2024-08-29 11:50:27 · 47

Thrive Perspectives: Offended for God?

Episode Notes

The desire to safeguard what one holds dear is a natural human instinct. It is a human impulse to want to protect whatâ€™s sacred to you. Christians will encounter ridicule and persecution; Jesus told us as much. While it's valid to feel offended by mockery, it's important to be cautious before claiming to represent divine offence. The Gospels do not depict Jesus as angry or offended towards sinners for their sins; instead, his offence and anger is reserved for those who failed to live up to their professed righteousness. We see through the Gospels that the things that upset Jesus the most were: Hardness of heart (Mark 3:1â€“5) Selfish ambition (Mark 8:31â€“38) Spiritual arrogance (Luke 9:51â€“55) Self-centeredness (Matthew 23:10â€“12) Hypocrisy and fake religiosity (Luke 11:37â€“54) Before we take umbrage on behalf of God, it's wise to reflect on the numerous ways we each fall short of God's optimal plan for our lives. This introspection will help us understand and align our actions more closely with the values and teachings of Jesus, the very thing we hold sacred.

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Meet The Presenters

Dr Matt Jacoby

Matt is the teaching pastor at his church in Victoria, Australia, lecturer at the Melbourne School of Theology, an author, a songwriter and, a musician leading the Psalms project band Sons of Korah.

Matt has a doctorate in philosophy and theology from the University of Melbourne, and is the author of the daily Bible reading guide Thrive launched in 2005. Matt's most recent work as an author is his book Deeper Places (Baker Books USA 2013) with an expanded edition released in 2019. In Deeper Places, Matt shares a rich portrait of authentic spirituality. A gifted teacher and Bible scholar, Matthew is invited to speak at conferences and churches where he brings a fresh but foundational perspective to Scripture.

“I do a lot of teaching these days in my various roles but I always see myself more as a learner. I love learning. I enjoy academic learning and because of that I am a perpetual student of many disciplines. But most of all I love learning to live life the way God made me to live it.” MJ

DJ Paine

DJ is a podcaster, photographer and has had a number of years experience as a Christian Radio Breakfast announcer. He would consider himself a professional Christian music geek & amateur Bible nerd. DJ was raised on the Gold Coast and studied at Word Of Life Bible College in Sydney.

Devoted husband of Benita Paine and proud of their three boys: the #BrothersPaine

“If you have ever wondered if God has a place for you in His plan... or if you have ever felt you are just a round peg trying to fit into a square hole... well I want to encourage you: if God can use a goof like me then we are all in good hands! I love the scriptures and if I can leave any legacy behind it is simply to say: read the Bible, the Bible is God’s light by which we can really see the universe.” DJ

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