Playlist: God's Words as Spirit and Life (topic)
Metaphors of God's Word
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod has supplied His Word as a precious gift, a source of reliable knowledge about Him and His way of life. Without the Bible, we would be lost in a sea of information, unable to distinguish truth from falsehood or discern what is truly important. In John 6:63, Jesus Christ declares that His words are spirit and life, setting …
Words of Life, Words of Death
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by David F. MaasGod's Words are a powerful force, embodying Spirit and Life, as They breathe vitality into our existence. As Our Elder Brother declares, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life" (John 6:63). This profound truth underscores the transformative power …
A Primer On Spirit
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)God's words are spirit, carrying an invisible, immaterial force that influences and motivates. Jesus Christ declared that the spirit is what makes alive, emphasizing that His words, when believed, become spirit influences leading to salvation. These words, though unseen, hold powerful effects, communicating concepts that can …
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Five)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's words are spirit and they are life. The words that Jesus Christ speaks are spirit and they are life. Words are spirit. His word is truth. His word is spirit. His message is the gospel the good news of the Kingdom of God the good news of God's purpose the good news of why people were born the good news that Christ died for …
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part One)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's words originate in His mind as spirit and convey life. Every word of God is pure. The words of the Lord are pure words tried in a furnace of earth and purified seven times. Thoughts and words are spirit. The Lord's thoughts are holy thoughts and holy words. His ways are higher than human ways and His thoughts higher than …
Words Versus Images
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughGod's words function as spirit and life because they convey His mind, character, and will, enabling those who receive them to know Him and receive eternal life. Jesus, identified as the Word in John 1:1 and 14, embodies this revelation as the full expression of thought, doctrine, reason, and the will of God. In John 6:53-63 …
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJesus described His words as spirit and life, indicating that they function as an invisible and immaterial force capable of communicating concepts, attitudes, and power that affect the mind, heart, and conduct of those who receive them. This principle builds upon the broader biblical usage of spirit as an activating dimension of …
The Holy Spirit and the Trinity (Part Two)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's words function as spirit and life because they convey the essence of His mind, which is invisible, internal, and immaterial yet activates, generates, and motivates conduct and attitudes in those who receive them. This usage aligns with the fundamental meaning of spirit as an unseen dimension or power that impels action, …
Life in the Church
Sermon by David C. GrabbeOutwardly, many members in Sardis bore Christ's name, but like the apparently religious Pharisees, they were in reality hypocrites, full of dead men's bones.
Image and Likeness of God (Part Four)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughGod's words function as spirit and life because they constitute an invisible force and power that operates within those who receive and apply them. When these words are believed and put into practice, they begin to work in a person's life, producing the effects God intends and implanting the seed of eternal life as the earnest …
Forms vs. Spirituality (Part 6)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChrist emphasizes that the internal, weightier matters, which change the heart, take precedence over external ceremonial concerns that don't change the heart.
How Does God Help Us? (Part 2)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe trials we go through are part of His providence, putting us into humility and determining what really motivates us.
Unity (Part 4): The Voice of God
Feast of Tabernacles Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe voice of God, whether expressed through thunder, events of His providence, handiwork of creation, or the preaching of His truth, is recognizable to His flock.
Seeking God in the Mundane
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughPentecostalism, with its sensationalism, is dangerous to a true believer. God is more interested in quietness and meekness than in bombastic displays of power.
God's Powerful Gospel
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe true gospel includes the complete revelation of God of His plan to reproduce Himself. If a gospel does not produce repentance and faith, it is false.
Defining Logos (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe 'word of the Lord' came (appeared) to Abraham, suggesting that the Word (dabar, the Hebrew equivalent of logos) is a Being, the 'Lord God.'
The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Five)
Sermon by David F. MaasIf we stockpile God's Word into our nervous systems, even though our outer man is decaying while our inner self is being renewed, we will nurture our spiritual legacy.
Four Views of Christ (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughThe dominant emphasis of Matthew is the kingly qualities of Jesus as a descendant of the royal house of David, representing the Lion of Judah.
Mightier Than the Sword (Part Six)
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)Rousseau's malignant ideas have metastasized into a virulent cancer of collectivism, socialism and Communism, the centralization of power.
Our Trusted Source of Truth (Part Two)
Sermon by Richard T. RitenbaughThe veracity of the Scriptures is something we can take to the bank, in essence our only protection against the torrent of deception we face today.
A Cure for News Depression
Commentary by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)The overwhelmingly depressing news must be counterbalanced by edifying news, namely God's Word. The Scripture, with its life-giving words, provides hope.
Maintaining Good Health (Part 7)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughJeremiah compares studying and meditating upon God's Word to physical eating, enabling a person to receive spiritual energy, vitality, and health.
Filling the Void
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloMore important than putting out sin is the vital need to continually ingest unleavened bread, that is, the Bread of Life, namely the words of Jesus Christ.
The Christian and the World (Part Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughClear vision lights the way spiritually. If the eye of the heart is aimed at spiritual treasure and the glory of God, it will remain singly focused.
John (Part Twelve)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughWhat we believe automatically determines what we do; it is impossible to separate faith and works. If Jesus is not our source of belief, our works will suffer.
We Can Make It!
Sermon by John W. Ritenbaugh (1932-2023)This is the time to make the most of what we have experienced, establishing our spiritual priorities, and reflecting deeply on why we gave ourselves to God.
Purpose-Driven Churches (Part 3)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughOutcome based religion exalts numerical growth and feeling good over the truth of God, promoting the use of modern psychology over 'divisive' biblical doctrine.
Feed on the Vine
Sermonette by Austin Del CastilloEven though removing leaven from our homes has importance, the far greater spiritual emphasis is on the eating of unleavened bread, internalizing Christ.
Strategies for Escaping Babylon (Part Two)
Sermon by David F. MaasIn the Olivet prophecy, Jesus gave His disciples a pointed warning about rampant deception occurring at the close of the age, engineered by the arch deceiver.
The W's and H's of Meditation (Part Three)
Sermon by David F. MaasDeveloping the daily habit of meditation on God's Word can displace that deadly carnal nature, replacing it with Godly character—the mind of God.
The Covenants, Grace, and Law (Part Twenty-Six)
Sermon by John W. RitenbaughChrist will empower us, but will not live our lives for us. The marching orders for our pilgrimage derive from God's Word, containing His holy law.
Matthew (Part Twelve)
Sermon/Bible Study by John W. RitenbaughTo establish sound doctrine, we must build on the foundation Christ's teaching, taking the straight and narrow course rather than the wisdom of this world.