The Living Waters Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Ep. 163 - A Closer Look at the Crucifixion of Christ May 25, 2023

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Thanks for listening! If you’ve been helped by this podcast, we’d be grateful if you’d consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating!
Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!
You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.
Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.
You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!
Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.
Ray Comfort
Emeal (“E.Z.”) Zwayne
Mark Spence
Oscar Navarro

Ep. 162 - Something Seems Fishy About Jonah May 23, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys talk about the story of Jonah, one of the stories of the Bible which is most mocked by atheists because it is seen as impossible. However, as Christians we know that with God nothing is impossible. Listeners are reminded that God created heaven and the earth out of nothing, therefore anything is possible. As students of God, we need to allow His Word to say what it says and be what it is. Jonah’s story is presented as history, not fiction. God is a miraculous, extravagant God who holds the whole world in His hands. When we begin to explain God’s Word away to make it more acceptable to the present culture, we are denouncing God’s truth.

The most fascinating thing about Jonah’s story is just how short the book of Jonah could have been. If he had obeyed God’s order to cry out against the wickedness of the city, he never would have endured the belly of the whale. Jonah’s sin was not disobeying God, but that he was angry with God for loving his own enemies. However, God loves everyone, enemy or not. As Christians, we must also go out to spread God’s Word with love in our hearts for our own enemies. Jonah’s story goes to show how blinding hatred can be that it dims our view of Christs’ love and compassion.

When talking about these figures from the Bible, we should remember that we have something they don’t: the cross, which serves as evidence of God’s love for us. Thus, we should be forgiving of our enemies and love them just as God does. While Jonah spent three days in the belly of a whale, Jesus spent three days in the tomb. It is the very same power of God which caused the whale to spit Jonah out which also resurrected Jesus from the dead. Jonah’s sin was what put him in his predicament, but it was our sin which sent Jesus to the cross. In this way, Jesus is the better Jonah. We should all aim to be men who God may use at all costs.

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Ep. 161 - Leaving a Legacy by Learning to Lovingly Lead May 18, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss how to leave a legacy by learning to lovingly lead. When leadership is not exerted in the right way or with the right heart, major tragedies can ensue. Today, the church is in big trouble as we live in this “celebrity Christian pastor” era. Being a pastor, however, means to be a shepherd of a local flock. Preaching to your people alone should be the highest priority. When we act as leaders ourselves or gravitate towards other leaders, we should be looking for Christ-like leadership. The overall disposition of Jesus as a leader was that of a servant.

A largely deceptive element is not realizing the impact of our leadership we have as friends, acquaintances, and parents. There are definitive things parents often do when raising their children which may create the kind of atmosphere in which bitterness and brokenness grow, and vice versa. Leaving a legacy for your family begins with recognizing the legacy of sin in yourself. Genesis alludes to the idea of generational sin. You do not need to be a perfect parent, but you do need to be a parent who is willing to put sanctification on display for your wife and children. When thinking about leadership and legacy, the most important question we should ask ourselves is where our hearts are. When love is not infused in leadership, authoritarianism results. The love we should have for our spouse will be limited by our understanding of God loving the church as sinful people.

Finally, hear about the marks which would leave a legacy of love. These include lifting others up, putting your own needs behind the needs of others and abandoning self-defense mode. We should always strive to leave a legacy that will magnify the Lord over ourselves.

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Ep. 160 - Regularly Remembering to Redeem the Time May 16, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss the importance of time. To begin, listeners are reminded that time is the most precious resource of all, and wasting time has ramifications. This is why waking up early and being intentional with your time is very important. The New Testament speaks volumes to this idea. The early church has been accused of spending too much time together, as they would gather in the morning and stay together all night long. This is a prime example of not being bound by time. Although punctuality is part of being courtesy, it doesn’t hurt to remove some of the parameters surrounding time in an organized way.

We all have a problem with how we organize our time. For example, where young people spend more time sleeping in, older people tend to waste time on media cycles or sitting around the house after retirement. We are only redeeming our time when our minds and hearts are focused on the glory of God. This could be done in the process of education, in fellowship or through restfulness. God gave us restfulness as a gift and something intrinsic in what it means to be human. Where we put our attention is ultimately how we redeem our time and what we become in the long run. As Christians, we should integrate the Lord in every area of our lives.

Jesus did meet every need. He left one town to preach to another, left people in line waiting to be healed, hid away to pray and got tired. He spent 30 years in training and just 3 years in ministry. He did not try to do it all and yet he did everything God asked Him to do. Grind culture is not meeting the glory of God as God wants us to also be creatures of rest and thoughtfulness. The way we should redeem our time is not by being as efficient as possible, but by glorifying God. Listeners are reminded that everything we do in this life that is not chasing the Lord is transient. We should also walk in wisdom towards non-believers and share the gospel to reach the lost. Discipleship requires a great deal of time and investment.

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Ep. 159 - Anxiety Attacked May 11, 2023

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In today's episode the guys discuss anxiety, an unfortunate mark of our modern lives. Everything about the modern age is intended to make us feel most comfortable, yet this is clearly not working. This is because we are not meant to be the center of our own universes. For example, God created us to till the ground and have a relationship with the food we eat and the environment around us. As humans, we were intended to spend uninterrupted time in Creation.
The guys define anxiety as a feeling of worrying or unease, typically about some outcome. By looking for distractions from our anxiety, we are actually diving deeper into our anxiousness in the long run. It is rest that our body needs to defeat anxiety, not busyness. When Peter saw a resurrected Jesus with his own eyes, his anxiety disappeared. To overcome anxiety, we should orient our lives in such a way that points us to Christ through prayer and meditation and take extended time to disconnect from music and technology to truly converse with God and spend time in His creation. When we are disconnected from the earth, we are missing out on God and His gift to us.
We so easily forget that we are promised an eternity with the Lord. God gives us sacred moments to remember this truth, but we must make our eyes available to notice them. The more we really see these instances, the more anxiety dissipates. Then, they make the distinction between genuine concern and anxious worrying. Issues are not issues at all, but rather the steppingstones to get us to where we are meant to be. The great antidote to anxiety is to speak with God. When we go before God in prayer, we go before our father who knows and loves us unconditionally for who we are and has a plan for our lives.

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Ep. 158 - Finding Freedom From Fear May 09, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss how to find freedom from fear. First, the guys describe fear as a crippling emotion that destroys one’s ability to function effectively. It’s like a wild dog that you must keep on a short leash so you can control it. We fear physical things (spiders, snakes, heights) and intangible things (failure, what people think, etc.), and these fears can hold us back. However, not all fear is a terrible thing, and our own limitations give power to the work of God.

Next, the guys discuss how the fear of man is a snare. This kind of fear is usually brought on by three different causes: the desire for power, praise, and reputation. First, we are afraid that other people will have power over us. We also fear feeling inadequate by not receiving praise from other people. For reputation, we fear what other people will say or think about us. We can idolize acceptance by others because we wish to be part of a group and belong. We fear being “an outsider.” It is a constant snare to need approval from someone else because their standards and expectations are always changing. Even if we do get others’ approval, it still won't be satisfying because true approval can only be found in Christ. When we look vertically to Christ instead of horizontally to other people, it frees us from those exhaustive ways of living.

Lastly, the guys talk about how we have been designed in our very DNA to fear, and specifically to have a healthy fear of God. When we don't look to God as the One whom we fear, we will fear other things. Fear can be healthy, like when the fear of dying motivates us to put on a seatbelt. When we develop and keep a healthy fear of God and spend time with the Lord, then this will shift our fear from that of things back to its rightful place: God. In Psalm 3, David is shifting his view—he started off talking to his Creator about the problems with his enemies and how they have power over him. Then, he focuses on his Creator and how only He has power over him. When we focus on the Lord and the bigger picture, it will change everything. Being fearful is also a spiritual battle because Satan is the father of lies. 2 Timothy 1:7 states, “For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.” The Holy Spirit lives in us and gives us the freedom to live out our faith boldly.

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Ep. 157 - Will You Hurry Up and Be Patient Already? May 04, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss patience. There are three areas in our lives in which we can lack patience: in God’s sovereignty, in God’s creation, and in His handiwork. The epitome of arrogance is being impatient with others who are being sanctified, forgetting how long it took for us to be sanctified ourselves. In Corinthians 13, the first description of love is that it is patient. Patience doesn’t mean we sit around with our hands folded. Rather, it evokes constant trials and endurance. One of the very best ways to exercise patience is through demonstrating composure.

The cure for impatience with the fulfillment of God’s timetable is to believe His promises, obey His will and leave the results to Him. It is easy for us to become discouraged when God’s plan is taking longer than we expected. Listeners are encouraged to trust the process which God has set in place for each of us and not wish that things were happening on your terms instead of His. We should never forget that God is at work and there is ultimately no waiting room in His plan. Wants and desires in life are always transferring from one thing to the next. If wanting for a future spouse becomes a future savior, you will never truly be satisfied when you do achieve the thing you thought you wanted most in life. However, if you shift that mindset to finding your true joy and satisfaction in Christ alone, then you may pursue a spouse joyfully as an additional gift given to you by God. At the end of the day, it all comes down to the sovereignty of God and His promise to bring all things to completion.

One of the biggest mistakes Christians make is applying their understanding of God’s sovereignty to only the big milestones in life, when it applies to every aspect of life. Sovereignty is defined as God’s divine right to do as He pleases. Impatience, we are reminded, is a pathway to destruction, especially in the lives of those we love most. To get to the bottom of our impatience, we must challenge the false idols of our hearts which can be anything, even good things, that we prioritize over God.

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Ep. 156 - The Magical Marvels of Meekness May 02, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss meekness, which is defined as “mild of temper, soft, gentle, not easily provoked or irritated.” Meekness is often mistaken as weakness, but it is not the same thing. Meekness is strength under control, or power channeled for the benefit of other people. An example of worldly meekness is Oscar’s friend who is a successful pro fighter. He plays basketball with friends, but when it gets a little rough he tells others to take it down a notch. He has confidence in his own personal power and strength, but he displays self-control for the sake of other people. We need to have the same spiritual meekness with others by recognizing that the strength that we have comes from the power of the Holy Spirit and it’s not ours to boast over, but God’s to put on display. Jesus was the epitome of meekness. When Jesus was in the Garden of Gethsemane about to be crucified, Jesus said to Peter, “Do you not know that my Father can send 12 legions of angels?” He had power under control, but it was connected to love.

Next, the guys discuss how wisdom and truth go hand-in-hand with meekness. Truth without wisdom and meekness is like ingredients that haven’t been baked—it can’t be enjoyed. James 3:13 states, “Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.” Wisdom has an attribute of meekness in it and wisdom is the true application of knowledge. Meekness is not thinking lowly of yourself, but not thinking of yourself. Selfishness is a huge root cause of sin. Even through storms, we can embrace what God is doing in our life even if it is difficult. We can embrace the trial because we know He will be with us in the midst of it.

Lastly, the guys talk about how there is a huge misunderstanding between what the world and Christians define as meekness. Meekness is yielding your will to God’s will and dying to your desires. In order to grow in meekness, we must die to ourselves and have the right view of God. To have the right view of God, we need to discipline ourselves in willingness to sit quietly in the presence of the Lord. This will allow the conviction of the Spirit to bring things to light in our hearts and minds. Colossians 3:12 states, “Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience.” Every day, we need to choose to put on the word of God and have discipline to do what the Lord wants in our lives.

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Ep. 155 - Giving Up Gossip and Snuffing Out Slander Apr 27, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss giving up gossip and snuffing out slander. Gossip is the most consistent sin in the lives of Christians and all of us are guilty. It is very easy to sin in gossip because it is seen as a “respectable sin,” but all sin is evil in the eyes of the Lord. It is important to remember that anyone willing to gossip to you is also willing to gossip about you. Gossip diminishes humanness in others. We are all created in God’s image. If we slander or diminish something about others, we are diminishing something about them which reflects their Creator. Gossip is also usually lies or half-truths. As Christians, we will disguise gossip as prayer requests or secondary theological disagreements. We spin gossip because we gravitate towards it, and confirmation bias will push us to gossip and slander others.

Next, the guys talk about what makes us indulge in gossip. First, we are all sinners so we are drawn to sin, but gossip also makes us feel higher than the person we are talking about. There is a legalist inside of all of us that is trying to prove our worth and be worthy of righteousness. However, the only thing that makes us worthy is not what we have done, but the blood that’s been spilled for us. Proverbs 16:28 states, “A dishonest man spreads strife, and a whisperer separates close friends. A troublemaker plants seeds of strife; gossip separates the best of friends.” The enemy wants us to rebel and earn righteousness without God, but we need to honor God in the way we speak by thinking through what we are doing, why we are doing those things, and what we are saying. A good question to ask yourself is: would I say that if this person was present?

Lastly, the guys discuss the remedy for gossip and how to stop. Gossip can cause damage to friendships, families, and within the church. We need to stop the fire of gossip before it spreads. James 4:11-12 states, “Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.” Gossip is a contradiction—we cannot use the same mouth with which we bless God to also curse our brothers. When we hear something, the Bible states that we must be careful to take accusations against an elder without one or two witnesses. When we talk about others, we need to look at the motive in our own hearts. When in a conversation that has turned to gossip, tell the person gossiping that you think it’s best to not talk about that, or that you feel uncomfortable with the conversation. Most of the time we gossip with the people we are closest to, so we can talk to our family and friends about calling each other out on gossip. You can also use a code word for gossip when you are together. We need to have humility and remember that the only one worthy of judgment is the Lord.

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Ep. 154 - Lessons From the Life of Samson Apr 25, 2023

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In today's episode, the guys discuss Samson, who was a famous warrior and judge in the Bible. He was known for his strength which came from his uncut hair. There are so many “heroes” shown in the Bible, but they all have faults, sin, and issues. These people in the Bible demonstrate to us the Lord’s patience and how genuine the scriptures are. There are a couple ways to look at the story of Samson. The first is through the view of morality, or what you should or should not do according to Samson’s example. We also need to realize that Samson’s story also points us to the gospel through the parallels in his story to Jesus. First, Samson is considered a judge of Israel, but he points us to the great judge, Jesus. Samson’s mother was barren for a period of time and Jesus was born to a virgin mother. An angel announces both Samson’s and Jesus’ birth, but the angel told Samson’s parents that he would begin to save the Israelites, while the angel told Jesus’ parents that He will save the Israelites. Samson filled the world with dead bodies, but Jesus filled the world with His body. Jesus did not come to defeat His enemies, but to save us all. Samson points the way to Christ.

Judges 13:5 states, “You will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and his hair must never be cut. For he will be dedicated to God as a Nazirite from birth. He will begin to rescue Israel from the Philistines.” Samson had the purpose of being set apart for God, but that’s not what happened in his life. Samson was repetitive in that he was used by the Lord but continued to go back to sin again and again despite the fact that he knew better. It is easy to sin, but hard to live for righteousness. We have never been tempted to be righteous when things don’t go our way—we are always tempted by sin because we live in a fallen world. We need to ask God to use us for His will and His purposes instead of our own. We don’t see the bigger picture, so we need to trust that God will answer our prayers with what we need. Any trials we have in our lives are just stepping points to get us to where we need to be.

Next, the guys talk about the theme of sight in Samson’s story. Judges 17:6 states, “In those days Israel had no king; all the people did whatever seemed right in their own eyes.” Everyone used their sight to determine what was right or wrong. Judges 14:1-3 states, “Samson went down to Timnah, and at Timnah he saw one of the daughters of the Philistines. Then he came up and told his father and mother, ‘I saw one of the daughters of the Philistines at Timnah. Now get her for me as my wife.’ But his father and mother said to him, ‘Is there not a woman among the daughters of your relatives, or among all our people, that you must go to take a wife from the uncircumcised Philistines?’ But Samson said to his father, ‘Get her for me, for she is right in my eyes.’” Samson used his own judgment and ignored his parents in saying that this woman was right in his eyes. This theme of sight illustrates how the people would rely on their own understanding, but not the Lord’s. Matthew 18:9 states, “And if your eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away.” Samson’s eyes are gouged out and after his eyes are taken, his spiritual eyes are restored. This brought him to redemption and reconciliation with his Father. God will sometimes bring us to the end of ourselves to save us.

Lastly, the guys talk about how Samson’s story shows us the importance of listening to counsel. Samson’s parents encouraged him to marry someone who wasn’t a pagan—someone who was a Jew and lived for the Lord. This verse is never to be used against inter-marriage in terms of race. This verse was used to show they were under a covenant at this time to keep a pure family heritage in following the Lord. God places godly family members and friends in our lives to help us see God's truth and listen to their counsel.

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