Truth Applied

Helping people experience God's truth

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Conversations Podcast

July 25, 2023 /

This is a podcast featuring conversations about life, theology, scripture, church and everything in between led by Jeff Stott along with various guest. Below is a link to one of the series.

The Five Stages of Spiritual Growth

Join Jeff Stott and Billy Johnson as they discuss the five stages of spiritual growth and to use it in your family, church, ministry, and work. 

Part 1: Stages of Spiritual Growth (Overview)

Stages of Spiritual Growth (Part 1) – Conversations with Genesis Church | Podcast on Spotify

Part 2: Stages of Spiritual Growth (Spiritually Dead / Seeker)

Stages of Spiritual Growth (Part 2) – Conversations with Genesis Church | Podcast on Spotify

Part 3: Stages of Spiritual Growth (Spiritual Infant / Believer)

Stages of Spiritual Growth (Part 3) – Conversations with Genesis Church | Podcast on Spotify

 

Jesus: Your Gethsemane (Mark 14:39-42, Part 2)

December 3, 2023 /

Doing God’s will can sometimes be very difficult, and you will find yourself not wanting to do it. What you want and what God wants will be two different things. This could mean you both have the goal in mind, but God’s way of getting it done and your way of getting it done oppose each other. When you discover that doing God’s will in this matter will cost you and hurt you, you are in what is called a Gethsemane moment.

Gethsemane Moment Defined

Today, we are going to continue our examination of your Gethsemane moment. A Gethsemane moment is a time when you are tempted to avoid doing what God wants you to do because you know that doing it will cost you dearly and hurt you deeply. You are not going to want to do it, but you know God wants you to do it. You know it’s the right thing to do, but it will come at great sacrifice on your part. Your Gethsemane involves a battle between your willing spirit to do what is right and your weaknesses to do what is easy. Continue reading

Jesus: Your Gethsemane (Mark 14:39-42, Part 1)

November 26, 2023 /

Have you ever faced this dilemma? You know what God wants you to do. You know the right thing to do, but it will cost, and it will hurt. By doing this you will probably be misunderstood, rejected, and feel as if those closest to you and even God himself has abandoned you. Have you ever faced something like that? Jesus did in the garden of Gethsemane.

Gethsemane Moment Defined

Today, we are going to take a deep look at what I call your Gethsemane moment. A Gethsemane moment is a time when you are tempted to avoid doing what God wants you to do because you know that doing it will cost you dearly and hurt you deeply. You are not going to want to do it, but you know God wants you to do it. You know it’s the right thing to do, but it will come at great sacrifice on your part. Your Gethsemane involves a battle between your willing spirit to do what is right and your weaknesses to do what is easy. Continue reading

Jesus: spirit is willing, body is weak (Mark 14:38)

November 12, 2023 /

As a follower of Jesus, do you ever struggle with good intentions, but don’t follow through with them. You want to do what’s right, but then you don’t. You know what you should say, but you don’t. You know what you should not say, but you say it anyway. You want to stop that sin you keep doing, but you don’t and you feel like you can’t stop. You have the desire to do the right thing, but you don’t do you. You feel trapped or like there is this war between doing right and doing wrong going on inside you. If that is you, then you are not alone. Continue reading

Lord’s Supper: Be Thankful

November 5, 2023 /

Today, we observe the Lord’s Supper and I want us to focus on the power of giving thanks to God.

Someone once said, “I may not be where I want to be, but thank God I am not where I used to be.” As we think through the Lord’s Supper we are going to encounter that truth. When we observe the Lord’s Supper we not only think about what Jesus went through on the cross, but we remember what He has done for us and in us because of the cross and resurrection.

Someone else once said, “The best way to show my gratitude to God is to accept everything, even my problems, with joy.” We will see this today. We will see Jesus give thanks for something very difficult that was about to happen to Him.

Let’s get started. Continue reading

Jesus: Watch and Pray (Mark 14:37-38)

October 15, 2023 /

Today, Jesus is going to show us how to face temptation when going through a crisis. Every follower of Jesus is going to struggle with temptation. Temptation is an opportunity to be selfish, to do evil, be unkind, and to disobey God. Temptation will always come knocking at the door when you are in a crisis, when you are experiencing stress, and the pressure is heavy. When you feel overwhelmed is when temptation loves to visit you. Continue reading

Jesus: Not My Will (Mark 14:35-36, Part 2)

October 3, 2023 /

Your instinct is to flee suffering, but you must remember that even in the middle of suffering, God’s will is being done. There will be those times when God will lead you away from suffering or around suffering because of wise decisions. However, there will be those times when God will lead you straight into suffering because the center of God’s will is in the center of that suffering. There is something for you to learn and do in that season of suffering. It’s in the middle of that suffering where you will grow the most and God will be glorified the greatest and it’s there the best victories are won. Jesus understood this when He faced the crucifixion.

For the follower of Jesus, every trial of suffering is an opportunity to grow in your relationship with God and to deepen your understanding of who it is you are following. Suffering creates an opportunity to see God work in your life in a uniquely personal way that demonstrates His compassion, His comfort, His mercy, His kindness, His strength, His wisdom, and His loving kindness. Suffering is a divine tool that chisels selfishness off of you so others can see Jesus in you. Continue reading

Jesus: Not My Will (Mark 14:35-36, Part 1)

September 24, 2023 /

Sometimes doing God’s will is easy to follow. Sometimes doing God’s will is very difficult to follow. There are going to be times in your life doing what God wants you to do is going to feel terrible. You are going to feel grief and anguish to do what God has called you to do. You will feel the full force of dying to yourself to do it.

In Mark 14, Jesus is showing us how to follow God’s will when it is tough, and you would prefer another way to accomplish whatever it is God wants you to accomplish. We have a lot to look at today, so let’s get started. Continue reading

Jesus: Crushed with Grief (Mark 14:32-34)

September 18, 2023 /

We are about to step onto holy ground. Today we begin looking at the depths of agony and pain Jesus endured for sinners like you and me. Even before He went to the cross, He endured an incredible amount of emotional pain. Keep in mind, what we are about to look at day is about 12 hours away from Jesus hanging on the cross. The cross is beginning to cast its shadow.

As followers of Jesus, we need to know more about who we are following. The more we know and understand who Jesus is the better we can follow Him. Today, we learn something significant about Jesus. We are going to see the emotional pain Jesus went through in order to rescue you and me from our sins. Continue reading

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