Jesus is Real Radio with Daniel Fusco
About
Available on
Community
2057 episodes
If you’ve ever studied the Book of Revelation, you know it’s filled with some odd references. And, that can make people who talk about it seem odd too! Today, Pastor Daniel wants you to know going into this series that yes - it’s strange - but that doesn’t mean you should ignore it. It means you need to dig deeper, you need to figure out what God’s trying to tell you. And, as you heard him say, that’s true for EVERY book of the Bible!
Today we join Pastor Daniel in beginning a series in the final book of the Bible - it’s the book of Revelation! And yes, you probably already have an idea of what this book is about. Maybe you’ve even studied this book before! As you begin, Pastor Daniel wants to remind you of the purpose of this book - and it isn’t to predict the end times. The book of Revelation is meant to tell you more about JESUS - that’s where your focus should always be!
There’s a unique bond in the church. As you’ll learn today, it’s set up as a representation of Christ - each person taking on a different aspect of His character and work in the world. Will everyone be teachers, like Jesus? Nope. Will everyone perform miracles? No! Pastor Daniel will talk with you today about the diversity that can and does exist in the church, and why it’s important to embrace one another's different spiritual qualities!
The Holy Spirit Himself is a great gift. His help in all areas of your life is invaluable! Today, Pastor Daniel shares that along with the gift of the Holy Spirit, there are also gifts that come FROM Him. These are things like teaching, prophecy, and even tongues - kind of a controversial topic! Not everyone will have every gift - and in fact, your strengths may differ greatly from anyone else. That doesn’t mean you - or they - are any less valuable to the church body!
Sometimes sharing the Gospel is intimidating - I know I struggle with wanting to have the perfect words, the perfect format. But Pastor Daniel tells you today that this isn’t how talking about faith should be - really, you just need to show up! Then you let the Holy Spirit tell you what to say - let Him guide the conversation! That’s a lot less pressure, isn’t it? You just need to listen, obey, and follow the spiritual powerhouse that’s in your heart!
When you choose to follow Christ, you choose to move through the world with His direction. And with the aid of the Holy Spirit, you can do it BOLDLY. Pastor Daniel shares today that you don’t have to be timid about displaying your faith! And you shouldn’t be - Jesus never shied away from the truth to spare people’s feelings. He brought faith and hope to everyone, reminding them that they have the ability to live the same way!
Time and time again the Bible shows us how precise God is. That example Pastor Daniel just shared, the parallel between the law being given and the Holy Spirit coming to the people? That’s just one of many examples of God’s faithfulness. He brings LIFE to the world - He’s offering it to you today. And not just forgiveness of sins - although that’s incredible on its own! You are being offered a new life, a better life, with the power of the Holy Spirit!
As Pastor Daniel just said so perfectly - we really don’t want to do the WORK of following the Spirit’s guidance, do we…Today, you’ll learn about what receiving the gift of the Holy Spirit is all about - how it happens, and what your response should be. And there is a response, as Pastor Daniel has already hinted! The Holy Spirit is such an incredible help to your life, and to your faith - so why not commit today to do what He asks of you?
The Holy Spirit was promised to the world long ago by Jesus Himself - and being God, Jesus was of course faithful. His Word was fulfilled - we have the Holy Spirit who can dwell IN us, helping us live out this life for the glory of God. But - as Pastor Daniel will point out today - the Holy Spirit living in you is ONLY for those who have accepted Jesus as their Savior. So today, you need to ask yourself - are you ready to let Jesus save you?
Jesus left His disciples with a promise - He said that a helper would be sent - another term for the Holy Spirit. And as Pastor Daniel will share today, that promise has been fulfilled! The Holy Spirit is available right now to everyone who has placed their faith in Jesus. The Holy Spirit truly is a helper - He guides your steps and your words. BUT - He never forces you to obey. You need to choose if you’ll heed the directions of your God-given helper!
Many times the sins you struggle with are things passed through your family tree. Pastor Daniel shares today that it’s not necessarily a genetic problem - it’s how you were raised, and how you observed your family interacting with the world. But just because your parents struggled with anger or jealousy or idolatry, that doesn’t mean you have to. You can have the power, through the Holy Spirit, to break the cycles of sin that exist!
There’s a lot in this world that can fill you up, as Pastor Daniel said. There’s work, friends and family, ministry, and hobbies - all good things, but they can fill your plate and take hours out of your day. Now…if you allow all the things of the world to take up your time, will you have space for the Lord? Pastor Daniel begins a new series today encouraging you to examine how you’re filling your time - and to allow the Holy Spirit to take precedence.
Have you been running away from God, your Heavenly Father? Pastor Daniel continues the story of the prodigal son today, sharing how this man had been running from his own father. And after life has beaten him down, he returns home, expecting rebuke and punishment. Maybe that’s what you’re expecting too - but as you’ll learn today, God’s not like that. He isn’t waiting around to chastise you - He LOVES you. There’s overwhelming grace waiting instead!
You have a unique life story, filled with events and encounters with people that have helped define you. But, there are also personal choices in your story that play a significant role in the person you are now. Today, you get to hear a story of a young man who chose to turn away from a good family and life to pursue his own desires. And you’ll learn that this story mirrors Pastor Daniel’s own testimony of how God got a hold of his life.
Your jeans got wet and are hanging heavy on you, soggy from the rain. Imagine how nice it would be if you could be free of the clothes that are weighing you down and you could run without limits! Pastor Daniel wants to encourage you today to lay down the heaviness of the things the world is causing you to be soaked in. Instead, you’re invited today to be free of those things, so that you can do so much more for God and His purposes!
You don’t become awesome at something without putting the effort in on all the little things. You can’t perform a challenging piece of music without practicing day in and day out. That swim record that you’re trying to beat doesn’t come without the grueling practices and the slight tweaks to your technique. What Pastor Daniel is getting at today is that when it comes to faith, it can start small and grow into something powerful!
It doesn't take too long of a look at our culture to discover that faithfulness has been devalued. Faithfulness in marriage has been overturned in favor of personal happiness. We're no longer faithful to companies that have stopped being faithful to us. But in today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to show you that the ever-faithful God still values faithfulness in His children. So, how about you? Are you being faithful with the gifts He gave you?
What has God given you? Take a moment and consider the breath in your lungs, the energy in your muscles, and the thoughts in your head. God has given you life, and so many gifts on top of that. How are you using yours? In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to remind you that the life you have been given really belongs to God and you are a mere steward of it. How can you bring glory to God and dive into His purposes today?
You never stopped being someone that God cares about. Have you run away from God and squandered the things He has given you? In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to remind you that you have always been God's child. Nothing changed in God's heart when you ran away. Are you ready to turn around and run back to the Father's waiting arms? You can do that right now! And if you need a little more encouragement, stick around!
Using the gifts and talents God has entrusted to you for anything other than His purposes is squandering. Just like the son who took his inheritance and wasted it all on riotous living. In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to show you that what you do with your life matters to God. Don't take his gifts and squander them! But if you already have, know this: God is waiting with His arms wide open for you to simply turn and come home.
There is so much more to this world than the things you can see. The parable that Pastor Daniel is diving into today explores the spiritual battle that is happening all around you, unseen. What God wants is for your life to be fruitful, and so of course the enemy is going to do everything he can to disrupt that. Where God plants the good seed, the enemy sneaks in to sow evil. Stick around to hear what Jesus has to say about this spiritual battle!
In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to tackle the problem of evil. And he's going to do that by diving into one of the parables Jesus told. When you look at the world around you, do you see all the evil and wonder what God is doing? Why He isn't intervening? Today you'll see that Jesus answers that question and the more personal question, “Why are there hard things in my life?” Stick around to hear what that answer is!
In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to show us through the parables of Jesus exactly how passionate God is about finding His lost children. He seeks after them continually. And today you're going to find that you are part of His master plan for bringing the lost children home again. He placed you here--in the circles you're in--just so that He could reach out through you. You'll never look at a trip to the doctor's office the same way again!
Have you ever lost your wallet? When you discovered that it was missing, what did you do? You began retracing your steps, tearing up the couch cushions, and looking at the floorboards of your car. In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to show you that God seeks after His lost children with even greater urgency than that. Your lost wallet is a hassle. God's lost child is a soul that He loves more than His life. Will you seek after them too?
Where and why is your heart hard? In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to ask this very important but still difficult question. Will you take the time with the Lord to answer it? You see, your answer to that question will prepare you for what God wants to do next in your life. He wants to plow up the hard ground so that He can plant His fruit. And isn't that what you truly want? To have a heart that is ready for God to work?
Bad things are going to happen in this world—that's just the way it is. But whenever you face hard times, you've got a choice in how you respond. It all depends on the condition of your heart. Is your heart hardened today? Have you been hurt too many times by people who should know better? In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to remind you that even though it hurts, when you let God plow up the hard ground He will plant good fruit!
Have you opened your present from God today? Did you even know He gave you one? The present that God gives you every time you ask Him is to reveal Himself to you in a way you can understand. And isn't that the best present you've ever received? Pastor Daniel reminds us in today's message to ask the Lord to reveal Himself to us every day. If you haven't opened your present yet today, stop and ask Him now for a new revelation!
In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to dive into the parables of Jesus. Each one of these stories conveys a kingdom truth to the listener in a way that captures the imagination and heart. These parables, or legends, explain the kingdom of God, the Father's heart for the lost, and how you are to live in a broken world. Jesus told these stories to answer people's questions or complaints. Let them guide your heart today as you listen!
Take a journey through your imagination with me for a moment and picture your funeral. What would the people there be saying about you? What do you want them to say? When Joshua came to the end of his life and died, he had a simple epitaph written under the inspiration of the Spirit: Joshua, the servant of the Lord. And there is no higher honor. Joshua lived his whole life with faith in God. He said “yes” to whatever God asked. Do you?
Once again, it all boils down to the question of faith over fear. Do you believe God enough to do what He asks of you? Or do you live in fear and hold back your obedience from God? In today's message, Pastor Daniel is going to take a look at a time when fear wins out. The people don't do what God has asked of them, and the consequences are real. Now, it's easy to look at the Israelites and judge. But where is your faith—or fear—leading you today?
