The Calhoun Church of Christ Podcast

"The Spirit of Prayer (1)" Prayer Workshop 2024 #2

This session from our 2024 Prayer & Spiritual Growth Workshop features a message on experiencing the 'spirit' of prayer.

How have past revivals been sparked by prayer and how can the modern church to see a greater outpouring of God's presence in this broken world?

Teach Us To Pray

The prayer life of Jesus fascinated his disciples. When they heard him pray, they asked to be taught how to pray... how to pray as he prayed.

So, he began with that request and taught them his own revelations about how the disciples should approach this amazing experience of talking in person with the Most High God - his own Father.

In this podcast we look at three major sessions where Jesus personally taught them (and us) to pray.

HEAVEN: With Christ -14 "I Am Making Everything New"

Why do people look forward to Heaven?

"He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!'” (Revelation 21:5 NIV)

The new fascinates us. We look forward to it. And Heaven, if anything, speaks of new things - we're born again to have a new spirit, we look forward to new bodies in the resurrection, and the new heaven and new earth - without sin and evil - fascinate us.

Listen and you'll learn more about how Heaven works a new thing in all of us.

HEAVEN: With Christ -13 "The Sure Way To Heaven"

Do you believe you can know without doubt that you'll be in Heaven?

The Apostle John thought you could believe it - "I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life." (1st John 5:13 NIV)

That's good news! Yes, it's possible to know for sure that you'll be in Heaven. And the only sure way to know is through the things that John (and others) wrote... the Bible.

In those writings the only sure way to Heaven is revealed...  “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life." -Jesus (John 5:24 NIV).

Listen to this episode and hear more good news!

HEAVEN: With Christ-12 "New Heaven and New Earth"

Sometimes we confuse Heaven with the New Heaven and New Earth. 

The Apostle Peter wrote about the fiery destruction of our present heaven and earth, but also spoke about a new heaven and new earth following the incineration of this earth in 2nd Peter 3:3-13.

And John also wrote about his phenomenon in Revelation chapter 21: "Then I saw 'a new heaven and a new earth', for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." 

Listen and learn more about how the new heaven and new earth will impact future existence as believers on Christ.

 

HEAVEN: With Christ-11 "Seek His Face"

One of the amazing things about Heaven - We'll be 'With Christ'. To meet this amazing Son of God in person will make Heaven more fascinating.

But right now, Heaven isn't too interesting if you aren't already seeking God. King David wrote, "My heart says of you, 'Seek his face!' Your face, Lord, I will seek." (Psalm 27:8 NIV)

It's the God seekers who get the greatest glimpses of Heaven right now. And those glimpses keep us going, like travelers through a massive desert who find refreshing pools of water along the journey.

Listen and find out more about this 'God-seeking' from fascinating characters in the Bible. 

HEAVEN: With Christ-10 "Transformed Into His Image"

Heaven isn't just a place to escape your troubles. It's the home base of God's Kingdom - the place where you'll fulfill being transformed into the image of Christ.

"Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is." (1st John 3:2-3 NASB)

Our whole destiny as Christ-followers is this; in the end of all things, we'll be just like Him. Listen and learn how this is possible.

HEAVEN: With Christ-9 "Visions of Heaven"

We have trouble grasping with our brains what the eternal Heaven is like. So, we need help - and visions from that eternal world can give us clues to what that world is like.

The Bible is full of supernatural visions. And many of them give off the aroma of Heaven.

The Apostle Paul said, "I will go on to visions and revelations from the Lord... I know a man in Christ who fourteen years ago was caught up to the third heaven." (2nd Corinthians 12:1-2 NIV)

In this episode we experience a vision that Ezekiel the prophet had, plus one that Christians have in the Book of Hebrews.

Listen and grow your faith while you hear about eternal things.

HEAVEN: With Christ-8 "Heaven Came Down"

What will we experience in Heaven? Well, some of the things we experience on earth foreshadow life in Heaven. Can earth be a small preview of Heaven?

The Bible says, "For this is what the high and exalted One says—he who lives forever, whose name is holy: 'I live in a high and holy place, but also with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.'" (Isaiah 57:15 NIV)

God sees, knows, and lives in both realms - Heaven and earth. That's why the Word says things like, "And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus..." (Eph. 2:6 NIV). Notice the past tense... raised us up.

Even now there's great interaction between Heaven and earth. Can we actually begin to experience flashes of Heaven while living here on earth? Listen and find out more about this fascinating reality.

HEAVEN: With Christ-7 "The Heavenly Rest"

Things on earth can foreshadow Heaven. One of these things is rest.

We know that people in Heaven 'rest' - "Then I heard a voice from heaven say, “Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on.” “Yes,” says the Spirit, “they will rest from their labor, for their deeds will follow them.” (Revelation 14:13 NIV)

But what kind of rest? Is it just doing nothing? No, Jesus offers a rest, even here on earth, that reflects the "Heavenly rest" - “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:28-29 NIV)

That kind of "rest" reflects the "Heavenly rest" we're looking forward to enjoying. Listen and learn more.