God's Word in Our Lives
Words are a big deal. In an understood word, my thoughts become your thoughts! And this happens almost instantly. Then you speak, I listen, and your thoughts become mine! Remarkable.
That the God who created all things, sustains all things, and fills all things would communicate with us is nothing short of beautiful. God speaks. We listen. Then we speak. God listens. Join us to hear what God has to say every week!
God's Word in Our Lives is a weekly dive into God's Word with Pastor Pete Zaferos.
Episodes
248 episodes
Epiphany Moments: Rejection Is Not Proof Of Failure
When you are trying to share some important information with someone, but they refuse to listen or perhaps totally reject what you are saying, it feels like you have failed. This is especially true when someone rejects the gospel! We proclaim t...
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Season 5
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Episode 32
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24:30
Epiphany Moments: Baptism Is The Cure For An Identity Crisis
“Who is Jesus?” For the longest time, people thought the answer to that question was, “Mary and Joseph’s son” or “a carpenter from Nazareth.” While true enough, those answers do not adequately describe Jesus. But when Jesus was baptized, God th...
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Season 5
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Episode 31
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24:12
The Gift of God Is For All People
On Christmas Eve the angel told the shepherds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people” (Luke 2:10). One wonders if those words struck those Jewish shepherds as odd. For centuries, God had given special attention to ...
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Season 5
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Episode 30
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22:22
God Gives Himself As One Of Us
Have you ever opened a Christmas present and had to ask, “What is it?” Perhaps it was some new type of technology or perhaps a unique toy. You were grateful for the gift, but also not 100% certain what you were looking at. “What is it?” Today, ...
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Season 5
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Episode 29
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24:31
Heaven's Best Gift In The Unlikeliest Place
When the President of the United States visits a city, he does not stay at a discount motel. He stays in some posh hotel with luxury accommodations. Moreover, when making such trips, the President’s agenda generally does not include him spendin...
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Season 5
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Episode 28
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19:08
A Real Christmas Results In Great Joy
Multiple studies have proven that the holiday season exacerbates mental health issues. For some, the pressure to have “a perfect Christmas” can be overwhelming. For others, their loneliness is amplified. Such people need a real Christmas, one t...
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Season 5
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Episode 27
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17:36
A Real Christmas Is Rooted In Repentance
The closer we get to Christmas, the greater the pressure. There is so much work to be done! We want our houses to look good for out-of-town guests. We want to impress people with the thoughtfulness of our gifts. What a welcome relief, therefore...
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Season 5
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Episode 26
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17:14
A Real Christmas Requires Remembering Why Christ Came
It is easy to get so caught up in the imagery—a tiny newborn baby, lying in the straw filled manger under a star-filled sky—that we forget the why. Why did the Son of God come into our world and take on human flesh? So that he might die as the ...
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Season 5
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Episode 25
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20:02
Thanksgiving: Connecting the Old with the New
This Thanksgiving, we're connecting thanksgiving in the Old with thanksgiving in the New Testament! Join us!
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Season 5
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Episode 24
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22:28
Live Free From The Fear Of Judgment
Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) affects many millions of adults. It is more than shyness. SAD includes an acute fear of being judged. An individual with SAD struggles with everyday tasks like talking to people at work or school because he is terr...
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Season 5
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Episode 23
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24:22
Live a Life of Startling Generosity
Perhaps you have heard the axiom, “Eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die.” In other words, while you still can, use what you have in order to enjoy life to the fullest. If this life is all there is, St. Paul agrees that would be a good ...
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Season 5
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Episode 22
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27:20
Live Knowing Life Only Gets Better!
“It will get better.” We say that to try to comfort someone who is having a bad day (or maybe a whole string of bad days). Perhaps tomorrow will be better. But perhaps it’s worse. In this life, there really are no guarantees that things will ge...
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Season 5
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Episode 21
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18:50
A Tree And Its Fruit
Today, we focus our attention on the fruit produced by the tree of the cross. Fruit with the promise of eternal life attached. Fruit that brings nourishment and joy!
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Season 5
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Episode 20
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26:29
The Need For Followership: Followers Of Christ Maintain Proper Priorities
People think that establishing priorities is about ranking things in order of importance. But it is more than that. We do not have unlimited time and energy. So, establishing priorities enables us to say “no” to things which might be good yet n...
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Season 5
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Episode 19
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25:08
The Need For Followership: Followers of Christ Know How To Love Their Families
Love can cause harm. Consider the wife whose husband wants little to do with church. She loves him and does not want to upset him. So, when her husband wants her and the children to stay home Sunday morning, she complies without protest. That w...
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Season 5
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Episode 18
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29:35
The Need For Followership: Followers of Christ Have Powerful Allies
Green Berets. Rangers. SEALs. Delta Force. These special forces groups are part of the United States military. They are elite: highly trained with unique skill sets. Many of their important missions are carried out in total secrecy.Two ...
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Season 5
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Episode 17
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25:44
The Need For Followership: Followers of Christ Are Armed For War
What is the worst war in human history? One might point to World War II, which has the highest death toll of at least 90 million people. Or consider the Three Kingdoms War, which not only resulted in over 40 million deaths but also lasted for m...
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Season 5
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Episode 16
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24:04
The Need For Followership: Followers Of Jesus See The True Purpose Of His Power
Power is neither inherently good nor bad. Fire is powerful. The chef uses fire to create meals. But the arsonist uses fire to destroy homes. Nuclear fission is a powerful force. The engineer harnesses it, producing abundant electricity. The tyr...
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Season 5
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Episode 15
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29:28
The Need For Followership: Followership is Obedience From The Heart
A loving father gives his son and daughter a list of rules and regulations. Chores, curfews, civilities, dress code—the father makes his will clearly known. The son strives to follow the rules for two reasons. 1) He wants to get his allowance. ...
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Season 5
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Episode 14
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26:30
Many Days In The Promised Land
As we prepare to begin another school year at Pilgrim Lutheran Church, School, and Preschool, we take some time to focus on the reason we exist. Sermon text is Deuteronomy 11:1-7,16-21
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Season 5
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Episode 13
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26:14
Meaningful Ministry, With Jesus, Fears Nothing!
Shortly before he ascended, Jesus told his followers they were to engage in meaningful ministry—to work their way through the world, sharing the good news of salvation. Our loving Lord knew that was a big and often intimidating task. So, his ne...
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Season 5
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Episode 12
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22:19
Everything Needed For Meaningful Ministry
King David explains, “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it” (Psalm 24:1). That word “everything” doesn’t leave any wiggle room, does it? That word “everything” means that your home and all its furnishings, your vehicle and all that’s in...
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Season 5
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Episode 11
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18:56
Meaningful Ministry Models Jesus' Compassion
In the ancient Middle East, a shepherd needed certain skills to do his job well: knowledge of edible grasses, ability to trim hooves, capacity to fend off predators, competency to birth lambs. However, the greatest qualification of a shepherd i...
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Season 5
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Episode 10
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24:39
Meaningful Ministry Is Backed By God's Authority
When a child asks a sibling to do something there isn’t much certainty as to the results. The sibling might simply ignore the request. However, if that same child goes to a brother or sister with “Dad said so,” it’s a very different story! Now ...
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Season 5
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Episode 9
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24:06
Meaningful Ministry Leads To Rejection & Resentment
If ministry involves serving others with love and compassion, you would think that people would respond only with glee and gratitude for the help they received. Sometimes, but not always. If you offer to help a family member who is having troub...
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Season 5
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Episode 8
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30:36