This episode: In our series, "Resisting the Rise of Lawlessness," we'll look at whose authority we're under—God's, or a lawless spirit?
I was done. I gave him my wedding rings back and told him, "until you know the meaning of the ring, I don't want to be associated with you."
New sermon: We go through Hebrews 12 to unveil the purpose of God’s discipline in our lives.
This episode: Hurting wives desperately need the Word of God because it has the power to go inside of them and make them completely new.
This episode: Athletes need a coach. Sick people need a doctor. Entrepreneurs need a mentor. Sex addicts need someone to disciple them.
Ambitious athletes seek out a coach. Sick people find a doctor. New business owners get a mentor. Why?
Because they know they can’t get where they need to be on their own. And if this is true in sports, medicine and business, how much more necessary is it for those who want freedom from something as powerful as pornography? In this episode, we'll look at reason #3 our Residential Program is so effective at helping men overcome sexual sin: Because we provide true discipleship.
Check out the amazing story of how God stepped in to save Bob and Lori’s lives and marriage.
Bob and Lori seemed like the picture-perfect, American Christian family —stable jobs, regular church attendance, a comfortable life, and a loving home.
But behind the scenes, their lives were falling apart. Lori discovered Bob’s infidelity and his struggle with addiction. Bob, drowning in shame and darkness, saw no way out but to end his life.
What changed wasn’t anything they could do to simply fix their marriage. It was what God did to transform their entire lives.
This is the powerful story of how God stepped in to their crumbling world to save them, restore their marriage, and give them brand new lives.
If you’re battling addiction, feeling hopeless in your marriage, or doubting whether God can redeem your life, take the time to watch Bob and Lori’s journey because what God did for them, He can certainly do for you too!
Timeless Truths: Does the fact that we are justified by faith mean that the way we live our lives has no bearing on our salvation?
There are many people who believe that because we are justified by faith, the way we live our lives—our thoughts, words and actions—has no bearing on whether or not we are saved. The New Testament actually teaches the exact opposite.
Host: Pastor Steve, one thing you discuss in your book, “Intoxicated with Babylon,” is the difference between genuine and false faith. You started that discussion in the book by talking about two conflicting messages going out to the church in America today. What are those two messages?
Steve: There is a cry, I believe, going out from sober and godly people who understand how the spirit of the world has infiltrated the church and how it's affecting people's lives. They are passionate about the need for Christians to return to holy living. It's like a refreshing call to repentance and holiness going out from some. But unfortunately, there is another voice that is so loud and so dominating in Christian circles that it really smothers out the first voice, and basically, the message that they are propagating is this: "You don't have to be holy. You don't have to obey God. You can basically live how you want to live. As long as you go to church and just follow some basic outward rules, you don't have to get yourself in a strain about living a holy life. That's what grace is there for. If you have just a few little sins in your life, don't be too concerned about it. God loves you, and His grace will cover it all."
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Host: There is a kernel of truth to this message of grace you're describing. So would you say that the problem is that the message of grace is being overemphasized?
Steve: That's exactly what it is. Of course, we appreciate God's grace, and it does cover us in our lapses. But his grace is meant for sincere believers. We're talking about a holy God, and He does not wink at sin. Paul said, "God is not mocked." But the message of the modern church is largely that you can live for yourself, that you can live selfishly, that you can live a worldly, carnal and even a sinful life...and none of that really matters because God's grace is going to cover you no matter what. And that’s just simply unbiblical.
Host: You mentioned Paul's writings. Didn't Paul warn us about this kind of teaching becoming common in the last days?
Steve: Yes, he did. In one of his passages of Scripture where he started referring to what Christianity was going to look like in the end times, he gave Timothy what has become a famous warning—that the time would come when "they will not endure sound doctrine." Why not? Because they "want to have their ears tickled." And so, therefore, they will "accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires," and they will turn away from the truth. (2 Timothy 4:3) And that's exactly what we see happening in America today.
Host: If you look at the American church today, it seems like we think we can do whatever we want without any consequences. Is that where this false teaching has brought us?
Steve: Let me take it a step backwards. Our prosperity has affected us. There's a reason Jesus warned about the "deceitfulness of riches" (Mark 4:19). We have become accustomed to a certain type of lifestyle, and that lifestyle is very much to please the flesh. So what has happened is that there's been a subtle change in Christianity over the last forty years. We started with Christianity being Christ-centered and revolving around a sovereign and holy God—the Almighty. We had a huge perspective of the Lord forty years ago. And little by little, that has been withered away by this selfish desire for worldly living, until now, by and large, the Christian faith in the United States has become man-centered. Richard Baxter, an old Puritan, encapsulated what I'm talking about when he said, "As much as God desires the salvation of men, he will not prostitute heaven and set the gates of it wide open to those who only fly to it in extremity but never sought it in good earnest, nor indeed do now care for it or desire it for any other reason but to excuse them from going to hell."
Host: You're talking about our need to do more in order to seek God. But someone might ask, "Wait a minute. Are you talking about works? I thought we were saved by grace?" What's your response?
Steve: Yes, that is very true. We are only saved by grace and by putting our faith in Jesus Christ. But James makes the point that if there is true saving faith, there is going to be works accompanying that faith. And if there are no works, then it's a good sign that there is no true, saving faith. And so it seems like a contradiction with all that Paul says about works. But actually, there is no contradiction. Because when Paul is saying that we are not saved by works, he is referring to the Jewish system of trying to earn your salvation through works.
If I could put it this way, what we're talking about is before and after conversion. If you have not been converted and you are trying to earn your way to heaven, you will never do it. You will never make it there. But if you have truly been converted, then there is going to be proof of that conversion in the way that you live your life. So there really is no conflict between what James is saying and what Paul said.
Host: In “Intoxicated with Babylon,” you give three proofs of true conversion. What are they?
Steve: These are three of many proofs of conversion, but they are maybe some of the bigger issues.
1. One proof is a continual growth in obedience to God.
We begin this Christian life as spiritual babies, and of course, at first, God gives us a lot of latitude for our mistakes and sin issues that are still hanging on our lives—the struggles we have to work through, and so on. The Lord understands. But he expects growth, and for a person that has truly been saved, there's going to be that growth, because Jesus Christ is living within.
2. Another proof of genuine conversion is the development of an eternal perspective.
The genuine believer is just simply going to have eternity in the back of his mind. It's going to shape his worldview and the way the sees the rest of his life. He's going to have eternal values in the equation. What many so-called Christians do is live with a temporal, earthly mindset, and that makes me wonder whether they have really been converted.
3. The last characteristic that I mention in the book is love.
Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another" (John 13:35). And here, again, the temptation is to take a superficial perspective of what love is: "I'm a nice guy, and I love people." But that's not the fiery love of Jesus Christ that burns through a real Christian's heart. That kind of love causes you to get out of yourself and meet the needs of other people in one fashion or another. So a true love that compels you to see the needs of others and to help other people is a sign of healthy Christianity.
Host: If someone considering these things doesn't see evidence of genuine, saving faith in their life, what should they do?
Steve: If there is reason to doubt whether or not you have truly been converted, there is only one thing to do, and that is to get on your face before God, to begin to cry out earnestly for the Holy Spirit to make Himself real to you, to repent of your sins, to repent of your self-will and your worldliness—anything that you have allowed to get between you and God—and to refuse to get up, so to speak, until the assurance has come to you that you are a child of God. And then, you can go forth with the confidence of knowing that you have crossed that line, and that you belong to Jesus Christ.
Latest sermon: Ed Buch delves into the life of Judas, asking the poignant question, “Judas, what went wrong?”
There has only ever been one Judas Iscariot—someone who walked alongside God in the flesh, only to betray Him to His death. Yet, the lessons from Judas’ life and where he went astray are deeply relevant to all of us.
This powerful message by Ed Buch led many to the altar in repentance during our Sunday morning service. We pray the Holy Spirit will use it to search your heart as well, exposing any areas where your devotion to Jesus may be wanting.
This episode: Why is our Residential Program so effective? Because we lead people to the truth that sets people free.
Why is our Residential Program so effective at helping men break free from sexual sin? Because we lead people to the TRUTH—the only thing that has the power to bring people into real freedom. In this episode, we'll talk about some of the most common lies our Residential Program students are battling with, and we'll walk through the very truths that dismantle these lies.
In the 24th message of our “Unveiling Yahweh” series, Steve Gallagher talks about God’s ways into victory over sexual sin.
In the 24th message of our “Unveiling Yahweh” series, Steve Gallagher shares God’s pathway for victory over sexual sin.
Every professing Christian who is constantly losing the battle against sexual sin has developed a distorted view of God. As a result, they question God and His ways. In today’s sermon, Steve Gallagher answers some of these questions with biblical answers to prove that God is not only trustworthy, but He is also the only source for lasting victory over sexual sin.
This episode: Why do so many men find a brand-new life at our Residential Program? In this series, we'll look at the top five reasons why.
Compulsive porn users. Serial adulterers. Out-of-control spenders on sex. These are the kinds of men who enroll in our 9-month Residential Program, and for over 35 years we’ve been watching God radically transform these men. But why is our program so effective? In this short podcast series, we'll look at the top five reasons why so many men find a brand-new life at our Residential Program.
New sermon: Nate Danser & Steve Gallagher share about the spiritual life which only God can give.
It is a spiritual law that a life which is dominated by sin can only breed death. But it is also a spiritual law that a life dominated by righteousness can only breed life. So what hope can the habitual sinner ever have to live that kind of life? In our recent chapel service, Nate Danser & Steve Gallagher shared about how it wasn’t the American church system which enabled them to do so, but it was a radical encounter with the living God, and then an ongoing pursuit of Him.
Replay: Humility can't be overestimated. It brings us near to God who alone can save us from the devastating effects of pride.
Pride...it brought about the fall of Satan and put man at odds with God, resulting in the destruction of man. This is why the role of humility in a Christian's life can hardly be overestimated. Humility undoes the damage of the fall, and God becomes his protector and his friend.
Replay: One day, Chris and Marissa's marriage came crashing down. But through the power of God, this brought about something beautiful.
When Chris looked at Marissa, he saw a woman who would help him control his lust. He saw someone who would help him achieve a prosperous life. When Marissa looked at Chris, she saw a man who would help her pursue the Lord, someone who would help her cultivate the kind of spiritual life she dreamed of having. One day, both of their dreams came crashing down. But this did not result in the destruction of their marriage. Instead, it brought about the creation of something unexpected. Something beautiful. Something brand new.
Dustin Renz looks at Jeremiah 29 and the plans God has for our lives.
In the 23rd message of our "Unveiling Yahweh" series, we will be looking at God’s plans for us.
We have a way of interfering with God’s plans for our lives when we make sinful choices. When we reap the negative consequences of those decisions, it’s easy to despair about the future. But even when we sin, God still has a plan to do good in each of our lives. And as Dustin Renz shares out of Jeremiah 29, if we will submit to His plan, He will work good for us, even when we are facing the worst of circumstances.
This episode: Sin's consequences often stirs up hard questions. In this episode we'll offer biblical answers to some of these questions.
Sin always comes with painful consequences. Emotional, physical, or relational pain. And for many people, these consequences often stir up difficult questions. "If God loves me, why would He allow such hard consequences? Does this mean that God has forsaken me? Is there any way to move forward after this?" In today’s episode, we look to the Scripture to give biblical answers to some of these questions.
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