Have you heard the phrase “the power of prayer”? Or “prayer changes things”? We've been taught to believe God answers prayer. In fact James 5:16 is a well-known version among Christians: "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much." And it's true ... Except when it isn't.  Sometimes, it seems like prayer doesn't make any difference at all. Sometimes it feels like God is hiding. Why is that? How should we think about that as followers of Jesus?  Set up a monthly donation and get free access to the Listener's Commentary Study Hub here   Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

We've said a lot about living a Jesus centered life and how it takes deliberate intentional effort. If we're not careful, that could to a lot of striving ... a lot of trying to get it right ... to doing more and more, so we can live Jesus centered.  But that misses the importance and power of grace. Living Jesus centered happens in the circle of grace.  So in this final episode on living Jesus centered, we explore how grace is the key to the whole thing! Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

Jesus centered living happens on purpose. We need to arrange our life to live attached to Jesus so we can become like Jesus. This is the essence of being a disciple and this is heart of living a Jesus centered life.  So how do we arrange our life for this? What's the plan? What are the objectives?  That's what we explore in this episode of the Bible in Life.  Listener's Commentary Study Hub -  Join the study hub to access articles, maps, charts, pictures, and links to other resources to help you study the Bible for yourself. https://www.listenerscommentary.com/members-sign-up   Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

Dallas willard is famous for saying “grace is opposed to earning; it’s not opposed to effort.” This is important because living for Jesus isn’t gonna happen on accident. It takes effort. Grace will empower the effort, but it will still take wise intentional effort on our part.  The apostle Paul puts it this way: 24 Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. 25 Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. So they do it to obtain a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. 26 Therefore I run in such a way as not to run aimlessly; I box in such a way, as to avoid hitting air; 27 but I strictly discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. - 1 Cor 9:27 Living a Jesus centered life presupposes wise intentional effort that trains us to resist the devil and not love the world but rather to draw near to God and live for Him. Episode webpage: https://www.johnwhittaker.net/podcast-1/Episode-194 Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

How can a bike wheel help us understand living a more Jesus centered life?  If living a Jesus centered life means "to live is Christ," then think about your real, actual, everyday life. To live Jesus centered, doesn't only refer to your religious activities. It mostly refers to the stuff you do everyday. So what are the tasks, responsibilities, and roles that make up the days of your life?  What would it look like for all the stuff of everyday life to be centered on Jesus?  Picture a bike wheel ... and tune in to this episode.    Episode website: https://www.johnwhittaker.net/podcast-1/Episode-193   Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

What's the essence of a Jesus centered life? Paul makes a well-known statement in his letter to the Philippians that really gets at the heart of it. He says “to live is Christ and to die is gain" - Philippians 1:21.  Jesus = life! So much so, that even death is gain.  In Philippians 1, Paul is filling the church in Philippi in on his situation and circumstances and in doing so, he’s providing a concrete pattern for following Jesus. So what’s going on with Paul? How is  “life = Jesus; death = gain” being fleshed out in his life at that moment and what does that teach us about living a Jesus centered life? Episode website: https://www.johnwhittaker.net/podcast-1/Episode-192   Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.  

We all have things that drive what we do in life.  -we want people to like us -we want to appear competent -we want to get ahead in life -we want to be the best at -we just want to be happy -we want to have the freedom to travel  -We want _____ Fill in the blank for yourself. If we're going to live a Jesus centered life, what ought to drive us? In 2 Corinthians 5:14-15, Paul gives us a powerful example of the ultimate thing that  drives a jesus-centered life.  Podcast website: https://www.johnwhittaker.net/podcast-1/Episode-191 Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.  

We all have life pursuits of some sort… college, career, sports, hobbies, family.  We might even have dreams, things that if everything worked out, this is what we’d really want from life.  In a jesus centered life, all these aims and pursuits and goals are united together in one central pursuit, by one overarching goal … one pursuit that actually shapes and governs and influences every other pursuit. What is the #1 goal of life for a Jesus centered person? Tune in to this episode to find out.  Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.

Think of all the different messages you hear everyday ... -so many different news outlets  -articles coming through your social media channels -quotes, ideas, and memes -friends sharing their ideas and opinions  In fact, in 2020 on average, people spent 2.5 hrs per day on social media.  Think of your inbox ... in 2021 there were 320 billion emails sent worldwide everyday! 2021 estimates put the number of ads people see each day between 6-10 thousand! -There's movies, tv, netflix, hulu… all communicate ideas, values, etc.  -Youtube, podcasts, etc.  We are bombarded with information, sales pitches, opinions, images, and ideas tons of which have something to say about what’s important in life, how to do life, what’s a good life.  Then you have books, magazines, and various forms of print media.  Voices, voices, voices … all day everyday.  If we’re going to live a Jesus centered life, we’re going to have to confront this … and discipline  ourselves concerning who we listen to, what we fill our mind with, and how we evaluate various things we hear.    Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/   Want to get more out of your Bible reading? Free Resource: 7 Ways to Immediately Get More Out of the Bible  https://www.johnwhittaker.net/seven-ways   The Listener’s Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself:  https://www.listenerscommentary.com   Connect with me: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, via email.