Early Church of Christ
Religion & Spirituality
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Early Church of Christ
Episodes
- A Sign of Resistance | Gospel of Matthew
This message explores the Pharisees request for a sign from Jesus, interpreting it as resistance rather than a search for proof. It contrasts honest doubt with stubborn unbelief, discusses the Sign of Jonah and the resurrection, and examin…
- What Child is This? The Christmas Paradox | Matthew 10:32-42
This message examines the paradox of Jesus bringing both peace and conflict, contrasting angelic announcements with his claim to bring a sword. It features stories of martyrs and discusses identifying compromises for a false sense of peace…
- If It's a New Life, Why Am I Stuck in a Rut?
The episode discusses Matthew 9:14-17, where Jesus explains why his disciples do not fast. He uses the analogies of unshrunk cloth on an old garment and new wine in old wineskins to illustrate the incompatibility of old practices with new…
- The King's Mission | Gospel of Matthew
This episode covers Jesus’s healing of a paralyzed man and his subsequent interactions with religious leaders, illustrating his authority to forgive sins. It also details the calling of Matthew the tax collector and Jesus's defense of asso…
- When Jesus Runs Interference
This episode recounts the biblical story of Jesus encountering two demon-possessed men and casting the demons into a herd of pigs, which then drown in the lake. The event leads to the townspeople begging Jesus to leave their region.
- Better Together - Gospel of Matthew 8:14-17
“When Jesus came into Peter’s house, he saw Peter’s mother-in-law lying in bed with a fever. He touched her hand and the fever left her, and she got up and began to wait on him. When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought…
- Faith in Unexpected Places
Matthew 8:5–13, NIV “When Jesus had entered Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking for help. “Lord,” he said, “my servant lies at home paralyzed, suffering terribly.” Jesus said to him, “Shall I come and heal him?” The centurion replie…
- Our Firm Foundation - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 7:21–29 (NIV) 21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy i…
- Shortcuts, Hucksters, and Rotten Apples: Jesus's Teaching About the "Narrow Gate" and more.
Matthew 7:13–20 (NLT) 13 “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. 14 But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, a…
- Do Not Judge? | Gospel of Matthew 7:1-6
Matthew 7:1–6 (NASB95) 1 “Do not judge so that you will not be judged. 2 “For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. 3 “Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s…
- THIS Is Why I Told You Not to Worry - Matthew 6:24-34
Matthew 6:24–34 (NLT) 24 “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and be enslaved to money. 25 “That is why I tell you not to worry abou…
- Investments That Last (And Some That Don't!) - Matthew 6:19-24
“Don’t store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves don’t break in an…
- When You Fast - Forgotten Promise, Untapped Power
Should Christians fast? Is that even the right question? Jesus seems not only to condone but also to expect his disciples to fast. So what is fasting, why does Jesus call believers to fast, and what great things does God promise can come f…
- When and If - Prayer, Trust, and Grace
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your…
- The Hidden Power of Generosity - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 6:1–4 (CSB) 1 “Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. Otherwise, you have no reward with your Father in heaven. 2 So whenever you give to the poor, don’t sound a trumpet before you, as…
- Radical Integrity - Going the Extra Mile - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 5:38–42 (NIV) 38 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.’ 39 But I tell you, do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other cheek also. 40 And if anyone wan…
- Radical Integrity - The Value of a Disciple's Word, Oath, and Covenants
Matthew 5:33–37 (CSB) 33 “Again, you have heard that it was said to our ancestors, You must not break your oath, but you must keep your oaths to the Lord. 34 But I tell you, don’t take an oath at all: either by heaven, because it is God’s…
- Be Reconciled - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 5:21–26 (CSB) 21 “You have heard that it was said to our ancestors, Do not murder, and whoever murders will be subject to judgment. 22 But I tell you, everyone who is angry with his brother or sister will be subject to judgment. Wh…
- Salt and Light - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 5:13–16 (CSB) “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It’s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet. You are the light of the world.…
- Jesus People - Calm in the Eye of the Storm
Matthew 5:9–12 (CSB) Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. “You are blessed when they insult you and persecute…
- Right Side Up - Jesus' Vision for the Kingdom of Heaven - Gospel of Matthew 5:1-5
Matthew 5:1–12 (NIV) 1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Bl…
- How Would They Know - Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 4:23–25 (CSB) 23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. 24 Then the news about him spread throughout Sy…
- Come, Follow Me | The Gospel of Matthew 4:17-22
Matthew 4:17–22 (CSB) "From then on Jesus began to preach, 'Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near.' As he was walking along the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter), and his brother Andrew. They we…
- A Light Has Dawned - The Gospel of Matthew 4:12-17
Matthew 4:12–17 (NASB95) "Now when Jesus heard that John had been taken into custody, He withdrew into Galilee; and leaving Nazareth, He came and settled in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the region of Zebulun and Naphtali. This was to…
- What Are We Doing THIS For? (The Baptism of Jesus)
Matthew 3:13–17 (ESV) 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so n…
- Who Warned You? - John the Baptist Confronts Escapist Religion
John the Baptist was not one to mince words, so while it must have been jarring, it wasn't too surprising that his greeting to the Pharisees and Sadducees was "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?" Why did he…
- Jesus: A Disruptive King - The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew 2:1–6 (ESV) 1 Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, 2 saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it ro…
- What Joseph Heard Next Changed EVERYTHING
Matthew 1:18–25 (ESV) 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ took place in this way. When his mother Mary had been betrothed to Joseph, before they came together she was found to be with child from the Holy Spirit. 19 And her husband Joseph, bei…
- A Legacy of Hope - The Genealogy of Jesus
"For many cultures ancient and modern, and certainly in the Jewish world of Matthew’s day, this genealogy was the equivalent of a roll of drums, a fanfare of trumpets, and a town crier calling for attention. Any first-century Jew would fin…
- I Have Always Loved You - The Book of Malachi
Malachi had a message from God of both correction and hope for the people of Israel. They had become careless and negligent in their calling, and were stale in their faith. But God gives them a glimpse of the coming Messiah and his forebea…
- Think Carefully About Your Ways • Haggai
Haggai the prophet urged the returning people of Jerusalem to remember their commitments and calling as he called them to complete the rebuilding of the Temple because they had become distracted by misplaced priorities and procrastination.…
- He Rejoices Over You With Singing! - The Book of Zephaniah
"The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves. He will take great delight in you; in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” - Zephaniah 3:17, NIV
- Yet I Will Rejoice in the Lord! • The Book of Habakkuk
"How long, Lord, must I call for help, but you do not listen? Or cry out to you, “Violence!” but you do not save? 3 Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is stri…
- World Bible School - James Kinnaird
We're excited to share this message from James Kinnaird, Regional Advancement Representative for World Bible School, about the past, present, and future ministry of World Bible School. We are also very excited about the hands-on opportunit…
- Good News! | The Book of Nahum | The Minor Prophets
Sometimes the difference between bad news and good news is which side of the news you're on. Such was the case when Nahum prophecies the fall of Nineveh and Assyria. If you had been violent, oppressive, and abusive, the coming of the King…
- "He Has Shown You, O Mortal, What is Good" | The Book of Micah | The Minor Prophets
Into a world of injustice, oppression, and greed the prophet Micah spoke justice, hope, and the kingdom of the Messiah. "He has shown you, O mortal, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and t…
- "The Confounding Mercy of God" | The Book of Jonah | The Minor Prophets
Jonah is an incredibly powerful and dramatic story. Being swallowed by a fish for three days and surviving sounds crazy and miraculous. However, that isn't the most incredible facet of Jonah's story. The most powerful part of the story is…
- "The Lord Has Spoken!" | The Book of Obadiah | Minor Prophets
Obadiah. He was, perhaps, the definition of a fire & brimstone prophet. His book is short but powerful as he addresses the nation of Edom (the descendants of Esau) and their abuse of their neighbors in Israel
- Seeking Good, Seeking God: God's Country Prophet Goes To Town - The Book of Amos
Amos was a farmer and shepherd from the Southern Kingdom (Judah) sent to the heart of the Northern Kingdom (Israel) to speak truth to power. He held nothing back as he spoke powerfully to oppression, injustice, and deep immorality, calling…
- THIS Is The Lord's Declaration - The Book of Joel
Joel 2:13–14 (MSG) "Change your life, not just your clothes. Come back to GOD, your God. And here’s why: God is kind and merciful. He takes a deep breath, puts up with a lot, This most patient God, extravagant in love, always ready to canc…
- Hosea: The Faithful Love of God
The Book of Hosea is a beautiful, poetic look into the heart of God for his people, Israel. It's also a heartbreaking look at the brokenness of our world, and how it weighs on God's own heart. Through it all, God's justice, mercy, and grac…
- Acts 8: Sharing the Good News + Guatemala Mission Update
This week James updated us on his recent work in Guatemala City, and spoke on Acts 8 and how we can learn from Philip how to share the good news of Jesus.
- Who, Me?! - Esther
Esther proved to be a strong, capable, faithful, and courageous woman of faith. That faith and courage was, in part, due to her willingness to have and to listen to wise people around her.
- Who, Me?! - Moses: When God Sees More Than Your Past
Moses's story starts with such apparent promise, but very quickly goes off the rails. In a moment of anger and rage, he murders an Egyptian and loses the only life he'd ever known as he runs off to hide. For 40 years he hid until one day,…
- Who, Me?! - David Becomes King
1 Samuel 16:7 (NIV) "But the LORD said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the…
- Who Me?! The Redemptive Faith of Rahab
"In the same way, was not even Rahab the prostitute considered righteous for what she did when she gave lodging to the spies and sent them off in a different direction?" (James 2:25, NIV) Faith can be found in the most surprising hearts, a…
- Who, Me? - Gideon Learns To Trust God's Vision
At a time when Gideon saw himself and his people as powerless and hopeless, the Lord spoke triumph, courage, and valor to his life. We are all more than we think we are, because God sees all we become when we trust him.
- You Want to Change the World? Start Here >>
“Therefore, putting away lying, speak the truth, each one to his neighbor, because we are members of one another. Be angry and do not sin. Don’t let the sun go down on your anger, and don’t give the devil an opportunity. Let the thief no l…
- The Astounding Grace of Jesus
Matthew 8:10–11 (NIV) "When Jesus heard this, he was amazed and said to those following him, “Truly I tell you, I have not found anyone in Israel with such great faith. I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will…
- Being the Face and Hands of Jesus
Acts 3:1–8 (NIV) 3 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to…