The Higher Calling by Avondale Church of God Podcast

Episode 25; Fighting Unbelief: You Are What You Eat; or The Finest of Wheat

Welcome everyone to Episode 25 of The Higher Calling podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! During the last couple of episodes we have been talking about an objective reality that we don’t always see due to illusions, or non-real things that we perceive, which can turn into delusions which are non-real things that we believe. The bible teaches us that to prevent unbelief we need to see and know truth and the knowledge of truth comes from preaching, and making sure that we are listening to the right voices.
Alot of times, unbelief in the preached word happens due to some inner conflict and struggle about how it would still be best for someone to leave the Fair Havens of safety and all the while ignoring the counsel of their preacher and embark in pursuit of some more commodious goal.
The inspired message, the word of God nourishes, instructs and edifies. Shipwreck can be avoided if the hearer trusts the word, even if they don’t understand it right away. Unbelief will cause someone to throw out the truth that they know… their cargo of wheat, and cause them to be driven by storms and tempests away from the safe haven. In God’s great mercy, the word could come again to them, with instruction and help to rescue them out of shipwreck and get their life back on track. There is a danger of worship or religion that is hypocritical, in the fact that it can lead folks astray, and it happened during John’s time as prophesied by Christ. It’s happening around us today. Will you consume Barley along with your Wheat? Will you spit out the Wheat in favor of Barley? Would you reject the nourishing bread in favor of false religion?
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.
 

Episode 24 - Living by Faith a conversation with Bro Keenan Ward

Enjoy this remastered audio of Episode 24 of the Higher Calling Podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! In this episode we had a conversation with the pastor of the local Church of God conversation about current events, living by faith, and maintaining a close relationship with God! 
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 23: Fighting Unbelief; hypocrisy of a quiet quitter

Welcome everyone to Episode 23 of The Higher Calling podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! During the last couple of episodes we talked about the great lengths that God can go to in helping us to see reality. We know that where there is no vision, the people perish, so we’re going to keep studying there. A theme that has been present through all of this is that there is an objective reality that we don’t always see due to illusions, or non-real things that we perceive, which can turn into delusions which are non-real things that we believe. While ignorance is bliss, and avoidance might be a useful coping mechanism, the bible teaches us that to combat unbelief we need to see truth. Why combat unbelief? Wouldn’t it be more pleasant to live in ignorance? Because without faith it’s impossible to please God and unbelief is the opposite of faith.
Someone doesn’t become a quiet quitter overnight. They grow cold just like every other backslider. But once sin, transgression and iniquity has happened, they keep their flag up. The zeal that was once shown will be suspiciously slow or delayed, but it will be there.  The adherence to standards of modesty will start to slip, and more frequently immodest clothes will be worn in public and show up in social media posts but they will be modest and demure around the other saints in the congregation. 
Something caused the confidence to be cast away. Some event triggered a false disillusionment. The quiet quitter is still trying to preserve much of their status in church while they are waiting for the move to the next best thing. Maybe they have a social status to preserve, like a parental figure that they have to preserve their reputation for. Maybe it’s a small community and small social group and they don’t want their sins to be made known.
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.
 

Episode 22 Fighting Unbelief; Are you awake?

Welcome everyone to Episode 22 of The Higher Calling podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! During the last couple of episodes we talked about the great lengths that God can go to in helping us to see reality.
We know that where there is no vision, the people perish, so we’re going to keep studying there at least one more session. A theme that has been present through all of this is that there is an objective reality that we don’t always see due to illusions, or non-real things that we perceive, which can turn into delusions which are non-real things that we believe. While ignorance is bliss, and avoidance might be a coping mechanism, even a useful one at times, the bible teaches us that to combat unbelief we need to see truth. When you are asleep spiritually, you are more likely to consent to enticement because you are not actively "keeping yourself" you are not watching circumspectly. The deceitfulness of unbelief is more likely to affect someone who is in the process of falling asleep, and the Christian wants to avoid that, and stay awake on guard against unbelief. 
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 21: Dispelling Delusions

Welcome everyone to episode 21 of The Higher Calling Podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! The last episode covered some types of the delusions that we can suffer from, and how those delusions shape our perceptions and become our personal reality. This episode is going to speak to the great lengths that God can go to in helping us to see Him and His truth and explore the antidote to delusional thinking.
God’s reality is quite different than our own. There’s a reality where everything works out for our benefit. There’s a reality where there is healing for our emotional problems and trauma. There’s a reality where God wants to heal our diseases and illnesses. There’s a reality that exists outside of the delusional mental spaces that we land ourselves in, and the great thing about reality is that it’s not some theoretical alternate parallel universe, rather here and now in our world time and space, there’s an answer to our problems.
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling Podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 20 Normalizing Delusions

Welcome everyone to Episode 20 of The Higher Calling Podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! We left off our last episode covering the idea of the church’s mission of bringing needy people to Christ, and the subsequent decision that they make to accept help or not. Part of that podcast had an observation that those in need don’t always know how bad off they really are. This episode is going to cover the delusions that we can suffer under, and how those delusions shape our perceptions and become our personal reality.
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 19; Mission of the Church, bringing needs to Christ

Episode 19 of The Higher Calling Podcast covers: the mission of the church in terms of bringing our neighbor to Christ for healing, both spiritual and physical needs, and the personal choice to accept the help that is being offered. 
As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 18: A Doorkeeper in the House of God

Welcome everyone to Episode 18 of The Higher Calling Podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! We left off our last episode concluding the letter to the Hebrews, with themes such as: the establishment of the Church, the necessity of a God called pastor, brotherly love, holiness in the home and abroad, endurance, and self-denial. This episode is going to cover our personal responsibility in keeping our heart, the church and the congregation pure. 
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.avondalecog.org or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 17; concluding Hebrews study

Welcome everyone to episode 17 of The Higher Calling podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! We left off our last episode talking about the great cloud of witnesses, the heritage of faith, and keeping faith in God's plan.. Hebrews 13 is a conclusion of the letter to Hebrews, and includes themes such as: the necessity of a God called pastor, brotherly love, holiness in the home and abroad, endurance, and self-denial.
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.ceasesinning.com or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.

Episode 16 of The Higher Calling_Hebrews 12

Welcome everyone to EP 16 of The Higher Calling podcast presented by the Avondale Church of God! We left off our last episode talking about Jesus Christ and the new covenant perfecting, being the end of, resolving, or fulfilling the faith of those who lived at the beginning of, and during the old covenant, or the Law. Hebrews 12 is a chapter of self-reflection, and we’re going to spend some time thinking about what our personal motivation is for searching for God, and after finding Him, continuing the fight of faith.
Some key points included in Hebrews chapter 12 are:
Great cloud of witnesses
Benefits of chastening and a personal relationship with God
How our faith in God’s plan can help us stay on the straight and narrow… or how lack of faith will threaten that relationship.
We trust that you'll find the discussion both challenging and encouraging. As always, thank you for listening, and if you have any comments or would like to contact us for any other reason please visit www.ceasesinning.com or email us at biblestudy@avondalecog.org. We love to hear from our audience, and would be happy to further any discussion, or pray for a need you may be experiencing. See you next time on the Higher Calling presented by the Avondale Church of God.