The Drive
Why the Resurection Matters
April 4, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman
If it was written, it was written for a purpose. Why would the resurrection be such a big deal? Wasn’t the death of Christ enough? Spoiler alert, it’s a REALLY BIG deal! And since it was written, there is a purpose for it in our lives. So since Christ has overcome death and sin, what do we do with that information? In pastor Steve's message this week, we evaluated the actions of “doubting Thomas” who gets a bad rap because he doubted the resurrection. But I would ask, are we any different? He hadn’t seen Jesus yet and the others had, and now they were telling him a wild story of a man that he had just seen die on a cross. When finally he saw him, he said, my LORD. But “Jesus said to him, “Thomas, because you have seen Me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.” (John 20:29) Thomas, just like us, had a choice, to believe something at face value, or explore it and find it to be true. And it’s a shame that so many people reject the claims of Christ without ever exploring it. How much more shameful it is for the ones who simply take every word of a preacher and never fact-check it in the Bible? Those people can be easily misled because they do not know what truth is for themselves.
Daniel Chapter 7
March 10, 2024
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, 3 and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. 1 John 4:1–3. One of the biggest themes of Daniel 7 revolves around the coming antichrist, it is important to know that the spirit of the antichrist is alive and well in this world. As Paul writes in Ephesians 6 “11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.” Our war is waging and the influence of deception is conquering quickly. It seems that every day, the darkness gains ground, and the number of those being deceived grows. How does this arm us with compassion for the deceived and oppressed? Spiritually influenced Earthly Kingdoms of destruction will rise, fall, and eventually end at the feet of Christ. No matter how dark this world gets, there will be a righteous judgment against evil, and God’s people will receive the kingdom! Read Daniel 7. Discuss the imagery and what sticks out to you. How does this compare with Mark 13?
Why is Prophecy Vital?
March 3, 2024
3 Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first, and the man of sin is revealed, the son of perdition, 4 who opposes and exalts himself above all that is called God or that is worshiped, so that he sits as God in the temple of God, showing himself that he is God. - 2 Thessalonians 2:3–4. Daniel 8 is a complex chapter full of rich imagery and prophesy that speaks near events and end times events simultaneously this is the law or concept of dual reference, meaning, that some prophecy tends to speak of events that are separated by time, as though they were not, and that they have an immediate or near meaning as well as a distant one. Gabriel the angel here that explained the prophecy to Daniel said that this vision was about the end of days. However, we also see it fulfilled in striking detail throughout history. (Alexander the Great, Antiochus IV Epiphanies, the Maccabean conflict) Yet, just as we have types of Christ found in scripture, it is also true that we have many types of ‘antichrist’. In fact, 1st John 2:18 says, “Little children, it is the last hour; and as you have heard that the Antichrist is coming, even now many antichrists have come, by which we know that it is the last hour.”. We are in the last days, and as such we must guard ourselves from dissection. A characteristic of the antichrist is to oppose the truth, “and he cast truth down to the ground. He did all this and prospered” (Da 8:12) “Through his cunning, He shall cause deceit to prosper under his rule;…” (Da 8:25) Read Daniel 8:1-27. Discuss the imagery and what sticks out to you. As 1st John shows there are in fact ‘many antichrists’ What does this mean? What is an AntiChrist?
What is Christian Defiance?
Daniel Chapter 6 is probably one of the most famous Sunday school stories. It’s a story of courage in the face of opposition. It is noncompliance at its finest, but does this mean we ought to live our lives in defiance of the world? As we dig deeper into the story today, let’s analyze the nature of Daniel’s courageous ‘defiance’. He was humble, a great worker, vehemently disliked by other government leaders, but his results and work ethic told the real story. He had an excellent spirit in him that made him stand out above the rest of his peers. One could say he was set apart as in ‘Holy’. Since the spirit in him was Holy. Verse 10 describes the defiant prayer as his custom, or what we will call his habits of righteousness. Another key point to tune into was that his behavior here was normal. He wasn’t flippantly cursing the king and making a big show for everyone to see as he prayed to his God. He simply went about his business as usual. All though he was technically a prisoner of war, Daniel served his captors well, and became a model citizen, even earning the friendship of the pagan king Darius. As Jesus commanded, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (MK 12:17) God has appointed this government over us for His purpose and glory. We recognize God’s Sovereignty when we strive to be a good citizen, until being a good citizen makes you a bad Christian. Our Testimony depends on it! Read Daniel 6 together. What stands out most to you about Daniel’s courage?
Do you Lack Reverance?
February 18, 2024 • Daniel 4
The Writing On the Wall 22 “But you his son, Belshazzar, have not humbled your heart, although you knew all this. 23 And you have lifted yourself up against the Lord of heaven…” - Daniel 5:22 Daniel Chapter 5 reestablishes prophecy as we shift our focus from Nebuchadnezzar to his grandson, some two decades later, with a stark warning for those who, having seen the faithfulness of God, would rebel against God. Much like our lives, Belshazzar had no excuse not to know of God as Nebuchadnezzar previously made Him known to the kingdom, “29… any people, nation, or language which speaks anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made an ash heap; because there is no other God who can deliver like this.” (Da 3:29) Such a decree would have been written and passed down. Later in the next chapter, we saw a truly humbled Nebuchadnezzar exalting God The Most High. And now, just two generations later, a king, with no reverence for the living God, must be reminded of God’s Sovereignty. A society with no purpose or conquest gets complacent; complacency leads to indulgence; indulgence to indifference; indifference to irreverence; and irreverence to idolatry and destruction. Thinking highly of itself, Babylon had become complacent. With the medo-Persian empire setting the kingdom under siege, Belshazzar (the king) hosted a party to entertain and distract the nobles from their impending doom. Full of indulgence and irreverence, he defiles the things of God. Using holy items as common things to worship false gods. The Lord wrote on the wall, ‘You have been weighed, you have been measured, and you have been found wanting’ (paraphrase). Read Daniel 5. How does it compare with Romans 1? If you were on God’s scales, how would you measure up?
Pride is a Killer
February 15, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman • Daniel 4
God is Sovereign overall! Perhaps no other book of the Bible sums up this truth with more clarity than Daniel Chapter 4. It’s an obscure writing, not from Daniel, but a confession and conversion of King Nebuchadnezzar. In it, we find the power of God to humble the proud. Time after time King Nebuchadnezzar had opportunities to see the glorious wonders of God and repent of his pride and Idol worship, (and the worship of himself) but he always just added the “most high” to the top of his stack of gods. When, yet again, earthy wisdom and sorcery alike failed to explain another dream, God, by way of Daniel, stepped in with a warning to repent. Instead, he went straight back to his pride, puffed up with his accomplishments, and the word of God was fulfilled. He was sentenced to 7 years of a ‘mindless prison’ until he recognized the sovereignty of God. Read Daniel 4. It is the mercy of God to humble the proud. How is this severe ‘punishment’ for the benefit of Nebuchadnezzar? How has God humbled you?
Loyalty Check
February 7, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman
Daniel’s friends proved that their faith was their own. In the past, Daniel led by example, but in his absence, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego held to their convictions and God’s Law. (God’s Word) We all know the story of the fiery furnace, but we may miss the fact that the command to worship the image may be a test of loyalty more than just an exercise in Nebuchadnezzar’s vanity. The kingdom was made up of people from every race and nation, and this was a way to test the allegiance of the leaders of his royal staff. An interesting note is that the furnace used may have been a furnace used to smelt precious metals such as gold and silver. It is said that a silver smith can see his reflection in the molten silver once it is purified. If God were to test your allegiance, would He see His reflection in the silver? Read Daniel 3:16-30. Discuss how God has been with you in your fires and reined you.
Those Sneaky Idols...
Pastor Spencer Fusselman
King Nebuchadnezzar set up a 90-foot-tall Gold statue to be worshiped by his subjects just after hearing the dream interpretation that he was the gold head on a statue doomed to collapse. Also, that God’s kingdom would reign forever. I can’t help but think that this is the king’s attempt to signify that his own kingdom should reign forever or that he is the ‘whole statue’. Either way, it begs the question, What kingdom are we trying to immortalize, our own or God’s? Idol worship isn’t always about a golden calf, but it is ALWAYS about desiring something more than God or letting something get in the way of or misrepresent God. When Christians replace God with a tangible item or icon of God it is the same result. No matter how pure our intentions were we are still ‘cheating’ on God. Our study this week revealed that our intentions are irrelevant when worshiping a sovereign God. The only thing that matters is an obedient heart. Obedient even to death? Well, yes. Jesus told his followers (us) “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross [a]daily, and follow Me.” (Lk 9:23) Jesus literally commands us to put our human feelings, wants and desires to death daily in order to follow him. And Him has a lot more to do with faith than belief. The belief that there is a God is different from the faith it takes to trust him, and his plan completely in every aspect of life. Even trusting that if God would not rescue us from certain doom, he is still good and sovereign over all.
The Quest for Wisdom!
January 22, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman • Daniel 2
Wisdom… Daniel 2 can be summed up in the quest for REAL wisdom! King Nebuchadnezzar was deeply disturbed by a dream he had and summoned all his sorcerers, magicians, wise men, and astrologers (Horoscope readers) to tell him the dream and what it meant, but quickly realized in all of mankind there is no true wisdom. As the Chaldeans answered in verses 10 and 11, “There is not a man on earth who can tell the king’s matter; therefore no king, lord, or ruler has ever asked such things of any magician, astrologer, or Chaldean. 11 It is a difficult thing that the king requests, and there is no other who can tell it to the king except the gods, whose dwelling is not with flesh.” Needless to say, the king didn’t like this answer. Where do we turn for wisdom, life advice and counsel?
Whats in a Name?
January 18, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman • Daniel 1
Daniel was captured by Babylon and forced into a 3-year training and indoctrination program in an attempt to ‘brainwash’ and assimilate him into the Babylonian culture of the day. Complete with new names. These new names also represented the new identities that these men would be forced to live in. It’s no different in today’s world. The enemy wants to give you a new name, he calls you by your sin and the false gods you follow, but God knows your real name. Do you?
Are You a Parasitic Christian?
January 11, 2024 • Pastor Spencer Fusselman
To understand this query, we must first look at what a Christian is. Point blank it's a member of the body of Christ. Humanly speaking, a member of the human body is a part that serves a purpose to contribute to the overall health and functionality of the body. (ie hands, feet, ears eyes etc.) Participating in a local congregation promotes spiritual growth and gives the believer an opportunity to use the gifts the Lord has given him to promote the overall health of the body. Hebrews 10:25 warns us to “not forsake the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.” How can we be encouraged if we are not together? How can we serve and exhort others if we are not doing life with them? Just as the human body must have every part working effectively to be healthy, so it is with the Body of Christ. What is your function in the body? Are you effectively serving your purpose? - A parasite is an organism that lives on, or in, a host and gets its food from, or at the expense of, its host. Are there parasitic Christians? What are they?
Episode 33 - World Peace?
The Drive, episode 33 The First Coming of Christ was not the peaceful kingdom many of the Jews expected. Jesus himself Said in Mathew 10:34 “Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth. I did not come to bring peace but a sword.” He went on to elaborate That he will divide nations and families. Indeed this was not the prince of peace they expected. Yet in this first advent, Christ had to come as the lamb that takes away the sin of man. Much like the Jews of Jesus’ day, we have many assumptions and presuppositions about who Christ is that may stop us from seeing Him clearly for who he is. How can these assumptions taint our view of Christ today? How can we rid ourselves of these assumptions? Our world, and our culture, are trying their best to Immitate the expected peace Christ will bring in the second coming, What are some of the elements of this ‘False Peace’ we see in the world today? How do we share the proof that the peace the world offers is not the peace of Christ?
Episode 31 - The War
Pastor Spencer Fusselman
From the Garden of Eden, Satan has been on a rampage to destroy the promised deliverance from God. From The curse and the promise in Genesis 3:15, The war was made known to us, and Satan would stop at nothing to undo his coming destruction. This war is seen time and time again in scripture but most notably at the birth of Christ, the wicked King Herod sought to have every male child under the age of 2 killed. To us, this becomes an obvious attempt to stop Christ from taking the cross. it is further evidence of Satan’s influence on this world. I Peter 5:8 tells us: Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Reflection Questions; How do we see Satan's plan of destruction through scripture as well as our daily lives? How can we stay sober-minded to defeat the twisting of God’s word?
Abraham Work?
December 8, 2023
The Daily Drive: Episode 30 In John 8:56 Jesus tells the religious elite “Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” This is deeply connected to our study in Genesis 22, as Abraham was willing to sacrifice his only son, he may have been seeing into, or fully understanding the plan of God. In many ways, Abraham ‘saw’ or spoke with The Word, and his faith was built on the belief and trust in that Word. He believed that God could raise the dead (Hebrews 11) and that God would provide a final sacrifice for people who could not provide for themselves. He saw the plan and had a glimpse into the future coming ‘day’ of Christ and rejoiced in it. The Pharisees believed that simply being in the bloodline of Abraham was sufficient. But Jesus spoke of a spiritual nation rather than a physical one. “They answered and said to Him, “Abraham is our father.” Jesus said to them, “If you were Abraham’s children, you would do the works of Abraham.” John 8:39 - What are the ‘works’ of Abraham? - How can we live his unshakable faith in our work today?