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Thanks for tuning into another episode of Vibes N Delites! Weve got 2 Stories for our friends today. Stories of terrible parents and the success of setting strong boundaries. JOIN THE DISCORD! https://discord.gg/79zArdZvbF

This Palm Sunday message explores the other side of the triumphal entry the side marked by tears. Journey with us as Jesus enters Jerusalem not in might and pomp alone, but in deep sorrow and compassion. Experience the emotional resonance of a humble King and glorious Messiah who pauses to weep for his people, and discover what breaks the heart of our Savior even as he offers the hope of peace. To catch up on the latest sermons from Deep Creek, go to iTunes, Spotify ordeepcreekanglican.comand check out the website for more info about whats happening. We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting. Read the transcript Good morning. This mornings reading is from Luke chapter 19, starting at verse 28: After Jesus had said this, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany on the hill called the Mount of Olives, he sent two of his disciples, saying to them, Go to the village ahead of you, and as you enter it, you will find a colt tied there which no one has ever ridden. Untie it and bring it here. If anyone asks you, Why are you untying it? say, The Lord needs it.Those who were sent ahead went and found it just as he had told them. As they were untying the colt, its owners asked them, Why are you untying the colt? They replied, The Lord needs it.They brought it to Jesus, threw their cloaks on the colt and put Jesus on it. As he went along, people spread their cloaks on the road. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives, the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen:Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples!I tell you, he replied, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.As he approached Jerusalem and saw the city, he wept over it and said, If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of Gods coming to you. This is the word of the Lord. Well, its really special to be able to share Gods word with you this morning, especially if you are a guest of the Malone family. Were really just delighted to have this moment with you. And thank youthank you for being here, especially if church isnt a place where you usually find yourself on a Sunday morning. It is our privilege to share this time with you. Weve been going through Lukes gospel, and Ive got a bunch of them sitting on the table at the front there (and some scattered around in the foyer as well), because you might find that you want to take one with you when you leave. And youre very, very welcome to do that. Weve been looking at Lukes gospel, particularly at the questions that Jesus asks people and the questions that they ask him back. In Lukes gospel, we find theres a shape to it that wants us to come to a decision. Luke speaks roughly in thirds: to the mind, to the will, and to the heart. Luke, the writer, says, Im putting these things together so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught. And Jesus stands up in the synagogue in Luke 4 and says, This Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing. In the first third of the book, there is evidence upon evidence that Jesus is who he has claimed to be. We see Jesus authority over sickness, we see his authority over evil, and his authority over nature and creation. Hes really encouraging us to say, Well, who is this person? Who do you say that I am? The mind. Then the second part of Lukes gospel speaks more to the will. Will you follow? Now that you have seen the evidence of who he is, will you take that step and say, I will count the cost? It is worth losing many of the things that I have valued, so that I may gain Jesus and ultimately become myself, who God intended me to be, and experience what God intended me to for eternity. What does it mean to follow him? How do I take that step and choose? Its fascinating that we use that language when we have a baptism, because we are embracing baby Reuben into this community. Were also praying and trusting that as the Holy Spirit works in his life, he will see the evidence of who Jesus is in the Scriptures and in his experience, and he will choose he will make an act of the will. And sometimes (if youve been a Christian for a long time, or even if youre just thinking about it) it actually takes an act of the will, because life can be terribly challenging. So Luke appeals to the mind and to the will, and then he comes to the heart. Will you, having seen the evidence and having made a choicewill you love him? Will you say, This is so worth it, because Jesus is the King. I wonder if youve ever been in an argument with someone and theres been evidence and theres been counter-evidence, and, you know, voices might have become more heated and its only when you see the tears in the others eyes that you realize this isnt just an intellectual transaction. This is something that means so much to someone. Well, weve seen evidence upon evidence, and weve had an appeal to our will. But now we see the tears in Jesus eyes. We know this is not an intellectual exercise for him, nor for us. Will we love him as he loves us? So today were going to see not just the triumphal entry of Jesus, but in fact the heart-breaking entry of Jesus into Jerusalemand how that shows his heart and what that means for our love for him. The Intention of the Humble Lord After Jesus had said this to his disciples, he went on ahead, going up to Jerusalem. As he approached Bethphage and Bethany at the hill called the Mount of Olives (keep that in your mind), he sent two of his disciples ahead and told them to fetch a colt for him The Lord needs it was the password that would make the owners let it go. Jesus is intentional about coming to Jerusalem. Jerusalem. The place of worship. Jerusalem. The place where the identity of the people of God found its truest expression. Jerusalem it held the hopes of this people that had been destroyed and rebuilt, and destroyed and rebuilt. And here they were again, coming to Jerusalem, knowing that in the temple and outside the city gates events would transpire that were both dramatic and painful, and ultimately for Jesus, the crucifixion his death. Jesus chose to come to Jerusalem full of courage, but he came to Jerusalem riding on a donkey because it was the fulfillment of prophecy. So in the Old Testament book of Zechariah, we read: Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. Jesus is not being swept up in events beyond his control. He is full of intention, and he is full of courage. He had, without the disciples knowledge, set up this arrangement in advance that he would enter into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey. Here is the promised Messiah, fulfilling promises from centuries earlier. But more than that, he is entering on a donkey. Now, donkeys are hilarious creatures. They sound funny; their eyes are big and fun. Theyre just ridiculous (and of course, Shrek comes to mind!). But the donkeyrather than being a foolish choicewas really just the choice of something normal, something day-to-day. We think donkeys are funny. Well, I doI love them. Im allergic to horses, so I cant really get up and give them a big hug (although I havent really tried; maybe my allergies dont cross over to donkeys. Well try it one day!). But this is a normal way of traveling. This is a normal way of carrying things. This is a normal beast of burden. And Jesus chooses the donkey not simply because this is the way in which the promised King (the Messiah) would enter his city, as foretold in Zechariah, but because Jesus is the one who is with us. Jesus is one of us. When his birth was promised, it was said that he would be Emmanuel God with us. Now, one day the Scriptures tell us that he will come riding not on a donkey, but on a warriors horse. Revelation 19 gives us this vision: I saw heaven standing open, and there before me was a white horse whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of kings and Lord of lords. One day the identity of this King will be undeniable, as he rides in on a great warriors horse. But here, in this moment for us, Jesus is coming in as one of us, into a city that he loves a city that stands before him not as an object of judgment, but of deep compassion. When you read Lukes Gospel, sometimes you see that Jesus interacts with people in miraculous ways and then says to them, Dont tell anyone Ive done this for you. You think, Thats madnessyour PR person would be furious! But he wanted to ensure that he could come to this moment without the terrible distraction of being seen simply as a miracle worker or a power-person. But now, as he comes into the city, there is no hiding. He is the King promised in Zechariah 9. He is riding on a donkey, and he is one of us. He is coming to Jerusalem, facing his death for us. And hes doing it with full intention and courage. The Return of the Glorious King They brought the donkey to Jesus, threw their cloaks on it, and put Jesus on it. Now, in Lukes gospel it doesnt talk about palmsactually its kind of Cloak Sundayand so I was like, Oh, we could get the lost property and just put that along, because I think that would be really classy, very aesthetically pleasing! But that is what we see in Luke. People were willing to put down their cloaks. They made a red carpet out of whatever they had for Jesus to enter into the city. When he came near the place where the road goes down the Mount of Olives (take note), the whole crowd of disciples began joyfully to praise God in loud voices for all the miracles they had seen. The evidence had been put before them, they had made the choice to follow, and now they cry out in praise: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest! Some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to Jesus, Teacher, rebuke your disciples. Jesus replied, I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out. Jesus knows that as he travels into Jerusalema King from among humankind, humble yet courageous, and truly the King who would one day ride in on a warriors horseit was right that he was praised. It was right that people joyfully shouted and praised God, saying that in heaven things are being set right and glory is here: Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord. Jesus had been offered by Satan all the kingdoms of the world, and he said, No! I worship the Lord and serve Him only. And as he enters into Jerusalem and receives that worship, he shows us who he is: God the Son, coming as King. Now, I called this the return of the glorious King. Theres an interesting reason we might use that phrase. Way back in the Old Testament, some centuries before Jesus entry into Jerusalem, there was a prophet called Ezekiel. (Ezekiel is the guy that had the weirdest visions of allI dont know if youve seen those internet memes about biblically accurate angels covered with eyes or wheels; well, that comes from Ezekiel!) Ezekiel had a terrible burdena heartbreaking burdento tell the people of God that Gods presence was leaving them. Ezekiel saw the presence of God in these crazy visions, and the message he received was that God was coming up out of his temple, moving to the edge of the city of Jerusalem, and then leaving. It was a terrible, terrifying message of Gods judgmentthat He would be absent from the heart of his people because they had turned away from Him. They had closed their eyes and stopped their ears. And so in Ezekiel 11 it says: Then the glory of the Lord went up from within the city and stopped above the mountain (the Mount of Olives) east of it. This was a sign of judgment leading to destruction: God leaving the place where He once dwelled, moving out of the temple, eastward from the city, up to the Mount of Olives. But Ezekiel also received from God a message of hope that one day the temple would be restored and God would return to it. And so in Ezekiel 43 it says: I saw the glory of the God of Israel coming from the east... and the glory of the Lord entered the temple. And so I wonder: as we see Jesus coming in from the east, from the Mount of Olives, moving down into the city and into the temple, do we see here the return of the glorious presence of God? What Jesus would do when he entered that city and what would happen to him was the only way for the glory of the Lord to return and stay with his people. Jesus encountered the same sort of rebellion, the same sort of blindness, from his very own people (we see that in the Pharisees saying, Stop your disciples from crying out!). It was the same sort of rebellion that had meant the glory of the Lord left and went up to the east. But now Jesus says that the only way the only way for humankind to dwell in the presence of God is for the glory of the Lord to return to Jerusalem, to the temple, and then for the people of God to crucify him. This is the only way. The return of the glorious King. The Weeping Savior As Jesus reached the top of the Mount of Olives and saw the city spread out beneath him, he wept. His heart breaks as he approaches Jerusalem and sees the city. He weeps over it and said: If you, even you, had only known on this day what would bring you peacebut now it is hidden from your eyes. The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground, you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another, because you did not recognize the time of Gods coming to you. We only see Jesus described as crying twice in the Gospels. Once is at the tomb of Lazarus, where Jesus weeps at the death of his friendJesus weeps at the seeming victory of death, at what that means for the disruption of human relationships and the burden of grief on those left behind. Jesus weeps. And here, this is the second time: Jesus weeps over Jerusalem. I dont know if youre much of a crier. I have been a big crier over my life. Huge. Its lessened maybe over the last ten years, but I tell you, as a woman leader it is awkward. You really feel embarrassed and, you know, its just kind of part of who you are. It plays into this narrative and youre like, Oh, stop it! But Ive come to realize that when you cry, something is happeningsomething telling you to take notice. Just telling you to take notice of what is going on. Sometimes its because youre particularly tired or stressed. Sometimes its telling you that theres an injustice happening and you feel really helpless about it. Sometimes its telling you that a boundary has been crossed. Sometimes its telling you that youre really invested in whatever is going on. Sometimes it can even tell you that youre happy. We had a wedding on Friday, and there were tears they were very happy tears. You see me when people are giving testimonies: they are happy and proud tears. Well, for Jesus, we need to ask: is this an indication that hes worried or stressed over what is to come? He is moving into a time that he knows will be agonizing (we actually do see him described in Hebrews as praying with loud cries in the Garden of Gethsemane). So possibly he does have some tears in another moment that we dont see recorded in the Gospels. But here were not seeing him crying for himself. Were not seeing him crying because of whats to come. Hes not stressed about that, even though he may have been. What were seeing is him crying with a broken heart over the people that he longs to draw to himself, and yet who are blind and deaf to his cries. He is crying with a broken heart over the people that he longs to draw to himself, and yet who are blind and deaf to his cries. He is coming to the people of God who should be recognizing the King when he comes to them, and yet he knows that they will not. And he has seen this pattern. You know, maybe its a cry of frustration hes seen the pattern of the people of God: being warned and then ignoring, and experiencing pain and destruction, and then rebuilding and returning and then doing it again, and again. He sees that that is possibly the pattern that is going to happen again now, even though the glory of the Lord is returning to these people. But more than that, hes weeping and the language is pretty strong. Its like sobbing. Hes crying because he longs to have these people know the peace that he brings. They longed for peace. Theres almost no human being that doesnt long for peace, even if its a self-centered understanding of what that peace is. Jesus knew Jerusalem longed for peace; they wanted political peace, they wanted spiritual peace, they wanted religious peace. But they werent able to see the King coming, returning to bring that peace. If only, he says, you had known what would bring you peace. But they were spiritually blind in the previous chapterwhich is one of the reasons why I think it would be really great. (Grab one of these!) In the previous chapter, you meet someone who is physically blind and yet who is spiritually very able to see Jesus the King, the Son of David. And he receives his healing, his peace. His heart is open to Jesus. His deepest need is met. But here here, Jerusalem is spiritually blind. They have gone down a path that has made them move towards darkness for themselves, and ultimately darkness for the Son of God. And just as Jesus would come one day on that warriors horse to set things right and to bring true justice, the destruction of Jerusalem would come as a symbol of that, in about 40 years time. Walls would be built, hemmed in on every side, and people whom God loved would suffer. And so Jesus is not crying angry tears, or tears of judgment. Jesus is crying grief-filled tearscompassionate tears. God is not a cold God who says, I told you so, and revels in being right. Gods heart breaks when people do not see the way of peace. So, in Lukes gospel, this is particularly a heart-breaking entry into Jerusalem: with a humble Lord, a glorious King, but a weeping Savior. And so I think there are, in the spirit of our previous series, some questions for us at the end of this passage. First of all, can our hearts (perhaps today more than ever) recognize a humble Kinga King who doesnt bring victory like that, who exercises his courage in facing suffering?A King who exercises his power in service and sacrifice, a King who turns the power structures of his world upside down. Can our hearts recognize a King like that? Because when we look at leaders in our world, that might be very different. When we look at what we feel we need to set our lives right, can we recognize a humble King? Secondly, will our hearts praise the glorious King?Can we really see in Jesus the return of Gods presence this Emmanuel, God with us coming to set things right on a cross and then in an empty tomb? And will we praise him? Will we move from assent to Yes, I see the evidence, to Yes, I will follow you, to I praise you you are wonderful, I love you? Or will we simply allow creation to do that for us when Jesus returns? Because his kingship is cosmic; it encompasses the entire creation, and the creation will recognize him and respond. But will we do it now? And finally, have our hearts received the One whose heart breaks for us?When we think of Jesus and the events of that first Holy Week, do we see this as just a person in history, or do we allow this One who loves his people so much that he would sob for them (not for himself, for them) into our lives? Have our hearts received this One? And do they break for those who have not? In our day and age, its quite easy to keep church to a Sunday and to keep our beliefs to ourselves. I dont mean its easy because we want to, but we just feel that wed make fewer enemies and smaller waves if we dont talk about it. But we must know that Jesus looks at the entire worldanybody who has not yet been able to come to that point of saying Yes, I receive himnot with judgment, but with weeping compassion. It is good for people to know him. It is the thing that will help them flourish and live. And that is why Jesus wept over Jerusalem: because bad things that they would have to handle themselves, without any courage and without any presence of God, were coming. And so he calls us to have that same softness of heart that radical grief for those who do not yet know him, but also the confidence that if he did everything in his power then, he is doing everything now. Today is still the day of his weeping compassion, not his warrior white horse. Today is the day to see him as the humble Lord, the glorious King, and the weeping Savior. Amen.

Hey Friends!Weve got a lineup of stories about people being complete jerks about children. Hope you guys are all having a wonderful week, make it better by Vibing & Deliting with us while we read these stories.AITA for sending my kids to their dad 4:17My daughter said mothers BF hit her... 19:30AITA for refusing to call my sister's baby by his full name? 35:34JOIN THE DISCORD!! https://discord.gg/79zArdZvbF

Heidi Stacey invites us to reflect on one of the most important questions Jesus ever asked: Who do you say I am? Drawing from Luke 9, Heidi explores how Jesus uses questions to lead us into deeper truth, personal revelation, and daily commitment. Whether youre feeling bold or uncertain in your faith, this sermon offers both comfort and a powerful call to respond. To catch up on the latest sermons from Deep Creek, go to iTunes, Spotify ordeepcreekanglican.comand check out the website for more info about whats happening. We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting. Read the transcript Scripture Reading Luke 9:1827This mornings Bible reading is in the book of Luke, chapter 9, verses 18 to 27. (If youve got the red Bible, thats on page 1611.) Once when Jesus was praying in private and his disciples were with him, he asked them, Who do the crowds say I am?They replied, Some say John the Baptist. Others say Elijah, and still others that one of the prophets of long ago has come back to life.But what about you? he asked. Who do you say I am?Peter answered, Gods Messiah.Jesus strictly warned them not to tell this to anyone. And he said, The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.Then he said to them all: Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self?Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God. This is the Word of God. Introduction: The Power of a Question Good morning everyone. Im just going to get myself set up here. My name is Heidi. I have met many of you, but not all of you. It is a goal of mine to make sure I meet everyone by the end of the year. Consider myself challenged! Those in our growth group will know that it is something we are working towards at the moment, challenging ourselves to be like the church. This morning I thought Id start with just a quick question to get the juices flowing and get you thinking a little bit. How has your morning been? If you had to pick one moment that has happened this morning, how would you describe it? What is it about this moment that has stayed in your mind? If I asked you to turn to the person next to you and describe your morning, how would you tell your story? How would you engage me in that conversation? What kind of things would stand out? Now that youre thinking about that very rhetorical question, I wonder how it would feel, as a contrast, if I restarted this entire soliloquy and said: Good morning. Im sure you can agree with me mornings, am I right? I dont know about you, but mine has been chaos. Everyone cannot regulate themselves at the same time for longer than a few minutes. Wow. Mondays are needed in our house. Its quite a divisive statement, and I certainly hope its not true for the majority of us here! But what I have done in that example is taken an experience and worded it as fact. Ive created a demand that you agree with me in my statement. Ive left no room for personal reflection. I have spoken to the group as a whole and for the group as a whole as well. This is why its important that were doing the sermon series on Questions in Luke. Questions are a way of engaging our minds, engaging each other, engaging the group. We also have an opportunity to answer those questions as well. And in doing all of that, we start to see that Jesus used this as a teaching style for his disciples giving them time to reflect, time to respond, and asking engaging questions that ultimately led to personal revelation for them. Setting the Scene As with all things, we have a snapshot of Scripture in time. So lets go back and set the scene together: what was happening before this conversation occurred? The disciples have been appointed. They have been chosen by Jesus. They are taught by him. They are encouraged by him. And then he is sending them out to preach the kingdom of God and to heal the sick. After their time out, he brings them back in together for a time of renewal and refreshment, which is interrupted by the crowds who are hungry and the miracle of feeding the 5,000 occurs. When they are sent back out again, they are working, and then they are called back in again to have a time of infilling, refreshing, retreating, and replenishing in a quiet space. I feel like in this in and out rhythm, we see some very subtle teaching that isnt written down, but we observe it as a demonstration of how filling up our cup is needed before pouring out again. And as this demonstrates, it doesnt always work perfectly. There isnt always the perfect infilling before the outpouring. In this particular passage, we have the disciples starting the prayer process before being interrupted by the crowds needing to be fed. (Every parent can relate that sometimes people need to be fed, and are interrupted!) I also want to draw particular attention to what else is happening in this moment: when the disciples are together and praying and spending time, Jesus himself takes that one step further a more private moment of prayer with his Father. The disciples are present, but theyre not participating in it. I think its important to see that sometimes things are not just for the group. Doing things as a whole isnt the only thing necessary in our walk with Jesus; sometimes we do need to take it that one step further into that private moment of prayer with the Father. This context introduces us to verse 18, with Jesus asking the disciples, Who do the crowds say I am? Who Do the Crowds Say I Am? Jesus asked his disciples, Who do the crowds say I am? And they replied together, as a group a broad, collected response from the people they had been talking to and ministering with. They say things like Elijah, John the Baptist, or a prophet. They are literally answering the question, Who do the crowds say I am? Do we think that Jesus is asking this question to seek knowledge? Or do we see that he is asking the question to reveal truth? The Wquestions are always popular: Who, what, where, why? Theyre engaging; they steer the conversation. Hes leading them towards some personal reflection. But in this moment, we know that Jesus actually didnt need the answer for personal affirmation He knew who He was. Matthew 3:1617 gives us that confirmation: As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. And thats confirmation for us of Jesus identity. Who do the crowds say I am? Jesus asks this not because he needs validation, but to prompt his disciples thinking. With this broad, crowd-level perspective in mind, Jesus now moves on to a more refining question. But what about you? Who do you say I am? There are no wrong answers. Jesus is not looking to be defensive or offended. What he is doing is starting to illuminate evidence that the disciples have seen for themselves, through a approach we might call Narrative Questioning. Id like to expand a little bit on what the subtext of this looks like. I imagine the disciples to be quite a chatty bunch, but what were seeing recorded here are just really short sentences summarizing their answers. The subtext behind Jesus asking Who do you say I am? might have been questions like: When did you first notice something different? What evidence supports this belief that you have? How did you feel about that? This example of taking one question and stepping it further and further is something that we have been doing in our growth group over the last couple of months. Weve been looking at what the church looks like in Acts so, big broad picture: What do we see revealed in Scripture? Then take it a step down: How does that apply to our church? And another step down: How does that apply to us as individuals within the church? Weve spent a good amount of time debating and engaging in conversation to wrestle with what this looks like for ourselves and in the context of church as well. In Jesus asking, Who do you say I am? there is an opportunity for the disciples to define things more clearly for themselves. Theyre verbalizing what they believe. When we say things out loud, it often creates an opportunity to articulate things differently, to have ideas formed more solidly. We saw that demonstrated with the baptism and confirmation service a couple of weeks ago, where we had public confessions public declarations of faith by the candidates. These were opportunities to put pieces together, to offer verbal testimony, and to confess Christ crucified. Now, while the candidates know who they are in Christ (and we know who they are in Christ), verbalizing it is an encouragement to us and it solidifies things in their own minds as well. And this is exactly what we have Peter doing here. Peter was the spokesperson for the group, and he says, You are the Messiah. Sometimes we do need an opportunity for personal reflection like this. Do we recognize who Jesus is to us? He is an individual sacrifice for each and every one of us at the one time. For each of us, He died on the cross for all of our sins but as an individual, we are called to accept it as our own. I call it not a pick-and-choose Jesus. (I was going to have a slide here of a Mr. Potato Head toy, but I thought it would ruin the vibe!) The point of using a Mr. Potato Head is that you can change out the eyes and the arms and the mouth and so on. In our current culture of customizing everything, I felt it was prudent to mention that not all things are customizable. Accepting that Jesus died for your sins gives us the hope of eternal life that is not customizable. What is unique is your relationship with him the way that he speaks with you, the type of prayer that you engage in with him. Not any of us engage in prayer in the same way as another. At different times in our lives and in our walk with him, he will reveal Scripture differently to each of us. The truth remains the same, but the uniqueness is where the joy is. We are created in his image, each uniquely able to enjoy a relationship with him. In this, we have been given an individual opportunity to acknowledge Jesus as the Messiah, to confess Christ crucified, and to look for his coming in glory. Jesus Predicts His Death (Luke 9:2122) So the next section in Luke chapter 9 starts at verse 21. (Again, a little bit of subtext.) This was an amazing revelation that Peter had one line: Peter answered, Gods Messiah. Those four words close out that scene, and then Jesus pivots a little bit. He strictly warns them not to tell this to anyone, because it really was not the time for public revelation as they were moving towards the cross. The whole point of the salvation work of Jesus and the demonstration of him as the Messiah was that it was not yet time for a public proclamation of what was happening. They did not yet have the Holy Spirit to give power to their testimony. But they also and hear me out they also would have messed with Gods ordained plan, the order of events. (Now, nothing can derail the plans of God!) My point in mentioning this is that although nothing happens without Gods knowledge, this command had a purpose like all commands do. In the disciples honoring of this command deciding not to tell anyone, as they were asked they then began to see the outworking of Gods plan unfold. What they saw and realized was the strengthening of their faith. What they received was the Holy Spirit. And what they ultimately created was the building of the early church. There was a reason why they were asked to do what they were asked to do, and sometimes we are fortunate enough in this lifetime to see the outworking of commands like that. Verse 22 continues: The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life again. Here is the confirmation of why they needed to be quiet for now Jesus adds that hell be raised again in three days, to confirm and align with Old Testament prophecies. But it also begins to give a realistic understanding of what he was going to endure. This is not the messianic triumph and splendor they expected; it is a very progressive and slow revelation of his coming death. The disciples were slowly able to grasp and understand these little bits and put them together these things that were previously only alluded to are now actually being spoken of. It begins to redefine their expectations: who they thought Jesus was, who he was becoming to them, versus who he always knew he was the Messiah. I wonder, has there been a time when your expectations were redefined by Jesus? He has always known you to be his child do you see that in yourself? Do you recall a time where things looked a little different, when you thought one way and God revealed Himself to you in a different way? Personal revelation. The Cost of Discipleship (Luke 9:2325) Verse 23 continues: Then he said to them all, Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. So weve had the personal reflection in a small group; weve had the time of prayer together. Now Jesus is saying this to everyone a big teachable moment to the crowds. This is not a condemnation to carry a literal cross (although in biblical times this would have been a very shocking statement, because only criminals and people literally heading towards execution carried their crosses on their backs as they went to their sentence). In this context, its a call to commitment, where the outcome of eternal life with Jesus Christ is assured. But we have a time between now and then, and that time can be very hard. The taking up of your cross is a call to committing to Jesus daily and this word daily means throughout the day, regularly, multiple times a day. When we commit to Jesus, we have what we like to call a soul at peace, eternally focused. However, we remain in the bodies here on earth, and it is not always easy. It is not always restful, and it is not always comfortable. The disciples are demonstrating to us the reality of life. We have an infilling before outpouring to others, and then we try to replenish again but we dont always quite get there before outpouring again. But now, unlike the disciples in that moment, we have the gift of the Holy Spirit. And it is possible. We know there are challenges to face. Its not always what we want to do or how we want to do it. But we are able to be still and know that He is God. He is God of all of it, until we meet again our soul at peace, our body at rest with Him. Verse 24 carries on: Whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it. This verse really focuses on the cost here on earth although ultimately theres no cost at all when it comes to eternal life. The disciples are being presented with what was to come, and naturally they might start considering how they could prevent Jesus suffering. Because if you think of it from their perspective, they are hearing about his death and going, Well, no, thats no good were going to have to fix this problem. They didnt yet understand the outworking of Gods holy plan. It also unfortunately presents them with an opportunity to reflect on and prepare for their own deaths. If this was how the Lord was going to die, what would that look like for them? Verse 25 continues: What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit their very self? Surrendering to Jesus is not passive. Its active. And as we said, it is daily an exercise in obedience. Our identity can be passive. I am a daughter (and Ill take a moment to shout out to my mom and dad watching online!). I am called a wife by Adrian in Kids Min today (fortunately, because were actually married!). The identity that I have in Christ is not self-defined; it is not given by the world. We receive it through accepting His sacrifice. We receive it and accept it. For a bit of an analogy: self-defining your identity is like shopping for new clothes choosing the next thing that seems nice, that fits well, maybe is on trend (doesnt have to be). But youre still choosing it as your own; youre still choosing it as your own identity. Or potentially its something that someone has declared over you: You are this. We dont take up these self-made identities as our cross they are far too heavy, too hard to live up to. Being a good person or a genuine friend wont get us into heaven. Releasing our self-identities letting go of who we say we are to focus on who Christ says we are. You are a child of God. We acknowledge Jesus as our Savior and our Messiah. And while some of the facts about us that I mentioned (daughter, wife, etc.) stay true, they are not who God is calling us to be as our first priority. They are not who I am, and they should not be who I am. The cross that Jesus asks us to pick up daily is our commitment to Him. Not Ashamed of Christ (Luke 9:26) Verse 26 says: Whoever is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels. This begs the question: what does it look like to be ashamed of Christ? The word ashamed is defined as a sense of embarrassment, but in a public context being worried about identifying yourself with something or someone such that when someone notices, they might say, Why would you align yourself with that person? Its a very personal word. In the particular societal values of honor and shame in biblical times, this (ashamed) was the opposite of honor; this was shame. Early Christians were often marginalized and persecuted for their beliefs, so here Jesus is encouraging them to stand firm despite societal pressures. So thats biblical times we start to understand what it looked like and why it mattered then. But what does it look like in a modern context? What does it look like to be brave and to call yourself a Christian today? How do you describe your weekend when somebody asks, How was your weekend? Did you get up to anything different yesterday? And while regularly coming to church is no longer considered unusual (given that you do it most weeks), it can still be nerve-wracking to mention it. By way of analogy, I tested this out in my own life this week. At work we dont talk face-to-face much; we tippy-type on the chats which if you ask me is worse, because its there in writing. Conversations come and go, but typed words stay forever. And so, last Monday morning at 7:15, when my colleague said, Hey, whatd you get up to this weekend? I thought, Oh, God does not work in mysterious ways; He works in very obvious ways sometimes! And I decided you know what thats it, Im going to be brave. Im not always brave, but I am going to be brave this time. I did what I described to my growth group as the sandwich. So I replied: my in-laws went to visit, we went to church and saw some friends, sandwiched in there. (Take from that what you will.) And of course, my delightful colleague who is very new to the company (we have not known each other very long at all) said, Oh, church! Which one do you go to and how long have you been there? And I thought, oh well, cant hurt, right? So I told her. I mentioned I was playing piano at church last week because it was my turn. And she said, Oh, thats so good. Ive been church hopping. (Now I know, of course.) And she goes, Its really difficult at the moment because my husband and my children, they do not believe. In that moment, I really felt like God was giving me the opportunity to know how to pray for my colleague. Its not something that we are able to do all the time, but my hope is that for her, hearing that somebody else is a Christian at work and somebody a bit senior to her as well that she hopefully knows that I have her best interests at heart when doing the job that God has called me to do. God has given me the gift to be able to then, in my own prayer time, pray for her, for her relationship with her husband and her adult children. And as I typed out to her, You are an encouragement to them. You continue doing what youre doing because your faithfulness will be the thing that people see. And that, to me, is what commitment to Jesus daily looks like. For some people, it will look different. So what if youre not feeling brave? Is there hope for you? Boy, is there ever. (And I wrote down here: Absolutely.) Hope for the Fearful: Peters Example Peter and his growing maturity in faith as he learns and struggles is an example for all of us. And this is the best part of the Bible (we say that a bit tongue-in-cheek): theres something in there for all of us but there really is! As I mentioned earlier, Peter is the spokesperson for the group, voicing the realization and the revelation that Jesus is the Messiah. But if you read further, youll also see that Peter has a moment of being ashamed. When Jesus has been arrested and is on trial, in Matthew 26 we read about Peters denial. Verse 69 says: Now Peter was sitting out in the courtyard, and a servant girl came to him. You also were with Jesus of Galilee, she said. But he denied it before them all, I dont know what youre talking about. (Matthew 26:6970) And that can sometimes be really hard to read, because sometimes it is exactly what we have said out loud. But God, in His wisdom and mercy, calls us towards Himself. He reinstates Peter before Peter dies before the end of his life. John 21:16 says: Simon, son of John, do you love me? And he answered, Yes, Lord, you know I love you. Jesus said, Take care of my sheep. (John 21:16) And Peter became the builder of the early church. So we see that although we have the peaks and the troughs times of being brave and times of being ashamed God never leaves us, He never denies us. And He is always there with us. Our last verse of todays passage is verse 27, and it says: Truly I tell you, some who are standing here will not taste death before they see the kingdom of God. Here we see the reference to the last days the Son of Man coming in glory, eternal life and fulfillment and true hope. Now, all of the Gospels have the account that we looked at today, but Luke has a unique emphasis: he highlights that all people are able to be disciples of Jesus, and he specifically emphasizes the daily following of Jesus. An Invitation to Respond So in this series, were looking at questions. Were asking them. Were answering them. And (if you were here last week) I believe God gave me some very pointed wisdom to share with us: we can also avoid answering them if we really want to. You can continue to be self-defined, but God does not move. Sometimes Hes waiting right next to us. Sometimes Hes actively calling us to Himself. And so we ask: Are you brave enough to listen to pick up your cross of commitment daily, throughout the day and to follow Him into the gift of eternal life? In a moment, were heading into a time of singing and then communion, and Id love to invite you to respond to what the Lord is saying to you today. That can look however you want it to look. Im going to ask you some questions and ask you to visualize, either with your eyes open or closed (it doesnt matter). Take a moment to see Jesus standing in front of you. Is He calling you with what I know is a smile on His face? Is He telling you more about how He sees you? Ask Him how He sees you. You can declare to Him, I know I am Your child. What else is He saying? In our human minds, there is always a point at which we say yes to something when we feel that the benefit outweighs the cost. After evaluating the gift of eternal life, are you willing to take a step forward and place your trust in Him? When the gift outweighs the cost, what cost is there at all? Jesus approached people, but He also waited for them to come to Him. Is Jesus waiting for you today to recognize Him in a deeper way? Id love you to use this next time of worship as an opportunity to reflect on some of the things that God has been saying to you today. Further to that, as we take up communion and as we look at the promises that are on the screen, my prayer for you today is that they would resonate powerfully and be an encouragement to you. That as you lean into Jesus, He was already there. And as you take up your cross for Him, the gift of eternal life is the very next step. Amen.

Another winning night last night. Weve got 2 plays going today

Anger itself isn't a sin, but uncontrolled anger is dangerous. James 1:20 says, "The anger of man does not produce the righteousness that God desires." Weve all witness the regrettable after effects of an angry outburst, but what does the kind of anger God approves of look like? This series is getting really practical on what our faith looks like in the chaos of real life!

What does true hospitality look like? In this powerful sermon, Rachel unpacks how Jesus radical hospitality transforms livesespecially through one extraordinary encounter between Jesus and a woman society had cast aside. She challenges us to move beyond mere entertainment and embrace gospel-shaped hospitality, where love, grace, and interdependence create space for encountering God. Join us as we explore how Jesus mission wasnt just about teaching or miraclesit was about eating and drinking with people, inviting them into His presence. What if our tables could be places of transformation too? Listen now and be inspired to open your home, your heart, and your life to experience the reality that God is truly among us. To catch up on the latest sermons from Deep Creek, go to iTunes, Spotify ordeepcreekanglican.comand check out the website for more info about whats happening. We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting. Read the transcript Scripture Reading (James 5:720) Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Dont grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Jobs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple Yes or No. Otherwise you will be condemned. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (This is the word of the Lord.) Introduction Well, this is the last in a series from the Book of James, but well actually be considering the entire message of the book. If you havent been here for the series, thats absolutely fine youll still get plenty out of the text today. At the moment, my social media feed seems to be full of fact-checking videos. When someone in authority says things about, maybe, medicine or demographics or how things are in the world, someone else pops up over the top of that video and talks about whether the facts being shared are accurate whether the speaker is interpreting the information properly, whether the evidence is really there. I dont know that I ever expected wed need this rise of fact-checking when authoritative figures speak. It might be the news or whatever, but suddenly we do need fact-checkers. And of course, we went through a period on social media where little flags would come up saying, we dont think that this actually tells the facts (that feature has apparently been removed on some platforms). Its a strange world where we know the power of words, and yet its so easy to disagree about whether those words convey truth. We might find information being presented to us, but truth is another thing altogether. The Book of James is very concerned with the power of words and the truth of those words. Its concerned with how we respond to the powerful Word of God, and also how our own words reflect the fact that weve had the powerful Word of God implanted in our lives. We see at the beginning of James that Gods Word is powerful to save and to guide. As we get towards chapter 3, we see that our words are powerful for good or ill we can really damage people, community, and situations by what we say. And now in chapter 5, we see the intersection of those two things: Gods Word is powerful, our words are powerful, and our words to God are exceedingly powerful for ourselves and others. But the foundation of all of this, for James, is the powerful, growing, life-giving action of the Word of God. He uses language like this in chapter 1: He chose to give us birth through the word of truth. Then he calls all believers to humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Not simply telling you about God, but this Word that God has revealed about Himself not simply a book, but Gods revelation about Himself in Jesus Christ (the Good News about who He is, who we are, and how we can be together) and this Word can save you. Of course, the risk of telling people that the Word of God saves you is that we can feel like once weve heard the Word, were good. Its done its job; weve listened, weve sat here (Megans gone on and on), and were good. But James says, no, no, thats not actually listening that God requires. Do not merely listenand so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Whoever looks intently into the perfect law (James often uses law, word, and truth interchangeably) that gives freedom, and continues in it not forgetting what they have heard but doing it they will be blessed in what they do. (In other words, hearing Gods Word isnt enough; we must do it.) The Word of God is able to save and give you new birth, and as you live it out, you actually flourish you are blessed. James then concludes the letter with the words we heard today: My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James knows that we live in a world full of information, and that we have power to convince people of just about anything. (People have said about me, she could sell ice to Eskimos. That means its hard to know because of a convincing tone whether the information someone is conveying is actually truth.) But James centers on three words truth, law, and word as the core of Gods action in our lives. So when we use our words, ultimately the most powerful thing we can do on earth is to bring people to the truth. And when you do that, you cover over a multitude of sins, because the truth is the message about Jesus gift of forgiveness, grace, and eternal life. So James wants us to know that if Gods words have been so powerful as to save us, then our words must be full of grace, integrity, and hope. We saw in chapter 3 the damage that can be done by the negative use of words. (Like a forest fire set off by one tiny spark, our words can cause damage: gossip, rumors, slander, cruelty, deceit destroying relationships and community.) But now, as we come to the end in chapter 5, James starts to talk about using our words in a positive way the power of positive words. Patience in Suffering The first thing he addresses is our patience under suffering and how we speak during that suffering. Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lords coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lords coming is near. Dont grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door. In the midst of their trials (and James has never glossed over the fact that being a Christian may lead to deprivation, alienation, doubts, questions, hardship he started the very letter with, Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.) he sees the need for patience. Just like the Israelites moving from Egypt to the Promised Land: that time in the wilderness was meant to strengthen them, to give them a legacy of trusting God for everything. God was always faithful. And so, just as a farmer knows the rains are coming, they had to be patient on this journey because the Judge is at the door Jesus is coming. But you know what happens when youre having a hard time? You tend to look around for anyone or anything that can become the target of your sense of unease, dis-ease. (I dont know if youve ever had to say this: Im sorry for what I said when I was hungry. In our household, that tends to be Sunday afternoons Meghan coming home around 1 PM, and I have actually had to text Phil, Im coming in hot. Like, just have the carbohydrates on the table, dont talk to me, Im going to need something. And those Tim Tams that I told you to save oh, they better still be there!) Weve worked it out now; they are there, because weve had some good family meetings about this recently, clarifying expectations and making sure nobody is grumbling. James knows that when youre under pressure under pressure as a family, as friends, as housemates, as a church (financial pressure, persecution, interest rates, whatever it is) you look around and you grumble and fight, pushing your frustrations outwards. I find that Im often looking for something to retrofit my bad feelings into. Im looking for an excuse to be grumpy at something, and that thing isnt even whats making me feel bad but Ill pretend it is so I can vent it. James is saying: you will go through hard times as a community. Do not grumble at each other (like the Israelites did, even though God was faithful). The Lord is coming, and you will be provided for. So then he moves on: Okay, if youre not going to grumble, can you instead speak graciously under that pressure? Can your words be full of integrity and hope even when times are hard? He gives us an example of patience in suffering: Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They persevered under suffering but continued to speak rightly about God. (Thats not to say they didnt complain about their circumstances to God. We know Jeremiah, who endured all kinds of physical, emotional, and social suffering, was very honest with God. Elijah spoke very frankly with God: Im the only one left; Youve left me here! And God said, Youre hungry have a nap and a snack, and now lets talk.) The prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord persevered in speaking rightly about God and His mission on the earth, and in speaking rightly to God, bringing their struggles to Him. Youve also heard of Jobs perseverance and seen what the Lord finally brought about (The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.). Job, too, is an example of someone who did not sin in what he said, even though he was under great suffering and trial. We know this because he was told by his wife, Curse God and die. His friends told him he was speaking wrongly about God that he shouldnt be asking Why is this happening? or claiming to be righteous. In the end of the book, God says to Jobs friends, You have not spoken rightly about Me, as has My servant Job. So as Job persevered under suffering, he maintained the ability to speak rightly about God and about his situation, and to speak rightly to God about his situation. James says if you do that, youll come to know that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. If Gods words have been so powerful as to save us (the message of Jesus), then our words must be full of grace, integrity, and hope. Speaking with Integrity Above all, James says, do not swear not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. (Hes not talking about using foul language here; he means dont say, I swear by heaven or on my grandmothers life that something is true.) All you need to say is a simple yes or no. Otherwise you will be condemned. Having a community that always speaks truth is essential to God growing His kingdom on the earth absolutely essential. Jesus spoke to the leaders, and throughout Jamess letter you find heaps of connections to Jesus Sermon on the Mount. This teaching on oaths is one of those connections. In Matthew 5 Jesus said: Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made. But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is Gods throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair black or white. All you need to say is simply Yes or No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (I think I sort of can make one hair black or white but I have to pay a lot of money!) Providing backing for your words actually undermines their truthfulness. If you feel the need to say, Ive got heavens backing for this truth Im telling you, then what are we to think about what you say normally? And what happens if it turns out not to be true? Its greatly risky to claim any sort of divine power behind your words because if you break that oath and youve called on God to back you up, well, maybe He wont be too pleased. If youve broken it, youve associated the truthful, holy God with your deceit. Jesus says you need to simply say yes or no. Are you a person of integrity or not? Why would you need to call on something that you have absolutely no power over? Instead, just be a person who speaks out of the integrity of your heart. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 12: The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Jesus isnt proposing a different measure of salvation here; Hes saying that our words show whether our heart is truly connected to God. Your words show whether the Word of God thats been given to you that could save you, that could give you new birth has really done that. Your verbal integrity shows that you are a friend of God and not of the world. James wants his community to be people of the utmost integrity in their speech. And its so important, especially for a new church thats telling the world we speak the truth. This message about Jesus is the truth! Yet if we then say other things that arent true, what will the world think? (Fast forward 2,000 years and you can see what the world thinks.) And what if we want to be open to the work of the Spirit among us open to everybody having a go at understanding what the Scriptures mean for us today but we cant be sure people are speaking the truth? Then, boy, youd have to shut things down to the narrowest little channel, with one leader at the front, and put all your hope in them being the only one to say things from God. No we need to speak honestly and truthfully. Of course well come at things from different perspectives (thats okay); we gather around the word of truth together and we dont deceive. We come to God and say, show us, and Hes given us plenty of Scriptures to help in that regard. Verbal integrity is central to Christian community. So, to recap: Gods Word is powerful to save and to guide. Our words are powerful for good or ill. Our words to God are powerful for ourselves and others. So, James concludes: Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James says the best use of our words, in good times and bad, is always to involve God. There is nothing too small, nothing too big, nothing too good, nothing too bad our words are not simply to go on the horizontal; we are always invited (indeed, it is Gods intention) to involve Him with our words in everything. Of course, when its something small, you might think, does it really matter? Well, if youve done the Prayer Course or read anything by Pete Greig, he often talks about how if you are in the habit of bringing everything to God, then you start to see Gods answers in the small and the big, and gratitude wells up in you. I think your language to other people then becomes more gracious and hopeful as well. I believe James would say that your expectation about God in your words is everything. Recently I lost a necklace. Id taken it off when we went swimming and put it in the car. I thought at the time, This is risky youre not going to remember where you put it. I do lose things a bit (I could probably put that on my diagnosis sheet), and it really struck me; I thought, Is this wise? Is this a good spot? Whats going to happen? Anyway, when I went to find it again, the only thing I could think was, Megan, you lose things all the time and you put it in a really risky spot. I couldnt even bring myself to look in the safe or obvious places; I was convinced: you took a huge risk (you do this all the time), so its gone. Of course, Phil went and found the necklace in a really easy spot just in the little side-door pocket no problem. Meanwhile I was imagining wild scenarios: Did I put it in a shoe? Did it fall out on the ground? It was madness. My expectation while looking for it was basically, I always lose things; Im probably not going to find it, and I wasnt even going to look in the obvious spot because I assumed it wouldnt be there. James says we are so like that when it comes to prayer. Were great at making our spreadsheets and plans, but we dont think to go to prayer. We think, Well, I havent really found answers to my prayers in the past I always lose things and so we dont do it. But James says: just do it with everything. When youre in trouble, pray (pray for yourself you dont have to wait for someone else). When youre happy, sing songs of praise (if youre doing that outside of church, just make sure no ones around unless youre really great at singing, then, you know, put it on the internet!). James wants us to know that in the midst of all the human wisdom we can glean from his book (and you dont have to be a Christian to find incredible wisdom in Jamess advice to speak rightly and avoid hypocrisy anybody can learn from the fact that one word can cause huge damage), the distinctive thing about Christianity is that we expect God to answer prayer that we can access God for ourselves and for others. (As Phoebe told me, shes seeing a lot of people saying, Id vote for Jesus; Im not a Christian, but I would vote for Jesus. I love what Jesus stands for. I completely agree imagine what incredibly compassionate policies we might see! But people often dont realize that Jesus also talked about the weirdest stuff: Connect with God. Pray. Expect God to answer. Know that God is a good Father and will give you everything you need.) So as much as we might say Jesus would have great social policies, the truly distinctive thing about Christianity is that we expect that God will answer prayer that we can access God for ourselves and for others. Conclusion This year were calling ourselves to Start Right. God wants us to know that His Word is powerful, and that we are to treasure what we have to soak ourselves in the Word as much as we can, to talk about it, and to talk to God about it. And as we are planted in Him, we must use our words rightly, noticing how we speak to each other here and moving beyond just avoiding the negative. Its not only about saying, Im not going to say bad things, but actually making a positive contribution: Im going to speak truth. Im going to speak hope. Im going to speak grace. Im not going to grumble. And finally, were going to talk to God. Prayer is really the only thing. Im pretty good at making things on Canva and keeping spreadsheets (though updating them and keeping my files consistent not so good). But without prayer, what do those efforts amount to? To quote Pete Greig again: Without prayer, Alpha is just advertising a religious product. Without prayer, church planting is just rolling out outlets for a franchise for the religiously inclined. Without prayer, our works in social transformation are just (lets be honest) second-rate social work. Without prayer, we might feel religious, but we dont have a relationship an interactive encounter with the living God. So this year, as we seek to have people know (and for ourselves to know) that God is really among us, it comes down to this: involving God in every single aspect of our lives. Talking to Him, listening to Him, praising, seeking help, and getting others to help us in prayer as well. Now, Im going to pray for us, and as the band comes up I want to ask you to consider whether you would like God to give you a greater hunger for prayer this year. Only you know if thats something you need. Im not going to ask anyone to stand up or raise a hand, but I am asking you to make a commitment to God that youre seeking a greater hunger, and that if He gives it to you, you will act on it. So lets pray. Almighty God, Your words are powerful, and we always want to respond to them. For those of us who need to respond in this way, Lord, we ask that You would see us and our great desire to involve You to have an interactive, encountering relationship with You through prayer. For those of us making that commitment, Lord, we now ask that Your Holy Spirit give us a greater hunger for prayer in 2025. And Lord, where You pour out Your Spirit and give us a hunger for prayer, may we not ignore or abuse that gift, but act to slake that thirst and meet that hunger by praying. May it be our gift to the world, to ourselves, to this church. And may we find ourselves so deeply in love with who You are our faith refreshed and our confidence in Your power immensely grown this year. Amen.

Happy Valentines Day!Weve got a short episode about pets and people and the people who peeve you with their pets! Its cold out there so get cozy with your vibes N delites and read along with us!AITA for not wanting to live with my gfs new pet? 23:19My girlfriend wanted ANOTHER pet and I said NO 33:41JOIN THE DISCORD!!! https://discord.gg/79zArdZvbF

Seeing God Through the Lens of Materialism Matthew 19:16-30 Someone came to Jesus with this question: Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? Why ask me about what is good? Jesus replied. There is only One who is good.But to answer your questionif you want to receive eternal life, keep the commandments. Which ones? the man asked. And Jesus replied: You must not murder. You must not commit adultery. You must not steal. You must not testify falsely. Honour your father and mother. Love your neighbour as yourself. Ive obeyed all these commandments, the young man replied. What else must I do? Jesus told him, If you want to be perfect, go and sell all your possessions and give the money to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.But when the young man heard this, he went away sad, for he had many possessions. Then Jesus said to his disciples, I tell you the truth, it is very hard for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of Heaven. 24 Ill say it againit is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the Kingdom of God! The disciples were astounded. Then who in the world can be saved? they asked. Jesus looked at them intently and said, Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But with God everything is possible.Then Peter said to him, Weve given up everything to follow you. What will we get? Jesus replied, I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then. We Will Be Taken Care Of, But Suffering Is A Guarantee John 16:33 Romans 8:35-37 Suffering Is Redeemable Romans 5:1-5 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 Worldly Blessings Are Overrated Matthew 6:19-21 Matthew 6:24 Matthew 13:44 Mark 8:34-37

How do we respond to lifes challengeswith grumbling or with patience? In this sermon from the Book of James, we explore the power of words, the call to integrity, and the life-changing impact of prayer. James reminds us that just as a farmer waits for rain, we too must trust in Gods timing. Whether we face trials, joy, or uncertainty, our words and prayers matter. Join us as we reflect on starting right this yearanchored in faith, truth, and the power of Gods presence. To catch up on the latest sermons from Deep Creek, go to iTunes, Spotify ordeepcreekanglican.comand check out the website for more info about whats happening. We are a welcoming and growing multigenerational church in Doncaster East in Melbourne with refreshing faith in Jesus Christ. We think that looks like being life-giving to the believer, surprising to the world, and strengthening to the weary and doubting. Read the transcript Scripture Reading (James 5:720) Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near. Dont grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door! Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered. You have heard of Jobs perseverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about. The Lord is full of compassion and mercy. Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple Yes or No. Otherwise you will be condemned. Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray.Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise.Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops. My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. (This is the word of the Lord.) Introduction Well, this is the last in a series from the Book of James, but well actually be considering the entire message of the book. If you havent been here for the series, thats absolutely fine youll still get plenty out of the text today. At the moment, my social media feed seems to be full of fact-checking videos. When someone in authority says things about, maybe, medicine or demographics or how things are in the world, someone else pops up over the top of that video and talks about whether the facts being shared are accurate whether the speaker is interpreting the information properly, whether the evidence is really there. I dont know that I ever expected wed need this rise of fact-checking when authoritative figures speak. It might be the news or whatever, but suddenly we do need fact-checkers. And of course, we went through a period on social media where little flags would come up saying, we dont think that this actually tells the facts (that feature has apparently been removed on some platforms). Its a strange world where we know the power of words, and yet its so easy to disagree about whether those words convey truth. We might find information being presented to us, but truth is another thing altogether. The Book of James is very concerned with the power of words and the truth of those words. Its concerned with how we respond to the powerful Word of God, and also how our own words reflect the fact that weve had the powerful Word of God implanted in our lives. We see at the beginning of James that Gods Word is powerful to save and to guide. As we get towards chapter 3, we see that our words are powerful for good or ill we can really damage people, community, and situations by what we say. And now in chapter 5, we see the intersection of those two things: Gods Word is powerful, our words are powerful, and our words to God are exceedingly powerful for ourselves and others. But the foundation of all of this, for James, is the powerful, growing, life-giving action of the Word of God. He uses language like this in chapter 1: He chose to give us birth through the word of truth. Then he calls all believers to humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you. Not simply telling you about God, but this Word that God has revealed about Himself not simply a book, but Gods revelation about Himself in Jesus Christ (the Good News about who He is, who we are, and how we can be together) and this Word can save you. Of course, the risk of telling people that the Word of God saves you is that we can feel like once weve heard the Word, were good. Its done its job; weve listened, weve sat here (Megans gone on and on), and were good. But James says, no, no, thats not actually listening that God requires. Do not merely listenand so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Whoever looks intently into the perfect law (James often uses law, word, and truth interchangeably) that gives freedom, and continues in it not forgetting what they have heard but doing it they will be blessed in what they do. (In other words, hearing Gods Word isnt enough; we must do it.) The Word of God is able to save and give you new birth, and as you live it out, you actually flourish you are blessed. James then concludes the letter with the words we heard today: My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins. James knows that we live in a world full of information, and that we have power to convince people of just about anything. (People have said about me, she could sell ice to Eskimos. That means its hard to know because of a convincing tone whether the information someone is conveying is actually truth.) But James centers on three words truth, law, and word as the core of Gods action in our lives. So when we use our words, ultimately the most powerful thing we can do on earth is to bring people to the truth. And when you do that, you cover over a multitude of sins, because the truth is the message about Jesus gift of forgiveness, grace, and eternal life. So James wants us to know that if Gods words have been so powerful as to save us, then our words must be full of grace, integrity, and hope. We saw in chapter 3 the damage that can be done by the negative use of words. (Like a forest fire set off by one tiny spark, our words can cause damage: gossip, rumors, slander, cruelty, deceit destroying relationships and community.) But now, as we come to the end in chapter 5, James starts to talk about using our words in a positive way the power of positive words. Patience in Suffering The first thing he addresses is our patience under suffering and how we speak during that suffering. Be patient then, brothers and sisters, until the Lords coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains. You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lords coming is near. Dont grumble against one another, brothers and sisters, or you will be judged. The Judge is standing at the door. In the midst of their trials (and James has never glossed over the fact that being a Christian may lead to deprivation, alienation, doubts, questions, hardship he started the very letter with, Consider it pure joy whenever you face trials of many kinds.) he sees the need for patience. Just like the Israelites moving from Egypt to the Promised Land: that time in the wilderness was meant to strengthen them, to give them a legacy of trusting God for everything. God was always faithful. And so, just as a farmer knows the rains are coming, they had to be patient on this journey because the Judge is at the door Jesus is coming. But you know what happens when youre having a hard time? You tend to look around for anyone or anything that can become the target of your sense of unease, dis-ease. (I dont know if youve ever had to say this: Im sorry for what I said when I was hungry. In our household, that tends to be Sunday afternoons Meghan coming home around 1 PM, and I have actually had to text Phil, Im coming in hot. Like, just have the carbohydrates on the table, dont talk to me, Im going to need something. And those Tim Tams that I told you to save oh, they better still be there!) Weve worked it out now; they are there, because weve had some good family meetings about this recently, clarifying expectations and making sure nobody is grumbling. James knows that when youre under pressure under pressure as a family, as friends, as housemates, as a church (financial pressure, persecution, interest rates, whatever it is) you look around and you grumble and fight, pushing your frustrations outwards. I find that Im often looking for something to retrofit my bad feelings into. Im looking for an excuse to be grumpy at something, and that thing isnt even whats making me feel bad but Ill pretend it is so I can vent it. James is saying: you will go through hard times as a community. Do not grumble at each other (like the Israelites did, even though God was faithful). The Lord is coming, and you will be provided for. So then he moves on: Okay, if youre not going to grumble, can you instead speak graciously under that pressure? Can your words be full of integrity and hope even when times are hard? He gives us an example of patience in suffering: Brothers and sisters, as an example of patience in the face of suffering, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. They persevered under suffering but continued to speak rightly about God. (Thats not to say they didnt complain about their circumstances to God. We know Jeremiah, who endured all kinds of physical, emotional, and social suffering, was very honest with God. Elijah spoke very frankly with God: Im the only one left; Youve left me here! And God said, Youre hungry have a nap and a snack, and now lets talk.) The prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord persevered in speaking rightly about God and His mission on the earth, and in speaking rightly to God, bringing their struggles to Him. Youve also heard of Jobs perseverance and seen what the Lord finally brought about (The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.). Job, too, is an example of someone who did not sin in what he said, even though he was under great suffering and trial. We know this because he was told by his wife, Curse God and die. His friends told him he was speaking wrongly about God that he shouldnt be asking Why is this happening? or claiming to be righteous. In the end of the book, God says to Jobs friends, You have not spoken rightly about Me, as has My servant Job. So as Job persevered under suffering, he maintained the ability to speak rightly about God and about his situation, and to speak rightly to God about his situation. James says if you do that, youll come to know that the Lord is full of compassion and mercy. If Gods words have been so powerful as to save us (the message of Jesus), then our words must be full of grace, integrity, and hope. Speaking with Integrity Above all, James says, do not swear not by heaven or by earth or by anything else. (Hes not talking about using foul language here; he means dont say, I swear by heaven or on my grandmothers life that something is true.) All you need to say is a simple yes or no. Otherwise you will be condemned. Having a community that always speaks truth is essential to God growing His kingdom on the earth absolutely essential. Jesus spoke to the leaders, and throughout Jamess letter you find heaps of connections to Jesus Sermon on the Mount. This teaching on oaths is one of those connections. In Matthew 5 Jesus said: Again, you have heard that it was said to the people long ago, Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made. But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is Gods throne; or by the earth, for it is His footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair black or white. All you need to say is simply Yes or No; anything beyond this comes from the evil one. (I think I sort of can make one hair black or white but I have to pay a lot of money!) Providing backing for your words actually undermines their truthfulness. If you feel the need to say, Ive got heavens backing for this truth Im telling you, then what are we to think about what you say normally? And what happens if it turns out not to be true? Its greatly risky to claim any sort of divine power behind your words because if you break that oath and youve called on God to back you up, well, maybe He wont be too pleased. If youve broken it, youve associated the truthful, holy God with your deceit. Jesus says you need to simply say yes or no. Are you a person of integrity or not? Why would you need to call on something that you have absolutely no power over? Instead, just be a person who speaks out of the integrity of your heart. Jesus goes on to say in Matthew 12: The mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give an account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned. Jesus isnt proposing a different measure of salvation here; Hes saying that our words show whether our heart is truly connected to God. Your words show whether the Word of God thats been given to you that could save you, that could give you new birth has really done that. Your verbal integrity shows that you are a friend of God and not of the world. James wants his community to be people of the utmost integrity in their speech. And its so important, especially for a new church thats telling the world we speak the truth. This message about Jesus is the truth! Yet if we then say other things that arent true, what will the world think? (Fast forward 2,000 years and you can see what the world thinks.) And what if we want to be open to the work of the Spirit among us open to everybody having a go at understanding what the Scriptures mean for us today but we cant be sure people are speaking the truth? Then, boy, youd have to shut things down to the narrowest little channel, with one leader at the front, and put all your hope in them being the only one to say things from God. No we need to speak honestly and truthfully. Of course well come at things from different perspectives (thats okay); we gather around the word of truth together and we dont deceive. We come to God and say, show us, and Hes given us plenty of Scriptures to help in that regard. Verbal integrity is central to Christian community. So, to recap: Gods Word is powerful to save and to guide. Our words are powerful for good or ill. Our words to God are powerful for ourselves and others. So, James concludes: Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore, confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed.The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. James says the best use of our words, in good times and bad, is always to involve God. There is nothing too small, nothing too big, nothing too good, nothing too bad our words are not simply to go on the horizontal; we are always invited (indeed, it is Gods intention) to involve Him with our words in everything. Of course, when its something small, you might think, does it really matter? Well, if youve done the Prayer Course or read anything by Pete Greig, he often talks about how if you are in the habit of bringing everything to God, then you start to see Gods answers in the small and the big, and gratitude wells up in you. I think your language to other people then becomes more gracious and hopeful as well. I believe James would say that your expectation about God in your words is everything. Recently I lost a necklace. Id taken it off when we went swimming and put it in the car. I thought at the time, This is risky youre not going to remember where you put it. I do lose things a bit (I could probably put that on my diagnosis sheet), and it really struck me; I thought, Is this wise? Is this a good spot? Whats going to happen? Anyway, when I went to find it again, the only thing I could think was, Megan, you lose things all the time and you put it in a really risky spot. I couldnt even bring myself to look in the safe or obvious places; I was convinced: you took a huge risk (you do this all the time), so its gone. Of course, Phil went and found the necklace in a really easy spot just in the little side-door pocket no problem. Meanwhile I was imagining wild scenarios: Did I put it in a shoe? Did it fall out on the ground? It was madness. My expectation while looking for it was basically, I always lose things; Im probably not going to find it, and I wasnt even going to look in the obvious spot because I assumed it wouldnt be there. James says we are so like that when it comes to prayer. Were great at making our spreadsheets and plans, but we dont think to go to prayer. We think, Well, I havent really found answers to my prayers in the past I always lose things and so we dont do it. But James says: just do it with everything. When youre in trouble, pray (pray for yourself you dont have to wait for someone else). When youre happy, sing songs of praise (if youre doing that outside of church, just make sure no ones around unless youre really great at singing, then, you know, put it on the internet!). James wants us to know that in the midst of all the human wisdom we can glean from his book (and you dont have to be a Christian to find incredible wisdom in Jamess advice to speak rightly and avoid hypocrisy anybody can learn from the fact that one word can cause huge damage), the distinctive thing about Christianity is that we expect God to answer prayer that we can access God for ourselves and for others. (As Phoebe told me, shes seeing a lot of people saying, Id vote for Jesus; Im not a Christian, but I would vote for Jesus. I love what Jesus stands for. I completely agree imagine what incredibly compassionate policies we might see! But people often dont realize that Jesus also talked about the weirdest stuff: Connect with God. Pray. Expect God to answer. Know that God is a good Father and will give you everything you need.) So as much as we might say Jesus would have great social policies, the truly distinctive thing about Christianity is that we expect that God will answer prayer that we can access God for ourselves and for others. Conclusion This year were calling ourselves to Start Right. God wants us to know that His Word is powerful, and that we are to treasure what we have to soak ourselves in the Word as much as we can, to talk about it, and to talk to God about it. And as we are planted in Him, we must use our words rightly, noticing how we speak to each other here and moving beyond just avoiding the negative. Its not only about saying, Im not going to say bad things, but actually making a positive contribution: Im going to speak truth. Im going to speak hope. Im going to speak grace. Im not going to grumble. And finally, were going to talk to God. Prayer is really the only thing. Im pretty good at making things on Canva and keeping spreadsheets (though updating them and keeping my files consistent not so good). But without prayer, what do those efforts amount to? To quote Pete Greig again: Without prayer, Alpha is just advertising a religious product. Without prayer, church planting is just rolling out outlets for a franchise for the religiously inclined. Without prayer, our works in social transformation are just (lets be honest) second-rate social work. Without prayer, we might feel religious, but we dont have a relationship an interactive encounter with the living God. So this year, as we seek to have people know (and for ourselves to know) that God is really among us, it comes down to this: involving God in every single aspect of our lives. Talking to Him, listening to Him, praising, seeking help, and getting others to help us in prayer as well. Now, Im going to pray for us, and as the band comes up I want to ask you to consider whether you would like God to give you a greater hunger for prayer this year. Only you know if thats something you need. Im not going to ask anyone to stand up or raise a hand, but I am asking you to make a commitment to God that youre seeking a greater hunger, and that if He gives it to you, you will act on it. So lets pray. Almighty God, Your words are powerful, and we always want to respond to them. For those of us who need to respond in this way, Lord, we ask that You would see us and our great desire to involve You to have an interactive, encountering relationship with You through prayer. For those of us making that commitment, Lord, we now ask that Your Holy Spirit give us a greater hunger for prayer in 2025. And Lord, where You pour out Your Spirit and give us a hunger for prayer, may we not ignore or abuse that gift, but act to slake that thirst and meet that hunger by praying. May it be our gift to the world, to ourselves, to this church. And may we find ourselves so deeply in love with who You are our faith refreshed and our confidence in Your power immensely grown this year. Amen.

Tis the season to be jolly with the Halshack and all our great talent. Weve got a Christmas surprise on deck hosted by yours truly. Its a joint show with KERB and MXTR FM! It will run for this week and next week for Christmas! Come join the fun in some holiday cheer as we put the focus on magnificent new versions of some Christmas classics plus new original tunes for your holiday ears! NEW YEARS EVE party coming on MXTR FM 90 min club special happening Tuesday Dec 31st (After party at 2am to 3:30 am East coast time) Have a wonderful holiday! There will be no new shows for Christmas week for MXTR or KERB! Have a wonderful holiday from all of us at the Halshack!Find all show related material here Halshack.com See you on New Years EVE with DJ Master Renegade! 

Weve all gotten messages that made us stop and ask what does this mean? As we process the information our questions shift to process the implications - what does this meanfor me? As Mary heard that wonderful news from the lips of the angel that the long awaited Messiah, the Saviour of the world was to be born, the information and implications had her questioning how it was all going to work out - an imperfect setting with an unlikely participant and an impossible tasks all had her wondering, but as weve seen in this series, God is all about turning our wonderings to wonder! Today, lets learn the lesson Mary learned, nothing is impossible for God!

Weve got more updates today and a penguin? Website

https://www.basicallyitmeals.com/ What are they challenged by Holidays can totally derail weight loss efforts and send you into a negative mindset loop You feel bad so you keep eating and the eating makes you feel bad so you eat some more From october 30th to January 1 we end up eating Grocery store filled with goodies Weve got cookies stocked in our house The office is stocked with goodies We're going to parties outside of actual holidays We are indulging a lot What we really want is to feel in control around the food. To be able to indulge without overdoing it, without obsessing about it. To enjoy some cookies and wine and not see the scale move This is possible I used to love and hate the holidays, it was exciting and worrisome I always had this question in my mind: am I going to blow it? Which made me feel uncertain and in turn i usually did blow it, then i would try to fix it with restriction, and when you don't feel in control and yuo are trying to restrict to fix the fact that you overate…you are ultimately out of control and constantly selfsabotaging. You have no trust with yourself Now the holidays are exciting, but the food is not a focus of that excitement. It will be there for sure, it will bee great when i eat it, but i'm not thinking about ti otherwise Im not worried about it Im not worried about myself around it Im not worried about what the scale is going to say on January 2nd I know with 100% certainty that i will enjoy some cookies, i will enjoy some wine and the scale will not budge… What is success? In order to succeed this holiday season you need to decide what success is for you. Are you gaining weight, losing weight or staying the same? Make it a conscious choice instead of leaving it up in the air for january 2nd. This puts you in control! What do you want to reflect on on january 2nd as this was a wonderful holiday season? Here are some prompts: I enjoyed cookies, but i never felt regret or guilt because i oveerate them I was really present with my family during our gatherings I got to see some friends i don't normally see and during those times i was focused on the friend and not on the food or how much i was and wasn't eating I didn't feel worried in between or leading up to a holiday gathering I was calm and confident between gatherings I felt in control at parties I felt free around food I was confident stepping on the scale I was excited to get dressed for parties How can you make it successful Based on what you want your weight to do: Create your success plan: Instead of just eating all the things any time they are available, ask yourself which items you love and want to enjoy and which items you are just eating because they are there but you could totally skip For me, i like chocolate chip cookies but I can really skip most other desserts. I like this one dip my aunt makes, and I love cheese and crackers, but most other dips and appetizers, like a bunch of fried items, I can totally go without I enjoy wine, but I hate having wine with desserts, that makes me feel like crap so I know it's one or the other for me, or I may have like a bite of a cookie if I am having wine Everything else I am likely going to skip entirely Make a daily plan What does your week look like for parties/gatherings? Is there a party today I am going to be indulging at? What will i have and how much? How will i adjust the rest of my day so i can enjoy that thing and not be fuleing more than my body needs? What days will I stick with clean and not have an indulgence? What items are just around all the time and how do I want to think about them? Im scared i will eat it because its there vs I am in control and i am choosing not to have that thing today When you do want to eat something you ahven't planned for how will you handle it? Just because you said today is clean doesn't mean your brain wont tell you to eat something Handling it with calm and confidence vs scared, worried, doubtful

Trump and the Republican party will yield broad governmental control during what will almost certainly be a critical period for AGI development. In this post, we want to briefly share various frames and ideas we've been thinking through and actively pitching to Republican lawmakers over the past months in preparation for this possibility.Why are we sharing this here? Given that >98% of the EAs and alignment researchers we surveyed earlier this year identified as everything-other-than-conservative, we consider thinking through these questions to be another strategically worthwhile neglected direction. (Along these lines, we also want to proactively emphasize that politics is the mind-killer, and that, regardless of one's ideological convictions, those who earnestly care about alignment must take seriously the possibility that Trump will be the US president who presides over the emergence of AGI—and update accordingly in light of this possibility.)Political orientation: combined sample of (non-alignment) [...] ---Outline:(01:20) AI-not-disempowering-humanity is conservative in the most fundamental sense(03:36) Weve been laying the groundwork for alignment policy in a Republican-controlled government(08:06) Trump and some of his closest allies have signaled that they are genuinely concerned about AI risk(09:11) Avoiding an AI-induced catastrophe is obviously not a partisan goal(10:48) Winning the AI race with China requires leading on both capabilities and safety(13:22) Concluding thoughtThe original text contained 4 footnotes which were omitted from this narration. The original text contained 1 image which was described by AI. --- First published: November 15th, 2024 Source: https://www.lesswrong.com/posts/rfCEWuid7fXxz4Hpa/making-a-conservative-case-for-alignment --- Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO. ---Images from the article:Apple Podcasts and Spotify do not show images in the episode description. Try Pocket Casts, or another podcast app.

Hey Friends! We went in deep this week and brought yall an extra long one. Weve got two insane stories with multiple updates and unseen twists. Make sure you re-up a few times in this weeks episode of Vibes N Delites! Girlfriend (F28) lied and went to an event I wanted to go to without me (M30) and I don't know what to do 17:28 Pet tax 1:02:42 I think my husband fathered his best friend's children 1:06:00 Spooky Story 2:44:35 JOIN THE DISCORD! https://discord.gg/Ts8n5WhE3d

Weve all, at some point, felt like weve been let down or hurt by someone like our trust was broken. When it happens, it can leave us feeling guarded so that we dont get hurt again. We pull back when were not sure if someone has our back. But what about when that person is God? Today were kicking off a 2 week mini series about how to regain our trust after we feel like its been broken.

After a steller 6-2 night. Were on a nice 9-2 run. Weve got 5 plays going today. If youre rocking with me lets roll

Most people fail, not because of a lack of effort, but because their effort is misdirected. Weve been raised in a world that constantly tells us that working hard will help us achieve everything we deserve and have dreamed of. We often get so wrapped up in the idea of working hard (and then frustrated when things dont quite go as planned) that we forget to take a moment to reflect on what our energy has been channelled into and the impact of the effort made. So, in this episode of Everyday Leadership, Sope asks us to question whether we are fixated on working hard instead of focusing on the tasks that will lead to the outcomes were looking for. [00:00] The greatest lie were told about work[02:32] The myth of hard work [04:40] Misdirecting your effort and the 80/20 rule[05:46] How I created a new role (and more money) for myself[07:00] Reflect on your past to understand what to focus on[09:15] The role of strategy[10:58] Why hard work alone doesnt work[11:18] Why underrepresented groups need to be strategic[18:30] The role of building relationships [20:08] Visibility and personal branding[23:40] The one thing to rememberDownload the Myth Of Hard Work E-Book - https://sope-61rpaipl.scoreapp.comFound this helpful? Like this episode, leave a review or share it with someone who could benefit from listening. Were always keen to get feedback so if you have any thoughts, send us an email at hello@mindsetshift.co.uk

J/O/E a.k.a "Brewed Up Joe" joins us today for the first time as a full episode guest. A serious support of the live music scene in Fort Worth Texas and a force for good in the hip hop community. Weve been following J/O/E for a couple of years now and he has consistently showed out for the city and the people trying to keep Fort Worth funky. Find our guest today on streaming services as J/O/E or @brewedupjoe. Catch him live May 31st (Friday Night) at Rahr and Sons from 6 to 9. Thank you for your support! Thank you to the Fort Worth Magazine for picking our show as Best Of 2024 for Podcast in Fort Worth Texas! Thank you to our sponsors!!! Amplify 817 (Part of the Fort Worth Public Library) Learn about the musicians in the Fort Worth area at www.amplify817.org . Here you can stream music straight off the sight just like you would with other music services or download the music to listen to later. This organization pays artist up front for their music instead of making them wait like other streaming services. Amplify 817 wants to be your resource for finding amazing new artists from their unique collection so go check it out!!!While you're there make sure and check out the playlists put together by some of our local businesses owners. Fort Worth Roots even has one ready to go called "Tail Gate Love Story".   Galaxy Wilderness Disc Golf  Galaxy Wilderness is dedicated to promoting Disc Golf to the masses for its health benefits through outdoor therapy, exercise, and camaraderie.Find them on Facebook as Galaxy Wilderness Disc GolfGalaxyWildernessDG@gmail.com(682) 228-0399 The Body Scrubberyon Instagram @thebodyscrubberyOnline at www.thebodyscrubbery.comPhone:925.808.8222A boutique and unique spa experience. "Don't cheat yourself, treat yourself!!" Luxury foot spa, full body scrubs, infrared heat wraps, massage, bubble tub, mud wraps, facials, couples packages, and small group parties. Go online and find the "Book Now" tab! Flurry Fitness  On Instagram as @flurryfitnessfortworthLocated at:643 Sherry Lane Fort Worth Texas 76114Just in front of the military base next to Target and directly behind Waffle House.Let them know you heard about them here and Andy will comp all of the sign up fee's for your new membership during the spring sale's event.   Boulevard BrewGreat Coffee in a rad little space right off of River Oaks Blvd. A cozy little bar scene in the back with a new home for local musicians. Give these guys a try next time you need a coffee or a place to chill.5406 River Oaks Blvd, River Oaks, TX, United States, Texas(682) 250-2544Email:brew@boulevardbrew.comwww.boulevardbrew.com  Eaton Data SolutionsWe work to have relationships with vendor partners who specialize in different methods of vulnerability detection and management so that we can offer enterprise tools and solutions to small and medium sized companies (SMB's).Find them online www.eatondatasolutions.com WAVVY DIGITALWavvy Digital specializes in the one thing your business/brand can't live without, Social Media and your Internet Presence. You might not have time to manage these things yourself. You definitely can't afford to leave this part of your work left half done. Let Wavvy Digital handle this part for you. Find our sponsor on Instagram @WAVVYDIGITAL Cowtown NutritionA healthy alternative to fast food! They provide energy refreshers, shakes, coffees, protein snakes, and work out sessions for their community of friends. Add this to your workout routine!!Located at 5430 River Oaks Blvd in River Oaks Texas just outside of downtown Fort Worth.Find them on Instagram as @cowtown_nutrition Roofing Solutions by Darren Houk!Roofing Solutions can help with all your residential and commercial roofing needs. Roofing Solutions by Darren Houk islocally owned and operated. We are insured and have the experience to carry out most roofing projects.Roofing Solutions will work with you and your insurance company to get your roof replaced properly. We offer free  consultations to help you understand all the products that may have entered the marketplace since your last roof purchasesuch as Impact Resistant composition shingles. Energy Efficient roofing systems. Metal, Tile, and Slate options.Web Page: https://www.roofingsolutionshouk.com/Phone : 817-882-6520Find Woodpost Metalworks online at www.woodpostmetalworks.comWoodpost Metalworks specializes in metal signs with/without LED backlighting, fence/gate repair and installation, light steel fabrication , industrial plasma cutting, and more! Use special code "Podcast817" at check out for 10% off.Find Houk Walker Originals online at www.houkwalker.comHoukWalker Originals was started by David Walker and Angela Houk Walker. They both have creative original ideas! David because using his lathe to create pens, bottle stoppers, bowls. David was taught to be a wood turner by his grandfather. Angela loves to paint, use a kiln for glass fusing and many other crafts.  Pouring Glory! Pouring Glory is your destination for eats, beers and good company. We're always genuinely happy to see you whether you're grabbing a quick lunch or planning a corporate meeting that's more fun than usual. We are located at the heart of Fort Worth's exciting Near Southside, just blocks from Magnolia off of South Main Street. Award winning tap wall + impossibly good food. Combine that with a relaxed atmosphere and you've got the makings of a new adventure or an old haunt. 1001 Bryan Ave, Fort Worth, TX 76104website: www.pouringglory.comOther things... Find all of Fort Worth Roots content by checking out the website, www.fortworthroots.com and all other social media platforms . YouTube vids to complement the audio that you find on all your podcast players can be found on our YouTube page... when I publish the episode. Sometimes the videos take a while... I work and stuff. Thank you for listening!!! Intro music provided with permission to use by Matt Novesky. Matt is the front man for the band Icarus Bell (https://icarusbellofficial.com/) ,Owner of Orb Recording Studios in Austin Texas ( www.orbrecordingstudios.com ), and is the bassist for the band Blue October out of Houston Texas (https://www.blueoctober.com/) The name of the song the intro was sampled from is Bones by Icarus Bell. You can check Matt's band out on your favorite streaming service like Amazon music or Spotify. The YouTube version of Bones can be found at this link ( https://youtu.be/d9HLLrvsqi8 ) A HUGE thank you to Matt Novesky for the privilege to share some of your newest art on Fort Worth Roots. I am sincerely looking forward to future creations made by you and the Orb Recording Studios family. Thanks for checking out Fort Worth Roots. I hope you enjoy the show. As always, I'm constantly looking for feedback. For questions, comments, or to tell us who you think should be our next podcast guest, email us at media@fortworthroots.com #fortworthroots #interview #interviewpodcast #podcast #fortworthtexas #fortworthpodcast #dfwpodcast #andrewturner #smallbusiness #uspodcast #unitedstatespodcast #altitudegrove #varietypodcast #allthingspodcast #81

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Steve Albini US indie music giant dies at 61 Ippei Mizuhara Ohtanis former interpreter to plead guilty to fraud in US Parts supplied to Boeing had serious defects whistleblower Gaza war US bomb delay biggest warning yet for Israel Brazil floods Weve never experienced anything like it Accused Canadian serial killer Jeremy Skibicki goes on trial in Winnipeg Marjorie Taylor Greene fails to remove House Speaker Security guard shot at Drakes Toronto home amid beef with Kendrick Lamar Laken Riley Venezuelan charged with murdering Georgia nurse Israel Gaza war US reviewing weapons transfers due to fears of Rafah invasion

5 - 06 - 24 THE NUMBERS AND LIST OF PEOPLE WEVE GOTTEN BUSY WITH by Maine's Coast 93.1

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MLB The Show 24 early access is here! Weve gotten the game and share our first impressions!

SO looks like we have been married for 12 MILLION Hours ( According to Anne ).We had a little fun on this one and Anne tells about how she came up with 'being married that long . Its a fun light hearted approach to seeing that TIME together really is the best way to know each other.Thanks for listening

Weve spent four out of the first five Sundays of 2024 planting our feet in our PBCC Family Values, the commitments we believe in and hold ourselves to as followers of Jesus Christ. We have one more left to explore: Participation in Gods Work. Join us as we reflect on how participating in Gods work might just win us the favor of the world.

02 - 08 - 24 WE ADMIT WEVE THROWN THE WEDDING RING DRAMATICALLY by Maine's Coast 93.1

SelectUSA Summit, 23-26 June 2024, Washington, DChttps://www.selectusasummit.us/--Frances Simowitz, frances@weveacceleration.comhttps://weveacceleration.com/..Feel free to contact us with any questionsBill Kenney, bill@meetroi.comMEET, http://meetroi.com/

Weve all been there, about to lose our mind because we think we've ruined our relationship. If you want to salvage your relationship, we must learn to be silent.  If you want to know more- press play! Join the PMDD Tribe- https://www.facebook.com/groups/PMDDTRIBE  

In this special episode, we speak with Jordyn Willens, the Global Program Director at Weve Acceleration, where she is responsible for supporting international growth-stage startups looking to enter and scale in the US market. She offered great insight into what it takes to set up, launch, and scale a startup in the US. We discussed the following - ✔Who is Weve and what makes their service unique✔The steps companies should take when looking to make their first full-time hire in the US ✔What companies should consider when looking to make their first hire? ✔The steps companies should take to a) stand out, b) attract the best possible talent and c) ensure they are embedding the company culture from day one✔What are the best states/cities to set up in, and why?✔Are companies better off building an "in-office" culture, or going for fully remote upon launch?

Midday Show (0:00- 13:13:2 ) Andrew opens the show reacting to the Eagles brutal 27-10 loss to the New York Giants to end the regular season. The eagles showed absolutely no life the past month and Andrew and Ray try to figure out why.   (13:21:45 – 33:34:92)We open the phone lines and try to get a pulse from the fans on this struggling football team. Can the Eagles go down to Tampa Bay and make a run in the Playoffs?   (33:42:64 – 58:34:31)Andrew breaks out a new segment for the show. Weve all seen game tape breakdowns, but Andrew breaks down Eagles Head Coach Nick Sirianni's press conference post-game of their week 18 loss to the Ny Giants.   (58:41:89 – 1:25:26) What is there to make of all the different statements coming from this team after another brutal loss? What are some of the main issues that they keep running into? Andrew and Ray breakdown all of reactions coming out of the Eagles locker room.   (1:25:34 – 1:41:15) How are we feeling about heading down to Tampa Bay in the first round of the playoffs? Can the Eagles correct all the issues of the past 6 weeks?   (1:41:22 – 1:52:11) The Players seem to have been in the mode of “we are already in” phase. Is this the main reason for the lax in play?   (1:52:18 – 2:07:02) We go back to the phones and get more reactions from the people on the pulse of this Eagles team.   (2:07:10 – 2:26:39)   Can the Eagles “Flip The Switch” heading into the playoffs? Or have they put themselves in to far of a rut after the past 6 week of bad football?   (2:26:46 – 2:54:12) Andrew and Ray react to a clip from Adam Schefter on the job security of Nick Sirianni if the Eagles lose to the Bucs in the first round.

Weve had our fill on watching the Saints play football and Dennis Allen is the WORST. We talk about a nightmare playoff scenario for the Lions as the Rams are officially a dangerous team (00:00:00-00:18:26). Week 16 Picks and Preview for every game in the weekend as well as touching on subjects like internet brain vs real life, epstein's list and more (00:18:26-01:43:46). Fantasy Fuccbois (01:43:46-01:49:54). Julian Edelman joins us in studio to talk about the NFL this season, are drops contagious? His media career and tons more (01:49:54-02:58:21). We finish with Fyre Fest of the week (02:58:21-03:09:32).You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/PardonMyTake

Weve finally got to SECTIONALS! This episode of Glee was ICONIC, and so was the podcast - we talked about jaffa cakes, Stanz killing streamers with dodgeballs, and how handsome Joe is. Hope you enjoy!

HEY! If you're reading this go leave us a review on apple podcasts (or spotify, not sure how it works over there lmao). Weve realised there are other binge and cringe's that are doing better than us, and we need to dominate them all. Also we watch glee again! 

We are back ! we go in depth with the new blink-182 album and then catch up on all thing life and games. We give our impressions of spider-man 2 man it feels good to be back

Home Run Inn is a family owned & operated establishment with nine restaurants throughout the Chicago area. They've been making pizza since 1947 and began creating and selling frozen pizzas for grocery store distribution nationwide in the 1960s. Dan is the 4th generation leader of Home Run Inn Pizza. He started in the family business at the age of 13 as a busboy. Home Run Inn's signature square-sliced pizzas originated in the 1940s when the tavern would slice the pizza into small sample-sized pieces to entice customers. The restaurant's frozen pizza was born after a regular customer used to request par-baked pizzas to take to his summer home in Wisconsin. Home Run Inn Pizza has a synergistic relationship between the restaurant brand and the frozen brand and doesn't view the relationship as cannibalistic when it comes to sales for either brand. QUOTES “Everyone who has a restaurant wants to get into CPG. They want to put it in grocery stories. They think it's easy to do CPG.” (Michael) “Our first distributor was our bartender. He would take pizzas after work, walk them down to the corner grocery store and pick up the cash the next day.” (Dan) “Our frozen pizza production facilities model and mirror what we did in the restaurants. My uncle would say, ‘The reason we make it like that is because that's the only way I know how.'” (Dan) “Pizza is like sex. It's all good, but some is better than others.” (Michael) “The (Home Run Inn Pizza) restaurants drive brand awareness on the marketing side for our frozen pizza.” (Dan) “A brand is a promise. Many times, an agency is hired to create that story or build that authenticity. What's beautiful about what Home Run Inn Pizza has, is that (story) is already baked in.” (Michael) TRANSCRIPT 00:00.22 vigorbranding And with some great guests and so I thought well we should keep it going. It's good for social media. It's good for you know it's good. So I mean you know I'll be honest've I'm only done a few of these but it's been fun and you know I don't know it's just ah, you know the guys do a great job. So it turns out all right? yeah. 00:06.19 Dan Costello Um, yeah. 00:16.98 Dan Costello Um, cool, Awesome. Look forward to it. Don't give hi. 00:19.29 vigorbranding Yeah, yeah, yeah, know yeah this will be this will be a lap for you I mean you know it's just just like your story and I mean it sincerely I mean great story, great family. Great product. It's just you know it's just it's just super cool. We got a guy here working the production Robert who you're already his fan. He's a huge fan of home run his friends. 00:28.80 Dan Costello Gun. 00:36.54 vigorbranding Took him there and he you know is one of his best buddies is out there archer ra and thirty first street with archer a thirty first yeah Yeah, so yeah, yeah, so yeah, yeah, heyan on one thing we're you know can keep casual and loose. We're already kind of rolling here. Um, just 1 thing he got to do once we kind of finish up the convo. 00:42.27 Dan Costello Ah, okay, nice Robert very good. 00:55.40 vigorbranding We just gotta have you hang on the line thus til your tilll your file kind of uplis what locally so we' probably just got hang out for extra 10 minutes when we're done reporting just to make yeah just to make sure everything you know gets off load quickly and everything everything like that. Okay, we're wrong. So guy you're ready cool hi. 01:02.40 Dan Costello At the end of it. Yes, yes. 01:12.79 Dan Costello Um, new promise. 01:14.91 vigorbranding Well again, this will be fun casual tell stories. Enjoy it. It's all good. So I'm I'm ready when if Dan's ready if you're ready Robert yeah, we're good to go best all right. all right 01:24.43 Dan Costello Hi whenever you're ready I'm good Mike. 01:31.36 vigorbranding Hello everyone I am joined today by my good friend and our guest Dan Costello Dan is the Ceo of home run in pizza in the Chicago area now home run in pizza says a lot right there Dan You want to say hello and give us a little backstory. 01:46.66 Dan Costello Hi guys mike good to hear from me again. Yeah so home run in is a family owned pizza establishment in the Chicago area. We have 9 local restaurants including one that is a partnership in midway airport. We've been in business since nineteen business started in 1927 and pizza business started 1947 and we also along with the restaurants we have frozen pizzas. Ah, in across the country. So we're nationwide with various retailers like Albertson Safeway and they were regional with other retailers like Walmart and um and Kroger and then you know find ourselves in the southeast southwest and covering coast to coast. So. That's the core of what we do. 02:33.18 vigorbranding Yeah, it's it's ah it's it's an amazing story and so it's super near and dear to me, not not only your friend but with Vigor we're we're obviously really passionate about restaurants and restaurant brands. But. Quench another company we own and have started. It's all cpg so you cover both worlds. So this is really super intriguing and as I said near and dear to my heart. But let's talk about how did you get started? Yeah, ah, you're a bus boy at age 13 you would talk a little bit about the the early days of of Dan's career 03:00.41 Dan Costello Sure, um, so yeah, so I think I said a fourth generation. So it's family business so we grew up. We grew up in it. We were encouraged especially very early to come into the business. So I you know I started when I when I was 13 I started. As a bus boy at our original restaurant on thirty first street on the on the southwest side of Chicago there store still there. It's doing really well so grew up on the restaurant side of the business. So that's back in the oh there's probably back around 1984 1985 and my uncle who unfortunately no longer is with us. That's when he really started making a big push to try to take our restaurant product into the frozen ah retail section of the grocery stores. So. He was kind of the driving force behind that 1987 he built our first factory which is behind that original restaurant. Still there today. We still use it. We have a main facility now out in the suburbs of Chicago and Woodridge Illinois but that's ah you know that was kind of the the advent of the frozen pizza goes back. You know quite, it's grounded in the roots of our restaurants you know making par big pizzas for people cooking them halfway people taking them home. So my uncle is just kind of like we got to figure out how to how to do this on ah on a grocery type scale. 04:26.53 vigorbranding Very cool. So okay, it says on here. You're also sausage grinder now some would consider me a sausage grinder my role now but you can talk a little bit about that you started as a kid. You're a sausage grinder this is the sausage thing um from what I understand pepperoni is the number 1 topping in the United States except for. 04:32.37 Dan Costello That's a question. 04:43.31 vigorbranding In Chicago. 04:44.18 Dan Costello Chicago Midwest maybe Milwaukee too I'd have to check with the people there but we know in Chicago the number one pizza dock and sausage. It's it's ah yeah, it dates back I mean it's his historical I mean we just got a lot of ah eastern european that settled here they they went with sausage. So um. 04:48.88 vigorbranding Yeah, yeah. 05:01.70 Dan Costello Yeah I mean we did everything from Scratch. We'd make our dough. You know we blended our sauce and we would one of the jobs I had as a teenager which was Definite. Weve had a butcher shop I worked in the butcher Shop. We'd get In. We'd get in pork and we'd have to take the bones out So and then we'd we. We'd cut it and then we'd. Grind it. So I Guess yeah, it's sausage Grinder. You know that was that was a job in the past. 05:25.88 vigorbranding So I love some of the the history of it I mean it was started in the restaurant I mean I think you told me the story and I've I've noticed it before I knew you would you know go round pizzas but somehow you guys decide to cut them up in little squares. Why why did you do that. 05:42.30 Dan Costello Yeah, so the history on that is you know so my grandfather got out of the war. Um, so nineteen circuit 1945 right and he gets comes back and he's looking for a job and he was you know he's a mechanic by trade. 05:59.10 Dan Costello But he couldn't find he couldn't get a job so he went to work from my motherin-law who owned a bar called the home run in and so he's working at the bar for you know a couple years and he had he he had come. Ah, you know he's from italy from bar italy so he has you know a version of pizza my grandmother encourages him to. Show it to my great grandmother so they start making it in the restaurant and giving it away to get people to come in to drink and um so what they did is they cut it into small tiny squares. That's why Chicago tavern pizzas is cut in squares this listen. You know from our perspective this is how it started for us because they needed it to fit on a cocktail napping. They didn't have plates. They didn't have China they they weren't a restaurant. They were a bar they were just trying to so they're just trying to get people to yeah have a little snack by another beer so that is why our pizzas are cut into. Tiny squares and a lot of the pizzas in Chicago because that's how it was introduced. It was introduced as this we're one of the first pizzas in Chicago we started in 1947 we believe that you know like there might have been another 1 or 2 competitors starting in 44 45 but that's how it came to be for us cocktail mac and head fit. Had to give it away. 07:16.19 vigorbranding That's fantastic. Can you tell tell me the story because again, it's such a cool history. So your Uncle's in the pizza shop talk about how you got into the cpg site the frozen pizza I mean that's like everyone's dream whoever makes or has a restaurant. Ah you know they want to do a dressing. They want to put it in the grocery stores everybody thinks it's. Easy to jump to cpg? How did it all start with you. 07:36.70 Dan Costello So I mean if you really go all the way back. It probably goes the story goes back to the 50 s for us where a customer comes into the restaurant. Um, so my uncle's young at this point and he's just probably hanging out and. The the gentleman comes in and he he wants a pizza and he wants it to bake bake it halfway he tells my grandfather so we call that par bake today you guys just like bake it halfway my grandfather was he said why? Why do you Why don't you want this cooked all way and the guys this was our first frozen customer he goes I want I take it home. I'm going to put it in my freezer my icebox right? and he goes I spend the summers up in Wisconsin so he goes I want you to make me a dozen so I have them for the summer up in Wisconsin and he goes and so our original frozen pizza was ten inches because a ten inch pizza would fit in an icebox because it wasn't freezers back then. So people had ice boxes so that I think my uncle saw that so then the sixty s come around and you know actually we had ah bartenders like hey why don't we make more of these and I'll on my way home I'll stop at the corner grocery store I'll drop them off. And then I'll see how many they sell and on my way back to work the next day I'll pick up the cash and how many they sold and I'll bring it back so that's even our first distributor was our bartender he would take the pizzas back to work. He'd walk him down of the corner grocery store pick him but pick up the cash the next day bring him back. 08:58.73 Dan Costello So my uncle's growing up in the 50 s and sixty s watching this and and restaurant expansion happens in the seventy s he's working on that and he he just has this just this vision that hey there's probably a better way to make these pizzas freeze them. And get him into the local grocery store so he really started investigating that probably in the 70 s and then in the eighty s he starts talking to the local groceries here which back then it was Dominic's and jewel jewels still here. Dominics is no longer here. Um, but those were the 2 big grocery brands. 09:26.98 vigorbranding Straight. 09:34.97 Dan Costello And he starts he starts selling them and he's then starts figuring out how to make it and the only way he could he knew how to make it was to make it like we made in the restaurant which was to make it in this parb bake format. So he'd make them in the restaurant. He'd put them in the oven. He'd parb bake him he'd throw them in the freezer. He'd wrap him and then he'd start selling in the grocery store. But year over year he just tried to figure out how do I do this better How do I get automation in this. How do he so he had to learn this whole thing. So our our frozen pizza production facilities really model and mirror what we did in the restaurants all these years and my uncle would tell you today if he was still with us. He said the reason we make it like that is because that's the only way I knew how to do it. So yeah. 10:13.92 vigorbranding That's awesome. Yeah, and I was fortunate I was actually with you on a tour you gave us a tour and I was able to try it right there par baked and it was delicious then we actually compared went to the restaurant and compared a frozen to the restaurant pizza and I I say this because it's True. Um. Was almost as good and I mean almost as good which I think is says ah a lot. Everyone loves Pizza. You know I've got this terrible saying that that pizza's like sex. It's all good somes better than others right? So I Just think ah ah that that I was amazed how close and how good the frozen pie was and I mean I just was it was it was tremendous. 10:41.78 Dan Costello So let. 10:48.80 Dan Costello And the process real similar so he I give me like he had a very he had a very clear vision on how he wanted to do this and yeah, he spent a lot of years Bc you know equipment had to be developed over you know back in the 70 s and eighty s in order to do this and he was. 10:51.00 vigorbranding Um. 11:05.42 Dan Costello He was integral in working with people and saying this is what I needed to do? How can we do this and you know got us to where we are today. So it it positioned us really well and you know so we have a healthy restaurant brand and now we have a healthy Cpg brand and you know the restaurants really drive that brand awareness in the marketing side for the frozen pizza. 11:11.28 vigorbranding Meet. 11:24.17 Dan Costello That's what why? that's what makes us a little different than a lot of our competitors you know majority. You look at the competitors and in the freezer case. There's really only 1 or 2 that have restaurant background and roots of California pizza kitchens one and that's about it. You know you can find a couple regionals here and there. But. 11:36.74 vigorbranding In this. 11:41.72 Dan Costello There's not a lot of people who do both. 11:43.83 vigorbranding Right? And with all due respect to California Pizza shouldn't really come from California right? It just doesn't feel right? Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, it doesn't feel right? Um, but I mean how but so talk about the the relationship between the restaurant and the frozen product. The cpg product. 11:46.28 Dan Costello I That now you yeah have me way. Yeah will be kind. We'll be kind right? so. 12:02.00 vigorbranding Ah, one drives the other the other drives the other I mean you know it's ah it's ah it's a neat thing because a lot of people have one and they want the other and somehow it's just kind of organically happened with you. 12:10.10 Dan Costello Yeah I mean again, it's it's the way that the business grew I mean we call it our flywheel now you know, really these restaurants you know we started in 1947 you know in today we feed we feed over two and a half million people a year out of our restaurants. 12:25.68 vigorbranding Well. 12:27.81 Dan Costello So You know for us, it's It's if if the most you know, Um, if the deepest level of connection with somebody is like is that type of taste experience. It's a really hard. It's a really difficult marketing um to to duplicate you know. With just pure dollars and say hey try Myself. We're actually feeding like our marketing is feeding people and having them talk about the product and enjoy the product and having create these great experiences at our restaurants which is why we do a lot of a why the restaurants allow us to be parts of the community. You know you know once you're in a restaurant. Yeah we can. We can. 12:47.40 vigorbranding No. 13:03.63 Dan Costello Work with your local lily we can talk to you you know with your school. We can. We can be part of the community which then gets people to understand our brand nor our brand trust our brand and then that trust we we know translates to when they're walking down the frozen ile grocery store. So the synergy there. A lot of people ask us like well doesn't the restaurants hurt the frozen with the frozen hurt the restaurants but we don't see it like that at all, we see it very very synergistically and I you know thankful that our our product translated from a restaurant into a cpg brand. Um. It's a hard thing to do and I know like you said like I've learned from you a lot of people. This is what everybody wants, but it's not an easy trick right? It's very difficult to pull off so I'm sure timing had some of 2 for us I mean we each Joe was an early adopter and moved down this early in the in the career and the life the life cycle of homer in. 13:46.62 vigorbranding So I. 14:00.81 Dan Costello So I'm sure that helped I think the fact that it's a good product. It's a really good product helps I think that we're dedicated and our teammates are dedicated to making it the way we do and to be parts of the community that helps so it's all these pieces have to come Together. You know so you can gain trust with the customer so that they'll they'll continue to invest in you. And continue to purchase that product So That's where it's um, that's how I see him working you know the the parts of our business they're they're complimentary and they both depend on each other. 14:23.73 vigorbranding Little. 14:29.68 vigorbranding Yeah, it's It's very I think it's a very pragmatic way to go about I think it's smart it just they just should feed literally no pun intended off of each other because they're both great brands and the the restaurant might have more history but because the history it allows that. That flywheel if you will to to capture the cpg side and again, yeah, then the product's great so you get the product in people's mouths and the rest is is History. You talk a lot about your uncle and obviously 4 generations of family owned and operated how important is family owned and operated for the brand. 15:06.39 Dan Costello I think it's I mean it's really important I mean we're very proud of it. Um I know the the my brother and my cousins that I work with there's a lot of pride I mean we grew up in it. So it means a lot to us. You know when we don't. Do a good job and we hear from our customers take it very seriously. Yeah I think you can you don't have to own something to you know to care for it that way. But I think it certainly doesn't hurt. You know that we're very invested in it. So it's important to what we do who we are. It's important to our teammates I think our teammates enjoy and like knowing that we're here and that we're involved that we're not absent owners I think that's a really important cultural aspect of a family business if you can be ah, a present owner. Think that makes that's meaningful to the people that are helping you build the thing you know we can't do this without our teammates and we got over 500 and um I kind of view it for us is that we owe it to them to be present and in the trenches with them as we can as we do this every day. 16:14.36 vigorbranding Very cool I mean you know people always say when you own restaurants and restaurants are volaging in my family and it's like you've got to be there right? And then you know couple that with a brand you know when I put my I'll say my marketing hat on a brand is a promise right. And you know, many times an's hired to create that story or try and build that authenticity and what's beautiful about what you have is. It's already baked in I mean again, just right there family owned and operated everyone Cares. It started with the restaurants. There's a story a history a reason for being. And then it just kind of goes from there. It's just so really a natural ah concept and it's It's just it's just Wonderful. We talk a lot you know about controlled expansion for any brand. Um, what are some of the mistakes that you've seen pizza franchises or chains making they're popping up everywhere. Um, when expanding it to say new markets Or. Maybe a new way of doing the same thing or new Concepts and and maybe hit a little bit about what what are your thoughts on expansion I Mean do you have anything that you're looking forward to in the future. Is there anything that you have in back your mind or anything you want to share. 17:18.72 Dan Costello Yeah I mean I think you know we've made plenty of mistakes I mean some of it is. It's you know the the world's changing and how people are using restaurants is changing. So I think you have to be in tune with that like I'm not We're not that interested in open up the 250 see pizzeria anymore like we did back in the 80 s and 90 s right. Have to pay attention to that and sometimes you're a little slow to to identify that trend I mean even though it's been coming for a long time like we're recognizing now for us to grow our restaurants. Um, you know we have to do it differently than what we than where we came from I think you know overall I've always been confused. When I talk to people that are in there the the restaurants side of the business particular and they tell me they're going to a new market and they're gonna open up 50 stores and I'm like that's great, but like like in 2 years or 3 years and like but how do you know? they're gonna work like you know for us, we probably take a much. This might be part of our company culture and history I mean look we've been in business since you know the 1947 started making pizzas and then actually the bar business goes back to 1927 so I just will probably take more of a cautious approach like open up, you know 1 to 3 stores and how they work. 18:19.56 vigorbranding I purpose. 18:32.64 Dan Costello Yeah, how how you doing I Just I've always been fascinated people open up. But again, it's a it's the it's probably most of these are franchise systems are looking old. They have different. They have different desired results than we do and different desired outcomes right? So you know our desired results is when we go to a new market is. 18:38.35 vigorbranding Yeah, yeah. 18:50.88 Dan Costello Is this restaurant going to synergistically support and facilitate growing our frozen Cpg brand and if it doesn't do we need to do it. You know so we have those type of conversations all time because you know the frozen the frozen brand's growing. 18:59.67 vigorbranding Um, right. 19:08.21 Dan Costello And the restaurants we've been a little bit more stable in the last couple of years just trying to get through this pandemic and get through hiring but we're looking at some opportunities where we think we can go to other marketplaces outside of Chicago and do the same thing we did in Chicago by tying our frozen business in our restaurants together. 19:24.87 vigorbranding Love it. 19:27.19 Dan Costello The the biggest kind of the biggest thing we want accomplish is build I Like how you said it earlier a few minutes ago that you know Brand is a promise right? and so that's what we want to do we want to make sure that our brand is building trust with our consumers right? It's a promise to them. So for both the restaurant and the cpg side. So I Think. You know with expansion too like what are you gonna do differently what?? What's the value proposition for people and what value are you going to serve for them and we want to just be in that Position. We're one one of the only pizza brands that we can help you whether you want to come out or you want to stay home or can be there for you right. 19:59.88 vigorbranding And you nailed it to I obviously your goal is not to slap a sign up in every town in America and just ah pump stuff out. It's not a franchise. It's not ah, it's not you know these are company-owned stores for lack of a better word and. 20:03.60 Dan Costello Somebody else doing that. 20:17.95 vigorbranding And I Also think it's really really smart How you look them out as as Marketing. Ah how how they play off each other for the frozen side I think that's ah, a really smart way to go about it. I Love that concept. It just makes to me. It makes all the sense in the world. Um, so okay, I'm going to ask you some a couple questions here and hopefully these these answers don't get you in any trouble. So. There's very very difficult high level pizza questions. Okay pineapple and pizza. Yes, or no all right. 20:36.19 Dan Costello 5 20:43.55 Dan Costello Now Warm pineapple This is gross I'm sorry yeah. 20:49.49 vigorbranding Ah, ah feels feels a little California doesn't it all right dipping pizza and ranch dressing. Yes or no I love it. That's right thoughts on white pizza. Okay. 20:55.21 Dan Costello Now is the cross isn't any good. Yeah, yeah. 21:07.39 vigorbranding Deep dish pizza is that still pizza tough one. 21:13.12 Dan Costello Yeah, sure I think so I'm from Chicago deep dish pizza's pizza. Yeah yeah, yeah, ah, 2 3 times a week 21:13.53 vigorbranding Yeah I was gonna say you could alienate some locals if that one that's a little tough and how often do you eat pizza. Nice and and show he's on pizza you know is that something? Yes, yeah. 21:28.50 Dan Costello Not for me, It's not for me. Yeah, not a lot of people in our market. Do it? Um, but yeah, we we have a little bit of it. But this not much I don't see a lot of it in our stores. 21:39.80 vigorbranding Yeah I think I was like ah more of a big East Coast thing and I felt like it was ah you know, maybe a whole generation ago I remember doing it I remember hearing about it I actually ordered one one time and I love pisa it like 1 of my favorite things in the world was open a box of fresh fresh pie and I did it 1 time and with anov I thought this week exciting. Want to try this. Was god forsaken and I actually like ancho he so I was like no way ever again. Never again. So. 22:00.35 Dan Costello Yeah I just I don't see it a lot I'm not seen it I'm not seeing it come up at that much I mean even when I was you know working in the restaurants every single day small percentage. Yeah. 22:13.43 vigorbranding That's funny all right? So my very last question I'm gonna actually take pizzes off the board here I don't think he should be allowed to say that or answered with that answer. But last question if you had 1 final meal. What would you eat where and why. 22:29.14 Dan Costello Oh man, what would I eat where and why? um, she's I've had that's probably a question I think if you ask me I it probably changes based on my time of year my mood and whatnot. But I think at the end of the day. Unk go with a steak right? You know I'm gonna go with the classic of you know, great steak and steak and fries right? not working I have that I'm not a hundred percent sure we got a lot of choices in Chicago. Um. 22:47.22 vigorbranding This is. 22:54.12 vigorbranding Nice there you go. 23:02.20 vigorbranding Open. 23:02.74 Dan Costello Gibson's comes to mind is one of those a place that just never disappoints. There's this place ah down the city called the vets beef just fantastic. Great owner operator there. So I think those would be a couple things that pop in my head about where I might want to spend a last meal soly I don't have to do that anytime soon. 23:20.49 vigorbranding I Hope not I hope not any last things anything else you want to say anything you want to leave us with. 23:21.36 Dan Costello Night map. Yeah. 23:29.60 Dan Costello Ah, well one and this is fun then really appreciate you having me on it. This is I think for anybody listen this first time ever been on podcast. Hopefully I did. Okay so yeah. 23:35.51 vigorbranding He did. It was fantastic I thought it was great and I I Love you know you one of my favorite people and I always enjoy talking to you So it's a layup right? It's just easy. 23:43.49 Dan Costello Yeah, this was a lot of fun. But yeah I to anybody listen keep going out to eat right? Restaurants and grory stores need you. So yeah, we'd love to keep love to keep serving it. You got Mike. 23:51.48 vigorbranding It's right, very cool. Fantastic Dan. Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

Aye, I'm listening to the JCW Flashback Friday clip over here! Our man in New York, Big Ed is showing up late and leaving early so we want to find out the exact reason behind his relaxed schedule and we find out hes been having to take care of a baby thats not even his! Weve got special guest comedian Ali Siddiq with us to play H.R. and find out if Ed deserves to keep his job or not.    Thanks for joining us for this week's #JCWPodcast #FlashbackFriday. Please don't forget to Like, Share, and most importantly, Subscribe--to make sure you get the latest John Clay Wolfe Show materials as soon as they're released! So keep an eye out for those daycare hours...and we'll see you Saturday

WEVE GOT TO SING by Dave Gregory

Bringing back a great episode with France Simonwitz on building global ecosystems and partnerships.In this episode of TBNE Rob sits down with a friend and fellow entrepreneur and ally to entrepreneurs Frances Simowitz, CEO and Managing Director of NUMA New York.We talk about the entrepreneurial mindset and we share some big news about the growth of the business and France's entrepreneurial journey!Don't forget to subscribe and review. WEVE Accleration is a startup accelerator that works with founders, entrepreneurs, organizations, and governments around the world to foster growth, acceleration, and innovation. In this episode, we get deep into Frances' entrepreneurial journey and how falling out of love with her passion (singing) led her to grief, which led her down the path of entrepreneurship, education, and acceleration. We talk about how they evaluate choosing an accelerator and what it takes to scale. As well as talking about the value of building a VALUE-ADDED, Intentional network and how Frances has leveraged that time and time again.Tune in to this episode!!!Connect with Frances on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/frances-simowitz-a2467735/Connect with Rob: https://beacons.page/RobNapoliConnect with Rob:www.robnapoli.comwww.linkedin.com/in/robnapIG: @robnapoli.riseupShow Produced by: Niranjan Deshpande (Nick), Broken Frames Studio, www.brokenframesstudio.comCreative Director: Maxim Sokolov, www.maximsokolov.com Selling is evolving, are you? Humantic AI is a Buyer Intelligence platform for revenue teams. If you are interested in learning more about Humantic AI use Rob's referral link https://app.humantic.ai/login/?referral_code=robnapoli  Special offer for #BearNation listeners interested in trying Brilliantly Warm (https://www.brilliantly.co/), use this 10% off discount code WELCOME10.The 8 Biggest Mistakes People Make When Choosing a Coach (and how to avoid them!) use this link to get your FREE download: https://www.thaxa.com/p/the-bear-necessities-of-entrepreneurshipWe have teamed up with Phin, a social impact company, to give back for each episode to the communities that we serve. To learn more or get involved with Phin for your company, visit: https://www.phinforgood.com/

We are back on the lame tube!please follow@COJACpodcast@_theoddmanout@weve_read

Weve survived the 4 days of March Madness and we're ready to recap it all. Purdue's failure and FDU was an all time underdog story (00:00:00-00:23:18). Watching Duke get bullied, Arkansas and Muss is the Mr March in waiting (00:23:18-00:44:10). Our love for Andrew Funk and UCLA survives (00:44:10-00:49:26). Tom Izzo does it again and K-State may be a team of destiny plus tons more (00:49:26-01:23:43). Who's back of the week including Aaron Rodgers to the Jets from billy's perspective plus we have a Monday Reading on Kyler Murray's video game playing (01:23:43-01:50:38).You can find every episode of this show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or YouTube. Prime Members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. For more, visit barstool.link/PardonMyTake

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Weve probably all seen and be entertained by TV shows on Extreme Frugality those people who do insane things to save money, dumpster diving, etc. They are obsessed with not spending money. On this episode I want to talk about balanced frugality. How you can do amazing things to save money, yet not be some oddball that others laugh at as you quest towards being unconstrained.

Weve probably all seen and be entertained by TV shows on Extreme Frugality those people who do insane things to save money, dumpster diving, etc. They are obsessed with not spending money. On this episode I want to talk about balanced frugality. How you can do amazing things to save money, yet not be some oddball that others laugh at as you quest towards being unconstrained.

Weve probably all seen and be entertained by TV shows on Extreme Frugality those people who do insane things to save money, dumpster diving, etc. They are obsessed with not spending money. On this episode I want to talk about balanced frugality. How you can do amazing things to save money, yet not be some oddball that others laugh at as you quest towards being unconstrained.

Weve probably all seen and be entertained by TV shows on Extreme Frugality those people who do insane things to save money, dumpster diving, etc. They are obsessed with not spending money. On this episode I want to talk about balanced frugality. How you can do amazing things to save money, yet not be some oddball that others laugh at as you quest towards being unconstrained.

My guest today is Ian Fraser Ian is the Co-Founder and CEO at WEVE. Think about these sorts of team-building games, outdoor adventures, and trust-building exercises, but also in Ian's background is in automated how do you digitize that experience? And then how do you bring in the remote teams.  In the world now companies are trying to figure out loyalty and how people stay in touch and stay valued, and it's not about money and compensation and benefit. It's about how you feel about the company. For HR leaders, understanding that remote is okay, but you can go anywhere now and be remote, but valuing the work you do, the products you create, and the environment that you create are very important now, and companies are trying to figure that out. While many  C-Suite in the life science industry people have had to learn to communicate in a different way, it's not because their industry is dying or people can't come to work, or everybody has COVID it's because we still have a mission. So that the industry, pharmaceutical has a mission to create life-changing or life-saving products for the public or for the patient. Ian says communication that leaders have focused on in this post-Covid world is about sharing the message, sharing the mission, staying on target while also protecting your health and protecting your family, and trying to balance everything. So the actual communication statements have been different. In our HR practice, about 40% of our practices are with private equity, hedge funds, and those kinds of investors people. It turns out that whether it's a byproduct or whether it's just why we do this for a living, there is still really, really interesting cutting edge kind of work being done, whether it's in cell therapy or certain kinds of rare diseases or biologics that investors at various levels are funding. Their mission hasn't changed but they're very focused on their return. So they do what they need to do to keep people engaged. And, there is a great deal of money still flowing into life sciences, whether it's diagnostics because of COVID and other kinds of vaccine issues.  In summary, Ian thinks that it's a generational thing as more women and minorities move up. Some of that will become a little easier, but I think that it's a hard slog for the next 10 years in lots of different industries.  Company website: https://www.thegogame.com/ (The go game) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-fraser-a1020a2/ (Ian Fraser) Ian Fraser Ian Fraser is the co-founder and chief executive officer of The Go Game, the leader in team-building and culture-driving games. Ian and chief technology officer, Finn Kelly, co-founded The Go Game in 2000 to bring fun to work through interactive games, events, and experiences that make employees feel connected and engaged. In 2020, The Go Game launched Go Remote which creates dynamic digital environments that enable real engagement that goes beyond the market standard video conferencing tool. As the CEO, Ian is responsible for The Go Game's overarching business strategy and day to day profitability. He is also responsible for setting the general tone of the products and is deeply involved in the creative output. Ian also oversees the partnership and sales teams as they introduce Go Remote to the marketplace securing clients such as Google, LinkedIn, Spotify, and Amazon. https://www.weve.co (Ian's Website) Copyright 2022 Mark Stinson