BRAVE Church
Pastor Jeff SchwarzentraubDig deep into the Bible. Explore the truths of God's word. Apply those concepts to your life and grow deeper in who God made you. Listen to the podcasts from BRAVE.
Podcasts
Older episodes
- 289BRAVE Church Sermons: Our Thinking: Consumed with ContentmentIn our world, at times, we begin to think "if only" we could change our circumstances; our feelings on the inside would change as well. However, the reality is that at any time, we can experience the presence of Christ and be content no matter what situation we face. By being obedient to God's Word, we can grow and remain in a state of contentment. May God continue to grow you in your contentment in Him. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 290BRAVE Church Sermons: I'm Done with FearAs Israel transitioned their leadership from Moses to Joshua, Moses encouraged the entire assembly of Israel as well as Joshua to be strong and courageous. The reason for this confidence stemmed from the fact that it was the Lord who was going before them, would be with them, and had a perfect track record of faithfulness. In our lives today, the Lord is the One whom we can trust as we set our hearts upon him. As you listen to this sermon and review the notes, it is our hope that fear will no longer have a grip on you. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 291BRAVE Church Sermons: Do I Have Your Attention Yet?When we see the landscape of our culture and ask the question, "What in the world is going on?", that is a signal that God is wanting to gain our attention. As Christians, we may wrongly think that God is simply upset at non-believers and is ready to punish them, but the fact remains that He cares so much about us as His children that He wants our hearts to be completely centered on Him. As you listen to this sermon and review the notes, it is our hope that God will get your attention and that you will respond in faith. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 292BRAVE Church Sermons: The Church of TodayThroughout history, we have seen generations ebb and flow in their faith and even have entire generations, such as the judges 2 generation that did not know the Lord. That will not be our story here at BRAVE. We want to invest in the next generation and not experience generational faith drift. As you listen to this sermon, pay attention to the ways that the Israelites missed the mark and ask the question...how might God be asking me to help build up the faith of the next generation? Speaker: Josh Mackey
- 293BRAVE Church Sermons: Our Call as the ChurchIn the great commandment of Matthew 22, what we see is that all of scripture finds it's fulfillment through our love for God and our love for others. God desires our lives to be fully devoted to Him, that we would have an abiding relationship with God. From that abiding relationship, we would then pour that out and love those who are around us. Jesus tells us to go out and make disciples, and so our faith is not for ourselves but for all those we come across in our lives. It's important to know that this isn't easy, and it all has to be done out of God's strength in and through us. Speaker: Mark Guthrie
- 294Alpha/Omega: An IntroductionThe first message in our Alpha and Omega series helps us understand how God established the world and how He plans to restore the world in the future. Because these topics have been deemed controversial, many Christians have not taken the time to explore and believe the truths found in the first 11 chapters of the Bible. However, God makes His Word clear and therefore it remains imperative that we allow the Word of God to speak and that we place ourselves under His authority. As we began our series we answered two main questions: Why teach Genesis 1-11 and how is God introduced? Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 295Alpha/Omega: Our Creator GodIn this message we will study the opening narrative in our Bible. Pastor Jeff will attempt to ask and answer three specific questions: First, Who created the universe? Second, How was the universe created? Third, Do you believe this? In an attempt to answer these questions, we read the entire passage from Genesis 1:1-2:3 and then began to allow Scripture to help us search for answers. By simply allowing God to speak for Himself we learned that God created the everything in the universe in six, literal, 24-hour, consecutive days and then rested on the seventh day. The biggest question that must be answered is whether you believe the plain reading of God's Word or not. As mentioned in the message this is not an issue of salvation but of Biblical Authority. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 296Alpha/Omega: Day 6Genesis 2:4-25 shows more from God's perspective of His creation on Day 6. God not only made the earth a unique planet to be inhabited but created human beings as the crown of all of His creation. Although the earth was wonderfully made, it was not complete until God had human beings placed on the earth to accomplish His work. We also learned about the beauty of marriage and God's design for deep relationships and procreation. God's Word is a very accurate, historical account of how the universe was created and established by Him. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 297Alpha/Omega: The Fall of MankindGenesis chapter 3 highlights the fall of mankind by showing how Adam and Even listened to the voice of satan rather than being obedient to LORD God. Our LORD God created a perfect world to be inhabited by human beings who would bear His image; however, when sin entered the world everything changed. Our relationship with God and others is now contaminated by sin causing all sorts of problems including the fact that we will all die. While this story is painful and tragic it is imperative that we study and learn from this story so that we can learn the Gospel and grow in Christ. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 298Alpha/Omega: The Problem With SinThere are three problems with sin that demonstrate our need for a Savior. In Genesis 3 we learned that although God created a perfect world and a made human beings the crown of His creation (image-bearers) both Adam and Eve sinned. This sin changed our relationship with God, one another, and the world He created. Since we can't hide, avoid punishment or save ourselves we are in great need of mercy. Fortunately, God provided a promise that one day satan would be defeated and God would provide a way for mankind to be redeemed. Understanding God's Word in Genesis 3 provides the need for a Savior and demonstrates God's goodness in spite of our sin. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 299Alpha/Omega: Evaluate Your WorshipFor many of us even when we know the answers to the questions we are being asked we are uncomfortable with people prying into our lives. This week's four question quiz was an opportunity for all of us to allow the LORD to help evaluate our worship of Him. This is important for us to understand because the worship of the LORD Jesus Christ is paramount to our relationship with God and brings us the greatest joy. The good news about this quiz is that even if we are not doing well we can start afresh through confession and repentance. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 300Alpha/Omega: Your Family HistoryIn this message we compare and contrast the genealogical lines of Cain and Seth. It's not uncommon for people to skip or skim this text but God writes His Word to us because He has a message for us to understand. This week as we studied the text we saw the differences in the posterity of families based upon who the men were in the family tree. We discovered several interesting facts and learned what God wants us to understand what He values most in our lives. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 301Alpha/Omega: God's Dealing with DisobedienceSometimes we have difficulty understanding the full character of God because we have only heard of an aspect of His nature rather than the entire story. Some Christians falsely believe that God's love means that you can do whatever you want and there is no consequence. Others falsely teach that just one sin will land you hell and every day you must stand on alert ready to repent or face His wrath. The truth is that God is all-loving and all-just because He is holy. That means He has a great love for us and at the same time will punish sin because that is His nature. In Genesis 6 we learn how God responds to a broken, sinful and disobedient world. What we learn from Genesis 6 will help us understand how He deals with us today. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 302Alpha/Omega: The FloodGenesis 7 and 8 tell of God's complete destruction of the world through a global flood. Prior to Noah there was never a global flood and after Noah God promised there would never be another global flood again. God is true to His Word and while there have been local floods there has never been another global flood. God promised that He would give 120 years for man to repent and yet only Noah and his family were saved through the ark. The entire world lived completely apart from God and perished in the flood. The tragedy of the story is that many people today are still living apart from God not realizing that their sin will bring about their own destruction. May we learn from this story and repent and turn to Christ now! Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 303Alpha/Omega: After the FloodAfter 377 days on the ark, Noah and the other seven survivors were now responsible for moving forward. Therefore, God provided instruction for how they were to live and what they were to prioritize. In Genesis 9 we see the character of God, the sinfulness of man and how God expects his image-bearers to live. Understanding the character of God then helps us understand how to live now the way he would desire. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 304Alpha/Omega: The Creation of NationsGod's desire for His image-bearers was to multiply on the earth so that His glory could be seen in all of His world. Unfortunately, sin in the heart of man created a desire for them to stay in one place to build a city, worship who and what they wanted and to expand their own greatness. Even though the people rebelled against God, He demonstrated His miraculous grace. Rather than punishing His people again He chose to confuse their languages so that they were forced to scatter out across the globe. God's confusion of language allowed for the development of cultures, ethnicities and people groups. These are all wonderful things when we understand that we are all of value to God. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 305Alpha/Omega: The Salvation of NationsEven though we often do not understand all that God is doing we certainly know that He had a plan from the very beginning. In Genesis we see that God had a plan from Noah's son, Shem, to bring about Abram who would become the Father of the nation of Israel. God chose Abram and Sarai, even though they were unlikely choices. He made a covenant with Abram that He would bless Him and make his name great. God has delivered on His promise and has not left Himself without a witness in every nation in the world. God desires all people to come into a relationship with himself. We simply need to respond through our faith in Him. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 306Alpha/Omega: Creation to CradleFrom the creation of the world to the cradle which held our LORD, God has had a purpose and a plan. The more we know and understand about the Word of God the more we understand about our LORD and Savior Jesus Christ. In discussing the birth of Christ, we learned four qualities of being a disciple that prove helpful. As you spend time listening to the message and reading the questions, may the Spirit of God guide you into all truth. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 307Stand Alone Messages: Trust God's DirectionSpeaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 308Alpha/Omega - Revelation: Why Teach Revelation?Why Teach Revelation? With so many people in the body of Christ who have become jaded, confused, frustrated and divisive over the content of the book, why should it be studied? To answer this question, we read and unpacked the first 8 verses of this great book and discovered 5 reasons why this book was worth studying. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 309Alpha/Omega - Revelation: A Vision of ChristMany people still have a picture of Jesus that depicts Him as meek and mild and soft. As we discussed the vision of Jesus Christ spelled out in Revelation 1:9-20 we were alerted to the fact that Jesus is the all-powerful king of kings and lord of lords. Having a true picture of Jesus Christ readies us for His coming and prepares our heart to love Him even more. May God's Word grow you in your pursuit of Christ! Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 310Alpha/Omega - Revelation: The Performance Driven and the PersecutedAfter a quick overview of the seven churches that we will be addressing we spent some time discussing the structure in each of the letters. These six items can prove helpful in our interpretation of the Scriptures. We began our study by looking at the first two churches. First, we studied the church in Ephesus. Ephesus was a strong church who had become performance-driven rather than living in their identity. These factors caused this church to lose its primary ministry to love and serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Next, we studied the church in Smyrna and learned that this church was encouraged to persevere in trials, imprisonment and even death. This church reminded us that we should not fear tribulation or death in the work of Christ. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 311Alpha/Omega - Revelation: The Compromised and the TolerantThis week we studied the churches of Pergamum and Thyatira in chapter 2 of the book of Revelation. Both of these churches were strong in some areas but ultimately suffered in a similar fashion due to false teaching from within. In Pergamum, they were rebuked for some who held to the teaching of Balaam and others who held to the teaching of the Nicolaitans. In Thyatira they tolerated the teaching of Jezebel, which was also leading God's people astray. God hates false teaching because it leads people away from God and often times into sexual immorality and idolatry. This study should not only help us take note of BRAVE Church as a whole, but should also encourage a time of self-reflection. The only way out of immorality and idolatry is repentance. May this study be an opportunity to repent and get right with the Lord. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
- 312Alpha/Omega - Revelation: The Dead and the DependentThe church in Sardis had a reputation for being alive but God said it was a dead church. The church in Philadelphia, on the other hand, had little power but God declared it faithful and strong in the Lord. Studying these churches in the book of Revelation provides insight for how God is leading His church and what He values. Not only should we be serving in a life-giving church, but we should be life-giving Christians who are growing and maturing in the Lord. As you listen to this week's message and ponder the questions, allow the Spirit of God to help you understand what you need to learn. Speaker: Jeff Schwarzentraub
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