Robert Hatfield

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Friday, October 17, 2014
“Guidelines for Husbands and Wives”

 

 

 

 

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Ephesians 5 Chart:

Episode Transcript:

Today is October 17, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband (Eph. 5:32-33).

This week, The New You has centered around Ephesians 5:22-33. We have noticed that what is discussed in this text is a picture of the way that marriage is supposed to be. The reason why we can say that so definitely is because this section of Ephesians five is actually about the relationship between Christ and the church (as I just read from Ephesians 5:32). From that relationship, a series of parallels are made to discuss the relationship between husbands and wives.

It is so important that you and I identify ourselves in this picture of a great marriage. As we think about our emphasis on domestic violence this month at The Light Network, I am reminded that abiding by the commands in Ephesians five will prevent my heart from being selfish and, thus, potentially becoming abusive.

So, today, we’re going to do something a little different from our normal format. I’m going to walk through Ephesians 5:22-33 and identify each time something is said to husbands or wives. As we go through the text, we’re interested in three questions: Who is this directed to? What are they to do? How are they to do it?

Here’s the breakdown of Ephesians 5:22-33.

Ephesians 5:22 says that wives (there’s the “who”) are to submit (“what”) to their husbands. How are they to do this? “As to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22). Submit as though you were submitting to Christ.

Next, look at Ephesians 5:23. The husband (“who”) is to be the head of the wife (there’s the “what”). How does he do this? “As Christ is the head of the church.”

Third, wives are addressed in Ephesians 5:24, so there’s our “who.” What are they to do? They are to be subject to their own husbands. How? “Just as the church is subject to Christ.”

Next, husbands are addressed in Ephesians 5:25. What are they to do? “Love your wives.” How? “Just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her.”

Fifth, we turn to Ephesians 5:28. Who is addressed? Husbands. What are they to do? It says that they “ought to love their own wives.” How? “As their own bodies.” Then, the parallel is made in verse twenty nine to Christ: “… just as the Lord does the church.”

Sixth, from Ephesians 5:33, we see the “who” – husbands. What are they to do? “Love his own wife.” How? The text points to the context as it says, “so love his own wife.” In other words, they are to love their wives as Christ loves the church (as we see from Eph. 5:32). Further, the husband is to love his wife “as himself” (Eph. 5:33).

Finally, wives are addressed at the end of Ephesians 5:33. “Let the wife see that she respects her husband.” So what is she to do? She is to respect her husband.

Let’s wrap it up: It’s interesting to me that the husband’s headship is addressed only once in these admonitions. It is further interesting that the husband is admonished three times to love her (Eph. 5:25, 28, 33). Also, it is interesting that the wife’s submission is addressed twice (Eph. 5:22, 24), and the respect that she will have for her godly husband is mentioned there at the end of verse thirty three.

May we take this pattern and apply it to ourselves. Resist the temptation to point the finger at your spouse, surfacing all of the ways that they do it wrong. No, don’t do that. Instead, take Ephesians 5:22-33 introspectively. “Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith” (2 Cor. 13:5).

Further, use this pattern to prevent domestic violence and abuse in your marriage. Be sure that you remember that loving, nourishing, cherishing relationship that Christ has for His bride, the church.

Thank God for your marriage. Glorify God in your marriage.

If you’re interested a visual representation of this data that I presented from Ephesians 5:22-33, I have a chart with each verse, accompanied by the appropriate who, what, and how for husbands and wives. Check it out at thelightnetwork.tv/tny116.

Memory Verse: If you’ve been with us every day this week, then you probably know Psalm 34:18 by now. This one is an easy one to memorize, as it is only two lines! Let’s review it one more time together:

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psa. 34:18).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What is your favorite aspect of the Lord’s church? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “My favorite thing about the church is _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 3 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

Over the weekend: Be sure to worship God on Sunday, the Lord’s day. Assemble with God’s people in your area and worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Need help locating a place to worship? Check out the interactive map (available from our friends at In Search of the Lord’s Way) that will help you find a congregation of God’s people in your area! Just go to thelightnetwork.tv/worship.

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To find out more about The Light Network’s campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence, visit thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Thursday, October 16, 2014
“Marriage and Closeness”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 16, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church (Eph. 5:28-29).

We come today to the third major concept about marriage that is found in this great section of Ephesians five. Paul is discussing the relationship between Christ and the church, and he uses that as a perfect picture for what marriage should be. We’ve seen the concepts of subjection and purity addressed in Ephesians 5:22-27, and, today, we come to Ephesians 5:28-33 about closeness.

Once again, we see two major observations.

First, Christ protects His church. He does this by two means that are identified in this text: nourishing and cherishing (Eph. 5:29). Jesus is certainly concerned with the nourishment of the church. In the Beatitudes, the Lord said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Mat. 5:6). He also said, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35). And again, the Lord said, “I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world” (John 6:51).

In addition to the nourishment that the Lord gives us, the church, He also cherishes the church. The word means to impart warmth, to comfort. What an incredible picture of Jesus and His bride, the church! He protects her by nourishing her and cherishing her.

Now, for the application for our marriages.

Second, the husband protects his wife as his own body. “Husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies,” Paul said in Ephesians 5:28. The point is made that no one would fail to nourish and cherish their own bodies. This is what God expects husbands to do for their wives: pay attention to their needs and provide for them. Protect them.

Peter made this same point over in 1 Peter 3:7: “Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered.” She is a weaker vessel in the sense that she is precious, she should be cherished. Is it the case that he is physically stronger than she is? Well, maybe, but not always. Is it the case that he is emotionally stronger than she is? Well, maybe, but not necessarily. He is to understand that he should view her as someone to cherish, to protect, to love. That’s what Peter is prescribing here in 1 Peter 3:7.

Let’s wrap it up: This speaks to the closeness that exists between husband and wife. Christ loves us as His own body. In fact, the Scriptures often refer to the church as the body of Christ, over which Christ Himself is the head (just look up to Ephesians 5:23 to see that emphasized). Likewise, the husband and the wife are to treat one another with respect and love. After all, “the two shall become one flesh” (Eph. 5:31).

Memory Verse: God loves those who are hurting. Psalm 34:18 tells me that. That’s why this is an incredible verse to memorize and to store until that day when you need it the most. Here’s Psalm 34:18:

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psa. 34:18).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What is your favorite aspect of the Lord’s church? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “My favorite thing about the church is _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 3 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To check out all of our content related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, go to thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Wednesday, October 15, 2014
“Marriage and Purity”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 15, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish (Eph. 5:25-27).

This week, we’re studying from the latter half of Ephesians chapter five to see a beautiful pattern of marriage that certainly contrasts with a domestically abusive situation. We see three important concepts rise from the pages of Ephesians five. Those concepts are subjection (which we discussed yesterday), purity, and closeness. Today, we come to Ephesians 5:25-27 to look at the concept of purity in the home.

Remember that this chapter actually is designed to highlight Christ’s relationship to the church, and then to make applications to the relationship between a husband and a wife. That being the case, two points come before our consideration of purity today.

First, Christ has provided for us, His church. In what ways? The text offers these considerations. Jesus “loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25). Why did He do that? Verse twenty six continues: so “that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word.” There are Christ’s provisions! What a beautiful thought! By making it possible of us to be cleansed and sanctified (set apart for a holy purpose), Jesus has made it possible for us to be pure! Notice the result of this purity: “that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish [or, blameless]” (Eph. 5:27).

Look at what Jesus has done to provide for our needs! Note that Jesus recognizes are greatest need is the salvation, the purification, of our souls. “The Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost” (Luke 19:10). He provides for us.

Secondly, notice the parallel to our marriages: The husband is to provide for his family. Just before the text launches into this brief, but amazing discussion about how Jesus has purified and sanctified the church, husbands receive this command: “Husbands, love your wives” (Eph. 5:25). But the text goes one step further. The Holy Spirit actually qualifies the extent of love that we husbands are to have for our wives: “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Eph. 5:25).

How does a man provide for his family? Perhaps most often, when we think of the man providing for his wife and perhaps children, we think of him “putting bread on the table,” as we say. That’s certainly important. However, remember Jesus’ words, quoting Deuteronomy 8:3: “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Mat. 4:4). Husbands, you provide for your family when you consider their spiritual needs, that is, when you lead them in the way that they should go. Elders are required to be men who teach their children and lead their families in the ways of righteousness and faithfulness (1 Tim. 3:4-5; Titus 1:6). But where do those elders come from? They come from men who are dedicated to doing things God’s way; men who are committed to fulfilling God’s pattern for their homes.

Let’s wrap it up: Jesus expects His bride, the church, to be pure. He has made it possible for us to be pure and holy, through His blood, so that we can be presented before Him on that day when He returns to call us home.

Similarly, we expect our spouses to be pure, don’t we? Husbands, we are to create that pure environment within our homes so that the Lord will be pleased, and so that our marriages will be great.

Memory Verse: How’s it coming with this week’s memory verse? Let’s review Psalm 34:18:

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psa. 34:18).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What is your favorite aspect of the Lord’s church? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “My favorite thing about the church is _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 3 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To check out all of our content related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, go to thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Tuesday, October 14, 2014
“Marriage and Subjection”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 14, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is head of the wife, as also Christ is head of the church; and He is the Savior of the body. Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything (Eph. 5:22-24).

We’re in the middle of our network-wide campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence. As we look at Ephesians chapter five, we see a beautiful pattern for marriage. This is the picture-perfect marriage that is portrayed for us in this chapter.

There are three concepts that jump out from Ephesians 5:22-33 about marriage. Those three concepts are subjection, purity, and closeness. Throughout this week, the Lord willing, we are going to look at each of these three concepts, beginning today with subjection.

Ephesians 5:22 clearly states that the wife is to submit to her husband, as to the Lord. Notice, from Ephesians 5:22-24, two important observations.

First, notice Christ’s position as our Savior and the Head of the church. Yesterday we noticed that Ephesians five is specifically talking about Christ and the church (Eph. 5:32). So notice what we can learn about Jesus and His relationship with the church from these three verses. First, Christ is head of the church. Second, He is the Savior of the body. He is in control, and He has made it possible for us to have this relationship with Him!

As we prepare to make a marital application, we are drawn to the terms that point us back to Jesus and His love. Wives are to submit “as to the Lord” (Eph. 5:22). The husband is the head of the wife “as also Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5:23). “Therefore, just as the church is subject to Christ, so let the wives be to their husbands…,” verse twenty four continues. Christ’s relationship with the church is clearly the pattern here!

Second, notice the positions, or roles, in the home. These verses teach that wives are to submit to their husbands. That word “submit” literally means to arrange oneself under. This is offered as a present middle imperative construction, indicating that she does this voluntarily. She isn’t forced into submission by the husband. Not at all! She chooses to submit! Why? Because she loves God, and she understands that this is her role in the home.

1 Corinthians 11:3 tells us the way God has organized things. Paul said, “But I want you to know that the head of every man is Christ, the head of woman is man, and the head of Christ is God.”

Now, husbands, we are to be the head of the house. Why are we the head? Well, because that’s God’s plan for us. How do we lead our homes? Notice again the comparative terms: “as also Christ is head of the church” (Eph. 5:23). Does Jesus force us into submission through abuse and manipulation? Of course not. He lets us choose to obey. Does the Lord feel the need to assert his authority through force? No. He gently obeys His Father’s Will (John 6:38). Men, let’s take a lesson from our Lord.

Let’s wrap it up: Subjection is a part of God’s pattern for the home. Everyone has roles in the home. God never intended for these roles to demean anyone’s value. Of course not! God loves all people (John 3:16). He made them all in His image (Gen. 1:26-27). He invites all to be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4), and, when they are, they are brought into Christ, where “there is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Gal. 3:28).

Memory Verse: I love this week’s memory verse. I have found it helpful when my heart felt broken. Here’s Psalm 34:18:

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psa. 34:18).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What is your favorite aspect of the Lord’s church? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “My favorite thing about the church is _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 3 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To check out all of our content related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, go to thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Monday, October 13, 2014
“The Picture Perfect Marriage”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 13, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself (Eph. 5:25-28).

Ephesians five is a text that we often use when discussing marriage and the relationship that should exist between a husband and a wife. We’re certainly right in doing so, and yet Paul makes it clear that this passage’s primary focus is not on marriage. “I speak concerning Christ and the church,” Paul wrote in Ephesians 5:32. This is a passage that is really about Christ and His relationship to the church.

Make no mistake about it, the church is the Bride of Christ. Scripture refers to the church as the Lamb’s bride in several places, such as Revelation 21:9, Revelation 19:7, and 2 Corinthians 11:2.

It is no wonder, then, that the Holy Spirit makes parallels and applications between the relationship between Christ and the church, and the relationship between husbands and wives. In fact, what we’re seeing in this passage is much more than just some facts about relationships. We’re seeing the ideal pattern for marriage! This is the way that it should be! Notice several cursory observations from Ephesians 5:22-33.

First, the husband is to identify himself with the picture of Christ in the text. Now husbands, don’t let this go to your head. We will discuss more about some of these details later this week, the Lord willing. For now, stop and think about what this text is calling on you and me to do. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church” (Eph. 5:25). You better love her the way that Christ loves His bride. Let that sink in, and then ask yourself: is this how I love my wife?

Second, the wife is to identify herself with the picture of the church in this text. Wives, think about what a privilege it is to be a member of the Lord’s body, the church (cf. 1 John 3:1-3). Think about the joy in your heart that results from this relationship that exists between the church and Jesus. Then, think about the church’s commitment to Christ. Think about how much it means to the church that Christ would sacrifice Himself for her purity and wellbeing. Think about the closeness that exists between Christ and His church.

Let’s wrap it up: What we’re seeing is a picture perfect marriage. As we look at this picture painted for us in the words of Ephesians five, we are reminded that God’s plan is always best. If all of our marriages were comprised of more husbands who love their wives like Christ loves the church, and if our marriages were comprised of more wives who love their husbands like the church loves Christ, then we would see unparalleled strength among Christians and among our society.

I cannot leave this picture in Ephesians five, though, without being reminded that I am the church. All who have been added to church by the Lord (Acts 2:47) must always be mindful of the fact that one day we will be presented to Christ, the Lamb. Jesus expects us to be pure, holy, faithful, and committed to our relationship with Him.

I hope you’ll join me throughout this week as we notice three themes from the Ephesians five picture, all of which relate to building better marriages. This will, by contrast, show us the dangers of departing from God’s pattern for the home. The three themes are subjection, purity, and closeness. More on that tomorrow, the Lord willing.

Memory Verse: This week’s memory verse reminds us that God is aware of all of our hurts and pains – even when our heart is broken. Here’s Psalm 34:18.

The LORD is near to those who have a broken heart,

And saves such as have a contrite spirit (Psa. 34:18).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What is your favorite aspect of the Lord’s church? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “My favorite thing about the church is _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 3 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To check out all of our content related to Domestic Violence Awareness Month, go to thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Friday, October 10, 2014
“People CAN Change!”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 10, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

“But the father said to his servants, ‘Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’ And they began to be merry (Luke 15:22-24).

People can change. That’s one of the many lessons that I can learn from the parable of the prodigal son.

He certainly needed to change, didn’t he? You remember how he had asked for an advance on his inheritance from his father. He received it and proceeded to go to a country far away and waste all of that money on riotous living. Finally, he hit rock bottom, finding himself in a pig pen longing to eat the pig slop because he had no food. He was humiliated and lonely.

This son was the product of his own will, wasn’t he? I mean, he – and he alone – was to blame for getting himself in this situation. He wanted to please himself and he disregarded the consequences. He wanted to do what would make him feel good regardless of how it impacted other people.

But at that moment in the pig pen, he “came to himself.” He realized that he needed to change … and he did! Look how he did it.

1. There was REFLECTION. In Luke 15:17, he thought about what he had left behind at his father’s house. His father had hired servants that had more food than he had!

2. There was RESOLUTION. This prodigal son decided that he would get up, go to his father, and beg his father to allow him to live in his house again, except this time just as one of the servants.

3. There was REPENTANCE. This was going to be more than just an empty apology. He was determined to never do this again! So he got up and went to his father. We learn from Luke 15:20 that his father was waiting on him. When his father saw him, the father “had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him.” The son confessed, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son” (Luke 15:21). But that’s all that the father allowed his son to say.

4. There was REJOICING. Luke 15:22-24 records the celebration in this parable that Jesus told. The father called for the best robe, a ring, and sandals, all for his son who had returned! The father ordered that the fatted calf be killed. They were going to have a celebratory feast! “For this my son was dead and is alive again,” the father exclaimed, “he was lost and is found” (Luke 15:24).

Let’s wrap it up: If you and I would have passed by the pig pen on the day that the prodigal son was in it, then we might have pitied him, and then we probably would have said, “there’s just no hope for people like that.” Perhaps we would have passed some type of unrighteous judgment on him that he would never change. But he did! He determined in his mind that he would, and he did! And when he did, he found his father waiting on him back home.

Let’s apply this to a domestic violence situation. Are you abusive to your spouse? Do you tear down your spouse with your words or in some other way? Listen to me: you can change. You must change! Don’t shift the blame onto someone else. Take responsibility for your actions! Reflect, resolve, repent and then you will find rejoicing back home at your Father’s house!

Now let’s apply these concepts in a broader way. Do you feel stuck in sin? Do you feel as if the new in you is long gone and that the old man has crept back in? Listen: you can change! If the prodigal son did, then you can, too! Reflect, resolve, repent, and prepare to rejoice with God in heaven over the salvation of your soul!

Jesus said, “I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents” (Luke 15:7, 10).

Memory Verse: Today is Friday and if you’ve been with us all this week, then I think you will probably have this verse memorized by now! Let’s say it together, Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Thanks for participating in our New You Challenge for a better internet! I’m encouraged by those who have stated ways in which you have changed since you became a Christian. Isn’t it amazing what Jesus has done for us?! Thank God for that change! I hope you’ll participate in week three of the ten week challenge for a better internet. That’s coming your way next week.

Over the weekend: Be sure to worship God on Sunday, the Lord’s day. Assemble with God’s people in your area and worship Him in Spirit and in truth (John 4:24). Need help locating a place to worship? Check out the interactive map (available from our friends at In Search of the Lord’s Way) that will help you find a congregation of God’s people in your area! Just go to thelightnetwork.tv/worship.

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To find out more about The Light Network’s campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence, visit thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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Thursday, October 9, 2014
“Taking Responsibility for My Actions”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 9, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezek. 18:20).

We’re talking this month about domestic violence. This is part of The Light Network’s campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence and domestic abuse. This week’s episodes of The New You have centered upon the mindset that many abusers have. We have, of course, spent a lot of time looking at the fact that these abusive actions are rebuked in Scripture.

Abusers are manipulative. They lead their victims to believe that they act the way they do because they are provoked into it. In other words, if she wouldn’t do such and such, then he wouldn’t fly off the handle. They make their victims feel as if the fault lies with them, the victim, instead of the one who is committing the actions, the abuser.

Listen again to the verse that I just read, Ezekiel 18:20.

The soul who sins shall die. The son shall not bear the guilt of the father, nor the father bear the guilt of the son. The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself (Ezek. 18:20).

Two principles come to the front as we consider this verse. First, there is the principle of REAPING, then there is the principle of RESPONSIBILITY.

First, the REAPING. “The soul who sins shall die.” This sentence reminds me of what Paul wrote in Galatians chapter six.

Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life (Gal. 6:7-8).

You reap what you sow. It’s a law of nature. That’s how God created the world. Here’s the thing: “the wages of sin is death” (Rom. 6:23). “Sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:15). It’s no surprise, as we consider the law of sowing and reaping, that “the soul who sins shall die.” What else would we expect?

Second, the RESPONSIBILITY. Since we see that sin leads to death, we understand that we – individually – must take responsibility for our sins. Ezekiel wrote that the father will not bear the guilt of the son, nor shall the son bear the guilt of the father. You can’t piggy-back off of someone else’s righteousness, and you aren’t blamed for someone else’s wickedness. We all must take responsibility for ourselves.

That was exactly what God expected of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, wasn’t it? The serpent deceived Eve and she ate the forbidden fruit. Further, she gave some of that fruit to her husband, Adam, and he also ate it. When God confronted them about their sin, they tried to avoid taking the responsibility. He blamed her and she blamed the serpent, but they were all punished.

Let’s wrap it up: Time doesn’t allow us to develop this point too much, but the Bible makes it abundantly clear that we have control over our actions. Inherent in the command to repent of our sins (found in Luke 13:3, 5; Acts 17:30; etc.) is the idea that we have the choice to stop living in sin and to begin living for the Lord. We can choose to renew our minds (Rom. 12:1) and to live as Christians should live.

I understand that there are instances in which one can be a stumbling block to another person, tempting the other person to sin. In that situation, we are discussing two people who have each sinned. Didn’t both of them make that decision to yield to the temptation? And thus the need once again to take responsibility for our actions.

Sometimes we do the same thing that Adam and Eve tried to do way back in Genesis three. We try to push our actions off on other people. Ultimately, we must remember these two principles that we have discussed today: reaping and responsibility. With that in mind, we understand that our actions determine our eternal destiny, and we will answer for everything that we have done.

Memory Verse: Romans 8:28 is this week’s verse, and it reminds us that things will turn out great for those who trust in God. I’ll say it once, and then ask you to repeat it with me the second time. Here’s Romans 8:28.

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

The New You 10 Week Challenge for a Better Internet! Let’s work together to make the Internet a better place. Each week, I’ll give you a challenge, and I want to encourage you to take to social media with that challenge, followed by the hashtag #NewYouChallenge.

This week I want us to answer this question: What has changed the most about you after you became a Christian? So head over to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and the like and compose a post which says, “Now that I’m a Christian, _____. #NewYouChallenge” This is week 2 of the 10 week challenge for a better Internet!

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

To find out more about The Light Network’s campaign to raise awareness about domestic violence, visit thelightnetwork.tv/stopviolence.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!

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For Wednesday, October 8, 2014
“The Profile of the Hypocrite”

 

 

 

 

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Episode Transcript:

Today is October 8, 2014, and you’re listening to The New You, the daily broadcast for people who have been made new by the blood of Christ. Here is today’s Scripture:

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good (Rom. 12:9).

In her book The Verbally Abusive Relationship, Patricia Evans points out that, in each case of verbal abuse about which she has known, the abusive husband has only been verbally abusive when the husband and the wife were in private. He never acted that way in public.

This is called hypocrisy, and the Bible is extremely clear about its evils. In the original language, the word referred to an actor, one who perhaps would hold up a mask, pretending to be one person when, in actuality, he was another person.

Jesus had a lot to say about hypocrisy that I think is worthy for all of us to consider. Taking Jesus’ teachings from the book of Matthew, let’s look together at this seven-point profile of a hypocrite.

First, a hypocrite does what he does to be seen of men. During His sermon on the mount, Jesus described those who gave charitable gifts, prayed, and fasted all for the purpose of being seen by other people (Mat. 6). They didn’t care about doing it to God’s glory. In fact, they wanted all of the glory for themselves. Jesus said that they would not receive an eternal reward because they were already receiving their reward in their earthly life.

Second, the hypocrite holds other people to a standard that he does not follow. In Matthew 7:5, when Jesus is teaching about the proper kind of judgment, He mentions that we must first be willing to “remove the plank from your own eye and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” Paul mentions a similar situation in Romans 2:3.

Third, he professes one thing, but does another. Not only does the hypocrite tell people what to do when he doesn’t do it, he acts as though he is doing right, but he actually isn’t. He’s doing nothing more than playing church. Remember: he’s an actor! Jesus spoke of people who honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from Him (Mat. 15:7). Further, the Lord spoke of those who would wash the outside of the cup and dish, but they would neglect the inside (Mat. 23:25, 27). In other words, they were fake. Their hearts weren’t right! This is hypocrisy.

Fourth, he turns a blind eye to the truth. Jesus rebuked the Pharisees and the Sadducees who had a requested to see a sign from heaven. They sought to test the Lord rather than to believe in Him. Jesus said that they were not willing to see the very evidence in front of them (Mat. 16:3). Many people are playing religion, but they don’t really care to be changed by the power of the gospel. They see the truth, but are unwilling to apply it to their own lives.

Fifth, the hypocrite compromises other people’s salvation. In Matthew twenty three, the Lord said that the scribes and Pharisees had not only affected their own souls in their hypocrisy, but that they had also hindered others from seeing the truth. He said, “You travel land and sea to win one proselyte, and when he is won, you make him twice as much a son of hell as yourselves” (Mat. 23:15).

Sixth, he strains at gnats and swallows camels. He takes God’s law and blows it way out of proportion. The hypocrite turns religion into some type of “checklist religion,” as though salvation is merited on works rather than by God’s grace coupled with our acts of obedience. As a result, Jesus said that they were “straining and gnats and swallowing camels” (Mat. 23:24).

Seventh, according to Jesus, hypocrites have a place in hell. This sounds harsh, doesn’t it? In Matthew twenty four, Jesus told of an evil servant who mistreated his fellow servants. When the master came back and saw what the evil servant had done, he “cut him in two and appointed him his portion with the hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.”

Let’s wrap it up: There will be no hypocrites in heaven. Now I want you understand something. There’s a difference between a hypocrite and an imperfect human being. We all sin (Rom. 3:23) – even those of us who profess to be Christians. But we can be forgiven. We don’t have to pretend to be something that we’re not. We can be cleansed by Jesus’ blood as we continue to walk in the light (1 John 1:7).

James reminds us that “the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy” (James 3:17).

Memory Verse: It is only when we trust God and obey Him to the best of our ability that we have true and full assurance of God’s peace in our lives. This week’s verse clearly tells us that. Here’s Romans 8:28:

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose (Rom. 8:28).

OUTRO:

Thanks for joining today me on The New You. New episodes of this broadcast are released each weekday, Monday through Friday, from The Light Network. Archives of this program, episode transcripts, and more Christian podcasts are available there, too, at thelightnetwork.tv.

I welcome your questions, comments, or suggestions for the show! My email address is robert@thelightnetwork.tv and my voicemail number is 903-26-LIGHT, that’s 903-265-4448. I’d love to hear from you!

This is The New You, I’m Robert Hatfield, and I hope you have a great day!