Podcasts about 18then

Genesis 1:28And God blessed them. And God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.Genesis 2:18Then the Lord God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.1 Corinthians 7:1–5Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman. But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.Ephesians 5:22–32Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife even as Christ is the head of the church, his body, and is himself its Savior. Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit in everything to their husbands. Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish. In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church, because we are members of his body. Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh. This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.

Daniel 6:1-28 6It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom 120 satraps, to be throughout the whole kingdom;2and over them three high officials, of whom Daniel was one, to whom these satraps should give account, so that the king might suffer no loss.3Then this Daniel became distinguished above all the other high officials and satraps, because an excellent spirit was in him. And the king planned to set him over the whole kingdom.4Then the high officials and the satraps sought to find a ground for complaint against Daniel with regard to the kingdom, but they could find no ground for complaint or any fault, because he was faithful, and no error or fault was found in him.5Then these men said, We shall not find any ground for complaint against this Daniel unless we find it in connection with the law of his God. 6Then these high officials and satraps came by agreementto the king and said to him, O King Darius, live forever!7All the high officials of the kingdom, the prefects and the satraps, the counselors and the governors are agreed that the king should establish an ordinance and enforce an injunction, that whoever makes petition to any god or man for thirty days, except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions.8Now, O king, establish the injunction and sign the document, so that it cannot be changed, according to the law of the Medes and the Persians, which cannot be revoked.9Therefore King Darius signed the document and injunction. 10When Daniel knew that the document had been signed, he went to his house where he had windows in his upper chamber open toward Jerusalem. He got down on his knees three times a day and prayed and gave thanks before his God, as he had done previously.11Then these men came by agreement and found Daniel making petition and plea before his God.12Then they came near and said before the king, concerning the injunction, O king! Did you not sign an injunction, that anyone who makes petition to any god or man within thirty days except to you, O king, shall be cast into the den of lions? The king answered and said, The thing stands fast, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be revoked.13Then they answered and said before the king, Daniel, who is one of the exiles from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or the injunction you have signed, but makes his petition three times a day. 14Then the king, when he heard these words, was much distressed and set his mind to deliver Daniel. And he labored till the sun went down to rescue him.15Then these men came by agreement to the king and said to the king, Know, O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no injunction or ordinance that the king establishes can be changed. 16Then the king commanded, and Daniel was brought and cast into the den of lions. The king declared to Daniel, May your God, whom you serve continually, deliver you!17And a stone was brought and laid on the mouth of the den, and the king sealed it with his own signet and with the signet of his lords, that nothing might be changed concerning Daniel.18Then the king went to his palace and spent the night fasting; no diversions were brought to him, and sleep fled from him. 19Then, at break of day, the king arose and went in haste to the den of lions.20As he came near to the den where Daniel was, he cried out in a tone of anguish. The king declared to Daniel, O Daniel, servant of the living God, has your God, whom you serve continually, been able to deliver you from the lions?21Then Daniel said to the king, O king, live forever!22My God sent his angel and shut the lions' mouths, and they have not harmed me, because I was found blameless before him; and also before you, O king, I have done no harm.23Then the king was exceedingly glad, and commanded that Daniel be taken up out of the den. So Daniel was taken up out of the den, and no kind of harm was found on him, because he had trusted in his God.24And the king commanded, and those men who had maliciously accused Daniel were brought and cast into the den of lionsthey, their children, and their wives. And before they reached the bottom of the den, the lions overpowered them and broke all their bones in pieces. 25Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and languages that dwell in all the earth: Peace be multiplied to you.26I make a decree, that in all my royal dominion people are to tremble and fear before the God of Daniel, for he is the living God,enduring forever;his kingdom shall never be destroyed,and his dominion shall be to the end.27He delivers and rescues;he works signs and wondersin heaven and on earth,he who has saved Danielfrom the power of the lions. 28So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and the reign of Cyrus the Persian.

Dr. Deb Muth 0:03What are the answers to your child’s chronic allergies, ADHD, or autism?weren’t just in another prescription, but in restoring balance to their body chemistry. Today’s guest has spent nearly two decades uncovering those answers through integrative and biomedical medicine. That’s a mouthful, isn’t it?Helping children heal when nothing else seemed to work.This is the conversation about science, compassion, and changing the future of pediatric care.Welcome back to Let’s Talk Wellness Now. The show where we uncover the root causes of chronic illness, explore regenerative breakthroughs, and empower you with the practical tools to heal. I’m your host, Dr. Deb, your medical detective, and today’s episode is one every patient should hear.My guest is Dr. Anu Usman Singh, Medical Director of True Health Medical Center in Naperville, Illinois, and the owner of Pure Compounding Pharmacy.And for over 17 years, she has been pioneering evidence-based integrative interventions for children with ADD, autism, allergies, and complex gastrointestinal and metabolic disorders. She’s not only a practicing physician, she’s a researcher who’s investigated copper-zinc imbalances.metallonine dysfunction, biofilm-related infections, vitamin D in pregnancy, and hyperbaric oxygen therapy.Dr. Usman serves on the executive board of TACA, and is a faculty member at MAPS, training other practitioners in pediatric integrative care. So get ready for a conversation that will open your mind and heart to the possibilities of when medicine truly becomes holistic.If you guys can insert the ad in here, that’d be great.Well, welcome back. I’m so excited to have Dr. Usman with me today. I have known her for, oh my gosh, 15, 17 years, something like that. We’re aging ourselves. Anju 02:32Oh, yeah, when we were in our 20s, right? Dr. Deb Muth 02:35Yes, exactly. So, welcome back, and I am so excited for you to be here, because you have literally helped thousands of families over the years.But I’d love for you to share a little bit about your journey, kind of who you are, what drew you into exploring integrative and biomedical approaches for helping children and families. Anju 02:58I think my journey is similar to a lot of you out there, the audience. I mean, we’re looking to help our families, and our kids, and ourselves, and I was doing my residency at Cook County Hospital, downtown Chicago, in the 80s.And I thought, oh my goodness, if I could take care of the sickest patients, then I can take care of anybody. So I came from Indiana, and I went to Cook County, and my children, my eldest daughter, started having, severe allergies and asthma, really, really at a young age.And I went to, like, my residence, and I went to my attendings, and I said, this baby is wheezing. And they told me, babies don’t have asthma.And I said, she has all the symptoms of asthma. She has asthma. And I remember with, in her crib, I would just nebulize her, you know, and I was like, what is going on?And I figured out that she had a lot of food allergies, and I was nursing her, eating the foods that she was allergic to, and back then, in the 80s, you know, we didn’t have the internet, we didn’t have Whole Foods, and I just…being a doctor, and I didn’t even know what to do, and I felt so hopeless. And I thought, gosh, you know, I’m a doctor, I have these, like, skills, I have… people I can talk to, and I still feel so… it’s so difficult. And then this… my particular daughter, the oldest one, her name is Priya, and she developed severe, asthma, and I couldn’t figure it out. She was in junior high. Every time she would walk into the lunchroom, she would have a severe asthma attack.And I’ll be like, what’s going on? What’s going on? I kept her home over the weekend, she was better. I sent her back to school, she was bad again.And we figured it out that it was other people eating peanuts. Dr. Deb Muth 04:54Severe peanut allergy. Anju 04:56And I went to the school, and I said, she…can you, like, put her somewhere else? Can… they said, oh, no, that’s not fair to other kids and their food. And this was in the 90s. Dr. Deb Muth 05:10Yeah. Anju 05:10And so, I just…You know, my heart goes out to families who are struggling to find answers for their kids, and my daughter Priya, the one I told you about, she ended up passing away from a peanut allergy.And so, I’ve just… Dr. Deb Muth 05:26Yeah. Anju 05:27My heart goes out to parents and my own kids and their illnesses.And so I just started working with families, with kids, andIt just kind of grew from there. Dr. Deb Muth 05:40Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, and I think being a mom who went through that yourself, and…was seen but not heard, and turned away from the traditional medical community, you’re forced to start finding answers on your own. And we always feel like we’re on an island by ourselves in the medical world when we’re doing that. Anju 06:01Yeah, I, it was really hard when I found out, you know, about…Integrative medicine, and just different…ideas and approaches to diet and supplements, I thought, how come I wasn’t trained in any of this?And… Dr. Deb Muth 06:21So angry when I learned some of the things that I learned in the beginning. I was like, same thing, like, how did they not teach us this? And then I think, you know, it’s my fault, was I asleep, was I not paying attention, whatever. And then you just realize, like, there’s this whole part of the human body.That they just didn’t teach us. Anju 06:42Yeah, so then I… I, probably like you, we had to learn it on our own. There weren’t, like, classes or any way to learn this stuffAnd I just reached out. There’s a clinic that,I don’t know if you’ve heard of the Pfeiffer Treatment Center? Dr. Deb Muth 07:00No. Anju 07:01Do you know Carl Pfeiffer from the attendees.He has a clinic called the Pfeiffer Treatment Center in New Jersey. It was called the Princeton Brain Bio Center. Dr. Deb Muth 07:12And in the 70s, they did orthomolecular medicine for patients with ADD. Anju 07:18And schizophrenia. Dr. Deb Muth 07:20Mmm… Anju 07:21and depression.And they used to categorize them in 3 categories, and at the time, they called them histopenics, histidelics, and pyrolurics. Dr. Deb Muth 07:31Okay. Anju 07:32Histapenix were low histamine patients.Delix were high histamine patients, and pyrolurics were their own kind of category. We added another category of copper-zinc imbalances, and then we would categorize that population into high histamine, low histamine, pyrolurics, and copper-zinc.Now we talk about under-methylation, over-methylation. Sure. So, under-methylation is the, you know, the high histamine people, they can’t clear the histamine. And the over-methylators are, you know, what we call about low histamine now.And, and then pyrolurics and copper zinc. So…I lost my train of thought, but in the 80s, when I was going through this, in the 90s, I reached out to the Pfeiffer Treatment Center.He’s like, can I calm and just hang out and, like, see what you guys do? Because I need some answers.And I started working there and, started doing research on copper-zinc imbalances, and I did it in children with autism.And that’s how people started coming to me, and I kinda got, like. not famous, but I, you know, the word spread about, okay, we could talk about it, and Dr.Walsh was the, you know, PhD there that did a lot of the research, so we worked together for 8 years. Dr. Deb Muth 09:05Isn’t it crazy to think that we knew about histamine issues way back in the 70s? You know, I got the pleasure of being trained by, environmental medicine doctors. Dr. Wayne Konetsky and Glenn Toth taught me about environmental medicine, and what we called histamine issues that we call it today, mast cell, right? But when I was learning in the early 2000s, it was labeled as chemical sensitivity. And so it was just people that would react to everything, and we really didn’t know why, and they didn’t necessarily have this very specific allergic reaction, but we knew they were reacting, and we would try to treat them, to lower the histamine way back then. And it’s taken all these years, 25 years, to get to a point where we understand mast cell activation now, and histamine issues.And it’s really sad to me that it’s taking this long for us to identify things.And we’ve all got our journey, and I loved back in those days, too, because as I learned, I would call people up and say, hey, I just got a patient from you, and they told me this great story, and I have other people, can I come see what you were doing? And back then, everybody was very open. They were like, yes, please, come, learn. Now everybody’s like, oh, we can’t teach you, we can’t give you our secrets, but…Or pay me $20,000 to come learn with me. But back then, I mean, everybody was just… we were all in the same boat. We were all just trying to learn from each other. Anju 10:36Oh, yeah, oh yeah, and any bit of knowledge you got, you’re like… Dr. Deb Muth 10:41Yes. Anju 10:41God, you know, I learned this piece, and… Dr. Deb Muth 10:43Hmm? Anju 10:44We just kind of built from that. I keep thinking about back then, you know,the under-methylators, over-methylators, copper, zinc, and then I learned about metals.And then, as a physician, I was like, oh, okay, well, there’s mercury in vaccines, there’s aluminum in vaccines, and now I’m seeing these high levels. Dr. Deb Muth 11:04In my patients, now what happens? Anju 11:07And then we started, kind of, trying to get the word out about those things. Dr. Deb Muth 11:13Yeah. Anju 11:13And in 2000, a lot of the people that I knew put out a paper about, you know, mercury. Dr. Deb Muth 11:22And then… Anju 11:22And we all got on the Mercury bandwagon. Dr. Deb Muth 11:25Yes. Anju 11:26And did that for a while, and then we started learning about other things, like mitochondrial issues in chronically ill people, and these chronic infections, like Lyme disease, and so… and then now, you know, understanding mast cell activation, cell danger response. Dr. Deb Muth 11:44On endocrine, and adrenals, and hormones, and… Anju 11:48Yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 11:49biofilms. Anju 11:50Biofilms, I started talking about that in 2007. Dr. Deb Muth 11:54And so then… Anju 11:56It just… it just kind of keeps adding, and keeps adding, and keeps adding, and it’s like…Sometimes you think, how come I didn’t know about this back then? But I feel like it’s a process. Dr. Deb Muth 12:06It definitely is a process, and it’s amazing to seehow many people are researching different things, and they’re all, like, putting a piece of the puzzle together. And I think this is really important for our listeners to understand, is when you see a practitioner and they don’t have all the answers, this is why. It’s very complicated, it’s not black and white. And I’ve had patients over the years say to me, well, why didn’t you say this to me 6 months ago? And the truth of the matter was, I didn’t knowabout it 6 months ago. Like, all of this stuff is just… it’s evolving constantly, and when you’re a practitioner like Dr. Usman and myself, you are learning every single day. Our training has never stopped from the day we stepped into integrated medicine, and you just… you keep learning new things, and sharing new things, and talking to new people, and that’s what expands our knowledge base. Anju 12:57Yeah, the more I learn, the less I feel like I know. Dr. Deb Muth 13:01Yes, me too. Every time I go to a conference, I’m like, how did I not know this? How am I stupid? And I know we shouldn’t say that word and call ourselves that, but sometimes you feel like that. It’s like, how did I not know? Anju 13:14Or you’ll see a patient, and you’ll look at them, and you’re like, how come I didn’t realize this about this particular patient? Dr. Deb Muth 13:20Yes. Anju 13:21Yeah, they present differently, see things differently. I think that’s why it’s good to find a doctor that you trust and that you can work with, because it’s evolving. Dr. Deb Muth 13:31Yes. And, you know, we have those patients that they come, and I get those. I call myself, like, a tertiary care center. Anju 13:38You know, you get those patients that have been everywhere, and seen every doctor, and then they’re like, you’re my last hope, you’re gonna solve all my problems, and…I say to them. We’re a team, like, we’re gonna solve these together, but it takes time for me to unravel this puzzle. Dr. Deb Muth 13:54Excuse me? Anju 13:54And it… and sometimes, you know, there’s a few hits and misses along the way. Dr. Deb Muth 14:00Yup, but if. Anju 14:00If we keep at it, you know, we also say it’s a marathon, not a sprint. Yes. You know, if we keep at it, we can kind of figure it out together. Dr. Deb Muth 14:09Yeah, and a partnership, for sure, because without the feedback of the person you’re working with.understanding, like, we do this, and this happens to you, it’s very complicated as a practitioner to then be able to figure out, what do we do next? I see more and more clients these days, they come in and they just want to ask me within the first 5 minutes of, what am I changing? And I’m like, I have no clue yet. Like, you have to tell me what’s happened since the last time we did something, and then we have to look at labs, and we have to look at this, and we… it’s a synopsis.that we have to look at. You know, it’s not that black and white for us to be able to put the pieces together for them. Anju 14:47I think my most successful patients are the ones who are able to communicate with me.Their ups and downs. Yeah. And they also use their own intuition. Help me guide them. Dr. Deb Muth 15:06Yeah. Anju 15:07So, there are some people that they just hear, you do it, and you tell me.There are people who try to tell me everything. Dr. Deb Muth 15:15Okay. Anju 15:15Say, I want you to do this, do this, do this. Dr. Deb Muth 15:17Yeah, so I was like, okay. Anju 15:19I can do those things, but, you know, like. Dr. Deb Muth 15:21Yep. Anju 15:22think about blah blah. But, like, this… that collaboration.and, intuition. I kind of feel like even thoughI’ve trained allopathically as a traditional medical doctor. I feel like as I learn, I learn that being open and,Letting go of fear. Dr. Deb Muth 15:46Yeah. Anju 15:47And, not trying to jump on every, like, new thing, and being. Dr. Deb Muth 15:53consistent. Anju 15:54and diligent. really helps. Dr. Deb Muth 15:58It helps a ton. We see that, too, you know, the latest…Instagram influencer that’s talking about the latest topic, and all of a sudden, everybody sees themselves in there, and they must have that, but not realizing putting those connections together. It’s like when MTHFR came out, right? We were all so excited that this was going to be the detox gene.And then we learned so much more about genes, and now MTHFR is very popular again, and everyone’s talking about it, but they don’t understand how some of those other genetics fit together. And if you don’t understand that, we’ve all done it, we’ve all made people worse instead of better, sometimes when we’ve given too many methyl groups together, or this supplement without this support before we knew that there was another gene that we had to support for that.And I think it’s really important for people that are listening to us today talk about this, is don’t just jump on the bandwagon. Like, you really want to work with somebody seasoned who understands how all these pieces fit together. Anju 16:57Yeah, and I think that’s what individualized medicine is about.And there is no magic here, a magic bullet.I think that example of MTHFR is really good. Now, President Trump talked about Leukovorin. Dr. Deb Muth 17:14Yes. Anju 17:15in, and, you know, he’ll get up and say something like, leukovorin cures autism.And then the rest of us are like…Did you just say that? Dr. Deb Muth 17:26Yep, he did. Anju 17:30It’s folinic acid, it’s calcium folinic acid, it’s been around a long time. We’ve been using it for 20 years. Dr. Deb Muth 17:37Yeah. Anju 17:38But it does help a subset of people who potentially have what we call cerebral folate deficiency.And some of those people are misdiagnosed as autism. Dr. Deb Muth 17:50Yeah. Anju 17:51So, are you treating autism, or are you treating cerebral folate deficiency?same thing I could say about… I have a lot of cases of kids who recovered from autism.and severe ADHD using chelation type of. Dr. Deb Muth 18:06up. Anju 18:06Approaches, or detox approaches.again, did we treat their ADD and their autism, or did we treat their lead…Toxicity or lead burden, and their symptoms of those things got better. Dr. Deb Muth 18:20Yeah. Anju 18:20So, like, to put a big, like, a label like, oh, ADD on something, or autism on something, I think it does a disserviceTo the individuals, because it’s such a broad issue. Dr. Deb Muth 18:35It is, and I think the diagnosis has gotten to be much more popular these days.And yes, thank goodness we’re getting better diagnostics, but sometimes we’re getting over-diagnosis, or like you said, it may look like one thing, but it could be something else, but because it looks like autism, they’re going to get labeled with autism.And in some respects, that’s good, they can get more services that way, but sometimes we’re missing the actual picture of it. Can you talk a little bit about how autism is different than the cerebral folate deficiency? Anju 19:11Yeah, so there are some people that make an antibody to their folate receptor. Dr. Deb Muth 19:18Hmm. Anju 19:20So, to get folic acid into your cells, there’s a receptor on your cells. Dr. Deb Muth 19:25And then the folate has to bind to it, and then it lets it enter into the cells. Anju 19:30And there’s these receptors that allow folic acid to get into your brain.Now, you and I know when you put folate in your brain.On one end of the folate cycle, you help make more neurotransmitters. You’ll make something called BH4, and that’ll help make serotonin and dopamine, and then norepinephrine and epinephrine. So folate is really important for making your neurotransmitters, folate and B12.On the other end, it’s like, another cycle on the other end of folate is our methylation cycle.And methylation is so important for our RNA and our DNA, and making choline, phosphatoly choline, and making creatine for speech.And helping us with all the precursors for detoxification.So without folate in our brain, we can’t make our neurotransmitters efficiently, we can’t break them down efficiently, and we can’t detox our brain.Imagine what that will do to your brain. Dr. Deb Muth 20:36Yeah, Anju 20:37And you will see symptoms like speech delays, cognitive delays, processing issues, poor attention.All of those things. Excitation, anxiety.All of those, and so if the folate isn’t getting into the brain efficiently, then we’ll have all these symptoms, and we’ll end up with diagnoses like these. Dr. Deb Muth 20:59Yeah, so is there a way that people who are listening to this can request a test to see if they make this antibody to folate, or is it more of a diagnosis of exclusion? Anju 21:14That’s a great question. When I first started doing this, like, 20 years ago, there was, like, a university that was doing this.studies, and it was Dr. Quadros. He was the guy, and we would take samples and send them to his lab, and he would tell us about these blocking and binding. Dr. Deb Muth 21:30folate antibodies. Anju 21:32And if patients had positive blocking or binding folate antibodies, we would follow his protocol. And he’s done papers on patients with severe autism.Where he found these folate antibodies, and then did spinal taps on the kids, and they were associated with this cerebral folate deficiency. the cerebral… spinal fluid.And in his papers, he gave .5 to 2 milligrams per kilogram of calcium folinic acid, which is leukovorin. It’s a vitamin. And over a 6-month to a 12-month period.The majority of those patients improved drastically.Some of them regained speech, and some of them lost their autism diagnosis. Dr. Deb Muth 22:26Because they never truly had autism. Anju 22:29Well, they have autism symptoms, and that’s what autism is, but we call it autisms. Dr. Deb Muth 22:36Yeah. Anju 22:37And so now, like, we need the research to categorize these people. You know, what percentage of autism is cerebral folate deficiency? Yeah. What percentage of autism is, heavy metal. Dr. Deb Muth 22:51Bourbon. Anju 22:52And what percentage of autism is Clostridia overgrowth, or… Dr. Deb Muth 22:57Hmm. Anju 22:57microbiome… Dysfunction, and then there’s overlap. Dr. Deb Muth 23:01Right, yeah, Lyme and mold and viruses. Anju 23:04and infections, and you can see… Dr. Deb Muth 23:07injury from medications and things like that that happen, or birth traumas. Yeah, I mean, it’s not… it’s not as simple as what people think autism is.Why do you think that we’re seeing so much more autism today than when you and I were kids? We didn’t see this that often. I know environment has a lot to do with it, but do you have a couple of things that you suspect are contributing to the rise of autism these days? Anju 23:38Yeah, I mean, that’s a million dollar question. Dr. Deb Muth 23:40Right. Anju 23:41And, just because I work with children, you know it’s not just autism that’s epidemic, and yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 23:49You know that. I mean, it’s… it’s probably… if you add all the epidemics that are happening to children. Anju 23:54Autism still supersedes it.Now it’s 1 in 33s, 1 in 35 boys, I mean, it’s…children. It’s really sad. When I was in med school, it was 1 in 10,000. Dr. Deb Muth 24:10That’s crazy. Anju 24:11What’s causing it? I mean, obviously it’s multifactorial. Dr. Deb Muth 24:15Yeah, 80,000 chemicals in the environment that we never had before. Anju 24:20I, I, I, look, I’ve… 219 million. Dr. Deb Muth 24:26Oh my gosh. Anju 24:27I looked it up today. Dr. Deb Muth 24:29119 million different chemicals in the environment. Wow. Anju 24:33We don’t know how many of those are super toxic. Dr. Deb Muth 24:36Yeah, and we don’t know what they do together. Anju 24:38A lot of them were, like, before, like, grandfathered in and all of that.Yeah, it’s really crazy about the chemicals. So, chemicals… I kind of… feel like…you know, this burden of all this, it’s not just on our children, it’s on our mothers. Dr. Deb Muth 24:56Yes. Anju 24:56oh my gosh, the moms of these children that… And they don’t even realize it, you know, we’re just so happy to be pregnant and have a kid.So I think it really, really starts with that piece. Care, good prenatal care, yeah. Yeah, and not just what we think is prenatal care, taking your prenatal vitamins. Dr. Deb Muth 25:18Yes. Anju 25:19And going to your gynecologist, but what you and I think is prenatal care, you know, before you get pregnant, let’s detox, let’s clean up our diet, let’s get rid of those chemicals, let’s make sure we’re not in a moldy environment.You know, let’s do our due diligence, clean air, clean water, clean food, sunshine. When I did my residency at county, I don’t think I saw the sun for 3 years. Dr. Deb Muth 25:44How?Yeah. Anju 25:46it’s just that intense, and I was pregnant twice, and my eldest hasthe allergies and asthma. Number 2 is type 1 diabetes and mold sensitivities and allergies and asthma. Number 3 has severe chemical sensitivities, mast cell activation,Hormonal issues. Dr. Deb Muth 26:09Yeah. Anju 26:09And… number 4 is my… Golden, baby. Dr. Deb Muth 26:15And those three, you know, those years that you’re there, and you’re not seeing the sunlight, there’s vitamin D deficiency, and we don’t talk about vitamin D that much during pregnancy.I still am appalled that we’re giving folic acid these days during pregnancy instead of folate, but… Anju 26:36Folenic, or methylfolate? Dr. Deb Muth 26:38Yeah, nothing. So, when, when you,discovered vitamin D in pregnancy, and it’s linked to neurodevelopment outcomes. How did you stumble across that? Anju 26:50Well, in… when I started working on Copper Zinc, Dr. Walsh and I would go to the, like, DAN conferences.Yeah. At the time, and it was interesting, because DAM conferences were a collaboration between parents.And practitioners, and researchers. Dr. Deb Muth 27:10Very unique for. Anju 27:11That’s how that new IACC committee is. It’s a collaboration of parents. Dr. Deb Muth 27:17Hmm. Anju 27:18Practitioners, researchers, And individuals with autism. Dr. Deb Muth 27:25Yeah, so for those of you who are listening to us, it’s… we’re talking about the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee that Bobby Kennedy just put together. It’s called IACC, and they are on a mission to try to do the research to figure out what’s causing autism. Anju 27:43Yeah, and not just causing it, like, these people have been living it, most of the people on that committee have been living it, and their whole lives, for some of them.And being able to bring forwardlike the question about vitamin D, we started seeing a lot of patients in Minnesota. Dr. Deb Muth 28:04Mmm. Anju 28:05who were from Somalia. Dr. Deb Muth 28:08Okay. Anju 28:09Who were… it was, like, 1 in 4 families with kids with autism.And the theory was that the vitamin D levels that they get in Somalia versus the vitamin D levels that the moms get in Minnesota. Dr. Deb Muth 28:27Hmm? Anju 28:28Affected the immune system. Dr. Deb Muth 28:31Yeah. Anju 28:32predispose them. So there’s a few papers on that. Dr. Deb Muth 28:36Yeah, that’s a… I mean, it would be a very significant difference, and when you’re thinking about genetically, like, what their culture, who they are as a species.was used to and adapted to with the sunlight and different things from a different region, geographical region, and then they moved to a new geographical region, that can take decades before the body adapts and readjusts.to that new environment. We don’t think about those things in…traditional medicine, and conventional medicine, as most people know it, but we do in functional medicine. Anju 29:14Yeah, so again, the clinicians were bringing this up, like, why am I seeing so many families? Dr. Deb Muth 29:18Yeah. Anju 29:18Then let me go to the… and then in the think tank, the vitamin D researcher said it’s vitamin D. Dr. Deb Muth 29:24Yeah. Anju 29:25And then they started researching it, and it was almost like a backwards… backwards. Dr. Deb Muth 29:31Thank you. You know, they didn’t first… Anju 29:33Think it. Dr. Deb Muth 29:34Think about it, yeah. Anju 29:35Until you start seeing… and that’s why I think that, like.clinicians like you and me, who are… I consider us on the front lines. We’re the front lines. We are seeing… we’re seeing this epidemic unfold. Dr. Deb Muth 29:46Yes. Anju 29:47front of our eyes, we’re seeing, like, the gut issues and the severe inflammation. We’re seeing the autoimmunity, and now they have to study it. Dr. Deb Muth 29:57Yeah. Anju 29:57They have to study this. They really, really, we really need, we really need protocols, we need tools, we need things that you and I have been figuring out anecdotally with our colleagues over the years, and, oh, how do we treat yeast? How do we treat Lyme? How do we treat metal burden?For this podcast today, I wanted to talk about low-level lead exposure, because for me.1 in 3 children have a lead level, above 5. 1 and 3. Dr. Deb Muth 30:31Yeah, that’s very high. Anju 30:33800 million children. Dr. Deb Muth 30:36And let’s clarify this, because the first thing people are going to think of is, what are they eating? They’re not eating lead paint to get this. That is not what’s happening here. They are getting lead from someplace else, and their bodies are not able to detox this. Anju 30:53And the reason I’m bringing this up is because when I was in residency at County in the 90s, I ran a… I worked at a lead clinic. Dr. Deb Muth 31:01And back then. Anju 31:03When we looked… we just diagnosed lead toxicity, the level was 60. Dr. Deb Muth 31:10Their level had to be 60 to diagnose them. Anju 31:13Correct. Dr. Deb Muth 31:13Oh my gosh. Anju 31:14And that’s when we would treat.And back then, there was a study, it’s called the TLC study, where they used DMSA, which is a drug to lower lead.And our goal was to get it from 60 to 20. Dr. Deb Muth 31:33And was the normal range the same back then as it is today? Anju 31:37The normal range has gone from 60 to 40 to 20 to 10 to 5 to 3.5.But you and I know I’m the normal range. Dr. Deb Muth 31:47Yes. Anju 31:47Zero. Dr. Deb Muth 31:48Zero. Anju 31:50So… so again, in my… in the lead clinic, we were given DMSA, and we got the lead from 60 to 20, and the number one thing was to get rid of the lead in the environment. Dr. Deb Muth 32:02Yeah. Anju 32:03But we haven’t evolved since then.Because in that study, It did not improve cognitive abilities. So if you think about what lead does, it causes attention issues, slow processing, it affects hearing, it can cause hyperactivity, it can cause impulsivity, it can cause aggression, it can cause constipation, it can cause hypotonia.So if you think about all these kids with ADD and autism, how many of them have low-level lead exposure from the lead pipes? In Chicago, it’s a big, a big problem. Dr. Deb Muth 32:37Yeah, Milwaukee. Anju 32:38Everybody thinks Flint, Michigan, but Flint, Michigan is not the only place. Dr. Deb Muth 32:42Right. Our infrastructure is so terrible, it has not been updated, and even though you might look in your house and you might see a white PVC or plastic pipe, what’s coming under the ground to the house in the cities is usually still lead. Anju 32:58Right. Right. Dr. Deb Muth 33:00Yeah. Anju 33:01So, I guess the point is, is that…the… the idea of, like, studying this. So, again, they study this, and they say, well, we’re not going to treat low-level lead exposure because it doesn’t improve their cognition.But did they really treat it? Dr. Deb Muth 33:18Right. We got it from 60… we got it from 60 to 20. Right. But when I know, where is the lead hiding? Anju 33:24So high. Look at the bones, it’s gonna be coming out. It’s gonna be coming out, especially during puberty. What happens to some of our kids during puberty? They just go a little wonky. Comes out again during menopause. Dr. Deb Muth 33:38Yes. Anju 33:39I don’t know, male menopause, too. Like, we’re all losing bone mass then, and our lead is coming out, our blood pressure goes up. So, again, these are some of the areas that I think, like, really need some… hard… looks. Dr. Deb Muth 33:53Right, yeah. So, what are you hopeful about this committee? Like, are you hopeful that this committee is going to be able to research some of these big things, and we’re really going to be able to find answers around some of the functional things and the biochemical things that we see, you and I know happen in the body, that might give some standardization and education to practitioners in the future. Anju 34:23Well, I think this committee understands the scope of the issues.And they’re coming from different perspectives, like I mentioned, research. Dr. Deb Muth 34:33Yeah. Anju 34:35really highly qualified MDs. MDs like you and me, who have been on the front lines. moms. Dr. Deb Muth 34:43Yeah. Anju 34:44dads, patience, And so, the strategy would be to get, again, their input, and then…get the places… people in places to do their research. And even make some guidelines and some, like, you know, thoughts about what we want to put out there. Dr. Deb Muth 35:05Yeah. Anju 35:05You know, how do we want to strategize for… Dr. Deb Muth 35:08Prevention. Anju 35:10Like, the pre-pregnancy thing. Dr. Deb Muth 35:12Yeah, I’m really hopeful that this doesn’t become a… political football,And it doesn’t get taken away if the administration changes or whatever, because people need to understand that this kind of researchthis is going to take decades for people to do. Granted, we have AI, and AI can help a little bit and get some things quicker.But trying to figure out all of these nuances to why the body does what it does is not gonna be, like, next week we’re gonna find out that this was the single cause, and I know a lot of people, they’re afraid of the vaccines, and that’s gonna be the sole answer.And that has a piece of it, but it is just a small piece of it for some people larger, but at the end of the day, that’s not what this is about. This isn’t about just labeling one thing that is the cause of autism, because it is not one thing. It is so multifactorial. Anju 36:09And I think that whole cause, I know,A lot of money has gone into. Dr. Deb Muth 36:16Yeah. Anju 36:16looking at that. They’re looking for the gene, right? The gene that causes it, and… Dr. Deb Muth 36:23answer. Anju 36:24They have not… they’ve spent millions of dollars looking for this.And it’s not gonna pan out. It’s not. Dr. Deb Muth 36:33I’m not. Anju 36:34pan out. It’s more complex, like we’re talking about. Dr. Deb Muth 36:38Yeah. Anju 36:38And, I do think that sometimes, you know.Even though, like, politically, it seems like it’s a political topic, but it has zero to do with politics. Dr. Deb Muth 36:52Yeah, exactly. This is our children. This is the future of our country, the world. I mean, America’s not the only place that has kids with autism. I mean, this is the future of humanity. If we don’t figure out what’s injuring our children, there will not be a humanity that you and I have seen. It will be different. And, and this is important, we owe it to the future of our generations, we owe it to our children to figure this out and clean up our environment, and make it safe for everybody. Anju 37:24Yeah. Clean up our air, clean up our water, clean up our food… Dr. Deb Muth 37:29Yeah. Anju 37:30You know, our lifestyle a little bit, but… Dr. Deb Muth 37:32hoodie? Anju 37:33It’s… it’s… it’s everywhere. I travel all over. Dr. Deb Muth 37:36Bye. Anju 37:37Consult with doctors in different countries, in Italy, in India, Bulgaria, Romania… Dr. Deb Muth 37:46Yeah. And. Anju 37:48we’re going to Australia for med maps to treat doctors in, in April. And it’s a problem everywhere. Dr. Deb Muth 38:00Yeah. Anju 38:01really big problem, and it affects everybody. Even if you don’t have a child with autism or a grandchild with autism, it’s still affecting families, becauseI kind of think of ADD as being on the spectrum, in the sense thatI think the same kind of positive issues that lead to the autism are causing the ADD, just to… you know, your genetics are playing a little bit of a different role, whatever… whatever protection you have is a bit more there, but we’re seeing kind of, like, similar metabolic… issues in our ADD population. Dr. Deb Muth 38:43Yeah. Yeah, there’s so many different levels of this, and it does affect everyone. Like, I think everybody knows… a family or someone in their classroom or their school or their community that’s affected by, definitely, ADHD, Asperger’s, autism, all of those things, whether you’re high functioning or not functioning or whatever.everything is affected. The school system is affected, your social circles are affected, your families are affected.the healthcare is affected. I mean, everything is affected. We owe it to our families and our communities to help people try to figure this out. Anju 39:22Yeah, and I think even if it’s not ADD, or ADHD, or autism we’re talking about, or even OCD, anxiety, depression, I mean, you know… Dr. Deb Muth 39:33Candace? Anju 39:34Any kind of chronic illness that people are dealing with has underpinnings of these kinds of, you know, issues. Dr. Deb Muth 39:43Yeah. Anju 39:44Any autoimmune issue? That’s great. Dr. Deb Muth 39:48inflammatory syndrome that we’re seeing these days, I mean, the pants-pandas piece, the biofilms, the strep, I mean, our environment is just so laden with infections and biofilms, and And, you know, when you and I first were learning about this, we never thought anything could cross the blood-brain barrier, right? It was pristine, there’s nothing getting in there unless you could drive it in there, and now we know that’s different, and now we’re seeing bugs in the brains of people who have had Alzheimer’s disease and dementia because they’ve donated their brains for research, and we can see what’s crossing the blood-brain barrier, and it’s really scary. Anju 40:24Yeah, yeah. There’s a lot of things we don’t know. Remember when we just found out that they… the brain had a lymphatic system? Dr. Deb Muth 40:33And that wasn’t About, what, 5, 6 years ago? 7 years ago, maybe? Yeah, not that long ago. Anju 40:38You’d be like, why wouldn’t the brain have a lymphatic system? Dr. Deb Muth 40:41Yeah! Yep. Anju 40:44Yeah, so things get in and out. Dr. Deb Muth 40:46They, they definitely. Anju 40:47You know, they get in easier than they get out, I think. Dr. Deb Muth 40:50I agree, I think they do, for sure, for sure. You know, when you’re talking to a family who’s undergoing issues like this, what’s the role, do you feel, in personalized nutrition to help them make things better? Anju 41:10I kind of go through, like, a little bit of a start here, start there, and then do this. I always start, number one, I say, okay, you gotta clean up your environment, because… We gotta do that. Dr. Deb Muth 41:24But that’s a… Anju 41:24process. And then number 2 for me is cleaning up the diet. And then, when you say personalized nutrition. To me, figuring out what is a good diet for the individual. Dr. Deb Muth 41:38Makes it a little bit difficult. Yeah. Anju 41:41I mean, there is, like, healthy eating concepts, where, you know, eat upside-down food pyramid kind of concept, I guess, is the new one, but whole foods, whole grains, organic as much as possible, especially for animal products, good fats, avoiding, you know, hydrogenated oils, and those seed oils, and… Just some basics, and then individualizing for my patients, a lot of people with any kind of autoimmune condition, and we kind of put autism in that neuroimmune, autoimmune, inflammatory That, gluten-free, dairy-free, and sugar-free kind of go there, like, as a given. If there’s a lot of gut issues, a lot of our folks have oxalate issues. And then we have to sometimes do low or limited oxalate diets. Many of my patients can’t convert glutamate to GABA efficiently. Dr. Deb Muth 42:44Yeah. So, high glutamates associated with OCD, and kind of looping or repetitive behaviors. Anju 42:51So, low-glutamate diets. And then some of my patients have SIBO, and then we do the low FODMAPs diet, and then some of my patients have messel, and we’ll do the fail-safe kind of concept with the fail-safe diet, so nutrition can get a little bit complex for certain people, but there are some basics, and then there are some, like, more of… Individual, kind of, diet approaches. And then there’s supplementation. There’s some things that I call foundational. For me, certain things most people need that have a chronic illness. Dr. Deb Muth 43:26Yeah. Anju 43:26Vitamin D3 is one of those. Omega-3s are another one for most. And then, because I did a lot of research on copper, zinc, I think 3 mineral… 4 minerals. I feel like people underdo minerals. They’re so important. Every single enzyme has a mineral cofactor, so… zinc is really important for my population with autism and ADD. 99% of them had high copper or low zinc in. Dr. Deb Muth 43:58Wow. Anju 43:59Over 400 patients that we tested. Dr. Deb Muth 44:01Wow. Anju 44:03And, magnesium.So, zinc, magnesium, and then the other two minerals I really like are selenium for glutathione. and molybdenum for sulfation, and glycolysis. So… So those are kind of my foundational pieces, and then I like to work on the gut next. So, from a nutritional perspective, prebiotics are my new favorite. Dr. Deb Muth 44:29Yeah, we go in and out with prebiotics, probiotics, postbiotics. Anju 44:34Yeah, exactly, symbiotics. Dr. Deb Muth 44:36Yes, exactly, exactly. Anju 44:38demos, and… Dr. Deb Muth 44:40Yeah. Anju 44:40So yeah, biofilm busting, and all of that, so… And then I go into my other nitty-gritty stuff, like you probably do. Dr. Deb Muth 44:47individualized, right? So, you created, True Healing Nature, a supplement line, a supplement company, correct? Anju 44:56Yeah, True Hing Naturals. Dr. Deb Muth 44:58Truly Naturals, okay. Anju 44:59True, he is hard. Dr. Deb Muth 45:01Oats! Anju 45:01True! Dr. Deb Muth 45:01Healing natural. Got it, sorry about that. Tell us a little bit about what made you decide to create a supplement company. Was it because you couldn’t find formulations that you wanted? Couldn’t find clean products? That’s a big problem for people, for sure. Anju 45:19Yeah, a little bit of both. I told you that my kids were really sensitive, they had a lot. Dr. Deb Muth 45:23I know. Anju 45:24And when I would even try to give them things like ibuprofen. Dr. Deb Muth 45:28or Benadryl. Anju 45:30For allergies, they couldn’t tolerate the products that were over-the-counter. Dr. Deb Muth 45:35Yeah. Anju 45:35So, in 2007, I opened a compounding pharmacy so I could make things clean for them. Dr. Deb Muth 45:42Yeah. Anju 45:43And I thought it was so valuable. And so then I started seeing, like, certain issues with my patient population, for instance, say, mitochondrial issues. So, I would compound a mito cocktail. in my pharmacy. And then I had True Healing Naturals manufacture it, so I didn’t have to have patients get it compounded. Dr. Deb Muth 46:08Got it. Anju 46:09So that particular product’s called Mito Rescue. Okay. But then, I started… I do a lot of oats testing. Organic acid urine tests. Dr. Deb Muth 46:19Yeah. Anju 46:20But there’s, like, a marker on there for, oxalates, and I saw a lot of patients with oxalates, and oxalates inhibit some… an enzyme called, pyruvate decarboxylase. And that basically means you can’t take your carbs and turn them into energy. Dr. Deb Muth 46:38Okay. Anju 46:39So, if I saw this pattern with high oxalates and high pyruvic acid, I knew that that enzyme wasn’t working very well, and that enzyme is B1, molybdenum, and biotin dependent. So, I started compounding doses of that. And then I turned that into a product called Motor Connect, because high doses of biotin help with connectivity in the cerebellum. Dr. Deb Muth 47:08Got it. So, I did come… kind of start with the compounding pharmacy, try it, use it, and then turn it into. Anju 47:17products, and I have one for copper-zinc imbalances called True Minerals. Dr. Deb Muth 47:21Yeah, to fix the problems that were not commercially available. Could you talk a little bit for people who don’t understand what a compounding pharmacy is? Anju 47:32So, when you guys go to a pharmacy, you, you know, you send a prescription, and it’s already, it’s manufactured, and you get it. Well, a compounding pharmacy actually makes that for you. So they get the raw ingredients, and then they make that prescription. So it’s still prescription-based. But, for instance, say, I want Nystatin. And I go to Walgreens or CVS, and the nystatin there is a liquid, and it has yellow dyes and sugar. Dr. Deb Muth 48:02Yep. Or it’s a title, and it’s red. Anju 48:04or it’s bread, and a tablet, and I, like, oh, I want to treat the yeast, but I don’t want to use this. So I sent my nystatin prescription to a compounding pharmacy, and it’s Nystatin. That’s what you got. Yep. Dr. Deb Muth 48:17disappear. Anju 48:18So, pure compounding pharmacy, it’s pure, it’s pure stuff. Especially for our mast cell people. They’re so sensitive, and, you know, my kids are all mast cell, and so I just find that excipients, some people will say, oh, this doesn’t work, and I said, it’s probably the excipient that’s stimulating your mast cell activation. So, yeah. So, compounding pharmacies, You know, with all the big, kind of. conglomerates and big companies, they’ve become… they used to be, like, mom-and-pop kind of places. And my pharmacy is like that. It’s just… it’s… it’s a few of us, and we… we do it, and it’s nothing big or fancy, but we get the job done. So, we compound things like methylcobalamin injections, hydroxycobalamin, low-dose naltrexone. Different things for chelation. So, it’s nice. I love having it. Dr. Deb Muth 49:11Yeah, the compounding pharmacies really have made a huge difference for people who are sensitive. You know, so many ingredients are contaminated with corn and gluten and soy and dairy and all the big things that we want to stay away from, especially if we’re trying to treat the immune system. And even if the manufacturer says that’s not in our product. it’s contaminated, usually, because they’re usually preparing it in a facility that has those things floating around. Right. And for people who are really sensitive, that’s going to create some issues. Anju 49:45Yeah, people who are sensitive are sensitive to parts per trillion. Dr. Deb Muth 49:48Yeah. Anju 49:49I found that with my daughter with chemical sensitivity. You don’t have to see it, or you don’t have to smell it, but they could react to it. Dr. Deb Muth 49:55Yeah. And, a lot of these, like. Anju 49:58These different, substances, for instance, like enzymes, even the natural enzymes. Dr. Deb Muth 50:03They’re cultured in Aspergillus. Anju 50:07And so they’re extracted from mold. Dr. Deb Muth 50:10Yeah. Anju 50:11And so the really mold-sensitive people will maybe take a digestive enzyme, and they’ll have a reaction, and they’ll not understand why. Yeah. But it’s not because of the enzyme, it’s because of where it’s coming from. Dr. Deb Muth 50:22Yeah, where it’s cultured from. And if you have mold toxicity and mold sensitivity, and we’re looking at your mold test, wondering why are you getting a hit while we’re trying to clear it out, sometimes we forget that those products, and a variety of products that we used are cultured from molds. Yeah. Anju 50:40Yeah, yeah. It’s hard for the laypeople to understand all. Dr. Deb Muth 50:45You know. Anju 50:45of these pieces, but I think that… It used to be, like, the insurance companies would cover prescriptions from compounding pharmacies, but over the years, the lobbying and all of that has gotten so intense where, you know, a lot of that ends up out of pocket, but it’s really… it doesn’t really get that much more expensive than a copay would be. Dr. Deb Muth 51:05Right, right. Anju 51:06People just don’t know about it, yeah. Dr. Deb Muth 51:08Yeah, absolutely. So, you’ve been doing this now for more than 17 years, and you’ve made some remarkable progress with your patients. Can you share some success stories that still inspire you to do what you do every day? Anju 51:27I don’t know about you, but, like, when you first start, I think, God puts you… God puts all those really gray cases in front of you, because you’re like, whoa! Dr. Deb Muth 51:37Yes, and maybe… Anju 51:38I gave this patient methylcobalamin, and they started talking. Yeah. So methyl B12 back in the day was huge. you know, Dr. Nebrander’s protocol, and we would use that, and we would get speech, and… I mean, I’ve… it’s just… there’s hundreds of cases. There’s hundreds of cases, and same with Leukovorin now. Not for everybody, but when it really works, it’s really, really decent. Dr. Deb Muth 52:07Yeah, and worth a try, you know, if… if we suspect that’s what’s going on, these things are worth a try, because sometimes you just never know what’s going to be the key that unlocks the answer for them. Anju 52:19Yeah, but I think, you know, like, I can say… chelation, or… you know, I can, like, throw out a bunch of stuff. Dr. Deb Muth 52:26Okay. Anju 52:27In terms of, like, I’ve… I… I have those families, and I have those kids who are just… they’re just amazing, and they’re in college, and having jobs, and having kids, and… Dr. Deb Muth 52:38Yeah. Anju 52:38you know, all of that, but I think, you know, the ones that really strike me are the ones that I have to work really hard to get. Dr. Deb Muth 52:44And then we’. Anju 52:45they go, it’s not like, oh, I just did the diet, I’m cured, or I did this, and I’m better, or… Right. And I have those cases where the parents come to me and they say, I never thought my kid would Be going to college. And I never thought we would be here. So, those are the ones that really, like, when I get the little notes, or the, like, the college or the high school graduation pictures, and they… and some of them, you know, you lose touch with because they don’t need me anymore. Dr. Deb Muth 53:19Yeah. Anju 53:20And then you hear about it later. And then, I think the ones that don’t get better are the ones that, like, sit with me the most They just sit with me, and we’ve had this population of children with severe apraxia. So, apraxia is a motor planning issue, but if you saw these patients, you would think that they were… mentally deficient. Dr. Deb Muth 53:44Hmm. Anju 53:45Because they can’t talk. Dr. Deb Muth 53:46Yeah. Anju 53:47They’re the classic person that you would see that looks autistic. You know, running around, excited, verbal stimming, no speech. Dr. Deb Muth 53:57Hmm. Anju 53:58And that group of patients are incredibly Brilliant. And we are just finding out about how smart they are. There’s a book called Underestimated by J.B. Hanley and his son Jamie. JV has all the resources in the world. He used to put those ads in the New York Times about autism and vaccines. He could take his kid anywhere and do any treatment, and still, we… Blocked. Locked. Couldn’t get through. Couldn’t get through. And they started, spelling. To communicate, and this speller’s method, and it just opened a door. And it opened a door for so many of my patients who are metabolically challenged, so we do help them metabolically. Getting that ability to communicate. Some of them never got high school diplomas, and they went back to get their high school diplomas so they could go to college. Dr. Deb Muth 54:56Oh, wow, that’s amazing stories. Anju 54:59Yeah, and Elizabeth Bonker is one of those spellers, and she… she was a valedictorian in her high school, college. And she did a valedictorian speech that went. Viral, and she’s one of the people on that committee. Dr. Deb Muth 55:13That’s awesome. Anju 55:14He’s non-speaking. She… she can’t not speak. Dr. Deb Muth 55:20Wow. Anju 55:21But they asked her to be on this committee. Dr. Deb Muth 55:24That’s fantastic. Anju 55:26Huge. Dr. Deb Muth 55:27That’s huge. It is huge. There’s a way she can communicate, she just can’t verbalize the way you and I verbalize. Anju 55:34She’s brilliant. I mean, people on that committee, the, the individuals with autism on that committee, I know they’re brilliant people. Wow. But if you… if… If people saw them, they wouldn’t see that. Dr. Deb Muth 55:47Right. Anju 55:47So, I guess, for me, it’s like seeing the brilliance, seeing the competence in individuals, and as a practitioner, just trying to optimize it. But I know, like, the neurodiversity people say, okay, you know. We’re fine, and it’s like, yes, you are fine, you’re fine, and it’s okay. Whatever it is, it’s okay. But if you’re struggling metabolically, and we can help you feel better. What’s… what’s the harm in that? Dr. Deb Muth 56:13Right, let’s do that. Yeah. So you’re also part of something called MAPS, and you’re educating doctors worldwide. Tell us a little bit about MAPS, and how do you see the integrative pediatrics evolving in the next decade as a result of what we’re learning today? Anju 56:36I think we’re at a crossroads, and Maps is kind of in the middle of that crossroads. It used to be called Dan. Dr. Deb Muth 56:47Okay. Anju 56:47Autism Now. Dr. Deb Muth 56:48Yeah. Anju 56:49And then they kind of dissolved Dan and turned it into MedMaps. And MedMaps is Medical Academy for Pediatrics and Special Needs. So it’s not just special needs, it’s pediatrics. as well.So it’s kind of like the functional medicine for peds. And our goal is to train an army of clinicians to be the frontline. And how medicine should be, and how people should be trained. We should train them to do these types of things from the beginning. Because now it’s backwards. Dr. Deb Muth 57:28Right. Anju 57:30they come see us when nobody else can help them. But, so, we have some good leadership, and then… We are just trying to get people trained so that they understand that this is the future. Dr. Deb Muth 57:50If there’s a practitioner that’s listening to this, how do they get involved in MAPS? Anju 57:55They could come to a conference. Dr. Deb Muth 57:57Okay. Anju 57:58And the website is medmaps.org. And there’s 2 conferences a year. And we have scholarships, and we want people to come, so contact You know, the executive director, and… We just want people to come, share… their experiences, learn about functional medicine, it’s evidence-based, we try to… it’s really scientific, you know, we talk a lot of science. Dr. Deb Muth 58:25Oh yeah, a lot of science. Anju 58:26We talk a lot of science, and and so hopefully we can move all of this forward. Baster. Dr. Deb Muth 58:35I think the greatest thing, when you get into the functional medicine integrative space like this, and MAPS, and some of the other environmental academies and things like that. A lot of people might think it’s not science-based, and I’m always amazed at how much science we have, and it’s right, it’s all the things that you and I learned in biochem class, and chem class, and organic chem, and we were like, oh, let’s just learn this to be done with it. And then you get back, and you start doing integrated medicine, and you realize, like, all of that biochemistry stuff is what we needed to truly understand to fix people these These days, and you go back and you have to learn that in an intense version of it. Anju 59:18I felt like I finally understood the Krebs cycle, when I learned how it made metabolic stents, instead of just memorizing these cycles for… For the… Dr. Deb Muth 59:30Right? Like, they, like. Anju 59:32They just make sense to me. Dr. Deb Muth 59:34Yeah. Anju 59:35And I think that’s so important to understand, that all of this has science behind it, and it’s there, and the research is there. Dr. Deb Muth 59:46It’s just us having to learn how to utilize it, and recognize that not every person is going to be straightforward, and what we do for one might not work for another. There’s… It’s not as easy as prescribing a prescription and letting the person walk out the door in 10 minutes. That’s not what this is about at all. Anju 01:00:05No, and at MedMaps as well, they have a call for abstracts, and so we’re always looking for research, experience, so if any of the clinicians out there have, you know, things they want to share. then send an abstract to Maps. What a great blonde. I think, one of my doctor friends is doing an abstract on research that was done on sensory qigong massage. Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:34Oh. Anju 01:00:34And it helped with speech, and the theory was that, we were all thinking of the sensory system in the brain, the sensory system. In the periphery being affected neurologically, and how to turn that back on. So, it was… it’s… Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:51That’s neat. Anju 01:00:51Again, with the research, and with the science behind it, and with, like, clinical trials, and all of that. Dr. Deb Muth 01:00:58That’s awesome, I love that.For parents that are just starting in this journey, what would you recommend be their first one or two steps? Anju 01:01:10Educate, educate, educate? How do you get educated? I do think that, TakaNow.org is a good place for, like, a biomedical approach, or this functional approach for autism. It’s the Autism Community in Action. MedMaps is doing a parent conference in March. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:31Oh, awesome. They usually do that around, Memorial Day, right? Anju 01:01:36They’ll do it around Labor Day in September. Dr. Deb Muth01:01:40Labor Day in September, okay. Anju 01:01:42Yeah, and then mid-March. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:44Okay. Anju 01:01:45Yeah. And they hadn’t done a parent conference before, but we had parents that wanted to come to the conferences, and it was just for clinicians before. Dr. Deb Muth 01:01:54Got it. Is it Autism One that does theirs around Memorial Day? Anju 01:01:59Oh yeah, they don’t exist anymore. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:01Don’t, really. Anju 01:02:03conferences. There was. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:06NAA, the National Autism Association. Anju 01:02:09They don’t do a lot of parent conferences in functional medicine either, so there’s a few left. Documenting Hope. That’s another really nice one. Oh, that’s great. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:21So, what last words do you want to leave with our listeners? Anju 01:02:29You know, that’s… people always ask that at the end of these… I, I do feel that, Listen to your heart, you know, follow your intuition. Dr. Deb Muth 01:02:40I’ll let that guide you. Anju 01:02:42There’s a lot of information, sometimes it gets to be too much information. It’s hard to process everything, try not to make impulsive decisions about things. And… If you have a child with special needs, or if you have a grandchild with, issues. Presume competence. There’s a lot there. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:04Yeah. Anju 01:03:05Especially some of these kids with behavior issues. I don’t know how many patients of mine are… Put on psychotropic meds. Metabolic issues, and, you know… It’s like, a lot of them have pain, like headache, abdominal pain, and inflammation, and they’re treating them with psych meds. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:25Yeah. That’s sad, isn’t it? Anju 01:03:28I think, you know, try to look for the underlying cause. Not just band-aid things. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:34Where can listeners, learn more about your work and what you do? Anju 01:03:40Oh, that’s tough. I don’t have a book. One of these days. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:48Yes! Anju 01:03:49Yes, one of these days. I think, you know, med maps, we have a… if they’re clinicians. Dr. Deb Muth 01:03:55Hmm? Anju 01:03:56I have lectured a lot. For, for, communities like Taka, so there’s just a lot of… lectures that I’ve given online. Dr. Deb Muth 01:04:09Awesome. Well, thank you for taking your time with us today. It’s been a great conversation with you. Anju 01:04:15Thank you so much for inviting me, Debra. I’m honored to be here, and thank you for doing the work that you do to put Put this out there for people, because it’s really important information. Dr. Deb Muth 01:04:27Thank you. Thank you for joining me today on Let’s Talk Wellness Now. Today’s discussion with Dr. Usman reminds us that there’s always more we can do. We can look deeper into biology, environment, and lifestyle. to heal the next generation. If this episode inspired you, please share it with a parent or a practitioner who believes every child deserves a chance to thrive. And to learn more about Dr. Usman, you can visit TrueHealthMedical.com or TrueHealingnaturals.com. And if you’re ready to explore your own root cause healing, visit us at Serenityhealthcarecenter.com. You can also follow me on Instagram, and don’t forget to subscribe so you never miss an episode of Let’s Talk Wellness now. Until next time. I’m Dr. Deb, reminding you to nurture your body, mind, and spirit. Be well, and I’ll see you soon.The post Episode 262 – The Root Cause of ADHD & Autism: Beyond the Diagnosis with Dr. Anju Usman Singh first appeared on Let's Talk Wellness Now.

Third Sunday of Easter The Collect: O God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. First Lesson: Acts 2:14a, 36-41 14But Peter, standing with the eleven, raised his voice and addressed them, 36"Therefore let the entire house of Israel know with certainty that God has made him both Lord and Messiah, this Jesus whom you crucified." 37Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and to the other apostles, "Brothers, what should we do?" 38Peter said to them, "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ so that your sins may be forgiven; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. 39For the promise is for you, for your children, and for all who are far away, everyone whom the Lord our God calls to him." 40And he testified with many other arguments and exhorted them, saying, "Save yourselves from this corrupt generation." 41So those who welcomed his message were baptized, and that day about three thousand persons were added. Psalm: Psalm 116:1-3,10-17 1 I love the Lord, because he has heard the voice of my supplication, *        because he has inclined his ear to me whenever I called upon him. 2 The cords of death entangled me;   the grip of the grave took hold of me; *        I came to grief and sorrow. 3 Then I called upon the Name of the Lord: *       "O Lord, I pray you, save my life." 10 How shall I repay the Lord *        for all the good things he has done for me? 11 I will lift up the cup of salvation *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 12 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people. 13 Precious in the sight of the Lord *        is the death of his servants. 14 O Lord, I am your servant; *        I am your servant and the child of your handmaid;        you have freed me from my bonds. 15 I will offer you the sacrifice of thanksgiving *        and call upon the Name of the Lord. 16 I will fulfill my vows to the Lord *        in the presence of all his people, 17 In the courts of the Lord'S house, *        in the midst of you, O Jerusalem.        Hallelujah! Second Lesson: 1 Peter 1:17-23 17If you invoke as Father the one who judges all people impartially according to their deeds, live in reverent fear during the time of your exile. 18You know that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your ancestors, not with perishable things like silver or gold, 19but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without defect or blemish. 20He was destined before the foundation of the world, but was revealed at the end of the ages for your sake. 21Through him you have come to trust in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are set on God. 22Now that you have purified your souls by your obedience to the truth so that you have genuine mutual love, love one another deeply from the heart. 23You have been born anew, not of perishable but of imperishable seed, through the living and enduring word of God. Gospel: Luke 24:13-35 13Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?" They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?" 19He asked them, "What things?" They replied, "The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him." 25Then he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?" 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?" 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread.

13That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles[a]from Jerusalem,14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened.15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them.16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him.17And he said to them,What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?And they stood still, looking sad.18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?19And he said to them,What things?And they said to him, Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people,20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him.21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened.22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning,23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive.24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see.25And he said to them,O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken!26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther,29but they urged him strongly, saying, Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent. So he went in to stay with them.30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them.31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight.32They said to each other, Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together,34saying, The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread.

Joshua 8The Fall of Ai1And the Lord said to Joshua, “Do not fear and do not be dismayed. Take all the fighting men with you, and arise, go up to Ai. See, I have given into your hand the king of Ai, and his people, his city, and his land. 2And you shall do to Ai and its king as you did to Jericho and its king. Only its spoil and its livestock you shall take as plunder for yourselves. Lay an ambush against the city, behind it.”3So Joshua and all the fighting men arose to go up to Ai. And Joshua chose 30,000 mighty men of valor and sent them out by night. 4And he commanded them, “Behold, you shall lie in ambush against the city, behind it. Do not go very far from the city, but all of you remain ready. 5And I and all the people who are with me will approach the city. And when they come out against us just as before, we shall flee before them. 6And they will come out after us, until we have drawn them away from the city. For they will say, ‘They are fleeing from us, just as before.' So we will flee before them. 7Then you shall rise up from the ambush and seize the city, for the Lord your God will give it into your hand. 8And as soon as you have taken the city, you shall set the city on fire. You shall do according to the word of the Lord. See, I have commanded you.” 9So Joshua sent them out. And they went to the place of ambush and lay between Bethel and Ai, to the west of Ai, but Joshua spent that night among the people.10Joshua arose early in the morning and mustered the people and went up, he and the elders of Israel, before the people to Ai. 11And all the fighting men who were with him went up and drew near before the city and encamped on the north side of Ai, with a ravine between them and Ai. 12He took about 5,000 men and set them in ambush between Bethel and Ai, to the west of the city. 13So they stationed the forces, the main encampment that was north of the city and its rear guard west of the city. But Joshua spent that night in the valley. 14And as soon as the king of Ai saw this, he and all his people, the men of the city, hurried and went out early to the appointed place toward the Arabah to meet Israel in battle. But he did not know that there was an ambush against him behind the city. 15And Joshua and all Israel pretended to be beaten before them and fled in the direction of the wilderness. 16So all the people who were in the city were called together to pursue them, and as they pursued Joshua they were drawn away from the city. 17Not a man was left in Ai or Bethel who did not go out after Israel. They left the city open and pursued Israel.18Then the Lord said to Joshua, “Stretch out the javelin that is in your hand toward Ai, for I will give it into your hand.” And Joshua stretched out the javelin that was in his hand toward the city. 19And the men in the ambush rose quickly out of their place, and as soon as he had stretched out his hand, they ran and entered the city and captured it. And they hurried to set the city on fire. 20So when the men of Ai looked back, behold, the smoke of the city went up to heaven, and they had no power to flee this way or that, for the people who fled to the wilderness turned back against the pursuers. 21And when Joshua and all Israel saw that the ambush had captured the city, and that the smoke of the city went up, then they turned back and struck down the men of Ai. 22And the others came out from the city against them, so they were in the midst of Israel, some on this side, and some on that side. And Israel struck them down, until there was left none that survived or escaped. 23But the king of Ai they took alive, and brought him near to Joshua.24When Israel had finished killing all the inhabitants of Ai in the open wilderness where they pursued them, and all of them to the very last had fallen by the edge of the sword, all Israel returned to Ai and struck it down with the edge of the sword. 25And all who fell that day, both men and women, were 12,000, all the people of Ai.

Habitual Pt. 4: Solitude By Louie Marsh, 2- 9-2025   Intro. Last slide T-Shirt.   1) The difference between solitude & loneliness is CHOICE.   “18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper fit for him.”” (Genesis 2:18, ESV)   · All spiritual disciplines are personal DECISIONS.   “15But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.” (Luke 5:15–16, ESV)   2) Solitude helps me restore my…   ·  PEACE   “3You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” (Isaiah 26:3, ESV)   ·  OBJECTIVITY   “17But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere.” (James 3:17, ESV)   · sense of SCALE.   “6I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places; 7I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.” (Psalm 102:6–7, ESV)   ·  ENERGY   “29He gives power to the faint, and to him who has no might he increases strength.” (Isaiah 40:29, ESV)   ·  PRIORITIES   “12So teach us to number our days that we may get a heart of wisdom.” (Psalm 90:12, ESV)   3) Solitude is an indicator of my spiritual HEALTH.    “39And he came out and went, as was his custom, to the Mount of Olives, and the disciples followed him. 40And when he came to the place, he said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, 42saying, “Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.” 43And there appeared to him an angel from heaven, strengthening him. 44And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. 45And when he rose from prayer, he came to the disciples and found them sleeping for sorrow,” (Luke 22:39–45, ESV)   Slides of garden   The area it encompasses is flat and measures less than 57 square yards (47 1/2 square meters). The garden is located on the western foot of the Mount of Olives, beyond the brook Kidron, and is only a short distance from Jerusalem. The villages of Bethany and Bethphage are also located very near it.   “35And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed.” (Mark 1:35, ESV)

Twentieth Sunday after Pentecost The Collect: Almighty and everlasting God, you are always more ready to hear than we to pray, and to give more than we either desire or deserve: Pour upon us the abundance of your mercy, forgiving us those things of which our conscience is afraid, and giving us those good things for which we are not worthy to ask, except through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Savior; who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen. Old Testament: Genesis 2:18-24 18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19So out of the ground the LordGod formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh.22And the rib that the Lord God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” 24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. Psalm: Psalm 8 1 O Lord our Governor, *        how exalted is your Name in all the world! 2 Out of the mouths of infants and children *        your majesty is praised above the heavens. 3 You have set up a stronghold against your adversaries, *        to quell the enemy and the avenger. 4 When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, *        the moon and the stars you have set in their courses, 5 What is man that you should be mindful of him? *        the son of man that you should seek him out? 6 You have made him but little lower than the angels; *        you adorn him with glory and honor; 7 You give him mastery over the works of your hands; *        you put all things under his feet: 8 All sheep and oxen, *        even the wild beasts of the field, 9 The birds of the air, the fish of the sea, *        and whatsoever walks in the paths of the sea. 10 O Lord our Governor, *        how exalted is your Name in all the world! Epistle: Hebrews 1:1-4; 2:5-12 1Long ago God spoke to our ancestors in many and various ways by the prophets, 2but in these last days he has spoken to us by a Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, through whom he also created the worlds.3He is the reflection of God's glory and the exact imprint of God's very being, and he sustains all things by his powerful word. When he had made purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, 4having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. 5Now God did not subject the coming world, about which we are speaking, to angels. 6But someone has testified somewhere, “What are human beings that you are mindful of them, or mortals, that you care for them? 7You have made them for a little while lower than the angels; you have crowned them with glory and honor, 8subjecting all things under their feet.” Now in subjecting all things to them, God left nothing outside their control. As it is, we do not yet see everything in subjection to them,9but we do see Jesus, who for a little while was made lower than the angels, now crowned with glory and honor because of the suffering of death, so that by the grace of God he might taste death for everyone. 10It was fitting that God, for whom and through whom all things exist, in bringing many children to glory, should make the pioneer of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For the one who sanctifies and those who are sanctified all have one Father. For this reason Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters, 12saying, “I will proclaim your name to my brothers and sisters, in the midst of the congregation I will praise you.” Gospel: Mark 10:2-16 2Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.' 7‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8and the two shall become one flesh.' So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” 13People were bringing little children to him in order that he might touch them; and the disciples spoke sternly to them. 14But when Jesus saw this, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs. 15Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” 16And he took them up in his arms, laid his hands on them, and blessed them.

Esther 2:1-18 Esther Chosen Queen 1After these things, when the anger of King Ahasuerus had abated, he remembered Vashti and what she had done and what had been decreed against her. 2Then the king's young men who attended him said, “Let beautiful young virgins be sought out for the king. 3And let the king appoint officers in all the provinces of his kingdom to gather all the beautiful young virgins to the harem in Susa the citadel, under custody of Hegai, the king's eunuch, who is in charge of the women. Let their cosmetics be given them. 4And let the young woman who pleases the king be queen instead of Vashti.” This pleased the king, and he did so. 5Now there was a Jew in Susa the citadel whose name was Mordecai, the son of Jair, son of Shimei, son of Kish, a Benjaminite, 6who had been carried away from Jerusalem among the captives carried away with Jeconiah king of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had carried away. 7He was bringing up Hadassah, that is Esther, the daughter of his uncle, for she had neither father nor mother. The young woman had a beautiful figure and was lovely to look at, and when her father and her mother died, Mordecai took her as his own daughter. 8So when the king's order and his edict were proclaimed, and when many young women were gathered in Susa the citadel in custody of Hegai, Esther also was taken into the king's palace and put in custody of Hegai, who had charge of the women. 9And the young woman pleased him and won his favor. And he quickly provided her with her cosmetics and her portion of food, and with seven chosen young women from the king's palace, and advanced her and her young women to the best place in the harem. 10Esther had not made known her people or kindred, for Mordecai had commanded her not to make it known. 11And every day Mordecai walked in front of the court of the harem to learn how Esther was and what was happening to her. 12Now when the turn came for each young woman to go in to King Ahasuerus, after being twelve months under the regulations for the women, since this was the regular period of their beautifying, six months with oil of myrrh and six months with spices and ointments for women— 13when the young woman went in to the king in this way, she was given whatever she desired to take with her from the harem to the king's palace. 14In the evening she would go in, and in the morning she would return to the second harem in custody of Shaashgaz, the king's eunuch, who was in charge of the concubines. She would not go in to the king again, unless the king delighted in her and she was summoned by name. 15When the turn came for Esther the daughter of Abihail the uncle of Mordecai, who had taken her as his own daughter, to go in to the king, she asked for nothing except what Hegai the king's eunuch, who had charge of the women, advised. Now Esther was winning favor in the eyes of all who saw her. 16And when Esther was taken to King Ahasuerus, into his royal palace, in the tenth month, which is the month of Tebeth, in the seventh year of his reign, 17the king loved Esther more than all the women, and she won grace and favor in his sight more than all the virgins, so that he set the royal crown on her head and made her queen instead of Vashti. 18Then the king gave a great feast for all his officials and servants; it was Esther's feast. He also granted a remission of taxes to the provinces and gave gifts with royal generosity.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________EasterIf then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Christ our PassoverPascha Nostrum - BCP p. 83Alleluia.Christ our Passover has been sacrificed for us; *therefore let us keep the feast,Not with the old leaven, the leaven of malice and evil, *but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. Alleluia.Christ being raised from the dead will never die again; *death no longer has dominion over him.The death that he died, he died to sin, once for all; *but the life he lives, he lives to God.So also consider yourselves dead to sin, *and alive to God in Jesus Christ our Lord. Alleluia.Christ has been raised from the dead, *the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep.For since by a man came death, *by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.For as in Adam all die, *so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Alleluia. Psalm 119AlephBeati immaculati1Happy are they whose way is blameless, *who walk in the law of the Lord!2Happy are they who observe his decrees *and seek him with all their hearts!3Who never do any wrong, *but always walk in his ways.4You laid down your commandments, *that we should fully keep them.5Oh, that my ways were made so direct *that I might keep your statutes!6Then I should not be put to shame, *when I regard all your commandments.7I will thank you with an unfeigned heart, *when I have learned your righteous judgments.8I will keep your statutes; *do not utterly forsake me.BethIn quo corrigit?9How shall a young man cleanse his way? *By keeping to your words.10With my whole heart I seek you; *let me not stray from your commandments.11I treasure your promise in my heart, *that I may not sin against you.12Blessed are you, O Lord; *instruct me in your statutes.13With my lips will I recite *all the judgments of your mouth.14I have taken greater delight in the way of your decrees *than in all manner of riches.15I will meditate on your commandments *and give attention to your ways.16My delight is in your statutes; *I will not forget your word.GimelRetribue servo tuo17Deal bountifully with your servant, *that I may live and keep your word.18Open my eyes, that I may see *the wonders of your law.19I am a stranger here on earth; *do not hide your commandments from me.20My soul is consumed at all times *with longing for your judgments.21You have rebuked the insolent; *cursed are they who stray from your commandments!22Turn from me shame and rebuke, *for I have kept your decrees.23Even though rulers sit and plot against me, *I will meditate on your statutes.24For your decrees are my delight, *and they are my counselors. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsExod. 24:1-18Then he said to Moses, "Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship at a distance. Moses alone shall come near the Lord; but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him." Moses came and told the people all the words of the Lord and all the ordinances; and all the people answered with one voice, and said, "All the words that the Lord has spoken we will do." And Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord. He rose early in the morning, and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and set up twelve pillars, corresponding to the twelve tribes of Israel. He sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed oxen as offerings of well-being to the Lord. Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he dashed against the altar. Then he took the book of the covenant, and read it in the hearing of the people; and they said, "All that the Lord has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient." Moses took the blood and dashed it on the people, and said, "See the blood of the covenant that the Lord has made with you in accordance with all these words." Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. Under his feet there was something like a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. God did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; also they beheld God, and they ate and drank. The Lord said to Moses, "Come up to me on the mountain, and wait there; and I will give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction." So Moses set out with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. To the elders he had said, "Wait here for us, until we come to you again; for Aaron and Hur are with you; whoever has a dispute may go to them." Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord settled on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it for six days; on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the Lord was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud, and went up on the mountain. Moses was on the mountain for forty days and forty nights.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 21. You are GodTe Deum laudamusYou are God: we praise you;You are the Lord; we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship,and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory,the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us freeyou did not shun the Virgin's womb.You overcame the sting of deathand opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people,bought with the price of your own blood,and bring us with your saintsto glory everlasting. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. Col 2:8-23See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, "Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch"? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking self-indulgence.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. 16. The Song of ZechariahBenedictus Dominus Deus - Luke 1: 68-79Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *he has come to his people and set them free.He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *born of the house of his servant David.Through his holy prophets he promised of old,that he would save us from our enemies, *from the hands of all who hate us.He promised to show mercy to our fathers *and to remember his holy covenant.This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham, *to set us free from the hands of our enemies,Free to worship him without fear, *holy and righteous in his sightall the days of our life.You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High, *for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,To give his people knowledge of salvation *by the forgiveness of their sins.In the tender compassion of our God *the dawn from on high shall break upon us,To shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *and to guide our feet into the way of peace. Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. Third Sunday in EasterO God, whose blessed Son made himself known to his disciples in the breaking of bread: Open the eyes of our faith, that we may behold him in all his redeeming work; who lives and reigns with you, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionLet us bless the Lord. Alleluia, alleluia.Thanks be to God. Alleluia, alleluia. Glory to God whose power, working in us, can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine: Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church, and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen.Ephesians 3:20,21

Trusted & Trustworthy Pt. 5 – A Steward Let's God Use their Gifts By Louie Marsh, 2-11-2024     1) I can't be a good steward and IGNORE my gifts.   “10As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: (1 Peter 4:10 ESV)   ·       This doesn't mean I use all of them all the TIME.   “15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus.” (Galatians 1:15–17, ESV)   ·       But when I'm called, I GO!   “8And I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?” Then I said, “Here I am! Send me.” 9And he said, “Go, and say to this people: (Isaiah 6:8–9a, ESV)   2) A Good Steward REJECTS…   ·       PERSONAL exaltation.   “17Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed fervently that it might not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the earth. 18Then he prayed again, and heaven gave rain, and the earth bore its fruit.” (James 5:17–18, ESV)   "Oh wow brother - you must really pray alot!"  "My, you must sure be spiritual!"   ·       GIFT exaltation.   “17If the whole body were an eye, where would be the sense of hearing? If the whole body were an ear, where would be the sense of smell? 18But as it is, God arranged the members in the body, each one of them, as he chose. 19If all were a single member, where would the body be? 20As it is, there are many parts, yet one body.” (1 Corinthians 12:17–20, ESV)   Whether it's tongues, teaching or whatever…it's wrong!   ·       Gift DELUSION   “3For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned…6Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith;” (Romans 12:3–6, ESV)   ·       The wrong MOTIVATIONS for using my gifts.   “15Forsaking the right way, they have gone astray. They have followed the way of Balaam, the son of Beor, who loved gain from wrongdoing, 16but was rebuked for his own transgression; a speechless donkey spoke with human voice and restrained the prophet's madness.” (2 Peter 2:15–16, ESV)   3) A good Steward EMBRACES…   ·       Using my gifts to SERVE others.   “7To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good.” (1 Corinthians 12:7, ESV)   ·       Using my gifts to GLORIFY God.   11whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” (1 Peter 4:10–11, ESV)   ·       Using my gifts when I don't WANT TOO.   “1Then the word of the Lord came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2“Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the Lord.”…  (Jonah 3:1–3a, ESV)        

18Then the king answered and said unto the woman, Hide not from me, I pray thee, the thing that I shall ask thee. And the woman said, Let my lord the king now speak.--19And the king said, Is not the hand of Joab with thee in all this-- And the woman answered and said, As thy soul liveth, my lord the king, none can turn to the right hand or to the left from ought that my lord the king hath spoken- for thy servant Joab, he bade me, and he put all these words in the mouth of thine handmaid--20To fetch about this form of speech hath thy servant Joab done this thing- and my lord is wise, according to the wisdom of an angel of God, to know all things that are in the earth.

12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead,how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?13But if there is no resurrection of the dead,then not even Christ has been raised.14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God thathe raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised.16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised.17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile andyou are still in your sins.18Then those also whohave fallen asleep in Christ have perished.19If in Christ we have hope[a]in this life only,we are of all people most to be pitied.

Malachi 3:13-18 13 “Your words have been hard against me, says the Lord. But you say, ‘How have we spoken against you?' 14You have said, ‘It is vain to serve God. What is the profit of our keeping his charge or of walking as in mourning before the Lord of hosts? 15And now we call the arrogant blessed. Evildoers not only prosper but they put God to the test and they escape.'” The Book of Remembrance 16Then those who feared the Lord spoke with one another. The Lord paid attention and heard them, and a book of remembrance was written before him of those who feared the Lord and esteemed his name. 17“They shall be mine, says the Lord of hosts, in the day when I make up my treasured possession, and I will spare them as a man spares his son who serves him. 18Then once more you shall see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between one who serves God and one who does not serve him.

Wise Up! Part 3: One S.H.A.R.P. Woman by Louie Marsh, 11-5-2023   Intro. Biblical Wisdom is a moral rather than an intellectual quality. To be "foolish" is to be godless; wisdom is man's approach to life, arising out his life in the covenant bestowed by God... wisdom is the teaching of a personal God who is holy and just and who expects those who know him to exhibit his character in the many practical affairs of life.   Pictures – last one text about wise woman.   Biblical wisdom shown in a little know story about a wise woman in a difficult situation.   S - SEIZE the Initiative   “16Then a wise woman called from the city, “Listen! Listen! Tell Joab, ‘Come here, that I may speak to you.' ”” (2 Samuel 20:16, ESV)   “7a time to tear, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;” (Ecclesiastes 3:7, ESV)   1)    2 extremes to avoid - speaking too soon - brashly shooting your mouth off 2)    being to passive never saying anything!   H - HAVE  a Respectful Attitude   “17And he came near her, and the woman said, “Are you Joab?” He answered, “I am.” Then she said to him, “Listen to the words of your servant.” And he answered, “I am listening.”” (2 Samuel 20:17, ESV)   “17Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.” (1 Peter 2:17, ESV)   1)    There is a time to be blunt, but it's usually NOT when I want too! 2)    The more I want to let someone have it - the less likely it is that that's the wise choice!            A - APPRECIATE  the Consequences   “18Then she said, “They used to say in former times, ‘Let them but ask counsel at Abel,' and so they settled a matter. 19I am one of those who are peaceable and faithful in Israel. You seek to destroy a city that is a mother in Israel. Why will you swallow up the heritage of the Lord?”” (2 Samuel 20:18–19, ESV)   “7Remember your leaders, those who spoke to you the word of God. Consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith.” (Hebrews 13:7, ESV)   “17For it is time for judgment to begin at the household of God; and if it begins with us, what will be the outcome for those who do not obey the gospel of God?” (1 Peter 4:17, ESV)   1) Remember the Law of Unintended Consequences!   R - RECOGNIZE  the Real Issue   “21That is not true. But a man of the hill country of Ephraim, called Sheba the son of Bichri, has lifted up his hand against King David. Give up him alone, and I will withdraw from the city.” And the woman said to Joab, “Behold, his head shall be thrown to you over the wall.”” (2 Samuel 20:21, ESV)   “21And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, “You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22Disheartened by the saying, he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.” (Mark 10:21–22, ESV)   P - PRODUCE  what's Needed   “22Then the woman went to all the people in her wisdom. And they cut off the head of Sheba the son of Bichri and threw it out to Joab. So he blew the trumpet, and they dispersed from the city, every man to his home. And Joab returned to Jerusalem to the king.” (2 Samuel 20:22, ESV)   “5Whoever keeps a command will know no evil thing, and the wise heart will know the proper time and the just way. 6For there is a time and a way for everything, although man's trouble lies heavy on him.” (Ecclesiastes 8:5–6, ESV)   S.H.A.R.P. towards PROBLEMS   S.H.A.R.P. towards RELATIONSHIPS   S.H.A.R.P. towards YOUR CHILDREN   I usually don't say much about raising kids - since God in His infinite wisdom has seen fit to make sure I don't pollute the gene pool! But in this case I will. Last 2 weeks we seen the best way to keep kids off drugs is to give them hope and church!   But many Baby Boomer parents report in surveys they feel hopeless about stopping their kids from using drugs! Not True! You can make a difference - if you'll be S.H.A.R.P.!!   S.H.A.R.P. towards GOD   S - God has already taken the initiative - you must now seize the moment and respond! H - Have a respectful attitude - that's repentance for our sins! A - Look at the consequences - both good and bad! R - Recognize the real issue - It's not politics, evolution, or a hundred other things - it's our standing before God and our eternal destiny! P - Produce what's needed - by giving you life to Jesus Christ!!  

Preaching Text:   Genesis 2:4b-25 4These are the generations of the heavens and the earth when they were created. In the day that the LORD God made the earth and the heavens, 5 when no plant of the field was yet in the earth and no herb of the field had yet sprung up—for the LORD God had not caused it to rain upon the earth, and there was no one to till the ground; 6but a stream would rise from the earth, and water the whole face of the ground— 7then the LORD God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being. 8And the LORD God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed. 9Out of the ground the LORD God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. 10A river flows out of Eden to water the garden, and from there it divides and becomes four branches. 11The name of the first is Pishon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Havilah, where there is gold; 12and the gold of that land is good; bdellium and onyx stone are there. 13The name of the second river is Gihon; it is the one that flows around the whole land of Cush. 14The name of the third river is Tigris, which flows east of Assyria. And the fourth river is the Euphrates. 15The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to till it and keep it. 16And the LORD God commanded the man, “You may freely eat of every tree of the garden; 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall die.” 18Then the LORD God said, “It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper as his partner.” 19So out of the ground the LORD God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the air, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called every living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all cattle, and to the birds of the air, and to every animal of the field; but for the man there was not found a helper as his partner. 21So the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then he took one of his ribs and closed up its place with flesh. 22And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said, “This at last is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh; this one shall be called Woman, for out of Man this one was taken.” 24Therefore a man leaves his father and his mother and clings to his wife, and they become one flesh. 25And the man and his wife were both naked, and were not ashamed.

HOLY GOSPEL: Luke 24:13-35            13Now on that same day [when Jesus had appeared to Mary Magdalene,] two [disciples] were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures.  28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. 

Welcome to Hope City Church! NEW If you are new to Hope City text “Welcome” to 502-754-3212 SERMON SCRIPTURE Luke 24:13-34 13That same day two of Jesus' followers were walking to the village of Emmaus, seven miles from Jerusalem. 14As they walked along they were talking about everything that had happened. 15As they talked and discussed these things, Jesus himself suddenly came and began walking with them. 16But God kept them from recognizing him. 17He asked them, “What are you discussing so intently as you walk along?” They stopped short, sadness written across their faces. 18Then one of them, Cleopas, replied, “You must be the only person in Jerusalem who hasn't heard about all the things that have happened there the last few days.” 19 “What things?” Jesus asked. “The things that happened to Jesus, the man from Nazareth,” they said. “He was a prophet who did powerful miracles, and he was a mighty teacher in the eyes of God and all the people. 20But our leading priests and other religious leaders handed him over to be condemned to death, and they crucified him. 21We had hoped he was the Messiah who had come to rescue Israel. This all happened three days ago. 22“Then some women from our group of his followers were at his tomb early this morning, and they came back with an amazing report. 23They said his body was missing, and they had seen angels who told them Jesus is alive! 24Some of our men ran out to see, and sure enough, his body was gone, just as the women had said.” 25Then Jesus said to them, “You foolish people! You find it so hard to believe all that the prophets wrote in the Scriptures. 26Wasn't it clearly predicted that the Messiah would have to suffer all these things before entering his glory?” 27Then Jesus took them through the writings of Moses and all the prophets, explaining from all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28By this time they were nearing Emmaus and the end of their journey. Jesus acted as if he were going on, 29but they begged him, “Stay the night with us, since it is getting late.” So he went home with them. 30As they sat down to eat, he took the bread and blessed it. Then he broke it and gave it to them. 31Suddenly, their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And at that moment he disappeared! 32They said to each other, “Didn't our hearts burn within us as he talked with us on the road and explained the Scriptures to us?” 33And within the hour they were on their way back to Jerusalem. There they found the eleven disciples and the others who had gathered with them, 34who said, “The Lord has really risen! He appeared to Peter.” CONNECT Connect with us! Visit the Hope City Church website at https://realhopenow.com/ , connect through the Hope City Church Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/realhopenow or download the Church Center app from the android or apple app store and select Hope City Church as your home church. CARE If you or a loved one is in need of prayer or care, we would love to help! Simply open the Hope City Church Louisville app, click on "Pastoral Care" or "Prayer Request" and fill out the form so that we can know how we can help. Or go to https://app.textinchurch.com/groups/webform/MjYxMDg4 and send us your prayer request. GIVE Our heart is to share as much hope with as many people as possible, and you make that happen because of your generosity. Click the link below to give. http://www.realhopenow.com/give/ Thank you for tuning in to today's service. We'll see you soon!

IntroductionThere was a king of the Moabites named Balak and the children of Israel had just defeated the Amorites and were on their way to Moab. And the Moabites were afraid. So, Balak, the king of Moab calls Balaam, a man who had contact with the spirit world, to curse Israel. But Balaam could not curse them even though he tried several times and from different places.Numbers 23:16–20 (NKJV)16Then the Lord met Balaam, and put a word in his mouth, and said, “Go back to Balak, and thus you shall speak.”17So he came to him, and there he was, standing by his burnt offering, and the princes of Moab were with him. And Balak said to him, “What has the Lord spoken?”18Then he took up his oracle and said: “Rise up, Balak, and hear! Listen to me, son of Zippor!19“God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good?20Behold, I have received a command to bless; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it.What did God speak through the Balaam's mouth? That God is not like man to ever lie. Sometimes we humans lie, either on purpose to get out of a situation, or by mistake because we thought it was the truth. But God does not lie even by mistake. He doesn't say, “Hey, I've been here for so long that it slipped my mind when I said that.” Not so with God at all.A very polished way of preaching, but very subtle and false, is this: “No matter what happens, we know that God is faithful.” Please, allow me tell you what is encapsulated in this statement, something that is not explicitly said, but is implicitly intended: “Whether God will do what He has promised or not, He remains faithful.”All Christians claim that God is faithful until it comes down to something specific where they need proof that it works. As long as it is spoken in general, all agree that the Word of God is true. But when we need something specific from the Word to be fulfilled in our lives, we shy away with statements like: “Well, you can never really know anything for sure.” We say He is faithful because the Bible says so, and there is no way we can be born-again Christians unless we affirm it as the Bible does. But we find out if we really believe that He is faithful when we are faced with something that He has said and has not yet manifested in our lives.Outside the church, we know exactly what the words mean. But in the church of Christ, it's as if “the smoke and the glory of God overshadow us to such an extent” that words no longer mean anything. I hope you get the irony. For example, if someone outside the church takes a loan from the bank and, at some point, he stops paying the installments, he will be considered “unfaithful” by the bank, no matter how the economy and situations change. Why? Because that someone promised and signed a loan agreement with the bank that he would return the money regardless of changes in the country's economy and world's economy or in his financial situation.When it comes to God, we think completely differently without realizing it: “Well, God is God, even if He doesn't do exactly what He said, He is still faithful. He doesn't have to do everything he said, but He's still faithful.” And so, we shroud everything in a cloud of ungodly mystery and ambiguity, even demonic I might say. And we bring into the scheme all the pompous theological words to gain more credibility in our unbiblical claims, such as: “Well, God in His sovereignty may have decided to do something different in a certain situation than what He said in the Word.” And then the common people will tend to say: “I don't really understand anything this man wants to say, but he certainly knows more than I do because he went to the seminary. So, I'll believe what he says. ” The Definition of Faithfulness“God is always faithful” means that He will always do what He said He would do and He has already done what He said He would do.A simple definition of faithfulness would be this: “When you speak and promise something, you also do it.” God is always true to His Word. Faithfulness is not something like: you say one thing, and then if another idea comes to you, you do something else and still remain faithful. No, that's a lie. Verse 20 of the passage above says that once God has blessed something or someone, that blessing cannot be reversed. The blessing is irreversible. God's Faithfulness in SalvationGod said in Psalms 103:2-3,Psalm 103:2–3 (NKJV)2Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:3Who forgives all your iniquities, Who heals all your diseases.Did God say that? Will He do that? Yes, of course.Has He forgiven all our sins even if we have done some very bad things or are still doing them? Yeah, sure. He has forgiven all our past, present, and future sins. How do we know this? Because He said so. Did He heal all our physical ailments? Yes, of course. How do we know this? Because He just said so in the passage above. But many Christians hold back when it comes to healing.As long as you don't have to see something tangible (like for example in the area of ​​forgiveness of sins), God is faithful. But when it comes to something visible (like physical healing), He is no longer faithful. We take no chances, because if nothing happens, then all eyes are on us. We are afraid.If someone receives Jesus in his heart, we lead him in the prayer of repentance. And if after a week that person comes and tells us: “I don't know what's happening to me, but I feel like I'm no longer saved” we probably ask him: “Well, why do you feel that way?” To which the person responds, “I just don't feel like God has forgiven me.” What do we usually respond as Christians at that time? “Well, I don't know what to say, maybe He hasn't forgiven you, who knows?” NO, not at all. But we will tell him: “You don't have to live by feelings. The Bible says in Romans 10:9-10 that if we make Him Lord, we will be saved. We live by faith and not by sight or feeling. We all have these feelings from time to time, but you don't have to dwell on them. These feelings must be ignored.”But what do we do when we get to financial blessing or healing, and we don't feel healed? Instead of saying: “I don't go by what I feel, but by what the Word of God says” – we say something like: “I trust God. He knows better what is good for me.” Now we are saying something different from what God said.In Luke 5:17-26, we see Jesus again as in Psalms 103:2-3, putting the forgiveness of sins on a par with physical healing:Luke 5:17–26 (NKJV)17Now it happened on a certain day, as He was teaching, that there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come out of every town of Galilee, Judea, and Jerusalem. And the power of the Lord was present to heal them.18Then behold, men brought on a bed a man who was paralyzed, whom they sought to bring in and lay before Him.19And when they could not find how they might bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the housetop and let him down with his bed through the tiling into the midst before Jesus.20When He saw their faith, He said to him, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.”21And the scribes and the Pharisees began to reason, saying, “Who is this who speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God alone?”22But when Jesus perceived their thoughts, He answered and said to them, “Why are you reasoning in your hearts?23Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,' or to say, ‘Rise up and walk'?24But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins”—He said to the man who was paralyzed, “I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.”25Immediately he rose up before them, took up what he had been lying on, and departed to his own house, glorifying God.26And they were all amazed, and they glorified God and were filled with fear, saying, “We have seen strange things today!”Basically, what Jesus is saying here is that neither forgiving sins nor healing someone is an easy thing. Both are very hard to do. But in order to demonstrate that He has the power and authority to forgive sins (a thing that could not be tangibly proven in itself), Jesus heals the sick man (a tangible thing). In this way, Jesus shows that just as God's will for people is to forgive their sins and for this, He was going to give His life on the cross, in the same way, His will is to heal them physically. Therefore, physical healing was also included in the sacrifice on the cross along with the forgiveness of sins. Like ChildrenJesus says in Matthew 18:3 that unless we become like little children, we will never enter the kingdom of Heaven. What is the characteristic of the children that Jesus is talking about here? A child's blind faith in what his father tells him even if he doesn't see something right away. When a father promises his children that they will go to theme park or the circus, those children are already happy, as if they are going at that moment, just because the father promised them. But if that father is a bad father, he could tell them: “Oh no, we don't go to any parks anymore. I tricked you. I just told you that as a joke to see how you react.”God is not like that at all. He never says, “Oh, did I say in My Word that I healed you? No, it's not like that. Do you really take the Bible seriously?” I know, it may seem funny. But this is exactly how we think about God and relate to Him. God Is Sovereign All the TimeWe often hear the phrase: “God is in control. He is sovereign. God, in His infinite wisdom and sovereignty, knows that in this particular situation, something else would be better.” How many of us know that God was sovereign and had all knowledge when He made the promises as well? God has not gained new information from the time He gave us a promise to the time we need that promise.God didn't say something, and then later said, “Oh, I probably shouldn't have said what I said in such a libertine way. It will go to people's heads.” God knew all of us when He made the promises. Objections and Personal Negative Experiences“But what about that? With that man's situation? I have an aunt or an uncle who has not been healed or died, etc.” We all have or have been through similar situations. But the Bible tells us to walk by faith and not by sight.James 1:5–8 (NKJV)5If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives (only to some??) to all liberally and without reproach (you don't have to feel bad that He gave it to you), and it (might be given if it's God's will and if He is in a good mood??) will be given to him.6But let him ask in faith, with no doubting (don't even consider that it might not happen), for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.7For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord;8he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.Notice how extreme and extravagant God is: He gives to all, generously, without rebuke or blackmail. He is absolute, clear, and pragmatic. And, in this passage, it is not only about wisdom, but about everything we ask from God. In verses 7 and 8, James makes the transition from one specific thing (wisdom) to all things in general, using terms like “anything” and “unstable in all his ways.”Then let's observe the apparent redundancy: “to ask in faith, without doubting.” There are two ways of thinking that always come into conflict. Let's say that someone is sick and has in his family an aunt Marta (fictitious name) who is also sick and has not been healed even though she prayed. And he also has an uncle John (also a fictitious name), who died even though he believed in healing. When that person wants to pray for healing, there will be two thoughts in his mind. “Lord, You said that by Your stripes I am healed and I believe (thinking number 1, full of faith), but aunt Marta was not healed, and uncle John died even if he believed (thinking number 2, with doubt).” That is why James says through the Holy Spirit to ask in faith, without doubting.Is it easy not to doubt? The concept is simple, but not easy. When pressure comes into our lives, it is also when our very loyal logic and past negative experiences (both our own and others') present themselves to our minds. But, we will never gain anything by not believing God.Another important thing worth mentioning here is that first comes the temptation to doubt and then the actual doubt. Being tempted to doubt does not mean that we have already doubted. But only if we begin to speak and act on that temptation to doubt, that's when we have committed the sin of doubt. The temptation to doubt, which can come at any time and to anyone, should not be confused with doubt itself.There is another type of prayer among Christians when they pray for others, a type of prayer through which man never makes a mistake, only God does: “Whatever is Your will, Lord, with this situation, Your will be done.” And whether the man is healed or not, or whether he dies or not, that prayer will always be fulfilled. It is a very prudent and safe prayer for man, but not for God. Or we pray in the following way: “Lord, You see that this person is struggling financially, and You know better why that is. Therefore, we now pray that Your will be done.”Jesus never prayed like this for people to get something from God. Have you noticed this? Yes, perhaps when we do not know God's will regarding a future situation or an important decision, we can pray this way, but not when we have His will regarding that situation revealed in Scripture. But do you know why we pray like that? Because we want to stay in the boat (like the other disciples) and walk on the water (like Peter did) at the same time. And this is not possible. Jesus didn't tell Peter to come to Him on the water, then 5 minutes later, in His sovereignty, changed His mind and let Peter sink, so that it wouldn't go up to his head and consider himself better than the other disciples. Peter began to sink because of his doubt. He began to walk on the waters in faith, but along the way he let doubt enter, because he had probably never heard of any other man ever walking on the waters. And when he also saw the waves around him, he completely succumbed to doubt. But, the Word that Jesus gave him, would have supported him to walk on the waters all the way to Jesus. How Do I Build My FaithRomans 10:17 (NKJV)17So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.Faith does not come by hearing or meditating on cases of people who have not been delivered, healed, or helped. We cannot allow ourselves to ask ourselves all kinds of questions like: “I wonder what happened in that situation and what was the reason why the person in question did not heal.”We also cannot command ourselves or force ourselves to have faith when faced with need and pressure. Faith is built before we face the need by regular meditation on the Word. Living by faith must be a lifestyle. You just expose yourself to the Word, and faith comes. At some point, in your mind and emotions, the Holy Spirit makes a “click” and your conviction becomes unshakable. We must acquire a tunnel-like mindset that only looks ahead at the light at the end of the tunnel (that is, what the Word says) and pays no attention to what it sees or feels around it.In Numbers 21:6-9 we read:Numbers 21:6–9 (NKJV)6So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died.7Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people.8Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.”9So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.I don't think it was that easy for the Israelites to look at the bronze serpent. Because while they had to look at that snake that Moses made, poisonous snakes were still crawling among them, coiling around them and maybe even biting them. However, God assured them that they would not die, but live, if they continued to look intently at that snake raised by Moses and not at what was happening around them. The Language Locates UsPsalm 91:1–2 (NKJV)1He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.2I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”Let's notice that in verse 2, the one who says about the Lord “He is my refuge” does not do it in the church, but in his personal life when he is faced with a problem. This is not about what we say or sing in a church service. It is only when we step outside the church that we realize what we really believe. We sometimes hear some Christians speaking in their daily life: “Wow, this and that happened to me and I'm done.” And if we try to say something from the Word, we receive the following reply: “Yes, let's see how it will be when you end up like me and go through the same situation.” This may or may not be true.No matter how much we think about ourselves as being spiritually mature, and knowing a lot, and having had a lot of revelations, or going to seminary, our everyday language locates us exactly where we are in our spiritual growth.Psalm 91:7 (NKJV)7A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you.The psalmist is not speaking here of people outside the church, but of people in the same church perhaps, our brothers and sisters (on our left and right), next to us, for whom the Word did not work. Maybe they got sick or died. And you remain firm in your faith and say: “it will not come near me.” The Truth Is Not With the MajorityNumbers 13:1–2 (NKJV)1And the Lord spoke to Moses, saying,2“Send men to spy out the land of Canaan (to see if they can take the land, or if I am going to give it to them, or if they like it and if you still want Me to give it to you???), which I am giving to the children of Israel; from each tribe of their fathers you shall send a man, every one a leader among them.”Notice that these spies were not ordinary people, but leaders. And God was saying one thing, and most of these spies were saying a totally different thing.Numbers 14:2–9 (NKJV)2And all the children of Israel complained against Moses and Aaron, and the whole congregation said to them, “If only we had died in the land of Egypt! Or if only we had died in this wilderness!3Why has the Lord brought us to this land to fall by the sword, that our wives and children should become victims? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt?” (It was better when we were not saved and didn't know anything about this churchy stuff about faith)4So they said to one another, “Let us select a leader and return to Egypt.”5Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel.6But Joshua the son of Nun and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those who had spied out the land, tore their clothes; (only 2 men of all those 12 spies were different, meaning aprox. 16%)7and they spoke to all the congregation of the children of Israel, saying: “The land we passed through to spy out is an exceedingly good land. (not just good)8If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land and give it to us, ‘a land which flows with milk and honey.'9Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”God is not at all blessed to send Jesus to pay all this huge price and make all kinds of promises to us, and then having us not going and taking what has already been given to us. It does not bless God at all.When the spies came back, the people said: “Most of the spies, our leaders, said that we cannot take the land. Since 10 out of 12 said it, it must be true. They know what they are talking about, because they are also leaders. Even though we've come all this long way out of Egypt and even though God said what He said. ”If you assume the majority is right, you will almost always be wrong. Out of about 1.6 million Israelites only 2 entered the promised land, that is 0.000125%.When Jesus came to earth and preached the gospel to the people and to the Pharisees and Sadducees, did most of the people believe what He was teaching? NO. But who was right? They or Him? If you believed Jesus, you received life, and if you believed them, you received death.If we take a look at religious systems (and I mean even born-again Christians), many people in the body of Christ have education, but no revelation from the Word of God. Only someone with revelation will say, “What God said in His Word, He wants us to have. It belongs to us.”Numbers 14:9 (NKJV)9Only do not rebel against the Lord, nor fear the people of the land, for they are our bread; their protection has departed from them, and the Lord is with us. Do not fear them.”The two faith-filled spies did not see with their natural eyes that their protection was taken from the Canaanites, but by revelation and by faith.God waited for that whole generation to die in the wilderness. The people of Israel did not believe and because of this God turned them back into the wilderness towards the Red Sea and they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years until they died. The church is the same way today for the most part. But God us bringing the church again in these times close to Canaan and encourages us to enter the promised land. But will you enter, or will you decide to stay with the majority?Let's also think about the pressure on the next generation of Israel. Little John has grown up and is now an adult. And he remembers how his grandfather told him about the promised land that they would enter, but his grandfather died and he was unable to enter. “Why would I succeed?” is John wondering. Father and mother also died. Aunt Martha died. When we let doubts enter our minds, suddenly evidence is created to support our doubts. If that generation had looked at who didn't get in, they wouldn't have gotten in either. Faithfulness and Speech2 Corinthians 1:18–20 (NKJV)18But as God is faithful (or according to how faithful God is or the same way God is faithful), our word to you was not Yes and No.19For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who was preached among you by us—by me, Silvanus, and Timothy—was not Yes and No, but in Him was Yes.20For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.God's faithfulness is closely related to His Word. He is faithful to His given Word. God doesn't say, “Yeah, I said that, but I've learned a lot since then and I know all about you.” Little by LittleIn Exodus 23:30, God told Moses that He would give him the land not all at once, but LITTLE BY LITTLE:Exodus 23:29–30 (NKJV)29I will not drive them out from before you in one year, lest the land become desolate and the beasts of the field become too numerous for you.30Little by little I will drive them out from before you, until you have increased, and you inherit the land.If we expect God to do everything for us in our way and we just enter the “land” without any opposition or fight of faith, we are mistaken. Little by little we enter into the great inheritance of salvation. Mind renewal doesn't happen overnight.

I greet you in Jesus' precious name! It is Tuesday morning, the 21st of February, 2023, and this is your friend, Angus Buchan, with a thought for today.“For what great nation is there that has God so near to it, as the Lord our God is to us, for whatever reason we may call upon Him?“ Deuteronomy 4:7For whatever reason, any time. “The Lord is near to all who call upon Him,…” Psalm 145:18Then what about that beautiful scripture in Romans 10:13? All of us know it by heart. “For whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”What a mighty God! He is there for you and me all the time. C.H Spurgeon says in his testimony that one miserable, cold, freezing night there was a snow storm and he ducked into a little church, really just to escape the storm. There was a country preacher, a lay preacher, probably a farm worker, preaching out of Isaiah 45:22: “Look to Me, and be saved,…” and that was the turning point in Spurgeon's life. He went on to be one of the greatest preachers that have ever lived. At 21 years old, they built the London Tabernacle Church for him which could seat 10,000 people. The Lord is available to us today. He just wants us to call upon Him.What about that story of Dwight Lyman Moody? I love it so much. The minister was telling the people a story about D.L Moody preaching in the UK. He arrived in his carriage and horses and there were hundreds and hundreds of people waiting to greet him. The massive church was packed. It was full. No one else could get in there. D.L Moody was a big man and he was wearing his suit with tails, they used to have tails in those days, and as he looked to the one side, there was a little street urchin, an orphan, with a dirty face, dressed in rags, sitting on the sun-dial, crying his eyes out. The great man of God stopped with his entourage, he walked across to the little boy and said, “What is wrong, son?” And he said, “Sir, they won't let me into the church.” He said, “Take a hold of my coattails and don't let go.” The mighty preacher walked into the church, down the aisle, with people on both sides, the little orphan hanging on for dear life to the coattails, walked up the steps into the huge pulpit, set the little boy next to him, and started preaching, and when the minister had finished telling the story he said to the people, “I was that little street urchin and I am now the minister of this church.”Folks, it is not what you know, it is who you know that counts. Call unto Him today and He will help you.Jesus bless you and goodbye.

Psalm 80:18Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.How competent do you feel today? How able are you to do the things that you want or need to do? I imagine that some of us feel totally UNable today. We may be ill or tired or struggling with difficult circumstances, either temporary or permanent, that make us really aware of our own weaknesses and inabilities. Perhaps we find it hard to see others apparently 'succeeding' - those who seem able to just get on and achieve what they set their minds to without the obstacles that we face.  Others of us might be feeling more capable ... Right now we seem to have all the resources we need for life. We may not even understand why others are struggling.  Whichever group we fall into, today's verse is a great leveller. Here is something that NONE of us can do for ourselves!God's people's greatest problem - at the time of this psalm and today - is their unfaithfulness to God. They just can't seem to consistently trust and obey him. They know that being his people is a great privilege yet they turn away and behave like the nations around them, worshipping things that are not God. They know that they need to return to God, and live as his people, but they just can't do it. They can't even call on his name without help. They, and we, are utterly helpless when it comes to restoring and remaining in relationship with God. And that really matters. Succeeding in life does us no good at all if we can't maintain a relationship with him.Their only hope lies in the Son of Man at the Father's right hand. If God blesses them through Jesus, THEN they will be able to remain faithful. If God revives them by his Holy Spirit, then they will depend on him in prayer, calling on God's name instead of the names of their idols. The same is true for us. None of us can live in relationship with God unless God makes it possible. So, there is no room for self-sufficiency or pride ... If I am a Christian today, asking God for his help to trust and obey him, all the credit for that belongs to him. And there is no room for despair either ... however badly everything else in life may be going, God is able to keep me trusting and obeying him today. Let's thank him for that and pray with the psalmist that God would revive and sustain us so that we would call on his name today and every day of our lives.

Welcome to Hope City Church! NEW If you are new to Hope City text “Welcome” to 502-754-3212 SERMON NOTES Luke 12:13-21 13Then someone called from the crowd, “Teacher, please tell my brother to divide our father's estate with me.” 14Jesus replied, “Friend, who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that?” 15Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” 16Then he told them a story: “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. 17He said to himself, ‘What should I do? I don't have room for all my crops.' 18Then he said, ‘I know! I'll tear down my barns and build bigger ones. Then I'll have room enough to store all my wheat and other goods. 19And I'll sit back and say to myself, “My friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Eat, drink, and be merry!”' 20“But God said to him, ‘You fool! You will die this very night. Then who will get everything you worked for?' 21“Yes, a person is a fool to store up earthly wealth but not have a rich relationship with God.” CONNECT Connect with us! Visit the Hope City Church website at https://realhopenow.com/ , connect through the Hope City Church Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/realhopenow or download the Hope City Church Louisville app from the android or apple app store. CARE If you or a loved one is in need of prayer or care, we would love to help! Simply open the Hope City Church Louisville app, click on "Pastoral Care" or "Prayer Request" and fill out the form so that we can know how we can help. Or go to https://app.textinchurch.com/groups/webform/MjYxMDg4 and send us your prayer request. GIVE Our heart is to share as much hope with as many people as possible, and you make that happen because of your generosity. Click the link below to give. http://www.realhopenow.com/give/ Thank you for tuning in to today's service. We'll see you soon!

Find A Counselor • https://cdn.willamette.cc/assets/downloads/Counselor-Referral-List.pdf • Download a list of our recommended counselors. I'm New • https://hopecitypdx.com/sunday/join-us-in-person/im-new • Find opportunities to engage and grow! Share Your Story • https://hopecitypdx.com/grow#story • How is God working in and through your life? If you want to share your story, fill out a short form to let us know! Let Us Pray With You • https://hopecitypdx.com/prayer • Fill out a quick form to let us know how we can be praying for you. Sunday, October 16: Under Pressure Week 5 - Megan Lemmons: "Stressed & Overwhelmed" 1 Kings 17:1 Now Elijah, who was from Tishbe in Gilead, told King Ahab, “As surely as the Lord, the God of Israel, lives—the God I serve— there will be no dew or rain during the next few years until I give the word!” 1 Kings 18:37-39 “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, prove today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant. Prove that I have done all this at your command. O Lord, answer me! Answer me so these people will know that you, O Lord, are God and that you have brought them back to yourself.” Immediately the fire of the Lord flashed down from heaven and burned up the young bull, the wood, the stones, and the dust. It even licked up all the water in the trench! And when all the people saw it, they fell face down on the ground and cried out, “The Lord—he is God! Yes, the Lord is God!” 1 Kings 19:4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.” - Stress has a sneaky way of stealing our hope and trying to rob us of our faith. - When we are stressed and overwhelmed, we can be honest with God. - When we are stressed and overwhelmed, God's invitation is rest. 1 Kings 19:5-9Then he lay down under the bush and fell asleep. All at once an angel touched him and said, “Get up and eat.” He looked around, and there by his head was some bread baked over hot coals, and a jar of water. He ate and drank and then lay down again. The angel of the Lord came back a second time and touched him and said, “Get up and eat, for the journey is too much for you.” So he got up and ate and drank. Strengthened by that food, he traveled forty days and forty nights until he reached Horeb, the mountain of God. 9 There he went into a cave and spent the night. - Where do you need to be honest with God? - What stressful and overwhelming things have you been trying to manage in your own strength that you need to bring to him?- How is God inviting me to restoration in this season? 1 Kings 19:10 Elijah replied, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:11-14 “Go out and stand before me on the mountain,” the Lord told him. And as Elijah stood there, the Lord passed by, and a mighty windstorm hit the mountain. It was such a terrible blast that the rocks were torn loose, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. And after the earthquake there was a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the sound of a gentle whisper. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. And a voice said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?" He replied again, “I have zealously served the Lord God Almighty. But the people of Israel have broken their covenant with you, torn down your altars, and killed every one of your prophets. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me, too.” 1 Kings 19:15-18Then the Lord told him, “Go back the same way you came, and travel to the wilderness of Damascus. When you arrive there, anoint Hazael to be king of Aram. Then anoint Jehu grandson of Nimshi to be king of Israel, and anoint Elisha son of Shaphat from the town of Abel-meholah to replace you as my prophet. Anyone who escapes from Hazael will be killed by Jehu, and those who escape Jehu will be killed by Elisha! Yet I will preserve 7,000 others in Israel who have never bowed down to Baal or kissed him!” - When stress leads to isolation, God calls us to community - What community is God inviting you into? When we are stressed and overwhelmed: We can be honest with God God's invitation is rest. We go to isolation but God calls us to community

6Now Saul heard that David was discovered, and the men who were with him. Saul was sitting at Gibeah under the tamarisk tree on the height with his spear in his hand, and all his servants were standing about him. 7And Saul said to his servants who stood about him, “Hear now, people of Benjamin; will the son of Jesse give every one of you fields and vineyards, will he make you all commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds, 8that all of you have conspired against me? No one discloses to me when my son makes a covenant with the son of Jesse. None of you is sorry for me or discloses to me that my son has stirred up my servant against me, to lie in wait, as at this day.” 9Then answered Doeg the Edomite, who stood by the servants of Saul, “I saw the son of Jesse coming to Nob, to Ahimelech the son of Ahitub,10and he inquired of the LORD for him and gave him provisions and gave him the sword of Goliath the Philistine.” 11Then the king sent to summon Ahimelech the priest, the son of Ahitub, and all his father's house, the priests who were at Nob, and all of them came to the king. 12And Saul said, “Hear now, son of Ahitub.” And he answered, “Here I am, my lord.” 13And Saul said to him, “Why have you conspired against me, you and the son of Jesse, in that you have given him bread and a sword and have inquired of God for him, so that he has risen against me, to lie in wait, as at this day?”14Then Ahimelech answered the king, “And who among all your servants is so faithful as David, who is the king's son-in-law, and captain overc your bodyguard, and honored in your house? 15Is today the first time that I have inquired of God for him? No! Let not the king impute anything to his servant or to all the house of my father, for your servant has known nothing of all this, much or little.” 16And the king said, “You shall surely die, Ahimelech, you and all your father's house.”17And the king said to the guard who stood about him, “Turn and kill the priests of the LORD, because their hand also is with David, and they knew that he fled and did not disclose it to me.” But the servants of the king would not put out their hand to strike the priests of the LORD. 18Then the king said to Doeg, “You turn and strike the priests.” And Doeg the Edomite turned and struck down the priests, and he killed on that day eighty-five persons who wore the linen ephod.19And Nob, the city of the priests, he put to the sword; both man and woman, child and infant, ox, donkey and sheep, he put to the sword. 20But one of the sons of Ahimelech the son of Ahitub, named Abiathar, escaped and fled after David. 21And Abiathar told David that Saul had killed the priests of the LORD. 22And David said to Abiathar, “I knew on that day, when Doeg the Edomite was there, that he would surely tell Saul. I have occasioned the death of all the persons of your father's house.23Stay with me; do not be afraid, for he who seeks my life seeks your life. With me you shall be in safekeeping.”

GOSPEL POWER l JULY 31, 2022 18th Sunday in Ordinary Time Gospel: Lk 12:13-21 13Someone in the crowd said to Jesus, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” 14But he said to him, “Friend, who set me to be a judge or arbitrator over you?” 15 And he said to them, “Take care! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; for one's life does not consist in the abundance of possessions.” 16Then he told them a parable: “The land of a rich man produced abundantly. 17And he thought to himself, ‘What should I do, for I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, ‘I will do this: I will pull down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.' 20But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life is being demanded of you. And the things you have prepared, whose will they be?' 21So it is with those who store up treasures for themselves but are not rich toward God.” Material wealth is a blessing given us so that we can bless others. The problem is not with earthly wealth but with the human heart that gets hooked on it. The second reading describes this problem in exact terms — “greed which is idolatry” (Col 3:5). When wealth, rather than the Giver of wealth, becomes one's security, then wealth ceases to be the blessing that it is; it becomes an idol, a competitor of God. Wisdom begins when, like Qoheleth in the first reading, one realizes the vanity of wealth. Detached from its intended purpose, which is to bless others through sharing, wealth can draw us away from the sphere of God and drag us to the path of destruction. Lord Jesus, may we never forget that we are only stewards, not absolute owners of earthly wealth. Help us to use it according to the intentions of its Giver. Amen.

The Covenantof Marriage Genesis 2 18Then the Lord God said, “It is not good for the man to be alone; I will make him a helper suitable for him.” 19And out of the ground the Lord God formed every animal of the field and every bird of the sky, and brought them to the man to see what he would call them; and whatever the man called a living creature, that was its name. 20The man gave names to all the livestock, and to the birds of the sky, and to every animal of the field, but for Adam there was not found a helper suitable for him. Genesis 2 21So the Lord God caused a deep sleep to fall upon the man, and he slept; then He took one of his ribs and closed up the flesh at that place. 22And the Lord God fashioned into a woman the rib which He had taken from the man, and brought her to the man. 23Then the man said, At last, this is bone of my bones and flesh of my flesh, she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man. 24For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to (KJ cleave to) his wife; and they shall become one flesh. Hebrews 13:4 Marriage is to be held in honor among all, and the marriage bed is to be undefiled;for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterers. Matthew 19 3The Pharisees also came unto him, tempting him, and saying unto him, Is it lawful for a man to put away his wife for every cause? 4And he answered and said unto them, Have ye not read, that he which made them at the beginning made them male and female, 5And said, For this cause shall a man leave father and mother, and shall cleave to his wife: and they twain shall be one flesh? 6Wherefore they are no more twain, but one flesh. What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. 7You husbands in the same way, live with your wives in an understanding way, as with someone weaker, since she is a woman; and show her honor as a fellow heir of the grace of life, so that your prayers will not be hindered. 8To sum up, allof you be harmonious, sympathetic, loving, compassionate,and humble; 9not returning evil for evil or insult for insult,but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.

GOSPEL POWER l APRIL 20, 2022 Wednesday within the Octave of Easter Gospel: Lk 24:13-35 13On that same day two of the disciples were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.” 25Then he said to them, “Oh, how foolish you are, and how slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have declared! 26Was it not necessary that the Messiah should suffer these things and then enter into his glory?” 27Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he interpreted to them the things about himself in all the scriptures. 28As they came near the village to which they were going, he walked ahead as if he were going on. 29But they urged him strongly, saying, “Stay with us, because it is almost evening and the day is now nearly over.” So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at the table with them, he took bread, blessed and broke it, and gave it to them. 31Then their eyes were opened, and they recognized him; and he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, “Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road, while he was opening the scriptures to us?” 33That same hour they got up and returned to Jerusalem; and they found the eleven and their companions gathered together. 34They were saying, “The Lord has risen indeed, and he has appeared to Simon!” 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he had been made known to them in the breaking of the bread. T he small dreams and shallow hopes of the disciples of T he small dreams and shallow hopes of the disciples of Emmaus regarding a national redemption have to be thrown into crisis, so that they can be integrated into God's immense vision and plans for humanity and the entire creation. The disciples have pinned their hopes on Jesus, forgetting that it is the vocation of the entire nation Israel to be the instrument of God's integral salvation. Now, the risen Christ, who continues to be the Shepherd who goes after the straying sheep, enlightens them. By evoking Israel's Scriptures, the incognito Christ opens their minds to how Jesus assumed Israel's vocation to be the Suffering Servant of Yahweh.

(Easter 2022) 1Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. 3For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed. 12Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19If in Christ we have hopeb in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. 20But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 29Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30Why are we in danger every hour? 31I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.

Today's Reading: Introit for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany (Psalm 107:1, 8, 24-25; antiphon: v.28-29)Daily Lectionary: Zechariah 8:1-23; 2 Timothy 1:1-18Then they cried to the LORD in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. (From the Introit for the Fourth Sunday after the Epiphany)   In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Tomorrow's Introit speaks of God's "steadfast love" (Psalm 107:1). That's what always holds and lasts. For while this world is constantly tossing us about like a stormy sea, filled with one upheaval after another, one thing remains constant: the promise God has forever tied to the death of Jesus on the Cross for you. You are forgiven. God declares you forever holy now in His judgment. You are an heir to eternal life.God has not promised you your best life here and now. If anything, He has promised that our here-and-now will be filled with upheavals, trials, and troubles of every sort (Acts 14:22; Matthew 6:34b). It's why tomorrow's Introit, like a lighthouse, points the way for you by pointing to Jesus and His sacrifice on the Cross for you. Many Christians may even be singing, "When darkness veils His lovely face, I rest on His unchanging grace; in ev'ry high and stormy gale My anchor holds within the veil. On Christ, the solid rock I stand; All other ground is sinking sand" ("My Hope is Built on Nothing Less" LSB 575, st.2).     Or, perhaps many will be singing, "Hold Thou Thy cross before my closing eyes; Shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies. Heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee; In life, in death, O Lord, abide with me" ("Abide With Me" LSB 878, st.6).Either way, by Jesus' presence for you on the Cross, and by His presence for you today with the promise of His Cross in His water, in His Word, and at His Supper, God remains constant and steadfast in His goodness and mercy toward you, as well as His forgiveness and love. For what He has promised with the Cross, He will never take back.You may think, with all the upheavals all around you today like that stormy sea, nothing is solid, least of all the ground under your feet. But you'd be wrong. Today is just not that powerful. Nor is any upheaval or trial. God will not let that happen. Truth be told, Jesus be told, nothing is more powerful than the promise God has made with you on the Cross. It's a promise that still hushes the waves and calms the storm. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Why should cross and trial grieve me? Christ is near With His cheer; Never will He leave me. Who can rob me of the heaven That God's Son For me won When His life was given? ("Why Should Cross and Trial Grieve Me" LSB 756, st.1)-Rev. Bradley Drew is pastor of Mount Olive Lutheran Church in Metairie, LA.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Duane BamschPastor-psychiatrist duo Rev. A. Trevor Sutton and Dr. Brian Smith have teamed up to help you evaluate your technology use through a Christian perspective. Learn how to form healthy, faithful technology habits with Jesus at the center. Now available from Concordia Publishing House. 

Feast of the Holy Innocents, martyrsMt 2:13-18Then was fulfilled what had been said through Jeremiah the prophet:    A voice was heard in Ramah,        sobbing and loud lamentation;    Rachel weeping for her children,        and she would not be consoled,        since they were no more.

A message from serious John the Baptist that brings Joy because John points us to Christ. Luke 3:7-18 (EHV) So John kept saying to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8Therefore produce fruits in keeping with repentance! Do not even think of saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,' because I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is going to be cut down and thrown into the fire.” 10The crowds began to ask him, “What should we do then?” 11He answered them, “Whoever has two shirts should share with the person who has none, and whoever has food should do the same.” 12Tax collectors also came to be baptized. They said, “Teacher, what should we do?” 13To them he said, “Collect no more than what you were authorized to.” 14Soldiers were also asking him, “And what should we do?” He told them, “Do not extort money from anyone by force or false accusation. Be satisfied with your wages.” 15The people were waiting expectantly and were all wondering in their hearts if John could be the Christ. 16John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But someone mightier than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will thoroughly clean out his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.” 18Then with many other words, he appealed to them and was preaching good news to the people.

GOSPEL POWER l SEPTEMBER 20, 2021 l MONDAY 25th Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Lk 8:16-18 Jesus said, 16“No one after lighting a lamp hides it under a jar, or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a lampstand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17For nothing is hidden that will not be disclosed, nor is anything secret that will not become known and come to light. 18Then pay attention to how you listen; for to those who have, more will be given; and from those who do not have, even what they seem to have will be taken away.” It is the Word of God, heard and put into action, that lights up the life of a person, making it a source of illumination for others. That person's life, in all its dimensions, becomes a contextualized interpretation of the Word of God, giving visibility to the heavenly Kingdom that is already in our midst but not yet fully revealed. Lord Jesus, we thank you for those persons whose witness-of-life unveils for us the hidden meaning of Scriptures and kindles our hope for the full manifestation of the Kingdom in our midst. Amen

Words for the WearyTuesdays in the Old Testament1 Kings 19:9b-18Then the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.”He said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by.” Now there was a great wind, so strong that it was splitting mountains and breaking rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a sound of sheer silence. When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave. Then there came a voice to him that said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?” He answered, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts; for the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left, and they are seeking my life, to take it away.” Then the Lord said to him, “Go, return on your way to the wilderness of Damascus; when you arrive, you shall anoint Hazael as king over Aram. Also you shall anoint Jehu son of Nimshi as king over Israel; and you shall anoint Elisha son of Shaphat of Abel-meholah as prophet in your place. Whoever escapes from the sword of Hazael, Jehu shall kill; and whoever escapes from the sword of Jehu, Elisha shall kill. Yet I will leave seven thousand in Israel, all the knees that have not bowed to Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed him.”The Prayer for the 15th Sunday after TrinityKeep, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Psalm 80:18Then we will not turn away from you; revive us, and we will call on your name.How competent do you feel today? How able are you to do the things that you want or need to do? I imagine that some of us feel totally UNable today. We may be ill or tired or struggling with difficult circumstances, either temporary or permanent, that make us really aware of our own weaknesses and inabilities. Perhaps we find it hard to see others apparently 'succeeding' - those who seem able to just get on and achieve what they set their minds to without the obstacles that we face.  Others of us might be feeling more capable ... Right now we seem to have all the resources we need for life. We may not even understand why others are struggling.  Whichever group we fall into, today's verse is a great leveller. Here is something that NONE of us can do for ourselves!God's people's greatest problem - at the time of this psalm and today - is their unfaithfulness to God. They just can't seem to consistently trust and obey him. They know that being his people is a great privilege yet they turn away and behave like the nations around them, worshipping things that are not God. They know that they need to return to God, and live as his people, but they just can't do it. They can't even call on his name without help. They, and we, are utterly helpless when it comes to restoring and remaining in relationship with God. And that really matters. Succeeding in life does us no good at all if we can't maintain a relationship with him.Their only hope lies in the Son of Man at the Father's right hand. If God blesses them through Jesus, THEN they will be able to remain faithful. If God revives them by his Holy Spirit, then they will depend on him in prayer, calling on God's name instead of the names of their idols. The same is true for us. None of us can live in relationship with God unless God makes it possible. So, there is no room for self-sufficiency or pride ... If I am a Christian today, asking God for his help to trust and obey him, all the credit for that belongs to him. And there is no room for despair either ... however badly everything else in life may be going, God is able to keep me trusting and obeying him today. Let's thank him for that and pray with the psalmist that God would revive and sustain us so that we would call on his name today and every day of our lives.

View the Bulletin for Wednesday, April 14, 2021Service Time: 7:00 p.m.All are welcome.Visit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.For this final Saturday, just as it has been for previous Saturdays, the participant number will be limited to a total of TWENTY FIVE (23 worshippers, 1 elder, pastor). Saturday’s readings and the sermon will be the same as the following Sundays (these services are currently different from one another). REGISTER FOR SATURDAY.After Saturday, April 17th, we will discontinue the Saturday morning service (10:00 a.m.) Participant number will be limited to a total of TWENTY FIVE (23 worshippers, 1 elder, pastor). Saturday’s readings and the sermon will be the same as the following Sunday’s (these services are currently different from one another). REGISTER FOR SATURDAY.Exodus 24:1-18Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.John 20:19-31On the evening of that day, the first day of the week, the doors being locked where the disciples were for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said to them, “Peace be with you.” When he had said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples were glad when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, “Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, even so I am sending you.” And when he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, “Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.”Now Thomas, one of the twelve, called the Twin, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord.” But he said to them, “Unless I see in his hands the mark of the nails, and place my finger into the mark of the nails, and place my hand into his side, I will never believe.”Eight days later, his disciples were inside again, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you.” Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hand, and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.” Thomas answered him, “My Lord and my God!” Jesus said to him, “Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.The Apostle’s CreedThe Third ArticleWhat is the third article of the creed?I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. AmenWhat does this mean?I believe that I cannot by my own reason or strength believe in Jesus Christ, my Lord, or come to Him; but the Holy Spirit has called me by the Gospel, enlightened me with His gifts, sanctified and kept me in the true faith. In the same way He calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian church on earth, and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith. In this Christian church He daily and richly forgives all my sins and the sins of all believers. On the Last Day He will raise me and all the dead, and give eternal life to me and all believers in Christ.

If There Had Been No Resurrection Easter says you can put truth in a grave, but it won’t stay there. Clarence W. Hall By Pastor George Lehman On this Easter Sunday I want us to read from God's word from: I Corinthians 15 :12- 19 - Our sermon title: If there had been no Resurrection? I want to ask you a question before I read this scripture, Have you ever heard of a man named Harry Houdini? Many of you have. He died in October of 1926. But his claim to fame was that he was a magician that specialized in spectacular escapes. As a matter of fact, he was said to have laughed at locks, sneered at fetters. They said of Harry that he had the flexibility of an eel. He had the lives of a cat. They did all kinds of things to try to incarcerate him. They would seal him in coffins. He would escape. They riveted him into a boiler. He escaped. They sowed him up in canvas bags. He escaped. They locked him in a milk can. He escaped. They sealed him in a beer barrel. He escaped. They put him in maximum-security prison. And old Harry somehow got out. But then in October 1926, death laid his hands on Harry Houdini and they put him in a grave and he is yet to escape. As a matter of fact, he told his wife, if there is any way out, I will find it. If there is any way out, I'll make contact with you and we'll do it on the anniversary of my death. For 10 years she kept a light burning over his portrait. At the end of 10 years, she turned out the light. Death had Harry and he could not escape. Death laid his hands on the Lord Jesus Christ also. And death put Jesus in a rock-hollowed out tomb. And there was a stone in the mouth of that tomb and the seal of the Roman government was placed upon that tomb. But on the third day, Jesus Christ stirred himself. He rose from the sleep of death. And he left those grave clothes that were wrapped around him like a butterfly would forsake a cocoon. And Jesus Christ passed through the walls of that rock- hollowed out tomb. By the way, the stone was not rolled away to let Jesus out. It was rolled away to let the disciples in to see that Jesus had come back. Jesus Christ is alive. He is not behind us in a tomb. He is before us on a throne. We thank God for that. But I want to ask you a question. Suppose that had not happened. Suppose death still held Jesus like it does Harry Houdini Then what? Suppose there had been no Resurrection. 1 Corinthians 15:12 -19 (NIV) – 12But if it is preached that Christ has been raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13If there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith. 15More than that, we are then found to be false witnesses about God, for we have testified about God that he raised Christ from the dead. But he did not raise him if in fact the dead are not raised. 16For the dead are not raised, then Christ has not be raised either. 17And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. 18Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. 19If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are of all people most to be pitied. Now the apostle Paul mentions a thing so unthinkable, and it’s this, suppose there had been no Resurrection. Suppose Jesus Christ is still in that grave. Paul says, our preaching is useless: verse 14, ''And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless* and so is our faith'' The word useless means empty, futile, with no purpose, a colossal waste of time, if there is no resurrection, you and I are wasting our time by watching this message. I'm wasting my time by preaching and you are wasting yours by   listening, we all ought to do something else. Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” But if you don't believe that God raised him from the dead then your faith is foolish, and you won’t be saved. You see, this is the difference between Jesus Christ and the other religions. They lived, they died, they are dead. Jesus lived, he died, and he rose again. Friend, there is no need to follow a loser. Jesus has escaped death. And the Bible said it in Romans 1:4, ''He is shown to be the son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead.'' How do I know he is the Son of God? How do I know that he can save me? How do I know the Bible is true? How do I know the promises of God are yes and amen in Jesus Christ? I'll tell you how. God brought him from the dead and that was God's stamp of approval on all that he said and did and taught. He was shown to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead. We do not serve a dead Saviour. A dead Saviour is nobody's Saviour. A little boy was in the classroom and the teacher gave this assignment, write an essay on the world's greatest living man. Some wrote about the president. Others wrote about members of Congress. Some wrote about people in the entertainment world. Some wrote about people in the sports world. Some wrote about scientists and philosophers. But one little boy, wrote about Jesus Christ, an essay on Jesus Christ. When the teacher received the paper she said, ''Son, that's a nice paper, but you misunderstood the assignment. I said the world's greatest living man.'' He said, ''But teacher, he is alive.'' He is alive. We don't serve a dead Saviour. That he died for you is not important unless he also rose from the dead, which was the stamp of approval and authenticity upon the full payment for your sins. No resurrection, no Saviour. No Saviour, no forgiveness. No forgiveness, no justification. No justification, no cleansing. No cleansing, the penalty of your sin is upon us. Notice 1 Corinthians 15:20a - ''But now is Christ risen from the dead…” And because he is, preaching is profitable, faith is feasible, the disciples are dependable, sin is subdued, death is defeated, and the future is fabulous because Christ has been raised from the dead. He has taken the sting out of sin. He has taken the gloom out of the grave. He has taken the dread out of death and he has given to us a hope that is steadfast and sure. ''Living he loved me, dying he saved me, buried he carried my sins far away, rising he justified, freely forever. One day He's coming, oh glorious day.'' Thank God that we're no longer in our sins because we have a risen Saviour who has paid the price for our sins Romans 8:11(NIV) – And if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of His Spirit who lives in you.   1 Peter 1:3-5 (NIV) – 3Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In His great mercy He has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you, 5who through faith are shielded by God’s power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

On Whom Do You Trust? In God Or Someone Or Something Else? Trust In God To Experience God’s Full Blessing 2 Kings 13:14 - 19 14Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.”

Weekend Sermon Notes Series Title: Christ Centered Community SPEAKER: Pastor Kevin Taylor   Gal 1:11-24   Galatians 1:11-24 ESV 11For I would have you know, brothers, that the gospel that was preached by me is not man’s gospel. 12For I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it, but I received it through a revelation of Jesus Christ. 13For you have heard of my former life in Judaism, how I persecuted the church of God violently and tried to destroy it. 14And I was advancing in Judaism beyond many of my own age among my people, so extremely zealous was I for the traditions of my fathers. 15But when he who had set me apart before I was born, and who called me by his grace, 16was pleased to reveal his Son to me, in order that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not immediately consult with anyone; 17nor did I go up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me, but I went away into Arabia, and returned again to Damascus. 18Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to visit Cephas and remained with him fifteen days. 19But I saw none of the other apostles except James the Lord’s brother. 20(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) 21Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. 22And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. 23They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” 24And they glorified God because of me.

Message John 6 : 16-21 - Pastor Jim Apgar John 20 : 31 31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Mark 6 : 52 52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. John 12 : 24 24Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. John 6 : 16-21 16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. Exodus 24 : 9-11 9Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. Daniel 3 : 24-25 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3 : 27 27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king's counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. John 6 : 68-69 68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” II Chronicles 7 : 13-14 13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Matthew 14 :33 33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Message John 6 : 16-21 - Pastor Jim Apgar John 20 : 31 31but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name. Mark 6 : 52 52For they had not understood about the loaves, because their heart was hardened. John 12 : 24 24Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. John 6 : 16-21 16Now when evening came, His disciples went down to the sea, 17got into the boat, and went over the sea toward Capernaum. And it was already dark, and Jesus had not come to them. 18Then the sea arose because a great wind was blowing. 19So when they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and drawing near the boat; and they were afraid. 20But He said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” 21Then they willingly received Him into the boat, and immediately the boat was at the land where they were going. Exodus 24 : 9-11 9Then Moses went up, also Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, 10and they saw the God of Israel. And there was under His feet as it were a paved work of sapphire stone, and it was like the very heavens in its clarity. 11But on the nobles of the children of Israel He did not lay His hand. So they saw God, and they ate and drank. Daniel 3 : 24-25 24Then King Nebuchadnezzar was astonished; and he rose in haste and spoke, saying to his counselors, “Did we not cast three men bound into the midst of the fire?” They answered and said to the king, “True, O king.” 25“Look!” he answered, “I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.” Daniel 3 : 27 27And the satraps, administrators, governors, and the king’s counselors gathered together, and they saw these men on whose bodies the fire had no power; the hair of their head was not singed nor were their garments affected, and the smell of fire was not on them. John 6 : 68-69 68But Simon Peter answered Him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69Also we have come to believe and know that You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” II Chronicles 7 : 13-14 13When I shut up heaven and there is no rain, or command the locusts to devour the land, or send pestilence among My people, 14if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. Matthew 14 :33 33Then those who were in the boat came and worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”

Going Deeper What is the primary message Peter and John were proclaiming to the religious leadership in this chapter? With the 40 year old man having been healed and present in the gathering, why do you think the Jewish leaders were undecisive as to how this message could be stopped? This early A2 community was marked by unity, prayer and generosity. What could/should that look like in your life group? In our church? How do you plan to move in that direction?Teaching NotesWhen God makes a wave, it is unstoppable. Acts 4:1 The priests and the captain of the temple guard and the Sadducees came up to Peter and John while they were speaking to the people. 2They were greatly disturbed because the apostles were teaching the people, proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 3They seized Peter and John and, because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. 4But many who heard the message believed; so the number of men who believed grew to about five thousand.5The next day the rulers, the elders and the teachers of the law met in Jerusalem. 6Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, John, Alexander and others of the high priest’s family. 7They had Peter and John brought before them and began to question them: “By what power or what name did you do this?”8Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: “Rulers and elders of the people! 9If we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a man who was lame and are being asked how he was healed, 10then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. 11Jesus is“ ‘the stone you builders rejected,which has become the cornerstone.’12Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”13When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus. 14But since they could see the man who had been healed standing there with them, there was nothing they could say. 15So they ordered them to withdraw from the Sanhedrin and then conferred together. 16“What are we going to do with these men?” they asked. “Everyone living in Jerusalem knows they have performed a notable sign, and we cannot deny it. 17But to stop this thing from spreading any further among the people, we must warn them to speak no longer to anyone in this name.”18Then they called them in again and commanded them not to speak or teach at all in the name of Jesus. 19But Peter and John replied, “Which is right in God’s eyes: to listen to you, or to him? You be the judges! 20As for us, we cannot help speaking about what we have seen and heard.”21After further threats they let them go. They could not decide how to punish them, because all the people were praising God for what had happened. 22For the man who was miraculously healed was over forty years old. 23On their release, Peter and John went back to their own people and reported all that the chief priests and the elders had said to them. 24When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God. …31After they prayed, the place where they were meeting was shaken. And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke the word of God boldly. 32All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of their possessions was their own, but they shared everything they had. 33With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all 34that there were no needy persons among them. For from time to time those who owned land or houses sold them, brought the money from the sales 35and put it at the apostles’ feet, and it was distributed to anyone who had need. Three ways we ride God’s unstoppable wave:1. Prayer - We don’t move without prayer When they heard this, they raised their voices together in prayer to God…Acts 4:24 2. Unity - We are better together. All the believers were one in heart and mind.Acts 4:32 “I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one—I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.” John 17:22-23 3. Generosity - God is generous and so are we. …they shared everything they had. With great power the apostles continued to testify to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And God’s grace was so powerfully at work in them all that there were no needy persons among them.Acts 4:32-34 God loves to use people just like you. “When they saw the courage of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished and they took note that these men had been with Jesus.” Acts 4:13Sunday Set ListEvery Beat- North Point InsideOutO the Blood- Mitch LangleyPeace Be Still- The Belonging CoGreat Are You Lord- All Sons & DaughtersBe sure to follow our Spotify Worship Playlist, updated weekly with the upcoming Sunday’s set!

View the Bulletin for Wednesday April 22, 2020Service Time 7:00 p.m.All are welcome!Sign up for “Small Group” services (Tuesday, Thursday & Saturday) Only 10 people permitted in the building, Pastor (1), Elder (1), and 8 Worshipers CLICK to Sign up for participant-limited servicesVisit our YouTube channel — Click the red “subscribe” box, and then click on the “bell” next to that box to receive Live Streaming notifications. You must be logged into YouTube to activate these features.You can donate online at: http://www.zlcb.org/donateExodus 24:1-18Then he said to Moses, “Come up to the LORD, you and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel, and worship from afar. Moses alone shall come near to the LORD, but the others shall not come near, and the people shall not come up with him.”Moses came and told the people all the words of the LORD and all the rules. And all the people answered with one voice and said, “All the words that the LORD has spoken we will do.” And Moses wrote down all the words of the LORD. He rose early in the morning and built an altar at the foot of the mountain, and twelve pillars, according to the twelve tribes of Israel. And he sent young men of the people of Israel, who offered burnt offerings and sacrificed peace offerings of oxen to the LORD. And Moses took half of the blood and put it in basins, and half of the blood he threw against the altar. Then he took the Book of the Covenant and read it in the hearing of the people. And they said, “All that the LORD has spoken we will do, and we will be obedient.” And Moses took the blood and threw it on the people and said, “Behold the blood of the covenant that the LORD has made with you in accordance with all these words.”Then Moses and Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu, and seventy of the elders of Israel went up, and they saw the God of Israel. There was under his feet as it were a pavement of sapphire stone, like the very heaven for clearness. And he did not lay his hand on the chief men of the people of Israel; they beheld God, and ate and drank.The LORD said to Moses, “Come up to me on the mountain and wait there, that I may give you the tablets of stone, with the law and the commandment, which I have written for their instruction.” So Moses rose with his assistant Joshua, and Moses went up into the mountain of God. And he said to the elders, “Wait here for us until we return to you. And behold, Aaron and Hur are with you. Whoever has a dispute, let him go to them.”Then Moses went up on the mountain, and the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the LORD dwelt on Mount Sinai, and the cloud covered it six days. And on the seventh day he called to Moses out of the midst of the cloud. Now the appearance of the glory of the LORD was like a devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the sight of the people of Israel. Moses entered the cloud and went up on the mountain. And Moses was on the mountain forty days and forty nights.Luke 5:1-16On one occasion, while the crowd was pressing in on him to hear the word of God, he was standing by the lake of Gennesaret, and he saw two boats by the lake, but the fishermen had gone out of them and were washing their nets. Getting into one of the boats, which was Simon's, he asked him to put out a little from the land. And he sat down and taught the people from the boat. And when he had finished speaking, he said to Simon, “Put out into the deep and let down your nets for a catch.” And Simon answered, “Master, we toiled all night and took nothing! But at your word I will let down the nets.” And when they had done this, they enclosed a large number of fish, and their nets were breaking. They signaled to their partners in the other boat to come and help them. And they came and filled both the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” For he and all who were with him were astonished at the catch of fish that they had taken, and so also were James and John, sons of Zebedee, who were partners with Simon. And Jesus said to Simon, “Do not be afraid; from now on you will be catching men.” And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him.While he was in one of the cities, there came a man full of leprosy. And when he saw Jesus, he fell on his face and begged him, “Lord, if you will, you can make me clean.” And Jesus stretched out his hand and touched him, saying, “I will; be clean.” And immediately the leprosy left him. And he charged him to tell no one, but “go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing, as Moses commanded, for a proof to them.” But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.The Ten CommandmentsWhat is the eighth commandment.You shall not give false testimony against your neighbor.What does this mean?We should fear and love God so that we do not tell lies about our neighbor, betray him, slander him, or hurt his reputation, but defend him, speak well of him, and explain everything in the kindest way.

Ruth 3:18 18Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out; for the man will not rest until he has concluded the matter this day.”God doesn’t want you to “sweat” and this is not same as perspiration. Sweat in God’s eyes is self-effort or self-reliance. “Rest” is resting from you being your own source. Enjoy!

18Then the one who looked like a man touched me again, and I felt my strength returningDaniel 10:18

2 KINGS 15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” Podcast powered by Spreaker. Go to www.spreaker.com/create

2 KINGS 15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” Podcast powered by Spreaker. Go to www.spreaker.com/create

2 KINGS 15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” Podcast powered by Spreaker. Go to www.spreaker.com/create

Day 24: 1 Chronicles 12:18Then the spirit came upon Amasai, who was chief of the captains, and he said, Thine are we, David, and on thy side, thou son of Jesse: peace, peace be unto thee, and peace be to thine helpers; for thy God helpeth thee. Then David received them, and made them captains of the band.40daysofsts.com

DOWNLOAD the PDF worksheet for this sermon: http://bit.ly/tsw-speakSupport The Source Wichita : http://thesourcewichita.com/giveSupport the Source Network: https://amzn.to/2MI780mJAMES 5:17-18Elijah was a man with a nature like ours; yet he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and for three years and six months it did not rain on the land.w 18Then he prayed again, and the sky gave rain and the land produced its fruit. ACTS 7:30-32After 40 years had passed, an angel appeared to him in the wilderness of Mount Sinai, in the flame of a burning bush. When Moses saw it, he was amazed at the sight. As he was approaching to look at it, the voice of the Lord came: I am the God of your fathers—the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Jacob. So Moses began to tremble and did not dare to look.1 SAMUEL 3:1-103 The boy Samuel served the Lord in Eli’s presence. In those days the word of the Lord was rare and prophetic visions were not widespread.2 One day Eli, whose eyesight was failing, was lying in his room. 3 Before the lamp of God had gone out, Samuel was lying down in the tabernacle of the Lord, where the ark of God was located. 4 Then the Lord called Samuel,[a] and he answered, “Here I am.” 5 He ran to Eli and said, “Here I am; you called me.” “I didn’t call,” Eli replied. “Go back and lie down.” So he went and lay down.6 Once again the Lord called, “Samuel!”Samuel got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.”“I didn’t call, my son,” he replied. “Go back and lie down.”7 Now Samuel had not yet experienced the Lord, because the word of the Lord had not yet been revealed to him. 8 Once again, for the third time, the Lord called Samuel. He got up, went to Eli, and said, “Here I am; you called me.” Then Eli understood that the Lord was calling the boy. 9 He told Samuel, “Go and lie down. If He calls you, say, ‘Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.’” So Samuel went and lay down in his place. 10 The Lord came, stood there, and called as before, “Samuel, Samuel!”Samuel responded, “Speak, for Your servant is listening.” HEBREWS 11:6 Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him. Rewards: Paying What Is Due. ? What is due when someone calls on you? You respond. What is due when you seek out relationship? Relationship is due. God REWARDS those who seek Him. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Luke 24:13-35: "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."

Luke 24:13-35: "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."

Luke 24:13-35: "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."

Luke 24:13-35: "That very day two of them were going to a village named Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and they were talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing together, Jesus himself drew near and went with them. 16But their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, "What is this conversation that you are holding with each other as you walk?" And they stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, named Cleopas, answered him, "Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem who does not know the things that have happened there in these days?" 19And he said to them, "What things?" And they said to him, "Concerning Jesus of Nazareth, a man who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and rulers delivered him up to be condemned to death, and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things happened. 22Moreover, some women of our company amazed us. They were at the tomb early in the morning, 23and when they did not find his body, they came back saying that they had even seen a vision of angels, who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said, but him they did not see." 25And he said to them, "O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?" 27And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself. 28So they drew near to the village to which they were going. He acted as if he were going farther, 29but they urged him strongly, saying, "Stay with us, for it is toward evening and the day is now far spent." So he went in to stay with them. 30When he was at table with them, he took the bread and blessed and broke it and gave it to them. 31And their eyes were opened, and they recognized him. And he vanished from their sight. 32They said to each other, "Did not our hearts burn within us while he talked to us on the road, while he opened to us the Scriptures?" 33And they rose that same hour and returned to Jerusalem. And they found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, 34saying, "The Lord has risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!" 35Then they told what had happened on the road, and how he was known to them in the breaking of the bread."

STRIKE THE GROUND Put These In Order: Plant? Harvest? Plow? “You reap what you___. So, What comes before reaping?_____.” “But, What comes before sowing? _________.” Luke 9:62 “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.” 2 Kings 13:14-19 “14When Elisha became sick with the illness of which he was to die, Joash the king of Israel came down to him and wept over him and said, “My father, my father, the chariots of Israel and its horsemen!” 15Elisha said to him, “Take a bow and arrows.” So he took a bow and arrows. 16Then he said to the king of Israel, “Put your hand on the bow.” And he put his hand on it, then Elisha laid his hands on the king’s hands. 17He said, “Open the window toward the east,” and he opened it. Then Elisha said, “Shoot!” And he shot. And he said, “The LORD’S arrow of victory, even the arrow of victory over Aram; for you will defeat the Arameans at Aphek until you have destroyed them.” 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and he took them. And he said to the king of Israel, “Strike the ground,” and he struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it.” But Why? Elisha Knew That The Outcome Of The Battle Is Often Decided Before It Begins. 1 Kings 19:19, 21 “So he [Elijah] departed from there and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, while he was plowing with twelve pairs of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth. And Elijah passed over to him and threw his mantle on him. 21So he returned from following him, and took the pair of oxen and sacrificed them and boiled their flesh with the implements of the oxen…” The Outcome Of The Battle Is Decided By... “The Preparation Of The Plow.” Most of us are not performing at the level of our potential. We are performing at the level of soil preparation we have plowed for. Elisha was saying to Jehoash: “There Was More That God Had In Store, But You Stopped Short.” People “Stop Short” Of Preparation, But So Do Whole Churches! First: There is a fresh vision from God. Lives are transformed by the light of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God advances! Next: Satan strikes back in spiritual warfare against us. We take painful losses. We DO NOT understand! Then: In confusion and denial, we learn how to “stop short” so we are no longer threatened - and are no longer a threat! COLUMBUS GA, IS A GOOD PLACE FOR PLOWING. GOD Is A GOD... Of PREPARATION! You’ve been asking God to SEND It. He’s Been Asking You to FORM it. He Won’t FILL What You Don’t FORM! Don’t Expect Your Preparation To LOOK Like Your PROMISE. The PLACE God Prepares You The MOST... Is The PLACE That Seems The Most POINTLESS To You. God Prepares You To Trust The TEACHER By Putting You In A CLASS That Doesn’t LOOK Like The CALLING. I’m NOT Saying, “This Will Take Your PAIN Away.” I AM Saying, “Start SEEING Your Pain As Preparation.” I’m NOT Saying, “God Is The One Who Hurt You.” I AM Saying, “In His Hands, Whatever Hurt You Will Become Healing For Where He’s Taking You.” MY JOB Is The PLOW: “...Keep Striking The Ground.” God Is Preparing You. He’s Getting You READY. You’re Tending Sheep. You’re in the field. You ARE The Field. God Is Preparing You FOR... What He Has Prepared FOR You! It’s Not Failure. It’s PREPARATION! It Doesn’t FEEL Like Preparation. It FEELS Like FAILURE. The Failure Was Preparation. So That, You Would Have The INFRASTRUCTURE And The FORTITUDE For SUCCESS! Our Way: “The Preparation Exists For The Battle.” God’s Way: “The Battle Exists For The Preparation.” Battles Come And Go, But Preparation Creates Conquerors! WHERE HAS GOD TOLD YOU TO KEEP STRIKING THE GROUND?

FOCUS THE FIGHT - WORK YOUR WINDOW, 07.09.17 - II Kings 13:14 - 20 --- Sermon Content Credit: Pastor Steven Furtick 14Now Elisha had been suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. “My father! My father!” he cried. “The chariots and horsemen of Israel!” 15Elisha said, “Get a bow and some arrows,” and he did so. 16“Take the bow in your hands,” he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king’s hands. 17“Open the east window,” he said, and he opened it. “Shoot!” Elisha said, and he shot. “The Lord’s arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!” Elisha declared. “You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek.” [ LET GOD ] PICK YOUR BATTLES. He Told Him Which Window To Open Which Signified Which Battle He Needed To Fight. You Can’t Win Anywhere Because You’re Trying To Win Everywhere. Action Without Aim Leads to Exhaustion. Everyone Has An Aram, And Everyone Has Arrow. Are You Focused On Your Aram, Or Your Arrow? If I Focus Too Much On On Aram, I Lose Sight Of My Arrow. We Get Discouraged In The Fight, Because We Have No Focus. Now faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. Heb. 11:1 Ask God, What Is It That You Have Given Me The Title To? WATCH THE ARROW. If You Look At How Big Your Enemy Is, You’ll Always Lose Strength And Heart And Courage. Watch The Arrow Means: Look For The Activity Of God! He will show you where to shoot. I CAN’T WIN EVERYWHERE AT ONCE. I CAN’T PLEASE EVERYBODY. 1st VIEW YOUR VICTORY ~ 2nd .FOCUS THE FIGHT! YOUR BIGGEST FIGHT IS NEVER OUT THERE. 18Then he said, “Take the arrows,” and the king took them. Elisha told him, “Strike the ground.” He struck it three times and stopped. 19The man of God was angry with him and said, “You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times.” 20Elisha died and was buried. DETERMINE THE DECISION. I Have Determined The Decision In Advance. It’s Not An Option For Me To Stop Short. I Have Aimed My Arrow In The Direction Of My Pre-Determined Destiny And I Will Not Stop Striking The Ground Until it Comes To Pass! Take Aim. Take Action. It’s Not What Happened In The Air That Determined The Victory. It’s What Happened On The Ground. If You Will Do What You Can Do. God Will Do What You Can’t Do. It’s His Arrow, But It’s Your Effort. It’s His Victory, But It Starts With Your Vision. Pray, “God, Show Me Where To Shoot. Show Me Where To Focus.”

Greed: Luke 12:13-24: "13Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!"

Greed: Luke 12:13-24: "13Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!"

Greed: Luke 12:13-24: "13Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!"

Greed: Luke 12:13-24: "13Someone in the crowd said to Him, "Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me." 14But He said to him, "Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?" 15Then He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions." 16And He told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man was very productive. 17And he began reasoning to himself, saying, 'What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?' 18Then he said, 'This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19And I will say to my soul, "Soul, you have many goods laid up for many years to come; take your ease, eat, drink and be merry."' 20But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your soul is required of you; and now who will own what you have prepared?' 21So is the man who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich toward God." 22And He said to His disciples, "For this reason I say to you, do not worry about your life, as to what you will eat; nor for your body, as to what you will put on. 23For life is more than food, and the body more than clothing. 24Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap; they have no storeroom nor barn, and yet God feeds them; how much more valuable you are than the birds!"

Ruth 3:10-18 AFFIRM - The Best Flavor. 10Then he said, “May you be blessed of the LORD, my daughter. You have shown your last kindness to be better than the first by not going after young men, whether poor or rich. 11“And now, my daughter, do not fear. I will do for you whatever you ask, for all my people in the city know that you are a woman of excellence. STOP - Know Your Place. (boundaries) 12“And now it is true I am a close relative; however, there is a relative closer than I. 13“Remain this night, and when morning comes, if he will redeem you, good; let him redeem you. But if he does not wish to redeem you, then I will redeem you, as the LORD lives. Lie down until morning.” HONOR - Words Protect Family. (Can’t Be Taken Back.) 14So she lay at his feet until morning and rose before one could recognize another; and he said, “Let it not be known that the woman came to the threshing floor.” GIVE - Go Beyond Expectations. 15Again he said, “Give me the cloak that is on you and hold it.” So she held it, and he measured six measures of barley and laid it on her. Then she went into the city. 16And when she came to her mother-in-law, she said, “How did it go, my daughter?” And she told her all that the man had done for her. 17And she said, “These six measures of barley he gave to me, for he said, ‘Do not go to your mother-in-law empty-handed.’” ACT - Face Unsettled Issues. 18Then she said, “Wait, my daughter, until you know how the matter turns out; for the man will not rest until he has settled it today.”

Malachi 3:18Then shall ye return, and discern between the righteous and the wicked,between him that serveth God and him that serveth him not. Is there a difference between a righteous or a wicked man?YesThere is as much difference between one who serves God and one who does not as there is between a righteous man and a wicked man.But sometimes the difference is not so obvious. That is why you need discernment to pick it up.  In time, the difference will show. Matthew 7:24-27Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. The rain descended and the floods came and the wind blew upon both the houses of the wise and foolish man. This makes many Christians wonder what is the point of serving of God. It makes many Christians begin to backslide and compromise because they have conceded too early.  Just keep going on, just keep working for the Lord, in time the difference will show. Building on the sand looks like it can save time, it can save money. Sometimes it seems like those are not serving the Lord live happier and better lives. It will show in your household, in your character, in all you do. Joshua 24:15And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua made a choice to serve the Lord even if he would be in the minority.  Noah must have been laughed at when he was building ark. It seemed ridiculous. He was in the minority.  In God, the majority is not always right. In God, often the minority is right. The Bible says there is a road that leads to life and few find it. 

Co-pastor Timothy Kim talks about what hope is, what it takes to imagine better things, and how that relates to the idea of God's Kingdom being present for us today (and not in the distant, unknown future).Readings:Luke 24:13-2413Now on that same day two of them were going to a village called Emmaus, about seven miles from Jerusalem, 14and talking with each other about all these things that had happened. 15While they were talking and discussing, Jesus himself came near and went with them, 16but their eyes were kept from recognizing him. 17And he said to them, “What are you discussing with each other while you walk along?” They stood still, looking sad. 18Then one of them, whose name was Cleopas, answered him, “Are you the only stranger in Jerusalem who does not know the things that have taken place there in these days?” 19He asked them, “What things?” They replied, “The things about Jesus of Nazareth, who was a prophet mighty in deed and word before God and all the people, 20and how our chief priests and leaders handed him over to be condemned to death and crucified him. 21But we had hoped that he was the one to redeem Israel. Yes, and besides all this, it is now the third day since these things took place. 22Moreover, some women of our group astounded us. They were at the tomb early this morning, 23and when they did not find his body there, they came back and told us that they had indeed seen a vision of angels who said that he was alive. 24Some of those who were with us went to the tomb and found it just as the women had said; but they did not see him.”Excerpt from Paul Tillich's Sermon "The Right to Hope"“Where there is genuine hope, there that for which we hope already has some presence.  In some way, the hoped for is at the same time here and not here. It is not yet fulfilled, and it may remain unfulfilled. But it here, in the situation and in ourselves, as a power which drives those who hope into the future. There is a beginning here and now. And this beginning drives toward an end. The hope itself, IF it is rooted in the reality of something already given, becomes a driving, power and makes fulfillment not certain, but possible.”

Easter Where We Meet God The Crucifixion Matthew 27:33-44 The Death of Jesus Matthew 27:45-56 The Burial of Jesus Matthew 27:57-61 The Resurrection Matthew 28:1-9 John 2:18-22 18Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?" 19Jesus answered them, "Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days." 20The Jews replied, "It has taken forty-six years to build this temple, and you are going to raise it in three days?" 21But the temple he had spoken of was his body. 22After he was raised from the dead, his disciples recalled what he had said. Then they believed the Scripture and the words that Jesus had spoken. Why did Jesus draw the connection between the Jewish temple and his own body? The temple was the dwelling place of God in rare times when the glory of God filled the holy place. But in Jesus, the presence of God does not come and go. He is God. The Bible says about Jesus, “In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form.” (Colossians 2:9) Where we meet him, we meet God. He came to take the place of the temple as the meeting place with God. With the coming of the Son of God in human flesh, ritual and worship would undergo profound change. Christ himself would become the final temple. The earthly temple would pass away, but he would remain. Referring to himself, Jesus said, “I tell you, that one greater than the temple is here.” (Matthew 12:6) God met his people in the temple through many imperfect human mediators, but now it is said of Christ, “For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5). If you want to see God. If you want to meet Him. If you want to know what He’s like, there is only one place we must go, that is Jesus Christ. Do you want to see God? Jesus says, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father” (John 14:9). Do you want to know what God is like? Jesus says, “no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27) Do we want to receive God? Jesus says, “Whoever receives me receives him who sent me.” (Matthew 10:40) There are times in our lives that we wake up and realize our need for God. We find ourselves in need of God’s forgiveness, We have a need for hope for the future, We go through a circumstance that takes us beyond our limit, we need strength. “Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body.” (Hebrews 10:19-20) You can meet God. He is approachable. He is knowable. You can receive his grace and forgiveness. He is within your reach by faith in Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is where we meet God.