Refuge Audio Podcast

Matthew 5:10-12

To be genuinely content, we must not be self-serving, but self-sacrificing. We must be gentle, merciful, pure in heart, yearn for righteousness, and seek to make peace on God’s terms. This is what we endeavor to do—even if these attitudes cause persecution and suffering. Jesus gives us full disclosure as we serve others and lets us know that as we love and care for people in this way, we can anticipate and expect persecution. 

Matthew 5:9

Psalm 23

Psalm 23 is usually read at somber and solemn occasions in an effort to bring comfort to those who are mourning or grieving. While this isn’t inappropriate, there is certainly more to this psalm that we can appreciate. Within its lines, we see a celebration and declaration concerning the many blessings of having the Lord as our Shepherd.

1 Peter 5:5-9

The letter of 1 Peter is the Apostle Peter at his best. This fisherman-turned-fisher-of-men wrote to other believers of Jesus struggling amid persecution. Near the end of his letter, Peter encourages them to conduct themselves courageously for the sake of Christ. Watch our study from Sunday as Guest Speaker and good friend of the fellowship Pastor Bill Welsh led our time in 1 Peter 5 and reminded us of the place we have at the table with Jesus through communion.

Matthew 5:8

God purifies us as we follow Him. He works in our lives to remove the things that contaminate us and then refines us with what He gives us. Through His refining work in our lives, we start to see Him—just as Jesus said: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (Matthew 5:8). Watch our study as we continue to work through the Sermon on the Mount.

Matthew 5:7

Mercy is a core component of ministry. Being kind, even and especially to your enemies, is essential. Jesus gives us a whole new way to be merciful to enemies who would mistreat us. 

1 Corinthians 16

In the last chapter of 1 Corinthians, Paul addresses the collection of offerings, his plans for traveling, and some final instructions to the church in Corinth.

Lamentations 3:52-57

1 Corinthians 15:35-58

Matthew 5:6

From the mountain, Jesus delivered a sermon to His disciples. He taught them what their attitudes must be like if they were to continue to be His disciples. He wanted to give them (and us) as much disclosure as possible to know what ministry would be like. And this is true with the fourth beatitude, as the Holy Spirit draws those who continue to follow Jesus into an even deeper level of humility.

1 Corinthians 15:20-34

The Corinthian church was compromising on the core issue of the resurrection of Jesus. In his letter to them, Paul addressed this matter with clarity and reminded them that through Christ's resurrection, death has been defeated—and will one day be destroyed!

Matthew 5:5

We will not survive long if we think we are capable of what God has called us to because of our resume or spiritual skill set. It is only by His mercy that any of us are in ministry. This is especially important to be aware of as we consider the third beatitude—“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” (Matthew 5:5). What does it mean to be meek and why is this an attitude important to have if we are to survive and thrive in ministry?

1 Corinthians 15:1-19

The resurrection of Jesus is central to the gospel. Without it, the message & our hope is meaningless. If in this life only we have hope in Christ, we are of all people the most pitiable. But because Jesus Christ is risen and alive, we have a living Lord and a living hope!

Matthew 5:4

As we recognize our own spiritual poverty (Matthew 5:3), we become increasingly aware of our own sin—and mourn over it as we realize just how unworthy we really are. And once we recognize that, we see that it is only by His mercy that we have any ministry at all. 

1 Corinthians 14:20-40

Matthew 5:3

In Matthew 5, we read the message Jesus spoke to His disciples on a mountain in Galilee. This sermon begins with the beatitudes—the attitudes of the citizens of His kingdom. Jesus is not just another earthly ruler. He is the king of the kingdom of heaven. And so, these attitudes run counter to the culture and kingdoms of men. Like the first beatitude—recognizing your spiritual poverty.

Matthew 5:1-12

1 Corinthians 14:1-19

1 Corinthians 14:1

John 20 – “Head…Heart…Hands.”

The news of Jesus’ body absent from the tomb didn’t bring immediate relief to His followers. They initially thought that someone had taken Jesus’ body. Their confusion slowly gave way to belief as He revealed Himself to them right where they were.

John 19

Luke 22:1-23

Matthew 4:12-25

During His earthly ministry, Jesus preached and taught, warned and discipled—all according to the working of the Holy Spirit. And it all started in the unlikeliest of places—Nazareth and Galilee. In the eyes of the religious elite of the day, these were not destinations to travel to or places to be proud of. And yet, these places were just right for Jesus to begin His public ministry and recruit His followers—for God uses the foolish, the forsaken, and the forgotten things to shame the stron...

Luke 7:1-10

Matthew 4:1-11

“For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.” (Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted in every way that we are tempted. In many ways, His temptations were much, much worse—and yet, He did not sin. But that does not mean He was unaffected by the human experience. His trial of temptation has a profound effect on His life and ministry.

1 Corinthians 13:4-8

Guest Speaker Richard Lang

1 Corinthians 13

Matthew 3:13-17

John the Baptist’s whole life & ministry was in preparation for the public ministry of Jesus. With each passing day, John knew that Jesus would be coming at any moment. So he faithfully prepared the people to be prepared for the Lord’s arrival. And then…that day came, when the Uncreated Creator not only visited humanity in the frailty of humanity, but also began His earthly ministry. 

1 Corinthians 12:12-31

Matthew 3:13-17

In Matthew 3, two of the most influential men & ministers in history came to a crossroads. John's ministry was coming to an end and Jesus' earthly ministry was just beginning. In order to understand all that was happening, we have to go back to a time before Jesus and John were born—to the ancient prophecies that foretold their arrival.

1 Corinthians 12:1-11

Matthew 3:1-12

In Matthew 3, we read about one man in the wilderness with one singular purpose—to prepare the way of The Lord. His name was John, and at first glance, he might seem like an odd man. After all, he wore camel’s hair and ate honey and locust. But he had an important message to fulfill his purpose. What was his message to prepare us for The King of The Kingdom that was at hand? What was the message that would prepare us to receive Jesus? “Repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Matthew 3:1-2

After speaking to His people through the prophet Malachi, God was silent for 400 years. The last thing He told them was that He would send a man who would help them prepare for the coming Messiah by turning their hearts to the things of the Lord. That man was John the Baptist—the last of the Old Covenant prophets, even though his life and ministry is recorded in the New Testament. John had a word from the Lord, the first word spoken by God to His people in 400 years. What was that first wo...

Matthew 2:19-23

In his letter to the Ephesian church, the Apostle Paul wrote that we are to put off our our old nature, which is continually corrupted by its deceitful desires. We considered this as we continue to learn about Herod in our study in Matthew. What would this mean for the heart of Herod after he rejected the Lord? His heart would be continually corrupted and rotted by its deceitful desires. But this isn’t just true for Herod—it applies for all who reject God. This is why Jesus came—to save us f...

1 Corinthians 11:1

1 Peter 3:8-17

1 Corinthians 10:1-22

Matthew 2:12-18

1 Corinthians 10

1 Corinthians 9:19-27

Vision Sunday 2024

1 Corinthians 9:1-18

Matthew 2:1-11

1 Corinthians 8:1-13

Matthew 1:1-17

Matthew 1:18-25

1 Corinthians 7:10-40

Malachi 1-4

Zechariah 14