Jesus Company

🎙️ JESUS COMPANY | SEASON 5, EPISODE 88Ten Reasonable ExcusesThe Sin Beneath the Sins — Part 2 of 8: Why you may not recognize covetousness in your own heart.💭 Ask someone if they're greedy, and chances are they'll say no. But covetousness doesn't always look like greed. Sometimes it sounds perfectly reasonable.Jesus warned us to watch out for all greed. The issue isn't simply how much you have. It's what you desire, what you believe you need, and what has your heart.🔎 TEN REASONABLE EXCUSES WORTH EXAMINING1️⃣ 💰 “I just need a little more.” When the pursuit of what you lack begins controlling your life.2️⃣ 🏠 “I'd be satisfied with just the necessities.” When yesterday's luxury becomes tomorrow's necessity.3️⃣ 👀 “I don't want what belongs to my neighbor.” Covetousness doesn't require wanting someone else's possessions.4️⃣ ⚖️ “I'm earning it honestly.” Good methods don't automatically make every ambition good.5️⃣ 📦 “I'm content with what I already have.” You can be satisfied with your possessions and still be excessively attached to them.6️⃣ 🙏 “I pray about it and thank God for it.” Even religious language can disguise selfish desires.7️⃣ ⛪ “I think about heaven. I pray, give, and attend church.” Religious activity doesn't automatically mean God has first place.8️⃣ 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 “I'm doing it for my children.” Providing for your family is good. Making wealth their ultimate security is another matter.9️⃣ 🗣️ “I speak out against greed.” Recognizing covetousness in others doesn't mean you've recognized it in yourself.🔟 🎁 “I'll give generously when I'm gone.” What does your stewardship look like today?📖 SCRIPTURES TO EXPLORE• Luke 12:15, 19–20• 1 Timothy 6:8–10• Luke 16:14• 1 Timothy 5:8• Galatians 6:7❤️ THE HEART OF THE MATTERYou don't need to assume you're covetous. But you shouldn't assume you're immune, either.The question isn't merely what you own. It's what owns you.🎧 YOUR LISTENER CHALLENGEWhich of these ten reasonable explanations deserves a closer look in your life? Take an honest look. Let God's Word examine your heart.➡️ Next time: The brevity of life and the reality of eternity—and why they put the pursuit of possessions into perspective.Jesus Company — Living the life of Christ in the Gospel Kingdom. Evangelizing the lost and encouraging the saved. Sowing seeds of hope to all.https://shows.acast.com/jesus-companySubscribe to the Jesus Company podcast NOW, its on all the podcast 📲❤️Tag us! 🔗 Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find Jesus CompanyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... "❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPSAll Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

🎙️ Jesus Company | Season 5, Episode 87What Covetousness Is, and What It Isn’tThe Sin Beneath the Sins — Part 1 of 8: The question isn’t how much you have, but what has your heart💰 You can have very little and still be consumed by the desire for more. You can have a great deal and hold it with gratitude, generosity, and open hands.So how do you recognize covetousness? It's not about the size of your bank account. It's about what has captured your heart.In this first installment of our eight-part series, The Sin Beneath the Sins, we're looking beyond possessions and wealth to uncover what Scripture actually says about covetousness.📖 In this episode, discover:🚨 Greed Is Idolatry — Colossians 3:5 reveals why covetousness is far more serious than simply wanting more.🎁 The Gift vs. The Giver — James 1:17 reminds us that every good and perfect gift comes from God. The problem begins when the gift becomes more important than the Giver.🏃 The Exhaustion of Getting Rich — Proverbs 23:4–5 warns against wearing yourself out pursuing something that can disappear overnight.❤️ When Possessions Possess You — Covetousness isn't always wanting what someone else has. Sometimes it's never being satisfied with what you already have.🌎 Loving the World — 1 John 2:15 challenges us to examine the values governing our hearts.🏚️ The Rich Fool — Luke 12:16–21 exposes the danger of accumulating earthly treasure while neglecting to become rich toward God.👑 The Right Priority — Matthew 6:25–34 points us toward a different way of living: seeking God's Kingdom first and trusting Him with our needs.🔑 THE BIG QUESTION: Do your possessions serve God's purposes, or have God's purposes become secondary to protecting and increasing your possessions?You don't have to be wealthy to be covetous. And you don't have to be poor to be faithful.The question is what has your heart. Because what has your heart will ultimately determine what has your life.➡️ COMING NEXT: Part 2 — Ten familiar explanations that can make covetousness difficult to recognize, even when it's right in front of you.📣 LISTENER CHALLENGE: Take an honest look at what occupies your thoughts, drives your decisions, and shapes your priorities. Are you holding God's gifts with gratitude and open hands?🙏 If this episode speaks to you, share it with someone who needs the encouragement. Follow Jesus Company so you won't miss the next installment.Jesus Company — Living the life of Christ in the Gospel Kingdom. Evangelizing the lost and encouraging the saved. Sowing seeds of hope to all.https://shows.acast.com/jesus-companyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... "❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPSAll Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

🎙️ Season 5 | Episode 85He Has Heard (Psalm 28)Praying through the SilenceHosted by Kenny PriceHave you ever prayed and wondered whether God was listening?You pray. You wait. Nothing seems to change. And somewhere in the silence, you begin to wonder whether your words are getting any further than the ceiling.In Psalm 28, David knows that feeling. He begins with an urgent plea: “LORD, I call to you; my rock, do not be deaf to me.” But just five verses later, his prayer takes an unexpected turn: “Blessed be the LORD, for he has heard the sound of my pleading.”What happened between those two statements? That's the question at the heart of this episode.🙏 In this episode, you'll discover:🪨 Why David's greatest fear wasn't simply his enemies, but the silence of God.🤲 What it means to call God your rock even when you cannot see what he's doing.💬 Why lament isn't the opposite of faith, but often an expression of it.🔑 The significance of verse 6, where David moves from pleading to praise without describing an intervening rescue.❤️ How trust, help, and thanksgiving reshape your response to hardship.🐑 Why David's personal prayer ultimately widens into an intercession for God's people.And there's something more. David's prayer points beyond himself to Jesus, whose words at the tomb of Lazarus remind us that the Father hears him always.If you've trusted Christ, you don't approach God as a stranger hoping to get his attention. You come as his child. The Spirit helps you pray, Jesus intercedes for you, and your Father hears.You may not know when the silence will end. But you can know the One you're praying to.📖 Scripture: Psalm 28; Psalm 22; Psalm 42; Psalm 88; Romans 8:16; John 11:38–42.💬 A question for you: Have you ever experienced a season when God seemed silent, but later recognized that he had heard you? Share your experience with us. Your story might encourage someone who needs hope today.📲 If this episode encourages you, share it with someone who needs the reminder that God hears his children. Follow Jesus Company so you don't miss future episodes.🎧 Jesus CompanyLiving the Divine Life in the Real World.Evangelizing the Lost & Encouraging the Saved. Broadcasting hope to all.https://shows.acast.com/jesus-companySubscribe to the Jesus Company podcast NOW, its on all the podcast 📲❤️Tag us! 🔗 Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find Jesus CompanyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org 📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... " ❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org 🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPS All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

WHAT ABOUT WITCHES? — ARE THERE GOOD WITCHES?🧙‍♀️ Can a witch be good? And what does the Bible actually say about witchcraft and the occult?From The Wizard of Oz to today’s movies, television, Broadway productions, and online influencers, popular culture has repeatedly portrayed the “good witch” as virtuous, helpful, and even spiritually enlightened. Meanwhile, occult practices once viewed with suspicion are increasingly presented as harmless entertainment, personal empowerment, or legitimate spiritual pathways.But does popular acceptance make something spiritually safe?In this special replay, Kenny Price returns to an episode originally released October 23, 2020, as Season 3, Episode 52 of his original podcast, God.rocks. Now, as Jesus Company Season 4, Episode 84, this conversation is more relevant than ever.📖 What you’ll hear:• A real-life account involving witchcraft and a church—and an important update about the accountability that followed.• What Scripture says about witchcraft, necromancy, and other occult practices.• Why the distinction between what popular culture calls “good” and “evil” may obscure a much more important biblical question.• Why discernment matters when spiritual ideas gain credibility through entertainment, education, and influential online voices.The original episode included a troubling account involving a local congregation. Since then, Kenny has learned from someone who attended the church that its elders ultimately removed the founding pastor and his wife from the congregation. That additional context makes the original account especially important to hear with its subsequent outcome in mind.Six years later, the mission remains the same: to bring the truth of God's Word into the real world and help you recognize the difference between biblical truth and spiritual counterfeits.📚 SCRIPTURE REFERENCES🔹 1 Samuel 28 — Saul and the medium at Endor🔹 Deuteronomy 18:10–12 — God's instructions concerning occult practices📱 READ THE WORD FOR YOURSELFExplore these passages in the Christian Standard Bible (CSB) or discover reading and audio options with the YouVersion Bible App.🎧 Jesus CompanyLiving the Divine Life in the Real World.Evangelizing the Lost & Encouraging the Saved.Don't simply accept what culture calls good. Open the Scriptures, examine the claims, and test what you hear against the Word of God.https://shows.acast.com/jesus-companySubscribe to the Jesus Company podcast NOW, its on all the podcast 📲❤️Tag us! 🔗 Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find Jesus CompanyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org 📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... " ❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org 🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPS All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

Can You Trust God?Billy Crystal, the Palisades, and the God Who Is HereWhat happens when the pain of this world shakes your trust in God?Billy Crystal once talked with God through the grief of losing his father. Decades later, after devastating personal losses and seeing the condition of the world, he gave a startling answer when asked if he still talks to God: “No, ’cause I don’t trust him.”It’s an honest response to a painful question. And if you’ve ever looked at the headlines, faced a heartbreaking loss, or wondered where God is in the middle of suffering, you may understand the question behind his words.🔥 In this episode of Jesus Company, Kenny Price explores the tension between real suffering and the trustworthiness of God. From the destruction of Crystal’s Palisades home to the murders of his longtime friends Rob and Michele Reiner, the losses are real—and easy answers don’t do them justice.📖 What does Scripture say? The story of Job reminds us that human explanations for suffering can be wrong, and that unanswered questions don’t mean God has abandoned us. The Bible doesn’t hide the reality of sin, grief, or death. It points us to the God who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.✝️ Jesus didn’t remain distant from our suffering. The eternal Son of God entered our world, experienced its pain, and went to the cross. Through His death and resurrection, we see God’s character, His mercy, and His victory over death.🌅 The final word belongs to God—not suffering. Psalm 46 speaks of God as our refuge and present help. Romans 8 assures us that nothing can separate us from His love in Christ. And Revelation 21 points toward the day when God will make all things new.You don’t have to deny your questions or pretend the world is fine to trust God. But which God are you being asked to trust? The God you imagine from a distance—or the God who has made Himself known in Jesus?🎧 Listen to Can You Trust God? and consider why the God who is here is worthy of your trust.🌐Jesus Company — Living the Divine Life in the Real World. Evangelizing the Lost & Encouraging the Saved.📣Subscribe to the Jesus Company podcast NOW, its on all the podcast 📲❤️Tag us! 🔗 Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find Jesus CompanyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org 📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... " ❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org 🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPS All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

🌟 YOU WERE MADE FOR THIS: A Fresh Look at Body, Soul, and SpiritWhat does it really mean that you were made for this? It doesn't mean you can handle every hardship in your own strength. It means you were created in God's image, for life in relationship with your Creator. And through Jesus Christ, you can receive the life you were made for.🧭 IN THIS EPISODE🫁 The Gift of Life — What Genesis reveals about the body, the breath of life, and our dependence on the God who made us.🪞 The Image of God — Why human dignity isn't measured by age, ability, productivity, or usefulness.✝️ The Problem of Sin — Why self-improvement cannot reconcile us to God, and why we need Jesus Christ.🕊️ The Spirit of Christ — Why the Holy Spirit isn't an optional spiritual upgrade, but essential to belonging to Christ, living the new life He gives, and receiving the assurance of our promised inheritance.🛡️ Sealed for What's Ahead — What Scripture teaches about the Spirit as the guarantee of our inheritance and the hope of eternal life.👀 Keep Your Eyes on Jesus — Why your hope rests not on your own strength, but on the One who brings your faith to completion.📖 SCRIPTURE REFERENCESGenesis 1:26–27; 2:7; 7:21–22 • Proverbs 12:10 • John 3:3–8, 16–17; 12:24–26; 14:16–17, 26 • Romans 3:23; 5:8; 6:23; 8:9; 10:9–13 • Ephesians 1:13–14 • Titus 3:5–7 • Hebrews 12:2💡 THE BIG IDEAYou were made for this—not to live independently of God, but to live the life He gives you through Jesus Christ. Your circumstances may exceed your strength, but they do not exceed His faithfulness.🔥 ONE LAST ENCOURAGEMENTAn older mentor of Kenny's, now in his nineties, ends every phone conversation with two words: Finish strong.Whatever season you're in, don't let familiarity dull your gratitude or weariness convince you that God is finished with you. Keep returning to the truths that sustain you. Keep your eyes on Jesus.You were made for this. Finish strong.📣 HELP SPREAD THE GOOD NEWS!👍 Follow and subscribe • ⭐ Leave a review • 💬 Share this episode with someone who needs encouragement.🎙️ JESUS COMPANYLiving the divine life in the real world.Here are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org 📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page podcast archive, 600 evergreen episodes strong!📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... " ❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org 🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPS All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers. 🤖 AI DISCLOSURE: AI tools, including Grok, ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini, may assist with research and production. Kenny Price remains responsible for the content and final editorial decisions.

🎙️ Two Escapes That Don't Work (and the One Way Out)Jesus Company Podcast | Season 4, Episode 81Meditation, Introspection, and the Way ThroughWhen life gets heavy, where do you turn? You may try to quiet your mind by emptying it, or retreat inward, searching for answers in your own thoughts. But are either of these paths leading you where you need to go?In this episode, Kenny Price examines two common escapes from the pressures of life and what Scripture teaches about finding your way through them. 🧭📖 In This Episode:🧠 The promise of an empty mind: Why the desire for inner quiet is understandable, but why biblical meditation takes a different direction.📜 A mind filled with truth: Psalm 1 shows us the value of meditating on God's instruction rather than simply trying to silence our thoughts.🔎 Examination vs. rumination: Learn the difference between honest self-examination measured against God's Word and the endless cycle of turning inward.🙏 Let God search your heart: Psalm 139 invites you to bring your inner life before God and allow Him to lead you.👀 Redirecting your attention: Discover how setting your mind on things above and keeping your eyes on Jesus changes the direction of your thoughts.❤️ When the burden is more than you can carry: Elijah's story reminds us that physical rest, nourishment, medical care, counseling, and pastoral support can all matter. Seeking help is not a failure of faith.💡 The central takeaway: You weren't made to hold yourself up. You were made to be held up.Scripture doesn't call you to ignore your feelings or pretend your struggles aren't real. It calls you to bring your concerns to God, measure your thinking against His truth, and keep your eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of your faith.📖 Scriptures explored: Matthew 12:43–45; Psalm 1:1–3; Jeremiah 17:9; Proverbs 28:26; 2 Corinthians 13:5; Psalm 119:59; Psalm 139:23–24; Psalm 42:5; Colossians 3:2; Philippians 4:6–8; Hebrews 12:1–2; 1 Kings 19:4–8.🆘 Need immediate support? If you're in the United States and experiencing suicidal thoughts, call or text 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.🎧 Listen, reflect, and share this episode with someone who needs encouragement to stop carrying the weight alone and turn their attention toward Jesus.🌐 Jesus Company — Evangelizing the Lost & Encouraging the Saved.Subscribe to the Jesus Company podcast NOW, its on all the podcast 📲❤️Tag us! 🔗 Listen, subscribe, and leave a review to help others find Jesus CompanyHere are some 🔗 Helpful LinksJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org📱 @JesusCoOfficial on X | Search "Jesus Company" on your podcast app📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... "❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org🔗 ResourcesCharles Spurgeon’s Morning and Evening (Public Domain Source)The Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit! LIFE HELPSAll Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

🎙️ What if the thing you’re depending on isn’t necessarily bad—but it has quietly become the thing you trust?In Episode 80 of Jesus Company, Kenny Price takes us to Ezra 8:21–23 and 31, where Ezra and the returning exiles face a dangerous journey from Babylon to Jerusalem. They are carrying an extraordinary amount of treasure for the temple—24 tons of silver, 7,500 pounds of silver articles, and 7,500 pounds of gold—and Ezra could have requested military protection from King Artaxerxes.But he didn’t.Why?Ezra says, “I was ashamed to ask the king for infantry and cavalry” because he had already testified to the king about the gracious hand of his God.🙏 Ezra didn't simply refuse help and hope for the best. He called the people to fast, humbled themselves before God, and sought from Him a safe journey.And then they went.🛡️ The remarkable thing is that Scripture does not turn Ezra's decision into a universal command that believers must reject human assistance. Nehemiah accepted a royal military escort. Later, Paul was protected by Roman soldiers.So what's the real issue?Dependence.🔎 The question isn't merely, “What resources am I using?”The deeper question is:“Who or what am I depending on?”💰 Money can be a resource without becoming your confidence.👥 People can help you without becoming your ultimate source.🏥 Doctors and medicine can be gifts without becoming your hope.💻 Technology can serve you without becoming your security.📋 Planning can be wise without becoming your refuge.Charles Spurgeon, in his September 24 entry from Morning and Evening, presses the same truth: the problem isn't necessarily using legitimate means. The danger comes when we begin believing in the means instead of believing in God.📖 Ezra prayed.📖 Ezra acted responsibly.📖 Ezra entrusted the temple treasure to appointed leaders.📖 Ezra went forward.📖 And when the journey was over, the testimony was about God's hand.That makes Ezra's story deeply personal.👉 What is your “escort”?👉 What is the backup you quietly believe will make everything okay?👉 And when pressure comes, where do you turn first—before you pray, before you plan, before you call someone, before you reach for the thing you believe can fix it?There is nothing wrong with using the gifts God provides.But there is a difference between using the gift and trusting the Giver.And sometimes the most revealing question isn't “What am I doing?”It's:“Who or what am I really depending on?”📖 ScriptureEzra 8:21–23, 31Nehemiah 2:9; 4:92 Chronicles 16:7–9Isaiah 31:1Psalm 20:7Jeremiah 17:5, 7📲 Follow Jesus Company and share this episode with someone who may need the reminder that God can use the means without the means becoming our god.#JesusCompany #Faith #TrustGodJesus Company on 🎧 Apple PodcastsJesus Company on 🎵 SpotifyJesus Comany on 🎙️ Amazon MusicJesus Company on 🎼 DeezeriHeart Jesus Company Podcast 📻 iHeartRadio🔗🌐 transformthiscity.org 📱 Connect with Us:💻 Website: Jesus Company is the home base for the podcast, and there are some additional links to podcast players that host the show!💻 Website: gwot.rocks home page 📺 YouTube: "Other Things with... " ❤️ Support the mission: DONATE . For donation by check, make payable to Transform This City, P.O. Box 1013, Spring Hill, Tennessee, 37174. “gwot.rocks” is a ministry of Transform This City, a registered 501(C)(3) Transform This City Transform This City Facebook gwot.rocks@transformthiscity.org 🔗 ResourcesThe Four Spiritual Laws- how you can be born again and have eternal life?The Spirit Filled Life- how you can live each day in the power of God’d Holy Spirit!All Scripture quotations are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 2016 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® is a federally registered trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.