Christian Meditation for A Bigger Life with Pastor Dave Cover
Christian Meditation can help refocus your mind and recalibrate your body to get the stress, anxiety and anger out of your heart and out of your body. Spend about 23 minutes to "be still" with God as each episode uses a different biblical image to e...
Recent Episodes
The Power of Knowing the Right Script | Genesis 1:26-28
25:17 | 11-25-2021
Genesis 1:26-28 is a kind of thesis statement for the entire rest of the Bible’s story. You can’t fully understand the gospel’s bigger story if you miss what Genesis 1:26-28 means. This is God’s blueprint for humanity and the whole world. Everything else in the Bible is the unfolding of these 3 verses. And when you understand it that way, it becomes a powerful script for your life right now. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Genesis 1:26–28 NIV Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; maleand female he created them. God blessed them and said to them, “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.” James 3:9-10 NIV With the tongue … we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. …My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Galatians 5:22–23 NIV But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. C.S. Lewis (“The Problem of Pain,” chp 10)… He talks about God creating each of us with his signature written upon our soul— “This signature on each soul may be a product of heredity and environment, but that only means that heredity and environment are among the instruments whereby God creates a soul. I am considering not how, but why, He makes each soul unique. If He had no use for all these differences, I do not see why He should have created more souls than one. Be sure that the ins and outs of your individuality are no mystery to Him; and one day they will no longer be a mystery to you. …For it is not humanity in the abstract that is to be saved, but you. …All that you are, sins apart, is destined, if you will let God have His good way, to utter satisfaction.” Then Lewis cites Jesus’ promise to his people Revelation 2:17— “To those who are victorious, …I will also give each of them a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to the one who receives it.” Lewis continues… “Why else were individuals created, but that God, loving all infinitely, should love each differently?” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Becoming a Glorious Image of God Now | Genesis 1:26-27
33:16 | 11-23-2021
Genesis 1:26-27 is the intellectually consistent basis to why human dignity and human rights are real. Genesis 1:26-27 explains Jesus’s radical value of women, children, the poor and the weak. And the more you can understand Genesis 1:26-27, the more you will become a glorious, embodied image of God in your relationships and our world. 2 Corinthians 3:18 NIV And we all, who … contemplate the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. Genesis 1:26-27 NIV Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Romans 8:18–19 NIV I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. Romans 8:29–30 NIV For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. James 3:9-10 NIV With the tongue … we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. …My brothers and sisters, this should not be. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Why Seven is the Bible’s Magic Number | Genesis 1:1-3
34:23 | 11-18-2021
Genesis 1:1-2:3 is a complex, highly sophisticated, poetic prelude to the rest of the Bible. It’s a kind of microcosm of the Bible’s bigger story; a window through which we can see God’s ultimate plan for our lives. Let’s look through that window together in this episode. Jesus seems to indicate that Genesis was part of the writings of Moses. Luke 24:27 NIV And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:44 NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Jesus quoted from Genesis 1:27 and 2:24 as true. Mark 10:5–9 NIV1 Jesus replied. “But at the beginning of creation God ‘made them male and female.’ ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” Genesis 1:1–2:3 ESV In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was without form and void, and darkness was over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. And God saw that the light was good. And God separated the light from the darkness. God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And there was evening and there was morning, the first day. And God said, “Let there be an expanse in the midst of the waters, and let it separate the waters from the waters.” And God made the expanse and separated the waters that were under the expanse from the waters that were above the expanse. And it was so. And God called the expanse Heaven. And there was evening and there was morning, the second day. And God said, “Let the waters under the heavens be gathered together into one place, and let the dry land appear.” And it was so. God called the dry land Earth, and the waters that were gathered together he called Seas. And God saw that it was good. And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the third day. And God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the heavens to separate the day from the night. And let them be for signs and for seasons, and for days and years, and let them be lights in the expanse of the heavens to give light upon the earth.” And it was so. And God made the two great lights—the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night—and the stars. And God set them in the expanse of the heavens to give light on the earth, to rule over the day and over the night, and to separate the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good. And there was evening and there was morning, the fourth day. And God said, “Let the waters swarm with swarms of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the heavens.” So God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” And there...
The Life-Giving Breath of God | Genesis 1:1-3
26:58 | 11-16-2021
Genesis One is an amazing, highly sophisticated “painting” that in many ways is truer than a “photograph” would be. In just the first three verses, we see an illustrative portrait of our life and our need for God’s Spirit that no propositional statement could equal. Let’s meditate on that image together in this episode. https://www.vangoghgallery.com/painting/starry-night.html (The Starry Night )by the Dutch painter https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_van_Gogh (Vincent van Gogh). Painted in 1889, it shows the view of St. Reme, FR. from his east-facing bedroom window just before sunrise. That same year he wrote to his brother, Theo, “…In the morning, I watch the sun rise in all its glory.” It’s regarded as among Van Gogh’s finest works and one of the most recognized paintings in the history of Western culture. The visual exactness of the town is not Van Gogh’s purpose as much as the greater beauty and glory of the pre-dawn sky that he witnessed from his window. It’s a feeling. Transcendence surrounds the town. In one sense we might say Van Gogh’s portrait shows us far MORE reality than a photograph could. Wonder. Transcendence. At least most people must think so, which is why you’ve seen that painting many times but probably never seen a photograph of St. Reme, FR. Genesis 1-2 shows us real history, but does it more like a Van Gogh than a camera. Showing us the truer, greater glory (transcendence/wonder) in the creation story that can help us see FAR more reality. Genesis 1:1-3 NIV In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. And God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. John 6:63 NIV The Spirit gives life…. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and they are life. 2 Timothy 3:16 NIV All Scripture is God–breathed… Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Powerful Liturgies From Psalm 118 | Psalm 118
16:09 | 11-11-2021
This episode is a continuation of the previous episode and specifically cites some helpful phrases from Psalm 118 you can easily memorize and say at crucial moments. Language is one of the most powerful ways that our brain perceives and interprets what’s happening in our life circumstances. And so liturgies are memorable phrases we tell ourselves that help us interpret life. The more powerfully worded liturgies we say to ourselves shape our lives by telling us the story we are in. And God has given us powerful liturgies in the Scriptures that we can use to say a quick prayer or speak truth to ourselves or others. Neuroscience shows us that our brain is constantly re-wiring. This is called https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity (neuroplasticity). Building new neural pathways. Brain circuits that make thought patterns and behaviors more routine and easier to repeat. Neural pathways that shape our responses and reactions. That shape our very lives. Neuroscience is just learning these things because of advanced imagery. We can see new neural pathways develop in the brain through repetition and the kind of things that enhance that happening. Repetition of things that we do, see, and say is the most powerful way to rewire neural pathways in our brains. This has huge implications when it comes to our habits. Habits of things we allow ourselves to watch. Habits of things we allow ourselves to say. They literally hardwire our brains. Of course the Bible has always been way ahead of this for thousands of years by giving us powerful phrases to repeat as liturgies to shape the wiring in our brain and therefore shape our lives. Biblical liturgies are phrases written by the Holy Spirit that we latch onto in order to better rehearse the story our life is in. Repetition. Spoken. Powerful. Since we’ve been looking through Psalm 118 in recent episodes, let’s find some powerful liturgies there. Psalm 118:1–4 ESV 1 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! 2 Let Israel say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 3 Let the house of Aaron say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” 4 Let those who fear the LORD say, “His steadfast love endures forever.” Psalm 118:6–8 NIV 6 The LORD is with me; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 7 The LORD is with me; he is my helper. I [shall - ESV] look in triumph on my enemies. Psalm 118:8 NIV It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans. Psalm 118:17 ESV I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. Psalm 118:24 ESV This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Psalm 118:25 NIV LORD, save us! LORD, grant us success! Psalm 90:17 NIV May the favor of the Lord our God rest on us; establish the work of our hands for us— yes, establish the work of our hands. Psalm 118:27 ESV The LORD is God, and he has made his light to shine upon us. Psalm 118:28–29 ESV 28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you. 29 Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever! The forever God will be my God forever! Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Why You Should Say Biblical Liturgies | Psalm 118
18:20 | 11-09-2021
Language is one of the most powerful ways that our brain perceives and interprets what’s happening in our life circumstances. And so liturgies are memorable phrases we tell ourselves that help us interpret life. The more powerfully worded liturgies we say to ourselves shape our lives by telling us the story we are in. And God has given us powerful liturgies in the Scriptures that we can use to say a quick prayer or speak truth to ourselves or others. Neuroscience shows us that our brain is constantly re-wiring. This is called https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuroplasticity (neuroplasticity). Building new neural pathways. Brain circuits that make thought patterns and behaviors more routine and easier to repeat. Neural pathways that shape our responses and reactions. That shape our very lives. Neuroscience is just learning these things because of advanced imagery. We can see new neural pathways develop in the brain through repetition and the kind of things that enhance that happening. Repetition of things that we do, see, and say is the most powerful way to rewire neural pathways in our brains. This has huge implications when it comes to our habits. Habits of things we allow ourselves to watch. Habits of things we allow ourselves to say. They literally hardwire our brains. Of course the Bible has always been way ahead of this for thousands of years. Romans 12:2 (NIV) Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is — his good, pleasing and perfect will. Philippians 4:8 (NIV) Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. So the Bible has been here all along by telling us that what we think about will shape how our mind functions. And we now know that our speech is a huge factor in neuroplasticity. This is why complainers who allow themselves to complain and speak negatively and slander and gossip all the time become people who are more and more unhappy. They are literally hardwiring their brain to always criticize and see circumstances and to see people negatively. Colossians 3:8-10 (NIV) But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. Jesus emphasized the power of our words and warned against speaking words carelessly. Matthew 12:34-36 (NIV) …How can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. 36 But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. Matthew 15:18-20 (NIV) But the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them. For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander. These are what defile a person; but eating with unwashed hands does not defile them. James 3:6 (NIV) The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. So what we SAY, especially repeatedly — repetition of words — liturgies — powerfully builds new neural pathways. The culture has its own liturgies — you only live once — it doesn’t get much better than this — you deserve to be selfish — be true to yourself — live by your truth — believe in yourself. Biblical
Knowing God Is FOR You | Psalm 118
24:55 | 11-04-2021
The New Testament quotes Psalm 118:6-7 in a way that hits all of us where we feel it most. Fear and insecurity in uncertain circumstances. The key takeaway from these verses is to truly know and live like you know that God is always FOR you. Let’s talk about why in this episode. Psalm 118:6–7 ESV 6 The LORD is on my side; I will not fear. What can man do to me? 7 The LORD is on my side as my helper; I shall look in triumph on those who hate me. Psalm 118:17 ESV I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 1 Corinthians 5:7 NIV For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed. Psalm 56:3–4, 9-11 NIV 3 When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. 4 In God, whose word I praise — in God I trust and am not afraid. What can mere mortals do to me? 9 By this I will know that God is for me. 10 In God, whose word I praise, in the LORD, whose word I praise — 11 in God I trust and am not afraid. What can man do to me? Psalm 18:16–19 NIV 16 He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters. 17 He rescued me from my powerful enemy, from my foes, who were too strong for me. 18 They confronted me in the day of my disaster, but the LORD was my support. 19 He brought me out into a spacious place; he rescued me because he delighted in me. Psalm 27:1, 13-14 NIV 1 The LORD is my light and my salvation — whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life — of whom shall I be afraid? 13 I remain confident of this: I will see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. 14 Wait for the LORD; be strong and take heart and wait for the LORD. Hebrews 13:5–6 NIV God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” So we say with confidence, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can mere mortals do to me?” Romans 8:31–32 NIV If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things? Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Re-narrate Your Life Today | Psalm 118
23:06 | 11-02-2021
Psalm 118 was a liturgy in Jesus’s Day as part of the celebration of Passover. Written centuries beforehand, it foretells the story of that final Passover during which Jesus’s death and resurrection would change the word’s story forever. New Testament authors quoted Psalm 118 as the turning point in world history. But Psalm 118 goes beyond that. It summons you and me to enter this wonderful story too. And in this episode we look at key verses that further define how this story can lift up your whole life even now. Psalm 118:14–26 ESV 14 The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. 15 Glad songs of salvation are in the tents of the righteous: “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly, 16 the right hand of the LORD exalts, the right hand of the LORD does valiantly!” 17 I shall not die, but I shall live, and recount the deeds of the LORD. 18 The LORD has disciplined me severely, but he has not given me over to death. 19 Open to me the gates of righteousness, that I may enter through them and give thanks to the LORD. 20 This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous shall enter through it. 21 I thank you that you have answered me and have become my salvation. 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! Exodus 15:2 ESV The LORD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation; this is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him. Isaiah 12:2 ESV Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the LORD GOD is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. John 11:25–26 NIV Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” Revelation 21:26–27 NIV The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life. Revelation 22:14 NIV Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. John 10:9–10 NIV I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.
Where YOU Enter Into Psalm 118’s Story | Psalm 118
25:44 | 10-28-2021
Psalm 118 was a liturgy in Jesus’s Day as part of the celebration of Passover. Written centuries beforehand, it foretells the story of that final Passover during which Jesus’s death and resurrection would change the word’s story forever. New Testament authors quoted Psalm 118 as the turning point in world history. But Psalm 118 goes beyond that. It summons you and me to enter this wonderful story too. Luke 24:27 NIV And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself. Luke 24:44 NIV He said to them, “This is what I told you while I was still with you: Everything must be fulfilled that is written about me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets and the Psalms.” Psalm 118:22–24 ESV 22 The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone. 23 This is the LORD’s doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. 24 This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it. Matthew 21:42 NIV Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes.’”? Ephesians 2:19–22 NIV 19 Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of his household, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. 21 In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. 22 And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. Acts 3:1–3 NIV 1 One day Peter and John were going up to the temple at the time of prayer—at three in the afternoon. 2 Now a man who was lame from birth was being carried to the temple gate called Beautiful, where he was put every day to beg from those going into the temple courts. 3 When he saw Peter and John about to enter, he asked them for money. Acts 3:6–10 NIV 6 Then Peter said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.” 7 Taking him by the right hand, he helped him up, and instantly the man’s feet and ankles became strong. 8 He jumped to his feet and began to walk. Then he went with them into the temple courts, walking and jumping, and praising God. 9 When all the people saw him walking and praising God, 10 they recognized him as the same man who used to sit begging at the temple gate called Beautiful, and they were filled with wonder and amazement at what had happened to him. Acts 3:19–21 NIV 19 Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord, 20 and that he may send the Messiah, who has been appointed for you—even Jesus. 21 Heaven must receive him until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets. Acts 4:1–2 NIV 1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2 They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. Acts 4:8–12 NIV 8 Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9 If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10 then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11 Jesus is “ ‘the stone you builders rejected, which has become the cornerstone.’ 12 Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:23–28 NIV 23 On their release, Peter and John went back to their
The Day Jesus Entered Psalm 118 | Psalm 118
26:51 | 10-26-2021
Psalm 118 was a liturgy in Jesus’s Day as part of the celebration of Passover. And because of that, the words on the lips of those praising Jesus as he entered Jerusalem the Sunday of Passover week fulfilled their own prophecy. You’ve heard these words many times every Palm Sunday. All four gospels record this event as Jesus literally entered the ancient story of Psalm 118. It’s pretty cool how God does these kinds of things. Psalm 118:25–26 ESV 25 Save us, we pray, O LORD! O LORD, we pray, give us success! 26 Blessed is he who comes in the name of the LORD! Mark 11:9–10 ESV And those who went before and those who followed were shouting, “Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Blessed is the coming kingdom of our father David! Hosanna in the highest!” Luke 13:34–35 NIV “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing. Look, your house is left to you desolate. I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’” Luke 19:41–44 NIV As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, “If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peace—but now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.” Who can you share this podcast with? If you found this episode helpful, consider sharing it on social media or texting it to a friend you think might benefit from it. Follow Dave Cover on Twitter https://twitter.com/davecover (@davecover) Follow A Bigger Life on Twitter https://twitter.com/abiggerlifepod (@ABiggerLifePod) This podcast is a ministry of https://www.thecrossingchurch.com/ (The Crossing), a church in Columbia, Missouri, a college town where the flagship campus of the University of Missouri is located.