The Bryce Crawford Podcast

Luke Series Chapter 11 (EP 159)

12 min
Dec 11, 20254 months ago
Listen to Episode
Summary

Bryce Crawford analyzes Luke Chapter 11, focusing on Jesus's teachings about prayer, faith, and spiritual discernment. The episode emphasizes the importance of asking God for help, recognizing demonic influence, and maintaining humility as a believer while avoiding the spiritual pride exhibited by the Pharisees.

Insights
  • Persistent prayer and faith are foundational to spiritual growth; asking, seeking, and knocking are presented as universal principles regardless of circumstances
  • Spiritual freedom requires active maintenance through consuming positive content and filling the void left by deliverance with God's presence, not just removing negative influences
  • Personal accountability for mental health and emotional struggles is critical; blaming external forces while consuming negative media undermines spiritual growth
  • Outward religious appearance without internal transformation is spiritually dangerous; true faith requires alignment between external actions and internal beliefs
  • Humility and reliance on God are essential safeguards against spiritual pride, which can develop even among committed believers
Trends
Growing emphasis on personal accountability in spiritual practice rather than external blameIntegration of mental health awareness with spiritual teaching and demonic influence discussionFocus on content consumption as a spiritual discipline affecting mental and emotional wellbeingCritique of performative religiosity and appearance-based faith in modern Christian practiceShift toward introspective spiritual analysis and self-examination in biblical teaching
Topics
The Lord's Prayer and persistent prayer theologyDivine provision and God's generosity to believersDemonic deliverance and spiritual strongholdsContent consumption and spiritual formationPharisaic hypocrisy and religious prideMental health, anxiety, and depression in spiritual contextSpiritual humility and self-examinationThe Holy Spirit's indwelling and freedomSigns and miracles in Christian faithResurrection symbolism and Jonah typology
People
Bryce Crawford
Host and primary speaker analyzing Luke Chapter 11 and leading biblical discussion with audience
Dylan the Elf
Co-host who participates in episode segments including gift-giving and provides on-air commentary
Quotes
"Asking it will be given to you. Seek and you will find. Knock and the door will be open to you."
Bryce Crawford (quoting Jesus from Luke 11)Early in episode
"If evil wicked people know how to give a good gift, how much more will God in heaven who is good give you a good gift?"
Bryce Crawford (paraphrasing Luke 11:13)Mid-episode
"Your eyes and your ears are the windows to your soul. What you consume is what you become."
Bryce CrawfordMid-episode
"Woe to you when you think you've been walking with the Lord just enough that you think you're better than other people."
Bryce Crawford (paraphrasing Jesus's rebuke of Pharisees)Late episode
"Check your heart. What are you prideful in? What areas of your life are you prideful in?"
Bryce CrawfordClosing segment
Full Transcript
If you're watching or listening to this right now, this means this is your sign to come to the Bryce Crawford live podcast store in 2026. We're bringing it to Australia, New Zealand and America at the front end of 2026. We're coming to Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Australia. We're coming to Auckland, New Zealand, Phoenix, Arizona, New York City, Pennsylvania, Boston, Alabama, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Florida, Charlotte, North Carolina, Sacramento, California, Los Angeles, California. And if you're a Mormon and you want to learn about Jesus and not Joseph Smith, we're going to be in Salt Lake City, Utah as well. A lot of them have sold out, but there's some that have low tickets and we want to make sure you get your seats. So go to JesusInTheStreet.org slash tour. Get your tickets. Come out to the live podcast show because I believe that God is preparing a word specifically for each city we visit. So go to JesusInTheStreet.org slash tour. Get your tickets and we'll see you guys in 2026 for the live podcast tour. What's going on guys? Welcome back to another episode of the Bryce Crawford podcast on Bryson today. We're in Luke chapter 11. Wait, wait, wait, point it. Point it to the elf right now. You see, he's off. He's off work right now. That's what he's doing. You guys don't even understand this. He takes, he goes on sabbaticals. Dylan the Elf will leave me after the episode is over and then he'll go on like go go for like a break or whatever. And then he comes back and he thinks he thinks he could do that. What? Well, okay, because it's about 95 degrees in here right now. I don't know if you guys can see that. So I take this hat off every time because we can't afford to see. You know what? I forgive you. It's okay. Dylan the elf, come back on here. We're going to do the segment where we open up a Christmas gift every episode. Merry Christmas, Bryce. We'll give you the biggest one. Oh, let's do the big one, Bryce. Thank you. Thank you. Oh, wow. Thank you so much. You're going to love it. It's super light. Wow, this is amazing. Thank you so much for doing this. Wow. Merry Christmas, Bryce. Wow, this is so amazing. I'm glad you like it. Well, I don't even know what's inside of it yet. It's come. Okay. I was like, how is it sealed? Because this is not that heavy. I thought there was nothing in here for a second. It's a, it's deodorant and the axe body spray. What's this for? Just, you know, I mean, it's hot in here. I'm just saying. Yeah, but why'd you give me axe body spray? I mean, it's hot in here. I'm just saying we got a flight coming up tomorrow. I'm, you know, whoever's sitting next to you. I'm just saying it'd be good just to have it on you. I see this. What is this? You've ever seen this? Wait, come here really quick. Come here. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you. It smells good. Yeah. Dude, this smells like my middle school locker room. Thank you so much for the Christmas sweet. Thank you. Merry Christmas. Thank you so much. Well, as always, we're going to be in the word of God today. Luke chapter 11 and he starts it off with the Lord's prayer. Oh, I'm choking on that axe body spray right now. I am not lying. It is strong in here. We see that in Matthew 6 9 through 13. The Lord's prayer says, Father, how would be your name? Your kingdom come. Give us each day our daily bread and forgive us our sins for we ourselves. Forgive everyone who is indebted to us and lead us not into temptation. And then he said to them, which of you who has a friend will go to him at midnight and say to him, friend, lend me three loaves for a friend of mine has arrived on our journey and I have nothing set before him. And he will answer from within. Do not bother me. The door is now shut and my children are with me in bed. I cannot get up and give you anything. I tell you, though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his impudence, he will rise and give him whatever he needs. And I tell you, asking it will be given to you. Seek and you will not find. Knock and the door will be open to you. Jesus saying, Hey, look, I don't care what time of day it is. Daytime, nighttime, good times, bad times, highs, lows in your life. Call upon the name of the Lord. Asking it shall be given to you. Seek and you shall find. Knock and the door will be open. You cry out to God. For everyone who asks receives the one who seeks finds and the one who knocks will it will be open. What father among you if his son asked for a fish will instead of give a fish, give him a service. He's saying. Sorry, let me read that again. For everyone who asks, sorry, in verse 11, what father among you if his son asks for a fish will instead of a fish, give him a serpent. Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion. If you then who are evil know how to give good gifts. He's saying if someone asks for something for their birthday, you know, hey, can you, can you, can you get me? Um, can you get me some new earbuds? Who then is going to go to the store and go buy that dude a banana? You know what I mean? You know what I mean? He's like, even if wicked evil people know how to give, give good gifts, how much more will your heavenly father give you the Holy Spirit? Who asked him how much more will your heavenly father give you a good gift? If evil wicked people know how to give a good gift, how much more will God in heaven who is good? Who is the definition and embodiment of good? How much more will he be able to give you a good gift? Now he talking about Jesus was cast in on a demon that was mute. When the demon had gone out of the mute man spoke and the people marveled. But some of them said he cast out demons by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, while others to test him kept seeking from him a sign from heaven. But he, knowing their thoughts said to them, every kingdom divided against itself has laid waste and a divided household falls. And if Satan is also divided against himself, how will his kingdom stand? He's saying, why would Satan cast himself out? It does not make any sense. It makes no sense. And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Then he's saying, if I'm sent from God and I'm casting them out from Beelzebul, then who do you guys cast out demons by? Therefore they will be your judges. But if it is by the finger of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own palace, his goods are safe. But when one's stronger than he attacks him and overcomes him, he takes away his armor in which he trusted and divided his spoil. Whoever is not with me is against me and whoever does not gather with me scatters. When the unclean spirit has gone out of a person, it passes through waterless places seeking rest and finding none. It says, I will return to my house from which I came. And when it comes, it finds the house swept and put in order. Then it goes and brings seven other spirits more evil than itself and they enter and dwell on there in the last state of that person. It's worse than the first. So God can set you free of the demonic, right? And if you don't fill that hole with the spirit of God and the things of God, that demon will wander out on a wasteland and come back and see that house swept and clean and empty and you haven't done anything to fuel the fire of what God has done in your life. And he's going to come back and get that foothold again, but bring more power with it from the demonic. And it's so interesting, right, that we choose to more encounters and depth. It's not just about encounters. We want to take the encounters and go deeper. But Jesus, that's what we want to do. And as he said, these things, a woman in the crowd raised her voice and said, Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that wish you nursed. He said, Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it. Again, those are my family, those who hear the word of God and keep it. Now I love this passage. When the crowds are increasing, he says, This generation is an evil generation. It seeks for a sign, but no sign will be given to it except the sign of Jonah. For as Jonah became a sign to the people of Nineveh, so will the Son of Man be of this generation. So the Queen of the South will rise up at the judgment of men in this generation. For she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom of Solomon and behold, something greater than Solomon is here. The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah and behold, something greater than Jonah is here. Jonah calls Nineveh a wicked city to repent. I have come to repent. We see this thing, he says, you know, you guys care about signs, but the greatest sign you will see is just as the Son of Man. We see this in other gospels, just as the Son of Man. Just as Jonah was in the belly of the whale for three days and came out of the grave. So the Son of Man will go into the belly of the earth for three days and rise again. The greatest miracle is Jesus. No one after lining a lamp puts it in a cellar under a basket, but on a stand so that those who enter may see it when you have the light. If Jesus is the light and light lives inside of you, then the same freedom that was accessible to you is accessible for everyone else everywhere you go, because where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom in your temple, your body is an inhabitation. Is a habitation for the Holy Spirit. Your eyes the lamp of your body. When your eyes healthy, your whole body is full of light. When it is bad, your body is full of darkness. Therefore, be careful, let's the light and you be darkness. Let me ask you this question. Are you struggling with depression? And then you blame it on the devil? But really you're listening to sad music 24-7? Do you have anxiety? But you keep watching horror movies and are paranoid that someone's going to come after you? Your eyes and your ears are the windows to your soul. What you consume is what you become. And I'm not belittling anxiety and depression, but sometimes we give the devil more credit than he deserves. Sometimes we need to take accountability for the things that we're doing. And what we consume is what we become. Maybe you got to check the things you're watching and the things you're listening to to see how it's manifested in your life. And then Jesus begins to rebuke the Pharisees. He says, You Pharisees cleanse the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside you're full of greed and wickedness. You only care about the outward appearance. You care about the look of holiness. You have the appearance of godliness, but deny its power. What we see in 2 Timothy 3, the Pharisees were doing. He says, You fools, do not he who made the outside make the inside also. But give us arms of things that are within and behold, everything is clean. For you. And then he keeps rebuking them. Does you tithe, mint and rue in every herb and neglect the justice and love of God? He says, you just like the appearance of it. Woe to you Pharisees. You love the best seat in the synagogues and greetings in the marketplace. You like the appearance of holiness. Woe to you. For you are like unmarked graves and people walk over them without knowing it. You know what this is? I'm imagining this rebuked to me and you is, Woe to you. When you think you've been walking with the Lord just enough that you think you're better than other people. Woe to you. We're thinking that just because you're following along the Luke series that you think you know better than other Christians in the world. You know, woe to you. Just because you think you go to church on Sunday, then you're a better Christian than other people. Listen, be humble. Rely on Jesus. You're trusting in yourself than in Jesus. And he says, one of the lawyers answered him teacher and saying these things, you insult us also. And then he says, woe to you too. He says, you know what? Woe to you too. For you load people with burdens, hard to bear and you yourselves do not touch the burdens with one of your fingers. Woe to you. For you build the tombs of the prophets whom your fathers killed. Calling out lawyers, wicked lawyers. And I love him verse 52. He says, you have taken away the key of knowledge. You did not enter yourselves and you hindered those who were entering. You guys are wicked. You're doing this for a buck. You don't care about the people you represent. Verse 53, as he went away from there, the scribes and the Pharisees began to press him hard and to provoke him to speak about many things. Lying and wait for him to catch him in something he might say. This is a big, very big call on Luke 11. Check your heart. What are you prideful in? What areas of your life are you prideful in? Where are you falling? Where are you going? Has your head gotten so big as a believer? Or are you still humble and relying on God? Guys, I pray that Luke 11 was a gracious and encouragement to you. And I'll see you guys tomorrow for Luke 12. That's a dope.