The Living Waters Podcast

On today’s episode, the guys tackle the topic of Godly marriages. To begin, each of them share how long they have been married. As we see it, marriage is in bigger trouble in America than ever before. As Christian men, we are commanded to love our wives the way Christ loved the church, unconditionally and sacrificially. The best thing we can do for our spouse is to submit to the Lord ourselves. Marriages shouldn’t be likened to a competitive rate, but a relay race in which you work together. Realizing that our spouse is not responsible for our sins is critical. Theology of love is the recognition that when you meet someone, you fall in love with who God has created them to be. The greatest commandment is to focus your life on loving God and loving others. Marriages walk by faith, rather than by sight. It’s a good thing to continually ask good questions and really listen to each other. Having intentional time to spend together is what will keep your marriage alive.   When you make a covenant with God on your wedding day, God transcendently meets you there and makes a commitment with you to your marriage. For couples experiencing drought in their relationship, you are encouraged to look towards the cross. Being involved with the church and admitting our sins honestly will help to edify a marriage. Your friends should agree that marriage comes first, and should feel comfortable challenging your wrongdoings regarding your spouse. God has given us different roles for order, husbands are required to lead and wives are called to submit to their husbands and we submit to the Lord before all else. Similarly, husband and wife are equal in value, worth and capability. In closing, we are urged to humble ourselves in the presence of our spouse.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider leaving us a 5-star review, and we’ll see you next time! Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more.  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

On today’s episode, the guys tackle the topic of the power of God’s word. In Ray’s experience, when you are saved, God’s word leaves you in a never ending honeymoon phase. Value impacts behavior and when we value Christ, we understand that His word is direct communication to us. According to 2 Timothy 3:16-17, “All Scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction and righteousness that the man of God may be fully equipped for every good word.” Many Christians who find themselves at a shipwrecked point in their lives end up there because they have strayed from God’s instructions. The same words which spoke the earth into existence are found in our Bibles.  Then, the guys reflect on the importance of reading the Bible every single day, without fail. We often forget that we are soldiers of Christ and our food is His word. Meditate on His word and let that be your nutrients for the day ahead. Even in Christianity, there is a massive issue with Biblical illiteracy. The Bible isn’t just there for occasional reference, but is an opportunity for us to spend time with God. God’s word is an acquired taste and requires discipline and time spent with it to develop the taste. If you are unfamiliar with the Bible, you are encouraged to pick a small book as a starting point and really familiarize yourself with it. Christ is our hope, and without Christ or the desire for His word, we are hopeless. The “care” method for Biblical literacy helps participants comprehend, analyze, reform and enjoy God’s word.  Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider leaving us a 5-star review, and we’ll see you next time!  Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more.  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

On today’s episode, the guys tackle the topic of forgiveness. They speculate that unwillingness to forgive arises from us thinking of ourselves as mini Gods. However, we should each remember that we are not Gods, but sinners among sinners. God commands us to be in a perpetual state of forgiveness. If we don’t forgive, we will not be forgiven. In the end, God is the justifier of sin, so we are released from carrying out justice. Forgiveness is to not hold someone in a place where they are in debt to you for their actions. Forgiveness is not reconciliation or lack of consequence. We can move forward with God’s help, though we still may carry a scar with us.  Acknowledging the heaviness of sin is the first stage of forgiveness. The way to true forgiveness is remembering how Christ has forgiven us. Unforgiveness is a hypocritical act detested by the Lord. Many people struggle with small, daily sins just as much as the big ones. Forgiveness is at the heart of the gospel and is to be a defining characteristic of every believer. Unforgiveness can turn to bitterness where we can’t receive a blessing from God. In closing, it is reiterated that we are a byproduct of the gospel. When we keep an eye on the cross, we can experience the freedom of willing ourselves to forgiveness.   Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider leaving us a 5-star review, and we’ll see you next time! Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more.  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

A lot of people make a big deal about Christmas every year, while others can't wait until it's over. The guys discuss the different dynamics fueling both the naysayers and the YAY!!! sayers, and then address the matter from a biblical perspective.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

Today, the hosts talk amongst themselves about a topic that brings with it many common misunderstandings: the topic of good works.  Some religious groups, such as Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses, teach that good works are a means by which a person can try to earn salvation.  At the same time, it is all too common for Christians to embrace either legalism or antinomianism, placing either too much or not enough importance on good works.  Thinking well about good works as a Christian requires keeping two theological categories in mind: justification and sanctification.  When a person becomes a Christian, that person is declared “not guilty” before God once and for all; God saves the person monergistically, by grace through faith.  However, the person is saved into the process of sanctification, the synergistic process by which one grows to be more like Jesus.  As this process goes on, the Christian is able to do good works, and should be zealous to do so out of gratitude and a sense of the fittingness of doing good.  As branches on the Vine (Jesus!), Christians will naturally produce grapes (good works!), and they will be driven by the worthiness of God to do the good works He has prepared for them.These two categories of justification and sanctification must be linked, but not confused with one another.  Otherwise, we lose sight of the glorious truth of the gospel!  Not only that, but we lose a great tool in the work of evangelism.  After all, as the hosts’ stories testify, Christians doing good works (especially not out of any need to earn something) has an effect on recipients.  It silences the foolish talk of evildoers, and even draws people to glorify God.Thanks for listening and see you next time!Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more.  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

On today’s episode, the guys talk about the  extremely destructive sin of pride.  Pride is “the silent killer,” the original sin, a self-deceiving foe.  It is a form of idolatry present in all of us and driving much of the world.  It is subtle and secretive, and while we often can’t see it in ourselves, we tend to be disgusted when we notice it in others.  We all know what it feels like to notice pride in this way.  We’ve been bothered by the athlete who is obviously full of himself or the self-proclaimed hero who claims praise for helping a person in danger.  But how do we define what it is that bothers us in these moments?  What is pride?  To use the words of Charnock, it is “contending with God for preeminence.”  Its opposite is humility, which entails seeing ourselves in truth and not being overly attentive to self.  Getting into more practical outworkings of pride, it’s important to know that it often harms our evangelism as Christians by fueling fear of rejection and driving us to corner people with arguments.  Given a Bible, pride can lead to phariseeism.  Knowledge inflames pride if the antidote of humility isn’t applied.  Pride can be low, disguising itself as humility.  Pride clouds our witness by placing attention on ourselves rather than Jesus.  The stark truth is that “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”  Because of this fact, we need to be the kind of people who try to root out and repent of pride.  And since we may not always see it in ourselves, the input of others is tremendously helpful.   We ought to humble ourselves, because God will not abide our foolish pride.  And moreover, the gospel frees us from the need for pride!  After all, we are accepted by God, and need no other approval. Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider leaving us a 5-star review, and we’ll see you next time!Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to explore the Evidence Bible!  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

The podcast explores the battle of the mind in regards to sexual purity and how it has grown with the accessibility of social media. They discuss strategies to fight sexual impurity such as focusing on the Lord, accountability, and having a holy fear of the Lord. The hosts address those who struggle with sexual impurity and remind listeners of God's love and forgiveness. They emphasize the importance of maintaining sexual purity and offer guidance on walking in sexual purity by resisting temptation and relying on Christ for help.

Nobody likes talking about the reality that there are false converts in our midst... but the Bible does, so we must too. Listen to the guys talk about the rarely discussed reality that our churches could be full of non-believers and find out why so many fall away from the faith after accepting an altar call.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

On today’s episode, the guys are back to discuss heaven and the hope of heaven in the midst of a perverse world we live in. As the conversation kicks off, they unpack some of the misconceptions people have about heaven. Many of these ideas come from medieval literature and art which depicts heaven as a far away place of leisure in the clouds. However, heaven is ultimately a renewed earth in which God has made right what humans have made wrong. Then, they each share some of their individual images of heaven as children. When we understand the end result of God’s plan, we are compelled to action. The hope of heaven is so important in the world we live in, where everything else is temporal. As Christians, we become more and more homesick with a home we have never been to. This hope is the ultimate consultation to carry us through until we reach Him at our final destination. In addition, Christ promised to prepare a place in which he will receive us back to himself. He urges us to set our minds on the things above, rather than be earthy minded.Heaven is a place where Christ dwells, and therefore it is enough. You can’t divorce one from the other, because his presence makes heaven. As the discussion draws to a close, we are urged to remember the hope of heaven and a new earth. Thanks for listening and see you next time!Links:Visit the Living Waters website to learn more.  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

The podcast explores the concept of humans being made in God's image, discussing implications on morality, societal issues like abortion, and the need for renewal through God's grace. It delves into the intrinsic value of human life, challenges views tied to productivity, and emphasizes the importance of reflecting God's image in daily life. The discussion also touches on reconciling evolution with theological beliefs, advocating for the gospel, and exploring identity and self-definition based on being made in God's image.