Purity For Life

Sexual sin is like a hurricane of evil, and the overwhelming devastation can make it seem like there's no hope for the marriage. But in God's powerful hands, the sense of our total neediness actually becomes the first step on the road to redemption. That's what we'll talk about in episode two of our series Ashes to Beauty.   Resources we mentioned: From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

For over 35 years, we have watched God do miracles in even the most hopeless of situations. If your marriage has been reduced to a pile of ashes, you won't want to miss our newest series. We'll talk to four different couples whose marriages were horribly damaged by sexual sin, but who walked God's pathway to restoration and found that He is truly able to transform marriages from ashes to beauty.   Resources we mentioned: From Ashes to Beauty (Book) by Jeff Colón

When God says, "Be holy, for I am holy," it's like He's saying, "Become like Me." Wait, seriously? God is telling fallen human beings to become like Him? Dr. John Oswalt is back with us for the second part of our discussion about holiness.   Resources we mentioned: Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt 

After God delivered the Israelites from slavery in Egypt, He said to them, “I am Yahweh your God. Sanctify yourselves, therefore, and be holy; for I am holy." These are solemn words applicable to every professing believer. But what exactly is holiness? And how do we, mere humans, become holy? In this episode of Purity for Life, Dr. John Oswalt joins us to answer these questions, and more!   Resources we mentioned: Called to Be Holy by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 (Bible Commentary) by John Oswalt 

In today's episode we'll dive into the powerful story of how a couple went from utter hopelessness to seeing the Lord make all things new.   Helpful Resources: Pure Life Ministries Residential Program At Home Counseling for Women

Wouldn't it be wonderful to be filled with God's own life and glory? Well, the good news is that if we do our part, God will fill us! In the last episode of our series "A Firm Foundation" we'll talk about what we must do to experience the reality of God’s life and power.

Want to learn how to overcome temptation? Then check out this episode. We'll look at James 1:12-15, where the apostle left us priceless wisdom on the nature of temptation, so that we can learn how to handle temptation in a way that brings life.

If you’re a true believer, you know that Christianity is war. And the war can be incredibly fierce at times, but don’t lose heart, because God has shown us how to win. In Galatians 5, Paul says, “Walk by the spirit, and you will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” That’s the key to victory.   Download e-Sword here

Do you want to experience the freedom that Christ bought for you? Do you want to be free from legalism and purified from sinful lust? Do you want to be empowered by the Spirit to live a truly righteous life? Then you do NOT want to miss Part 1 of our discussion on the powerful book of Galatians.   Download e-Sword here  

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Joshua Rowand to discuss the methods and resources he uses to study the Bible. -- Methods we discussed: The daily office (01:20) Pray-read scripture to the Lord (04:15) Use a Bible without chapter or verse markings (08:27) Go through an annual Bible reading plan (11:46) --- Resources we mentioned: The Walk Series (Devotionals) by Steve Gallagher The Immerse Bible by Tyndale Psalms in 30 Days by Trevin Wax Live Dead Joy: 365 Days of Living and Dying with Jesus (Devotional) by Dick Brogden

The disciples of Jesus knew that He had big plans for them. They were called to stand for truth in a world that loved lies. They were called to preach the Word of God in a world that hated the Message and the messenger. How would they find the strength to fulfill their calling? There was only one way...by abiding in the Vine. 

So, maybe you’re a fairly new believer in Jesus. You know you've been called to live a noble life, full of wisdom and good fruit. But you just aren’t quite sure how to attain to that. And what’s worse, everyone around you seems to have an opinion about what it takes to get there. And now you're confused. If you can relate to some of these feelings, this episode is for you. -- Resources we mentioned: eSword  

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Ken Larkin to discuss some of the ways he studies the Bible, as well as some really helpful tools.  -- Methods we discussed: Reading scripture in various translations (00:28) Looking at words in their original language (01:55) Word Studies (03:34) Scripture Memorization (06:35) --- Resources we mentioned: Fighter Verses Verses Blue Letter Bible ESword Bible Gateway

There is no way we can live an overcoming Christian life without the (real) grace of God and love of God. So maybe that’s why the apostles gave really strong warnings about things that sounded like grace and love, but were nothing less than demonic counterfeits that destroyed people’s lives. 

Nabeel Qureshi grew up with a deep love for Allah, Mohammed and his family's heritage, and quickly became a confident and zealous proponent of his beloved faith. But when a Christian friend challenged him to closely examine the truth claims of Islam, his beloved faith could not bear the weight of honest scrutiny. In desperation, he cried to Allah for the truth, but what he found utterly shocked him.    Biographies we mentioned: Seeking Allah, Finding Jesus: A Devout Muslim Encounters Christianity by Nabeel Qureshi

If you've been in sexual sin for a long time, it’s easy to feel like, “This is hopeless. I’ll never be free.” But believe it or not, this is self-pity—just another one of Satan’s schemes to keep people away from true repentance, faith and salvation. In this episode, we look at how to know if you’re in self-pity and how to get out of it.

In this bonus segment, Nate sits down with biblical counselor Austin Kropf to discuss the different methods he uses to study the Bible. -- Methods we discussed: Paraphrasing scripture (04:47) The Inductive Study Method (06:50) Finding Key Words (12:53) Reading Commentaries (19:23) --- Resources we mentioned:  eSword (Download eSword here) Blue Letter Bible Bible Hub Precept Upon Precept

When it comes to things that lead us into sin, Jesus' stance is strong, uncompromising, even seemingly extreme. But He has promised that if we will listen to Him, our lives will be built on an unshakable foundation. 

Have you ever felt like sin drug you into a spiritual desert or a land of captivity? If so, the prophetic words in Isaiah 55 will resonate deeply with you. This timeless passage calls out to every lost soul: "Return to God!" so that we might find in Him a place of spiritual peace, security and prosperity.  --- Resource we mentioned: The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 by John N. Oswalt

In Psalm 107, this refrain is repeated four times: “Then they cried to Yahweh in their trouble, and He delivered them out of their distress.” Why the repetition? Because when we realize that we have sinned, and we know we are in deep trouble, we need to know without a doubt that God will answer us if we cry out to Him.