JesusSmartX

Brian Del Turco
  • 5.0 (15)
  • Christianity
  • Updated Biweekly

The show that goes beyond waiting for heaven. Beyond religion. Jesus is brilliant ... he knows how life works best.

  1. 1d ago

    The Eden Lie: Progressivism as Demonic Counterfeit | Jesus Smart X, Ep. 376

    Brian traces progressivism from its Enlightenment roots to its expression in modern politics and the church, exposes it as a demonic counterfeit to the Kingdom of God, and points to the real future — the City of God coming to earth and the New Heavens and New Earth. Real freedom is downstream from truth. The kingdom is here. And the real Eden is not the one progressivism is building. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: The Eden Lie: Progressivism as Demonic Counterfeit Real Freedom Is Downstream from Truth Truth is upstream from freedom. Freedom is a wonderful value — one we all want. The human being is created to be free. Here's what Jesus said in John 8. He said to the people who believed in him: "You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings, and you will know the truth and the truth will set you free." The Amplified has it as continually obeying his teachings and living in accordance with them. Then in verse 36, Jesus says, "So if the Son sets you free, you really will be free." And in John 14:6: "I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." According to the Jesus worldview, the Christian worldview, truth is ultimately a person. So if you can go upstream and say there is no ultimate truth — if you can say there are many truths — then downstream from that you can affect human freedom. This is a core question. When Jesus stood before Pilate at his trial, just overnight before his crucifixion, at that critical moment when the Son of God was being offered as a sacrifice, Pilate asked: "What is truth?" That question echoes throughout human history. A Quote That Rocked Me I was sitting on the couch recently doing old school newspaper reading — the kind that makes your fingers gray from the ink. I've been reading the Epoch Times. All I needed was a pipe, a fireplace, and a dog sleeping nearby. I'm reading this article, "Looking Through an Adversary's Eyes: A KGB Agent's Prophecy," and I come across a quote that stopped me cold. It's from a French liberal politician and journalist who lived from 1830 to 1888 — very influential, very progressive. The article used his quote to illustrate what they called the arrogance of intellectuals taken in by radical ideologies. Here it is: "Beside the divine garden from which I have been expelled, I will erect a new Eden. At its entrance, I will set up Progress, the personification of progress, and I will give a flaming sword into his hand and he will say to God, thou shalt not enter here." Can you imagine that? The human quest has set up a counterfeit Eden. Instead of being removed from God's Eden because we were grasping at what is right and wrong, God is now removed from our Eden. And the guardian is not an angel of God. It's the personification of Progress — that is progressivism. What Progressivism Actually Is This is a primer, and I want to be clear — I'm on a continuum of learning here. Progressivism is rooted in the European Enlightenment. In America, it has been at least a 100-year struggle between progressivism and traditionalism. It began as an intellectual rebellion against the founding political philosophy of America — constitutionalism — rooted in the thought of John Locke and the founders of the republic. The founders saw the authority of government depending on observed limitations on its powers. Progressivism rejects that. Its vision is a linear path in history toward absolute equality, a utopia. Social justice as equality of outcomes — in everything. And progressives want to liberate individuals from history. They want to release them from religion. They want to redefine gender and marriage. They want to dismantle the family. Progressivism believes that social conditions can change human nature. If there is anything in you of the Christian worldview, that will run against the grain. You understand that human nature cannot be changed by social conditions alone. It requires spiritual regeneration and development as a Christ follower. And what begins as soft totalitarianism will eventually evolve into total totalitarianism — a form of government that asserts total control over the lives of its citizens through coercion, suppression, and repression. Progressive Christianity vs. Historic Christianity Today's modern church is not exempt from this. Jude 3 says to contend for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. Progressive Christianity affects Bible interpretation, theology, teaching, and practical living. I'm grateful that emerging voices and young apologists are addressing this. One of those is Alicia Childers. I'm dropping a link on the show notes page to an interview she did with Rod Dreher, who wrote Live Not by Lies: A Manual for Christian Dissidents. Highly recommended. Progressivism is a distortion of Christian ideals. The ideal society will not be realized this side of the new heavens and new earth. Peter writes in 2 Peter 3:13: "According to his promise, we are looking for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells." The Real Future Jesus spoke of the Ekklesia. I've been using the Greek word more because the word "church" has become misconstrued and loaded for many people. Dallas Willard calls the church the Society of Jesus. And the Society of Jesus is set within the society at large. Jesus said, "You are a city on a hill." A hill is elevated topography — everyone can see what's on top. Jesus means for his society to be a model of what it looks like to follow him, what his kingdom looks like. And I want to say this: the city on a hill is meant to be a precursor to the City of God coming to the earth in the future. It's meant to be a sampling — partial, and yet carrying the dynamic of the City of God in contrast to the City of Man. To use Augustine's framework: the City of God is meant to be an illustrative precursor to what is coming. Can you see how this immediately contrasts with the vision of progressivism? Progressivism is a demonic counterfeit to the real future. Following the new birth, how should we be developing and living now in this age in light of the age to come? That is our experience in the Society of Jesus. We get on the continuum of developing as apprentices of his kingdom. We begin to live now in the light of the age which is to come. We in and of ourselves become a sign, a wonder, a precursor to the real future. God is restoring the Edenic dynamic. Beware of the demonic counterfeit. Go back to that quote: "I will erect a new Eden... and he will say to God, thou shalt not enter." That is counter-programming to the true kingdom of God, which God spoke of at the very outset — at the fall of man in Genesis 3. The Messiah would come and crush the head of the serpent. The proto-evangelium. The first mention of the gospel. And the gospel is the good news of the kingdom. Pray It In Here is the prayer priority Jesus gave us in Matthew 6 and Luke 11: "Hallowed be your name. May your kingdom come. May your will be done on earth as it is in heaven." It's about things coming here. The kingdom of God will be completely realized at the coming of Jesus Christ — but it's already here now. Already penetrating and expanding like leaven (Matthew 13). William Gibson coined the term cyberspace in 1984. He said: "The future is here. It's just not widely distributed yet." I want to say that the real future is here right now. It's just not widely known and not widely distributed yet. Hebrews 6:4–5 says that we can taste the heavenly gift now, partake of the Holy Spirit, taste the good word of God and the powers of the age to come. There is a difference between normal Christ following and average Christ following. Don't take your reference point from the average of Christian life around you. Let your reference point be the Word of God, the Holy Spirit, your vital connection with the ascended head Jesus Christ, and your connection with other believers who want to run with the normal Christian life. This is part of the abundant life Jesus promised in John 10:10: "I have come to give life and life more abundantly."

    21 min

  2. Jun 18

    Rich in All the Wrong Ways | Jesus Smart X, Ep. 375

    Some are rich — just in all the wrong ways. Jesus had something different in mind. Let's unpack what it means to step off the expressway of self and into the off-road adventure of Kingdom generosity. From investing in relationships to leveraging resource for others, living rich toward God is not just a posture. It's a path toward the greatest treasures on earth and beyond and in the New Heavens and New Earth on the horizon. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Rich in All the Wrong Ways. Are You Rich Toward God? Friend, welcome to Jesus Smart X. I'm Brian Del Turco, your host. What does it mean to be rich toward God? Jesus coined that phrase. We're going to touch on it today in this short episode. Being rich toward God points to a lifestyle that yields the highest harvest, both now and forever. This episode is based on a guest post by Matt Peterson, a pastor in North Carolina, published on JesusSmart.com. It might just change how you invest your days and weeks. A quick encouragement: check out the last episode, Willing and Obedient: The Blessing Is in Motion, a Jesus Smart 180. We looked at obedience as the on-ramp to God's blessing. Today we're staying in that neighborhood, unpacking what it means to live rich toward God. The question on the table: are you rich toward God? Am I? What does it mean? Before we get into it, subscribe to the Smart Edit newsletter for weekly Kingdom insight at jesussmart.com/smartedit. The Parable of the Rich Fool Jesus was teaching in Luke 12 when someone in the crowd said to him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." Jesus replied, "Man, who appointed me a judge or arbiter over you?" And then he said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed, for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." He told them a parable. The land of a certain rich man was very productive, and he began reasoning to himself. Notice what he said to himself. He never once thought, I have a superabundance. Maybe I should give some of it away and help the poor. Instead he said, "This is what I will do. I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul: you have many goods laid up for many years to come. Take your ease, eat, drink, and be merry." But God said to him, "You fool. This very night your soul is required of you. And now who will own what you have prepared?" Then Jesus concludes: "So is the man who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God." There's the phrase. The Expressway of Me Jesus knows that a lifestyle of generosity and sowing reaps the highest harvest, in this life and in the age to come. The question worth sitting with: will our future self thank our current self for how we lived? Jesus is not saying don't prepare for the future. He's not saying never spend anything on yourself or enjoy life. Paul told Timothy that it is God who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy. What Jesus is sharing is a secret more important than self-preservation or self-increase. It's the secret of stepping off the wide expressway everyone's racing on. Call it the expressway of me. Onto an off-road adventure of living as a giver of riches. What does it mean to live rich toward God? It means living on a path where you discover the greatest treasures on earth. And what are the greatest treasures on earth? People. Jesus came and gave it all for people. It's a journey with constant opportunity: encourage the wilted, give water to the thirsty, celebrate the successes of others, ask how you can add value, multiply value, enhance someone's progress. Weep with the suffering and find ways to free the oppressed. You can find the full show notes for this episode at jesussmart.com/375. Serving the King What we're really doing when we live this way is serving the Kingdom of Heaven. In effect, we are serving the King himself. Being rich toward God means joyfully volunteering in the mission of serving the purposes of the Kingdom, and that is fundamentally an investment in people. When I invest in relationships, serving my now-adult children, my wife, brothers and sisters in Christ, even those outside the Kingdom, I am being rich toward God. The world defines success as being rich toward yourself. And those who go all the way down that road will tell you, if they're honest, that it's empty. Depressing. There's no real fulfillment in it. No peace. But when we leverage our resources, our energy, our prayers toward others in need, we are richly lavishing on God. Remember what Jesus said: when you've done it to the least of these, you did it to me. When I spend the best part of my day conversing with God, walking with him, listening to my Father, I am being rich toward him. And out of that intimacy, that conversational relationship, I will be rich toward God by investing in others. Give What You Have Living rich toward God means giving what we do have instead of waiting for more to give. You have time. You have energy. You have some money, some talents and giftings, some material things. We don't wait until we have more before we start giving. We start with what we have. It means finding ways to make another life richer with intentional words of encouragement. What if we took up the habit: every day, do something intentional. Text somebody. Email someone. Call someone. Go analog and tell someone face to face. Give a word of blessing. Give a word of encouragement and support, rather than being fixated on our own needs and our own quest for pleasure. Here's the thing: we will enjoy life better when we are rich toward God, which means being rich toward others for whom Jesus died. Investing in Eternity Living rich toward God means making the most of our time now, with eternity in view. Ten thousand years from now, in the new heavens and the new earth, what the Bible calls the age to come, we will gather with the thousands of lives we touched on earth. Our future selves will be grateful for how we chose to live in this age: serving others, blessing others, living rich toward God instead of building bigger barns, hoarding it all up, and eating, drinking, and being merry. The Rich Young Ruler was invited by Jesus onto that off-road journey. He couldn't release what he had. He declined. We can say yes. We can live rich toward God. About Matt Peterson I'm grateful for this content from Matt Peterson. He is the Lead Pastor at Awake Church in North Carolina and the founder of Hydrating Humanity, an organization working in the poorest areas of the world with water, economic, social, spiritual, and physical development. Look them up. Links are on the show notes page at jesussmart.com/375. This is a wrap on Episode 375. Show notes and links at jesussmart.com/375. And if you haven't yet, subscribe to the Smart Edit newsletter. It's free, comes out weekly on Thursdays, and is packed with Kingdom-focused content. Subscribe at jesussmart.com/smartedit.

    11 min

  3. Jun 4

    Willing and Obedient The Blessing Is in Motion | Jesus Smart 180, Ep. 374

    Obedience to the Lord releases a blessing — but the timing and shape of it will likely surprise you. The most significant acts of obedience are often the ones nobody sees: the resolute yes in a quiet moment, the faithfulness in a small thing, the integrity in an unseen situation. God catalogs every one. Isaiah 1:19 makes the promise plain... willing and obedient hearts eat the good of the land. The blessing comes later than you think, looks different than you think, and lands better than you think. In this Jesus Smart 180, Brian Del Turco unpacks the Kingdom posture of willing obedience and why the blessing is already in motion for those who stay based. See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: The Blessing Is in Motion Jesus Smart 180. Three minutes. One turnaround. Hey, welcome back. I'm Brian Del Turco. This is Jesus Smart 180. One word today. And that word is obedience. And a blessing that many times we don't wait long enough to receive. Obedience to the Lord releases a blessing. But the timing and the shape of that blessing may likely surprise you. Most of us think of obedience as a transaction. Do the right thing, get the result, fairly quickly, in a form we recognize. But many times that's not how it works. Often the most significant acts of obedience are the ones nobody sees. It's that resolute yes we give to the Lord in a quiet moment. That faithfulness in a small thing. That act of integrity in an unseen situation. No audience. Just you and God, and a choice you make. And then the Holy Spirit meets you to empower you to obey. Here's what's worth knowing. God catalogs every one of those moments. Even when we don't see an immediate reward or blessing for the obedience. Isaiah 1:19 puts it plainly... "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land." (NKJV) Two words deserve attention in that verse. Willing and obedient. Not just obedient — but the posture of our heart. Are we willing? God isn't looking for grudging compliance. He's looking for a heart that says yes, a heart aligned with him. A heart that wants to obey without even much thought given to the blessing. That just comes as a byproduct. The promise is substantial. The good of the land. Not consolation prizes. Now here's the part that requires faith. The blessing often comes later than you think. And it likely looks different than you think. It doesn't always arrive on our timeline or in the form we anticipated. But when it lands — and it does land — it's better than we think. James 1:25 — "He who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does." (NKJV) Stay based. Keep saying yes. The blessing is in motion for you. Show notes for this episode are at JesusSmart.com/374. If this landed for you, pass it on. I'm Brian Del Turco. There's a way that things work in the Kingdom. Stay willing. Stay obedient. Thanks for listening to Jesus Smart 180. Your move. Visit JesusSmart.com for show notes and more.

    3 min

  4. May 21

    Psalm 110: Christ Is Already Reigning — Are You Living Like It? with Paul Hubbard | Jesus Smart X, Ep. 373

    Most believers have barely scratched the surface of the powerful revelation in Psalm 110. In this conversation with Paul Hubbard, Brian Del Turco unpacks why Christ is reigning right now, not waiting. From the Melchizedek priesthood to the stunning story of Abigail and Nabal, this episode is a full-spectrum call to maturity — to become the kings and priests that Psalm 110 and Revelation 1:6 describe. If you've been waiting for Jesus to act, this episode will reframe everything. It's your move. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/373 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Psalm 110: Christ Is Already Reigning — Are You Living Like It? A New Heart: Paul's Encounter with JesusBrian: Welcome to Jesus Smart X. I'm Brian Del Turco, and today I have a remarkable guest — Paul Hubbard, joining us from England. Paul has walked with Jesus for over 44 years, ministering apostolically and prophetically across the UK, Europe, Africa, and beyond. Paul, how did you first encounter Jesus? Paul: I encountered him after a very difficult operation in which I actually died on the operating table. Seven days after being released from hospital, Jesus came to meet me in my bedroom. I experienced having been given a totally new heart — not physical, but real. In the morning I was completely changed. I looked out the door, I looked at the trees and went, the trees are green, the sky's blue. It was that radical. I went around telling everybody I loved them, that God loved them. I was a new creation immediately. Brian: Born again. Radically regenerated. Paul has since served globally — UK, Norway, Italy, Kenya, Nepal, Paraguay, the USA, Canada — and is presently, along with his wife Corinne, seeking to see the true ecclesia emerge. He describes ministering amongst the dying embers of the church at large, believing we have entered a new era since 2020 — one that looks dark and dangerous on one side, but on the other, the glory of God is arising within his people. A company of burning hearts is being prepared for this moment. You can find Paul on Rumble — search Get a Life! — and check the show notes at jesussmart.com/374 for links as more of his resources come online. Psalm 110 — The King Is on the Throne NowBrian: Psalm 110 is the most quoted psalm in the entire New Testament. The Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool. The Lord shall send the rod of your strength out of Zion. Rule in the midst of your enemies. This is not a seeker-sensitive psalm. It is potent, urgent, and demands a response. Paul, what is your assessment? Paul: Jesus has finished and accomplished everything the Father wanted him to do. It's all wrapped up, everything is done, everything's finished, and it's all under his feet. He's the King — not just in heaven, but over the whole cosmos. Everyone's waiting for Jesus to do something more, whilst Jesus is waiting for us to administer his kingdom on the earth. Brian: Jesus raises Psalm 110 in Matthew 22, just before his crucifixion. Peter quotes it in Acts 2 immediately after the Holy Spirit is poured out. This psalm is not relegated to the future. It is already in play. Christ is reigning now — and we are his body, his hands, his feet, his beating heart. We are the ones called to carry the kingdom of God into the earth. Paul: We're not doing it the way people think he ought to. He's already here. He's just waiting for us to administer what he's already done. Brian: This is the weight of Psalm 110 pressing down on you and me right now. Not someday. Now. Hebrews 6 and the Cornelius PeopleBrian: If Christ is already reigning and waiting for us to administer his kingdom, the uncomfortable question becomes: are we actually equipped for that? Hebrews 6 is direct — though you should be teachers, you need someone to teach you again. You need milk, not solid food. You are underdeveloped, arrested in your walk with God. Paul: If the elementary principles of Christ — the living letters of Jesus himself — are not alive on the inside of us, then we're not carrying the kingdom of God at all. We haven't even started. Each one of those foundational things means something inside of us. And then he says, this we will do if God permits. I need his permission to go on. Brian: What does it mean if God permits? Paul puts it plainly — God looks at what is living out of you. What is the establishment of truth within you? These last five years have tested everyone. Millions have failed to discern between good and evil because they remain immature. The church is not where it thinks it is. And yet — surprisingly — there are people outside the visible church who are carrying something of God. Paul calls them the Cornelius people, after the Roman centurion of Acts 10. Paul: There are people who would not call themselves Christians who are discerning things in ways that Christians are not even seeing. God saw this monument that Cornelius had built. He wasn't going to the synagogue. But inside him was life, pouring out. He's a builder, an encourager. God sees it and sends Peter — and opens the door to the Gentile world. Brian: Cornelius people are among us. Discerning. Giving. Building. While parts of the church remain on milk. That tension ought to humble us. Check the show notes at jesussmart.com/374 for related episodes on ecclesia and Kingdom theology. Abigail and Nabal: A Picture of Kings and PriestsBrian: Revelation 1:6 says Christ has made us kings and priests. That is Psalm 110 language. And there is a picture of it in 1 Samuel 25 that is stunning in its clarity. The characters: David, the anointed but not yet enthroned king. Abigail, whose name means the Father's joy — a woman of good understanding and beautiful in every way. And Nabal, whose name literally means fool. David sends his mighty men to Nabal asking for provision. Nabal dishonors them and turns them away. David prepares to respond with the sword. Paul: Abigail discerns that David is the coming king. She understands it somewhere in the spirit. And she knows this fool of a husband has dishonored him. So she loads the donkeys with every provision — when you're loaded with grace, it looks like donkeys full of provision — and she goes to meet David. Brian: She says plainly: as his name is, so he is. Nabal is his name and folly is with him. She sees reality and names it. She does not hide behind false respect. And she intercedes — causing heaven to come to earth. A priest operating from a heavenly dimension, meeting a king carrying government from another place. Kings and priests coming together. Nabal, told the next morning what had occurred, has his heart turn to stone. God gives him ten days — the number of testing. He does not repent. He dies on the tenth day. Paul: God didn't really have to do anything. The guy had killed himself. He'd sent a boomerang out, and while it cut people down, he didn't realize it was going to return and cut his own head off. Brian: We are surrounded by Nabals — in government, media, education, and yes, in the church. But Abigail shows us the way. Carry the Father's heart. Discern the king. Intercede. Let heaven and earth come together. That is the Melchizedek order — and it is available to us now. The Kindling Wrath and the Jesus We Don't KnowBrian: Psalm 2 addresses the kings of the earth directly — be wise, be instructed, kiss the Son, lest he be angry and you perish. Are we seeing a kindling of that wrath now? Paul: People have sent boomerangs out and those boomerangs are returning upon their own heads. God isn't directly executing — he's just not keeping them from being exposed anymore. You are exposing yourself. You are in your shame. And there is an end to it. Brian: The earth is the Lord's — Psalm 24:1. It has never belonged to Satan. But God has coded creation in such a way that you will reap what you sow. The harvest catches up. The wicked have no staying power on this planet. And yet — there is a Jesus we do not fully know. We know the loving shepherd. We may not know the one who overturned tables, made a whip overnight, and acted with full intentionality. We may not fully reckon with his infinite sense of justice and holiness. Paul: The Jesus coming back is coming back in us first. All creation is awaiting the sons of God. He is coming back right now — leveling us up by a plumb line. I am not waiting for Jesus to rescue me. He's already rescued me. I want to be the son of God I truly am, bringing something of heaven to the earth right now. Brian: Psalm 110 is not relegated to...

    1h 15m

  5. May 6

    The Ears Have It | Jesus Smart 180, Ep. 372

    The Kingdom of God runs on a sonic frequency. Creation was spoken into existence. The Gospel is proclaimed with sound. Miracles are released through the hearing of faith. Jesus repeated "he who has ears, let him hear" throughout the Gospels and seven times in Revelation. The Ear Gate is not incidental to Kingdom life. It is central to it. The writer of Hebrews warns we can drift. We can become dull of hearing. We're not born again that way, but shaped that way gradually. What are you hearing, and how are you hearing it? Tune to the Voice Signature of God. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/372 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: The Ears Have It The Kingdom Is Sonic Hey, welcome back. I'm Brian Del Turco. This is Jesus Smart 180, our short-form episodes sprinkled in alongside our longer-form episodes each week. Here's something that might reorient how you think about your faith. The Kingdom of God is sonic. It runs on hearing. We are so taken with the visual. Having a vision has become a catchphrase, and we tend to think of faith as primarily visual: seeing, believing, imagining. But Paul cuts directly against that instinct. We walk by faith and not by sight. And where does faith come from? Romans 10: faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. Faith isn't generated by what we see. It's generated by what we hear. Tuning to the Right Frequency Think about it. Everything was created by sonic. God spoke, and it was. All things are upheld by the word of his power. Sonic. The proclamation of the Gospel of the Kingdom. Sonic. Prophecy. Sonic. In Ephesians 4, Paul says we have heard Jesus and have been taught by him. In Galatians 3, he says we receive the Spirit by the hearing of faith. He also says God works miracles among us the same way. The whole Kingdom apparatus is activated through the ear, not the eye. Jesus was deliberate about this. He didn't say "he who has ears, let him hear" just once. He said it repeatedly throughout the Gospels, and seven times in Revelation chapters 2 and 3. What you let into your ear gate shapes what you believe. What you believe shapes how you live. The writer of Hebrews adds a sharp edge to all of this, warning that we can become dull of hearing. We can drift. We're not born that way. We drift gradually, away from the sonic frequency of the voice of the Lord. That's worth taking seriously. So the question is: what are you hearing? And how are you hearing it, with fear or with faith? The Kingdom is sonic. Tune accordingly. Condition your inner man to the voice signature of God, however he chooses to speak. If this sharpened something for you, pass it on. I'm Brian Del Turco. He who has ears, let him hear. Thanks for listening to Jesus Smart 180. Your move. Visit jesussmart.com for show notes and more.

    3 min

  6. Apr 29

    You've Already Died. Now Live Like It. | Jesus Smart 180, Ep. 371

    Every religion in history says do this, become that. Paul says you've got it backwards. Most people read Colossians 3:5, "Put to death what is earthly in you," as a call to try harder. But back up two verses and everything changes. "You have died." That's not a command. That's a declaration. Paul completely reverses the logic of every moral and religious framework you've ever encountered. The indicative/imperative structure in his letters is one of the most liberating distinctions in the New Testament. You are not putting sin to death in order to become dead to it. You are enacting what is already true of you in Christ. The imperative always flows from the indicative. That changes everything. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/371 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: You've Already Died. Now Live Like It. Hello, welcome back. I'm Brian Del Turco, and this is Jesus Smart 180, our short-form episodes on the Jesus Smart X podcast. I have something for you today from the Apostle Paul that I think can be genuinely liberating. It's a distinction that can rewire how we think about what it means to follow Christ and obey him. Two verses. Colossians 3:3: "You have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God." Then verse 5: "Put to death what is earthly in you." If we've already died, how is it that we still need to put something to death? That's not a contradiction. It's actually the key to everything. Indicative and Imperative Makes the Difference In New Testament Greek, verbs carry what's called a mood. In verse 3, the verb is indicative, a declaration of what is already true. You have died in Christ. It's not a goal or an aspiration. It's a declared fact about every believer living in union with him. In verse 5, the mood shifts to imperative, a command that addresses the will. Put to death the evil cravings in your earthly members. Action is required. Here's what makes Paul's framework so different from every other moral system in human history. Most religion runs like this: obey the commands, then you will attain the desired state. Do this, become that. Paul inverts it entirely. You are already this in Christ. Therefore live it out. The indicative, the fact and the reality, always comes first. The imperative, the obedient action, flows from it. The logic in Colossians 3 runs like this: you have died, therefore put to death what is earthly in you. You're not doing this to become dead to sin. You're enacting what is already true of you in Christ. The imperative is the lived expression of the indicative — not the path to achieving it. That's no small distinction. It's the difference between the religious systems of man and the Gospel of the Kingdom of Jesus Christ. We may need to go a little nerdy to live a little deeper. Worth it. If this opened something up for you, there's more to explore. A possible mini-series on this theme may be coming in the short-form format. I'm Brian Del Turco. You've died in Christ. Now let's go live like it. Thanks for listening to Jesus Smart 180. Your move. Visit jesussmart.com for show notes and more.

    4 min

  7. Apr 19

    The Vantage Point Shift: Out of Your Head, Into His Heart | Jesus Smart 180, Ep. 370

    When a situation hits, most of us go straight to our heads — cycling, analyzing, worrying. But the Kingdom move is a vantage point shift: get out of your head and lock into God's heart. In this Jesus Smart 180, Brian Del Turco unpacks two connected disciplines... seeking God's perspective on your situations and refusing to be impressed by anything sourced in the inferior world of the Adversary. Discernment is a deliberate choice about what framing shapes your inner world. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/370 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast. Each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: The Vantage Point Shift: Out of Your Head, Into His Heart Hey, welcome back. I'm Brian Del Turco. This is Jesus Smart 180 — our short-form format, 180 seconds, one turnaround. We have one of these each week alongside the full-length episode. Look for both in the feed. Out of Your Head, Into His Heart Two words for you today: situations and impressions. They're more connected than you might think. Here's where most of us live when something hits. I know I do. Turning it over, analyzing it. A situation arises and we go internal, cycling through worst cases, best cases, our own read on what's happening and why. But that's not the move for those who are developing in Christ. The move is to get out of your head and seek God's heart on it. Not your assessment of the situation. His. Not what it looks like from where you're standing, but what it looks like from where he's standing. Those are two very different vantage points. And here's the key: don't just seek his heart on it. Lock into it. There's a difference between a passing glance at what God might be saying and actually positioning yourself in his perspective. Staying there. Abiding. Praying from there, acting from there, making your moves from there. That's what it means to lock in. Refuse the Inferior, Receive What's Really Real Now here's where impressions come in. And this is where it gets sharp. We live in a world constantly competing for what impresses us, what grabs our attention, what shapes our perception of what's real, what's powerful, what's threatening. And a lot of what's vying for that territory is sourced in what I'd call, from a scriptural worldview, the inferior world of the adversary. Inferior not because it isn't loud. But because it has no ultimate authority. It is not ultimate reality. It's a counterfeit kingdom pressing for your impressions. So we have to refuse it. Refuse to be impressed by it. You're not pretending the situation isn't real. You're refusing to let the enemy's framing of it be the one that sticks. Instead, let God impress upon you who he is ... his magnitude, his sovereignty, his active engagement in your situation right now. Let his designs, his purposes, his advanced plans be what shapes your inner world. Get on the front of the wave. Get over the horizon. Seek his heart. Lock in. Refuse the inferior. Receive what's really real. Show notes for this episode are at jesussmart.com/370. If this sharpens something for you, pass it on. I'm Brian Del Turco. Let's keep seeking his heart on the matter. Thanks for listening to Jesus Smart 180. Your move. Visit jesussmart.com for show notes and more.

    3 min

  8. Apr 16

    Not an Accident: God Has Designs on You! | Jesus Smart 180, Ep. 369

    You are not an accident. God didn't improvise your life — he designed it. In this inaugural episode of Jesus Smart 180, a new short-form format in the Jesus Smart X feed, Brian Del Turco unpacks the Greek word 'prothesis' from Romans 8:28. What does it reveal about the deliberate, forward-leaning purpose God has for your lifetime right now? This isn't a comfort verse for passive Christianity. It's a declaration for people on assignment, on point, and on time. 180 seconds. One turnaround. ---------- See the full episode transcript below. 👉 Enhanced show notes: JesusSmart.com/369 👉 Explore more episodes: JesusSmart.com/podcast If this episode gave you a fresh perspective on Kingdom Living, share it with someone who needs encouragement. Be sure to follow the podcast—each episode is designed to help you think more clearly and pursue the kind of life only Jesus makes possible. Stay current via The Smart Edit newsletter—Elevate your faith. Live smart. Make an impact. Free. Weekly. 5 minutes to grow. Sign up at JesusSmart.com/smartedit. ---------- EPISODE TRANSCRIPT: Not an Accident: God Has Designs on You! Welcome, friend, to the Jesus Smart X podcast. I'm Brian Del Turco. Starting with this episode, we're adding something new to the podcast feed — a short-form format. We're calling it Jesus Smart 180. Three minutes or Less. Tight, focused, designed to land with something worth carrying with you through the day, through the week. 180 seconds. But also a 180 is a turnaround. Because that's what Jesus brings through Kingdom reality in our lives. Each week you'll still get the full-length episode. Jesus Smart 183 runs alongside it. Same Kingdom DNA, just a different bandwidth. A Word Worth Sitting With Here's what I'd love for you to sit with for the next couple of minutes: God is filled with purpose. God has designs on you. Yes, the eternal Creator of the universe has designs on you, for your lifetime. Unpacking 'Prothesis' The Greek word for purpose in Romans 8:28 is prothesis. Let's break it down. Pro — before. Thesis — a place. Together it means a setting forth. Your place in this world. It's a deliberate, advanced design. Not improvised, not reactive. Intentional, forward-leaning, already in motion purpose from eternity past. Your salvation didn't happen because God was scrambling. It flowed from his eternal purpose. And that same purpose is already leaning into what comes next. The new heavens and new earth are coming — the full reconciling work of Christ. But in the meantime, he has a wonderful purpose for your lifetime. Right now. Right here. Right where you are in this season. You're Already Positioned You're not waiting to become useful to God's story. You're already positioned in it. It's simply a matter of awareness and yieldedness. And hearing from Jesus. Romans 8:28 says all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose. That's not a comfort verse for passive Christianity. That's a declaration for people who are on assignment, on time, on mission with Jesus. Let's Receive It So let's receive it. Let's pray it in. Father God, we thank you for your wonderful purpose. We resolve to live and move and have our being in your Son Jesus Christ. And in your higher design for our lives. We praise you that our lifetime contributes to your great purpose. Amen. Find the show notes at jesussmart.com. And if this landed for you, share it with someone who needs the reminder. They're not an accident. God has designs on them too!

    3 min
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About

The show that goes beyond waiting for heaven. Beyond religion. Jesus is brilliant ... he knows how life works best.

Information

  • Creator
    Brian Del Turco
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2026
  • Episodes
    378
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2020 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    JesusSmartX