Faith That Faces Doubt

Doubt doesn’t always show up as rebellion. Sometimes it sounds like John the Baptist asking a brutally honest question: “Are you the Messiah we’ve been expecting?” We sit with Luke 7 as Jesus answers in a way that cuts through noise, not with spin but with receipts: the blind see, the lame walk, the dead are raised, and good news reaches the poor. That’s the heartbeat of this Christian podcast episode, a Bible reading that pushes us to judge faith by fruit and to face the warning that follows: blessed are those who don’t fall away because of Jesus.

From there, we bring faith into the mess of the real world, including a disturbing crime headline and a prayer for families, marriages, first responders, and leaders in the pulpit and the state. We read 1 Corinthians 7:2–6 and talk plainly about Christian marriage, sexual self-control, and why Scripture treats intimacy and temptation as serious spiritual terrain rather than private preferences. If you’ve wanted a Bible-based marriage perspective that doesn’t dodge hard lines, this passage won’t let you stay vague.

We also move through Luke’s account of Jesus raising the widow’s son at Nain, Psalm 68’s fierce confidence in God’s power to save, and Proverbs 11’s warning about bringing trouble on your own household. Along the way we touch American history with a Medal of Honor profile of Francis Edwin Brownell and quotes from Benjamin Rush and John Adams to underline a central claim: salvation rests on Christ alone, not a denomination or a religious celebrity.

Subscribe for more Bible-centered commentary, share this with a friend who’s wrestling with doubt, and leave a review so more people can find the show.

#SamuelAdams 

#JohnAdams 

#BenjaminRush

Transcript

Jesus’ Miracles Answer Doubt

SPEAKER_00 0:02

Luke seven, verse twenty one through twenty-three. At that very time Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John's disciples, Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard. The blind see, the lame walk, those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the good news is being preached to the poor. And he added, God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. August 17th, 2025, Arkansas City, Kansas. Woman was kidnapped from an Oklahoma casino and repeatedly raped and sexually assaulted while being driven through Kansas by two illegal immigrants from Guatemala, Luis Miguel Dominguez Barrios and Jose Fernando Lux Morales. Hey folks, this is Jesse Cope back with another episode of the American Soul Podcast. Hope y'all are doing well, wherever y'all are, whatever part of the day you're in. Sure do appreciate you joining me, giving me a little bit of your time and attention. I will try and use it wisely. For those of y'all who continue to share the podcast with others, thank you. For those of y'all who continue to pray for me and for the podcast, thank you very much. Very grateful for your prayers. Father, thank you for today. Thank you for you, Father, and your son Jesus Christ and your Holy Spirit. Thank you for your love and your mercy, your grace and your forgiveness of sins through the merit of your son Jesus Christ.

SPEAKER_01 1:46

Thank you for all the blessings you bestow upon us. Thank you for the people that you put in our lives.

SPEAKER_00 1:56

Thank you for the example that your son Jesus Christ set for us. Help us to love you, Father, with our whole heart, mind, soul, and strength. To love our neighbors as ourselves. To make sure that our priorities are in line with your priorities. That we always are on your side. Because your side is always the right side. Be with those listening to the podcast and their families, bless their marriages. Be with the children of those who have children. Be with our military and our law enforcement, our firefighters, our EMS. Be with our leaders in the pulpit and the state.

SPEAKER_01 2:45

Help them to rule and lead in fear of you. Bring our military home safe to you.

Marriage And Sexual Duty In Scripture

Luke 7 Reading On John

Psalm 68 And Proverbs Wisdom

Book Plug Reviews And Donations

UK Grooming Gang And Islam Claim

Medal Of Honor Francis Brownell

Founders On Christianity And Salvation

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Law enforcement as well. Firefighters, EMS. And God, my words here for that place. In your son's name we pray. Amen. Marriage verse verses for today. 1 Corinthians 7, 2 through 6. Each man should have his own wife, and each woman should have her own husband because of sexual immorality. The husband should meet his wife's sexual needs, and the wife should do the same for her husband. The wife doesn't have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise, the husband doesn't have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Don't refuse to meet each other's needs unless you both agree for a short period of time to devote yourselves to prayer. Then come back together again so that Satan might not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I'm saying this to give you permission. Excuse me, it's not a command. Permission to abstain, right? That's what he's saying there. Uh not a command to how many just talking to the the Christians here, how many marriages inside the church do you think only don't have sex on a regular basis, or the only times that they don't is when they're devoting themselves to prayer and fasting. Luke seven, eleven through thirty-five. Soon afterward, Jesus went with his disciples to the village of Nain, and a large crowd followed him. A funeral procession was coming out as he approached the village gate. The young man who had died was a widow's only son, and a large crowd from the village was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart overflowed with compassion. Don't cry, he said. Then he walked over to the coffin and touched it, and the bearer stopped. Young man, he said, I tell you, get up. Then the dead boy sat up and began to talk, and Jesus gave him back to his mother. Great fear swept the crowd, and they praised God, saying, A mighty prophet has risen among us, and God has visited his people today. And the news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding countryside. The disciples of John the Baptist told John about everything Jesus was doing. So John called for two of his disciples, and he sent them to the Lord to ask him, Are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else? John's two disciples found Jesus and said to him, John the Baptist sent us to ask, are you the Messiah we've been expecting, or should we keep looking for someone else? At that very time Jesus cured many people of their diseases, illnesses, and evil spirits, and he restored sight to many who were blind. Then he told John's disciples, Go back to John and tell him what you have seen and heard. The blind see, the lame walk. Those with leprosy are cured, the deaf hear, the dead are raised to life, and the good news is being preached to the poor. And he added, God blesses those who do not fall away because of me. After John's disciples left, Jesus began talking about him to the crowds. What kind of man did you go into the wilderness to see? Was he a weak reed swayed by every breath of wind? Or were you expecting to see a man dressed in expensive clothes? No, people who wear beautiful clothes and live in luxury are found in palaces. Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet. John is the man to whom the scriptures refer when they say, Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way before you. I tell you, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John. Yet even the least person in the kingdom of God is greater than he is. When they heard this, all the people, even the tax collectors, agreed that God's way was right, for they had been baptized by John. But the Pharisees and experts in religious law rejected God's plan for them, for they had refused John's baptism. To what can I compare the people of this generation? Jesus asked. How can I describe them? They are like children playing a game in the public square. They complained to their friends. We played wedding songs and you didn't dance. So we played funeral songs and you didn't weep. For John the Baptist didn't spend his time eating bread or drinking wine, and you say he's possessed by a demon. The Son of Man, on the other hand, feasts and drinks, and you say he's a glutton and a drunkard and a friend of tax collectors and other sinners. But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it. Psalm sixty eight, nineteen through thirty five. For each day he carries us in his arms. Our God is a God who saves. The sovereign Lord rescues us from death. But God will smash the heads of his enemies, crushing the skulls of those who love their guilty ways. The Lord says I will bring my enemies down from Bashan, I will bring them up from the depths of the sea. You, my people, will wash your feet in their blood, and even your dogs will get their share. Your procession has come into view, O God, the procession of my God and king as he goes into the sanctuary. Singers are in the front, musicians behind, between them are young women playing tambourines. Praise God all you people of Israel, praise the Lord, the source of Israel's life. Look, the little tribe of Benjamin leads the way. Then comes a great throng of rulers from Judah, and all the rulers of Zebulun and Naphtali. Summon your might, O God, display your power, O God, as you have in the past. The kings of the earth are bringing tribute to your temple in Jerusalem. Rebuke these enemy nations, these wild animals lurking in the reeds, this herd of bulls among the weaker calves. Make them bring bars of silver, silver and humble tribute. Scatter the nations that delight in war. Let Egypt come with gifts of precious metals, let Ethiopia bring tribute to God. Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth, sing praises to the Lord. Sing to the one who rides across the ancient heavens, his mighty voice thundering from the sky. Tell everyone about God's power. His majesty shines down on Israel, his strength is mighty in the heavens. God is awesome in his sanctuary. The God of Israel gives power and strength to his people. Praise be to God. Proverbs eleven twenty nine through thirty-one. Those who bring trouble on their families inherit the wind. The fool will be servant to the wise. The seeds of good deeds become a tree of life. A wise person wins friends. If the righteous are rewarded here on earth, what will happen to wicked sinners? Countryside. If you are looking for a family-friendly, middle grade read, if you would check out the Countryside series, this is the first book. And there's some more in the back reviews. If you want to check them out, there's some more online. And if you enjoyed, if you would leave a review online, I would appreciate that. Those help immensely, especially the five-star ones. Same for the podcast. If you feel like you're getting a little something out of it, if you could leave a review, I would be very grateful for that. And if you have five or ten dollars a month, you can donate to the podcast. There's links in the show notes where you can do that. So thank you very much. Telford Brooming Gang. You start to see a pattern here in all these that we read. 2007 to 2012, Telford, Shropshire, UK. Multiple underage girls as young as 13 were groomed with alcohol, gifts, and money. Then repeatedly raped and sexually exploited by a gang of seven Muslim men from Pakistan. Islam, folks. Same old, same old. Different events. Just keep reading a new one each day. But Islam is the same underlying cause. Medal of Honor for today. Francis Edwin Brownell, private, highest rank first lieutenant, U.S. Civil War Alpha Company, 11th New York Infantry, Ellsworth's Zoves. U.S. Army, May 24th, 1861, Alexandria, Virginia. Killed the murderer of Colonel Ellsworth at the Marshall House, Alexandria, Virginia, first Civil War deed to merit the Medal of Honor. That's a notable fact, isn't it? The first Civil War deed to merit the Medal of Honor. Alexandria, Virginia, May 24th, 1861. Accredited to Troy, Rensler County, New York, not awarded posthumously. Presented January 26, 1877, born 1840, Troy, New York, died March 15th, Washington, D.C., 1894. Buried Bellefontaine Cemetery, 40 Tac 2316, St. Louis, Missouri, United States. Location of Metal National Museum of American History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. Francis Edwin Brownell. Another name we ought to remember, folks, more than all the sports and athlete statistics and movie and song lyric lines, etc., etc. American Heritage Today, Heritage Today, we're going to read a couple quotes. So the first one is from Benjamin Rush, who was a signer of the Declaration, often cited as one of the most influential of our founding fathers. My only hope of salvation is in the infinite, transcendent love of God manifested to the world by the death of his son upon the cross. Nothing but his blood will wash away my sins. I rely exclusively upon it.

SPEAKER_01 14:18

Come, Lord Jesus, come quickly. John Adams, second president.

Lord’s Prayer And Closing Blessing

SPEAKER_00 14:28

The general principles upon which the fathers achieved independence were the general principles of Christianity. I will avow that I believed, and now believe, that those general principles of Christianity are as eternal and immutable as the existence and attributes of God. He who made all men hath made the truths necessary to human happiness obvious to all. Our forefathers opened the Bible to all. Samuel Adams, signer of the Declaration. I want to go back to this Benjamin Rush quote real quick, folks. There's a couple things here. One, when people tell you that our founding fathers didn't have a strong faith, one thing that they're telling you is they haven't read history, right? That Christianity wasn't a huge basis for our nation's foundation. They just don't read history. And the other thing here you see from Benjamin Rush, nothing but his blood, the blood of Christ, will wash away my sins. I rely exclusively upon it. Folks, when anybody tells you that Jesus Christ is not enough, that you need something else, that you need to follow a particular pastor or celebrity or priest or bishop or cardinal or pope or superintendent or anything or a particular denomination, whether it's Roman Catholic or Greek Orthodox or Baptist or Methodist, Reformed, Anabaptist, Church of Christ, folks, the only way to get to God is through Christ. He tells us that. There's no denomination, there's no particular religious leader that can get us there, and we don't need that. The only mediator between us and God is Jesus Christ. And lead us not to temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever and ever. Amen. God bless y'all. God bless your families. God bless your marriages if you're married. God bless your nation, wherever you are around the world listening. God bless America. We'll talk to y'all again real soon, folks. Looking forward to it.