The Calhoun Church of Christ Podcast

"For no one can lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ." (1st Cor. 3:11 NIV)

Everything believers do should rest on this rock solid foundation - Christ.

When the apostle Paul and others went throughout the world to lead people to salvation, they stressed this revelation... Jesus is our only hope. He is the Head of the Church. He's our complete salvation from sin and hell.

Paul put it this way: "To me, who am less than the least of all the saints, this grace was given, that I should preach among the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ..." (Ephesians 3:8 NKJV)

And the apostle also wrote about these riches to the Colossian church: To them (the Gentiles) God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27 NIV)

Listen and tap into these wonderful riches of God in Christ!

Moses said to Jehovah, "If your Presence does not go with us, do not send us up from here." (Exodus 33:15)

Moses knew how vital God's Presence would be as they headed to their destiny in the Promised Land.

Several times in the Bible, God's Presence and the Holy Spirit are linked. When King David committed adultery and murder, he cried out to God... "Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me." (Psalm 51)

Listen and learn more about how the Holy Spirit is the Presence of God for us today.

 

In the last episode, we saw nine different Scriptures which teach that the Holy Spirit lives IN (not just with) the believer's spirit.

In this podcast we look at why the Spirit lives inside us. The Bible gives several reasons why the Holy Spirit makes His presence live in us. But one of the major reasons is that He is a "deposit", a "down payment" on our eternal inheritance.

Listen and be encouraged about how deep the Father's love radiates into our spirits by His Holy Spirit. 

An actual, living relationship with Christ comes through the Holy Spirit. Without the Spirit you will never truly experience the love of God.

In this episode, we study nine different Scriptures which show us that the Holy Spirit personally resides in the believer. 

Listen and get fresh encouragement living inside you.

Did you know that your faith and the Holy Spirit are connected? And that the Spirit will help you develop mountain moving faith?

Several times the Scripture mentions people who were, "full and faith and the Holy Spirit".

Stephen, the church's first martyr was, "a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit" in Acts 6:8. And Barnabus (whose name means "son of encouragement") was also "full of faith and the Holy Spirit" in Acts 11:24. The encouragement of Barnabus caused "a great number of people" to be brought to the Lord.

The Holy Spirit grows your faith like a tree growing fruit, as depicted in Galatians 5:22-23. Some translations say "faithfulness", but many literal ones have "faith" as a fruit of the Spirit. (The word "faith" and "faithfulness" are the same word in the Greek text.)

So - your faith comes from the Holy Spirit. Listen and see this connection and how it can help you find a mountain moving faith.

When the Apostle Paul entered Ephesus to evangelize that pagan city, he met a dozen men who were 'believers'. He asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2 NIV)

They said, "We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit." (Acts 19:2 ERV)

Why was this Paul's first question to them? Because he knew that the Holy Spirit wasn't optional but was fully engaged in their salvation. The Spirit isn't an afterthought or a special add-on option to be discovered later by the believer. He is vital to our success in living for Christ on this earth.

Listen and learn more about this amazing relationship with the Holy Spirit that helps us seek holiness and a clean heart toward God.

When the Apostle Paul traveled to Ephesus to evangelize the area, he encountered some believers and asked them, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?".

Their answer was, "We have never even heard of a Holy Spirit!" (Acts 19:2 ERV)

This conversation began an amazing journey for a small group of twelve men who later grew into a big church empowered by the Holy Spirit to boldly evangelize the pagan city of Ephesus.

Listen and hear about this fascinating journey of a church who was led by the Holy Spirit to turn the world upside down in their region.

Paul the Apostle encountered a small group of believers as he entered pagan Ephesus. The first question he asked was, "Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?" (Acts 19:2 NIV)

They answered, "We have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit." 

Most Christians today would admit that they've heard of the Holy Spirit, but many have never truly encountered Him.

In this message we find out how the Holy Spirit is actually a part of the Gospel and available to all believers today, available to empower a victorious walk with God.

Jesus' life reflected the eternal values and goals of his Father. One of those values appears in his prayer to the Father as recorded in John chapter seventeen.

That prayer reveals Jesus' respect for the Father's will and his recognition that the Father has a plan for believers, one that will never fail.

"Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. For you granted him authority over all people that he might give eternal life to all those you have given him." (John 17:1-2 NIV)

Jesus knows that the Father has chosen a people for himself and given them to Christ. As the Spirit said through Paul, "Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his...”

The Father foreknew every person but left their free will intact. So, he created a group from those he knew would freely choose him, "The Elect". And that group has been given to Christ for all eternity.

Listen and learn more about our firm foundation that assures us of eternal life.

 

 

Here's one way Jesus shows us the Father in Scripture. He lives out that spiritual Father / Son relationship in front of us.

At twelve years of age, Jesus stayed in the temple area at the Passover Feast all by himself for three days while his parents had headed home thinking he was in the family throng. When they found him, he said, "Why were you searching for me?"... "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" (Luke 2:49 NIV)

At that early age, Jesus knows the Almighty God is his Father, making him the Son of God. By the time Jesus receives baptism, we again see their relationship: "And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Luke 3:21-22 NIV)

Why does this Father / Son relationship matter to us? Because it's the template, the pattern for our relationship with the Father.

Listen. There's more on this podcast.