In Matthew 6, the disciples request Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus offers them something entirely unexpected to their old covenant way of thinking. He constructs a short prayer that serves as a pattern for all our conversations with God. While the prayer contains all the elements one might expect, Jesus addresses God using a personal name utterly foreign to the Jewish theological mind. Much like the worship objects of their pagan neighbors, the Jews worshiped a very distant, remote, and even fearful being. Jesus offers them a much more affectionate, personal, and familial approach: “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9).Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In an age when doctrine is disregarded and dismissed, the Apostle Paul reminds us that biblical sound doctrine is the golden chain through which all Christian characteristics are linked. Without sound doctrine, the chain falls apart, releasing a torrent of false teaching and an onslaught of immaturity. We could put it a more straightforward way: without sound doctrine, the church falls apart.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Jonathan Edwards believed that sanctification—an inward transformation of our affections in making us more like Jesus—was beautification. That is, being made holy is being made beautiful. At salvation, the Holy Spirit took up residence within us at the moment of salvation and begins a transformative work of making us like Jesus—making us beautiful. This beautifying process begins by fixing our gaze upon the one who is supremely beautiful and lovely.Visit the Walking Worthy website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The disciples had the daunting task of walking in the footsteps of Jesus and continuing his ministry on earth—the proclamation of the gospel to the nations, the organization of the church, discipling believers, and caring for orphans and widows. How were they to do it all? Jesus told them, “My Father will give you a Helper.” The Holy Spirit is absolutely enough for you to fulfill every aspect of the turning-the-world-upside-down ministry to which Jesus has called his church.Visit the Walking Worthy website:walkingworthypodcast.com

We live in a day and time within the history of the church that perhaps there is no more misunderstood person of the Trinity than the Holy Spirit. Through the ages, He has been theologically abused and turned into someone, or something, that is unbiblical. So, let’s ask the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” Visit the Walking Worthy Website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Jesus commands His faithful followers to respond to persecutions, revilings, false accusations, and evil done against them with joy and gladness. This joy and gladness is the response of a believer who has their faith anchored in the assurance that what Jesus has prepared for us will far more than compensate for every pain and struggle in this life. In this episode, Dustin takes us into Jesus' words in Matthew 5:12.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In the conclusion of his beatitude statements in Matthew 5, Jesus pronounces a divine blessing upon those who suffer persecution because they exhibit the godly characteristics of the previous beatitudes. In today's episode, Dustin unpacks the most unlikely blessing, a blessing of persecution for all who identify with Christ and his message.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In Matthew 5, Jesus blesses "peacemakers." Jesus is clear that the priority of every Christian should be peacemaking, and when such a priority is present, they can be assured that they are his sons and daughters. How are Christians supposed to demonstrate authentic biblical peacemaking? In today's episode, Dustin examines the concept of true biblical peacemaking.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

If the Beatitudes teach us anything, they teach us that Jesus is concerned with our heart. It’s not enough to clean up our act on the outside. The aim of Jesus is not to make people nicer, or reform our manners, but to change the hearts of sinners from the inside out. In today's episode, Dustin examines Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

We seem so unfamiliar with extending mercy to others. We seem more concerned about having our opinions heard than we are extending mercy to others. Jesus says in Matthew 5:7 that to actually be a kingdom citizen, to actually have a transformed heart, to actually demonstrate you are a true believer is to show mercy to others out of a heart of love and compassion.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The faithful follower of Christ "hungers and thirsts for righteousness" with the same deep yearning they would have to feed their malnourished bodies. The true disciple longs for the profound transformation of their lives into the image of Christ. The true disciple desires the Holy Spirit to point out sin in their life so that they might confess, repent, and draw closer to God. The true disciple aches within to demonstrate the mercy and love of Christ to a broken world. In this episode, Dustin explores what it means for the believer to "hunger and thirst for righteousness" and the practical implications for the life of those who desire to walk worthy.

Why is meekness so rarely found among believers? Because so few know what it is to be truly poor in spirit and to mourn for their sins. Many believers think they have everything under control and have the Christian life completely figured out, and with pride, they fail to depend entirely upon the Lord, recognize their sin as heinous in God's sight, and forget to fly to Him for grace. In today's episode, Dustin explores Jesus' words in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Mourning is part of what it means to live in a fallen sinful world. We have countless reasons to mourn—sickness, isolation, disease, disappointment, being let down by friends, separated from family, financial crisis, and the list could go on and on. Sorrow is part of what it means to be human and even a believer. What does it mean to be characterized by mourning? In today's episode, Dustin examines Jesus' words in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

Those who inherit the kingdom of God are those who recognize their spiritual poverty before a holy and majestic God. They are those who acknowledge their spiritual neediness when their good deeds measure as less than dust against the weighty infinite sacrifice of Christ. In today's episode of Walking Worthy, Dustin Benge examines Jesus' words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit."Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

The great Puritan commentator Matthew Henry devised a prayer method that offers prayers for “the lost world,” specifically for the advance of the gospel to foreign nations and the growth of the church worldwide through salvation. With a scriptural framework, Henry purposefully structured his prayers so that those praying would be reciting the words of Scripture. In this episode, we will explore Henry's prayers and how we should pray for the lost world.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.comdustinbenge.com

Words are necessary to communicate this good news. In this episode, we examine Paul's words in Romans 10:14–15 and why it is necessary that we herald the gospel of Christ.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.comdustinbenge.com

No church has the freedom to tamper with, tweak, add to, or subtract from the good news of Jesus Christ—we are just to herald it. For there is nothing more beautiful and lovely in the sight of God than the extricating of sinners from the kingdom of darkness and delivering them to the kingdom of light.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.comdustinbenge.com

Surrounded by bad news at every turn, the church has been entrusted with good news, the good news of the gospel, which finds its foundation in God himself. The gospel is not an earthly message but a heavenly message. In this episode, we explore the good news of the gospel.Visit our website: walkingworthypodcast.com dustinbenge.com

Though Scripture doesn’t reveal much about Jesus’ immediate family, we have brief glimpses of his mother, brothers, and sisters throughout the gospel record (Matt. 13:55–56). In this episode, we examine the relationship Jesus had with his earthly family and how he came to establish a new family.Listen to more episodes of Walking Worthy by subscribing and visiting: walkingworthypodcast.com

To read Jesus’ High Priestly prayer in John 17 is to be welcomed behind the veil that shrouds the relationship between God the Father and Jesus Christ the Son. Before beginning his journey to the cross, Jesus pauses and allows us to eavesdrop on his intercession. In this episode, we examine a small portion of that prayer. Listen to more episodes of Walking Worthy by subscribing and visiting: walkingworthypodcast.com

The initial chapters of the New Testament remind us that God’s incarnate Son is a Savior. In Mark 15:33–41, the apex of Jesus’ work as our Savior is on horrific, glorious display. Horrific because of the immense suffering, shame, and mocking our Lord endured, yet glorious because it’s at this place of suffering that sinners are rescued. Listen to more episodes of Walking Worthy by subscribing and visiting: walkingworthypodcast.com

Leading up to Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection, there are many participants in the grand drama of redemption. From Judas who betrays our Lord to the priests who condemn him, each person plays a vital role in God’s sovereign plan. One of the most striking scenes is found in John 12:1–8. In this episode, we examine this story and a woman by the name of Mary who gives all she has to worship Jesus.Listen to more episodes of Walking Worthy by subscribing and visiting: walkingworthypodcast.com

The entire ministry of Jesus was spent among ordinary people. As Jesus made his way to the home of Jairus, he's interrupted by a woman who had had a hemorrhage for twelve years. In that busy moment, Jesus was fully accessible to this woman, healed her condition, and saved her soul. Listen to more episodes of Walking Worthy by subscribing and visiting: walkingworthypodcast.com

There's more taking place in the miracles of Christ than just feeding multitudes, changing water into wine, and healing disease. In Mark 7, Jesus' compassion is lavished on a man unable to hear or speak. Jesus enters a man's world demonstrating his compassion for all who come to him.Listen to more episodes: walkingworthypodcast.com

The glory of Christ often comes into greater focus when we find ourselves in the darkest valleys. The same happened for Jesus' disciples when Jesus unveiled his glory before them. In this episode, we examine Jesus' transfiguration and what that meant for his disciples as his death was just over the horizon. Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

Apart from the resurrection of Christ, the only other miracle to appear in all four Gospel accounts is Jesus' feeding of the five thousand. More than just a miracle, Dustin examines Jesus' sufficiency in providing more than enough for his sheep. Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

In the past two episodes, we looked at the first two lessons Jesus offers on prayer. Today, we conclude Jesus' instructions in Matthew 6 by considering prayer as a means of revealing God's goodness by cultivating genuine humility.Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

In the last episode, we looked at Jesus’ first lesson in his instructions on prayer, which is a desire to be praised. In today's episode, Dustin examines Matthew 6:7 and Jesus' second instruction on prayer. Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount, he instructs his disciples on how different the prayer life of true believers should be from the hypocritical Pharisees. Today, Dustin begins to consider Jesus' instructions on prayer from Matthew 6.Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

There are two spiritual undertakings to be continuously part of a believer’s life and growth in Christ toward holiness. One is the reading of Scripture, and the second is prayer. Today, Dustin Benge considers John Calvin's instructions on prayer.Listen to more episodes: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

Self-control is not a fruit that believers may nibble. To be self-controlled is a command. A command to submit to the will of God at all times, in all circumstances, abandoning our selfish desires and sinful pleasures. Peter says, “Make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love” (2 Pet. 1:5–7). Self-control is hard work and effort. The Spirit beautifies the church by demonstrating through her that self-denial is our King’s mandate. Our selves and wills are subservient to him—always. 

In today’s episode, we come to the fruit of gentleness. This fruit has been called “meekness” and speaks of a gentle blowing breeze that hints at strength but holds back in power. Anyone who lives on the coast will experience such a breeze. One minute it can be gentle and pleasant, and the next it can churn the waves, tossing sea spray into the air. This fruit also alludes to a tame beast with the strength to tear the flesh of a foe but the restraint not to unleash that strength.

Just the mention of this word brings to our remembrance the promise of Lamentations 3:22–23: “The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” Our Lord’s steadfast faithfulness is a reminder that he is unfailingly loyal to his people. He doesn’t leave us to fend for ourselves, or figure it out ourselves, or even to pull ourselves up by our proverbial bootstraps. He doesn’t leave his church without a commission, without equipping, or even without instructions. In this episode, we look at the Spirit's fruit of faithfulness

The fruit of goodness conveys a determined resolve that all our actions and responses toward others will be made in light of living coram Deo, in the presence of God. The Old Testament emphasizes that “goodness” is an attribute of God (Neh. 9:25). Regardless of the need for confrontation with wayward creatures, God consistently acts out of his infinite goodness in a manner that brings ultimate glory to himself. On this episode, we explore the Spirit's fruit of goodness.

Increasingly, the fruit of kindness is absent at the core of the body of Christ. Disagreements, dissension, and discord seem to mark today’s church more than the fruit of kindness. Everyone is out for himself, her own ideas, their agendas. But the Spirit desires to beautify the church by creating succulent fruit on the branch that yields the sweetness of our tender care for fellow believers and unbelievers alike, those inside the church and those outside.

This fruit of patience is increasingly rare in the church. We exercise little patience with those who disagree with us. We extend little patience with those we disagree with. The Spirit beautifies the bride of Christ by producing within her self-restraint that doesn’t retaliate. Today's episode explores the fruit of patience.   

When the Holy Spirit indwells believers at the moment of our salvation, he begins to produce fruit in our lives to authenticate our union with Christ and give us assurance that our salvation is genuine. The Apostle Paul describes such fruit in Galatians 5:22–23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” Together, we’ve examined the fruits of love and joy and on today’s episode, we come to the third fruit: peace. An incident in the life of Jesus reminds us of the type of peace birthed and fostered in the church by the Spirit. Amid a violent storm upon the Sea of Galilee, the disciples discover Jesus asleep in the boat’s stern yet he demonstrates the glorious peace that resides within his heart. 

There’s no more familiar expression of the Holy Spirit’s beautifying work within the church and the lives of individual believers than Galatians 5:22–23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” At our salvation, the Holy Spirit indwells us and begins to produce fruit in our lives to authenticate our union with Christ. Last time together, we examined the first fruit of the Spirit that Paul mentions: love. Second, we come to joy. When the buds of joy blossom on the branch, the Spirit is generating more than mere happiness. The result is a “joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” (1 Pet. 1:8). A joy unconditional, independent of the circumstances around us.

There’s perhaps no better or more familiar expression of the Holy Spirit’s beautifying work within the church than Galatians 5:22–23, “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” At our salvation, the Spirit could instantaneously make us holy in action, word, and deed. However, he chooses instead to produce fruit in our lives to authenticate our union with Christ. Bearing fruit is a sign that we are in Christ, and he is in us. 

The Holy Spirit is mentioned some fifty-six times in the book of Acts as filling, helping, guiding, calling, aiding, growing, sanctifying, maturing, organizing, assisting, regenerating, teaching, testifying to, interceding for, reminding, grieving over, and loving believers, who make up the church. Without the ministry of the Holy Spirit, there is no church. But with the ministry of the Holy Spirit, the church shines forth beautifully as he makes her his glorious dwelling.

God resides explicitly in a distinctive and familial way among his people. God dwells in heaven in the sense that his glory, majesty, and holiness are on display there in particular richness while also assuring his people that he will “be glory in her midst” (Zech. 2:5). Moved by his inexhaustible love for the church before the foundation of the world, God resides in her midst with “all spiritual blessings in heavenly places” (Eph. 1:3), so that even now those who are part of his family on earth “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:6). In today's episode, we explore the definition of the church as the "household of God."

The church has played a central role in many of our lives. She has nurtured in times of grief, shepherded in valleys of despair, and instructed in seasons of growth. We love her people. We love her ministries. We love her worship. We love her teaching. We love her comfort. Do we love her? In today's episode, we explore the glorious thought of the church as beautiful. 

In his timeless book Of Temptation: The Nature and Power of It, Puritan John Owen amazes the reader with his use of words, biblical analogies, and practical advice. The Scripture and our own life experience attest to the fact that each believer faces temptation on a daily basis. Everyone's temptations are not the same, but we all have one thing in common: we are all tempted (James 1:14). Owen gives some practical advice when we find ourselves caught off guard and suddenly wrapped in the tentacles of temptation.

The fall of Satan and his angels are shrouded behind a veil and cloaked in mystery. Writing extensively on the fallen angels, Jonathan Edwards (1703–1558) believed that Lucifer—the name that many in church history have given to Satan before his fall—was created to be immensely superior to all the other angels and held a type of leadership, dominion, and strength over the other angels. This episode examines the fall of Satan from the perspective of Jonathan Edwards

Jonathan Edwards, the New England eighteenth-century pastor, agrees with the medieval theologians that angels spend a substantial amount of time as ministering spirits to humanity. They exist, he says, as invisible armies around all true believers in Christ. The ultimate purpose of God in creating the world, for Jonathan Edwards, is linked with the incarnation of the Son of God—the joining of the eternal Son with human nature in the person of Jesus Christ. In this episode, we continue exploring the theology of angels in the thought of Jonathan Edwards.  

Angels were scarce in eighteenth-century New England. The Puritans certainly did not ignore the supernatural since the supernatural is part of the biblical story. But the subject of angels had long fallen out of fashion. In their vast corpus of sermons, tracts, and writings, the Puritans seldom referenced the subject of angels. When they mentioned angels, they did so with a great deal of trepidation and only in their regular exposition of Scripture. Rarely did they engage in what contemporary theologians call “angelology”—the doctrine of angels. In this episode we begin to discuss the theology of angels in the thought and writing of Jonathan Edwards 

To dismiss the theology of angels as too mysterious, too theoretical, or too mystical is to discount the clear evidence of their existence throughout Scripture and the intellectual exercise and spiritual reflection of countless Christian thinkers throughout church history. It should, therefore, be our aim as Christians to develop a robust angelology in the sincere hope that attention, theological reflection, and gospel sanctification would be directed, not upon the angels themselves, but upon Christ whom we worship and serve together.

Surrounded by mysticism and mystery, the Christian view of angels needs desperate reformation. We need a well-thought-out and carefully structured biblical and theological understanding of these celestial creatures and their function within the redemptive story of God. Therefore, we must ask, what does the Bible say?

In the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, our Lord offers instructions about how we should pray. We all could easily recite this prayer from memory, but do we know it? That is, have you ever correctly grasped what Jesus is saying? At the beginning of the prayer, Jesus offers the petition, “Your kingdom come.” Our Father, who sits in supreme authority and power over all things, and worthy of all of our worship, adoration, and hallowing as the One whose character is set apart from all unholy things, is the only one worthy to reign. In this episode, we ask the question, “How do we rightly respond to the kingdom?"

In the middle of his Sermon on the Mount, our Lord offers instructions about how we should pray. We all could easily recite this prayer from memory, but do we know it? That is, have you ever correctly grasped what Jesus is saying? At the beginning of the prayer, Jesus offers the petition, “Your kingdom come.” Our Father, who sits in supreme authority and power over all things, and worthy of all of our worship, adoration, and hallowing as the One whose character is set apart from all unholy things, is the only one worthy to reign. In this episode, we ask the question, “Whose is this kingdom?”

The first petition in our Lord’s model prayer in Matthew 6 is found at the end of verse 9, “Hallowed be Your name.” This is the first petition of the prayer and automatically rivets our minds and hearts to God in our prayers — we don’t begin by bombarding Him with requests and to-do lists, but there’s a time to revere Him and hallow His name. There will be a time for requests, intercession, and petitions on behalf of ourselves and others, but at the beginning, we simply are to revere Him as our preeminent priority. This one statement encompasses all of God’s nature and person and our response to His nature and person. 

Too often, prayer can become a means to an end, and sadly, many times; it becomes a means to a selfish end as we focus all of our prayers on ourselves. In the middle of our Lord’s Sermon on the Mount, he provides a model that all believers should follow, informing our theology on prayer and actually praying. And when reading this prayer, we quickly learn that this model prayer is not focused on us as it is God. Every aspect of this prayer speaks of God’s relationship, His resources, His provisions, His forgiveness, His reverence, and His sovereign rule. In this episode, we examine Matthew 6:9, “Our Father in heaven.”

The word “joy” appears nearly two hundred times throughout Scripture. The Old Testament is filled with references to joy, from the psalmist who “shouts to God with cries of joy” to the prophet Isaiah describing eternity filled with “gladness and joy” (Ps. 47:1; Isa. 35:10). When we come to the New Testament, the Apostle Paul reminds believers that joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit, a virtue present within Christian believers (Gal. 5:22). Joy is not to be confused with happiness, which is often based on favorable circumstances. True abiding joy is a feeling within believers of inner gladness, delight, or rejoicing, despite circumstances. 

A defining characteristic of a genuine Christian believer is the virtue of humility. Humility is the antithesis of pride and manifests itself most fully when we examine ourselves in light of our sinfulness and God’s perfect holiness. Scripture is clear that a truly humble person has a correct view of themselves, denies self and places others first, exhibits grace and love toward others, and redirects all praise from themselves to Christ. Ultimately, a humble person follows the example of the Lord Jesus Christ, who is our preeminent example of a genuinely humble heart.

In an age of scrutinizing everything as “fake news,” truth seems a rare commodity. Last time together, we began discussing how to develop spiritual discernment, and we saw how our spiritual discernment is directly related to our desire for wisdom. John Calvin reminds us, “Nearly all the wisdom we possess, that is to say, true and sound wisdom, consists of two parts: the knowledge of God and of ourselves.” In this episode, we continue examining the characteristics of spiritual discernment. 

Over the past year, we’ve seen how quickly news and social media can enrage, elicit fear, provoke anger, and fuel movements. This information overload is sometimes more than we can bear and has sent believers and unbelievers alike spiraling into a cloud of despair and hopelessness as we’re simply trying to discern what to believe. In this episode, we begin to examine three characteristics believers should pursue to develop spiritual discernment. 

From the moment we’re saved, the Holy Spirit places an insatiable impulse within us to grow in the Christian life. Suddenly there are desires present that were not present before salvation that drive us to read the Scriptures, to pray, to share our faith with others, and to sit under sound teaching and preaching — all for the purpose of growing. This growth isn’t an end in itself. It’s not necessarily meant to make us smarter intellectually, or better equipped to deal with the problems of this life, or even in order to become some elite Christian. This growth has a goal, and that goal is a person, our Lord, and Savior Jesus Christ.

Throughout the Gospels, we have a beautiful picture of Jesus’ compassion and care of children. In stark contrast to the society and culture of his day, Jesus elevated children back to the belief that children are a heritage from the Lord. In this episode, we examine Jesus' compassion and tenderness toward children. 

In Mark 9, we have the enormous privilege of being taken by the Holy Spirit to a setting that only three disciples — Peter, James, and John — are allowed to witness. The transfiguration of Christ was a reminder to the disciples that despite the dark valleys they may walk through, glory is to come. This very transfiguration is meant to be their source of joy in the darkest valley of their lives. John would later describe this moment in John 1:14, “We have seen His glory, the glory of the One and only Son” — we were on the mountain, we saw Him glorified, we saw His real person, we saw His divine essence. Jesus desires us to do the same with this moment. He’s not only reminding His disciples, but He’s also reminding you that in our darkest moments, never forget His glory.

Who do you say Jesus is? This is a vital question that Jesus asked of his disciples in Mark 8:27-30. Is Jesus merely a great man? Is Jesus someone we follow the example of in living our best life now? Or is He the anointed One? If He is truly the Messiah, and He is, we are commanded to listen to Him, confess Him as such, and obey Him. We are called to embrace Him as the substitute for our sin and confess Him as Lord by faith. Who do you say Jesus is?

In Mark 7:32–33, Jesus encounters a man who is deaf, and because of his deafness, he has a speech impediment. In ancient times, this was one of the worst types of handicaps. There was the humiliation of being stared at because someone is unaware of your condition. There was the humiliation of not being able to communicate even with the simplest of requests. There was the humiliation of not hearing directions, advice, questions, or explanations. And if that’s not bad enough, the religious culture in which Jesus lived often attributed this type of handicap to demon possession. In his situation, this man is miserable, hopeless, embarrassed, and desperate. Jesus steps into this man's world and changes all of that.

Last time together, we looked at Mark 6 and Jesus’ feeding of the 5,000. This miracle not only demonstrates the sufficiency of Jesus but the super-sufficiency of Jesus. He always gives more than enough and lavishes upon his children grace upon grace and love upon love. The bread Jesus provides is enough and is an eternal basket from which your soul will draw for all of eternity. In this episode, we continue the theme of our all-sufficient Shepherd by looking at why Christ is sufficient.

The feeding of the 5,000 is one of the most familiar and beloved stories in all of Scripture. This story has been fixed in our minds as one of the great pastoral miracles of Jesus.  Within this miracle, we behold the sufficiency of Jesus for every need we have. The bread Jesus provides is enough. When you have eternal life springing up in your soul, you have an endless well from which to draw for all of eternity — baskets that will never run low on bread, wells that will never run dry, sufficiency that will never end. Jesus is enough for these massive crowds of people in Galilee, and He is enough for you.

One characteristic of Jesus' ministry was his accessibility. Regardless of what may be happening around him, what he may be engaged in, or what the circumstances may be, Jesus is always accessible. Many of the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and priests, spent all of their time in their ivory towers of self-importance and self-superiority. But all of our Lord’s ministry was spent in public — in towns, villages, hillsides, fields, seasides, homes, synagogues, boats — Jesus was always among the people. He desired to teach and instruct them in the way of the kingdom of God.

As believers, one of the greatest gifts God has given us is His Word. That is his revelation to us in Scripture about how to be saved, how to grow in holiness and conformity to Christ, and how to glorify God. One of the distinguishing marks of a believer is that they live within that Word — they read it, hear it memorize it, study it, love it, and obey it. Jesus said in John 3:3, “My sheep hear my voice.” In Mark 4:21–34, Jesus gives clear instruction regarding evangelism and we need to hear it.

To say that Jesus had a family during his incarnation is a given, but they are rarely referred to. When was the last time you heard a sermon on the family dynamic of Jesus? In Mark 3, we have an intimate picture of Jesus' earthly family, its dynamic, and what it means for believers in Christ to be a member of his eternal family.

The gospel doesn’t blend with any other religious system in this world because the gospel isn’t merely a mantra we recite, a lifestyle we follow, a pattern we emulate, or a teaching we live. The gospel is completely and totally wrapped up in a person, Jesus Christ, and apart from him, you do not have a gospel. This is what makes the gospel exclusive. You can’t take Jesus and mix him with other things and have a pure gospel. It’s Jesus or nothing. Scripture is very clear that there is only one God, there is only one Lord, there is only one inspired revelation in the Bible, and there is only one Christ. Therefore, the gospel is not compatible with any other religion. Any religion without the exclusive Jesus revealed in Scripture is bankrupt, empty, void, meaningless, and useless.  

The Pharisees and scribes considered a person to be ceremonially unclean who would stoop so low as to eat with tax collectors and sinners. In their self-righteous view, Jesus was unclean and unfit to even belong to the kingdom of God. However, in Mark 2, Jesus offers tax collectors, and sinners entrance into the kingdom of God. Just this simple act was Jesus saying loud and clear that those who are self-righteous and think they are working their way to heaven are self-deceived. Rather, it's those who recognize their sin, those who repent and ask God to forgive their sin; it is these that are citizens of the kingdom of Christ.

Mark’s Gospel is sometimes called the "newspaper gospel." He doesn’t fill in every detail or tell every event but keeps a very fast-paced record of Jesus’ life and ministry. When we come to verse 14 of chapter 1, it had been around one year since Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the wilderness, and here we find Jesus back up in the northern part of Israel in Galilee. Mark says, "Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, and saying, 'The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the gospel.'" In today's episode, we examine Jesus' message about the kingdom of God, repentance, and belief.

Over the past few episodes, we’ve been examining the Gospel of Mark. From the very first verse, Mark clearly presents his Gospel account as a chronicled history of the “beginning of the gospel of Christ.” In other words, all of God’s history has been for this purpose, the incarnation of the good news through the person, work, life, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ. In today's episode, we examine Jesus' baptism and its significance in inaugurating his earthly ministry.

In Mark 1:3, Mark quotes from the Old Testament book of Malachi about a “messenger” who would come to prepare the way of the Messiah. We know this messenger as John the Baptist, who we know as the forerunner of Christ and the final Old Testament prophet. In this episode, we examine John the Baptist's birth, ministry, and words and how he leaves an example for all believers to emulate.

Each of the four gospels gives us a slightly different perspective on the life and ministry of Jesus. In these varied accounts, the Holy Spirit allows us to capture a perfect picture of the character, life, work, and ministry of Jesus Christ. In this episode, we examine how Mark begins his gospel by identifying "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Now that we’ve established a biblical definition of meditation, we now turn our thoughts to the subjects for meditation. What is it that we should think about, ponder in our hearts, and consider in our minds? Scripture offers us various themes for meditation. In addition, in "Meditation: A Christian on the Mount," Thomas Watson provides a list of fifteen things in Scripture which we should principally meditate upon."Meditation: A Christian on the Mount" is available for purchase from H&E Publishing.

Now that we understand, at least a little, what biblical mediation is, we now draw our attention to a biblical definition. It’s necessary to say here that we're not defining meditation but rather biblical meditation. Biblical meditation is not about finding inner peace, discovering a better way to breathe, or even how to live a peaceful life. Biblical meditation is a deliberate act of driving ourselves — mind, heart, emotions, affections, pleasures, attitudes, actions — riveting ourselves upon God, Christ, and the Spirit."Meditation: A Christian on the Mount" is available for purchase through H&E Publishing.

In his work, "Meditation: A Christian on the Mount," Thomas Watson defines biblical meditation. Watson says meditation is: (1) the “soul’s retiring of itself,” (2) “meditation is a serious and solemn thinking upon God,” (3) “meditation is the raising of the heart to holy affections." In this episode, we explore each of these characteristics of biblical meditation and how to integrate them into our Christian walk. "Meditation: A Christian on the Mount" is available for purchase through H&E Publishing.     

Perhaps unlike any time in the history of the Christian church, we live in an age of spiritual anemia. Believers do not possess the tools or spiritual longing to truly know God, understand his Word, walk with Christ, or to be led by the Holy Spirit. Our “user-friendly” Christianity has produced a whole generation of superficial and self-absorbed believers with shallow spirituality. Biblical meditation is the medicine for that anemia. "Meditation: A Christian on the Mount" by Thomas Waston is available through H&E Publishers.  

The Father, out of His eternal goodness in Christ, rewards those who come to Him by faith. Therefore, all believers should be motivated to pray because God is far better to us than we will ever deserve or ever could imagine. In Matthew 6:5–8, Jesus offers his instructions on prayer, which contain two warnings: guard against hypocrisy and guard against manipulation, and two admonitions: prayer cultivates genuine humility, and prayer reveals our Father's goodness.

When you pray, it’s not about your will; it’s not about your timing, it’s not about your advancement, it’s not about your words — prayer is complete submission before our good and loving heavenly Father requesting Him to always answer according to His perfect will. In Matthew 6:5–8, Jesus offers several lessons on prayer. In this episode, we examine the first two lessons, which are actually warnings.

In Matthew 6:5–8, we find Jesus' instructions on prayer. He instructs his true disciples on how different the prayer life of true believers should be from the Pharisees. Most of our discussions on prayer are very different from our Lord’s. We seem to emphasize and talk about things concerning prayer that Jesus never covers. It seems that we get caught up in the mechanics of prayer and never get to actually praying. Jesus does not instruct us with what we seem to fill our time talking about — nothing on the posture of prayer, the place of prayer, the time of prayer, or the length of prayer. None of those is the issue. Rather, Jesus is instructing us that prayer should be a way of life for the believer.

Two spiritual activities are to be unceasingly part of a believer’s life and growth in Christ toward holiness. One is the reading and study of Scripture, and the second is prayer. Reformer John Calvin wrote extensively on the subject of prayer — in his sermons, his famous "The Institutes of the Christian Religion," and his commentaries, especially his commentary on the Psalms. For Calvin, prayer is the essence of the Christian life; it is a precious gift and not an academic problem. As a pastor, Calvin focused primarily on the practice of prayer rather than the doctrine of prayer, which shows how pastorally practical his theology is. In this episode, we will examine Calvin's teaching on prayer.

Certain very distinct themes flow like a river through the Gospel of Mark. These themes emerge repeatedly and must be understood at the beginning, so we have a grasp of this Gospel as a whole. In this episode, we examine four of those themes. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

There are three themes that run throughout the Gospel of Mark that define the mission of Christ in his incarnation. In part 1 of "The Mission of Jesus," we examined the first mission, the authority of Jesus. In this episode, we look at two additional definitions of his mission, which have to do with the titles of Jesus: the "suffering servant" and the "Son of God."Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com  

Mark’s portrayal of Jesus is characterized by three main factors: his divine authority, his mission as the suffering Servant of God, and his divine Sonship. Over the next two episodes, we will examine each of these factors. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com  

When Mark’s Gospel was written, its intention was not merely to chronicle the life of Christ, tell the story of a great man, or even provide a biographical account of the greatest man to have ever lived. In fact, it was meant to persuade its readers that Jesus was the “Son of God.” This episode begins a series on the Gospel of Mark.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Nothing is more unmistakably clear in the New Testament than that God has called his church to be the principal agency for heralding the gospel of Christ. The believers in the church of Acts were zealous and passionate proclaimers of the good news of Jesus Christ. Peter’s enemies told him and the other apostles, “you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching” (Acts 5:28). Paul and his fellow missionaries were accused of turning the world upside down (Acts 17:6). As a result, “the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47).Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The apex of our fellowship and communion with the triune God is holy worship. Worship originates with God, not man. Worship was never the idea or plan of man, as there’s nothing in us that seeks after God or even desires to know him (Rom. 3:11). The desire to worship God is wrought in the heart of believers by the Holy Spirit. We love God because he first loved us. We seek God because he first sought us. We worship God because he commands such worship, and we willingly obey.   Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Believers have drawn a line of demarcation between gospel ministry and social media. We tend to view social media as something different and separate from our work within the collective body of Christ. After all, isn’t it for personal opinions, self-promotion, political commentary, and cultural critique? Everyone seems to have found a voice. What type of voice do you have?Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Believers have drawn a line of demarcation between gospel ministry and social media. We tend to view social media as something different and separate from our work within the collective body of Christ. After all, isn’t it for personal opinions, self-promotion, political commentary, and cultural critique? Everyone seems to have found a voice. What type of voice do you have?Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Paul wrote in Romans 8:1, “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” If we were left with just the first 7 chapters of Romans, we would be of all men most miserable — condemned by the law, unrighteous before God, dead to any spiritual life, separated from a life with Christ, hopelessly lost. But when we come to Romans 8:1, it’s a breath of fresh air. Paul is saying, you’re not hopelessly lost in Christ, you’re not separated from God in Christ, you’re not under the judgment of the law in Christ — “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus.” Visit the Walking Worthy website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Jonathan Edwards believed that sanctification—an inward transformation of our affections in making us more like Jesus—was beautification. That is, being made holy is being made beautiful. At salvation, the Holy Spirit took up residence within us at the moment of salvation and begins a transformative work of making us like Jesus—making us beautiful. This beautifying process begins by fixing our gaze upon the one who is supremely beautiful and lovely. Visit the Walking Worthy website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The disciples had a daunting task of walking in the footsteps of Jesus and continuing his ministry on earth—the proclamation of the gospel to the nations, the organization of the church, discipling believers, caring for orphans and widows. How were they to do it all? Jesus told them, “My Father will give you a Helper.” The Holy Spirit is absolutely enough for you to fulfill every aspect of the turning-the-world-upside-down ministry to which Jesus has called his church. Visit the Walking Worthy website:walkingworthypodcast.com

We live in a day and time within the history of the church that perhaps there is no more misunderstood person of the Trinity than the Holy Spirit. Through the ages, He has been theologically abused and turned into someone, or something, that is unbiblical. So, let’s ask the question, “Who is the Holy Spirit?” Visit the Walking Worthy Website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The relationship between Christ and the church is so varied and rich that it defies adequate description. For Christ to be the “head of the church,” in an organic way, means that the church has no life apart from Christ and receives all of its life from Christ—they are one. As one cannot live without constant oxygen intake, the church cannot exist for one moment without Christ as her life. It means that those who serve the church only serve her as Christ empowers and enables them to do so. It means that the very life which Christ has imparted to the church and will continue to impart to her is his very own life.Visit our websitewalkingworthypodcast.com 

Once called out of the darkness, believers find their existence is “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3). Since Christ is now our Savior, the church shares a common united life with the Father and Son. Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 6:17, “he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” The church doesn’t become “little gods” or a “fourth person” of the Trinity but finds her life, perseverance, assurance, and security through Christ “who is your life” (Col. 3:4).Visit our websitewalkingworthypodcast.com

When Christ saves a repentant sinner, that newly redeemed saint now shares a common spiritual life with Christ, as they are united to one another. Namely, Christ and the bride are so intimately identified with one another that they become united—he is in them, and they are in him. Paul vividly portrays this glorious union as quite mysterious. In Colossians 3:3, he says, “For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.”Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Unlike the wavering friendships we forge as children, God holds his friends beautifully close to his heart from everlasting to everlasting. He doesn’t abandon his church for a better friend. He doesn’t choose more faithful friends. He doesn’t even lament for selecting the church as his friend. When God established his friendship with the church, it had absolutely nothing to do with our faithfulness to him but his devotion to us. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In an age when doctrine is disregarded and dismissed, the Apostle Paul reminds us that biblical sound doctrine is the golden chain through which all Christian characteristics are linked. Without sound doctrine, the chain falls apart, releasing a torrent of false teaching and an onslaught of immaturity. We could put it a more straightforward way: without sound doctrine, the church falls apart.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In Matthew 6, the disciples request Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus offers them something entirely unexpected to their old covenant way of thinking. He constructs a short prayer that serves as a pattern for all our conversations with God. While the prayer contains all the elements one might expect, Jesus addresses God using a personal name utterly foreign to the Jewish theological mind. Much like the worship objects of their pagan neighbors, the Jews worshiped a very distant, remote, and even fearful being. Jesus offers them a much more affectionate, personal, and familial approach: “Our Father in heaven” (Matt. 6:9).Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The church is defined by many words and phrases that identify her as being of heavenly origin. The church is uniquely those who have been called out from the assembly of sinful darkness by God the Father through salvation in Jesus Christ, are now sealed by the Holy Spirit, and now belong to the Lord, finding her origin, beauty, and perfection in the triune God. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

We don't often think of God having a home, and if we do, our first response would be that his home is heaven. But Scripture repeatedly reminds us that God resides explicitly in a distinctive and familial way among his people. Reading the New Testament is like looking through a family picture album or hearing the family history recited by a grandparent. The church is God’s household and our family.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The Bible is the sufficient authority for the whole of the Christian life. Paul writes in 2 Timothy 3:16, the Word of God is “profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work.” A closer investigation of each of these declarations clearly validates that Scripture is wholly sufficient to equip every believer in how to live out the Christian life faithfully.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

When believers speak of the sufficiency of Scripture, we are affirming exactly what the Bible affirms about itself. That is, the Bible reveals everything God has decreed us to know about himself, how to know him and his will, and how to enter into a relationship with him through Jesus Christ.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The crucifixion of Jesus was not a historical fluke, some accident on God’s calendar, or even a surprise to Jesus himself. In fact, throughout the Gospel accounts, Jesus, again and again, foretold his death and resurrection. In today's episode, Dustin examines three specific texts in Matthew that foretell Jesus' death and resurrection.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The cross and resurrection of Christ is the ultimate peak of God's grand plan of redemption and the reason for which he created the world—that he might put on display his glory through the exaltation of his Son in death and life. In today's episode, Dustin explores God's purpose in bruising his Son.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

When the events surrounding the crucifixion of Jesus Christ are closely examined, rather than God being absent from the scene, we actually find that he's involved in every detail. God wasn't there to punish the enemies of Christ or destroy the religious leaders, but God was present at Calvary to punish his Son and to unleash his unmitigated wrath upon him because of the sin which he bore.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

No discussion about the events that led to the crucifixion of Christ would be complete without the mention of a man by the name of Judas Iscariot. A man who had come as close as one might come to God, but who had no interest in the type of Messiah Jesus actually ways and chose instead to reject the truth because of his sinful heart.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In Mark 14, there are numerous people that God sovereignly and providentially uses to get Jesus to the cross.  In contrast to the enemies of Jesus in verses 1–2, we met a woman whose solemn act of worship at the feet of Jesus is a symbol of burial preparation. With her very costly alabaster flask of oil poured out on Jesus, she prepares him for his death and burial.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The crucifixion of Jesus wasn’t a historical accident, God’s plan gone wrong, or man victimizing Jesus. The cross was planned before time in the annals of eternity past, and every event in history moved directly to the cross. In the opening verses of Mark 14, we’re introduced to several people who play vital roles in God’s grand redemptive plan to get Jesus to the cross. The first group of people are the enemies of Jesus. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com 

Jesus describes the faithful believers who manifest the characteristics of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5 as "the salt of the earth." This salty influence is not merely individualistic but communal. Jesus is telling his disciples that they will have a transforming effect upon the corruption and fallenness of this world by their purifying presence. This doesn’t mean that believers are preserving the world in its current corrupt condition, but that the words of Christ through them will transform this corrupt world. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

Jesus commands His faithful followers to respond to persecutions, revilings, false accusations, and evil done against them with joy and gladness. This joy and gladness is the response of a believer who has their faith anchored in the assurance that what Jesus has prepared for us will far more than compensate for every pain and struggle in this life. In this episode, Dustin takes us into Jesus' words in Matthew 5:12.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In the conclusion of his beatitude statements in Matthew 5, Jesus pronounces a divine blessing upon those who suffer persecution because they exhibit the godly characteristics of the previous beatitudes. In today's episode, Dustin unpacks the most unlikely blessing, a blessing of persecution for all who identify with Christ and his message.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

In Matthew 5, Jesus blesses "peacemakers." Jesus is clear that the priority of every Christian should be peacemaking, and when such a priority is present, they can be assured that they are his sons and daughters. How are Christians supposed to demonstrate authentic biblical peacemaking? In today's episode, Dustin examines the concept of true biblical peacemaking.Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

If the Beatitudes teach us anything, they teach us that Jesus is concerned with our heart. It’s not enough to clean up our act on the outside. The aim of Jesus is not to make people nicer, or reform our manners, but to change the hearts of sinners from the inside out. In today's episode, Dustin examines Matthew 5:8, "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God."Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com 

We seem so unfamiliar with extending mercy to others. We seem more concerned about having our opinions heard than we are extending mercy to others. Jesus says in Matthew 5:7 that to actually be a kingdom citizen, to actually have a transformed heart, to actually demonstrate you are a true believer is to show mercy to others out of a heart of love and compassion. Visit our website:walkingworthypodcast.com

The faithful follower of Christ "hungers and thirsts for righteousness" with the same deep yearning they would have to feed their malnourished bodies. The true disciple longs for the profound transformation of their lives into the image of Christ. The true disciple desires the Holy Spirit to point out sin in their life that they might confess, repent, and draw closer to God. The true disciple aches within to demonstrate the mercy and love of Christ to a broken world. In this episode, Dustin explores what it means for the believer to "hunger and thirst for righteousness" and the practical implications for the life of those who desire to walk worthy. 

Why is meekness so rarely found among believers? Because so few know what it is to be truly poor in spirit and to mourn for their sins. Many believers think they have everything under control and have the Christian life completely figured out, and with pride, they fail to depend entirely upon the Lord, recognize their sin as heinous in God's sight, and forget to fly to Him for grace. In today's episode, Dustin explores Jesus' words in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth."

Mourning is part of what it means to live in a fallen sinful world. We have countless reasons to mourn—sickness, isolation, lockdown, disease, disappointment, being let down by friends, separated from family, financial crisis, and the list could go on and on. Sorrow is part of what it means to be human and even a believer. What does it mean to be characterized by mourning? On today's episode, Dustin examines Jesus' words in Matthew 5:4, “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

Those who inherit the kingdom of God are those who recognize their spiritual poverty before a holy and majestic God. They are those who recognize their spiritual neediness when their good deeds measure as less than dust against the weighty infinite sacrifice of Christ. On today's episode of Walking Worthy, Dustin Benge examines Jesus' words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit."Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

The Beatitudes, in Matthew 5, are not eight random statements about virtue or descriptors of just a few exceptional Christians. Jesus isn’t describing the outstanding characteristics and virtues of a few of the most elite Christians. Rather, the beatitudes are not only the portrait of a kingdom citizen, but they also portray the heart of our King.Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com  

In Matthew 5, Jesus begins his Sermon on the Mount, by pronouncing divine blessing upon his disciples. He uses, what we have come to call, the "Beatitude" statements. These beatitudes, are the characteristics Jesus uses to generate a portrait for us of a true believer, a true disciple, and one who is a true follower of Christ. On today's episode, Dustin begins an expositional journey through the kingdom virtues of Jesus' beatitudes.Please visit our website: https://walkingworthypodcast.com

Is your Christian life tiresome, stale, and sometimes even lifeless? Have you lost the passionate desire you once had to walk the path of biblical faithfulness? “Walking” is often connected to an urgency in the Christian life—an urgency to follow Christ and walking in holiness. Paul wrote, “I urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called” (Eph. 4:4). To walk worthy isn’t a suggestion but a command to believers for faithfulness in being and living as the body of Christ. Listen every Tuesday and Thursday to Walking Worthy with Dustin Benge as we explore every feature of the Christian life and what it practically looks like to walk worthy.