Abundant Life Saso Mendez & Ben Arellano

Abundant Life Episode 58 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the topic of selfishness and how it is very destructive.

Websters 1828

Selfish - Regarding one's own interest chiefly or soley; influenced in actions by a view to private advantage.

Key Verse

Philippians 2:3-4 - Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

Selfish ambition - Another word for selfishness which means motivation to elevate oneself or to put one’s own interests before another’s.

Conceit - This simply means pride.

In other words don’t to anything out of selfishness and pride. Selfishness and pride work hand in hand.

The Fall of Man

Selfishness can be traced back to the fall of man. When Adam and Eve sinned in the garden there was a selfishness and pride.

Genesis 3:6 - So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

Satan appealed to Adam and Eve’s pride and their selfish desire to be wise like God.

Thelema Religion


The word Thelema means “choice” or “will”
Thelema is an occult religion that was taught by Aleister Crowley who was an occultist.
One of the main axioms of Thelema is “Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the Law.”
Aleister Crowley has had a major influence in today’s culture through music and entertainment
Ozzy Osbourne has a song named Mr Crowely, The Beatles album cover pictures Crowley, Michale Jackson album cover pictures Crowley and there are many more examples
Bottom line is that this teaching of do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law is a teaching straight from the pit of hell.


Selfism Religion

The idea is self-worship. You are your own god. Quote from The Gospel Coalition - Philosophies of selfism:


Your mind is the source and standard of truth, so no matter what, trust yourself.
Your emotions are authoritative, so never question (or let anyone else question) your feelings.
You are sovereign, so flex your omnipotence and bend the universe around your dreams and desires.
You are supreme, so always act according to your chief end, to glorify and enjoy yourself forever.
You are the standard of goodness—so don’t let anyone oppress you with the antiquated notion of being a sinner who needs grace.
You are the Creator, so use that limitless creative power to craft your identity and purpose. #authenticity.


Satanism


Church of Satan was established by Anton LaVey in 1966
Anton LaVey is the author of the Satanic Bible
The basic commonality in all the branches of Satanism is a promotion of self.
All forms of Satanism claim that life exists to consume and that selfishness is a virtue.


The Solution


We MUST stop listening and believing the lies of the devil.
We need to be alert and identify when these lies creep up into our minds.
We need to be others-focused and not self-focused. Put others first.



Mark 12:31
Galatians 6:2
Ephesians 4:32
1 Corinthians 10:24
Romans 12:10
Galatians 5:26
Matthew 6:33
Romans 7:5
John 13:34-35
1 Peter 2:11

Abundant Life Episode 57 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the profound love of God for us and why Jesus had to die.

Key Verse

Romans 5:7-8 - For one will hardly die for a righteous man; though perhaps for the good man someone would dare even to die. But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.

It was our sin that put Jesus on the cross


Jeremiah 17:9
Romans 3:10-12
2 Corinthians 5:21


God's Love for Us

God loved us even when we were in sin and when we were what the Bible calls ungodly.


1 John 4:8
1 John 4:10
John 15:13
Ephesians 2:4-5
Romans 5:7-8


God knows you personally

Jeremiah 1:5

God's Unconditional Love

Nothing and no-one can separate us from God’s love.


Romans 8:35,78-39


https://youtu.be/myP9Mvs1sOk?si=c58TP_waGFOxNxQo

Abundant Life Episode 56 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about starting off 2024 on the right foot by shedding the weight of sin in order to run the race of life.

Key Word

Weight - The quantity of a body, ascertained by the balance; in a philosophical sense, that quality of bodies by which they tend towards the center of the earth in a line perpendicular to its surface. In short, weight is gravity, and the weight of a particular body is the amount of its gravity, or of the force with which it tends to the center. The weight of a body is in direct proportion to its quantity of matter. A ponderous mass; something heavy. - Websters 1828

Key Verse
Hebrews 12:1



Kill Sin

Mark 9:41-42
Mark 9:43-48

Lay Aside Hinderances

Romans 12:2
Psalm 139:23-24
Romans 6:1-2, 6-8

Run with Endurance

1 Corinthians 9:25-26
Hebrews 10:36
Ephesians 4:22-24

Keep Your Eyes On the Prize (Jesus)

Hebrews 12:2
1 John 2:6
1 Peter 2:21
Matthew 10:38
1 Timothy 4:7-8
1 Corinthians 9:24
Philippians 3:14
1 Corinthians 9:27

Abundant Life Episode 55 In this episode Saso and Ben talk about one of the awesome names of Jesus, Immanuel, God with Us.

Key Verse




Isaiah 7:14



Matthew 1:23




God’s presence among His people in the old testament



The Shekinah Glory - In the old testament this was a term coined by the Jewish rabbis which is a Hebrew word that literally means “he caused to dwell,” meaning that it was a divine visitation of the presence or dwelling of the Lord God on this earth.



Exodus 40:34-35



Jesus purpose for coming




Matthew 1:21



Hebrews 4:15




The plan from eternity past was for Jesus to come save us from our sin. He not only saves us, Hebrews tells us that Jesus sympathizes with us, although He does not excuse our sin.



Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit



Matthew 1:20



This is a miraculous conception!



Jesus came at just the right time



Galatians 4:4



According to BibleRef, The word translated as "redeem" is from the Greek root word exagorazo. This is the same word used to buy a slave out of bondage.



Jesus' love for us is unconditional



Romans 8:38-39



There is nothing we can do to merit more or less love from God. He loves us and it is this love that caused God to send His Son down to us.



Jesus gives us rest



Matthew 11:28



Jesus is the only one that can give us peace and rest!



Jesus is with us in trials




Psalm 23:4



1 Peter 1:6-8




This life is filled with adversity, trials and testing, but in all that God is with us. We must remain faithful and steadfast through the storms knowing that God is with us.



We must be obedient to stay in relationship with Jesus



Matthew 16:24



We must be obedient as we walk with God. When we sin, we essentially drift away from God, but God never goes anywhere.



Jesus provides for us



Matthew 17:27



God is not only with us, He provides for our every need.



We are the ones that drift



Revelation 2:3-4



We must repent and confess our sin and come back to our first love.



God is with us everywhere we are



Psalm 139:4-10



As a Christian, there is nowhere we can go that God will abandon us.



Jesus was God in the flesh



1 Timothy 3:16



For now we have the Holy Spirit to dwell in us, but Jesus is coming back soon!

Abundant Life Episode 54

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about all the tings they are thankful for in 2023



Keyword


Thanksgiving - The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies.The act of rendering thanks or expressing gratitude for favors or mercies. - Websters 1828


Key Verse - Psalm 100:4-5 

Things we are thankful for…


God’s Sovereignty - Lamentations 3:37-39
My Wife - Proverbs 18:22 & Proverbs 31:10
God’s Provision - James 1:16-17
My Mom - Proverbs 31:11-12
Family & Friends - Proverbs 18:24
God’s Mercy Love and Faithfulness - Lamentations 3:22-23
Church - Acts 2:46-47
Salvation & Gospel - Acts 4:12 & Romans 1:16
Abundant Life Listeners - Ephesians 4:29

Abundant Life Episode 53

In this episode Saso and Ben talk about the death of a good friend who struggled with addiction and is now with the Lord



Do you struggle with temptation or a besetting sin? If you are a child of God, you have a way of escape. You have the power by the Holy Spirit to say NO to sin. In this episode we talk about the way of escape.

Key Verse - 1 Corinthians 10:13 - There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.


God is faithful!
We will not be tempted beyond our ability
We have a way of escape
We are granted the ability to endure temptation


As a believer there is ALWAYS an option NOT to sin.

Don’t be enticed by the love of the world! 1 John 2:15-16

Avoid temptation and RUN from sin!


Proverbs 4:14
Romans 13:14
Genesis 39:12


Don’t exchange your soul for the things of this world! Matthew 16:26

Don’t give the devil a foot hold. Ephesians 4:27

The Christian life is a spiritual battle. Fight the good fight! 1 Timothy 6:12

Resist the devil at all costs! James 4:7

Be alert, on guard, and pray!


Mark 14:38
1 Peter 5:8-9


As a Christian we must grow to become more like Christ. We must grow in our relationship with God. By doing so we are taking steps to make our way of escape easier in the day of temptation. 2 Peter 3:17-18

God is ALWAYS with you! Deuteronomy 31:8