about our needs and frustrations." "Yield: The fact that we have brought our prayer list before God indicates our trust that He will, in His time and in His way, show us the way we should go (see Psalm 143:8)." [On various postures to take during prayer] "Kneeling shows God that you are entering into His presence or asking Him for something." "Standing shows God that you are ready for 'marching orders.'" "Walking shows God that you are 'on the move' for Him, ready for His battle plans." "Bowing shows God that you honor Him and feel humble because of who He is." "Prostrate, lying flat on your face or back, shows God that you are in awe of Him and are desperate and hungry for Him to come and be with you." "Uplifted hands show God that you are reaching toward Him — in praise or asking for something with arms open to receive it." [On designating specific places for intentional prayer] "There may be an actual closet that you can make your own, a space that's now packed with boxes of old photos, blankets and craft supplies. Soon all the boxes and cartons will find new homes. Before long you will begin to feel God's pleasure at having made Him a sole priority in this area of my home." View the full post on Focus on the Family here. Episode Highlights We must not see prayer as just a spiritual discipline — it's so good for us. Even though we understand that God is all-knowing, and his will will be done, we still need to ask God for things. The Bible does not teach that we must enter a physical posture in order for God to hear our prayers. However, we must worship in spirit and truth. It's beneficial to engage our entire being in prayer. Prayer can take place anywhere, anytime, but it's holy and fruitful to designate specific places to pray routinely and intentionally. Share Your Thoughts Did you find the post, "Seeking God in Prayer," from Focus on the Family beneficial? What are some challenges you face in praying consistently? What advice would you give to others on prayer? Leave a comment below and share this episode on social media.

Discern Daily Ep. 22 - What Happened to Convincing One Another? In order to move forward together, we need to create a healthier environment for dialogue. We shouldn't retreat to those who agree with us and shame those who disagree. We should seek to convince and persuade everyone. Blake Long composed a new article on his blog — Theology & Life — titled, "The New Intolerance," where he explains how the Left is redefining intolerance and how Christians ought to respond. [embed]https://youtu.be/zHhPojR99fA[/embed] Quotes From Blake Long "The big ideological elephant in the room is that the word intolerance has been, as a whole, redefined by the Left. They have taken that word and redefined it as acceptance or approval. If you don’t approve—no, even celebrate!—their views, then you are an intolerant bigot." Read Blake's full article here. Episode Highlights What happened to convincing one another to believe what we believe? When did it become a bad thing to think for ourselves and want to persuade others in the truth? Miley Cyrus recently provided a great example how to fail at convincing others when she licked a cake that included the words, "Abortion is Healthcare." [embed]https://twitter.com/scrowder/status/1136017501769256960[/embed] How hard should we try selling truth to others? How far should we go in trying to convince others what to believe? Shaming others into accepting new beliefs is not the way God leads us to communicate. Acts 17:1-9 is one relevant passage that reveals the Apostle Paul reasoning with non-believers. We must learn how to ask better questions, and we need to give others better feedback about what's not very convincing to us. Share Your Thoughts What are your thoughts on the matter? Have you seen the Left try to redefine intolerance, as Blake proposes in his article? How hard should we strive to reason with others from the Scriptures? Share this episode and leave your thoughts in the comments below.

Discern Daily Ep. 21 - Humbly Examine Your Calling A discussion about God's "calling" can provide beneficial guidance for us as we seek to follow Christ. Many look to pillars of the faith, such as the Apostle Paul, and wonder when their own special calling from God is going to come. Is Paul's calling experience the standard? Greg Handley composed an article for IMB, titled, "Let’s Rethink Our Language of ‘Calling'," where he provides wise counsel about God's calling.  [embed]https://youtu.be/JkvFMuRE3gg[/embed] Quotes From Greg Handley “Paul refers to a unique sense of call as an apostle of the Lord Jesus (Rom. 1:1; 1 Cor. 1:1). The error in application I’m referring to happens when we make his experience the necessary requirement for anyone serving as a pastor or missionary. Paul’s language points in the other direction. He refrains from applying his 'calling' vocabulary to other co-laborers in the New Testament (Col.1:1; 1 Cor.1:1; 2 Cor.1:1)." "Here are four ways to think about calling that can help us pave a more helpful way forward... Commanded before Called ...Obedience to him doesn’t wait for some additional revelation of his will. It gets to work. All Christians have been drafted. We either go or we send... Objective before Subjective ...In Romans 1:15–17, Paul outlined what generated his eagerness to preach the gospel in Rome. What compelled him wasn’t the memory of his Damascus Road experience. His eagerness stemmed from the power of the gospel to save sinners... Desire before Destiny ...Desire opens up a discussion and calling pulls the divine trump card, functionally closing the conversation. For the quality of our labor, we need to open ourselves to others’ feedback before we’re sent out... Corporately Affirmed before Privately Called ...The good desire to serve as an elder must be coupled with an identifiable blamelessness in the differing spheres of life in order for one to serve. These qualifications must be met by the individual and affirmed by the congregation..." Read Greg's full article for IMB here. Episode Highlights We read through Galatians 1:11-24, where the Apostle Paul tells of his calling from God to preach the Good News, and we noted a few things. No one should disregard the general call to follow Christ, according to the Word of God, as they wait, expecting to receive a special calling from God. One characteristic lacking today is humility. Many buy into the message that they've been called to be an individual world changer. Therefore, they perceive a special calling from God, and begin to seek out ways to be empowered as they follow their special, perceived calling. However, we are not that special. It's not about us; it's about Jesus and his glory. “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you? — unless indeed you fail to meet the test!” (2 Corinthians 13:5). Share Your Thoughts How do you properly inspect or examine a calling? Have you wrestled with this before? What stood out to you in Greg Handley's article for IMB? Did anything resonate with you? If so, share about it on social media.

Discern Daily Ep. 20 - Seeking Truth in a 'Post-Truth' Culture The culture and Christ seem to collide often. Many today operate with a postmodern mindset. Do we get to determine what truth is? Can something be true for me, yet false for others? Owen Strachan wrote an article for Reformanda Ministries, titled, "Why So Sensitive? Ministry in a Post-Truth Culture," and it provides much insight regarding a "post-truth" culture. Let's take a look and seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/P326oUHWaII[/embed] Quotes From Owen Strachan “By this formulation people commonly mean that life in a ‘postmodern’ age means that we steer clear of absolutes in our thinking and our speech. We don’t speak of what is true for all peoples at all places in all times; we speak of what is true for me.” “To embrace a ‘post-truth’ perspective means that one has effectively evacuated the Word and the gospel of any timeless, once-for-all authority.” "Let me suggest six ways a secularistic post-truth mindset might filter into our lives and ministries... First, we excessively qualify even basic statements... Second, we downplay actions and emphasize feelings... Third, we move away from apologies, clouding them with qualifiers... Fourth, we negotiate instead of drawing clear lines... Fifth, we lead only with great hesitancy and fearfulness... Sixth, we see doubt as true and truth as doubtful." “This is really the age of the antagonist, isn’t it? A post-truth culture supports the rise of the perpetual naysayer, the endless nuance-proclaimer, the inveterate bone-picker. Many of us have experienced this phenomenon on Twitter, where even basic statements are picked over like bone-in filets dropped into piranha tanks. This tendency has bled over into contemporary conversation. We excessively qualify ourselves in our discussions, our brains churning like those of $400-per-hour lawyers as we try to stay a step ahead of our interlocutors, furiously trying to recognize loopholes and weaknesses in our verbiage.” "When you say one declarative sentence—'The Bible is true'—but then feel the need to say eleven consecutive sentences about what your first sentence does not mean, you are a post-truth communicator. You may not know it, and you certainly may not intend to be, but the point stands: a post-truth culture is influencing your speech (and thinking) in a major way." “Let the world be post-truth. The church of Christ must know, love, live by, proclaim, and lead according to the truth. This truth—God’s own truth—is not conditioned by any prefix; it is firmly fixed in the heavens, and stands forever according to the counsel of God." Read Owen's full article for Reformanda Ministries here. Episode Highlights I recently tweeted on my personal page about wanting to find more users that boldly preach Christ without tweeting about what Christ is not. Shortly after, I came across Owen's article, which touched on exactly what I've been wanting to communicate. [embed]https://twitter.com/paytej/status/1123908788644401152[/embed] We must be ready to defend our beliefs; however, we should...

Discern Daily Ep. 19 - The Whole Trinity Saves Salvation by grace through faith in Christ alone is not a work accomplished by the Son of God alone — the entire Trinity is involved in every salvation. On this episode, we are learning from an article by Ryan McGraw, published on Tabletalk magazine, titled, "For Whom Did Christ Die?" Let's seek the truth together. [embed]https://youtu.be/YTjCaKxf9-Y[/embed] Quotes By Ryan McGraw “I came to Christ by understanding that God counted our sin to His Son in order to count His incarnate Son’s righteousness to us (2 Cor. 5:21). As soon as someone pointed out that all people must be saved if Christ did these things for all people, I was sold on limited atonement." "We can best understand the fact that Christ came to save His people, and them only, from their sins (Matt. 1:21) by rooting Christ’s death in the saving work of the whole Trinity, and by answering two common questions." "Why, then, do some passages of Scripture seem to universalize Christ’s death (e.g., 1 John 2:2)?" "Does limited atonement limit the gospel offer to the elect only?" “The united work of the Trinity shows clearly why Christ died for the elect only. The Father chose believers in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:4–5). The Holy Spirit is the Father’s seal of ownership on the elect (vv. 13–14). No one receives the things of God or confesses that Jesus is Lord except by the Spirit (1 Cor. 2:10–16; 12:3). The Father calls His elect to Christ by His Word and Spirit (2 Cor. 3:16–18; James 1:18). The Trinity is undivided and indivisible. Christ’s death extends as far as the Father’s electing purpose (Acts 2:23) and the Spirit’s effecting power (13:48)." “It is not that the Father chose some and the Spirit changes some while Christ died for all. The Father saves by particular election, the Son by particular redemption, and the Spirit by particular calling." “God is triune, and the atonement is a unified Trinitarian act in purpose, production, and perfection.” Read Ryan McGraw’s full article for Tabletalk here. Episode Highlights A true salvation is a work accomplished by the entire Trinity, not just Jesus Christ. Someone has to pay for the consequences of our sin. The payment is needed once — either Christ pays the debt for our sin or we pay the debt. Limited atonement is a doctrine worth studying, related to our discussion. To better understand what limited atonement is all about, you can view a great resource by R.C. Sproul, for Ligonier, here. There's great encouragement to be found in learning about the work of the entire Trinity in our salvation. The Father chooses us, the Son dies for us, and the Spirit fills and empowers us. Share Your Thoughts Follow @DiscernDaily on Twitter and share this episode on social media. What are your convictions on limited atonement? How does it change things for you knowing the entire Trinity, not just the Son, is involved in your life?

Discern Daily  Ep. 18 - Are All Public Schools Bad? The trajectory of the public school system has many Christians worried. It seems homeschooling is the best option for many families that want to train up their children to follow Christ. On this episode, we are taking a look at an article, titled, "Burn All the Schools," by Douglas Wilson. This topic is certainly worth discussing. Let's seek the truth together.  [embed]https://youtu.be/gXq_eB-Jvwo[/embed] Quotes From Douglas Wilson "H.L. Mencken once suggested a shrewd educational reform that has somehow not caught on. He said that there was nothing wrong with our current education establishment that could not be fixed by burning all the schools, and hanging all the teachers. Now some might want to dismiss this as an extreme measure, but visionaries are often dismissed in their own day." "Millions of evangelicals still have their children in the government school system. Get them out now. Having Christian children in the government school system is what theologians of another era would have called sinnity-sin-sin." "In order for all Christians to get their kids out of the maw of this government school system, what would it take precisely?" "What it would take in 2018 is a very different question than what it will take twenty years from now, in 2038… Things that pass without comment today would have caused riots forty years ago. And that which would cause riots today is what you are prepping your great-grandchildren to eventually put up with, provided they learn your evasions." "Government schools are institutions controlled by the fatherless, staffed by the fatherless, with curriculum written by the fatherless, and attended by evangelical children who are functionally fatherless." View Douglas Wilson's full article on his site here.  Episode Highlights Whether or not Christians should place their children in the public school system is certainly worth debating. How should we view all public schools today, and what should we do with them? Children are being molded by the school systems they're in. Children are moldable, and they need molded by trustworthy leaders. Parents should be the primary molders and teachers. Some parents have to work. Homeschooling is not an option for every family. What should these families do about troubling public school systems since they cannot homeschool? "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it" (Proverbs 22:6). Let's Seek The Truth What are your convictions on the matter? What kind of changes are you seeing in the public schools in your neighborhood? Share your thoughts in the comments below. Share this episode on your social media. Let's seek the truth together.