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The Commands of Christ Podcast

Gabriel Cleator, Nate Paine

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Do you long to experience the abundant life that Jesus promises? We do too, and that’s why this podcast exists. In the commands of Christ, we find unshakeable, immovable truths that are foundational to experiencing abundant life. Beyond just a to-do list, the commands of Christ reveal the heart of God, show us what true discipleship is, and provide a pathway to deeper relationship with God Himself. Join us on a weekly journey through the commands of Christ
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How can we prepare for Christ’s return? Jesus likens it to a bride preparing for her groom. With joyful expectancy, we focus on faithfulness and holiness, living each moment for the eternal purpose of knowing and pleasing Him. Are we living each day in light of Christ’s return? His promise calls us to purity, urgency, and joyful expectancy. Like a …
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What does it look like to live in light of eternity? Like Anna and Simeon, we are called to watch and pray, devoting ourselves to God’s purposes. Our brief lives are opportunities to prepare for Christ’s return, investing in what matters forever. Are we living each day in light of Christ’s return? His promise calls us to purity, urgency, and joyful…
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How does awaiting Christ’s return impact our lives? For believers, it purifies and prioritizes holiness. For non-believers, it calls for repentance and faith. Each day should reflect the reality that Jesus could return at any moment, changing how we live and what we value. Are we living each day in light of Christ’s return? His promise calls us to …
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Are we eagerly watching for Christ’s return? Jesus commands us in Matthew 24 to "watch" and "be ready" for His coming. This hopeful expectancy should shape our daily lives, inspiring purity and preparation as we anticipate the day when He will return in glory. Are we living each day in light of Christ’s return? His promise calls us to purity, urgen…
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Listen to this incredible testimony of how a rising gang member with a budding future as a drug dealer and rapper was transformed through Salvation in Christ! Emeal "E.Z." Zwayne’s testimony reveals God’s redeeming grace—rescuing him from gang life and deception into the freedom of Christ. He discovered that salvation is not earned but freely given…
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What does peace look like? It’s trusting God with all our cares. Through prayer, gratitude, and faith, we experience Christ’s peace. Casting our worries on Him allows us to live free and focus on seeking His Kingdom. Jesus’ command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and gratitude, we shift…
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How do we overcome anxiety? By replacing fear with God’s Word. When we meditate on Scripture, our faith grows, pushing out worry. Trusting God through prayer and focusing on His character frees us from the burden of self-reliance. Jesus’ command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Scripture, and grati…
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How can we keep a Kingdom focus? Jesus teaches us to seek first God’s Kingdom and trust Him instead of being consumed by life’s cares. Anxiety fades when we prioritize Christ and meditate on His promises, allowing His peace to guard our hearts. Jesus’ command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through prayer, Script…
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What does it mean to take no thought? Jesus commands us in Matthew 6 to trust God fully and release anxiety. By focusing on God’s Kingdom and eternal priorities, we can live free from worry. The care God gives to birds and flowers assures us of His provision. Jesus’ command to “take no thought” invites us to trust God and let go of anxiety. Through…
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Are your actions reflecting Christ’s love to others? Christ’s love is sacrificial, forgiving, and humble, and He calls us to love others as He has loved us. This love requires us to lay aside pride and seek the good of others. Are you allowing God’s love to flow through you? How is God calling you to deepen your love for Him and those around you to…
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Who in your life feels unlovable? True love is active and selfless, expressed through kind deeds, forgiveness, and humility. By relying on Christ’s strength, we can love even those who are difficult to love. Are you allowing God’s love to flow through you? How is God calling you to deepen your love for Him and those around you today? Loving God and…
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Are your daily actions motivated by love for God and love for your neighbor? Loving our neighbor fulfills God’s law because it mirrors His character in us. This love is not based on fleeting emotions but on a commitment to put others above ourselves. Are you allowing God’s love to flow through you? How is God calling you to deepen your love for Him…
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Who in your life needs to see Christ’s love through you today? How can you be a channel of His compassion? Jesus, the ultimate Good Samaritan, reached down to rescue us from spiritual death, demonstrating a love we could never earn. Now, He calls us to reflect this love to others, not out of obligation but as an overflow of His grace in our lives. …
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Do we recognize the things that subtly creep in and distract us from being able to love God with a whole heart? Fear and worry will eat up our focus and attention and crowd out our love for the Lord. Competition with the world - trying to love the Lord and love the world at the same time will cause our love for God to grow cold. And even just busyn…
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Have you ever realized that from the beginning to the end of the Bible, the primary way that loving God is defined is by keeping His commandments? This makes all the sense in the world when we see that the word keep means “to treasure” and “to guard.” What are you treasuring in your heart? Because “where your treasure is, there will your heart be a…
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What would you say if a husband professed deep love for his wife, then followed up his declaration with, “But my life is just so busy, I only have 5 minutes a day I can spend with her”? You would call that man a liar. The greatest revealer of what we love is how we spend our time. Join Nate and Gabe as they dig deeper into this foundational command…
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If we were to be honest, most of us would admit that we view God’s laws and commandments as a rigid checklist of do’s and don'ts. But have you ever considered that all the commands have their foundation in love? It is life changing when we realize that all the commands are actually an expression of love - God’s love to us and our love to God and ot…
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What feeling does the word command evoke in you? Do you view commands as something hard, frustrating, and grievous? For many of us, God’s commands can make us feel frustrated and burdened because we view them as something we must do in our own effort. But did you know obedience to God’s commands is supposed to be a joy and even a liberty? In today’…
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Have you ever considered that Jesus was born in Bethlehem (thus fulfilling the Old Testament prophecy) because Joseph and Mary were “rendering to Caesar the things that were Caesar’s”? They literally traveled to Bethlehem to pay taxes! Albeit under the rule of the corrupt Roman government, God’s divine orchestration was taking place. This episode w…
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What is the difference between an owner and a steward? If you own something, it means you have absolute control over it. However if you are a steward it means that a thing is owned by somebody else and you just manage it in a way that honors their heart and wishes. In this powerful episode, Nate and Gabe bring up key aspects of how we view money an…
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The “double command” in this command is eye-opening! Jesus didn’t just command us to “render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's”; He also commanded us to “render to God the things that are God’s.” Truly everything we have is from the Lord and is to be used for the Lord. If we gain a vision for “rendering to God the things that are God’s”, it wi…
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The atmosphere would have been tense. People would have been waiting with baited breath to hear Jesus’ answer. “Should we pay the tax to Caesar?”, was both a politically and religiously charged question. And it was asked intentionally to trap Jesus. Would He openly come out against Rome? Would He openly speak against His people, the Jews? Listen as…
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How do we help people without enabling them? How do we help without hurting? These are tricky questions and often we find ourselves being either cynical to people or gullible. While there is not a “formula” to this, there is a key: we need to stay sensitive to the Holy Spirit. God's heart is for the poor, and He wants us to have an ear that is turn…
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Where is your focus? Is it on yourself, your dreams, and your goals? If we’re not recognizing the needs of those around us, it’s usually because we’re focused on ourselves. We miss out on participating with God and how He wants to touch others when our attention is consumed with ourselves. We need to ask God to cleanse us from a fleshly self-focus …
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Do you ever find yourself having an attitude of superiority toward those who you perceive to be “less than” you? In order to approach those in need around us with the right attitude we need to realize that we were (and still are) “the poor.” We need to see that God Himself “brought in the poor” - that He saw our need and had compassion on us. When …
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There is a tendency in all of us to exalt ourselves - to seek the recognition and attention of other people. As we dig into the context of this new command, we will see that Jesus cuts right to the heart and exposes this pride in all of us. God’s desire is that we would humble ourselves before Him, that we would be willing to take the “low place” b…
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A real evidence of faith is persistent prayer. But why do we find it so hard to continue in prayer without giving up? The answer comes down to our focus - are we focused on our fears and doubts or are we focused on God and His Word? Join Nate and Gabe as they share how the heart that is intentionally gazing on the Faithful One, is the one who will …
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God tells us to ask Him for things in prayer! But why do we ask sometimes and not see anything happen? Often we ask but then give up too soon because things don’t happen on our timeline. But all too often our asking is motivated by our selfish desires. The key to getting what we ask for is learning to ask and pray with a heart that is in alignment …
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If we want to grow in faith, it is imperative that we ask ourselves - what competes with faith in our lives? What hinders us from being able to walk in faith? If faith comes by listening to the Word of God, then the reverse is true as well. Our faith is decreased when we listen to things that are contrary to the Word of God. Unbelief and doubt come…
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Augustine said: “Faith is to believe what you do not see. The reward for this faith is to see what you believe.” When Jesus commanded us to Ask in Faith, He also gave us an invitation - an invitation to draw near to the Faithful One and allow Him to persuade and convince us of His power and His ability to perform that for which we pray. Join us as …
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Did you know that the cumulative weight of something as small as a cell-phone carried for 100 miles would add up to 70,000 pounds? This puts a whole new perspective on “setting aside every weight” in order to run the race set before us! We are thrilled to have ultramarathoner Arlen Glick join us on this delightful episode. Sharing inspiring stories…
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You won’t want to miss this episode as Nate and Gabe dig into practical aspects of how we become “a house of prayer.” As we allow the Word of God to renew our minds and change our hearts, our “temples” are cleansed. As we give ourselves wholly to the Lord and allow Him to deal with anything that would hinder us, we will begin to live and operate as…
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Why did Jesus come in and so abruptly cleanse the temple? The purpose of the temple was to be a place of fellowship and communion with God. Jesus came in and cleansed out the things that were in competition with that! He eliminated the competition for the purpose of communion with God. He desires to cleanse out the competition in our individual liv…
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What is a house of prayer? It is a place of fellowship, communication and intimacy with God. God desired that His physical temple be a place of communion with Himself, a place where He could fellowship with man. However God’s desire from the beginning has not just been to dwell with man, but also to dwell in man! He desires that we as believers be …
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Have you ever considered what it means to be a house of prayer? In this episode, Nate and Gabe share beautiful parallels between God’s temple in Jerusalem and His temple within the heart and life of every believer. God’s heart for every believer is that they become a temple in which He dwells - where communion between God and man takes place! God’s…
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Have you ever considered what an incredible servant Jesus Christ was? Not only did He humble Himself to take on humanity, but He went beyond that and “took upon Him the form of a servant” (Phil. 2:7). In this episode, Nate and Gabe exhort us to behold Jesus’ servanthood. As we deeply ponder this aspect of our Lord, may our hearts be moved to give o…
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Have you ever noticed how easy it is to serve with a motivation to be accepted or recognized by other people? This is something we need to watch out for and ask God to purify us from. The core motivation of one serving the Lord is that we do everything for the glory of God. The greatest joy of the servant ought to be pleasing the master. As we dig …
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Man finds his ultimate fulfillment in life when he lives out his created purpose. We see from the beginning of creation that man was created for the Lord. We were created to serve the Lord. When we live for self and are self-serving, it leads to bondage and emptiness. We were created to live for something bigger than ourselves - better said, we wer…
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The more we look at how God’s kingdom works, the more we will see that His ways are actually opposite man’s ways! Man’s way of leadership is seeking to be served. It involves vying for position and recognition. God’s way of leadership is that we seek to serve and put others' needs above our own. As we dig into the Command of Christ to “Be a Servant…
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“Do you believe that stuff?” was the question that changed the course of atheist engineer Spike Psarris’ life. It was a question asked by a Christian co-worker when he saw Spike reading a new-age book during a lunch break. This launched a series of conversations between the atheist and creationist that ultimately led Spike to acknowledge that his e…
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Have you ever wondered how to practically love your spouse? Or what you should do when they don’t seem to be meeting the needs that you have? Or where the desire and strength to honor marriage comes from in the first place? Listen as Nate and Gabe share from God’s Word about the source of honoring marriage as well as practical ways Christ can enabl…
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Is the sensual music we listen to really a big deal? Does it really matter if we watch movies and read books that glorify fornication and adultery? The culture of our day does not honor marriage. So much of the entertainment that we consume gives an unbiblical view of marriage! Join Nate and Gabe as they challenge us to be purposeful in engaging in…
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The root of so many marriage problems doesn’t actually stem from the couple's problems with each other! Many times it comes from a breakdown in an individual’s personal relationship with God! Are you putting the Lord first in our life? Do you have a heart that is sensitive and humble to Him? As we give Christ centrality in our lives, He will be abl…
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What is the purpose of marriage? Is it companionship? Pleasure? Procreation? Having a clear vision for the purpose of something is key in living in harmony with it. As we look at Scripture, we will see that the purpose of marriage is something much bigger than just two people. Marriage is meant to be a picture of Christ and the Church. But what is …
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Have you ever forgiven someone only to wake up the next morning to feel all the old hurts and bitterness again? We can be discouraged and wonder, “did I actually forgive them?” It is important to realize that just as we need to come to the initial choice to forgive, we also must learn to walk out the “journey” of forgiveness. A key in this journey …
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It is sobering to realize that when we choose to withhold forgiveness toward an offender, we actually give ground to the enemy in our lives. Bitterness allows the enemy to have an “advantage” and to wreak havoc in other areas of our lives. Join Nate and Gabe as they exhort us to allow God to heal our pain so we can become channels of love and forgi…
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When Jesus says we must forgive seventy times seven, He was referring to an infinite number! If we grit our teeth and try to forgive in our own strength, we will see how impossible this is. However as we depend on the Lord, He is able to fill us with His forgiveness. We as believers ought to seek to have the heart of our King - a heart that forgive…
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Can you imagine the incredible burden of having a $4 billion debt? To pay such a sum back would be impossible! And beyond that, can you imagine the gratefulness that would overwhelm you if you were told the debt had been forgiven? In Scripture we read that a man was forgiven such a debt, but turned around and refused to forgive someone else a debt …
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One of the reasons we are warned to “beware of covetousness”, is because it starts out below the surface of our lives. It begins many times unrecognized in our thoughts and desires and if left unchecked, suddenly we find ourselves caught in its trap. Are we setting our affection on temporal things? Are we cultivating desires for things that are out…
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As believers, we need to be careful that we don’t derive our identity and value from our paycheck or our possessions - if we do, we will always be covetous for more! The substantive part of our life is not made up of the things we possess. But rather, our identity is found in the Person of Jesus Christ! The more we realize this the more we will exp…
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