Real Life Ministries
For real life people with real life problems.
Real Life Ministries
The Struggle with Divided Loyalty
What if the Bible's greatest teachings have been misunderstood all along? Join us in our inaugural episode of Real Life Ministries as we promise to unravel the complexities and misconceptions surrounding the Bible, offering a fresh perspective to both believers and skeptics. By examining scripture through a Berean-like lens, we aim to empower you with the tools to critically and authentically engage with the Word of God. Together, we confront the tensions between living a spiritually fulfilling life and facing the daily challenges this world presents, rooting our journey in the spiritual truths that provide us with unwavering confidence and clarity.
Our conversation takes a deep dive into the necessity of consistent faith, as highlighted in James 1:5-8, urging us to live for God beyond just the confines of Sunday worship. We explore the pitfalls of divided loyalty and the reality of spiritual struggles in a world often at odds with our beliefs. Through introspection and a reliance on the Holy Spirit, we strive to break down barriers that hinder our faith journey. Join us as we endeavor to strengthen our spiritual foundation, seeking wisdom and guidance from a generous God who invites us to live with a steadfast commitment to His teachings in every aspect of our lives.
Hello and welcome to my new podcast called Real Life Ministries, where we discuss real life problems for real life people. Now I want to start this podcast out by kind of introducing what we're going to be discussing and how we're going to be handling it. First of all, we're going to be going through the Bible. We're going to be looking at different sections of the Bible that cause some problems for unbelievers and believers alike, because there is a lot of misinformation out in this world about the Bible and people don't fully understand how to let the Bible speak for itself and they take the word of others sometimes, or tradition or different things that may not be the proper teaching of the Bible. And hopefully through this podcast we'll be able to look at these different things that may not be the proper teaching of the Bible and hopefully through this podcast we'll be able to look at these different things that we have issues with and we'll go through them. We'll walk through them and we'll see what the Bible says. We'll look at some different background information regarding these different areas and we'll take those and we'll be able to then apply that to our lives and hopefully help us as we go in through this difficult and world full of turmoil and it can be downright scary sometimes with the things that are going on in this world, and so I'm hoping together we can do as the Bereans did in Acts.
Speaker 1:When Paul went to Berea, you know, they didn't just take his word for it, they went through there with everything that he taught them and they searched it as he was speaking it. They were looking back through the Old Testament scriptures, which is what they had then, and they were searching through there. And that's what I want us to do I want us to not be afraid to go through the Bible, to really dig into it, to really learn about it, because some people are afraid to do that sometimes because they're afraid they'll find not what they're looking for. They're afraid that they'll find something that the world has been misinterpreting or saying that it is wrong. And but as we go through this bible and the holy spirit works through us, I want us to be able to look at these difficult sections and be able to see where we can take this and apply this to our lives, and also do some introspection as well and help us to look inside ourselves to see okay, how am I viewing this? What in this world has caused me to view this in this way or what is hindering me from being able to believe this, and hopefully we can break down some of those walls, move some of those things out and really look into our heart, really start to trust in God and the Holy Spirit and let the Holy Spirit move in and through us so we can really learn what's going on.
Speaker 1:Because, to be honest with you, it's difficult living in this world. It really is sometimes as a believer, because the world is throwing everything against you, because, honestly, satan is the prince of this world. So and we learn this from james also as how we're to live, because he tells you in in james 1, 5, it says if you need wisdom, ask our generous god and he will give it to you. He will not rebuke you for asking, but when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in god alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do and the world, and they are unstable and everything they do. And now there are a lot of people in this world that will go to church on Sunday, worship, praise, you know, say Amen, hallelujah, and then, monday through Saturday, it's like they're not at church, they're not with God, god's not with him. There they're doing whatever they want, they're living however they want to live, and and that's just not the way it should be, because then that means they're living however they wanna live and that's just not the way it should be, because then that means they're living of the world, or six days a week, and then one day a week they're living for God, and that's not what God wants. You know, this passage here really spoke to me at one point in my life when I was going through a tough time and I was really struggling to see where God was working in my life, and, you know, told me, well, maybe you need to read James, and it just made me realize I was being double-minded, I was being tossed to and fro, back and forth and kind of on the fence, and it made me realize that I really needed to make some changes in my life and work through some things. And thankfully I have, and hopefully, with sharing this podcast with you, we can really start to understand and realize and break down the barriers we need to as we go through this.
Speaker 1:Now I want to pray for us before we start delving into this, so that the Holy Spirit can work in and through us. Dear Heavenly Father, lord, thank you for this day. Thank you for all you do. Lord, you're an amazing and awesome God. We come before you to study the scriptures. We want to learn about you. Lord, you're an amazing and awesome God. We come before you to study the scriptures. We want to learn about you. Lord, we want to learn about your will for our lives and want to be able to take your word, and we want to apply that to our lives and to the life that we live around us, and hopefully, the people around us can see the changes within us that we're making. Lord, lord, just speak to us. Let the Holy Spirit move in and through us. In Jesus name, we pray amen.
Speaker 1:Now, where we're going to begin is I'm going to begin at the beginning. I want to start at the beginning of the Bible, because this is probably the most important part and it it goes to believers and unbelievers are like. So Genesis 1 starts off with, in the beginning, god. And I just want to start there, because this is where it all begins. God is not called the Alpha and the Omega for no reason. He is the beginning and he is the end. It starts and it ends with God. The end it starts and it ends with God. And this very first bold statement in the Bible is where everything that we do, everything that we believe in every how we live our lives, what we believe about life, what we believe about death, where we're going after death, all things are tied to this statement right here, in the beginning God. You can either believe that statement or you can choose not to believe that statement, and that truly determines, on the things you're going to believe in this world, how you're going to live your life in this world. It truly believes and bases where your focus is, because if your focus is not on god, then you're going to live your life in a different way and you're going to believe different things. However, if your focus is on god, you want to do the will of god, you're going to live your life another way. So it all boils down to, in the beginning, god.
Speaker 1:Now, what God are we talking about? Naturally, since we're working through the Bible, we're working talking about the God of the Bible, jehovah Elohim, lord Almighty, the God of the Jews, who then, through his son and and the apostles, spread the gospel to the Gentiles. This is who we're talking about, not the God of Islam, not the God of Mormonism, not the God of some other random religion. We're talking about the one and only true God of the universe. We're talking about him right now. That is who we're talking about, him right now. That is who we're believing in. That is who, from eternity to eternity, is who we're discussing. Is God?
Speaker 1:Now, as we go through life, we have different presuppositions and different ways that we view how we do things and how we carry ourselves. And one of those major decisions that you're going to make in your life is okay, am I going to choose to believe God? Am I going to choose not to believe God? And then the rest of the Bible continues on from there. Now, how you look at the Bible and all of the things in the Bible also goes back to that James chapter 1 that we looked at, because if you are trying to balance on that precipice between the God of the Bible and the world, you're gonna be torn and in different situations you're going to be torn and in different situations, you're going to react differently, instead of choosing a side and saying, okay, lord, I'm all in, or you know what? I'm not all in, I'm going to be all in in the world. And so that choice, right, there is a very important choice you must make, because there's there's no way we can live in both worlds and make it work, and that's what james is trying to tell us in that passage. You have to choose one or the other, and that is a major decision that we're starting off with, and that's why I wanted to start with this passage right here, because it all hinges on this passage right here.
Speaker 1:In the beginning, god do you believe that in the beginning, god was there or do you not? Now there are a lot of people in this world that do not believe God, that do not believe that the God of this universe exists, had anything to do with this universe. That's where the theory of evolution comes from, a lot of science comes from, because they don't believe in the supernatural. They want to say that everything in this world can be done naturally. There does not need to be any supernatural influence in any way, shape or form in this world, and that is what they base most of their proofs and their truths off of. Is that fact right there? It's without god. And now there are a lot of creation scientists that are coming through and they are starting to show people hey look, what they're trying to say Is without God and doesn't really line up with all of the true facts that you're seeing, because when you really put God into it, you can really see what's going on. So Our homework for this week, that I want us to step back and really look at, is I want us to look at ourselves and I want us to think about that passage in James and I want us to think are we, are we really living for God?
Speaker 1:Are we really taking the time and investing in God? Are really doing Putting in the work in that relationship that we need to be doing, or are we trying to balance and be on the fence, so to speak? You're bouncing between the world, bouncing to God, bouncing between the world, bouncing to God, or just kind of hanging right in the middle, not really wanting to make A commitment one way or another. I'll challenge you this week as you go about your, your week, to really take the time to look at yourself, really do some deep praying, thinking about where you're at in your walk with God, or if you're not in a walk with God maybe you need to think about maybe I should be, and I want you to take this time to really think about that and see where that leads you, because I want us to work through this Bible and I want believers and unbelievers alike to step back and really be able to look at this information and I really want people to look at the Bible in such a way that they truly understand it, they truly get it.
Speaker 1:They truly get it. It truly speaks to them. God is speaking to straight to you, you, me, everybody else in this world, right through this Bible, and I want us to be able to hear him. I want us to be able to hear what he's trying to tell us through his word as we go through this world, because it's a fallen, it's a broken world and it's difficult, but we have hope. God is with us, he's all around us. He didn't just set the world in motion and then just turn a blind eye. His hand is in everything there is in this world. Everything that is going on there is a reason, and so, as we go through our week, let's step back, let's really take a look at ourselves, let's really see where we're at, what we're doing, where we're going, and then come back next week and let's start really getting into the Bible and let's move past the first.
Speaker 1:What is it? First four words in the beginning God. But I really want you to think about that statement right there and how it pertains to your life and where it is in your life. In the beginning God, because everything begins and ends with him. Thank you for joining in this week to this new podcast Real Life Ministries, real Life People with Real Life Problems. Share this podcast with friends and families. I really look forward to sharing the word with you guys. And just remember in the beginning, god. We'll see you next week.