Reverberate: A Berean Bible Church Podcast | Knoxville, TN

Title: Truth & Transformation---0:00 Mom's Favorite Verse3:17 Reading Ephesians 4:21-325:09 A Simple Framework for Spiritual Growth5:49 Put Off the Old Self7:14 Why Sin Feels Like Part of Us9:44 Deceitful Desires15:58 Put On the New Self20:12 True Righteousness and Holiness25:45 Example: Speak Truth to One Another27:25 Example: Words That Build Up34:26 Speech as a Channel of Grace36:51 Example: Kind Forgiveness40:05 What Forgiveness Is Not44:34 Forgiven as God Forgave Us in Christ46:55 Spiritual Growth Is a Community Project47:58 Encouragement for Mothers and Parents49:37 Closing Response and Prayer---Ephesians 4:29–32Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (ESV)---In *Truth & Transformation*, Jed Gillis teaches from Ephesians 4:29–32 that spiritual growth means putting off the old self, being renewed by the truth, and putting on the new life God is forming in us. Sin often feels like part of us because it is tied to old habits and desires that have been misdirected or allowed to grow out of place. But in Christ, believers are being renovated by the Spirit. That transformation shows up in how we speak, forgive, and live together as a church body. Instead of corrupting words, bitterness, anger, and malice, God calls us to words that build up, kindness, tenderness, and forgiveness rooted in the grace we have received in Christ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Spirit’s Fruit and the Gospel’s Rest---0:00 Introduction0:28 Practical Steps to Grow in the Fruit of the Spirit5:33 Studying the Fundamentals So Then It Comes Naturally10:18 Discerning True Fruit Versus Empty Fruit in My Heart?14:55 I Feel Like I Don't Measure Up24:41 We're Adopted Already27:11 Reflecting The Fruit of the Spirit Back Towards God31:44 Fruit Stemmed in Our Safety34:32 Rest in Christ36:10 What's Next?---* **Galatians 5:16.** Walk by the Spirit.* **Galatians 5:17.** The desires of the flesh battle against the desires of the Spirit.* **Galatians 5:19–26.** The broader passage on the works of the flesh and fruit of the Spirit.* **Galatians 5:22–23.** The fruit of the Spirit.* **Galatians 5:25.** “If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit.”* **Galatians 5:13.** “You were called to freedom.”* **Galatians 5:2–4.** Circumcision, law-keeping, and being cut off from Christ.* **Galatians 4:6.** The Spirit crying, “Abba, Father.”* **Galatians 1:4.** Christ delivering us from the present evil age.* **Ephesians 4:1.** Walk in a manner worthy of the calling.* **John 15:5.** “Apart from me you can do nothing.”* **Luke 11:13.** The Father gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.* **Isaiah 55:11.** God’s Word does not return empty.* **Psalm 1:3.** A tree planted by streams of water.* **1 Peter 3:15.** Always be ready to give an answer for the hope within you.* **Matthew 18:21–35.** The parable of the unforgiving servant.* **Matthew 11:28–30.** “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden.”* **Psalm 27:14.** “Wait for the Lord.”* **Psalm 37:7.** “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.”* **Psalm 130:5.** “I wait for the Lord.”---In this episode, Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason discuss the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians and how Christians grow without turning spiritual growth into a checklist. They explain that love, joy, peace, patience, and the rest of the Spirit’s fruit are not meant to become a burden or a way to measure up before God. Instead, they flow from a heart resting in the gospel, depending on Christ, and walking with the Spirit. The conversation highlights the role of Scripture, prayer, community, confession, and daily dependence as the ordinary means God uses to shape his people. Rather than trying to “nail fruit” onto the outside of our lives, believers are called to abide in Christ, remember their safety in him, and let the Spirit produce real, inward transformation that bears fruit toward God and others.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Breathe---0:00 Life Full of Both Joy and Sorrow3:27 Reading Ecclesiastes 3:1-155:14 What Do You Do When Life Doesn't Turn Out Like You Expected?7:02 When You Try to Control Your Life, What is the Result?9:04 Life is Full of Diverse Seasons9:54 A Comprehensive Statement for Everything13:10 Productivity and Action15:42 Human Emotional Responses16:27 Wealth and Possessions18:29 Relationships20:25 Life is Not All Sunshine and Roses, But It's Not All Funerals Either21:10 What Gain Is There in a Life of Ups and Downs?24:36 Everything is Beautiful in Its Time28:59 Eternity in Man's Heart33:38 Battle Against Control and Anxiety37:30 Breathe and Live Life40:23 Be Joyful and Do Good42:38 Trust God and Embrace Your Limits45:12 Trust God for Justice46:32 Don't Be Detached. Attach Yourself to the Creator---Ecclesiastes 3:1–15For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven:a time to be born, and a time to die;a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what is planted;a time to kill, and a time to heal;a time to break down, and a time to build up;a time to weep, and a time to laugh;a time to mourn, and a time to dance;a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together;a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;a time to seek, and a time to lose;a time to keep, and a time to cast away;a time to tear, and a time to sew;a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;a time to love, and a time to hate;a time for war, and a time for peace.What gain has the worker from his toil? I have seen the business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. He has made everything beautiful in its time. Also, he has put eternity into man’s heart, yet so that he cannot find out what God has done from the beginning to the end. I perceived that there is nothing better for them than to be joyful and to do good as long as they live; also that everyone should eat and drink and take pleasure in all his toil—this is God’s gift to man.I perceived that whatever God does endures forever; nothing can be added to it, nor anything taken from it. God has done it, so that people fear before him. That which is, already has been; that which is to be, already has been; and God seeks what has been driven away. (ESV)---In this sermon, Jed Gillis teaches from Ecclesiastes 3:1–15 that life under the sun is filled with changing seasons of joy, grief, building, loss, laughter, mourning, work, and waiting. Solomon does not call us to control these seasons or detach from them. He calls us to receive life as a gift from God. Because God has put eternity in our hearts, we long for something lasting that this life cannot fully give. That longing should drive us to trust the Creator, not our own ability to manage every outcome. Followers of Jesus can mourn what is sad, enjoy what is good, do good with what God gives, and rest in the truth that God makes all things fitting in his time. Life is fleeting, but God’s work endures forever---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: When Rest Feels like Struggle---0:00 Introduction0:34 How Do I Know I'm Resting in God?6:36 Trusting God With the Outcomes9:03 What Is Your Refuge?13:43 How to Rest in God During Moments of Stress14:57 Resting in God in Our Failures19:49 What's Next?---Philippians 4:6-7.Psalm 23:5-6.Psalm 42:5.Psalm 22:1.Mark 14:36John 10:11-13.Colossians 1:1.2 Corinthians 12:7-10.Romans 7:15-20.Ephesians 3:20.Micah 7:7-9.Romans 8:31.1 John 2:1---Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason talk about what it means to rest in God when life still feels hard, uncertain, or spiritually unsettled. They explain that biblical rest is not always a calm feeling. Sometimes it feels like a fight to turn away from false refuges and run to God instead. Through passages like Philippians 4:6-7, Psalm 23, Psalm 42, Micah 7, and Romans 8:31, the conversation shows how God gives peace, refuge, and grace in the middle of anxiety, failure, temptation, and disappointment. True rest does not come from controlling outcomes, lowering expectations, or escaping pressure. It comes from trusting that God is for his children, that Christ pleads their case, and that his grace is enough even when the storm is still loud.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Chasing the Horizon---0:00 Introduction0:19 Pointing Your Sail in the Right Direction2:46 Solomon Testing the Sail of Seeking Pleasure4:53 Pursuing the Sail of Achievement8:41 Using Achievement to Replace God10:32 The Sails Aren't Bad, But Which Way Are You Turning Them?11:38 Is It Worth It?14:24 Conclusions to Pursuing Knowledge, Pleasure, and Achievement17:08 Is there Gain in Wisdom?21:11 Despair23:23 Don't Hide from the Dark Message of Ecclesiastes26:29 Swim with Solomon through the Dark Waters28:53 Ecclesiastes is Depressing if Your Sail is Pointed the Wrong Way32:27 Finding True Joy38:29 We Are Part Way Through the Rescue Dive38:57 Grow in Knowledge and Trust41:04 Find Joy in God43:45 Honor God in Your Success---Ecclesiastes 2---In “Chasing the Horizon,” Jed Gillis walks through Ecclesiastes 2 to show how Solomon tested the common pursuits people use to build a meaningful life: knowledge, pleasure, achievement, wisdom, and success. Solomon had more opportunity than anyone to chase these things fully, yet he found that none of them could give lasting gain when life is viewed only “under the sun.” Pleasure fades. Work wears us down. Wisdom helps, but it cannot stop death or give us control. Achievement may bring temporary joy, but it cannot bear the weight of our hope. The sermon does not treat these gifts as bad. Instead, it shows that they become empty when we turn them into ways to replace God, control life, or create our own paradise. Ecclesiastes presses us into the darkness of life without God so we can see the better hope God gives. True joy comes when we receive knowledge, pleasure, work, and success as gifts from the hand of God. Rather than chasing the horizon, believers are called to trust the God who gives, find joy in Him, and honor Him in the good works He has placed before them.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Quest for Meaning---0:00 Introduction1:06 The Question of Meaning8:00 Solomon's Search for Wisdom9:07 Solomon: King and Sage12:28 An Unhappy Business God Has Given Man18:32 Striving After Wind23:48 More Knowledge Won't Solve Your Fundamental Problem29:56 Sometimes, the More You Know, the Worse You Feel33:36 Be Willing to Say "I Don't Know."36:22 Is Your Goal Control or Finding Joy in God?39:02 Three Reminders to Take With You---Ecclesiastes 1:12–18I the Preacher have been king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I applied my heart to seek and to search out by wisdom all that is done under heaven. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. I have seen everything that is done under the sun, and behold, all is vanity and a striving after wind.What is crooked cannot be made straight,and what is lacking cannot be counted.I said in my heart, “I have acquired great wisdom, surpassing all who were over Jerusalem before me, and my heart has had great experience of wisdom and knowledge.” And I applied my heart to know wisdom and to know madness and folly. I perceived that this also is but a striving after wind.For in much wisdom is much vexation,and he who increases knowledge increases sorrow. (ESV)---In “The Quest for Meaning,” Jed Gillis explains that Ecclesiastes 1:12–18 exposes the emptiness of trying to find meaning through wisdom, knowledge, or control. Solomon searches deeply and honestly, yet concludes that life in a fallen world remains frustrating, humbling, and beyond human mastery. The more he learns, the more he sees what is broken, and knowledge alone cannot straighten what is crooked or satisfy the heart. The sermon presses the listener to see that much of our striving is really an attempt to be in control, but that pursuit only brings sorrow and restlessness. Instead of chasing meaning through understanding everything, we are called to admit that we are not God, to let go of the need for control, and to find joy in trusting God and delighting in what he delights in.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Life's Treadmill---0:00 Introduction0:25 Life's Treadmill2:58 Asking The Question: What is Life All About?6:08 Ecclesiastes Won't Let You Get Away with Pat Answers8:22 Reading Ecclesiastes 1:1-1110:19 Key Phrases10:19 Hebrew Word: Hevel11:35 Life is Fleeting13:35 You Can't Control Life13:48 Life is Hard to Define17:01 Under the Sun20:19 Hebrew Word: Yitron23:05 Reading Ecclesiastes with Breath and Profit in Mind23:54 Cycles in Nature24:07 Generational Cycles28:05 The Water Cycle29:19 How We Normally Try to Grab Control and Meaning29:45 Novelty32:51 Legacy34:37 How Do We Resolve This Tension?35:37 Look Beyond the Treadmill to Find Purpose36:30 Embrace Your Limits38:03 Remember Novelty Will Not Solve Your Desire for Meaning or Control42:44 Remember Legacy Will Not Solve Your Desire for Meaning or Control45:06 Pray for God to Work---Ecclesiastes 1:1–11The words of the Preacher, the son of David, king in Jerusalem.Vanity of vanities, says the Preacher,vanity of vanities! All is vanity.What does man gain by all the toilat which he toils under the sun?A generation goes, and a generation comes,but the earth remains forever.The sun rises, and the sun goes down,and hastens to the place where it rises.The wind blows to the southand goes around to the north;around and around goes the wind,and on its circuits the wind returns.All streams run to the sea,but the sea is not full;to the place where the streams flow,there they flow again.All things are full of weariness;a man cannot utter it;the eye is not satisfied with seeing,nor the ear filled with hearing.What has been is what will be,and what has been done is what will be done,and there is nothing new under the sun.Is there a thing of which it is said,“See, this is new”?It has been alreadyin the ages before us.There is no remembrance of former things,nor will there be any remembranceof later things yet to beamong those who come after. (ESV)---In *Life’s Treadmill*, Jed Gillis shows that Ecclesiastes 1:1–11 faces the frustration many people feel in ordinary life. Day after day can seem repetitive, fleeting, and hard to grasp. He explains that the word translated “vanity” points to life as breathlike. It passes quickly, cannot be controlled, and often resists simple explanation. Under the sun, life can feel empty because human effort alone cannot produce lasting gain or secure meaning. The repeated cycles in nature expose our limits and remind us that novelty and legacy cannot satisfy the heart’s desire for control or purpose. New experiences do not solve the problem, and even what we build will one day be forgotten. The sermon calls listeners to stop looking for meaning within the treadmill itself and instead look beyond it to God. Real purpose comes from embracing our creaturely limits, rejecting false hopes, and receiving life as a gift from the good God who stands over all that is under the sun.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: More Than Applause---0:00 Viewing the Resurrection Like a Sports Fan2:23 Reading Second Corinthians 44:30 How Do You See the Power of the Resurrection?6:30 God's Power is Displayed Through Our Weakness12:59 God's Power is Displayed Through Our Hope17:07 Jesus Is Our Hope19:17 True Connection to the Hope in Jesus22:36 Examples of Hope25:44 What Does Hope Through Suffering Look Like for Us?31:15 The Resurrection Powers Our Daily Faithfulness33:42 It's The Best Way to Live, In Spite of the Hurt36:30 It's Not a Blind Hope---2 Corinthians 4:7–18But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you.Since we have the same spirit of faith according to what has been written, “I believed, and so I spoke,” we also believe, and so we also speak, knowing that he who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence. For it is all for your sake, so that as grace extends to more and more people it may increase thanksgiving, to the glory of God.So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. (ESV)---In *More Than Applause*, Jed Gillis explains that the resurrection is not something Christians simply admire from a distance. From 2 Corinthians 4:7–18, he shows that God displays the power of Jesus’ resurrection through weak, suffering people who keep trusting Him. Paul’s point is that believers do not see resurrection power by escaping hardship, but by enduring affliction with real hope because Jesus was raised and all who belong to Him will be raised as well. That future certainty changes how Christians face suffering, resist sin, love others, and remain faithful in ordinary life. The sermon calls listeners to move beyond applauding Christ’s victory and to live each day in the strength, hope, and perspective that His resurrection gives.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Father, Forgive Them---0:00 Being Seen and Being Loved4:06 Reading Luke 235:58 The Characters of the Cross6:33 Those Who Hated Him8:10 Those Who Were Indifferent10:40 Those Who Were Curious11:39 Those Who Were Guilty15:48 Jesus Knew Them19:32 Jesus Loved Them23:03 Known and Loved Without Hiding28:37 Look to the Cross---Luke 23:32–49Two others, who were criminals, were led away to be put to death with him. And when they came to the place that is called The Skull, there they crucified him, and the criminals, one on his right and one on his left. And Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do.” And they cast lots to divide his garments. And the people stood by, watching, but the rulers scoffed at him, saying, “He saved others; let him save himself, if he is the Christ of God, his Chosen One!” The soldiers also mocked him, coming up and offering him sour wine and saying, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” There was also an inscription over him, “This is the King of the Jews.”One of the criminals who were hanged railed at him, saying, “Are you not the Christ? Save yourself and us!” But the other rebuked him, saying, “Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation? And we indeed justly, for we are receiving the due reward of our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” And he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.” And he said to him, “Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise.”It was now about the sixth hour, and there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour, while the sun’s light failed. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, calling out with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commit my spirit!” And having said this he breathed his last. Now when the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God, saying, “Certainly this man was innocent!” And all the crowds that had assembled for this spectacle, when they saw what had taken place, returned home beating their breasts. And all his acquaintances and the women who had followed him from Galilee stood at a distance watching these things. (ESV)---In *Father, Forgive Them*, Jed Gillis shows that Luke 23:32–49 reveals the heart of Jesus at the cross. Surrounded by mockers, indifferent rulers, curious onlookers, guilty criminals, and fearful crowds, Jesus responds with mercy, praying, “Father, forgive them.” The sermon traces the different people around the cross to show that Jesus fully knew each one of them, yet still chose to love and save sinners through his death. The repentant thief becomes the clearest picture of this grace, coming to Jesus with nothing to offer except guilt and need, and receiving the promise of paradise. The main burden of the sermon is that the cross answers one of the deepest needs of the human heart: to be fully known and still fully loved. Jesus knows the depth of our sin better than we do, and the cross proves that he loved his people enough to bear judgment in their place so they could come to God without hiding.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Built by Every Part---00:00 Burdened for Connection02:52 Reading Ephesians 404:49 Three Principles for Church Connection05:02 We Do Not Create Community. We Maintain It07:50 We Do Not Consume Community. We Cultivate It13:31 God’s Grace Comes Through Community and for Community19:12 The Trellis and the Vine22:08 A Roadmap for Connection at Berean23:37 Pray Expectantly for Berean and Its People27:28 Attend Regularly31:59 Go Deeper in Relationship and Study38:15 Find One Way to Serve42:24 Give to Berean43:57 Give and Receive Hospitality45:26 Built Up in Love---Ephesians 4:1–16I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace. There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call—one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all. But grace was given to each one of us according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore it says,“When he ascended on high he led a host of captives,and he gave gifts to men.”(In saying, “He ascended,” what does it mean but that he had also descended into the lower regions, the earth? He who descended is the one who also ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.) And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love. (ESV)---In “Built by Every Part,” Jed Gillis teaches from Ephesians 4:1–16 that Christ has already made His people one, so the church is called to maintain that unity with humility, patience, love, and truth. Christian community is not something believers create through programs or consume like customers. It is something they cultivate as members of one body under one Lord. God gives grace to His church both through leaders who equip the saints and through every believer, since each person has a part in the work of ministry and the building up of the body. The sermon calls believers to move past a spectator mindset and take part in the life of the church through prayer, regular gathering, deeper relationships, service, giving, and hospitality. As every part does its work, the body grows into maturity in Christ and is built up in love.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Facing the Giants---0:00 Intro1:40 Opening Prayer2:40 Reflecting on the Children of Israel11:12 Spying Out the Land14:26 The Report Back17:23 Og, One of the Giants18:51 The People’s Reaction22:47 We Hurt the Heart of God With Our Unbelief25:45 The Heart of God is to Do You Good27:04 The Danger of Viewing God as Just a Giver of Benefits30:05 What is the Difference Between a Consumer and a Worshiper?31:18 Bringing Our Concerns to the Lord, But As a Worshiper35:12 What Does a Worshipful Heart Look Like?---Numbers 13-14Duet. 2-3---In “Facing the Giants,” George Waller uses Israel’s refusal to enter the promised land in Numbers 13 to 14 and Deuteronomy 2 to 3 to show that the greatest giant before God’s people was not Og or the other giants in the land, but unbelief in their own hearts. He contrasts the fearful, horizontal vision of the ten spies and the people with the God-centered trust of Caleb and Joshua, showing that Israel kept forgetting God’s faithfulness and responding to hardship with grumbling instead of worship. The sermon presses on the danger of treating God mainly as a giver of benefits rather than loving him for who he is, asking if we come to him as consumers who only want relief or as worshipers who want his presence above all. Waller’s main call is for believers to repent of self-centered unbelief, trust that God’s heart is to do his people good even through suffering, and learn to treasure God himself as the greatest gift.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: No Resumé, Just a Cross---0:00 There is No Christianity without Jesus and the Cross2:32 Reading Galatians 64:22 Paul's Emphasis at the End of Galatians5:30 The Motive of the False Teachers9:19 Are We Pursuing Approval, Safety, and Achievement?10:47 What Do You Boast In?14:28 Boasting in Jesus is Humbling17:23 Boasting in Jesus is Exclusive20:03 How Does the Gospel Change You?22:08 Your Need for Approval24:13 Your Need for Safety26:18 Your Need for Achievement28:25 A Call to Boast in the Cross31:33 Celebrating Baptism--A Boast in Christ32:36 Ending Prayer---Galatians 6:11–18See with what large letters I am writing to you with my own hand. It is those who want to make a good showing in the flesh who would force you to be circumcised, and only in order that they may not be persecuted for the cross of Christ. For even those who are circumcised do not themselves keep the law, but they desire to have you circumcised that they may boast in your flesh. But far be it from me to boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. For neither circumcision counts for anything, nor uncircumcision, but a new creation. And as for all who walk by this rule, peace and mercy be upon them, and upon the Israel of God.From now on let no one cause me trouble, for I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit, brothers. Amen. (ESV)---In “No Resumé, Just a Cross,” Jed Gillis closes Galatians by showing that true Christianity is not about building a spiritual resumé through human effort, approval, safety, or achievement. Paul exposes the false teachers as people who wanted to look impressive and avoid suffering, but their confidence was in outward performance rather than in Christ. In contrast, Paul’s only boast is the cross of Jesus Christ, because salvation, peace, and identity come by grace, not by works. The sermon presses this truth into everyday life by asking what we truly rely on for worth and rest. The gospel does not simply forgive past sin and promise future hope. It reshapes the heart now, freeing believers from slavery to the opinions of others, from the need to control life for safety, and from the pressure to prove themselves through achievement. What counts is not religious performance, but new creation in Christ.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Garden of Grace---0:00 Introduction: Don't Let Galatians 6 Undermine Paul's Message of Grace3:01 Reading Galatians 64:15 The Picture of Reaping and Sowing Seed6:01 What are Seeds in This Picture?9:54 Sowing to the Flesh or to the Spirit12:30 What Does Paul Mean by Flesh and Spirit?18:35 What Separates the Seed?29:45 What Do You Reap if Sowing to the Flesh?31:37 Value Spiritual Instruction35:18 Growing a Garden Takes Time40:14 Closing Prayer---Galatians 6:6–10Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches. Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith. (ESV)---In The Garden of Grace from Galatians 6:6–10, Jed Gillis explains Paul’s sowing-and-reaping picture as a call to live out grace, not a warning that your life runs on a strict, mechanical scoreboard. “Seeds” are your everyday thoughts, words, choices, and habits. The real difference is where you plant them: into the flesh, meaning self-reliance and control, or into the Spirit, meaning faith that rests in God’s favor through Christ. Sowing to the flesh produces decay and relational fallout, even when the “seed” looks respectable. Sowing to the Spirit grows lasting life, so you keep doing good, value spiritual instruction, and do good to all, especially the church family, without giving up when growth takes time.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Global Grace---0:00 Intro: What Does it Look Like for God to be At Work?4:47 Snapshots of God Working Through Acts5:47 Seeing the Grace of God8:32 What Did Barnabas Actually See?12:42 Brokenness Does Not Equal Grace13:32 Seeing God's Grace is an Opportunity for Joy15:31 There's Still Work to Do18:39 God's Grace Through Willing People in Ordinary Lives22:27 Discipleship in Antioch24:33 Freedom from Performance to the Law26:17 Continue in Grace27:21 God's Grace Doesn't Stay Bottled Up29:28 Commended to the Grace of God33:20 Pray For God to Send Laborers Into the Harvest34:46 Closing Prayer---Acts 11:19–30Now those who were scattered because of the persecution that arose over Stephen traveled as far as Phoenicia and Cyprus and Antioch, speaking the word to no one except Jews. But there were some of them, men of Cyprus and Cyrene, who on coming to Antioch spoke to the Hellenists also, preaching the Lord Jesus. And the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord. The report of this came to the ears of the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch. When he came and saw the grace of God, he was glad, and he exhorted them all to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast purpose, for he was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and of faith. And a great many people were added to the Lord. So Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. For a whole year they met with the church and taught a great many people. And in Antioch the disciples were first called Christians.Now in these days prophets came down from Jerusalem to Antioch. And one of them named Agabus stood up and foretold by the Spirit that there would be a great famine over all the world (this took place in the days of Claudius). So the disciples determined, every one according to his ability, to send relief to the brothers living in Judea. And they did so, sending it to the elders by the hand of Barnabas and Saul. (ESV)---In *Global Grace*, Jed Gillis walks through Acts 11:19–30 to show what it looks like when God is at work, even when it does not look dramatic. Persecution scatters believers, yet the gospel spreads from Jews to Gentiles, and “the hand of the Lord” brings many to faith in Antioch. When Barnabas arrives, he “sees the grace of God” in visible change, people turning to the Lord, growing into “little Christs,” and beginning the work of discipleship that leads him to bring Saul to help teach for a year. Jed presses the point that brokenness by itself is not grace. Grace is God’s undeserved favor that frees people from performance, produces steady faithfulness, and gives real joy as you notice God’s work in ordinary lives. This grace does not stay contained. It overflows into mission and practical love, like the Antioch church sending relief to believers in Judea, and it calls you to keep going in grace while praying for God to send laborers into his harvest. ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Mission Expectations---0:00 Psalm 231:08 Opening Prayer2:18 Overlaying Acts 16, Psalm 23, and Philippians3:00 Introducing Jason Garro4:42 Continuing Acts 16 From Last Week6:08 What Is the Greatest Story?8:35 Evangelism and Persecution11:42 God Grows and Restores16:08 Paul's Missions Trip to Macedonia19:08 2015 Trip to Greece24:42 God Leads30:42 God Sustains40:42 God Grows His Church48:42 Berea, Our Namesake49:42 The Discipleship Cycle---Acts 16---In *Mission Expectations,* Jon Farra, joined by Jason Garro, walks through **Acts 16** to show what mission often looks like when God is at work. Paul and his team face closed doors, then the Spirit redirects them to Macedonia, where God opens Lydia’s heart and begins gathering a new church through ordinary conversations and hospitality. Just as quickly, the work meets resistance, leading to public beating, prison, and an unexpected scene of worship at midnight. God sustains them through suffering, uses an earthquake without a jailbreak, and brings the jailer and his household to faith, reinforcing that the gospel advances even through hardship. Along the way, the sermon ties Psalm 23 to God’s restoring, guiding presence and connects Philippians to Paul’s later call to love with discernment and to embrace the fellowship of suffering. The main takeaway is simple: expect God to *lead, sustain, and grow* His church as disciples pray, follow His direction, and multiply the work through people and homes.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Next Door to the Nations---0:00 Introduction to Tim Hood and Opening Prayer1:47 The Nations Parading into the Presence of Our Savior3:32 Who's Next?7:42 Many Have Not Even Heard His Name10:28 Reading Acts 1611:47 Prayer12:30 The Call to Missions in the Midst of a Worship Service17:42 Missions Has Struggles, Even in Relationships20:00 The Importance of Contextualization21:42 It Wasn't Enough28:17 God's Calling32:17 Answering the Call41:17 Closing Prayer---Acts 16:6–10And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (ESV)---In “Next Door to the Nations,” Tim Hood walks through Acts 16:6–10 to show how God guides mission by both closing doors and opening new ones. Paul and his team plan to preach in familiar places, but the Holy Spirit redirects them again and again until Paul receives the Macedonian vision, and they move immediately in obedience, convinced God is calling them to bring the gospel there. Tim ties that moment to the church’s role in missions, where the Spirit sends through the church and the church “holds the rope” through prayer, unity, and support. He stresses that strengthening healthy churches is good, but it is not the finish line because many people still have little or no access to the name of Jesus. The sermon frames calling as first a call to Christ, which then leads to gospel proclamation, practical disciple-making, sacrificial living, quick obedience, and expectant faith that God will save and build his church among the nations.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Rest Restores---0:00 - What Does it Look Like When a Church Rests in the Grace of God?1:00 - Do Not Use Freedom for the Flesh7:00 - Reading Galatians 5:26-6:58:00 - Let Us Keep in Step with the Spirit11:00 - What Does it Mean to Bear One Another's Burdens?16:00 - We Need Grace to Be Able to Help Others20:00 - What Does Fulfill the Law of Christ Mean in the Context of Grace?25:00 - Some Examples: Someone is Caught in a Sin32:00 - Restore Them Gently35:00 - Some Warnings36:00 - Lest You Also Be Tempted39:00 - Don't Evaluate Yourself by Comparison42:00 - We All Bear Our Own Load46:00 - Some Practical Ways We Can Bear One Another's Burdens---Galatians 5:26-6:5Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.Brothers, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. For if anyone thinks he is something, when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But let each one test his own work, and then his reason to boast will be in himself alone and not in his neighbor. For each will have to bear his own load. (ESV)---In Rest Restores, Jed Gillis walks through Galatians 5:26 to 6:5 to show what life looks like in a church that truly rests in God’s grace. When your soul is safe in the gospel, you stop living off comparison, conceit, provocation, and envy, and you become free to come alongside others with steady, humble love. Paul’s command to “bear one another’s burdens” means helping make heavy things lighter, including the burden of being caught in sin. That is why restoration must be gentle, and why it comes with warnings: watch yourself so you are not tempted, do not measure yourself against someone else, and remember that each person still carries their own “load” before God. The sermon presses the point that grace is not a way to dabble in sin without consequences. Grace is God’s rescue that steadies you so you can help others, point them back to Christ, and practice burden-bearing through committed relationships, honest questions, hospitality, and prayer.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Take Refuge---0:00 Refuge in Psalms3:08 Reading Psalm 317:48 You Can Know God is a Refuge and Not Take Refuge in Him11:08 God is Actually a Refuge14:28 Refuge and Shame15:40 We Often Seek Other Refuges18:28 What Are We Taking Refuge From?18:50 From Enemies20:35 From Distress22:40 From Our Iniquity24:25 What Does it Mean to Take Refuge29:56 The False Refuge of Idols35:31 How Can We Tell If We're Seeking the Wrong Refuge?37:37 Why Can We Trust God?---Psalm 31To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.In you, O LORD, do I take refuge;let me never be put to shame;in your righteousness deliver me!Incline your ear to me;rescue me speedily!Be a rock of refuge for me,a strong fortress to save me!For you are my rock and my fortress;and for your name’s sake you lead me and guide me;you take me out of the net they have hidden for me,for you are my refuge.Into your hand I commit my spirit;you have redeemed me, O LORD, faithful God.I hate those who pay regard to worthless idols,but I trust in the LORD.I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,because you have seen my affliction;you have known the distress of my soul,and you have not delivered me into the hand of the enemy;you have set my feet in a broad place.Be gracious to me, O LORD, for I am in distress;my eye is wasted from grief;my soul and my body also.For my life is spent with sorrow,and my years with sighing;my strength fails because of my iniquity,and my bones waste away.Because of all my adversaries I have become a reproach,especially to my neighbors,and an object of dread to my acquaintances;those who see me in the street flee from me.I have been forgotten like one who is dead;I have become like a broken vessel.For I hear the whispering of many—terror on every side!—as they scheme together against me,as they plot to take my life.But I trust in you, O LORD;I say, “You are my God.”My times are in your hand;rescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!Make your face shine on your servant;save me in your steadfast love!O LORD, let me not be put to shame,for I call upon you;let the wicked be put to shame;let them go silently to Sheol.Let the lying lips be mute,which speak insolently against the righteousin pride and contempt.Oh, how abundant is your goodness,which you have stored up for those who fear youand worked for those who take refuge in you,in the sight of the children of mankind!In the cover of your presence you hide themfrom the plots of men;you store them in your shelterfrom the strife of tongues.Blessed be the LORD,for he has wondrously shown his steadfast love to mewhen I was in a besieged city.I had said in my alarm,“I am cut off from your sight.”But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercywhen I cried to you for help.Love the LORD, all you his saints!The LORD preserves the faithfulbut abundantly repays the one who acts in pride.Be strong, and let your heart take courage,all you who wait for the LORD! (ESV)---In “Take Refuge” (Psalm 31), Jed Gillis shows the difference between knowing God is a refuge and actually taking refuge in him. David does not treat refuge as a vague idea. He runs to God because God is truly able to protect, guide, and save. The sermon ties refuge to shame, since the refuges we grab for when we feel unsafe often fail and leave us exposed. Psalm 31 names what we run from: enemies and slander, deep distress and grief, and even the weight of our own iniquity. To take refuge means trusting God with your worship, committing your spirit to him, and placing your days in his hands. The sermon also exposes false refuges as idols, even when they look like normal comforts, and calls you to return to God’s steadfast love and abundant goodness as the only shelter that will not fail.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Roots of the Spirit---0:00 The Roots of the Spirit2:31 The Competing Desires of the Flesh and Spirit4:48 Reading Galatians 5:22-255:35 The Picture of Fruit5:35 Fruit not Fruits8:40 Growth is Gradual9:31 Fruit is Inevitable10:33 It Comes from the Spirit of God13:28 A Look at the Fruit15:08 Love18:49 Joy22:57 Peace29:09 Kindness30:49 Goodness33:19 Faithfulness34:23 Gentleness37:29 Self Control41:39 The Flesh is Crucified44:25 What Is the Flesh?46:30 The Picture of Crucifixion---Galatians 5:22–25But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (ESV)---In *The Roots of the Spirit*, Jed Gillis shows that Paul’s “fruit of the Spirit” is not a simple good list to copy with more effort. It is what grows out of a deeper change that the Spirit brings in a believer, as the gospel turns self-reliant people into people who rest in God’s undeserved favor. Because it is “fruit” (singular), the virtues belong together, and growth is gradual yet real, with Spirit-produced change showing up over time. As he walks through love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, he traces each one back to a heart that feels safe in God’s grace rather than needing to protect itself. He closes by pressing verse 24 down to the root: the “flesh” is a core commitment to self, and belonging to Christ means crucifying that self-trust and learning to keep in step with the Spirit day by day.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The War Within---0:00 - God Delights in You0:47 - What To Do If You Have Questions About the Teaching3:35 - Reading Galatians 5:16-255:28 - Don't Use Freedom as an Opportunity for the Flesh6:22 - Walk By the Spirit11:35 - And You Will Not Gratify the Desires of the Flesh15:18 - There is a Battle Between the Flesh and the Spirit23:42 - Be Led by the Desires of the Spirit30:18 - The Works of the Flesh Are Evident39:41 - Those Who Practice Such Things Will Not Inherit the Kingdom of God---Galatians 5:16–25But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. (ESV)---In “The War Within” from Galatians 5:16–25, Jed Gillis explains that the Christian life includes a real, ongoing conflict between the desires of the flesh and the desires of the Spirit. Paul’s call to “walk by the Spirit” is pictured as steady, intentional steps of faith, resting in God’s gospel promises and crying out to the Father in weakness, rather than turning inward to self-reliance. Jed stresses that walking by the Spirit does not remove sinful desires, but it does keep believers from carrying those desires to their destructive end. He frames “the flesh” as the self-reliant self that tries to secure safety, approval, and satisfaction apart from God, and he shows how that inner posture produces visible works like sexual sin, idolatry, substance-driven escape, and relational breakdown in jealousy, anger, factions, and envy. Paul’s warning about those who “practice” such things is not a call to earn God’s favor, but a sober reminder that habitual self-trust is incompatible with saving faith. The path forward is to be led by what the Spirit loves, living in gospel freedom that expresses itself through love and service within the church.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Grace Isn't a Getaway Car---00:00 - Return to Galatians00:31 - Can You Have True Rest for your Soul?04:51 - What Should It Feel Like to Relate to God Through the Cross?07:45 - What Does It Look Like to Have a Community that Rests in the Gospel?08:36 - Reading Galatians 5:13-1509:49 - Grace Calls You to Freedom16:26 - Free From the Law20:42 - How Do You React to God's Commands?22:35 - Grasping Paul's View of Grace25:05 - Don't Use Freedom for the Flesh30:38 - Grace is An Ambulance, and You're the EMT32:20 - God's Law is Still Good35:41 - How Can We Serve One Another?39:17 - Self-Centered Churchgoers Eat Each Other41:56 - What Does a Community of People Resting in the Gospel Look Like?---Galatians 5:13–15For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. (ESV)---In “Grace Isn’t a Getaway Car,” Jed Gillis explains that Galatians 5:13–15 shows how grace creates real freedom and what that freedom looks like in the church. Paul says you are free from using God’s law as a way to earn approval, safety, or life. That freedom is not self-rule or a pass to indulge the flesh. Grace is not a getaway car for selfish impulses. It is more like an ambulance that makes your soul safe so you can move toward others in love. So freedom expresses itself through serving one another, because the whole law is summed up in loving your neighbor as yourself. Without gospel rest, Christians turn into consumers who “bite and devour” each other, but a gospel-shaped community grows into patient, prayerful, generous love.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing---00:00 Introduction02:25 Luke 203:25 Fear Not04:43 I Bring to You Good News of Great Joy07:09 Good News for All the People08:37 A Real Birth in a Real City11:47 An Ordinary Birth: a Human Baby12:44 An Extraordinary Birth: a Savior Who Is Christ, the Lord12:57 Who Is a Savior14:20 Who Is Christ16:45 Who Is the Lord17:20 Christ Is All Three19:34 The Celebration of an Army of Angels21:05 With Whom He Is Pleased: Is That Still Inclusive?24:32 Trust in the Savior25:40 A Look at the Song: Hark! The Herald Angels Sing26:00 Hark!28:33 First Verse32:17 Second Verse36:55 Third Verse41:26 Join the Angels in Singing, Glory to the Newborn King---Luke 2:8–17And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying,“Glory to God in the highest,and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. (ESV)---Jed Gillis walks through Luke 2:8–17 to show how the angels’ announcement to ordinary shepherds is a clear proclamation of the gospel. The message starts with “fear not,” because the good news comes from outside of us, not from something we can pull up from within. The birth is real and historical, in a real city, with a real baby, yet this child is extraordinary: the Savior who rescues sinners from judgment, the Christ who fulfills God’s promises and defeats our enemies, and the Lord whose authority cannot be stopped. The angels’ song of “glory to God” and “peace” is both exclusive and welcoming, since God’s pleasure rests on those who trust Christ. From there, the hymn “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing” becomes an invitation to listen again, remember the announcement, and join the heavenly praise with joy and faith in Jesus. ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

00:36 - O Come, O Come Emmanuel - The Ancient Cry04:34 - Oh Come Emmanuel11:26 - Ransom Captive Israel13:16 - The Rod of Jesse16:19 - Free Thy Own From Satan's Tyranny19:05 - From the Depths of Hell Thy People Save20:24 - Give Them Victory Over the Grave22:30 - Oh Come Thou Dayspring30:22 - Oh Come Thou Key of David33:36 - Make Safe the Way that Leads on High36:29 - Closing Prayer---* Isaiah 7:14 - Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.* Matthew 1:23 - “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us). * Matthew 28:19-20 - Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”* Exodus 25:8 - And let them make me a sanctuary, that I may dwell in their midst.* John 1:14 - And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.* Mark 10:45 - For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.* Matthew 15:25 - But she came and knelt before him, saying, “Lord, help me.”* Isaiah 11:1 - There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit.* Hebrews 2:14 - Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil.* 1 John 3:8 - Whoever makes a practice of sinning is of the devil, for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the works of the devil.* Malachi 4:2 - But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with healing in its wings. You shall go out leaping like calves from the stall. * John 8:12 - Again Jesus spoke to them, saying, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” * John 17:3 - And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. * Revelation 3:7 - And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: ‘The words of the holy one, the true one, who has the key of David, who opens and no one will shut, who shuts and no one opens.'---Isaias Viñales unpacks “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” as an ancient, sober prayer that carries the longing of Israel, the rejoicing of the church, and the hope of Christ’s return. The hymn’s cry for Emmanuel, “God with us,” points to restored fellowship with God that was lost in Eden and fulfilled as Jesus comes to dwell among his people, closer than tabernacle shadows ever could. He shows how the hymn’s pleas, ransom captive Israel, Rod of Jesse, and rescue from Satan’s tyranny, are answered through Christ’s incarnation and his saving death, where apparent weakness becomes the victory that breaks bondage and conquers the grave. Jesus is also the Dayspring who drives back darkness with his presence and the Key of David who opens what sin had shut, making the road home secure. The message ends with the Bible’s closing posture of hope and prayer, “Come, Lord Jesus.” ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: We Three Kings---00:15 Matthew 201:59 Prayer03:02 What is Your North Star?06:13 We Three Kings08:18 Observations of Humanity10:16 Who Were the Magi?15:52 The Journey17:23 Found!19:24 Example: Wise Men - Lost/Searching World23:37 Herod the Great and the Temple Mount29:32 2nd Journey31:54 Evil In This World34:57 Gifts38:05 The Value of the Gifts40:22 Do You Have a Gift for God this Christmas?45:15 Closing Prayer---Matthew 2Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:‘And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;for from you shall come a rulerwho will shepherd my people Israel.’Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, “Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.” After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house, they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way.---In Matthew 2, Jon Farra points to the Magi as a picture of what it looks like to live with a true “North Star.” They leave what is normal, follow the light God gives, and make a costly journey that ends in worship at the feet of Jesus. Along the way, the passage shows both the best and worst of humanity: humble seekers who rejoice and bow down, and Herod’s fearful cruelty that brings real suffering into the Christmas story. Even in chaos and evil, God guides, protects, and fulfills his promises as Joseph leads his family to Egypt and then home again. The Magi’s gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh point to who Jesus is, King, God, and the suffering Savior. The call is personal: bring God a gift this Christmas, your best and your worst, and walk in the light with honest worship and real joy.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Joy to the World---00:00 - Christmas is the Announcement of a King01:02 - Our Plan for the Coming Weeks03:18 - Psalm 98, the Inspiration to Joy to the World03:51 - Reading Psalm 9805:03 - A Call to Worship06:56 - God's History of Protecting His People07:57 - Roaring in Praise to God09:43 - This Praise is for God's People and All Creation10:19 - Priase God for His Salvation and Judgment11:19 - How is This Psalm About Jesus?14:49 - Joy to the World, the King Has Come22:50 - Creation Repeats the Sounding Joy26:34 - No More Sin or Curse33:59 - He Rules the World with Truth and Grace35:51 - The Nations Prove the Glories of His Righteousness37:18 - Jesus Coming as a King is Good News40:02 - Singing Joy to the World42:19 - Closing Prayer---Psalm 98A Psalm.Oh sing to the LORD a new song,for he has done marvelous things!His right hand and his holy armhave worked salvation for him.The LORD has made known his salvation;he has revealed his righteousness in the sight of the nations.He has remembered his steadfast love and faithfulnessto the house of Israel.All the ends of the earth have seenthe salvation of our God.Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth;break forth into joyous song and sing praises!Sing praises to the LORD with the lyre,with the lyre and the sound of melody!With trumpets and the sound of the hornmake a joyful noise before the King, the LORD!Let the sea roar, and all that fills it;the world and those who dwell in it!Let the rivers clap their hands;let the hills sing for joy togetherbefore the LORD, for he comesto judge the earth.He will judge the world with righteousness,and the peoples with equity. (ESV)---Jed Gillis traces “Joy to the World” back to Psalm 98 to show that Christmas is the joyful announcement that a king has come. He explains that the psalm first calls Israel to sing because God has made his salvation and righteousness visible to the nations and has faithfully protected his people, then widens that call so that all creation joins the chorus, praising God for both salvation and coming judgment. Gillis shows how Isaac Watts read this psalm through the lens of Christ, seeing Jesus’ first coming as the display of God’s salvation and his second coming as the day when God’s righteous judgment and the full removal of the curse will be seen. Walking through the carol, he highlights that welcoming Christ means bowing to his absolute authority in every part of life and trusting that his rule of truth and grace is far better than self rule. The message urges hearers to receive Jesus as king with glad surrender, to see even the pains of a fallen world as reminders that we make poor kings, and to look ahead in hope to the day when the risen King removes sin, sorrow, and thorns as far as the curse is found. ---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: His Wonderful Works---00:00 - Was It Hard to Be Thankful This Thanksgiving?01:20 - Psalm 107: A Psalm for People in Crisis02:21 - Reading the Beginning of Psalm 10703:14 - Four Characters Who Should Give Thanks04:40 - Give Thanks to the Lord, for He is Good and His Steadfast Love Endures Forever05:51 - Let the Redeemed of the Lord Say So08:28 - God's People Still Experience Trouble10:51 - The Four Characters of Psalm 10710:55 - The Hungry Wanderer15:21 - The Rebellious Captive20:21 - The Foolish Sufferer26:19 - The Limited Adventurer32:20 - Why Don't We Cry Out to the Lord More Often?34:34 - God Delights to Deliver You---Psalm 107---In *His Wonderful Works* from Psalm 107, Jed Gillis shows that gratitude is not reserved for easy seasons but grows out of seeing God’s character in the middle of real crises. The psalm paints four portraits of God’s people as hungry wanderers, rebellious captives, foolish sufferers, and limited adventurers on stormy seas, all brought to the end of themselves. Each group reaches a breaking point, cries out to the Lord, and discovers that he alone satisfies, frees, heals, and brings them safely home. God may let us feel the weight of our choices or our limitations, yet he delights to turn deserts into springs and chains into praise. The wise response is to cry to him instead of trusting our control, remember how he has already delivered us in Christ, and let the redeemed “say so” by giving thanks for his steadfast love even when life still feels like a wilderness or a storm.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Christ or the Checklist---00:00 - Does the Christian Life Feel More Like Slavery or Freedom?01:49 - Reading Galatians 5:1-1303:24 - For Freedom Christ Has Set Us Free05:59 - The Pull Away From Freedom08:35 - You Were Running Well, Who Hindered You?12:12 - Why Is Slavery Persuasive to Us?13:29 - The Mindset of Performance Poisons Our Relationship with Christ16:54 - Paul's Strong Language Against the False Teachers19:19 - You Can't Mix Christ and Your Checklist20:17 - Potential Response One: My Performance is Still Tied to My Acceptance21:50 - Potential Response Two: Freedom, Not Slavery23:53 - Depend on the Law, Christ is of No Advantage to You28:50 - Resting in the Promise of God31:14 - Our Approval is Not Connected to Our Performance33:19 - God is Still Pleased When We Fight Sin36:17 - Our Faith Energizes Our Love38:37 - Does Your Walk With God Feel like Slavery or Freedom?---Galatians 5:1–13For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.Look: I, Paul, say to you that if you accept circumcision, Christ will be of no advantage to you. I testify again to every man who accepts circumcision that he is obligated to keep the whole law. You are severed from Christ, you who would be justified by the law; you have fallen away from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.You were running well. Who hindered you from obeying the truth? This persuasion is not from him who calls you. A little leaven leavens the whole lump. I have confidence in the Lord that you will take no other view, and the one who is troubling you will bear the penalty, whoever he is. But if I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed. I wish those who unsettle you would emasculate themselves!For you were called to freedom, brothers. (ESV)---Jed Gillis shows how Paul’s message in Galatians 5:1–13 is a call to live in the freedom Christ has already purchased, rather than slipping back into the slavery of legalism. He explains that the false teachers in Galatia were persuading believers to tie their acceptance with God to circumcision and law-keeping, and Paul warns that any attempt to gain or protect God’s favor through performance makes Christ of no advantage and cuts us off from grace. Using the image of leaven, Jed explains how even a small dose of self-reliance spreads through the whole Christian life and turns joyful obedience into a heavy burden. In contrast, the Christian life is meant to be resting in God’s promise that righteousness and approval come through Christ alone, by the Spirit, through faith. From that rest, faith expresses itself through love, so that obedience feels like something we get to do rather than a checklist we must keep. Jed closes by urging listeners to examine how they relate to rules, success, and failure, and to stand firm in gospel freedom so that walking with God feels like freedom rather than slavery.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

00:30 Doesn't Grace Undermine Our Motivation to Fight Sin?10:38 Grace Versus the Carrot-And-Stick Approach?20:23 What's Next?---* **Romans 6:1–2**: “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”* **Titus 2:11–14**: “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.”* **Matthew 1:21**: “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”* **John 8:36**: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”* **2 Corinthians 5:14–15**: “For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised.”* **Hebrews 2:14–18**: “Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.”* **Hebrews 2:13**: “And again, ‘I will put my trust in him.’ And again, ‘Behold, I and the children God has given me.’”* **Hebrews 11:6**: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”* **Hebrews 12:6**: “For the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and chastises every son whom he receives.”* **Matthew 22:32**: “‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”* **Galatians 3:1**: “O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified.”* **Galatians 3:21**: “Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law.”---In Does Grace Make Us Soft on Sin?, the conversation unpacks one of the oldest misunderstandings of the gospel: that grace leads to apathy. Drawing from Romans 6 and Titus 2, the pastors explain that true grace doesn’t just pardon; it trains, redeems, and transforms. Grace saves us from sin, not in it. It reshapes our hearts, not through fear or external rewards, but through the Spirit’s work and the love of Christ that compels obedience from within. Unlike the carrot-and-stick approach of behaviorism, the gospel changes what we love and trust, cutting at the root of sin’s power. Because we’ve been freed through Jesus, we now live differently, not to earn favor but because we already have it. Grace is not permission to sin; it is the very power that makes holiness possible.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Don't Go Back to Chains---01:22 - Reading Galatians 4:21-5:103:21 - Revisiting the Story of Sarah, Abraham, and Hagar08:31 - Why Does Paul Bring Up This Story?10:24 - Sarah Didn't Trust God12:51 - Why Did Paul Bring This Up for the Galatian Church?15:41 - Separate God's Favor Towards Us from God Being Pleased with Our Actions26:29 - Turn From Dependence on Performance and Enjoy God's Favor 30:49 - In Prayer33:23 - In Scripture Reading35:25 - In Connecting with Other Believers37:49 - In Fighting Sin39:20 - God Always Has Favor to You---Galatians 4:21–31Tell me, you who desire to be under the law, do you not listen to the law? For it is written that Abraham had two sons, one by a slave woman and one by a free woman. But the son of the slave was born according to the flesh, while the son of the free woman was born through promise. Now this may be interpreted allegorically: these women are two covenants. One is from Mount Sinai, bearing children for slavery; she is Hagar. Now Hagar is Mount Sinai in Arabia; she corresponds to the present Jerusalem, for she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem above is free, and she is our mother. For it is written,“Rejoice, O barren one who does not bear;break forth and cry aloud, you who are not in labor!For the children of the desolate one will be morethan those of the one who has a husband.”Now you, brothers, like Isaac, are children of promise. But just as at that time he who was born according to the flesh persecuted him who was born according to the Spirit, so also it is now. But what does the Scripture say? “Cast out the slave woman and her son, for the son of the slave woman shall not inherit with the son of the free woman.” So, brothers, we are not children of the slave but of the free woman. (ESV)Galatians 5:1For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery. (ESV)---In this sermon, Jed Gillis explains Paul’s use of the story of Sarah and Hagar to show the Galatians that returning to law-keeping as a way of securing God’s favor is a return to slavery. Paul contrasts Ishmael, born through human effort, with Isaac, born through God’s promise. Hagar represents the covenant tied to human performance, which only leads to bondage. Sarah represents the covenant of grace, where God acts through his promise. Paul warns that the Galatians are in danger of treating God’s law the way pagans treated idols, using obedience as a way to manipulate blessing or avoid harm. Jed stresses that this is the same slavery Christ has freed them from. The heart of Paul’s concern is that God has already shown favor through Christ, and believers now belong to the “Jerusalem above,” as true children of promise. Jed presses the point that salvation is described as knowing God, or rather being known by God, which highlights God’s intimate love and removes every attempt to rely on performance. He calls out the flattery of the false teachers who push the Galatians toward self-reliance, and he contrasts that with Paul’s mother-like labor to see Christ formed in them. Jed then applies this to everyday Christian practices such as prayer, Scripture reading, fellowship, and fighting sin. Each of these can become slavery if viewed as a way to earn God’s favor rather than enjoy it. The call of the passage is simple and urgent: do not go back to chains. Stand firm in the freedom Christ gives, and approach God as a Father who already loves you, rather than a master to be appeased through performance.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Performance, Blessing, and Grace---00:18 I Haven't Done Enough. Will God Still Bless Me?10:34 The Grace of Failure14:03 But What About Sowing and Reaping?20:41 What's Next?---* **Luke 15:21**: “And the son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’”* **Luke 15:19**: “I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Treat me as one of your hired servants.”* **Acts 20:35**: “In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’”* **Isaiah 55:11**: “so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”* **Galatians 6:6**: “Let the one who is taught the word share all good things with the one who teaches.”* **Galatians 6:7**: “Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatever one sows, that will he also reap.”* **Galatians 6:8**: “For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life.”* **Galatians 6:9**: “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”* **Hebrews 11:6**: “And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.”* **Numbers 22:28**: “Then the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam, ‘What have I done to you, that you have struck me these three times?’”---In Performance, Blessing, and Grace, the conversation explores how believers often confuse God’s blessing with their own performance. Using the parable of the Prodigal Son, the book of Job, and Paul’s teaching in Galatians, the discussion reveals how both pride and despair can come from the same misplaced trust in effort. Pastor Jed and Pastor Isaias remind listeners that God’s grace does not operate by a transactional formula. He blesses out of relationship, not merit. Faithful preparation, obedience, and hard work matter, but as acts of love and worship, not leverage to force God’s hand. Even failure can be grace, driving us from self-reliance to dependence on Him. The episode closes with the call to keep sowing good seed, trusting that in due season, God will bring fruit by His grace, not our control.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Flattery of Performance---01:33 - Recap of Galatians Thus Far05:45 - Reading Galatians 4:8-2007:24 - Paul Reminds the Galatians of Their Love08:18 - The Galatians Were Enslaved08:57 - Both Gentiles and Jews Were Enslaved13:47 - Don't Pervert God's Grace as Another Form of Slavery15:48 - Paul Worried he Labored in Vain16:36 - We Are Known by God19:09 - The Idols We Worship Cannot Know Us21:18 - We Are Known AND Loved by God22:43 - God Intimately Loves You24:46 - The Galatians Embraced Paul in Spite of Physical Ailments27:12 - Where Did the Love of the Galatians Go?28:20 - The Flattery of False Teachers31:40 - Paul's Motherly Love33:04 - The Gospel Transforms Us to Be Like Christ35:21 - How Can We Keep from Turning to Slavery?---Galatians 4:8–20Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.Brothers, I entreat you, become as I am, for I also have become as you are. You did me no wrong. You know it was because of a bodily ailment that I preached the gospel to you at first, and though my condition was a trial to you, you did not scorn or despise me, but received me as an angel of God, as Christ Jesus. What then has become of your blessedness? For I testify to you that, if possible, you would have gouged out your eyes and given them to me. Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth? They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them. It is always good to be made much of for a good purpose, and not only when I am present with you, my little children, for whom I am again in the anguish of childbirth until Christ is formed in you! I wish I could be present with you now and change my tone, for I am perplexed about you. (ESV)---Jed Gillis preaches Galatians 4:8–20 as Paul’s plea to a church drifting from grace back into a new slavery. Once captive to idols, the Galatians are now “known by God,” yet false teachers flatter them into rule-keeping and calendar observances as a way to secure standing. Paul appeals to their shared history: how they welcomed him despite his illness, and asks why truth now makes him their enemy. He exposes the agitators’ praise as self-serving and contrasts it with his own costly, mother-like labor “until Christ is formed” in them. The sermon stresses that even good practices like prayer, Scripture reading, and gathering can turn into performance if they’re used to manage God rather than enjoy his favor. The remedy is to return to the gospel, rest in the Father’s love, and live from being known and loved by God, not from achieving.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Stapling On the Fruit of the Spirit---00:29 When Does Not "Feeling It" Cross Over Into Hypocrisy?06:22 Shouldn't the Fruit of the Spirit Feel Automatic?18:47 What's Next?---* **Galatians 5:16–18**: “But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.”* **Galatians 5:22–23**: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”* **Galatians 5:13**: “For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”* **Galatians 2:11–14**: “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”* **Psalm 1:3**: “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”* **Romans 8:13**: “For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live.”* **Romans 6:11**: “So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.”* **Romans 6:13**: “Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness.”* **Philippians 1:6**: “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”* **Philippians 2:12–13**: “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”---This conversation explores what it means to follow Christ when your emotions lag behind your convictions. Pastors Jed and Isaias distinguish hypocrisy from sincere struggle, noting that hypocrisy masks indifference, while a sincere believer wrestles honestly and seeks to obey even when feelings falter. Galatians shapes the discussion, reminding us that the fruit of the Spirit grows in the tension between flesh and Spirit and often through active dependence, not passivity. God calls us to act in love even before desire catches up, while confessing coldness and asking Him to shape our hearts. Rather than seeing forced obedience as false, the discussion points to a life where confession, prayer, and faith-filled action align us with the Spirit’s work, trusting that He forms true love, joy, peace, and self-control over time.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Psalm 103Note: at 22:41, the audio of the sermon cut out for about 9 minutes. We apologize for the equipment failure. This section is skipped in the video.---00:09 Introduction: The Need for Remembrance02:18 Reading of Psalm 10305:13 A Call to Worship Without Petitions06:20 Blessing God's Holy Name07:44 The Worthiness of Christ10:34 God's Benefits: Forgiveness of Sin13:17 Everything Flows from Forgiveness14:04 Praise Through Healing And Sickness17:14 Deliverence From the Pit18:23 Crowned with Steadfast Love and Mercy22:05 Satisfaction and Renewal22:41 Audio cuts out for 9 minutes of the sermon. This section is skipped22:45 God's Anger and Mercy24:29 The Greatness of God's Love26:53 These Benefits Are For Those Whose Faith is in Christ28:21 God Knows Our Frame30:52 God's Kingdom Rules Over All31:49 All Creation Called to Worship33:31 Pointing One Another to the Lord34:41 Closing Prayer---Psalm 103Of David.Bless the LORD, O my soul,and all that is within me,bless his holy name!Bless the LORD, O my soul,and forget not all his benefits,who forgives all your iniquity,who heals all your diseases,who redeems your life from the pit,who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy,who satisfies you with goodso that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.The LORD works righteousnessand justice for all who are oppressed.He made known his ways to Moses,his acts to the people of Israel.The LORD is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.He will not always chide,nor will he keep his anger forever.He does not deal with us according to our sins,nor repay us according to our iniquities.For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;as far as the east is from the west,so far does he remove our transgressions from us.As a father shows compassion to his children,so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.For he knows our frame;he remembers that we are dust.As for man, his days are like grass;he flourishes like a flower of the field;for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,and its place knows it no more.But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,and his righteousness to children’s children,to those who keep his covenantand remember to do his commandments.The LORD has established his throne in the heavens,and his kingdom rules over all.Bless the LORD, O you his angels,you mighty ones who do his word,obeying the voice of his word!Bless the LORD, all his hosts,his ministers, who do his will!Bless the LORD, all his works,in all places of his dominion.Bless the LORD, O my soul! (ESV)---Isaias Viñales opens Psalm 103 as a call to worship grounded in remembrance. He urges the soul to bless the Lord for concrete graces: God forgives all sin, heals and restores, redeems from the pit, and crowns His people with steadfast love and compassion. The Lord does not repay us as our sins deserve. His love reaches higher than the heavens, and He removes our transgressions as far as east from west. Like a father, He knows our frailty and pities us, while His mercy outlasts our brief days. Because His throne rules over all, the fitting response is wholehearted praise and steady encouragement for those who fear Him in Christ.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Why Did Paul Rebuke Peter Publically?---00:27 Correcting Leaders Privately Vs. Publically01:35 Do You Care for Those You're Rebuking?03:27 Consider Their Public Influence04:24 Should We Rebuke Leaders on Social Media?05:49 Not Everything is a Galatians 2 Issue07:46 Why Didn't Paul Follow the Matthew 18 Principle?11:10 What's Next?---Galatians 2:11–16But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?” We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. Matthew 18:15–20“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector. Truly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you, if two of you agree on earth about anything they ask, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three are gathered in my name, there am I among them.” (ESV)---Pastors Jed and Isaias join Jason to unpack why Paul corrected Peter in public at Antioch. They show that Paul’s goal was care and restoration, not clout. Peter’s withdrawal from Gentile believers was both public and influential, so the harm required a public response. The conversation weighs Matthew 18’s private steps with the reality that some sins already affect many. They caution against turning every dispute into a Galatians 2 moment, especially on social media, and call listeners to pursue correction in relationship, with a posture of love, for the good of the person and the church.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Freedom's Cry---00:00 Humans Rally Around Cries03:01 Reading Galatians 4:1-703:51 Do You Cry "Abba, Father?"06:01 What Type of Cry?07:45 What is Your Cry in Distress?09:42 Abba, The Cry of a Child13:13 A Cry of Distress15:50 The Cry of God's Children is Not Based on Your Morality19:44 The Cry of Christian Freedom is Not the Absence of Distress20:55 The Cry of Freedom22:56 What Are the Elementary Principles to Which We Were Slaves?31:15 Christ Came to Free Us From Slavery36:06 God Wants You to Rest in His Favor---Galatians 4:1–7I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. (ESV)---“Freedom’s Cry” centers on Galatians 4:1-7, showing how life before Christ leaves people enslaved to performance and the elementary principles of the world. In the fullness of time, God sent his Son, born under the law, to redeem us and grant adoption. God then sent the Spirit of his Son into believers’ hearts, forming a new reflex in hardship and in worship: Abba, Father. That cry, not a moral résumé, marks the children of God. Christian freedom is belonging to the Father amid distress, no longer slaves but sons and heirs who rest in his favor.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Peter, Paul, and Meals that Preach---00:00 - Introduction00:33 - To Have Fellowship or To Break Fellowship?05:31 - Our Fellowship Reflects Consistency with the Gospel07:29 - What About Family Meals with Unrepentant Family?11:49 - But Jesus Ate with Sinners and Pharisees?15:13 - Trusting in God's Wisdom in Nuanced Situations17:46 - It's About the Gospel20:37 - What's Next?---Galatians 2:11–16But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.1 Corinthians 5:9–13I wrote to you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people—not at all meaning the sexually immoral of this world, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one. For what have I to do with judging outsiders? Is it not those inside the church whom you are to judge? God judges those outside. “Purge the evil person from among you.” (ESV)---This conversation traces how table fellowship can either confirm or confuse the gospel. From Galatians 2, Peter’s withdrawal from Gentile believers denied gospel unity, so Paul confronted him because the meal itself signaled family in Christ. From 1 Corinthians 5, the call to withhold fellowship concerns a professing believer who remains unrepentant after the Matthew 18 process; the aim is restoration, and the stance treats them as an unbeliever while still pursuing them with evangelistic love. The hosts apply this to family and church life, distinguishing everyday meals from communion, and urging churches to carry out discipline so families are not left alone in hard decisions. Our welcome should match God’s welcome, guarding grace that both forgives and transforms.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: We Belong---00:00 The Ache of Not Belonging06:21 Reading Galatians 3:23-2907:08 Who Is the Law?07:49 The Law is an Enforcer08:50 The Law is a Jailer09:43 The Law is a Guardian11:06 The Law is Temporary13:48 What Does "Now That Faith Has Come" Mean?16:52 Who Are We?16:58 We Are Sons of God Through Faith20:37 God's Greatness, Not Ours22:04 We Get to Imitate God23:59 In God, We Belong26:28 What Does "Baptized in Christ" Mean?29:43 We Have Put On Christ35:08 Are We United?38:57 The "Bad News" of the Gospel40:31 The Good News of the Gospel---Galatians 3:23–29Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (ESV)---This sermon shows how the ache of not belonging is answered in Christ. Paul pictures the law as an enforcer and jailer that kept sinners at a distance and as a guardian that trained God’s people for a time. With “the faith” revealed in Jesus, the law’s temporary role gives way to grace. We are justified by faith, made sons of God in Christ, and clothed with him so our identity and imitation flow from union with him rather than performance. Baptized into Christ, we “put on” Christ. The gospel also forms a new community where old markers lose their power to divide: Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female are one in Jesus. If we belong to Christ, we are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Spying Out Freedom: What Drives False Teaching---00:23 - What Were the Motives of Those Causing Discord?03:52 - An Expanding Kingdom of Slavery05:23 - Good Works Getting in the Way of the Gospel07:36 - Why Was Paul So Harsh?13:48 - What's next?---* **Galatians 2:4** — “Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—”* **Galatians 2:5** — “to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.”* **Galatians 2:11** — “But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned.”* **Galatians 2:12** — “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”* **Galatians 2:13** — “And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”* **Galatians 2:14** — “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”* **Galatians 4:16** — “Have I then become your enemy by telling you the truth?”* **Galatians 4:17** — “They make much of you, but for no good purpose. They want to shut you out, that you may make much of them.”---This episode looks at why some in Galatia “spied out” Christian freedom and pushed believers back into slavery. Drawing on Galatians 2 and 4, the conversation traces motives of status and control: “making much of you” so that others will “make much of them.” Self-righteousness needs validation, so it presses rules on others and builds an inner circle that excludes. Paul responds sharply because these were teachers distorting the core of the gospel, not confused new believers. The team contrasts appeasing God through performance with resting in grace that produces confession, unity, and joy. Good works have a place, but never as currency to earn favor. Grace gives rest; performance builds an empire of bondage.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Why Your Truth Can't Set You Free---**Disclaimer**: We apologize, but due to equipment issues, this sermon’s audio is below our usual standard. We enhanced it where possible, but you may notice distortion and brief dropouts. Thank you for your patience. We expect normal quality next week.---00:00 - What Is the Main Point of Galatians?01:14 - Don't Strip The Power of Grace by Relying on Human Performance02:11 - Three Examples of Stripping the Power of Grace05:57 - Reading Galatians 3:15-2207:19 - Don't Nullify Grace08:17 - God Keeps His Covenants10:16 - What Did God Promise Abraham?11:07 - Who Is Abraham's Offspring?13:10 - How Do We Receive God's Promises?17:03 - What Is the Purpose of the Law?26:26 - Through an Intermediary28:33 - But Didn't God Give the Law?30:46 - The Law Cannot Give Life35:41 - Every Attempt to Come to God Through Our Performance is Insufficient41:36 - Final Reflections and Prayer---Galatians 3:15–22To give a human example, brothers: even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise.Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one.Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. (ESV)---In Galatians 3:15–22, Paul shows that God’s covenant with Abraham stands and centers on one promised Offspring, Christ. The law came 430 years later and did not cancel that promise. If the inheritance comes by law-keeping, it stops being a promise; God gave it by promise. Why the law then? It was added because of sin to restrain and expose it, and it lasted until Christ came. The law cannot give life; it only reveals our need. Scripture therefore shuts everyone up under sin so that the promised blessing would come through faith in Jesus to those who believe. The sermon presses this point pastorally: relying on human performance empties grace of its power. God keeps his covenant, Christ secures the blessing, and we receive it by faith, not by earning.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: From Shame to Celebration---00:30 - How Does Earning God's Favor Serve Ourselves?04:49 - But Aren't There Expectations in Relationships?11:46 - God's Commands Are Good Gifts15:37 - What's next?---* **Galatians 5:1** — “For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”* **Galatians 5:5** — “For through the Spirit, by faith, we ourselves eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness.”* **Galatians 5:6** — “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision counts for anything, but only faith working through love.”* **Galatians 3:10** — “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’”* **Galatians 6:2** — “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”* **Galatians 6:9** — “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.”* **Galatians 5:22–23** — “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”* **Ephesians 2:10** — “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.”* **Philippians 2:12–13** — “Work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”* **2 Corinthians 4:6** — “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”* **Titus 2:11–12** — “For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age.”* **Luke 15:11–32** (Parable of the Prodigal Son); e.g., **Luke 15:20** — “But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and felt compassion, and ran and embraced him and kissed him.”---This episode wrestles with why trying to earn God’s favor is actually self-serving. Grace in Christ means favor is already given, so spiritual disciplines flow from joy rather than fear or shame. The conversation contrasts appeasing God with pleasing Him, using the prodigal son to show how gift-grace changes motives. The pastors clarify the difference between merit and expectation. Faith and repentance are required, yet they do not earn anything. Rewards and obedience arise from God’s prior favor and the Spirit’s work. True practice leads to open confession, restored unity, and love. In short, grace produces celebration, not manipulation.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Unrest: The Curse of Self-Reliance---00:00 - Bargaining for Blessing02:41 - God Doesn't Make Deals, He Makes Promises03:38 - Reading Galatians 3:6-1404:54 - God's Blessings Flow Through Faith11:18 - The Sons of Abraham18:54 - Performing for an Invisible Judge21:05 - All Self-reliance is Cursed31:52 - Grace Through Christ Breaks the Curse35:52 - Finding True Rest40:38 - Closing Invitation & Reflection---Galatians 3:6–14just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”?Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith. (ESV)---In “Unrest: The Curse of Self-Reliance,” Jed Gillis teaches from Galatians 3:6–14 that God counts faith as righteousness, just as he did with Abraham. The blessing promised to the nations flows through faith, not human performance. When we try to bargain with God by doing more or doing better, we place ourselves under the law’s demand to keep everything, and that brings a curse and inner unrest. Paul points us to Christ, who redeemed us from the curse by becoming a curse for us on the cross. In him, the blessing of Abraham and the promised Spirit come to Jew and Gentile alike through faith. The call is to lay down self-reliance and rest in Jesus, where real peace replaces the constant trial of proving ourselves.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Pleasing God vs. Earning Favor---00:25 - Spiritual Practices Without Adding to the Gospel04:22 - Are You Pursuing Confession or Hiding?06:50 - How Does Pleasing God Differ from Earning Favor?10:25 - Is Our Relationship with God Based on Joy or Duty?13:24 - What's Next?---* **Galatians 2:12** — “For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party.”* **Galatians 2:13** — “And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy.”* **Galatians 2:14** — “But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, ‘If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?’”* **Galatians 3:10** — “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’”---This conversation explores the heart behind spiritual disciplines like prayer, Bible reading, and obedience. The danger is not just in sinful actions but in adding good practices to the gospel as a way of earning God’s approval. Legalism, cheap grace, and what the pastors call “half grace” all miss the truth of Galatians: believers already have God’s undeserved favor through Jesus. From that starting point, disciplines become life-giving ways to glorify God, not guilt-driven attempts to secure His love. The discussion highlights the difference between pleasing God with joy and trying to appease Him through performance, encouraging listeners to pursue practices motivated by love, celebration, and rest in His grace.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Never Outgrow the Gospel---00:00 Opening Prayer05:36 Reading Galatians 306:25 The Gospel is Your Present Rest07:55 The Foundation of Rest09:06 Oh, Foolish Galatians11:48 Acting in a Way That's Inconsistent with the Gospel12:55 You've Seen Christ Crucified16:08 The Transforming Power of the Crucifixion21:00 How Does the Gospel Impact Me?23:52 A Series of Questions that Pushes the Galatians27:20 What Is Faith?28:44 How Did You Receive the Spirit?32:40 Abraham's Example of Faith34:41 Why Is Faith a Challenge for Us?36:58 Where to Look for God's Power in Our Lives42:05 Call to Rest in the Gospel---Galatians 3:1–6O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? (ESV)---In “Never Outgrow the Gospel,” Jed Gillis shows that Paul’s rebuke in Galatians 3:1–6 calls believers to present rest in Christ, not a return to performance. The Galatians had “seen” Christ publicly portrayed as crucified through preaching, yet drifted from Spirit-given beginnings to self-reliant effort. Paul’s questions press the point: the Spirit, miracles, and righteous standing come by hearing with faith, not by works. Abraham’s story confirms that God counts faith as righteousness. Gillis applies this to everyday fears, rejection, and the fight against sin: real change flows as you look to the cross and rest in God’s favor, rather than trying to earn it. The sermon urges you to reject a part-time gospel that covers past rescue and future hope while leaving today to your own strength. Your hope yesterday, tomorrow, and right now is Jesus.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Causing a Brother to Stumble or to Stand in Grace---00:28 - What About Causing Others to Stumble?06:12 - It's Not Always the Most Conservative Position10:09 - How Do We Come to Unity in Hot Button Topics?14:43 - The Basis of Our Unity is Love16:36 - What's Next?---### Galatians* Galatians 2:4–5 - Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.* Galatians 2:14 - But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”### 1 Corinthians* * 1 Corinthians 8:13 - Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble.* 1 Corinthians 8:9 - But take care that this right of yours does not somehow become a stumbling block to the weak.### Romans* Romans 9:32–33 - Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as if it were based on works. They have stumbled over the stumbling stone, as it is written, “Behold, I am laying in Zion a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense; and whoever believes in him will not be put to shame.”### James* James 2:1–4 - My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,” have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? ### 1 Peter* 1 Peter 4:8 - Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.---"Causing a Brother to Stumble or to Stand in Grace" brings Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason into a focused conversation on how gospel freedom and love shape our choices in community. Drawing from Galatians 2 and 1 Corinthians 8, they show why Paul never adjusts the gospel’s content, even as he gladly lays aside personal preferences to keep others from stumbling. The episode clarifies that “stumbling” means being turned from reliance on Christ, not simply feeling offended. With Romans 9, James 2, and 1 Peter 4 in view, they call listeners to keep in step with the gospel, refuse adding performance to faith, and pursue unity through patient love that honors tender consciences without surrendering the good news.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: The Rebel, The Rule-Keeper, and the Feast of Rest---00:43 - Why is Paul So Upset?02:03 - The Prodigal Son02:35 - Reading Luke 1505:50 - The Rebel's Hunger12:10 - The Rebel's Change of Heart15:21 - The Rebel's Restoration18:47 - The Rule-Keeper's Anger23:23 - So Why was Paul so Angry in Galatians?25:29 - The Father's Feast31:11 - Living by Faith in the Son of God---Luke 15:11–32Galatians 2:20–21I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)---In Luke 15:11–32, Jed Gillis shows how both the younger “rebel” and the older “rule-keeper” are restless in different ways. One runs after freedom and ends up empty. The other stays home and tries to control the father through performance. Both miss the father’s heart. The turning point is the father’s compassion: he covers, claims, equips, and celebrates the returning son, picturing God’s undeserved favor. Set beside Galatians 2:20–21, the message is clear: righteousness does not come through the law. We live by faith in the Son who loved us and gave himself for us. Performance, whether rebellious or religious, cannot give rest. Grace does. The invitation is to leave self-justification, come home, and share the feast of rest in the Father’s house.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Slavery Disguised as Safety---00:27 - Slavery Disguised as Safety05:21 - Blind to Your Own Slavery10:39 - How Does a Slavery Mindset Creep in Internally?15:22 - Stopping Legalism without Stopping Good Actions20:08 - What's Next?---### Hebrews* **Hebrews 2:14–15**“Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.”---### Galatians* **Galatians 2:3**“But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek.”* **Galatians 2:4**“Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery—”* **Galatians 4:9**“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”* **Galatians 5:1**“For freedom Christ has set us free; stand firm therefore, and do not submit again to a yoke of slavery.”---### Paul’s Testimony (brought up in connection with Galatians)* **Philippians 3:5–6**“…circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; as to the law, a Pharisee; as to zeal, a persecutor of the church; as to righteousness under the law, blameless.”---In this episode, Pastor Jed, Pastor Isaias, and Jason discuss the subtle danger of adding performance to the gospel. Things that feel like safety such as rules, routines, or measurable checklists quickly becomes slavery when it shifts from joyful obedience to a way of earning God’s favor. They explain how fear, cultural pressures, and even good desires like parenting or church involvement can trap believers in performance-driven faith. Using examples from Galatians and everyday life, the conversation shows how legalism blinds us, leaving us burdened by works instead of freed by grace. True safety is found in Christ’s unearned favor, not in our ability to perform.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Faith Works---02:28 - Galatians in Three Sections03:10 - Reading Galatians 2:15-2105:03 - Three Concepts from This Passage05:13 - What is Justification?09:58 - What Are Works of the Law?14:04 - What is Faith in Christ?18:00 - Paul Addressing Peter: We Are All Justified Through Christ Alone21:31 - Paul Addresses Accusation: Is Freedom in Christ Serving Sin?25:37 - United to Christ Under the Curse of the Law31:25 - The Law Cannot Give Life. Jesus Can.---Galatians 2:15–21We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified.But if, in our endeavor to be justified in Christ, we too were found to be sinners, is Christ then a servant of sin? Certainly not! For if I rebuild what I tore down, I prove myself to be a transgressor. For through the law I died to the law, so that I might live to God. I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not nullify the grace of God, for if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. (ESV)---In “Faith Works” on Galatians 2:15–21, Pastor Jed Gillis explains that our standing with God is not earned by “works of the law” or any human performance, but given through faith in Jesus Christ. Justification means God declares you accepted and approved, not because you met a standard, but because you rest in Christ. Paul’s challenge to Peter shows that both Jew and Gentile are justified the same way: through Christ alone. Freedom in Christ is not permission to sin. It ends self-justification. United to Jesus, we have died to the law as a way of earning favor, and now live by faith in the Son of God who loved us and gave himself for us. The law cannot give life, but Jesus can. To seek righteousness by works would empty the cross of its purpose. Grace, not effort, gives real rest to a weary soul.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Servant Leadership in a Selfish World---00:22 How Do I Show Christ-Like Love in the Workplace?12:12 Why Are Counselors So Important for Leaders?14:38 What's Next---### Proverbs* **Proverbs 20:28** – “Steadfast love and faithfulness preserve the king, and by steadfast love his throne is upheld.”* **Proverbs 29:4** *(referenced)* – “By justice the king builds up the land…”* **Proverbs 25:11** – “A word fitly spoken is like apples of gold in a setting of silver.”* **Proverbs 16:32** – “Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city.”* **Proverbs 22:3** – “The prudent sees danger and hides himself, but the simple go on and suffer for it.”* **Proverbs 11:14** – “Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.”### New Testament* **Matthew 20:25–27** – “The Gentiles lord it over them… But it shall not be so among you. Whoever would be great among you must be your servant.”---In this episode of Reverberate, Pastors Jed and Isaias join Jason to discuss what Proverbs teaches about leadership and work. They highlight that leadership magnifies both wisdom and foolishness, making self-control, discernment, and just actions even more important for those in authority. True biblical leadership is marked by love, humility, and service rather than efficiency or self-gain, reflecting Christ’s model of servant leadership. The conversation stresses that leaders are called to steward people, not just systems or profits, creating environments that reflect God’s character. Finally, they note Proverbs’ emphasis on seeking wise counsel, reminding leaders that humility and the perspective of others guard against pride and lead to decisions that bless those they serve.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Grace Worth Fighting For---00:00 - Introduction: A Broken Fellowship08:43 - Reading Galatians 209:51 - Tasting the Radical Unity of the Gospel10:46 - What Social Pressures Caused Peter to Back Away?13:18 - Peter Led Others Astray, Even Barnabas14:48 - Paul Confronts Peter as a Brother, Not as a False Teacher16:37 - Why Did Paul Respond So Strongly?17:06 - 1. Gospel Compromise Kills Fellowship19:42 - 2. For Those Trusted with the Gospel, Even Your Welcome Has Consequences26:36 - 3. In Order to Guard The Gospel, You Must Rest in the Gospel27:00 - What Is Hypocrisy?32:05 - What Is Legalism?34:06 - Rest in the Gospel Leads to Victory38:45 - Conclusion & Invitation---Galatians 2:11–16But when Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned. For before certain men came from James, he was eating with the Gentiles; but when they came he drew back and separated himself, fearing the circumcision party. And the rest of the Jews acted hypocritically along with him, so that even Barnabas was led astray by their hypocrisy. But when I saw that their conduct was not in step with the truth of the gospel, I said to Cephas before them all, “If you, though a Jew, live like a Gentile and not like a Jew, how can you force the Gentiles to live like Jews?”We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified. (ESV)---In Galatians 2:11-16, Paul recounts confronting Peter in Antioch over a moment of hypocrisy that threatened the gospel's truth. Peter, once freely sharing meals with Gentile believers in joyful unity, withdrew when Jewish visitors from James arrived, fearing the circumcision party's disapproval. This act, driven by social pressures for salvation, safety, and evangelism, led other Jews, including Barnabas, to follow suit, implying Gentiles must adopt Jewish customs to belong. Paul opposed Peter publicly, not as a false teacher but as a brother whose conduct strayed from convictions, asking how Peter could live as a Gentile yet compel others to Judaize.Paul highlights three truths for guarding the gospel. First, compromising the gospel destroys fellowship, while clarity in grace fosters peace-filled unity among believers. Second, those entrusted with the gospel, like leaders, bear responsibility in their welcome; even a simple withdrawal signals second-class status, distorting grace and pressuring others toward legalism. Third, to defend the gospel outwardly, one must rest in it inwardly. Peter's fear exposed unrest, allowing hypocrisy to emerge as he concealed true beliefs under a mask of conformity.Hypocrisy here means acting against known convictions, not mere failure in sanctification, but concealing grace amid fear. Legalism, Paul insists, cannot justify anyone. Instead, justification comes by faith in Christ alone. Resting in God's unmerited favor dispels internal fears, enabling grace to flow through actions. Sins thrive on soul unrest, but gospel light transforms, cutting roots of hypocrisy and legalism for true freedom.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.

Title: Guiding Children, Honoring Parents---00:24 How Do We Wisely Apply "Rod Language" Today?12:40 How Do I Honor Parents Who Are Not Honorable?17:03 What's Next?---### Proverbs* Proverbs 13:24 – “Whoever spares the rod hates his son, but he who loves him is diligent to discipline him.”* Proverbs 22:15 – “Folly is bound up in the heart of a child, but the rod of discipline drives it far from him.”* Proverbs 29:17 – “Discipline your son, and he will give you rest; he will give delight to your heart.”* Proverbs 23:13–15 – “Do not withhold discipline from a child; if you strike him with a rod, he will not die…”* Proverbs 1:8 – “Hear, my son, your father’s instruction, and forsake not your mother’s teaching.”* Proverbs 20:20 – “If one curses his father or his mother, his lamp will be put out in utter darkness.”### Other Scripture References* Psalm 23:4 – “Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.”* Genesis 49:10 – “The scepter shall not depart from Judah…”* Ephesians 6:1 – “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.”* Colossians 3:21 – “Fathers, do not provoke your children, lest they become discouraged.”---In this episode of Reverberate, Pastors Jed and Isaias join Jason to unpack Proverbs’ teaching on family life. They discuss the call for parents to discipline their children in love, noting that “the rod” in Proverbs points to correction and authority, not cruelty or abuse. Discipline is meant to shape hearts toward wisdom through consistent, loving guidance rather than anger or domination. The conversation also explores how children, especially adults, can honor parents even when their lives have not been honorable. Honor does not mean blind obedience or imitation but showing respect, listening with openness, and extending opportunities for trust, while still holding to biblical wisdom. Together, these principles reflect God’s own loving authority and help families walk in His design for correction, respect, and restoration.---Berean Bible Church is a non-denominational church in East Knoxville, TN. We are grounded in the Word, celebrating the transformative power of the Gospel. Our community thrives on worship and mutual encouragement, fostering deep connections among members. Committed to our mission, we reach out with compassion and hope, reflecting God's glory throughout our city and beyond.Learn more at berean.church.