Leesburg Grace Teachings

The apostle Paul encourages us to be transformed by the renewing of our minds (Rom. 12:2). Easier said than done! The mind, brain, and body have a complex connection. Often we do not think about what we think about. Intrusive thoughts take hold before we can take them captive. In this final episode, Pastor Tim defines several terms from neuropsychology and provides a brief theology of the brain. The episode closes with several practices that help with renewing the mind.Extra biblical resources cited include Dallas Willard, Renovation of the Heart; podcast interviews with Dr. Caroline Leaf; The Anatomy of the Soul by Curt Thompson; and Kenneth Boa's, Life in the Presence of God.

God made us for relationships (Gen. 1:26-28). Relationships are the cause of our greatest joy and greatest pains. In this episode, we will contrast healthy and unhealth (or toxic) relationships. We will consider characteristics of healthy relationships and warning flags in unhealthy relationships. John will provide an overview of many New Testament "one another" commands, and conclude with four things to avoid in a marriage relationship (e.g., Gottman's Four Horsemen).

In our fast-paced, digital age, we cannot escape the constant stream of unhealthy inputs to our bodies, brains, and relationships. We suffer sensory overload and it affects our sleep, diet, and overall mental health. This episode features descriptions of digital addiction, data about sleep and cell phones, and several ways in which our inputs enslave us. It concludes with four practices for regaining control over your inputs for a healthier mind.Sources Cited: Digital Minimalism by NewportDigital Liturgies by James12 Ways Your Phone Is Changing You by ReinkeHow to Calm Your Mind by BaileyStolen Focus by HariKey Verse: 1 John 5:21

Anger comprises a range of emotions that may lead to aggressive behavior and hostile attitudes. Because it is a natural response to perceived injustice, anger is not inherently bad. However, unhealthy expressions of anger can damage our bodies, minds, relationships, and spiritual life. In this episode John describes anger, helps us pay attention to our anger (e.g., safe spaces, triggers), and attune to those struggling with anger (e.g., don't minimize). The episode closes with four practices for the toolbox.Key verses: Ephesians 4:27-31; James 1:19-20; 3:1-10; Proverbs 15:1NOTE: Anger tends to relate to other mental health disorders (i.e., comorbidity) and disproportionately affects men and young adults.

Thoughts flood our minds. Some flow in and out. Others get stuck and cause guilt, fear, or excessive rumination. In this session, we describe intrusive thoughts and how they affect our mind, body, relationships, and spiritual lives. We then provide advice for helping those who struggle with intrusive thoughts.

In this episode, we describe anxiety in its various forms (physical, social, panic attacks) tracing IFs (intensity, frequency, span) through two testimonies. Then we pay attention to anxiety clues in the body, mind, relationships, and spirit. Finally, we close with three principles for attuning to others' anxiety, so they are not alone in their struggle. Citations from The Anxiety Opportunity by Curtis Chang; Finding Quiet by JP Moreland; and It's Not All In Your Head by Asmundson & Taylor.Key Bible verses include: Psalm 6, 18, 22, 46, 51, 56, 60-63, 94; Matthew 6:19-34; Philippians 4:4-8.

In this episode, we describe depression using several testimonies and tracing IFs (Intensity + Frequency + span). Next we consider how to attune to depression as it shows up in the body, mind, relationships, and spiritual life. Finally, we offer a few practical suggestions for attuning to those struggling with depression. Key resources: 1 Kings 18-19; Psalms 6, 13, 51, 88, 137. Hope Always by Matthew Sleeth; Madness & Grace by Matthew Stanford; and Finding Jesus in the Storm by John Swinton.

The mental health crisis is real. We hear it in stories. We see it in data. This epidemic is an opportunity for the church to pay attention and attune to those suffering among them. In this introductory session, we will discuss the crisis and describe our approach to addressing it.

Scripture is revelation. God revealed himself in Scripture and Son because he wants to relate to us. This brief episode comes from the end of a sermon in the Gospel of Luke about Jesus's Transfiguration. You will hear for reflections on Scripture (or divine revelation) and two practices: attentive Bible reading and conversational prayer. The episode closes with a reading of Ephesians 1:14-17.

"The Bible knows no such thing as casual prayer." This remarkable insight from David Thomas's CT Article about prayer and revival frames my reflections on contending prayer. To contend in prayer is to imitate Jesus, ancient Israel, and the Holy Spirit who groans to bring new life to creation. Is your prayer to casual? Will you contend? (NOTE: The reference to Isaiah 62:7 was correct; however, it should also include the preceding verse, which talks about watchmen who strenously intercede for God's people. Contemporary author referenced include Tyler Staton's Praying Like Monks, Living Like Fools, Timothy Keller's Prayer, and Richard Lovelace's Dynamics of Spiritual Life.)

Loneliness is dangerous and deadly. It hurts our bodies and distorts our souls. In this issue, I talk about the need for spiritual friends, four kinds of relationships in the New Testament, the role of spiritual companionship in our discipleship to Jesus. I draw upon insights from the Surgeon General's report on the Loneliness Epidemic, Michael Wilkins's biblical theology of discipleship, and Jesus's discipleship model in the gospels. (My apologies for the popping sound; I'm toying with a new microphone.)

In this dialogue, Tim and Liz talk about the practice of solitude. Liz shares about her introduction to solitude, its development in recent years, and its positive impact on her spiritual life. Then she provides encouragement to those looking to begin the practice of solitude, including finding a quiet place, having realisitic expectations, and dealing with noise. Liz references Finding Quiet by J.P. Moreland. Likewise, the dialogue references Psalm 27, 84, and closes with a reading of Psalm 46.

Jesus had a set of customs in his life (e.g., Luke 2:42; 4:16, 42; 9:18, 28; 22:39). We should, too. In this discipleship dialogue, Pastor Tim explains what it looks like to map your customs and why it matters. The more popular phrase for this idea is a Rule of Life. Mapping our Customs helps us pause, take our spiritual pulse, realign our passions toward God, and keep practicing on a daily, weekly, or occasional basis those habits that form us into Christlikeness. Here's a guide, adapted from Practicing the Way. This session also includes ideas from The Common Rule (Earley), Courage & Calling (Smith), The Emotionally Healthy Leader (Scazzero), The Life You've Always Wanted (Ortberg), Whatever You Do (Bobo, ed.) and Philippians 2:12-13.

To kick off the 2025 season of Discipleship Dialogues, Pastor Tim Sprankle talks about Simply Jesus Moments. The idea stems from the work of John Dickson, whose book The Best Kept Secret of Christian Mission features talking points called "Jesus Bites." These are quick, culturally relevant stories about Jesus that can be helpful in everyday conversations. In his version, Sprankle provides four parts of a Simply Jesus Moment and a few examples. For more from John Dickson, check out the undeceptions podcast.

In this final installment, we discuss our highest purpose: to glorify the Triune God. We also make a defense of praying to each member of the Trinity, as well as how our ordinances (Baptism and Communion) and spiritual formation are Trinitarian practices.

Our God is a missional God. Father, Son, and Spirit work together in reaching the world. They invite us to partipate in their mission. The storyline of God's mission runs through the Scriptures, unfolding in various stages. A critical part of our spiritual formation is to join God on his mission. This episode talks about it.

Father, Son, and Spirit work together in our salvation. This episode describes the roles each person plays, as well as defines terms like "order of salvation" and "atonement." Ephesians 1:3-14 is a key text.

The Father, Son, and Spirit collaborated in creation. This is the first of three episodes describing the economic Trinity. From the beginning of creation to its daily preservation, each member of the Trinity plays a part. This episode considers key Scriptures and theological insights about collaboration in creation.

During his earthly ministry, Jesus had a special relationship with the Holy Spirit. Indeed, the Spirit guided him in his ministry. Then the Spirit became Jesus's personal gift to the church, empowering believers to bear witness to him and give glory to the Father. A fundamental way we give glory to the Father is by becoming like the Son with the Spirit's aid. This episode engendered great dialogue afterwards.

Jesus and the Father have a special relationship. We see the dynamic play out during Jesus's earthly ministry. He is beloved of the Father. He obeys the Father. This blessed relationships opens the door for Jesus's followers to experience the Father's abiding love (John 17:24).

This episode surveys Old and New Testament teaching on the Holy Spirit. Sadly, pneumatology (the study of the Holy Spirit) often gets caught up in debates about how spiritual gifts play out today (continuation vs. cessation). While that is mentioned in this lesson, more focus is given to the Holy Spirit's nature, intimacy, and role in our growth.

Jesus, Son of God, is the second person of the Trinity. His Sonship speaks to his eternal, affectionate relationship to the Father. Jesus was the perfect image and human embodiment of the Father. His life modeled full submission to the Father and reliance on the Spirit. Not only did he atone for our sins but he currently intercedes and advocates for his people. We can be with him and become like him.

This talk explores several characteristics and actions of the Heavenly Father. The Father is eternal and immaterial; creative, loving, and generous; the source of all life. The Father is always the sender, never the one sent: he sent the Son and Spirit. The Father adopts us into his family. This episode cites many biblical texts, mostly from the New Testament.

In this episode, Pastor Tim explores the development of the doctrine of the Trinity by the early church. He considers five early controversies, two early creeds, and three heresies that continue today when our favorite analogies for describing the Trinity break down. For a humourous version of this, see St. Patrick's Bad Analogies. Other resources for this session, include Historical Theology (Chapter 1) by Alister McGrath and Three in One: Analogies for the Trinity by William David Spencer.

The Father, Son, and Spirit have enjoyed an eternal conversation. The Trinity experiences perfect communion. Those in the early centuries of the church put language to this, calling it the perichoresis. In this session, we describe this divine dance and dialogue between Father, Son, and Spirit using Scripture and insights from theologians. Pastor Tim also talks about the ramifications of this doctrine on our relationship with God and others.

In our opening session, we discuss how the Trinity is a pardoxical and unique doctrine in the Christian faith. God is three-in-one: Father, Spirit, and Son. Although the term Trinity does not show up in Scripture, it is implicitly described and progressively revealed. This session explains tendencies in Trinity studies to focus on the economic Trinity and essential Trinity. Moreover, it stresses how Trinity is a safeguard against warring gods or a divine despot. God is love.

Author and professor Dr. Brent Sandy features key insights from his book Hear Ye the Word of the Lord before leading the class in an exercise on performing Scripture. This was a stand alone class for the Leesburg Grace Church Engaging Hour. You will hear people from class interacting with questions. Key insights: Engagment with Bible reading has decreased by 21% in the USA in recent years. God spoke his word before it was written. He never commands us to read Scripture. But we are to hear, meditate on, and apply it. (Literacy was low in the ancient world.) Dynamic reading of Scripture, using pauses and body language, may impact people more than silently reading it. Scripture reading teams may complement the preaching and worship singing. More thought should be given to their development and performance.

This material did not make it into the Healthy Emotions sermon, but provides interesting insights about emotions from science. From Darwin's study of faces to affective neurology, we have an increased understanding of how the body, brain, emotions, and relationships tie together. Emotions protect and connect us. They process and predict. You can find a video of this on YouTube. For the full sermon of Healthy Emotions, click the link.

Sabbath finds its origin in the creation account (Gen. 2:1-3). God rested and made the seventh day part of a good rhythm of rest. This teaching, originally shared at Leesburg Grace's 2024 Deeper with God weekend, provides a biblical survey of sabbath, five purposes of sabbath, and instruction on making sabbath a regular practice.

Fasting is an ancient practice taught by Jesus and observed throughout church history. This workshop focuses on the rationale behind fasting as a spiritual discipline and ways to integrate into your Christian life.

This is the second meditation at Leesburg Grace's 2024 Deeper with God weekend. The audio quality is a bit buzzy. The content is solid. Tim Sprankle describes what it takes to imitate Jesus in everyday life. He draws on his experience in theater, where he iterated lines, stepped into character, and learned to improvise. Click here for the slides that go along with the talk.

This is the first reflection in the Deeper with God weekend at Leesburg Grace. Dr. Christy Hill speaks about Jesus's gracious invitation to be with him from Revelation 3:21. She helps us identify where we are located and what at blocks us from receiving God's love. In the end, she references several Bible passages about God's love, encouraging us to personalize them.

Theology matters. Good theology guards us from deviation, speculation, ignorance, and ambition. Moreover, good theology connects us to God and other likeminded believers. In this bonus episode, Pastor Tim summarizes the Evangelical Core shared by Leesburg Grace Church and other Charis Fellowship churches. It includes 10 beliefs and relevant biblical references. Click here for latest PDF of the Charis Commitment to Common Identity.

Securing and strengthening our freedom in Christ requires that we win the battle of the mind. Each of us can take our thoughts captive or walk through Anderson's Steps to Freedom on our own. However, victory in Jesus is also part of our life together. We stand firm together. Thus, we will consider another model of deliverance ministry that involves spiritual community using diverse spiritual gifts to set captives free.

Jesus's victory frees us. He has overcome. We will overcome. He has defeated Satan. We can stand firm against Satan's lies, schemes, and accusations. To experience freedom in Christ, we must win the battle of the mind. We'll overview Neil Anderson's approach to freedom in Christ. It is our first deliverance model.

Satan is doomed. He knows it and will not go down without a fight. He will leverage his hoard of demons, political leaders, ideology, technology, and two mysterious beasts. Fortunately, Jesus will finish the job, sending him into the Lake of Fire. John writes about the final chapter of this raging spiritual battle in the book of Revelation.

Despite no recorded exorcisms, John's gospel reverberates with spiritual warfare imagery. Tensions fill the book: light and darkness, life and death, community and isolation, truth and lies. Ruling over the realm of darkness and deceiving the world is the devil—the Father of lies. Not only does Jesus expose the devil in John's gospel but also overthrows him through his life, death, and resurrection. Similar themes resurface in John's letters. The devil rules the world, captivates sinners, and deceives believers.

The authors of the General Letters were alert to spiritual warfare. They warned against the destructive power of false teaching, threat of persecution, and demonic ploy of sowing fear. In these letters, the devil is depicted as a roaring lion, aggressive enemy, and death-dealer whom God's people can resist.

Paul recognizes the devil's tactics and deceptions, but he is undaunted. He knows the devil and his powers are defeated foes. They cannot overturn Jesus's work on the Cross. They cannot overcome Jesus's people. Indeed, the church stands firm together in this battle, strengthened by God and empowered by his Spirit.

The devil wants to disrupt God's work and destroy his people. He is a master tactician. Deception may be his primary scheme, but he employs other methods and traps to trip us up. To stand firm in spiritual battle, believers must know their enemy and his ways.

Jesus overcame sin, death, and Satan. Then he ascended into heaven. His departure paved the way for the Holy Spirit to dwell among the disciples. The Spirit came with power, gifts, and conviction to help the church witness to Jesus and withstand Satan's attacks. The church remains Jesus's empowered people.

Jesus's atonement had cosmic outcomes. He defeated God's ancient foe, Satan. He overcame the plague of sin and plight of death. New Testament authors regularly reflect on Jesus's triumph. Theologians call this theory of atonement Christus Victor. In Christ, eternal victory is available.

Jesus worked many wonders. He healed the sick, calmed storms, raised the dead, and produced miracle bread. These acts demonstrated his spiritual authority. Among these great works, exorcisms—silencing demons and sending them out of their hosts—signaled the kingdom of God overthrowing Satan's rule. This episode looks at three cases studies of exorcisms and the physical, mental, spiritual, and relational effects of demonization.

At his baptism, the heavens tore open, the Spirit descended, and God the Father commissioned his beloved Son into ministry. However, before going public, the Spirit sent Jesus into the wilderness. It was time of fasting, testing, and spiritual victory. Jesus denied the Devil's temptations, showing gritty resolve and proving he was the Son of God.

At the proper time, Jesus entered the world (Gal. 4:4). God sent him. His arrival was heralded by angels but humble in nature. A virgin named Mary conceived him by the Holy Spirit and gave birth to him in Bethlehem. He was the promised seed of Abraham and the Serpent-crusher God promised Eve. The birth of Jesus started God's plan to overthrow the kingdom of darkness and worldly influence of Satan.

Following the Babylonian exile and during the Persian empire, Israel became more interested in the world of angels and demons. They developed a more detailed taxonomy of spiritual beings, evident in the Intertestamental writings: Apocrypha, Pseudepigrapha, and Dead Sea Scrolls. While this literature is not inspired, it does give insight into how Jewish people viewed angels, demons, and Satan in Jesus's day.

Tim interviews pastor Lee Compson about 1 and 2 Kings, Elijah and Elisha, spiritual authority figures, and how to read Old Testament narrative. Lee co-authored the 1&2 Kings commentary in the Kerux series and leads at Milford First Brethren Church. The is bonus material for the Outstanding Faith series at Leesburg Grace Church in Fall 2023.

Despite few references to Satan in the Old Testament, spiritual warfare abounds in Israel's story. Angels and demons typically work behind the scenes; however, sometimes they appear bearing messages, bringing accusations, or fighting battles. Demonic forces show preference for certain locations, occult practices, and graven images. These ancient opponents remain a threat to spiritual flourishing in our day.

The first account of spiritual warfare takes place in the Garden of Eden. Within the opening pages of the Bible, in a good creation, Adam and Eve face temptation and succumb to it. The serpent lures them with lies; they take the bait and disobey God. Job offers another glimpse at this ancient enemy of God's people: Satan. The narrative describes his access to heaven, appeal to God, and oppression of Job. These two accounts lay a foundation for understanding spiritual warfare.

We're taking an integrated approach to spiritual warfare. This means we will bring together the Bible, history, and contemporary beliefs to better understand the topic. We will follow the redemptive story outlined in Scripture, moving from Genesis to Revelation. We will consider Jesus's triumph and the devil's schemes. Along the way we will consider topics like idolatry, regional spirits, generational curses, and mental health disorders. Ultimately, we will equip one another to stand firm in our spiritual world.