The Living Waters Podcast

In today's episode, the guys are rejoined by guest Pat Nemmers to discuss the unsettling topic of rebellion. Christians sometimes have a tendency to use our children as a trophy of our own sanctification, and forget about grace. The scriptures give us truisms for parenting but these are not guarantees. Without the faithful work of Christ, none of our kids could be saved. Thus, we should not take any credit, but offer it to God.In this discussion, Patrick recalls for us the rebellion of his son John and the pain he felt watching him get arrested for physical violence. One night, while lying in bed and pleading with God for the soul of his son, Pat felt God speak to him. At this moment, God pointed out to Patrick that he does not trust Him. After this, Pat felt a newfound sense of peace despite the tumultuousness of his son’s life. Next, Pat offers advice for parents currently dealing with a “problem child” of their own. If your children know the gospel, he reminds them it isn’t necessary for you to declare it to them every day. Rather, this is where grace and love come into play. Similarly, the Lord will give you peace if you ask of Him. Time spent without children is the most valuable thing we can give to them. As Christians, there is sometimes a wrong time to do the right thing. While working and spending time with God’s Word are good things, we must make the time we share with our families a priority. Before wrapping up, Pat shares about how his son John eventually came back to Christ and has never looked back. Listeners are reminded that to deal with sin in a sinful way is just as sinful. The best thing to do is to lead by example and be present with our children.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, returning guest Pat Nemmers joins the guys to discuss tragedy through the lens of his newest book, “Retractions.” Tragedy is a real part of the Christian faith. When we look to Scripture, we see that those who were most used by the Lord were often the people who went through the most difficult circumstances. Today’s conversation will discuss how believers can bounce back after experiencing a tragedy by clinging to the Lord for hope to thrive in a way that honors Him.To begin, Pat explains that some spiritual things are never seen until we are in a dark place. Pat’s dark night of the soul came when his wife of nearly 17 years suffered a heart attack and died in his arms. Pat shares the hardest part of the event, which was telling his 7 children that their mother was no longer with them. Then, he unpacks times before his family experienced this tragedy that he lacked compassion that he now realizes he could have shown.Pat suggests that it is because God loves us that He has given us the gift of suffering. He offers advice on how Christians can hold on to their faith during tragedy and turn it into something beautiful. To those who are currently grieving, he informs that grief does ultimately have a limit. Then, Pat shares the story of seeing a powerful double rainbow which was God’s reminder to him that his wife was in glory in heaven; this realization came on the basis of this truth: to be absent from the body and present with the Lord. For listeners going through tragedy, he believes now is the time to lean into this fundamental truth. The reality is that suffering and joy are always part of our lives. Until the fullness of Jesus is recognized here on earth as it is in Heaven, we will always be living with the pains of sin and death. The gospel provides us with the knowledge that our loved ones who believed are with Christ in heaven and that one day God will fulfill His promise that every tear will be wiped away. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys welcome guest Pat Nemmers, lead pastor from Saylorville Church in Des Moines, Iowa. Pat talks about the “Engaged Network” at his church, where they have planted seven gospel-centered churches by sending gospel-centered men to different areas, where those men stay, live, and join the community. It sends the message that these churches and God-fearing men are here to stay. Pat shares how he was raised in a Catholic home, found the Lord, repented, and realized God is what everyone needs. Pat has such a heart to share the gospel with everyone and church planting plays a major role in evangelizing the lost.The guys discuss the topic of humiliation and Pat’s book, “Retractions: Cultivating Humility After Humiliation.” Pat shares that the word “retractions” is a willingness to openly admit and repent our errors. The book is based on the 51st Psalm, where David expresses repentance over his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. David never mentions what happened in this passage, but there is an underlying sense of humility. We forget that the most important person in the world already knows everything about us. Pride causes us to withdraw from Him, but we are the recipient of the overflow of God’s grace when we recognize that there is nothing in ourselves of which we can boast.Next, the guys talk about how there is value and gain when we confess our sins, and share that even as saved saints, we continue to sin. There is a difference between humiliation and humility, and we decide whether to allow humiliation to humble us. To detect pride in ourselves, Pat quotes Proverbs 26:2, “Like a fluttering sparrow or a darting swallow, an undeserved curse will not land on its intended victim.” When someone curses us and we are not guilty, it doesn’t light—we don't feel guilty in our hearts. However, if it does light, in your heart there is a sense of guilt or uneasiness. If you can detect that in the moment, then that's the time to humble yourself. Pride is like a snowball—it gets worse and grows and grows. It is a beautiful thing and God is honored when you recognize your pride and humble yourself. Lastly, the guys talk about how we need to keep doing what is honoring God and use our humiliation to become more humble, God-fearing people. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys discuss AI, or artificial intelligence, and whether it will destroy the world. AI is the science of engineering and making of machines with human-like characteristics and kicked off in 1956. Not too long ago, we would have written off AI and never believed it could happen, but AI has already started, and even Elon Musk has shared that he is afraid of it. There is an argument that the whole world needs to lay down regulations for AI with a global summit with all nations. Many believe we need to put parameters and limitations around AI because there will be danger if we do not, and that people will abuse this technology and eventually it will exceed human intelligence. First, the guys discuss how Christians need to be very wise with how we use artificial intelligence. The danger begins when we use AI to think for us, instead of thinking for ourselves. AI will increase the dwindling of our creative consciousness, which is what reflects our Creator. If AI goes rogue, it could start tapping into every cell phone and machine, and even the experts are concerned. Humans have already manipulated one another, and in some countries people have used social media to manipulate political elections. If humans could do this without AI, imagine what they can do with it. It’s important to remember that we are not just fighting AI or wicked people in the world, but there is an evil, spiritual force that is working against Christians and the Lord.Many religions and people want to become like God, and AI is an attempt to do just that. However, we cannot become like God; He already came to the world to become like us. Even though AI is attempting to conquer physical death, God has already conquered death through the cross. God is not worried about artificial intelligence, so we don’t need to be either. AI will not and cannot save the world because God already did, and God is still in the business of saving. As Christians, we need to keep increasing our critical thinking skills by reading books. Our culture today looks for one-liners and quick answers. We do not think about problems and issues as much as we should, and often lack strong processing skills. We must move away from quick and easy information and instead work toward increasing our critical thinking and processing skills. However, AI can also be exciting in how we can use it to further the gospel, as it could be a tool by which opportunities to share the Good News are made available.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys discuss Coronation Outreach: Operation London. Initially, they thought they might pass 3 million out tracts with 2,000 workers. However, things exploded so much that they ended up handing out 16 million tracts with the help of 21,000 workers from across the globe! The team didn’t even have to approach their regular donors to cover the costs of printing 16 million tracts, 500,000 hardcover books, and hosting a conference for around 400 people in London. There were people handing out gospel tracts on nearly every single street in London on Coronation Day, and Ray compared his experience to the stories we hear from the early church. A local Romanian church kindly opened their doors to offer a place for people to stay for free. So many people from every age group came together to share the gospel, preach for the first time, and connect with others. They also share about their loving interactions with non-believers. In addition to the tracts being handed out, there was an immense number of prayers being poured over the trip.  Then, the guys touch on how the church of England has lost the sense of the gospel. When we think about Wesley and Whitfield who came from the Church of England, we can only hope and pray that God brings a revival. The guys predict that many people will keep the tracts they received at the event as a keepsake for such a huge moment in history. The goal of this episode is to stir the souls of listeners and offer a glimpse of what God can do when we decide to be an instrument in His hand.  So, what’s next for the Living Waters team? 2024 will bring us the Olympics in Paris and a whole new opportunity to share the gospel with the world. While the coronation of King Charles was huge, it wasn’t followed by the whole world in the way the Olympics are. Anyone interested in being part of the event should subscribe to the Living Waters newsletter and check the website in the coming months.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys discuss the Garden of Gethsemane, which is where Jesus was praying after the Last Supper, right before He went to the cross. This moment in the garden was a dark, tumultuous scene in the Bible. Each of the gospels give their own account, and it was very likely frightening for the disciples. Jesus was sweating drops of blood and was trembling, but still said not for His own will, but God’s will to be done. Matthew 26:36 states, “Then Jesus went with His disciples to a place called Gethsemane, and He said to them, ‘Sit here while I go over there and pray.’ There is a time in every kid’s life where we see our dads cry or get sick for the first time. It’s a moment when we realize our dad is only human. This same moment happened with Jesus and the disciples. This moment puts the incarnation of Christ on display, much like trying to wrap your head around the reality that He had been a baby and needed care. Jesus was human every bit as much as He was God, and it is important for us to keep that balance.  Jesus doesn't say, “take this pain or suffering away from me”—he says, “take away this cup.” Jesus isn't talking about His physical death here, but looking at the fullness of the wrath of God that every human deserves. It states in the Bible that for the joy set before Him, He endured the cross. Jesus endured the cross for the fellowship and relationship that people would have with Him. It states that Jesus actually did sweat giant drops of blood, which is a real medical condition that happens in very rare instances of extreme anguish and distress. This highlights the reality of the humanity of Christ. In His prayer, He only prays—He does not demand, advance any claims, lay upon God any conditions, or reserve future obedience. This is the very heart of the believer when we are spiritually mindful. Trusting in the Lord doesn’t just mean doing the right thing, but maintaining composure and doing things with a heart that says “Lord, you are worthy of doing the right thing.”  Lastly, the guys talk about how Jesus finds His disciples sleeping, which is a reference to the Old Testament where God required the Israelites to stay awake during Passover.  Exodus 12:42 states, “Because the Lord kept vigil that night to bring them out of Egypt, on this night all the Israelites are to keep vigil to honor the Lord for the generations to come.” In the Garden of Gethsemane, the disciples did not keep watch, so the work of salvation was on God alone. These verses from Gethsemane remind us that it is so important to be watchful and pray preventative prayers to be on guard against temptation. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys discuss Nicodemus’ encounter with Jesus in the third chapter of John and what it means to be born again. Some might think being “born again” means to be radically changed or have different views than our world, but this is not the case. Nicodemus, as a Pharisee and religious figure with political authority knew the Scriptures very well, and even he didn’t understand it. So Jesus took time to explain what it means to be born of the Spirit. At the beginning of the encounter we are told that Nicodemus comes to Jesus at night, which could indicate that he didn’t want to be seen with Jesus. The apostle John also uses double meanings in his words, so “night” could represent spiritual blindness: Nicodemus is blind to the glory of God and initiates a conversation in that state.  Next, the guys state the importance of knowing the biblical context of what happened before this verse, so we can truly understand the motive behind Nicodemus’ heart. Right before Nicodemus approaches Jesus, there was the cleansing of the temple where Jesus challenges the political and religious authority of the Pharisees. Therefore, Nicodemus is trying to have a conversation about political power, but Jesus wants to have a conversation about his soul. The words in the Bible matter and are not insignificant. Nicodemus went to the physical, but he was missing the importance of the spiritual. Being born again makes you a new person, so everything is different. Ray likes to describe being born again as a Christian as a personal miracle. There is now a hunger and thirst for righteousness. Anyone born again in Christ is a new creation and is transformed. Ezekiel 36:25-27 states, “I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.” Being born again is to be cleansed from your sins with a new spirit within you. We cannot do this for ourselves, but only God will be the one to give us a new spirit. Lastly, the guys discuss that when you are born again, you need to read the love letter that God wrote to us, the Bible, and get plugged in at a church with other Christians to be rooted in God’s light. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys discuss finding calm in the midst of busyness. In our culture, we ask one another how we are doing, but we answer now with what we are doing. Busyness is almost a barometer for how important or successful you are. There is a healthy type of busyness, but the wrong type of busy makes you lose your composure and mix up your priorities in life. Jesus was busy, but never in a way that made Him frantic about lesser things. There is also an unspoken fear of what we may find when we slow down, so people keep themselves busy instead. This ultimately points to the fact that nothing apart from God can satisfy our desires. We need to be careful not to be so busy that we don’t focus on what truly matters: time with the Lord, our family, and our friends. Next, the guys talk about limitations, and how we need to be okay with having them. We need to recognize that we are by nature limited and that limitation is good and be able to say that we don't have the capacity to do something. Learning to say “no” is a relief and something we need to get back into the habit of practicing. We can also ask those that are closest to tell us if we have become busy in the wrong way. We need to keep the main thing the main thing—which is relationships with people. Our phone is one major distraction that keeps our mind relentlessly busy and often make us feel that we need something, while the only thing we truly need is time with Jesus. The solution is to focus on where our attention lies because that reflects our heart’s devotion. If you want to know what you’re devoted to, pay attention to what you pay attention to.Lastly, they talk about the way we view restfulness, which should be a gospel view and not a cultural one. Our world views rest as something that is needed so we can be a more effective worker, but God Himself rested on the seventh day after He created the world. He didn’t rest because He needed to be a more effective God, restfulness is a part of the beauty of God. Restfulness in our lives is to connect with the glory, goodness, and beauty of who God is. The purpose of rest is not to make us more effective, but it is intrinsic to being human. To not rest is to not be human. The byproduct of rest is refreshment, rejuvenation, and the fruits of the Spirit, like joy and peace. These are things that we miss when we allow ourselves to be busy in the wrong way, and that is not how the Lord called us to live. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today's episode, the guys discuss how Christians can serve like Jesus. We are reminded that everything that Jesus did while He was on this earth was tied to servanthood. In the final analysis, He showed the greatest form of love, which was giving His life and dying for the people. We also see His servanthood and love for people in His scathing responses to their fallacies because He truly cared for them. Just as Jesus did for us, there is no greater way we can serve people than by speaking truth to them. Sometimes, however, this inspires rebukes, which we should be open to listening to. Speaking truth to others requires sacrifice and humility. Sometimes, we are forced to choose between humbling ourselves or being humiliated.  To best understand the significance of Jesus washing His disciples’ feet, we must first understand the role and rights of bondservants. The New Testament typically refers to slaves as bondservants. To wash a person’s feet was considered to be a task even below a servant. For Jesus to wash the feet of His disciples, He is showing to them that He is willing to give up His rights for them. This is just one of the many ways Jesus demonstrated His love for the people of the world. This kind of love should propel us to loving others in the same kind of way. In the final analysis, Jesus’ servanthood is His love. We are all called to be fervent in our love for others the way Jesus was, but we tend to shy away from it.  Many people assume that doing the right thing is a smooth process which presents very little difficulty or pushback. However, this is not usually the case as everything worthwhile requires labor and passion. Listeners are reminded that the only true escape from the mundanity of life is found through Christ, and that humility is always the way to go. On that note, we should be careful that our service is coming from a heart that is doing it before the Lord, not for the eyes of men. In closing, hear Romans 12:9-16, a great passage in connection to servanthood. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

In today’s episode, the guys discuss the Blaspheming of the Holy Spirit, which means that you create a horrible, heinous sin. Mark 3:28-29 states, “Truly I tell you, people can be forgiven all their sins and every slander they utter, but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven; they are guilty of an eternal sin.” This states that whoever sins against the Lord will never be forgiven. This view has been held throughout history, but many people still believe this, especially in the Catholic Church. They also discuss dispensationalists, which believe that God works in special, specific ways at certain times in history. Many people are worried they denied Christ and therefore, won’t be saved. However, the Bible gives us examples of people who did commit great sins like Peter, David, and Paul, but all three have been forgiven and will be in heaven.  Next, they talk about the four different types of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit that people believe. First, they talk about believing false things about the spirit. If you believe false truths about the Spirit, then that's also blasphemy toward the Spirit. This is too general, and many Christians have false beliefs, but through sanctification they get a right understanding with God. Another view of blasphemy of the Holy Spirit is decisively rejecting a clear truth that the Spirit has revealed about Jesus and His mighty works. They clarify that one cannot claim ignorance, but it is a constant, persistent, lifelong rejection of Christ until death—even going so far as to saying He has demonic origins. The guys say if you are worried that you committed blasphemy against the Holy Spirit, then you probably haven’t, because the people who have are the ones who don't care. Blaspheming the Holy Spirit is not accidental—it is deliberate.  Lastly, the guys discuss how to naturally talk about God in our conversations and friendships. There is often a yearning to connect with other Christians and talk about God, but it cannot begin without starting individually. They suggest being proactive about surrounding yourself with other Christians; even just asking someone what they are reading right now in the Word can open up conversation. They also recommend to always have someone in your life who is discipling you, someone who you yourself are discipling, and someone to encourage you. Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro