Straight from the Heart is the bible teaching, radio ministry of Calvary Chapel of Philadelphia. Pastor Joe Focht has been committed to teaching verse by verse through the bible for over 35 years. We know you will be blessed to listen as Pastor Joe expounds on the word of God each episode.
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The way of repentance- Our flesh tempts us to rationalize and make excuses for our sinful behavior, but we need to take a lesson from the writer of Psalm 119. When he thought about his ways, he "made haste, and did not delay" to turn back to the Lord.
The way of freedom- Living in obedience to God's word is the path to a life of true freedom, comfort, and hope. To the world, living in disobedience to God's ways feels like freedom, but it is bondage.
The way of truth- It's one thing to consciously be aware of the truth of God's word, it's another thing to choose to live by it. To faithfully live out God's ways it takes true humility and daily dependence on Him.
The way of delight- How can we live the kind of life where we keep God's ways? There are so many other things we are tempted to find pleasure in outside of God's word, so we need to ask Him to make His word more attractive to us.
The way of cleansing- If the way of blessing is found by those who are innocent, then naturally, we must ask ourselves how to live a blameless life? The more we are aware of the word of God, the more we will be aware of what fails within us.
The way of blessing- In Psalm 119:1-8, the author uses words like walk, keep, seek, look, praise, and learn to describe what a life of blessing looks like. All these actions are to be lived in relation to the word of God, and most importantly, to the God of the word.
The reward- God's grace and love are truly without bounds. Ruth and Boaz were blessed with a son named Obed. Not only did they receive the gift of a child, but that child became part of the Messianic line, and the grandfather of king David.
A redemption story- Ruth could do nothing in her own effort to earn or deserve the grace that Boaz showed her. Boaz paid the required price of redemption to receive Ruth as his wife. Ruth and Boaz give us one of the clearest pictures of the gospel in the Old Testament.
The place of rest- Where is your place of rest? Like Ruth, our place of rest should be found at the feet of the redeemer. Our redeemer, Jesus, will not rest until His work is done in our lives and we are together with Him in glory.
A marriage proposal- When Naomi heard about the kindness that Boaz showed Ruth, she encouraged Ruth to give a marriage proposal to Boaz. Boaz held a special position as the kinsman-redeemer that made him eligible to marry Ruth.
Handfuls of purpose- God is "able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think." Ruth and Naomi both experienced this truth about God's love toward us when God graciously provided food for them from an unexpected source.
Ruth taking initiative- It would have been easy for Naomi and Ruth to adopt a victim's mentality when they returned to Israel with nothing. Instead, Ruth decided to go find work so they could buy food. God is a generous and gracious provider for His children.
Blessing and affliction- Naomi left Israel with her family because there was a famine. Ruth made the decision to follow Naomi back to Israel because she knew they served the one true God. Sometimes God lovingly brings affliction in our lives to drive us back to Him.
The book of Ruth- The book of Ruth is a story of love and redemption. Ruth was a woman who displayed faithfulness to God during a time of faithlessness despite her gentile heritage. Her life shows us that God is willing and able to use anyone who will abandon the ways of the world and serve Him.
A beloved friend- In his final words and greetings, Paul acknowledged some of his most faithful friends in ministry. If we want strong, Godly friendships, we need to be loving and faithful towards others.
Paul's prayer request- As Paul began to conclude his letter to the church at Colossae, he reminded them that their prayers were extremely valuable and asked that they would remain seriously committed to praying for an open door to continue spreading the gospel.
Christ in the home- Paul's exhortations to "let the word of Christ dwell in you richly," and to "do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks" should be demonstrated in our everyday lives as husbands, wives, parents, children, employees, and employers.
Put off and put on- Paul reminded the Colossians that the Christian life is not just about what you don't do. We are called to put off the works of the flesh and put on "the new man." Therefore, Paul explained what actions are to characterize this new life in Christ.
Raised with Christ- If our eternal destiny is to be with Christ in glory, Paul said we should not be living carnally but constantly seeking "things which are above." Paul explained that this new freedom of life in Christ no longer requires any Jew to hold to the requirements of the law.
Victory in Christ- It is because of the finished work of Jesus Christ on the cross that we can walk and live in His victory. Our love for Jesus and His Spirit working in us should be our motivation for serving God, not religious tradition or the philosophies of man.
Christ in you- Paul warned the church at Colossae not to get swept away by the philosophies of man that were trying to add to the power and simplicity of the gospel. We are saved through Christ, and we live and walk according to the power of Christ working in us.
Christ is preeminent- Jesus Christ is not only the head of the church, but He is "in all things" preeminent. What does that mean? It means that only in Christ, because of His perfect righteousness and resurrection from the dead, can we find peace with God.
A model prayer- The heart of this prayer by Paul for the Colossians is one we should adopt for our own friends and loved ones. Paul prayed that the Colossian believers would grow spiritually, seeking to please the Lord, and be fruitful in all their works.
To the Colossians- Paul did not have a chance to meet the believers at Colossae yet, but he wrote to them encouraging continued growth and warned them about false doctrines. Studying this letter will prove very helpful to us as we try to talk about Jesus to a postmodern world.
Two big questions- Paul concluded his letter to the Philippian church by answering two very important questions: 1) Are suffering and sickness the result of a lack of faith? 2) What should giving in the church look like?
