The Living Streams Church Podcast

Jesus told us to abide in Him. Abiding in Christ gives way to a life of freedom, removing the yoke of burden that the law can put on us. We have been completely justified in Christ. When we get into relationship with Jesus, we begin the ongoing sanctification process with Christ, Who pulls things out from our lives that aren’t good for us. Paul tells us, it’s the assurance and purity of the Gospel that leads us to love God with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength, and to love our neighbor as ourselves. We were all separated from God, until He made a way for us to live in the light of Jesus. When we abide in Christ, we yield fruit from a genuine place, and help others find their way to salvation in Christ.

Fasting and prayer prepares our hearts for solidarity with the poor (blessed are the poor in spirit). Fasting allows our hearts to be realigned for the glory of God, for the mission of God, and in anticipation for the coming of God. Matthew 25:31-46 is about your purpose and priority in the kingdom of God. This is a future vision that should impact today. The works spelled out here are not about earning salvation, but rather the evidence of a redeemed person (Galatians 5:22, Ephesians 2:10).

Study Guide: https://subspla.sh/bn38gkn

The sustenance that the world brings us is like a diner burger compared to the Lord’s sustenance of an authentic homemade Italian feast. The world in all its distractions, can in some ways seem to gratify the soul, and can fill us to some extent. The world can distract us enough to feel like we’re satisfied. It is a short-lived and circumstance dependent sort of satisfaction, but a satisfaction none the less. This sort of fleeting, restless gratification, makes no room for the truly deep, resilient, and restful contentment we only find in the presence of God. When we fast, we are pushing back at all the nibbling at the table of the world, that distracts us from the main course, which is the Holy Spirit and presence of God. We are cultivating a hunger for God in our fasting season. Hungry people are healthy people. As followers of Jesus, if we’re not hungry, this is an indicator that something is wrong. When we’re not hungry, we need to ask ourselves what is the thing that is holding us back from deep hunger and thirst for God. In the Kingdom of God, hunger begets more hunger for the Lord. This is a marker of a healthy believer. It’s confronting things that cannot go with us in the next season and cultivating a life-giving hunger for God. We need to lean into the un-comfortability of fasting. We are not trying to beat ourselves up, earn something new with God, or impress others. The reason we are fasting is to seek the presence of God.

Join Tim Hesman in a time of imaginative meditation about temptation, dependance, and finding need in not just food, but God.

Join Jim Watkins in a time of devotional about being hungry not for food, but for the Lord.

Join David and Kitty McVicker as they lead us in a time of worship and share a devotional about being angry and being thankful.

Refocusing our minds on the revelation of Jesus Christ points us to the living hope of the salvation of our souls and fill us with a rest that rejoices in our Savior.

Scripture: Philippians 4:10-20

Matt McCartin shares the song 'Run With The Horses".

Nick Orso shares about the sabbath.

Scripture: Philippians 4:4-8

Scripture: Philippians 2:12-18

Karen North shares a practical mental health tool.

Scripture: Philippians 1:12-18