Unless otherwise noted, the teachings below (2023) are from our Sunday Glendale Fellowship, 10:30am AZ time, currently meeting both in our home and via “phone.” Anyone is welcome to call in at: 339-207-8502 (no pin required). There is a separate tab on the Home page for teachings from 2020, 2021, and 2022.
12/31/2023 Forever 46:24)
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The love the Creator has for human beings is astounding to say the least. Even though His great plan for the first humans was ruined, God came up with a plan. Jesus Christ carried out that plan and ever since then the door is open for all humans receive everlasting life. An invitation to live forever!
11/26/2023 The Spirit of God (38:03)
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The book of Acts shows us that in the early Church, the Christian life began with people getting born again; receiving God’s gift of holy spirit, and then manifesting it. When that didn’t occur, the leadership stepped in to help them to operate, to manifest the gift of holy spirit. That’s how this new life as a born again Christian began in the early Church. After briefly reviewing that, we looked at a record in Galatians where God tells us that those believers began that way, but they were being bewitched and persuaded to return to doing the works of the Law. In other words, someone was persuading them to do their own works to try to obtain what they already received in the new birth. With an understanding of the usage of the word translated, “sprit,” as, “the totality of the new nature,” that section in Galatians opens up to a greater understanding of the correction given in that epistle. (The totality of the new nature includes all the rights, all the privileges and abilities we have as born again ones, including the ability to manifest all 9 manifestations.) That section also tells us how we are to wait for that blessed hope of the Return of Christ!
11/19/2023 The Son Of God (25:27)
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There is always much to be thankful for. We ought to continue to give God Almighty our praise, reverence and thanksgiving for all He has already done for us; for what He has promised to do for us in this life; and, what He plans to do for us in the life to come. All praise and reverence and thanks be to our great big wonderful God! And let’s stay very grateful for the completed work of our Lord and Savior, the Son of God, Jesus Christ, for his sterling example of a son serving his Father and for his accomplishing and completing God’s plan of salvation and redemption for us. What a savior! And while we’re at it, let’s stay very thankful for God’s wonderful and magnificent Word! Without a knowledge of His Word we would not know God, and we would not know all the great rights, privileges and abilities we have as sons of God! Those are three things to be very thankful for every single day!
**** Have a very blessed Thanksgiving holiday!
11/12/2023 He Is God Almighty (27:53)
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Most people agree there has to be a much greater intelligence and power behind all that we see. Some say, ‘God,” others, “A higher power,” and some even say, “The Universe.” But the real question is not, “Do you believe in God?” but rather, “Do you believe God?” In order to believe God, you need to know something about Him. Do we really think that the Creator of the heavens and earth wants us to guess about Him? That He doesn’t want us to know Him? That He wants to stay hidden and mysterious? God’s written Word reveals He is God Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth. There is none else. Those who choose other gods, or idols and reject the One True God are very foolish. God is not hidden and mysterious. He wants us to know Him. He has revealed Himself in His Word! The more we read and understand His Word, the more we know and understand Him! We not only say, “I believe in God, but even greater, we can say, I believe God! I believe His Word. And in reverencing God and His Word, we can absolutely believe His promises to us.
11/5/2023 The Thessalonians (35:09)
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God’s Word tells us in I Thessalonians 1 that before those folks got saved they were worshiping idols. They “turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God.” Upon hearing the Word of God Paul taught, those new believers were all in! So much so, that God, by way of Paul, called them “ensamples to all that believe in Macedonia and Achaia. For from you sounded out the word of the Lord not only in Macedonia and Achaia, but also in every place your faith to God-ward is spread abroad; so that we need not to speak anything.” Their believing God’s Word was known by many. “Ensamples”, or “examples,” can also be translated, “models.” God called them model believers. There is great praise for them by God in the Thessalonian epistles. And if you read Acts 17 you can easily see that there was a lot of opposition to the Word of God that Paul preached there in Thessalonica. And yet, those who believed were all in, so much so that they were called model believers. Those epistles also show us keys of how they got to that point.
10/29/2023 The God Of Peace (31:50)
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The Creator of the heavens and the earth is The God of Peace. Through His magnificent plan of salvation and redemption, we are now righteous in His sight! We are no longer enemies, we have peace with God, our heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ. And God has lovingly told us how we can have peace in our own hearts and minds. What a great big wonderful God He is! This morning we considered the peace we have with God because of the completed work of Jesus Christ, and we also considered our own mental peace.
10/22/2023 Let Your Light Shine (33:44)
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If it doesn’t make any difference whether you stand on God’s Word or not, why would God so explicitly say to stand!? If it doesn’t make any difference whether you put on the whole armor of God or not, why would God waste words telling you to do so!? Your life as a son of God is needed in this day and time, and following your Father’s instructions is certainly being about your Father’s business. Your stand does make a difference. In this day and time, we are the people of God; we are His sons – as sons, we ought to be about our Father’s business. We can trust and believe our Father to supply what we need in our personal lives. And, we can let our lights shine. We can bring truth to people, and it’s the truth of God’s Word that sets people free! Recently I taught about staying the course because God needs you. Every member of the Body of Christ is important and needed. Let your light shine!
10/15/2023 God Loves You (24:48)Share this teaching! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10-15-2023-God-Loves-You.mp3When God first formed, made and created human beings, they were unique of all creatures because God gave them His spirit. He also gave them dominion over all of God’s creation. And God gave them access to the tree of life; they were designed to live forever. Genesis 3 tells us Adam disobeyed God’s direct commandment. The consequences of Adam’s sin ruined all God wanted for human beings. But because of God’s deep love for human beings, God put a plan in place whereby mankind could be legally redeemed, a plan whereby human beings could obtain what God wanted from the beginning for human beings: everlasting life. The more a person knows, understands and believes what God has done for them in the new birth, they will, out of love and gratitude, not duty, but out of love and gratitude live for Him according to what His Word says.
10/8/2023 Stay the Course – God Needs You (23:22)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10-8-2023-Stay-the-Course-God-Needs-You.mp3After giving us information about the great Hope, in I Thessalonians 4 and I Corinthians 15, the exhortation from God is: encourage one another, and, stay the course – be unmovable. Why? Because your life and the lives of all our brothers and sisters are important. Every member of the Body of Christ is needed! When bad circumstances happen, our enemy would like nothing better than for you to be discouraged, to quit, to isolate. Stay the Course – God needs you! In times of sadness we need the encouragement we gain from God’s Word, as well as the love and encouragement we get from one another. You are important. Go to God’s Word to get encouraged; go to God in prayer when you are emotionally hurting. You never know how much you can help and encourage someone else. Whether it’s by praying, speaking God’s Word, or reaching out to your brothers and sisters with love. Stay the course – God needs you!
10/1/2023 The Coming Rewards (39:25)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/10/10-1-2023-The-Coming-Rewards.mp3It is recommended that you listen to the previous teaching, 9/24/2023 The Coming Judgments, prior to listening to this teaching.
Just think of it!➤ God has already freely given us His spirit with all the rights, privileges and abilities for this life.
➤ In addition, He has freely given us eternal life, we will not be in the judgments, we will be gathered together to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds and so shall we ever be with the lord.
➤ And, God has promised us new physical bodies, fashioned like Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrected body, and God declared we will be living in an environment where there will be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
➤ And, if that’s not enough, God has promised to reward us for our faithfulness on that glorious day!
The more you know, understand and believe what God has done for you, and in you, along with the hope you have to look forward to, then, out of love and gratitude, you’ll live your life for God.
9/24/2023 The Coming Judgements (38:19)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/9-24-2023-The-Coming-Judgements.mp3There are some preachers, trying to get people to live godly lives, who preach about the coming judgements. They warn people about the resurrection of the just and the unjust that Jesus Christ spoke about, as well as passages from the book of Revelation where judgment will be based on works, in other words, the things you’ve done in your life. Why try and get people to live good godly lives by preaching a sermon of fear about something that’s not going to happen to born again ones? That kind of “preaching” is a sermon of being saved by good works, and it negates the completed work Jesus Christ did as our savior and redeemer! Why not teach people what God has already done for us as born again ones because of what Jesus Christ accomplished for us? Why not teach people about the great hope we have of being gathered together to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds!? The more you know, understand and believe what God has done for you and in you, and the hope you have to look forward to, then, out of love and gratitude, you’ll live your life for God. What I wrote here last week is still true: “The greatest need for every person is an accurate knowledge of information and instructions from God Almighty, the Creator. Ignorance of information and instructions from the Creator is not God’s fault – He gave us His written Word! When we rightly understand it, we have the truth. God gave us His Word so we could know the Truth.”
9/17/2023 The Truth (38:44)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/9-17-2023-The-Truth.mp3God’s original intent was for human beings to live forever! God’s will, His desire is that everybody not only gets saved, so they will have eternal life, but God also, wants us to come to a knowledge of the Truth! Why? God doesn’t want us ignorant. There’s still an adversary who promotes lies and deceptions.The greatest need for every person is an accurate knowledge of information and instructions from God Almighty, the Creator. Ignorance of information and instructions from the Creator is not God’s fault – He gave us His written Word! When we rightly understand it, we have the truth. God gave us His Word so we could know the Truth.
9/10/2023 Milk And Meat (27:42)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/9-10-2023-Milk-And-Meat.mp3In Hebrews, Chapter 5, God addresses some people who had lost their spiritual maturity; they had become dull of hearing. God said they should have been at the point of teaching others. Instead, they had become such as needing milk and not strong meat. Spiritual maturity is not something we arrive at that remains fixed. Those people were not new believers. They should have been at a point of teaching others – at the level of the meat of the Word. But instead, they needed milk, the basics. If we don’t keep growing, we will become dull of hearing. We will be mentally tossed to and fro with other winds of doctrine. Some can even arrive at the place talked about in I Timothy 4: departing from the faith [the right way of believing], giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils. That’s why we read God’s Word on a regular basis. That’s why we make the time to study God’s Word. That’s why we gather together for spiritual nurture and growth. We put forth the effort to stay spiritually sharp.
9/3/2023 Transformed (44:24)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/9-3-2023-Transformed.mp3Romans 12 talks about not being conformed to this world, or to this age, but being transformed by renewing the mind. Renewing the mind is putting into your mind the information pertaining to the new nature you have, the new you. Where do you get that information? The seven Church epistles; that’s where you find your true identity. So why do some preachers preach about how bad the old nature is, how ungodly, how unrighteous? If your old nature is reinforced to you, over and over, how could you ever renew your mind to the new nature? Why focus on our sinful nature? When we were born, we were born with that nature, but when we got born again, we were born with a new nature! Without renewing our minds to who we really are, what Jesus Christ accomplished for each and every born again one, what our true identity really is, our lives will be limited. And there will be no transformation and very little advantage to all the rights, privileges and abilities we have now, even if we are born again! This morning we considered some of what the Scriptures say about being transformed by the renewing of the mind.
8/27/2023 God’s Protection (41:56)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8-27-2023-Gods-Protection.mp3The very first verse of the Bible says, “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” Fully comprehending the wisdom and power to do that is beyond our finite minds. The Bible shows us and tells us of God’s great power. And in the Scriptures we see many times God’s protection demonstrated, sometimes on a grand scale and other times for just one individual. His Word gives us clear glimpses of how immense His wisdom, power and protection are. A humble heart truly stands in awe of God’s wisdom and power. And How very thankful we are for the completed work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who carried out God’s great plan of salvation and redemption! That’s why speaking in tongues is so magnificent! Because for those who are born again, we have His Word, and we have His spirit in us – guaranteeing that by His love, grace, wisdom and power, He has protected us from death itself, by promising we will live forever when Christ returns.
FYI – You might want to listen to a detailed teaching I did three years ago on Psalm 91. Use the “2020 Teaching” tab. It’s April 5. 2020 – God’s Protection
8/20/2023 When You Pray (43:37)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/8-20-2023-When-You-Pray.mp3Prayer is a huge topic in God’s Word. It is an important aspect of our lives as Christians. There are a number of things we ought to remember when we pray. Remembering those things benefit us greatly when we pray. They give us confidence to trust in our powerful delivering God! This morning we considered some of those things to remember when we pray.
7/30/2023 Ephesians 4 (39:42)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7-30-2023-Ephesians-4.mp3The book of Ephesians reveals great truths to us as born again ones. it is the pinnacle of the revelation from God to His children, especially regarding the Mystery. You really can’t read this epistle too much or too often. The same is true of the book of Romans. Those two doctrinal epistles shed so much light on who we are as born again ones, what God has given us, and how we ought to conduct our lives as born again ones.
7/23/2023 The Mystery (37:23)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7-23-2023-The-Mystery.mp3I Corinthians 2 tells us that had the princes of this world, (the devil and his host) known about the Mystery, they never would have crucified the lord of glory. God kept that hidden until He first revealed it to the Apostle Paul. Had the devil known that God planned to not just have one nation to be His people, bringing salvation and redemption to them by way of the savior, the redeemer, but that God planned to have believers from every nation on earth, and that every one of those believers would be heirs together, and of the same body, and all would be partakers of all the promises, including being equipped with holy spirit and the ability to operate it, he never would have crucified the lord of glory! If the Mystery was that big of a deal to our adversary, the devil, then how important it must be to God! Every born again believer has the gift of holy spirit. In Colossians 1, that gift is referred to as, “…the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:” The great gift we all have inside is, the riches of the glory of the Mystery! If the gift of holy spirit is the riches of the glory of this Mystery, then it must be a really big deal to understand what we’ve received, and, to operate it, to manifest that spirit! Even though the adversary didn’t know what was coming, he has and he continues to work very hard to make sure people don’t know about the Mystery, or don’t understand it. But God had His Word written so that we could know and understand the great Mystery!
7/16/2023 How To Believe God’s Word 38:49)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7-16-2023-How-To-Believe-Gods-Word.mp3The very first Psalm tells us how to be blessed, how to be happy. It says to delight in the law of the LORD; and in his law meditate day and night. When God chose Joshua to succeed Moses, He told him, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.” The great prophet Jeremiah said, “Thy words were found, and I did eat them; and thy word was unto me the joy and rejoicing of mine heart: for I am called by thy name, O LORD God of hosts.” No matter how long you’ve been a Christian, no matter how long you’ve been “in the Word,” never stop eating and digesting God’s Word! If you want to be happy and blessed, make time every day to meditate on God’s magnificent Word. That’s how to get to the place of believing God’s Word so it will be profitable to you in your life!
7/9/2023 The God Of All Encouragement (32:20)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7-9-2023-The-God-Of-All-Encouragement.mp3II Corinthians 1:3 says, “Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort.” The word comfort would be better translated, encouragement. There are times in our lives when we need encouragement. This morning we looked at three ways the God of all encouragement brings us the encouragement we need.
7/2/2023 Great Freedom (45:35)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/7-2-2023-Great-Freedom.mp3As we celebrate the 247th anniversary of our country, we thank God for the freedoms our constitution affords us as citizens. And we keep praying much for our country – perhaps more than ever before. But, we are ever and always mindful, and ever and always grateful to God, that the greatest freedom we have, is the freedom God gave us through the completed work of Jesus Christ, as we anticipate that glorious day! (Note: The song at the end of the teaching is, “While We Wait,” by Lisa Tracy)
6/25/2023 His Magnificent Word (32:23)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/6-25-2023-His-Magnificent-Word.mp3Psalm 19 is a fabulous presentation by God about His Word! It restores the soul, it makes you wise, it rejoices your heart, it enlightens your eyes, it endures forever, it is more to be desired than much fine gold or honey, even the honeycomb. And in keeping His Word, there is great reward! Psalm 19 is awesome. It’s a gold mine about God’s Word. This is just one of the places in God’s Word where God tells us how wonderful His Word is and how profitable it is to us! II Timothy tells us it is profitable for doctrine, reproof, and correction which is instruction in righteousness. Hebrews says it is alive and powerful! In Romans Paul said the gospel is the power of God unto salvation.This is why we’re willing to take the time and make the time to read and study God’s Magnificent Word!
6/18/2023 Our Father (39:45)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/6-18-2023-Our-Father.mp3God is only God to those He chooses to be their God. In Old Testament times, He chose Israel to be their God. This was not something they initiated, it was God’s decision. He initiated the commitment to be their God! He told them that it was He Who brought them out of the land of Egypt to be their God! In that great deliverance they saw first hand the great delivering power of the Creator. God committed Himself to be their God. In turn, they were to be holy, separate themselves, and serve the One true God. The relationship was the Creator of the heavens and the earth was their God and they (the descendants of Abraham) were His people. They were to obey and serve Him and only Him! God promised to protect and take care of them and bless them BIG! (You can read some of His promises to bless them recorded in Deuteronomy 28.)Because of the completed work of Jesus Christ, for all those who are born again, God Almighty, the Creator of the heavens and the earth, is our Father! The relationship has changed from servants to children, again by God’s choice. God is not only our God, but He is our Father.When you consider all the blessings God promised to His servants in the Old Testament and see His great delivering power, would God do less for His children? Can we rely on His great love, His great power for us His children? In Romans 8 it says, “if God be for us, who can be against us?” Israel had God as their God, with many great promises from Him. But they didn’t have direct access to Him by the spirit like we do. They didn’t have all the new birth rights, privileges and abilities that we do. They didn’t have nine manifestations of the spirit, like we do. They didn’t have the promise of being gathered together like we do. They will be in the judgments of the just and unjust, but we have been delivered from the wrath to come! How blessed we are! And just as a good son in Bible culture would serve his father’s interests, we too serve our heavenly Father – He is our God, and He is our Father!
6/11/2023 Sanctification (43:41)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/6-11-2023-Sanctification.mp3God said in His Word that we, born again ones, are sanctified. Many Christians lack an understanding of what it means to be sanctified. Add to that, in II Corinthians 7:1, God’s Word to born again sanctified ones is, “let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God. “Holiness” in that verse is, “sanctification.” The Scriptures tell us that Jesus Christ was sanctified by God and that Jesus Christ also sanctified himself. Understanding both sides of sanctification is very profitable for us.
6/4/2023 Who Are You? (40:46)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/6-4-2023-Who-Are-You.mp3Jesus Christ said that God’s Word is Truth. The Bible rightly understood is the Truth. It’s the standard for truth. Four very important things we as believers need to know the Truth about are: (1) Who God is; (2) What God can do; (3) Who you are, and (4) What you can do. All 4 of those need to be based on the truth which comes from a right understanding of God’s Word, because God’s Word rightly understood is the Truth. People can talk about living for God, but without a right understanding of who God says you are, walking and living for Him is very limited. And, without knowing the Truth, it becomes easy for our enemy to beguile, to deceive, to talk Christians out of what is really true! You are who the Word of God says you are; you have what the Word of God says you have; and you can do what the Word of God says you can do!
5/28/2023 The Day of Pentecost (43:02)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-28-2023-The-Day-Of-Pentecost.mp3Many Christians don’t understand the great significance of the day of Pentecost recorded in Acts 2. But with a right understanding of God’s Word, it becomes clear it was the greatest event to date in the history of mankind! What happened on that day is not just a big deal; it’s a really, really big deal! On that day of Pentecost, a new administration began. This day of Pentecost was truly the beginning of something God had waited and planned for ever since Adam sinned in the Garden. Jesus Christ completed and fulfilled all that was necessary for God to begin a new administration, called in the Bible, “the Administration of the Mystery,” and also, “the Administration of the Grace of God!” There is a time of judgment coming, but, beginning on Pentecost, for those who get born again, God has declared they have been delivered from the judgments to come. Before the time of judgments, all those who are born again, both living and who have died, will be gathered together to meet Jesus Christ in the clouds! On the Day of Pentecost, God threw open the doors of Grace! And God specifically and purposely marked out the beginning with speaking in tongues.
5/21/2023 Protection And Deliverance From God (38:15)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-21-2023-Protection-And-Deliverance-From-God.mp3God’s power, protection and deliverance for His people are clearly and openly displayed throughout the Bible. His love is unquestionable, for, “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” And for born again ones, the book of Romans declares that nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord. Psalm 91 contains some very powerful declarations concerning God’s protection and deliverance. Prior to those powerful words, that psalm begins by showing us how to access His mighty protection and deliverance.
5/14/2023 Healing From God (37:57)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-14-2023-Healing-From-God.mp3There are many verses about healing in the Bible. One of my favorites is in Jeremiah 30:17a, which says, “For I will restore health unto thee, and I will heal thee of thy wounds, saith the LORD;” The Bible is full of records of people who received healing instantaneously. When we don’t see an instantaneous healing, we don’t doubt, we pray, and we pray, and we pray, because healing from God is available. This morning we looked at three records of people who did not receive instantaneous healing, but did get healed. These records encourage us to remain confident that healing from God is available even if it doesn’t happen instantaneously.
5/7/2023 This Is Our God (30:15)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/5-7-2023-This-Is-Our-God.mp3The Scriptures show in many places that God Almighty is only God to those He chooses to be God. He offered Israel to be their God. He wasn’t a God to other nations, but only to Israel. Since the Day of Pentecost, for all those who are born again, Scriptures are clear that He is our God. The Bible in many places reveals Who God is and what He will do for His people. In Psalm 23 we get a great picture, as God uses the analogy of a shepherd to reveal to us His great care and concern. Since God does not change, as we read this Psalm about God Almighty, what we will learn about God is still true for us today, because God has chosen to be our God.
4/30/2023 Why We Speak The Word Of God (45:06)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4-30-2023-Why-We-Speak-The-Word-Of-God.mp3The more people see the Light of God’s Word, their eyes will be opened. They have an opportunity to change their mind. The Light of God’s Word allows people to see things in their own lives, as well as things in the world, that are contrary to God’s Word – it becomes apparent, because the Light of God’s Word has opened their eyes. Why are there things going on in our culture that we know are not godly? Because of what we know from God’s Word. The Word of God in our hearts keeps us solid on the Truth. Quote from Martin Luther -“From the beginning of my Reformation I have asked God to send me neither dreams, nor visions, nor angels, but to give me the right understanding of His Word, the Holy Scriptures; for as long as I have God’s Word, I know that I am walking in His way and that I shall not fall into any error or delusion.” Martin Luther The more the Light of God’s Word gets to people in our day and time, eyes are opened! The curtain is pulled back. People can begin to believe God’s Word, believe His promises and His blessings, and make wise decisions, according to God’s Word, for themselves and their families, in all areas of their lives. That’s why it’s so important to focus on God’s Word and not get distracted by the craziness in our culture. Yes, we know what’s going on, but we can’t get so immersed in all of it; distracted by the political climate, by the race climate, by the gender climate, or whatever other climate is going on. We don’t get immersed and sidetracked. We stay put on the Truth, We walk with love, and we pray for open doors to speak God’s Word with love, in order to open people’s eyes and bring them God’s blessings and His deliverance. We’re looking for people who will listen – that’s an open door – an open entrance to speak, so we can speak freely and openly. Pray for open doors to speak and be ready for those open entrances to speak freely, openly, giving people the Light of the glorious Gospel of Christ. Go stand and speak to the people all the words of this life!
4/23/2023 Nothing Is Too Hard For God (33:31)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4-23-2023-Nothing-Is-Too-Hard-For-God.mp3There are many records in God’s Word that show God’s awesome delivering power. What about for you and me? Is the Lord’s hand waxed short? Last week we read in Romans 8 that nothing can separate you from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our lord! God loves you! You are His child! Regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what kind of trouble, regardless of the facts, regardless of the odds, time and time again we see in God’s Word that God is a powerful and delivering God. And today, He is still a powerful and delivering God! “Behold, the LORD’S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:” God is still a very present help in time of trouble. God is still able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work: God is still able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we ask or think.My God shall still supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus. Jeremiah 32:17 says, “Ah Lord GOD! behold, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for Thee:” No matter what challenges we are faced with, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what kind of trouble, regardless of the facts, regardless of the odds, God is still a powerful and delivering God!
4/16/2023 A Powerful And Delivering God (28:06)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4-16-2023-A-Powerful-and-Delivering-God.mp3The One True God we read about in the Old Testament is the same God of the New Testament, and He is the same God today. Malachi 3:6 says, “For I am the Lord, I change not;…” We see many times in the Scriptures that regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what kind of trouble, regardless of the facts, regardless of the odds, time and time again we see that God is a powerful and delivering God. No matter what challenges we are faced with, regardless of the circumstances, regardless of what kind of trouble, regardless of the facts, regardless of the odds, God is still a powerful and delivering God!
4/9/2023 Resurrection Sunday (44:01)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4-9-2023-Resurrection-Sunday.mp3God raised Jesus Christ from the dead – he is risen, he is alive, and he is coming back! The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the cornerstone, the foundation of Christianity. A human being who was dead and buried for three days and three nights was raised from the dead to never die again. In the Bible and throughout history there have been people who died and were raised from the dead. But Jesus Christ is the only human being who was dead and raised to life to never die again. God’s Word promises that for those who are born again, we will receive a new body, fashioned like Jesus Christ’s glorious resurrected body. What a great hope we have. What a great loving and kind God Who sent His Son to be the savior of the world so those who believe could have eternal life!
4/2/2023 Forgiveness And Healing (30:53)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/4-2-2023-Holy-Communion.mp3This morning we all shared in “Holy Communion.” At the “last supper,” while they were eating a common meal, Jesus instituted a memorial; a remembrance. He did this using two items common at meals – bread and wine. In Luke 22 it says, “he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.” Recognizing the metaphor (which Jesus used many times) we understand he was saying, “this bread represents my body,” and, “this cup represents the new testament in my body which is shed for you.” Both Matthew and Mark’s gospels tell us he did this as they were eating; he instituted this memorial while they were eating a common meal. I Corinthians 11 adds that he said as often as you do this, do it in remembrance of him. When we partake of holy communion, or the Lord’s supper, we remember that Jesus Christ paid for our sins (the sins of the whole world) and he paid for our healing. Anytime we eat (as often as you do this), we can stop and remember that the price for our healing has been paid and the price for our sins has been paid. Remembering helps us to accept, believe and receive what our wonderful Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, accomplished for us.
3/26/2023 The Promised Gift (26:23)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3-26-2023-The-Promised-Gift.mp3We are continuing to look, and taking note, of some of the things Jesus Christ spoke about during what is referred to as the last supper. It was a very critical time for both Jesus Christ and his followers. What he shared with them that night is indeed very noteworthy. This morning we focused on the coming gift of holy spirit. Jesus mentioned it over and over that evening. Not surprising, it was one of the first things he talked about in his resurrected body, and the last thing he said before he ascended. And on the Day of Pentecost, the gift of holy spirit, the promise of the Father, became openly available to all who are born again, born from above, born of spirit. It was prophesied in the Old Testament. Jesus Christ spoke about God’s gift of holy spirit many times. The Church epistles (addressed to born again ones) are full of information regarding the gift of holy spirit so that we can understand and take advantage of this marvelous gift from our heavenly Father! So why are so many born again Christians ignorant concerning God’s gift of holy spirit?
3/19/2023 Love And Serve (34:11)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3-19-2023-Love-And-Serve.mp3We are looking and taking note of some of the things Jesus Christ spoke about during what is referred to as the last supper. At a very critical time for both Jesus Christ and his followers, the things he shared that night are indeed very noteworthy. This morning we focussed on love and service. That of course included Jesus Christ washing the feet of his disciples. Understanding the culture in Bible times helps us to see this unforgettable example of loving service. We also noted how the Church Epistles echo how we ought to love and serve.
3/12/2023 The Peace of God (29:47)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3-12-2023-The-Peace-of-God.mp3God wants you to live in peace. God’s Word in Philippians 4:6 & 7 says, “Be careful [anxious] for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” Instead of being anxious, we pray! It’s a choice to pray or to worry. One leads to peace, and the other leads to panic and stress. Some people are just hanging on, but why not hang out in God’s throne room of grace! Whenever we pray, we are in the throne room of His grace! We pray to obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. In John 14:27, Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled [dismayed, restless, full of anxiety], neither let it be afraid.” The opposite of being troubled and afraid is peace. Let the peace of God rule in your heart. Let the Word dwell in you richly. And pray lots. No matter what’s going on, God wants you to live in peace.
3/5/2023 Promises From God (33:33)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/3-5-2023-Promises-From-God.mp3Having God’s Word in our hearts is the greatest preparation for when difficult times come up in our lives. We need to keep reminding ourselves what God has promised to us, His children. ones. No matter how little you have, with God it is enough! The “how” is God’s job. Our job is to believe Him. We pray and we believe what He promised us in His Word.
2/26/2023 Revival (39:59)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2-26-2023-Revival.mp3With all that is going on in our country and around the world, with all the chaos, the fear, the confusion, the anger, the discouragement, the insanity, Why Not Pray For Revival? We can allow all the chaos and insanity to overwhelm us and we can allow it to be the main thing we talk about. Or, we can be like those new believers in Thessalonica. We can be examples of believing God! For those of us who recognize there is a spiritual battle going on, let us all, to the best of our ability, make the time to keep growing in God’s Word, manifest the spirit of God, love people, and pray for a spiritual awakening. Let’s pray for open doors to speak God’s Word!
2/19/2023 What An Example (32:18)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2-19-2023-What-An-Example.mp3(Some comments before the teaching are included.)This morning we started by reading two of the many examples of Jesus Christ walking with God. When reading the Gospels we need to remember that the things Jesus Christ said, and the things he did, were what the Father told him to say and do. He always did the Father’s will. Always. The four Gospels show Jesus Christ walking with and for God. What a stunning and sterling example we have! And it is equally stunning that Jesus Christ said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father.” After God resurrected Jesus Christ from the dead he was seen for forty days and then he went unto the Father. A few days later God’s gift of holy spirit was made available. The Church epistles contain much information on how we too can walk with God, utilizing the power of the holy spirit that is in us!
2/12/2023 The Image of God (27:11)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2-12-2023-The-Image-of-God.mp3Saying or implying that every human being is made in the image of God might sound really nice to some people. BUT, saying that indicates a lack of knowledge of what is so very clear in Genesis 1 and 2. Adam and Eve had a body, they had soul life, and they had spirit life – God created them in His image which is spirit. Not recognizing that causes great misunderstanding concerning, body, soul and spirit. And ignorance concerning body, soul and spirit makes it very difficult to grasp or gain an understanding of the spirit of God that is available today to born again ones. And who would be in favor of that ignorance? God doesn’t want us ignorant of spiritual matters – we have His Word that gives the information concerning His gift of holy spirit that He gave us, so we can utilize this tremendous gift!
2/5/2023 The Knowledge Of The Truth (27:08)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/2-5-The-Knowledge-Of-The-Truth.mp3 There are a number of places in the Bible where we read that God does not want us to be ignorant. That really shouldn’t be surprising. We are God’s children, and He is our Father. What loving father would want his children to be ignorant? God has given us the knowledge of what is true so that we don’t have to be ignorant. Our enemy, the adversary, absolutely wants God’s people ignorant of God’s Word concerning many topics. He continues to promote what he did in Genesis 3. God had said, “You shall surely die,” and the serpent said to Eve: “You shall not surely die. For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.” Our enemy continues working hard to promote that God’s Word is not true, and that you don’t need God – you can be your own god! You can do whatever you want to do and believe whatever you want to believe. Meanwhile, in Hosea 4:6, God said, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” There is abundant knowledge of the truth available today in God’s Word. That’s why we take the time and make the time to keep our heads in the Book, to read and understand God’s Words. God’s desire for all people is to not only be saved, but to come to a knowledge of the truth.
1/22/2023 He Doesn’t Want Us Ignorant (41:55)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-22-2023-He-Doesnt-Want-Us-Ignorant.mp3(Prior to the teaching, my wife Kathy shared for a few minutes.)In John Chapter 3, Jesus shared some tremendous truths with Nicodemus, who was a Pharisee and a ruler. Nicodemus was having a bit of trouble understanding these great truths. So much so that Jesus asked him in verse 10, “Art thou a master of Israel, and knowest not these things?”Adam originally had two life forms: soul life and spirit life. By his disobedience he lost spirit life. The loss of life is referred to as death. Adam, as God had said, surely did die when he disobeyed. He lost spirit life. After that horrible tragedy, God put a plan in motion to redeem mankind, which among other things would bring about a new kingdom for God to rule, as well as reinstating holy spirit. Nicodemus being a ruler and master in Israel should have been anticipating these things. When Jesus shared them with him, he should have jumped for joy!Today, many Christians are ignorant of the great realities that Jesus Christ’s accomplished work has brought to them, by God’s kindness, love, grace and mercy. God does not want us to be ignorant of spiritual matters. The truths regarding His gift of holy spirit are revealed in His Word.
1/15/2023 A Powerful And Delivering God (32.41:)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-15-2023-A-Powerful-And-Delivering-God.mp3Isaiah says, “The LORD hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” Understanding kings going into battle in Bible times, as well as the figure of speech attributing to God human characteristics, this verse paints a very vivid and dramatic picture. Is God willing to bare His holy arm for us today; for you and for me? Some people don’t feel worthy of God helping them in such a dramatic fashion. They might think, “Oh, maybe a little bit of help, but certainly not taking off His robe and going into battle on my account. Who am I that He should do something like that for me?”Would a parent hesitate to help his or her child? I certainly wouldn’t. The Bible declares we are children of God! That is either just a nice religious phrase or it is literally true. It is literally true! We are His children! He is our God and He is our Father! God in His Word in many places encourages us to call upon Him for help. Then why shouldn’t we expect that as a loving Father, and a powerful God, that He will help us, that He will bare His holy arm for you and for me! Too often we look at our weaknesses, and our shortcomings, and so many other things instead of putting our trust in our powerful and delivering God! Do we deserve it? Could we earn it? No. It is all because of His great love and the completed work of Jesus Christ! And nothing can ever separate us from His love. We can put our absolute trust in Him, because He is still a powerful delivering God for His people!
1/8/2023 Your Way Or His Way (37:30)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-8-2023-Your-Way-Or-His-Way.mp3There are many sad records in the Old Testament of God’s people walking away from Him, or as God put it, “turned their backs” on Him. They chose to serve other gods. But why? We live in the times after the Day of Pentecost, when God has a new covenant. God says, we are now literally children of God! In this new relationship, He is BOTH our Father and our God. He is the same Almighty God, His power has not changed – He Is Our God! He is our Father! All His promises to His children are true! The Ten commandments were the foundation of the Old Covenant. Today, the Seven Church Epistles are the foundation for the new covenant. And ALL that God says in there is TRUE! All that we have today is because of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Because of Christ, we are who God says we are, and we have what God says we have. It’s up to us to read and understand and believe it. And meanwhile, our adversary, the devil, has not changed – he is still pure evil. The Scriptures say he “deceives the whole world” He is “a liar and the father of lies.” His motive has not changed – God’s Word is not true; you can be your own god! He promotes doing whatever you think in your own heart; believe whatever you want to believe! That is where all the evil and insanity comes from that we see in our culture today.That’s why, as children of God Almighty, we ought to look at everything through the lens of God’s revealed Word! What did God say? “What does the Word say?” What did my God say? And then, conduct our lives accordingly. We are His children. He is our Father! And He is our God. We follow His Words, not our own, not somebody else’s, but we stay put on what God has spoken to us! We follow the example of Jesus Christ, who said, shortly before he was arrested, praying to God, “Not my will, but thine be done.”
1/1/2023 Two Gems From Romans (30:23)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/1-1-2023-Two-Gems-From-Romans.mp3Martin Luther once said concerning the book of Romans, “This letter is truly the most important piece in the New Testament. It is purest Gospel. It is well worth a Christian’s while not only to memorize it word for word but also to occupy himself with it daily, as though it were the daily bread of the soul. It is impossible to read or to meditate on this letter too much or too well. The more one deals with it, the more precious it becomes and the better it tastes.” The book of Romans is the beginning of the revelation of the Gospel of God concerning His Son, Jesus Christ. This morning we started this “New Year” by looking at two of the many great gems of truth found in the Book of Romans.
12/18/2022 The Wise Men From The East (46:30)Share this teaching with someone! Copy/Paste this link for this teaching:https://confidenceandjoy.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/12-18-2022-The-Wise-Men-From-The-East.mp3The third event associated with the birth of Christ this time of year is the arrival of the wise men from the East. This morning we considered a number of exciting details about that event. Some of those details clash head on with traditions. We all have free will to believe what we choose to believe. Whatever you believe about the Magi does not affect your salvation. But if we’re sloppy in handling the Scriptures on matters that do not directly affect salvation and all God has given us in the new birth, how can we be sure that we won’t be sloppy when they do? And if we’re going to reach people with the Good News of what Jesus Christ accomplished for all of mankind, then how can we do that by promoting myths and fairy tales? A great question to always ask ourselves is, “Why do I believe what I believe?” Is it because of what someone else said, or, tradition? We can choose to believe what God has said in His Word by rightly understanding the Scriptures.