In this heartwarming episode, we explore the incredible legacy of faith passed down from a grandmother, Lourdes, to her granddaughter, Nicole. Rooted in the truth of 2 Timothy 1:5 ("I am reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also."), we see how Lourdes' consistent prayers over the years have breathed new life into Nicole's journey with Jesus.

Listen in as we share the beautiful story of how a grandmother’s unshakable faith and devotion to prayer ignited a fresh passion for Christ in her granddaughter. Discover how the power of a praying Nana can transform generations, leaving a lasting impact on the hearts and souls of those she loves.

In this powerful episode, we dive into the topic of hopelessness—what it truly means, how it manifests in our lives, and where we can find lasting hope.

Our key verse, Romans 15:13, reminds us that God is the source of true hope, joy, and peace. Without Him, all other sources of hope will fail. For unbelievers, hopelessness can feel inescapable, but even believers can find themselves wrestling with discontentment when they lose sight of God's promises.

We explore alarming statistics about the rise of hopelessness, particularly among American teenage girls, and the tragic reality of suicide. According to the CDC, 3 in 5 teenage girls report persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness. Suicide remains a leading cause of death, especially among men. But these stats don’t have to define anyone's future.

Through Scripture and personal stories, including the tragic loss of a dear friend, we discuss how discontentment leads to fear, anger, and ultimately despair. But there is hope—a hope found in Christ that is not wishful thinking but a confident assurance anchored in His promises.

Join us as we reflect on verses like John 16:33, Hebrews 6:19, and Titus 2:13, which assure us of the living hope that comes through Jesus. No matter where you are or what you’re going through, there is a hope that can save your soul.

Listen now to be encouraged and reminded that true hope starts with Jesus.

📖 Key Scripture: Romans 15:13

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Webster’s 1828 - UNCLEAN - Not clean; foul; dirty; filthy. In the Jewish law, ceremonially impure; not cleansed by ritual practices.

Key Verse - Luke 5:8 - When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. ”

Peter had been with Jesus but then he realized who Jesus actually was. He called Him, “Master” but then in verse 8 he recognized his sinful condition as he saw who God was.

We often view God through our own lens and lower Him to our level instead of seeing Him as Peter saw Him when he performed this miracle

Isaiah 6:1-5 - In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

When we are in the presence of God, we see ourselves as unclean. We have no choice but to see the stark contrast between man and God, and we cannot fully understand the great divide as we can only see it through our human eyes.

God is Holy

Lesson 1 of the Exchange, God cannot look upon sin

Habakkuk 1:13 - You who are of purer eyes than to see evil and cannot look at wrong (iniquity, sin, wickedness)

Exodus 33:17-23 - And the LORD said to Moses, “This very thing that you have spoken I will do, for you have found favor in my sight, and I know you by name.” Moses said, “Please show me your glory.” And he said, “I will make all my goodness pass before you and will proclaim before you my name ‘The LORD.’ And I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy. But,” he said, “you cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live.” And the LORD said, “Behold, there is a place by me where you shall stand on the rock, and while my glory passes by I will put you in a cleft of the rock, and I will cover you with my hand until I have passed by. Then I will take away my hand, and you shall see my back, but my face shall not be seen.”

John 1:18 - No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son

Matthew 17:1-2 - And after six days Jesus took with him Peter and James, and John his brother, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. And he was transfigured before them, and his face shone like the sun, and his clothes became white as light.

John 3:30 - He must increase, but I must decrease.

We must all come to this realization in order to come to Christ. There are two religions in this world: Works based and faith based. Works based in grounded in us increasing and He decreasing whereas faith based is holding Him in His proper view of Him increased and us decreased.

The fall of man was predicated on the elevation of self (Lucifer) and it is the downfall of man that sends him to hell when he is not accepting of the finished work of Jesus Christ.

John 9:24-25 - Then again called they the man that was blind, and said unto him, Give God the praise: we know that this man is a sinner. He answered and said, Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.”

We were all blind before coming to...

Abundant Life Episode 58 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of selfishness and how it is very destructive.

Selfish – Regarding one’s own interest chiefly or soley; influenced in actions by a view to private advantage.

Philippians 2:3-4 – Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Selfish ambition – Another word for selfishness which means motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.

Conceit – This simply means pride.

In other words don’t to anything out of selfishness and pride. Selfishness and pride work hand in hand.

The Fall of Man

Selfishness can be traced back to the fall of man. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden there was a selfishness and pride.

Genesis 3:6 – So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Satan appealed to Adam and Eve’s pride and their selfish desire to be wise like God.

Thelema Religion

• The word Thelema means “choice” or “will”
• Thelema is an occult religion that was taught by Aleister Crowley who was an occultist.
• One of the main axioms of Thelema is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
• Aleister Crowley has had a major influence in today’s culture through music and entertainment
• Ozzy Osbourne has a song named Mr Crowely, The Beatles album cover pictures Crowley, Michale Jackson album cover pictures Crowley and there are many more examples
• Bottom line is that this teaching of do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law is a teaching straight from the pit of hell.

Selfism Religion

The idea is self-worship. You are your own god. Quote from The Gospel Coalition – Philosophies of selfism:

• Your mind is the source and standard of truth, so no matter what, trust yourself.
• Your emotions are authoritative, so never question (or let anyone else question) your feelings.
• You are sovereign, so flex your omnipotence and bend the universe around your dreams and desires.
• You are supreme, so always act according to your chief end, to glorify and enjoy yourself forever.
• You are the standard of goodness—so don’t let anyone oppress you with the antiquated notion of being a sinner who needs grace.
• You are the Creator, so use that limitless creative power to craft your identity and purpose. #authenticity.

Satanism

• Church of Satan was established by Anton LaVey in 1966
• Anton LaVey is the author of the Satanic Bible
• The basic commonality in all the branches of Satanism is a promotion of self.
• All forms of Satanism claim that life exists to consume and that selfishness is a virtue.

The Solution

1. We MUST stop listening and believing the lies of the devil.
2. We need to be alert and identify...

Abundant Life Episode 57 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the profound love of God for us and why Jesus had to die.

Romans 5:7-8 – For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

• Jeremiah 17:9
• Romans 3:10-12
• 2 Corinthians 5:21

God loved us even when we were in sin and when we were what the Bible calls ungodly.

• 1 John 4:8
• 1 John 4:10
• John 15:13
• Ephesians 2:4-5
• Romans 5:7-8

Jeremiah 1:5

Nothing and no-one can separate us from God’s love.

• Romans 8:35,78-39

https://youtu.be/myP9Mvs1sOk?si=c58TP_waGFOxNxQo

Abundant Life Episode 56 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about starting off 2024 on the right foot by shedding the weight of sin in order to run the race of life.

Weight – The quantity of a body, ascertained by the balance; in a philosophical sense, that quality of bodies by which they tend towards the center of the earth in a line perpendicular to its surface. In short, weight is gravity, and the weight of a particular body is the amount of its gravity, or of the force with which it tends to the center. The weight of a body is in direct proportion to its quantity of matter. A ponderous mass; something heavy. – Websters 1828

Hebrews 12:1

• Mark 9:41-42
• Mark 9:43-48

• Romans 12:2
• Psalm 139:23-24
• Romans 6:1-2, 6-8

• 1 Corinthians 9:25-26
• Hebrews 10:36
• Ephesians 4:22-24

• Hebrews 12:2
• 1 John 2:6
• 1 Peter 2:21
• Matthew 10:38
• 1 Timothy 4:7-8
• 1 Corinthians 9:24
• Philippians 3:14
• 1 Corinthians 9:27

Abundant Life Episode 55 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about one of the awesome names of Jesus, Immanuel, God with Us.

• Isaiah 7:14
• Matthew 1:23

The Shekinah Glory – In the old testament this was a term coined by the Jewish rabbis which is a Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” meaning that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.

Exodus 40:34-35

• Matthew 1:21
• Hebrews 4:15

The plan from eternity past was for Jesus to come save us from our sin. He not only saves us, Hebrews tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us, although He does not excuse our sin.

Matthew 1:20

This is a miraculous conception!

Galatians 4:4

According to BibleRef, The word translated as “redeem” is from the Greek root word exagorazo. This is the same word used to buy a slave out of bondage.

Romans 8:38-39

There is nothing we can do to merit more or less love from God. He loves us and it is this love that caused God to send His Son down to us.

Matthew 11:28

Jesus is the only one that can give us peace and rest!

• Psalm 23:4
• 1 Peter 1:6-8

This life is filled with adversity, trials and testing, but in all that God is with us. We must remain faithful and steadfast through the storms knowing that God is with us.

Matthew 16:24

We must be obedient as we walk with God. When we sin, we essentially drift away from God, but God never goes anywhere.

Matthew 17:27

God is not only with us, He provides for our every need.

Revelation 2:3-4

We must repent and confess our sin and come back to our first love.

Psalm 139:4-10

As a Christian, there is nowhere we can go that God will abandon us.

1 Timothy 3:16

For now we have the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, but Jesus is coming back soon!

Abundant Life Episode 54

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about all the tings they are thankful for in 2023

Keyword

Thanksgiving – The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies. – Websters 1828

Key Verse – Psalm 100:4-5

Things we are thankful for…

1. God’s Sovereignty – Lamentations 3:37-39
2. My Wife – Proverbs 18:22 & Proverbs 31:10
3. God’s Provision – James 1:16-17
4. My Mom – Proverbs 31:11-12
5. Family & Friends – Proverbs 18:24
6. God’s Mercy Love and Faithfulness – Lamentations 3:22-23
7. Church – Acts 2:46-47
8. Salvation & Gospel – Acts 4:12 & Romans 1:16
9. Abundant Life Listeners – Ephesians 4:29