Groundwork is a half-hour weekly audio program that digs deeply into scripture as a foundation for our lives. https://groundworkonline.com/ en-us info@reframeministries.org 1977-2024 ReFrame Ministries 2009-2024 GroundworkOnline.com https://groundworkonline.com/assets/images/Groundwork-podcast.png https://groundworkonline.com/ en-US Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:10:18 -0600 info@groundworkonline.com Sat, 21 Dec 2024 00:10:18 -0600 60 info@groundworkonline.com https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-prince-of-peace https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-prince-of-peace Groundwork Fri, 20 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Jesus: Our Prince of Peace

As we celebrate Christmas and re-tell the story of baby Jesus—the Savior of the world born in a lowly manger—may we also remember that he is the one the prophet Isaiah called the “Prince of Peace.” As we study the story of Jesus’ birth, we will reflect on the real need for this peace in our lives today. Together, we will dig into Scripture to discover the deep and meaningful shalom that Jesus brought to us in his birth, a peace that he promises to establish permanently when he returns. It’s this peace that we share as his witnesses to the world. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-everlasting-father https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-everlasting-father Groundwork Fri, 13 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Jesus: Our Everlasting Father

The prophet Isaiah continued to reveal the nature of the coming Messiah when he prophesied that he would be the “Everlasting Father.” Join us as we discuss how our understanding of the Triune God clarifies how the Son of God can also be our Everlasting Father. Together, let’s prepare our hearts to celebrate Christmas with an Advent reflection on the true nature of a father as revealed to us in both the Old and New Testaments. We’ll better understand how this extraordinary title reveals the nature of Jesus and discover the comfort and belonging he brings to us.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-mighty-god https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-mighty-god Groundwork Fri, 06 Dec 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Jesus: Our Mighty God

The words of the prophet Isaiah offered hope during one of the lowest points in the history of Israel. As God’s people faced exile, Isaiah identified their Messiah as “Mighty God;” the one coming to save them would be more powerful than the enemies that persecuted them. We now know that the Messiah Isaiah prophesied about is Jesus Christ. As we look toward Christmas, we dig into Scripture to discover what the title “Mighty God” communicates to us about Jesus. Together we examine  Christ’s character and deeds and explore how his presence as a helpless baby displayed the awesomeness of God’s power. We discover how the promise of our “Mighty God” continues to give us hope as we anticipate Christ’s return. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-wonderful-counselor https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/jesus-our-wonderful-counselor Groundwork Fri, 29 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Jesus: Our Wonderful Counselor

In Isaiah 9:6, the first title the prophet Isaiah gives to the coming Messiah is “Wonderful Counselor.” Join us as we dig into Scripture to discover what this title communicates about Jesus and how it connects to the biblical wisdom tradition. As we prepare our hearts to celebrate the birth of Jesus, we will discuss what it means that Jesus is the wisdom of God and is, therefore, a wonderful counselor whose guidance, when we seek and follow it with humility, keeps us on the right path.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/your-questions-about-christmas https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/your-questions-about-christmas Groundwork Fri, 22 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Your Questions about Christmas

Did the Christmas story really happen? Wasn’t Christmas originally a pagan holiday? Why do some churches celebrate Advent? Join Groundwork as we dig into Scripture to answer commonly asked questions about Christmas and Advent. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/the-day-of-the-lord https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/the-day-of-the-lord Groundwork Fri, 15 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

The Day of the Lord

Have you ever wondered what will happen when Jesus Christ returns? Whether you call it the Day of the Lord, Judgment Day, or the Second Coming, all these titles refer to the time and events of Christ’s return to earth. The early Christians waited expectantly for Christ’s second coming, but when he didn’t appear, scoffers planted seeds of doubt among the believers. Concluding his second letter to the believers in Asia Minor, the apostle Peter encouraged them to view life through the lens of eternity patiently. Join us as we reflect on God’s divine timing and patience and learn from Peter how we can live holy, purposeful lives in light of the coming Day of the Lord.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/be-on-guard-false-teaching-and-its-consequences https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/be-on-guard-false-teaching-and-its-consequences Groundwork Fri, 08 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0600

Be On Guard: False Teaching and Its Consequences

We will always experience pressure to compromise our faith in Jesus Christ. The apostle Peter urged the early Christians to remain vigilant against deceptive influences and trust that God would ultimately hold false teachers accountable for their deceit. In our world today, we continue to deal with false teachers who distort the truth of the gospel and seek to lead believers astray. Together, we’ll study how Peter’s ardent defense of the gospel helps us stay rooted in God’s truth, learn discernment through the Holy Spirit, and live lives that fully align with the teachings of Christ.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/growing-in-our-salvation-and-recognizing-truth https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/growing-in-our-salvation-and-recognizing-truth Groundwork Fri, 01 Nov 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Growing in Our Salvation and Recognizing Truth

Do you ever feel like God asks the impossible of us? The apostle Peter reminds us that we need to rely on God’s divine power to live godly lives. The Holy Spirit nurtures virtues like goodness, self-control, and perseverance in us, empowering us to grow in our salvation. This, and the authority of Scripture, equips us to recognize truth, resist cultural pressures, and persevere in our faith, distinct as followers of Jesus Christ. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/how-to-live-as-christians https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/how-to-live-as-christians Groundwork Fri, 25 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

How to Live as Christians

In closing his first letter to the early Christians, Peter offers some final advice that remains valuable for us today. Peter urged his readers to remain vigilant in their faith and act with love and humility. Speaking to their anxiety, he assured them that God indeed cared and that he would ultimately have the final say. Today, we can stand firm in our faith because we are not alone; in everything, it is the God of all glory who calls us, restores us, and makes us strong. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/encouragement-when-we-suffer-for-being-christians https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/encouragement-when-we-suffer-for-being-christians Groundwork Fri, 18 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Encouragement When We Suffer for Being Christians

Have you ever been tempted to hide your faith for fear of judgment or ridicule? By studying the words of the apostle Peter, we’ll find courage in the grace of Jesus Christ to remain faithful to the gospel in the face of injustice and suffering. In his letter to the early Christians, Peter reminds us that we have the strength to live this way because Christ lived this way first.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/what-it-means-to-be-gods-chosen-people https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/what-it-means-to-be-gods-chosen-people Groundwork Fri, 11 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

What it Means to be God's Chosen People

As humans, we long for significance and the sense that our lives have value. This is especially acute when we’re experiencing suffering. When we’re through challenging times, we may find ourselves wondering: “Does my life matter? Am I making a difference?” But the apostle Peter confidently proclaims that all who have put their trust in the gospel of Jesus Christ have value and purpose. As we study 1 Peter 2, we’ll see how Peter comforts Christians experiencing suffering by affirming their identities in Christ and their intrinsic value as God’s chosen people. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/live-a-holy-life-set-apart-for-god https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/live-a-holy-life-set-apart-for-god Groundwork Fri, 04 Oct 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Live a Holy Life Set Apart for God

When the culture we live in seems to restrict our faith to a list of rules focused on what we shouldn’t do, the apostle Peter challenges believers to embrace godly behavior that produces God-honoring fruit because we are grateful for our salvation in Jesus Christ. Learn what it means to live a holy life, set apart by God for his purposes, and how dwelling in God’s Word provides the spiritual sustenance needed for an active faith that flows naturally from us in all circumstances. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/praise-god-for-our-living-hope https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/praise-god-for-our-living-hope Groundwork Fri, 27 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Praise God for Our Living Hope

Life is full of ups and downs: times of great joy and seasons of significant hardship. When early Christians faced mockery, persecution, and forced dispersion, the apostle Peter wrote to encourage them that even in suffering we have reason for great joy: our living hope and identity in Jesus Christ. This remains true for us today. Discover the incredible value of our faith as Peter opens his letter by praising God for the living hope and inheritance we receive as a direct result of our faith in Jesus Christ. 

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/dry-bones-and-gods-promises-of-restoration https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/dry-bones-and-gods-promises-of-restoration Groundwork Fri, 20 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Dry Bones and God's Promises of Restoration

Have you ever felt so hopeless that the idea of experiencing or attaining anything remotely good seemed impossible and out of reach? It’s during similar moments of hopelessness in the book of Ezekiel that God interrupts his messages of judgment with powerful images of restoration. In Ezekiel, God famously depicts Israel’s sinful condition as a valley of dry bones. But in this vision, the bones amazingly do not stay dead. Slowly, death is reversed and beyond all reason and logic, the dry, dead bones are restored to life. The bones were not lost forever and through this vision, God was promising restoration for Israel. Join us in studying the hope-filled imagery of this and other restorative visions in Ezekiel and be reminded of just how great God’s love is for his people, how seriously he takes his promises, and how deeply we can trust that one day God will restore us fully too.

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]]> https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/understanding-gods-judgment https://groundworkonline.com/episodes/understanding-gods-judgment Groundwork Fri, 13 Sep 2024 00:00:00 -0500

Understanding God's Judgment

Judgment and consequences can feel unfair. They can even feel mean, especially when we don’t understand why they’re occurring. The prophet Ezekiel received many messages of judgment for Israel—so many that, at times, when reading the book of Ezekiel it can feel like God’s judgment is relentless. But by studying these judgments, we can learn about the character of God and better understand where God’s judgment comes from, what it means, why it’s necessary, and why it’s also a source of grace. 

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