Wildwood Assembly

Parenting teens often means navigating some of the most challenging conversations families face—from broken trust to friendships and dating. Tim Shoemaker and his son Mark offer practical, grace-filled guidance to help parents communicate well, build trust, and strengthen their relationship with their teens. You’ll discover how listening well and responding with wisdom can turn difficult moments into opportunities for growth and deeper connection.Receive a copy of the ""What to Say and How to Say It to Your Teen"bundle and an audio download of "Essential Skills for Navigating Tough Conversations with Teens" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.Get more episode resources Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Listen to Today's Devotion Zarephath was a Gentile city occupied by Baal worshippers. The chief of the city had a daughter named Jezebel, Elijah’s archenemy. Elijah arrives with nothing. His purse and tummy are empty. Elijah spots a woman. Emaciated. Destitute. I envision Elijah stepping in her direction, and beneath his beard a smile is taking shape as he reviews God’s blessings. Protection in the court of Ahab, provision in the paucity of Kerith, and a shield of safety during the trek to Zarephath. In your case would the God who gave you grace last week not give you grace again? Unbreakable courage requires good recall. Spiritual amnesia makes spiritual wimps. Spiritual remembrance makes spiritual giants. Read more Unbreakable Courage For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Pastor Kelly's Bible study on the names of God.

What if your child’s biggest challenge is actually their greatest strength? Dr. Kathy Koch explores life-changing insights from her book 8 Great Smarts, revealing how every child is uniquely wired with different kinds of intelligence – from the nonstop talker to the deep thinker, the music-maker to the curious questioner. Learn how to recognize your child’s natural strengths, nurture what makes them come alive, and stop unintentionally paralyzing their "smarts."Receive a copy of the "8 Great Smarts" bundle and an audio download of "Unlock Your Child's Learning Potential with the 8 Types of Intelligence" for your donation of any amount! Plus, receive member-exclusive benefits when you make a recurring gift today. Your monthly support helps families thrive.Get more episode resources Do you have a story or comment on how Focus on the Family impacted you or your family? Leave a message for Jim Daly!If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Listen to Today's Devotion The prophet Elijah was headline news in the nation. He was also a sitting duck for a big head. So, in a preemptive measure, God led him to a creek where Elijah would be utterly dependent upon a brook for water and some birds for food. The enemy of the saint is pride. We must fight it like the foe it is. Take note of your “hat size.” Are you getting a big head? Then volunteer for menial tasks—wash dishes, sweep floors. You are loved but not indispensable. You are God’s child but not God’s golden child. You have a place in God’s plan, but you are not essential to God’s plan. The smaller we are, the more room there is for God. Read more Unbreakable Courage For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Listen to Today's Devotion Do you feel isolated from family and friends? Perhaps your isolation is less geographical and more ideological. Do you feel alone in your opinions and concerns? When we follow the crowd, we feel safe.  When we swim against the tide, we need strength. Turn to God as your best friend. Find what it means to walk in the Spirit, to lean on and lean into him as your comforter. Meditate on Scripture. Read inspirational books. Enjoy times of worship. Lay claim to a quiet spot where you can hear God’s voice. Speak less when you are in his presence. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). Learn to savor the stillness. Trust God’s stops as well as God’s steps. Read more Unbreakable Courage For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

Pastor Mark continues the New Testament Survey Believer's University course. Tonight's topics include passages from Philemon.

Pastor Mark continues the New Testament Survey Believer's University course. Tonight's topics include passages from Acts, Philippians, and Colossians.

4 speakers, 4 ten minute sermons for No Excuse Sunday

Believer's University Bible study

The Death of Moses: A View from the MountainGod tells Moses to climb Mount Nebo and look. From the summit he can see everything—Gilead to Dan, Naphtali, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah stretching to the Mediterranean, the Negev, the Jordan Valley with Jericho, the city of palms. It is the entire promised land spread before him like a map, and God says: ‘I have allowed you to see it with your own eyes, but you will not enter.’ The cruelty of the sentence is softened by its tenderness—God Himself shows Moses what lies ahead, as a father might show a child the house being built for him. Before he dies, Moses blesses each tribe, and the poetry is magnificent. Judah is defended, Levi teaches the law, Benjamin lives in safety, Joseph receives the bounty of heaven and earth, Dan is a lion’s cub, Naphtali is rich in favor, Asher bathes his feet in olive oil. And crowning them all: ‘There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you. The eternal God is your refuge, and his everlasting arms are under you.’ Everlasting arms—the image of a God who catches what falls. Then Moses dies. He is 120 years old, his eyesight clear, his strength undiminished. The Lord buries him in an unmarked grave in the valley near Beth-peor, and to this day no one knows where it is. The anonymity of the grave is deliberate—Moses will not become a shrine. Joshua takes up the mantle, and the people obey him as they obeyed Moses. But the final sentence of Deuteronomy is an epitaph that doubles as an unresolved question: ‘There has never been another prophet in Israel like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.’ The book of Beginnings ends with an ending that is also a waiting—for the prophet like Moses who was promised, for the one who would know God face to face and lead His people not to the edge of the land but all the way home.00:00 God Tells Moses to Climb Mount Nebo01:00 Moses Blesses the Tribes02:00 Levi: Teachers of the Law03:00 Joseph: Bounty of Heaven and Earth04:00 Dan, Naphtali, and Asher05:00 ‘The Eternal God Is Your Refuge’06:00 Moses Views the Promised Land07:00 The Death and Burial of Moses07:00 ‘Never Another Prophet Like Moses’Buy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How

Choose Life: The Covenant Renewed on the Plains of MoabMoses renews the covenant one final time—not at Sinai but on the plains of Moab, within sight of the promised land. He reminds them of the basics: your clothes did not wear out, your sandals did not fail, you ate no bread and drank no wine, yet God provided. The wilderness was not abandonment; it was proof. Then he draws the circle of the covenant as wide as it will go: not just the leaders, not just the men, but the women, the children, the foreigners who chop wood and carry water, and—remarkably—‘the future generations who are not standing here today.’ The covenant reaches across time. It binds people who have not yet been born. Moses warns against the person who hears these curses and thinks, ‘I am safe. I can follow my own stubborn heart.’ That self-congratulation, he says, will lead to utter ruin. And future generations will look at the devastated land and ask, ‘Why did the Lord do this?’ The answer will be plain: they abandoned the covenant. Then, in one of Scripture’s most luminous passages, Moses promises restoration after exile. ‘The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of your descendants so that you will love him with all your heart and soul.’ The law that seemed impossible to keep will one day be written on the heart itself. And then the great declaration: ‘This command is not too difficult for you. It is not in heaven or beyond the sea. The message is very close at hand—it is on your lips and in your heart.’ Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses and gives Israel the starkest choice in Scripture: ‘I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Choose life.’ Then Moses, 120 years old, commissions Joshua, writes the law in a book, and places it beside the ark. He knows what is coming—God has told him plainly that the people will turn away. But he writes the song anyway, and he gives the book anyway, because faithfulness does not require optimism.00:00 The Covenant Renewed in Moab01:00 Everyone Stands Before the Lord02:00 Warning Against Secret Rebellion03:00 Future Generations Will Ask Why04:00 The Secret Things Belong to God05:00 Restoration After Exile06:00 God Will Change Your Heart07:00 The Command Is Not Too Difficult08:00 Choose Life09:00 Moses at 120: Final Charge10:00 The Law Read Every Seventh Year11:00 God Commissions Joshua12:00 Moses Writes the Song13:00 The Book Placed Beside the ArkBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the

Sunday sermon

Blessings and Curses: The Two MountainsMoses commands a dramatic ceremony for the day Israel crosses the Jordan: large stones coated with plaster, inscribed with the entire law, set up on Mount Ebal. An altar of uncut stones. Burnt offerings and peace offerings and feasting. Six tribes on Mount Gerizim to pronounce blessings, six on Mount Ebal for curses. The Levites stand in the valley between and recite twelve curses—each one targeting sins committed in secret: the hidden idol, the dishonored parent, the moved boundary marker, the blind person led astray, the justice denied to the vulnerable. After each curse, all the people say ‘Amen.’ They are not passive listeners; they are participants in their own judgment. Then comes the great catalog of blessings and curses—the most extended passage of its kind in the Bible. The blessings are magnificent: blessed in the city, blessed in the field, blessed in your children, your crops, your livestock. Your enemies will scatter in seven directions. God will open the heavens to rain on your land. You will lend to many nations and borrow from none. But the curses are devastating in their escalation. They mirror the blessings point by point, then go far beyond them—disease, drought, defeat, madness, blindness, siege so terrible that parents eat their own children. The passage is almost unbearable to read, and that is the point. Moses is not threatening; he is warning. He is painting the consequences of covenant-breaking in colors so vivid that no one can claim ignorance. The curses end with the ultimate reversal: the people who left Egypt in triumph will be sent back in ships, offering themselves as slaves—and no one will buy them.00:00 Stones Inscribed with the Law01:00 The Altar on Mount Ebal02:00 Twelve Curses Proclaimed03:00 The People Say Amen04:00 Blessings for Obedience05:00 You Will Lend, Not Borrow06:00 Curses for Disobedience Begin07:00 Disease, Drought, and Defeat08:00 Madness and Blindness09:00 A Distant Nation Like a Vulture10:00 The Horror of Siege12:00 Plagues Without Relief13:00 Scattered Among the Nations14:00 Sent Back to Egypt in ShipsBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s g

Marriage, Mercy, and the Gleaner’s RightThe laws in this reading touch the most intimate and the most mundane corners of human life—marriage, sexuality, divorce, neighborliness, wages, gleaning—and through them all runs a single thread: the vulnerable must be protected. The marriage laws are harsh by modern standards, but in their ancient context they represent an attempt to bring order and accountability to relationships where women had little legal recourse. The rights of a captive woman, the rules about divorce, the protections for a falsely accused bride—each provision constrains the power of the strong over the weak. Escaped slaves must not be returned to their masters—a law so radical it has no parallel in the ancient Near East. Loans to fellow Israelites must be interest-free. Vows must be kept. A newly married man gets a full year exempt from military service to ‘bring happiness to his wife.’ Workers must be paid before sunset. And then come the gleaning laws, among the most beautiful legislation in the Bible: when you harvest your field and forget a sheaf, do not go back for it. When you beat your olive trees, do not go over the branches twice. When you gather grapes, leave what remains. These forgotten sheaves, these unpicked olives, these remaining clusters belong to the foreigners, the orphans, and the widows. God builds a welfare system into the very act of harvesting. The poor do not receive charity; they receive the right to gather what the prosperous have left behind. And the reason is always the same: ‘Remember that you were slaves in Egypt.’ Memory is the engine of compassion.00:00 Accusations Against a Bride01:00 Laws About Adultery and Rape03:00 Exclusions from the Assembly04:00 Keeping the Camp Pure05:00 No Interest on Loans to Israelites06:00 Divorce and Remarriage07:00 Newly Married Men Exempt from War08:00 Pay Workers Before Sunset09:00 The Gleaning Laws10:00 Limits on Flogging11:00 Levirate Marriage12:00 Honest Weights and MeasuresBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out <a href="https:/

Laws for War, for Neighbors, and for the Forgotten SheafThe rules of warfare in Deuteronomy are unlike anything in the ancient world. Before the army marches, the priest speaks: ‘Do not be afraid. The Lord your God is going with you.’ Then the officers announce a series of extraordinary exemptions—anyone who has built a new house, planted a vineyard, or become engaged may go home. And anyone who is simply afraid may leave, lest his fear infect the others. God does not want reluctant soldiers. When besieging a city, Israel must first offer terms of peace. And they must not cut down the fruit trees. ‘Are the trees your enemies?’ Moses asks—a question that carries a surprisingly ecological sensibility. Even in war, creation deserves respect. The chapter then moves through a rapid succession of laws that reveal the texture of daily life in a covenant community: the unsolved murder ritual with the heifer, the rights of a captive woman, the firstborn son’s inheritance rights, the rebellious son, the dignity of a criminal’s body. Each law addresses a different kind of vulnerability. Then come the neighbor laws—return a wandering animal, help a collapsed donkey, build a railing on your roof. The common thread is responsibility: you are your neighbor’s keeper. You may not look the other way. The reading moves through regulations about honest weights, about tassels on garments, and about the Amalekites—whose cruelty to the weak and straggling will not be forgotten. Then comes the firstfruits ceremony, and with it one of the oldest creeds in Scripture: ‘My ancestor Jacob was a wandering Aramean.’ The worshiper recites the whole story—slavery, deliverance, land—and places the basket of produce before the Lord. The chapter closes with a mutual declaration: ‘The Lord has declared you are His people, and you have declared the Lord is your God.’ The covenant is bilateral. Both parties have spoken.00:00 Rules for War: The Priest Speaks First01:00 Exemptions from Battle02:00 Terms of Peace and Siege03:00 The Unsolved Murder Ritual04:00 Rights of a Captive Woman05:00 The Firstborn’s Inheritance06:00 The Rebellious Son07:00 Return Your Neighbor’s Lost Property08:00 Tassels, Honest Weights, and the Amalekites10:00 False Witnesses11:00 Honest Scales12:00 The Firstfruits Ceremony13:00 ‘My Ancestor Was a Wandering Aramean’14:00 The Third-Year Tithe Declaration15:00 A Mutual Covenant DeclarationBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story.</stro

Jeff Dillon and Ty Dannenbring are two dads passionate about bringing the “party” to their own front yard. They give simple, practical advice for engaging with your neighbors and building real community. You’ll be encouraged to share the love of Jesus in a whole new way.     Receive a copy of Party in the Front and an audio download of "Building Community in Your Own Backyard" for your donation of any amount!   Get More Episode Resources    If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Kings, Prophets, and the Prophet Like MosesThe laws of Deuteronomy now turn to the structures of power—judges, kings, priests, and prophets—and in every case the message is the same: authority exists under God, not in place of Him. Judges must be fair, impartial, unbribable. ‘Let true justice prevail,’ Moses says—not approximate justice, not expedient justice, but true justice, because the land itself is defiled when the innocent suffer and the guilty walk free. The king, when Israel eventually demands one, must be an Israelite, not a foreigner. He must not accumulate horses, wives, or gold—the three currencies of ancient royal power. Instead, he must copy the law with his own hand and read it every day of his life. The king of Israel is to be a student of Scripture first and a sovereign second. The Levitical priests receive no land because the Lord Himself is their inheritance—the same breathtaking arrangement given to Aaron in Numbers. Then Moses delivers the most forward-looking prophecy in Deuteronomy: ‘The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your fellow Israelites. You must listen to him.’ The people had begged not to hear God’s voice directly, and God agreed—He would send mediators, prophets who carry His words. The test of a true prophet is simple: does what he says come true? And does he lead you toward the Lord or away from Him? The cities of refuge are established again—three in the land, with three more if the territory expands—because God’s justice distinguishes between the intentional and the accidental. And false witnesses face a sobering rule: whatever punishment they intended for the accused falls on them instead.00:00 Appoint Judges Who Are Fair01:00 Investigate Idolatry Thoroughly02:00 Difficult Cases Go to the Priests03:00 Guidelines for a King04:00 The King Must Read the Law Daily05:00 The Levites’ Inheritance Is the Lord06:00 Do Not Imitate Detestable Customs06:00 The Prophet Like Moses07:00 Testing a Prophet’s Message08:00 Cities of Refuge in the Land09:00 Boundary Markers and Witnesses10:00 Punishing False WitnessesBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part i

Generosity, Freedom, and the Rhythm of CelebrationThe tithe is not a tax; it is a feast. Every year, Israel is to bring a tenth of their harvest to the place God chooses and eat it there in His presence—celebrating, rejoicing, feasting. If the journey is too long, they may sell the tithe and buy whatever they want when they arrive: cattle, wine, anything that makes the heart glad. God commands His people to enjoy themselves. Every third year, the tithe stays local, distributed to the Levites, foreigners, orphans, and widows. The rhythm is generous: two years of feasting at the sanctuary, one year of feeding the vulnerable at home. Then comes the year of release—every seventh year, all debts are canceled. Moses anticipates the objection before it is spoken: ‘Do not be mean-spirited and refuse someone a loan because the year for canceling debts is close at hand.’ Generosity is not optional, and calculating its cost is a form of meanness. ‘Give generously,’ he says, ‘not grudgingly.’ The Hebrew slave laws follow the same pattern of radical generosity: after six years of service, a slave goes free—and not empty-handed. The master must load the departing servant with gifts from flock, threshing floor, and wine press. ‘Remember that you were once slaves in Egypt.’ The memory of bondage is meant to produce not bitterness but compassion. The reading closes with the three great festivals—Passover, the Festival of Harvest, and the Festival of Shelters—each one a commanded celebration, a required joy. In God’s economy, gratitude is not a feeling you wait for; it is a practice you are commanded to perform.00:00 The Annual Tithe as Feast01:00 The Third-Year Tithe for the Vulnerable02:00 The Year of Release: Cancel All Debts03:00 Do Not Be Mean-Spirited04:00 Hebrew Slaves Set Free After Six Years05:00 The Servant Who Chooses to Stay06:00 Passover Regulations07:00 The Festival of Harvest08:00 The Festival of Shelters08:00 Three Annual Festivals RequiredBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumi

One Place, One God: The Centralization of WorshipThe detailed laws of Deuteronomy begin, and the first command is architectural: destroy every pagan worship site and bring your sacrifices only to the place God chooses. The centralization of worship is not bureaucratic tidiness; it is a safeguard against syncretism. If worship can happen anywhere, it will eventually happen everywhere—on every hill, under every tree, in every form the surrounding cultures practice. By requiring a single place of worship, God creates a centripetal force that pulls the nation back to Himself. The freedom to eat meat in your hometown is granted—a concession to the vastness of the land—but the sacred offerings must go to the central sanctuary. And the Levites must never be neglected, for they have no land of their own. Then comes a series of warnings about false prophets and even beloved family members who might lure you toward other gods. The test for a prophet is not whether his predictions come true but whether he leads you toward or away from the Lord. A prophet can perform signs and still be false if his message is ‘let us worship other gods.’ God allows the test deliberately: ‘He is testing you to see if you truly love him with all your heart and soul.’ Even an entire town that turns to idolatry must be destroyed—burned as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. The severity is shocking, but the principle is clear: nothing—not family, not community, not miracles—is more important than exclusive allegiance to the one true God. The chapter closes with dietary laws restated, a reminder that holiness touches even the most ordinary act of eating.00:00 Destroy Pagan Worship Sites01:00 Worship Only at the Place God Chooses02:00 The Levites Must Not Be Neglected03:00 Freedom to Eat Meat Locally04:00 Never Consume the Blood05:00 Do Not Follow Pagan Customs06:00 Testing False Prophets07:00 Even Family Members Who Lead Astray08:00 A Town That Turns to Idolatry09:00 Clean and Unclean Animals10:00 Birds and Winged Creatures11:00 You Are Holy to the LordBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible pod

Special episode with guest Dave Phipps who shares real ministry stories and how God is working in the field.

What Does the Lord Require? New Tablets and a Circumcised HeartGod gives Moses a second chance—new tablets, same words. The Ten Commandments are rewritten on fresh stone and placed in the ark of acacia wood. The covenant is not abandoned because the first tablets were shattered; it is renewed. God’s word survives human failure. Aaron dies and is buried, Eleazar takes his place, and the Levites are set apart to carry the ark and minister before the Lord. Then Moses asks the question that distills the entire covenant into a single sentence: ‘What does the Lord your God require of you?’ The answer is magnificent in its simplicity: fear Him, walk in His ways, love Him, serve Him with all your heart and soul, and obey His commands. That is everything. The highest heavens belong to God, and yet—‘yet’ is the most important word in the passage—He chose your ancestors as the objects of His love. The God who owns everything wants you. Moses then issues the most interior command in Deuteronomy: ‘Change your hearts and stop being stubborn.’ The Hebrew literally reads ‘circumcise the foreskin of your heart.’ External ritual is not enough; God wants the inner life transformed. And the portrait of God that follows is breathtaking: He is the God of gods who shows no partiality, cannot be bribed, ensures justice for orphans and widows, and loves the foreigner. ‘So you too must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners.’ The memory of Egypt is not just history; it is ethics. What was done to you must never be done by you.00:00 New Stone Tablets and the Ark01:00 Aaron’s Death and Eleazar’s Succession02:00 What Does the Lord Require of You?03:00 God of Gods, Lord of Lords04:00 Love the Foreigner05:00 Your Ancestors Were Only Seventy06:00 A Land Watered by Rain07:00 Tie These Words to Your Hands08:00 The Choice: Blessing or Curse08:00 Mount Gerizim and Mount EbalBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

Sermon for graduates

Hear, O Israel: The Lord Is OneMoses presents the body of instruction that will govern Israel’s life in the land, and he begins with the Ten Commandments—spoken again to a new generation. The words are familiar, but the context gives them fresh force. These are not abstract moral principles floating in philosophical space; they are commands given by a God who personally rescued this nation from slavery. ‘I am the Lord your God who rescued you from Egypt’ is not a theological statement; it is a credential. He has earned the right to command. The people’s response at Sinai is retold: they heard the voice from the fire and were terrified. ‘Let Moses go and listen,’ they said, ‘and we will obey.’ And God’s reply is one of the most poignant lines in Scripture: ‘Oh, that they would always have hearts like this, that they might fear me and obey all my commands.’ It is the sigh of a God who knows what is coming. Then comes the Shema—the great declaration that Jesus would later call the greatest commandment: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your strength.’ These words are to be repeated to children, discussed at home and on the road, tied to hands and foreheads, written on doorposts. Faith is not a compartment of life; it is the atmosphere in which all of life is lived. And then the warning: when you eat from vineyards you did not plant and drink from cisterns you did not dig, ‘be careful not to forget the Lord who rescued you.’ Prosperity is the most dangerous season for the soul.00:00 Introduction to the Law01:00 The Covenant at Sinai Renewed02:00 The Ten Commandments Repeated04:00 The People’s Fear at the Mountain05:00 ‘Oh, That They Would Always Have Hearts Like This’06:00 The Shema: Love the Lord Your God07:00 Teach These Words to Your Children08:00 When Prosperity Comes, Don’t Forget09:00 Tell Your Children the StoryBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivo

Dr Jack explains not just living with the end in mind, but living with eternity in mind. Dr Jack does a deep dive into what it means and how to implement it in your life.

Bible study on looking up to God

The Conquests Retold: What God Has Already DoneMoses continues his historical survey, and the emphasis is unmistakable: God did this, not you. The journey through Edom, Moab, and Ammon reveals a God who respects the boundaries He has given to other nations—the descendants of Esau, the descendants of Lot. Israel is commanded not to provoke them, not to take their land, not even to pick a fight. God’s promises to Israel do not nullify His promises to others. Then the tone shifts. King Sihon of Heshbon refuses peaceful passage, and God hardens his heart—a deliberate act that leads to his destruction. King Og of Bashan, the last of the giant Rephaites, meets the same fate. His iron bed, thirteen feet long, is mentioned almost as a museum curiosity—proof that even giants fall before the God of Israel. The conquered land is divided among Reuben, Gad, and half of Manasseh, but with a condition: their fighting men must still cross the Jordan and fight alongside their brothers. No one inherits in isolation. Then Moses turns to Joshua with words that carry the weight of a dying man’s blessing: ‘You have seen everything the Lord your God has done. Do not be afraid.’ And finally, Moses’ own plea—‘Let me cross the Jordan’—is refused. ‘That’s enough,’ God says. ‘Speak of it no more.’ The finality is crushing. Moses may look at the land from the peak of Pisgah, but he will never set foot in it. The servant who gave everything is denied the one thing he wanted most.00:00 Passing Through Edom, Moab, and Ammon01:00 God Respects Other Nations’ Boundaries02:00 Thirty-Eight Years of Wandering03:00 The Defeat of King Sihon05:00 The Defeat of King Og06:00 Og’s Iron Bed07:00 Land Divided East of the Jordan08:00 Fighting Men Must Cross Over09:00 Moses’ Charge to Joshua09:00 Moses Pleads to Enter the Land10:00 ‘That’s Enough—Speak of It No More’Buy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

A topical discussion on how to handle when plans and goals to go the way we hoped.

Sermon

The Bargain at the Border: Reuben, Gad, and the Road Already TraveledThe tribes of Reuben and Gad see the rich pasturelands east of the Jordan and make their request: let us stay here. Moses’ reaction is immediate and fierce—he hears the echo of Kadesh Barnea, where the previous generation’s refusal to cross over condemned the nation to forty years of wandering. ‘Are you going to do the same thing your ancestors did?’ The question is not rhetorical; it is a warning. History repeats itself when memory fails. But Reuben and Gad offer a compromise: they will build shelters for their families and pens for their livestock, then march armed at the front of the invasion force until every tribe has received its inheritance. Moses agrees, but his warning lingers: ‘If you fail to keep your word, your sin will find you out.’ It is one of the most sobering sentences in Scripture—not a threat but a law of spiritual gravity. Then comes the travel log, forty-two encampments from Ramesses to the plains of Moab. Each name is a memorial—some marking miracles, others marking failures. God has kept count of every stop. And the chapter closes with a warning about the land ahead: drive out the inhabitants completely, or those who remain will become splinters in your eyes and thorns in your sides. Half-measures in obedience produce whole measures of misery.00:00 Reuben and Gad Request the East01:00 Moses’ Warning: Kadesh Barnea Repeated02:00 The Tribes’ Promise to Fight03:00 Moses’ Terms Accepted04:00 Land Distributed East of the Jordan05:00 Towns Built by Gad and Reuben06:00 The Travel Log: Egypt to Moab07:00 Forty-Two Encampments09:00 Aaron’s Death Recorded10:00 Final Camps on the Plains of MoabBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

The Daughters Who Changed the LawFive women stand before Moses, the priest, the tribal leaders, and the entire assembly and make a claim that has no precedent in Israelite law. Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah—the daughters of Zelophehad—have no brothers, and their father died in the wilderness (not in Korah’s rebellion, they are careful to note, but for his own sin). Under existing law, his name and his land would simply vanish. The daughters refuse to accept this. ‘Give us property,’ they say. Moses brings the case to God, and God’s verdict is remarkable: ‘The claim of Zelophehad’s daughters is legitimate.’ The law is changed—not by revolution but by petition, not by overthrowing the system but by appealing to the God behind it. Then Moses is told to climb a mountain and look at the land he will never enter. His response is not self-pity but concern for the people: ‘Please appoint a new leader so the community will not be like sheep without a shepherd.’ God chooses Joshua, and Moses lays hands on him before the whole assembly—a public transfer of authority that echoes Aaron’s garments being placed on Eleazar. The old guard is passing. The reading then turns to the elaborate calendar of offerings—daily, weekly, monthly, and festival sacrifices prescribed in meticulous detail. The sheer volume of animals and grain is staggering, but the purpose is clear: every day, every week, every season, and every year is to be marked by worship. Time itself belongs to God, and Israel’s calendar is designed to make that truth inescapable.00:00 Zelophehad’s Daughters Petition01:00 The Inheritance Laws Changed02:00 The Census of the Levites03:00 Not One Name from Sinai Remains04:00 Moses Told to View the Land05:00 Joshua Commissioned as Leader06:00 Daily Burnt Offerings07:00 Sabbath and Monthly Offerings08:00 Passover Offerings09:00 Festival of Harvest11:00 Festival of Trumpets12:00 Day of Atonement Offerings13:00 Festival of Shelters: Seven Days17:00 Final Instructions on OfferingsBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups,

Believer's University Bible study

The Donkey, the Angel, and Blessings That Cannot Be ReversedBalak, king of Moab, watches the Israelite horde spread across his landscape and does what any frightened king would do—he hires a professional. Balaam is a prophet-for-hire, a man who deals in curses the way a merchant deals in spices. But God intercepts the transaction. ‘Do not go with them,’ He tells Balaam. ‘These people are blessed.’ Balak sends more distinguished envoys and more money. Balaam, to his credit, says the right words—‘Even if Balak gave me his palace filled with silver and gold, I could do nothing against the will of the Lord.’ But he saddles his donkey and goes anyway. And then comes one of the most wonderfully humiliating scenes in Scripture. The donkey sees the angel that the prophet cannot. Three times the animal swerves, and three times Balaam beats her. When God opens the donkey’s mouth, she asks the most reasonable question in the Bible: ‘What have I done to deserve this?’ Balaam, the man who speaks for God, is rebuked by his own beast of burden. His eyes are finally opened, and he proceeds—chastened—to do exactly what God commands. Three times Balak sets up altars and asks for a curse. Three times Balaam opens his mouth and blessings pour out. ‘God is not a man, so he does not lie. He is not human, so he does not change his mind.’ The words are not Balaam’s; they are God’s, spoken through a reluctant vessel. And then, in his final oracle, Balaam sees far into the future: ‘A star will rise from Jacob; a scepter will emerge from Israel.’ The pagan prophet, hired to curse, becomes an unwitting herald of the Messiah.00:00 Balak Summons Balaam01:00 God Says Do Not Go02:00 Balak Sends More Officials03:00 Balaam’s Donkey Sees the Angel05:00 The Donkey Speaks06:00 Balaam Arrives in Moab07:00 First Oracle: Blessing Instead of Curse08:00 Balak’s Frustration09:00 Second Oracle: God Does Not Lie10:00 Third Oracle: The Spirit of God12:00 Balak’s Rage13:00 Final Oracle: A Star from Jacob15:00 Balaam DepartsBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups,

The Spirit Poured Out and the Graves of CravingThe Levites are purified with a ceremony that makes their meaning unmistakable: the people of Israel lay hands on them, and they become living substitutes—offered to God in place of every firstborn son. They are, in a sense, a nation’s thank-offering for the night death passed over Egypt. Then comes the provision for a second Passover—a remarkable concession for those who were unclean or traveling. God’s festivals are not traps designed to exclude; they are invitations with room for those who arrive late. The cloud above the tabernacle governs Israel’s movement with a beautiful simplicity: when it lifts, they march; when it settles, they camp. Sometimes for a night, sometimes for a year. The people have no schedule but God’s presence. Then the tone darkens. Israel departs Sinai at last, and almost immediately the complaining begins. The people crave meat, remembering Egypt’s fish and cucumbers while forgetting Egypt’s chains. Moses, crushed under the weight of leadership, cries out: ‘Did I give birth to them? Why do you tell me to carry them like a nursing baby?’ God’s response is twofold: He distributes the Spirit among seventy elders, and He sends quail—mountains of quail. When Eldad and Medad prophesy unbidden in the camp and Joshua objects, Moses replies with one of the most generous lines in Scripture: ‘I wish that all the Lord’s people were prophets!’ But the quail become a judgment. The people gorge themselves, and the plague strikes. The place is named Kibroth-hattaavah—the graves of craving. God gave them exactly what they wanted, and it destroyed them.00:00 Purification of the Levites01:00 Levites as Substitutes for the Firstborn03:00 Retirement Age for Levites04:00 The Second Passover Provision06:00 The Cloud Over the Tabernacle07:00 The Silver Trumpets09:00 Israel Departs Sinai11:00 Moses Pleads with Hobab12:00 The People Complain13:00 Craving Meat from Egypt14:00 Moses Overwhelmed15:00 Seventy Elders Receive the Spirit16:00 Eldad and Medad Prophesy17:00 The Quail and the PlagueBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And

Bible Study on Romans

Vows, Jealousy, and the Blessing That Never FailsThe opening laws of this reading deal with the unglamorous mechanics of community life—removing the unclean from camp, making restitution for wrongs, resolving suspicions of infidelity. The jealousy ritual is difficult for modern readers, and perhaps it should be. It belongs to a world where a woman’s word alone could not settle a dispute, and the ritual, for all its strangeness, placed the verdict in God’s hands rather than a husband’s anger. Then comes the Nazirite vow—a voluntary act of radical consecration. No wine, no haircuts, no contact with the dead. The Nazirite’s uncut hair is a visible testimony that this person belongs entirely to God for a season. It is not a permanent state but a temporary intensification of devotion, and when the vow is complete, the Nazirite shaves and places the hair on the fire beneath the peace offering. What was set apart is returned to God. But the passage that crowns today’s reading is the Aaronic blessing—six lines of staggering beauty: ‘May the Lord bless you and protect you. May the Lord smile on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord show you his favor and give you his peace.’ Three times the Lord’s name is spoken, and the movement is from blessing to grace to peace. These are the words God gives His priests to speak over His people, and His promise is astonishing: ‘Whenever they bless the people in my name, I myself will bless them.’ The priest speaks the words, but God performs them.00:00 Removing the Unclean from Camp01:00 Restitution for Wrongs02:00 The Test for an Unfaithful Wife05:00 The Nazirite Vow07:00 Defilement During the Vow08:00 Completing the Nazirite Vow09:00 The Aaronic BlessingBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

Sermon for Mother's Day

Dr Jack gives an overview of forgiveness and how it effects your life

The Priest as Physician of the SoulThe skin disease regulations of Leviticus may be the least-read chapters in the Bible, and that is a pity, because they reveal something extraordinary about God’s character. He does not simply condemn the sick; He provides a system for their examination, quarantine, and—crucially—their restoration. The priest functions not as judge alone but as physician, examining sores and swellings with the patience of a careful diagnostician. Seven days of quarantine, then another seven, then another examination. God is in no hurry to declare someone unclean. And when healing comes, the purification ceremony is breathtaking in its symbolism: two birds, one slaughtered over running water, the other dipped in the blood and released into the open sky. The living bird, stained with death, flies free—a picture of life redeemed from the grave. The same ritual applies to houses contaminated with mildew: examine, scrape, replaster, and if healing comes, purify. Nothing is beyond restoration in God’s economy. The entire system assumes that uncleanness is temporary and that the goal is always return—return to cleanliness, return to community, return to the presence of God.00:00 Examining Skin Diseases02:00 Chronic Conditions04:00 Boils and Burns06:00 Sores on the Head08:00 Living in Isolation09:00 Mildew in Clothing11:00 Purification Ceremony: Two Birds13:00 Blood on the Ear, Thumb, and Toe14:00 Offerings for the Poor17:00 Mildew in HousesBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

Bible study

Dr Jack gives an overview of forgiveness and how it effects your life

Bells, Pomegranates, and ‘Holy to the Lord’The priestly garments are now actually being made—not designed on the mountain, but stitched and hammered and woven by human hands. Gold thread is beaten thin and cut into fine strands, then worked into linen with blue, purple, and scarlet thread. The breastpiece carries twelve gemstones, each engraved with the name of a tribe, so that whenever Aaron enters God’s presence, he carries all of Israel over his heart. The robe with its alternating bells and pomegranates—gold and yarn, sound and color—would have announced the priest’s every step in the holy place. And on his forehead, the gold medallion with its engraved declaration: ‘Holy to the Lord.’ This is the central truth of the priesthood, and perhaps of all human life: we are made to bear God’s name. The phrase ‘just as the Lord had commanded Moses’ appears like a refrain throughout today’s reading—seven times, by some counts. It is the heartbeat of obedience: not reluctant compliance, but faithful craftsmanship. Every stitch, every setting, every thread is an act of worship. The garments are theology you can wear.00:00 Crafting the Ephod01:00 The Onyx Stones02:00 The Breastpiece with Gemstones03:00 Attaching the Breastpiece04:00 The Robe with Bells and Pomegranates05:00 The Turban and ‘Holy to the Lord’ MedallionBuy Immerse Beginnings today!4 Questions to get your conversations started:1.    What stood out to you this week?2.    Was there anything confusing or troubling?3.    Did anything make you think differently about God?4.    How might this change the way we live?QUICK START GUIDE3 ways to get the most out of your experience1.    Use Immerse: Beginnings instead of your regular chapter and verse Bible. This special reader’s edition restores the Bible to its natural simplicity and beauty by removing chapter and verse numbers and other historical additions. Letters look like letters, songs look like songs, and the original literary structures are visible in each book.2.    Commit to making this a community experience. Immerse is designed for groups to encounter large portions of the Bible together for 8 weeks–more like a book club, less like a Bible study. By meeting every week in small groups and discussing what you read in open, honest conversations, you and your community can come together to be transformed through an authentic experience with the Scriptures.3.    Aim to understand the big story. Read through “The Stories and the Story” (p. 329) to see how the books of the Bible work together to tell God’s story of his creation’s restoration. As you read through Immerse: Beginnings, rather than ask, “How do I fit God into my busy life?” begin asking, “How can I join in God’s great plan by living out my part in his story?”And for more great Bible podcasts for Christians and small groups, check out https://lumivoz.com or search for Lumivoz in your podcast app of choice.

Sunday Sermon

A topical discussion on the busyness of the season and the benefits of taking time to enjoy it.