On Infinite Capacity for Self-Deception

- - - - - - - J. D. Walt reflects on Romans 10:10–13 and its central promise: everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. He explains Paul’s larger mission—not political conquest, but the slow, faithful formation of communities centered on Jesus, where Jews and Gentiles are united by grace rather than divided by rules, status, or self-righteousness. The message emphasizes that salvation is received through faith and confession, and that the church’s calling is to embody God’s kingdom in everyday life. The episode then turns into prayer and reflection, inviting listeners to make calling on Jesus a daily practice and to consider the bigger story God is writing through ordinary people. In the closing conversation with his father, they reinforce that a person does not need to clean up their life before coming to God; faith comes first, and transformation follows. They end by singing hymns that celebrate Jesus as Lord and encourage listeners to carry God’s love into the world. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Waking Up to the Call of Christ 01:14 The Power of Calling on the Lord 05:37 Uniting Through Faith: Jew and Gentile 09:18 The Bigger Story of the Gospel 11:39 Introduction to Salvation and Belief 14:43 The Importance of Hymns in Worship 17:34 Proclaiming Jesus as Lord - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

- - - - - - - J. D. Walt reflects on Romans 10, emphasizing the gospel’s simple core: confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead. He frames this not as a formula or a test of perfect behavior, but as an invitation to trust a living, present Christ who walks with believers through their everyday lives. The message moves into prayer, journaling prompts, and worship, using “In the Garden” and “He Is Lord” to deepen the theme of abiding with Jesus throughout the day. It closes with encouragement to carry that faith beyond the morning devotion—living in the joy, freedom, and companionship of Christ in every part of the day. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to the Presence of Christ 02:03 The Essence of the Gospel 07:43 Faith and Declaration 12:20 Abiding in Christ 16:24 Living in the Garden of Faith - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

- - - - - - - J. D. Walt reflects on Romans 10’s warning about “zeal without knowledge”: religious energy and good intentions can become harmful when they come from insecurity, control, and self-righteousness rather than a real, surrendered relationship with Jesus. He contrasts working for God with living and serving with God, arguing that faith rooted in knowing God produces love, while zeal rooted in fear can damage people, relationships, and communities. The message then becomes a prayerful invitation to self-examination. Listeners are encouraged to acknowledge their own need for control, bring their insecurity honestly before God, and seek humility, repentance, and support from trusted community. It closes by emphasizing that freedom comes from being one’s true self in God’s love—a security that replaces performance and false identity with grace, peace, and genuine connection. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Waking Up to the Soul 03:05 The Danger of Zeal Without Knowledge 09:01 The Need for Control and Insecurity 15:02 The Role of Community in Growth 18:02 Embracing True Identity and Humility - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

- - - - - - - JD Walt reflects on Romans 9 and contrasts Jesus with Paul before Paul’s conversion. Though they were near contemporaries with a shared longing for Israel to fulfill its calling, Paul pursued righteousness through rigid legalism while Jesus fulfilled the law through overwhelming love. The turning point comes on the road to Damascus, where Jesus transforms his fiercest opponent into a devoted follower—showing that no one is beyond redemption. The message then turns personal: anyone who feels too far gone is invited to “come home.” Using Paul’s past and the parable of the prodigal son, JD emphasizes that Jesus offers unending grace and calls believers to become ambassadors of second chances. The episode closes with JD and his father singing and reflecting on “Softly and Tenderly,” framing faith as walking one another home and inviting the weary, lost, and hurting to join. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Jesus 03:06 The Contrast Between Jesus and Paul 05:46 The Transformation of Paul 08:51 The Call for Second Chances 15:06 Introduction to the Hymn and Its Purpose 16:12 The Prodigal Son: A Call to Return 18:10 The Message of Grace and Forgiveness 22:23 Walking Each Other Home: A Journey Together - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6

- - - - - - - P.S. Join Us for Taco Tuesday Today! Come join us for Taco Tuesday today at 11:30 a.m. CST! RSVP HERE: https://zoom.us/meeting/register/ojlMT1ZMQnicKTmCLQruoA#/registration. Bring your favorite taco and hang out with Shelbi Shutt, the host of our Behold Advent series. Order your books here: https://seedbed.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=108956&action=edit&classic-editor. Bonus: Use code 30OFF today to get 30 percent off of an order of three or more Behold books! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - JD Walt reflects on Romans 9 and frames “What if God?” as the essential posture for approaching difficult questions about faith, suffering, and God’s purposes. He encourages humility over certainty, arguing that Scripture should shape how believers understand the world—like stained-glass windows that both filter light and give us a lens for seeing life. The message closes this teaching portion with a prayer to live a “what if God” kind of life. He then expands on the stained-glass image, describing how churches tell the larger story of creation, Jesus, redemption, and new creation through their art and architecture. The episode shifts into a warm conversation with his father, David, about perseverance and hope in Jesus, followed by their singing “My Hope Is Built on Nothing Less.” They end by encouraging listeners to offer support, encouragement, and second chances to people they meet. CHAPTERS: 00:04 Awakening to Jesus 01:37 The First and Last Question of Theology 10:06 The Power of 'What If God?' 11:19 Interpreting Life Through Scripture 15:01 Finding God in Tragedy 16:10 Introduction and Personal Reflections 20:40 Building on Solid Ground 22:01 Encouragement and Support for Others - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Sing along with us! ► https://seedbed.com/hymnal/ - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Get the Wake-Up Call in your email each day ► https://seedbed.com/wakeupcall ⛪️ Are you a pastor? We'd love to connect ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/to/dymjFhUB Join the Field Team and help us sow the Wake-Up Call into new hearts ► https://seedbed.typeform.com/fieldteam Join the conversation: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/seedbedwakeupcall/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewakeupcall/ Listen to the podcast: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-wake-up-call/id1040184070 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7t5qb5dpC7n0yxdyNsTKzTsi=e87495c982f145f6