WHAT’S ON WHAT’S UP TODAY:

Paul Batura, Vice President of Communications at Focus on the Family. Shares Today: 8 PRACTICES THAT ARE LEGAL BUT NOT BIBLICAL- Abortion, No-Fault Divorce, Same-sex Marriage, Surrogacy, Gambling, Prostitution, Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide, and Recreational Drug Use

As Christians, we are To put off our old self…

Biblical Literacy: Mark Lanier continues in the series on Romans with a close look at Romans 9. Today: Have you ever “wished” something would happen? Why not pray about it instead?

From the Pulpit of Champion Forest: Pastor Jarrett Stephens: What distracts us from praying: BUSYNESS, COMPLACENCY, SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

Closing Prayer:
Righteous and Holy Father,
Wash us thoroughly as we lift our pleas to you. More below….

Discussed by Terry Lowry
with Host of the What's UP Radio Program

Host Terry Lowry interviews influential and knowledgeable guests on relevant topics for today.

8 PRACTICES THAT ARE LEGAL BUT NOT BIBLICAL

Discussed by Paul Batura
with Focus on the Family www.Family.org

Ephesians 4:22–25 “To put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness. Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.”

Paul Batura is the Vice President of Communications at Focus on the Family. Today, he discusses why Christians should appreciate the distinction between good and evil, but also recognize that what is legal is not necessarily biblical.

Click here to read Paul’s op-ed on this issue, found at the Daily Citizen, an online publication of Focus on the Family.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Is Scripture clear that Christians are subject to government authority, while also being subject to God’s jurisdiction? (Mtthew 22:21)

Paul Batura discusses:
Abortion
No-Fault Divorce
Same-sex Marriage
Surrogacy
Gambling
Prostitution
Euthanasia/Assisted Suicide
Recreational Drug Use

Click here to help support Focus on the Family.

WHERE DOES GOVERNMENT GET ITS MONEY?

Discussed by Tom Schatz
with Citizens Against Government Waste  (www.cagw.org)

The America government is constantly looking for more ways to take our hard-earned money. Will it every stop?

Tom Schatz is the President of Citizens Against Government Waste. Today, Tom gives a little history lesson and then jumps to what the future could look like if we, the American citizens, don’t put a stop to the wasteful spending.

Click here for the latest from Citizens Against Government Waste.

Questions/Issues Discussed:

Leading up to July 4 1776, did ordinary citizens agree that the government in England was taking too much of their hard-earned money without accountability?

Is the battle over or still raging on? Tom praises the work that VP Vance and the Department of Labor are doing to expose and stop the waste, fraud, and abuse that has occurred for decades and is still happening today.

Are too many in government more focused on collecting money than looking for ways to cut spending?

Can we demand more accountability in how government spends our money? Tom encourages everyone to attend local board meetings, city council meetings, write letters, make phone calls, and whatever else they think will help. Stay involved!

Why is Citizens Against Government Waste laser-focused on reducing wasteful government spending?

What is the GRACE Commission? Click here to learn more.

Click here to help support Citizens Against Government Waste and to learn how you can make a difference.

ROMANS 9

Discussed by Mark Lanier
with Biblical Literacy (www.Biblical-Literacy.com)

Day 4

Mark Lanier continues in the series on Romans with a close look at Romans 9, examining Paul’s grief for the people, the gifts (promises) given to Israel, and the glory of who Jesus is.

To view Mark Lanier’s video for this lesson, click here.

If you have questions about a sermon, please contact Champion Forest at questions@cfbc.org

QUESTIONS / ISSUES DISCUSSED:

UNDER A MICROSCOPE: PAUL’S GRIEF (Romans 9:1)

Have you ever “wished” something would happen? Why not pray about it instead?

What is a “prophetic lament”? Is this what Paul was feeling in Romans 9? (Jeremiah 8:18-9:1; Micah 7:1-7)

Why did God make promise after promise to the Israelites?


UNDER A MICROSCOPE: THE GIFTS GIVEN TO ISRAEL (Romans 9:4-5a)

Are you holding out for the hope of Jesus?

Paul referred to the people as Israelites instead of Jews. Why? Tune in tomorrow for more on the promises God made to the Israelites.


If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, simply text the word JESUS to 77069 and a pastor or counselor from CFBC will call you back.

For more details about Champion Forest Baptist Church, click here.

BEFORE ANYTHING ELSE

Discussed by Pastor Jarrett Stephens
with Champion Forest Baptist Church (www.ChampionForest.org)

Day 4

Pastor Jarrett Stephens begins a new sermon series this week entitled: Pray Like Jesus. In this series, everyone can learn something new about the prayer life of Jesus: his pattern of daily dependence, his prayers for others, his surrender in suffering, and his unwavering trust in the Father. After all, if we're going to grow in our relationship with the Lord, who better to learn from and who better to emulate than Jesus Himself?

Scripture References: Mark 1:35; Luke 3:21-22; Hebrews 5:7; Luke 5:16; Luke 6:12-13; Mark 6:46; John 15

Find Pastor Jarrett Stephens’ sermon here.

Find Pastor Jarrett Stephens’ sermon notes here.

If you have questions about a sermon, please contact Champion Forest at questions@cfbc.org

QUESTIONS / ISSUES DISCUSSED:

ENEMIES OF INTIMACY (PRAYER) WITH GOD

Satan distracts us with BUSYNESS.

Satan distracts us with COMPLACENCY.

Satan distracts us with SELF-SUFFICIENCY.

Pastor Jarrett shares both personal and Biblical stories as he discusses Satan’s tactics to distract us…


If you have never accepted Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, simply text the word JESUS to 77069 and a pastor or counselor from CFBC will call you back.

For more details about Champion Forest Baptist Church, click here.

PRAYER

Discussed by Terry Lowry
with Host of the What's UP Radio Program

Righteous and Holy Father,

Wash us thoroughly as we lift our pleas to you.

Why do you not hear or know the unrighteous, Lord? Why? Because they have rejected your Son and they will not inherit the Kingdom to come.

We, as believers, clearly understand that the sexually immoral, the idolaters, the adulterers, the men who practice homosexuality, the thieves, the greedy, the drunkards, the revilers, the swindlers, the unforgiven, and those who have not repented will not inherit the Kingdom of God.

May the unbeliever cry out to you for forgiveness and acknowledge Jesus as the only Son of the Living God. May the unbeliever be saved today. May their names be written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

May we share the Good News that ALL have been bought with a price: the shedding of Christ’s blood.

Hear their cries of the repentance, Father, and may the harvest be abundant today.

All for the cause of Christ, in whose name we pray,

Amen and Amen