Bible Lessons

Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To Discipline! (10/15/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To Discipline! (10/15/25)

This is the audio from the October 15, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

This week we will focus on praying about submission from God’s point of view and how it is a practice we all should participate in as we seek to be more Christ-like.  The Bible says that Jesus was heard by His Father because of His reverent submission.  Yet submission is a word and topic that we tend to avoid in the church and in our personal lives because it may sound demeaning to give up our rights in preference to someone else. Pray that you would be confident in God hearing your prayers and petitions as you grow in your submission to Him.  Pray that you would know the salvation found in  Christ as you submit to His will and His way.  Pray that the way you submit to God would be evident in the way you submit to others.

“Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!”
Hebrews 12:9 (NIV)

 As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the importance and value of submission to God and to one another.  Pray that you would accept God’s discipline as the live-giving correction it is meant to be.  Pray for the courage to welcome discipline from God as an act of His love.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To One Another! (10/14/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To One Another! (10/14/25)

This is the audio from the October 14, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

This week we will focus on praying about submission from God’s point of view and how it is a practice we all should participate in as we seek to be more Christ-like.  The Bible says that Jesus was heard by His Father because of His reverent submission.  Yet submission is a word and topic that we tend to avoid in the church and in our personal lives because it may sound demeaning to give up our rights in preference to someone else. Pray that you would be confident in God hearing your prayers and petitions as you grow in your submission to Him.  Pray that you would know the salvation found in  Christ as you submit to His will and His way.  Pray that the way you submit to God would be evident in the way you submit to others.

“Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.”
Ephesians 5:21 (NIV)

 As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the importance and value of submission to God and to one another.  Pray that your reverence for Christ in all things would help you submit to others.  Pray that God would help you value others in a way that builds them up.  Pray for the humility needed to see all individuals as people created in the image of God.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To Governing Authorities! (10/13/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Submit To Governing Authorities! (10/13/25)

This is the audio from the October 13, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

This week we will focus on praying about submission from God’s point of view and how it is a practice we all should participate in as we seek to be more Christ-like.  The Bible says that Jesus was heard by His Father because of His reverent submission.  Yet submission is a word and topic that we tend to avoid in the church and in our personal lives because it may sound demeaning to give up our rights in preference to someone else. Pray that you would be confident in God hearing your prayers and petitions as you grow in your submission to Him.  Pray that you would know the salvation found in  Christ as you submit to His will and His way.  Pray that the way you submit to God would be evident in the way you submit to others.

“Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.”
Romans 13:1 (NIV)

 As you pray this week, ask God to help you understand the importance and value of submission to God and to one another.  Pray that your submission to governing authorities would come from a recognition of God’s authority over all things.  Pray that you would grow in your understanding of how God uses governing authorities even when you don’t agree with them.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Knowing the BASICS – Knowing the Submission: Learning To SERVE! (Sermon Audio)
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Knowing the BASICS – Knowing the Submission: Learning To SERVE! (Sermon Audio)

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This is the audio from the October 12, 2025 sermon, “Knowing the Submission: Learning To SERVE!”, shared by Tom Lemler at the Deer Run Church of Christ.

Text: Hebrews 5:7-10, John 13:1-17

 

“During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, he offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save him from death, and he was heard because of his reverent submission.”
Hebrews 5:7 (NIV)

Today we continued a sermon series about Knowing the BASICS!  This will be a six-part series looking at the basics of what we believe as the Deer Run Church of Christ, which corresponds with what I believe as a preacher of the Gospel of Jesus.  Foundational to our beliefs about God is a belief that the Bible is the true and accurate Word of God filled with the content He desires for us to know and follow.  Because the Bible is God’s Word, we believe and know God to be the authority over all things.  With God as the authority, we find through Jesus the example of knowing the submission we ought to live with.  It is in our submissiveness to God that we learn to . . .

  • Submit:  John 13:1-5, Ephesians 5:21

    • Submitting and serving are really two practices which cannot be separated from one another and remain effective.  We must submit in order to serve effectively and we will serve when we choose to submit.  As Jesus gathered with His disciples for a Passover meal, which would be His final one during His time on earth, He was able to serve them by submitting both to His Father and to their needs.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we learn to submit to their needs being more important than our own. 

  • Encourage:  John 13:6-10, 1 Thessalonians 5:11

    • The very nature of Jesus serving His disciples during this Last Supper gathering was to encourage them for what He knew was coming.  Whether in the conversation with Peter about just needing to wash his feet because he was already clean, or the conversation with Philip in chapter 14 which I inadvertently used during the sermon instead of chapter 13, Jesus sought to encourage the disciples by assuring them they knew more than they gave themselves credit for.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we find ways to encourage.

  • Restore: John 13:11-14, Galatians 6:1

    • Because Jesus knew who He was and where He was going, He gathered with His disciples to prepare them to be restored after they would abandon Jesus out of fear.  It is important to always remember that the teaching and practice of Jesus wasn’t only for the benefit of those who were physically present.  We ought to find comfort and encouragement in knowing that we too can be restored when we wander from the truth and deny Jesus with our words and/or our actions.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we choose to be involved in restoring those who fall.

  • Value:  John 13:15-16, Philippians 2:3

    • After washing the feet of the disciples, including Judas, Jesus teaches the important lesson of giving value to others.  While Peter appears to be somewhat embarrassed that Jesus would be washing his feet, the very act of doing so communicates to all of the disciples that they were greatly valued by the One who was in fact their Lord and Teacher.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we give value to people simply because they are created in the image of God.

  • Enlist:  John 13:17, Acts 16:9

    • As Jesus submitted to the needs of His disciples and served them according to their need, He made it clear that this wasn’t just a story about His own goodness but rather it was an example they were to follow.  He was not simply serving their need, He was enlisting them into a lifetime of serving others.  We live with a submissive spirit which serves others when we learn to enlist others to both help us when we can’t serve alone and to serve others at every opportunity they have.

Today, how will a commitment to godly submission help you learn to SERVE?

Encouragement and Prayer: Authority To Judge! (10/10/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Authority To Judge! (10/10/25)

This is the audio from the October 10, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:14 (NIV)

Who’s in charge?  How much authority has Jesus been given by His Father?  What do you and I do about the authority of Jesus?  How does it apply to us?  This week  in our Lifestyle of Prayer emphasis we will look at some scriptures about the authority of Jesus.  Pray that your obedience would grow in a way that represents Jesus well to all you meet.  Pray for a greater understanding of the eternal nature of God’s authority and how that authority has been revealed in Jesus.  Pray that your understanding of God’s authority would shape whatever roles of authority you might have.  Pray for discernment and wisdom to see beyond and through the divisiveness of this world so that you would love others as God loves both you and them.

“And he has given him authority to judge because he is the Son of Man.”
John 5:27 (NIV)

As  you pray this week, ask God to help you be submissive to the authority of Christ in all things.  Pray that you would have no reason to fear the authority of Jesus to judge.  Pray that you would leave the eternal judgment of people to the One who has the authority to do so.  Pray that the people around you would understand His authority to judge all things.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Authority Over Evil! (10/9/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Authority Over Evil! (10/9/25)

This is the audio from the October 9, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:14 (NIV)

Who’s in charge?  How much authority has Jesus been given by His Father?  What do you and I do about the authority of Jesus?  How does it apply to us?  This week  in our Lifestyle of Prayer emphasis we will look at some scriptures about the authority of Jesus.  Pray that your obedience would grow in a way that represents Jesus well to all you meet.  Pray for a greater understanding of the eternal nature of God’s authority and how that authority has been revealed in Jesus.  Pray that your understanding of God’s authority would shape whatever roles of authority you might have.  Pray for discernment and wisdom to see beyond and through the divisiveness of this world so that you would love others as God loves both you and them.

“All the people were amazed and said to each other, ‘What is this teaching? With authority and power he gives orders to evil spirits and they come out!’”
Luke 4:36 (NIV)

As  you pray this week, ask God to help you be submissive to the authority of Christ in all things.  Pray that you would look to Jesus as the One with authority over evil spirits and over the attacks of Satan in your life and in the lives of others.  Pray that you would submit to the authority of Jesus in a way that leaves no room for evil of any kind.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Authority To Forgive Sins! (10/8/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Authority To Forgive Sins! (10/8/25)

This is the audio from the October 8, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:14 (NIV)

Who’s in charge?  How much authority has Jesus been given by His Father?  What do you and I do about the authority of Jesus?  How does it apply to us?  This week  in our Lifestyle of Prayer emphasis we will look at some scriptures about the authority of Jesus.  Pray that your obedience would grow in a way that represents Jesus well to all you meet.  Pray for a greater understanding of the eternal nature of God’s authority and how that authority has been revealed in Jesus.  Pray that your understanding of God’s authority would shape whatever roles of authority you might have.  Pray for discernment and wisdom to see beyond and through the divisiveness of this world so that you would love others as God loves both you and them.

“But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins….”
Mark 2:10 (NIV)

As  you pray this week, ask God to help you be submissive to the authority of Christ in all things.  Pray that you would live with confidence because of the authority of Jesus to forgive sins.  Pray for a willingness to identify your own sins in order to submit them to the authority of Jesus.  Pray that you would help others to know the authority of Jesus over sin.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom

Encouragement and Prayer: Authority In Teaching! (10/7/25)
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Encouragement and Prayer: Authority In Teaching! (10/7/25)

This is the audio from the October 7, 2025 social media broadcast of encouragement and prayer by Impact Prayer Ministry’s director, Tom Lemler.

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“He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all peoples, nations and men of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed.”
Daniel 7:14 (NIV)

Who’s in charge?  How much authority has Jesus been given by His Father?  What do you and I do about the authority of Jesus?  How does it apply to us?  This week  in our Lifestyle of Prayer emphasis we will look at some scriptures about the authority of Jesus.  Pray that your obedience would grow in a way that represents Jesus well to all you meet.  Pray for a greater understanding of the eternal nature of God’s authority and how that authority has been revealed in Jesus.  Pray that your understanding of God’s authority would shape whatever roles of authority you might have.  Pray for discernment and wisdom to see beyond and through the divisiveness of this world so that you would love others as God loves both you and them.

“The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law.” 
Mark 1:22 (NIV)

As  you pray this week, ask God to help you be submissive to the authority of Christ in all things.  Pray that you would accept the teachings of Jesus as having authority in your life.  Pray that you would let God’s authority be present when you share scripture.  Pray that you would greatly value the teachings of Jesus as you recognize the authority in them.

You can find the live video feeds of previous encouragement and prayer times on Impact Prayer Ministry’s Facebook page or subscribe to the audio from the Tom’s Treasure podcast channel.

In prayer,
Tom