Jesus did something we often overlook when He came to earth.
He emptied Himself.
He emptied Himself of all the rights and privileges of being the Son of God, seated at the right hand of Majesty in Heaven.
He remained fully God and fully man, but emptied Himself of the glory of BEING God as He walked the earth.
Philippians 2:7-11 tells us that He “made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
Jesus’ emptying Himself has a HUGE impact on what is happening in your life and mine, right now, at this very moment, because of what Jesus is doing on our behalf in Heaven right now, at this moment!
Did you know that Jesus is in Heaven right now, interceding for you? He is also preparing a place for you, right now! And that’s not all…
Join me for this lagniappe edition as we learn to follow Jesus’ example, the glory of being empty to be full this season!
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"You can take him at his word."
"You have my word for it."
These idioms teach us that a person's word MATTERS, and tells us so much about who they actually are, about their integrity.
John 1:14 tells us that, "the Word became flesh and dwelt among us." Jesus Christ is the very Word of God, and reveals to us God's heart, His character, nature, and great love for us!!
And even more than that, God's Word came, and dwelt among us, and "of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace..." (John 1:16).
The coming of the Word of God means we go from one grace God gave us in the Old Testament to an even greater grace in the New - and THAT is the very heart of the coming of Jesus!!
Join me for this special lagniappe edition, looking at why the incarnation matters so very much!
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Did you know that the very same power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in you and in me?
It's true. Romans 8:11 tells us that because of the the Holy Spirit, who raised Jesus from the dead, we have great resurrection power in THIS life, and the one to come.
Join me today as we continue our exploration of Romans 8, and in particular the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
And a special also join me especially for some GREAT NEWS about God's remarkable work this year through Rinse and Repeat! Join us as we worship Him for the great things He has done in 2025!!
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This week I learned the horrific news that my cousin, Jack Fanous, went home to be with the Lord suddenly and unexpectedly.
Jack tirelessly fought for the rights of U.S. Armed Forces Veterans, raising awareness and support for their housing, employment, and mental health needs through his organization, the G.I. Go Fund (gigofund.org).
Amazingly, over the past two years, Jack was also on a quest for spiritual discovery, and he read the Scriptures at least three times, cover to cover. He was changed by reading God's Word, which motivated today's lagniappe edition of Rinse and Repeat, "I Want to Live Like Jack."
I was studying Psalm 119 as I mourned Jack, and was struck by how much God's Word, celebrated in this psalm, protects us and directs our lives. In fact, the more I meditated on the psalm, the more I knew God was speaking to me about why God's Word is imperative in our lives, and how to live like Jack.
Join me for this truly personal, special edition of Rinse and Repeat.
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Do you know the Bible says that you are what you think?
It’s true.
“For as he thinks in his heart, so is he (Proverbs 23:7a)."
Our thoughts are so important that they are even a matter of life and death.
Today we continue our series on Romans 8, picking up in this remarkable segment:
“For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. For to be carnally minded is death, but to be spiritually minded is life and peace. Because the carnal mind is enmity against God; for it is not subject to the law of God, nor indeed can be. So then, those who are in the flesh cannot please God (Romans 8:5-8)."
Join me as we examine our thought life, and learn what it means to bring every thought captive, to the obedience of Christ.
Imagine being set free, TRULY free, from condemnation?
Imagine being set free from all sin - sin in our past, in our present, in our future?
We don't have to imagine it, because that is PRECISELY the truth of a believer's life in Christ. We are set free from guilt and shame, set free to "go and sin no more" (John 8:11).
Today, I begin a brand new series in the most significant passage of Scripture, Romans Chapter 8, where we read, "There is now therefore no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus."
Join me as we being this incredible new journey in this remarkable passage of Scripture!
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There is power in confession.
James 5:16 tells us, “Confess your trespasses to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.”
Romans 10:9-10 tells us “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
From these two passages alone, God clearly connects confession with healing and salvation!
But why should we care about the regular practice of confession?
To learn more, tune in to this special langiappe episode of Rinse and Repeat!!
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It is the single greatest statement of faith in the entire Bible, in my humble opinion.
Daniel 3:17-18, "If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”
The judge, priest, and prophet Samuel said some unforgettable words. In 1 Samuel 3:9, he said in response to the Lord's call:
Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.
This response represented the posture of Samuel's heart for his entire life. He wanted to listen and to obey the words of the Lord, and Samuel was a great man of faith, willing to have difficult conversations, willing to do hard things as led by the Lord!
Join me as we soon draw our study in Hebrews 11 to a close, with this great man of God, Samuel!!
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If God is all-powerful (omnipotent), all-knowing (omniscient), and all-reigning (sovereign), then why should human beings pray? What is the ultimate point of prayer, if God will do His will in the end?
Today on Rinse and Repeat, we address these critical questions about prayer, taking a look especially at what prayer does in the lives of believers. In addition to exploring WHY we pray, I also address when, where, and even ways in which we can seek the Lord in prayer.
Also, this episode opens up with some truly exciting news for all R&R listeners and supporters!!! So don't miss this special, lagniappe edition.
So far, we may have been surprised by some of the inclusions in Hebrews 11 - complicated men like Samson, Jacob, and Gideon - and men we may not know a lot about, like Jephthah.
But today's man of God, David, comes as NO surprise. Here is a man after God's own heart, a man who sought to honor God and from whom Jesus Himself would one day come!
And yet, David is himself a man of many shortcomings and complications. David sinned with Bathsheba, when he lied and murdered to cover up that sin, when he numbered the people, and when he failed to address issues within his own family (as with Tamar and Absalom, for example).
Turn with me to 1 and 2 Samuel and Psalm 51, as we learn just as much from David's failings as we do from his successes in our quest to walk by faith through Hebrews 11!
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You probably have never heard of this guy, but don't turn the program off yet!
Jephthah! Try to say THAT name three times fast!
Jephthah is the next "hall of faither" whom God mentions in Hebrews 11:32, and is called a "mighty man of valor" in Judges 11. And yet, his childhood is fraught with bullying, sorrow, and rejection.
Despite Jephthah's bumpy start, God had great plans for Jephthah, proving yet again that the Lord is a God of great plans and mercy.
Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 11 and Judges 11, as we learn about this little-known but mighty character, Jephthah.
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We may have grown up learning that Samson's story was one of heroic strength, strength that was tied to his long hair.
Sadly, Samson's story is far more tragic. His strength came as a result of his consecration to God, part of his Nazirite vow, and that strength left him with the Spirit of God's departure in the scene with Delilah.
Samson's story offers us SO MANY critical warnings, and I offer some important ones from my own life.
If you are able, review Judges 13-16, as we turn to Samson's story of "Faith of Tragic Strength," today on Rinse and Repeat!
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I have been thinking a lot bout the last two weeks, and I felt it was time to revisit a lesson I taught called "Love One Another."
I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about some things that God's Word has to say about things that have made recent headlines, and perhaps nothing more important than HOW MANY TIMES God's Word commands His people specifically to LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Beloved, join me for this special, personal, timely episode of R&R.
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Today, we explore the faith of a man many have never even heard of - Barak. The military commander during the time of Deborah the judge and prophetess, Barak's faith was imperfect, as was every person's faith we have studied so far in Hebrews 11.
In Barak's case, we get to see an example of faith that moves forward, even when afraid. Fear and cowardice are two very different things, as we will soon see, today, on Rinse and Repeat!
As our series in Hebrews 11 continues, we explore the faith of Gideon, a man with great fear but with an even Greater God.
Today we explore one of the most surprising stories in Hebrews 11, the story of a Canaanite prostitute named Rahab, who comes to believe FULLY in the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
How does she come to faith?
Based on what she hears about God's faithfulness to His people!
Turn in your Bibles to Hebrews 11:31 and Joshua 2 as we explore this incredible story and as we learn how this woman not only saves the lives of the Hebrew spies, but also is named in the very genealogy of Jesus!!
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In A Grief Observed, the book he wrote after his wife died of cancer, C.S. Lewis said:
“Grief and pain are the price humans have to pay for the love and total commitment we have for another person. The more we love, the more we hurt when we lose the object of our love. But if we are honest with ourselves, would we have it any other way?”
What walls can we tend to construct for ourselves? Can we build walls with other people, keeping them out to protect ourselves from hurt somehow? Perhaps we try to isolate, staying away from people where it is safe.
Or perhaps, we have walls in the form of numbing substances and distractions, so that we don't have to feel anything. Still yet, we can maintain walls by being endlessly busy, so we never have to get quiet, deal with things, and hear from God.
On today's episode, we look at an astounding passage where Joshua hears directly from the pre-incarnate Jesus about bringing the walls of Jericho down, and we learn how we, too, can live a life of faith without walls!
Turn to Hebrews 11:30 and Joshua 5-6 for todays' episode of Rinse and Repeat!
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Imagine leaving power, money, fame, and comfort, and willingly choosing to live among slaves?
That was precisely what Moses did, when "he became of age, refus(ing) to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin" (Hebrews 11:23b-24). Moses's choice to suffer instead of pursuing pleasure serves as an example to every believer in every age!
Today, we explore the incredible walk of faith of Moses and his parents, Amram and Jochebed, and be encouraged that you too can stand firm in your faith despite the challenges presented by secular culture.
Turn to Hebrews 11 for our next installment in our series "Great Faith in Our Great God."
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