The world as we know it is against Jesus. Because of this, we might face hard questions, attacks, and more that challenge our faith. In today's episode, we answer the question: How Should Christians Respond to Bold Opposition?

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

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Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

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How Should Christians Respond to Bold Opposition?

• Define bold opposition: enemies of God, the cross
• Threats against our values, the truth of the Bible
• Olympic ceremony's 'Last Supper' sketch
• The segment… resembled the biblical scene of Jesus Christ and his apostles sharing a last meal before crucifixion and featured drag queens, a transgender model and a naked singer
• Hugo Bardin, whose drag queen character Paloma took part in the tableau, was disappointed Paris 2024 had felt compelled to apologise. "An apology means recognising a mistake, recognising that you deliberately did something to harm, which was not the case," Bardin said. "What bothers people isn’t that we're reproducing this painting," Bardin continued, "what bothers people is that queer people are reproducing it."
• Other examples in recent years:
• Andres Serrano's Piss Christ (1987): controversial photograph depicting a crucifix submerged in urine
• Authors like Richard Dawkins [The God Delusion (2006)] and Christopher Hitchens [God Is Not Great (2007)]
• Comedians like George Carlin and Bill Maher
• Criticism of Christian stances on social issues (such as LGBTQ+ rights, abortion, and contraception) has often been accompanied by mockery, portraying Christians as outdated or intolerant.
• Philippians 3:18-19 (NLT) 18 For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. 19 They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth.
• Bold enemies of the cross. Getting bolder every year. This makes me mad. How should we respond to this?
• We are told to be tolerant, inclusive, kind - yet we are mocked for our belief in Biblical values and our desire to follow Jesus
• Many Christians want to curse them: pray for their destruction, call down God’s judgment like James and John did in Luke 9
• Summarize story: Luke 9:51-54 (NLT) 51 As the time drew near for him to ascend to heaven, Jesus resolutely set out for Jerusalem. 52 He sent messengers ahead to a Samaritan village to prepare for his arrival. 53 But the people of the village did not welcome Jesus because he was on his way to Jerusalem. 54 When James and John saw this, they said to Jesus, “Lord, should we call down fire from heaven to burn them up?”
• They thought this was God’s MO
• (Pillar...

Today we’ll answer the question: When should you reject spiritual authority? It was required a few times in Christian history, and it all started with Peter and John in Acts 4.

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The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you’re looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

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Here’s a question: When Should You Reject Spiritual Authority?

• Some of you may say, Always
• No one wants to submit these days…
• Judges era: “Everyone did what was right in their own eyes”
• General lack of respect for spiritual authority
• So much hopping around from church to church
• Not a “sense of awe” that we saw at the end of book of Acts
• But see Is Spiritual Authority a Thing Anymore?
• Quick answer: Yes!
• Spiritual leadership in the church flows from Jesus’ authority, and obedience to godly leaders benefits the soul.
• Hebrews 13:17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.
• So I’ll ask again: When should you reject spiritual authority?
• Because you shouldn’t blindly follow it
• There are times you should reject it, as we’ll see in the text today
• We’re covering Acts 4:1-22
• We’ll get there in a minute, but first…

Martin Luther (1483-1546)

• 1507: Ordained as a priest.
• 1517: On October 31, Martin Luther nailed his 95 Theses to the door of the Wittenberg Castle Church, challenging the Catholic Church’s practice of selling indulgences and other corruptions. This event is often marked as the beginning of the Protestant Reformation.
• 1520: Published three key works: "To the Christian Nobility of the German Nation," "On the Babylonian Captivity of the Church," and "On the Freedom of a Christian," outlining his theological views and criticisms of the Church.
• 1521: Excommunicated by Pope Leo X in January. In April, he was summoned to the Diet of Worms, where he famously refused to recant his writings, saying, "Here I stand, I can do no other." Declared an outlaw by the Edict of Worms.

William Tyndale (c. 1494-1536)

• 1523: Sought permission to translate the Bible into English, but was denied by the Bishop of London. Fled the next year to Germany to work on his translation.
• 1525: Completed the New Testament in English, printed in 1526 in Cologne and Worms.
• 1526: The first printed copies of Tyndale’s New Testament were smuggled into England, where they were banned and burned by the Church.
• 1536: William Tyndale was executed by strangulation and then burned at the stake on October 6.

Jan Hus (c. 1372-1415)

• 1400: Ordained as a priest.
• 1411:...

Emotional intelligence (EQ) is crucial for successful relationships, including marriage. EQ is different from IQ and focuses on understanding and managing emotions, as well as understanding others. The five traits of EQ are self-awareness, self-regulation, motivation, empathy, and social skill. In this episode, Bryan and Tracy discuss the importance of EQ for a healthy marriage.

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The PursueGOD Family podcast helps you think biblically about marriage and parenting. Join Bryan and Tracy Dwyer on Wednesday mornings for new topics every week or two.

Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org/family.

Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.

Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.

Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.

Donate Now

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