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Pastor Drew Steele continues our teaching in Genesis, looking at Genesis 23-25This week, as we look at this broad sweep across these chapters, we see God fulfilling His covenant with Abraham, and see how Abraham made his choices with covenant confidence, and we too should have confidence in the promises of God. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North
Introduction: What if My Conviction Offends Someone? (1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1) CHOOSE to CONSTRUCT. (1 Cor 10:23-24) CONCEDE for the CONSCIENCE. (1 Cor 10:25-30) CELEBRATE our CREATOR. (1 Cor 31-11:1) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript 00:36Morning, Church. Go ahead and turn in your Bibles to 1 Corinthians 10.00:41We're going to start in verse 23 and go through the first verse of chapter 11.00:48Have you ever had one of those moments where you walked away from a conversation and immediately thought, well, I really stepped in it on that one?00:59You know the feeling. You say something and at first you think it was just something harmless, right?01:07But then you notice the silence. Where you see the look on someone's face and the room gets just a little awkward, right? And suddenly there's this chill in the air and you start replaying the conversation in your mind and you start thinking, well, what did I just say? Most of us have had a moment like that, right? I remember one time in particular when Elizabeth and I were a young couple before we had any kids.01:35We got invited over to a dinner party. And we didn't know one of the couples in particular very well. And so we were brought together and they were trying to do some, you know, friend matchmaking kind of a thing. It was nice. We had a good dinner and a good time and we were just chatting with one another and telling funny stories and whatever. And I seized on the opportunity to tell a really, what I thought was funny story about an experience that Elizabeth and I had had just a few days prior.02:05And Elizabeth and I had gone to a high school band concert. You remember this? Yeah. Of course she does. We had gone to a high school band concert just a few days before. And I'll just tell you that it was not the greatest concert ever. In fact, it was, in my opinion, it was pretty bad. And I thought it would be a great opportunity to make everybody laugh. So I'm telling about how the trumpets are squeaking and how the trombones were just a few notes, a little off and you know the the kid playing the triangle got a little too excited and you know i'm getting laughs and it's it's a great time we're all yucking it up i did notice there was one couple though the couple we didn't know too well they weren't really engaged in my story and so you know i just bore in i'm telling it a little more getting a little trying to get some more laughs so i finished my story and then uh the husband of the couple that was quiet that we don't know very well he kind of leans in and raises his head and says I'm the band director at that school. That's a true story. That one hurt. That one really hurt, you know? Maybe you've been there. I don't know. Maybe I'm the only one. Maybe that's the worst example in the room. But I felt awful. You know the Homer Simpson meme where he just backs up into the shrubs? You've seen it, right? You've sent it, right? Yeah, that was what I wanted to do. I just wanted the earth to open up, swallow me whole, and I just wanted to be gone. But you know, honestly, they took it really, really well. They were very gracious. And we laughed about it. And I think they got over it. We never got invited over for dinner again. But you know, I think they got over it. At least that's what I tell myself. You know, in most circumstances like that, most social mistakes, they're just accidental. I didn't mean to offend them. I thought I was just being funny. And they're awkward, but eventually we get over it and we work through it and we laugh and we kind of move on.04:06But sometimes that sort of thing, that can even happen here in the church, right? You know, some of the hardest conflicts that we find ourselves in in the church and in our lives, sometimes they're not accidents. They happen when we are absolutely convinced that we are right about something, and we need to get that out of our heads.04:35It can happen when our personal convictions, our preferences, and what we believe, that we have every right and good purpose to say, begin to collide with someone else's preferences or someone else's conscience or conviction. And that is a much, much harder problem. Because now it's not just, oops, I misspoke, I didn't realize. Now it's, I believe I am right. I believe I have the freedom here to say what I think I need to say and to express myself.05:05And so, what do we do in that instance? What do we do with that conviction if it offends someone or if it's going to offend someone? Maybe just to make sure you understand, maybe it's a situation like this. Maybe you're in a group, even here at church, right? And you're having a conversation and you say something like, I just, for the life of me, I can't really understand how people can send their kids to public school. I mean, it's just a terrible place.05:35Do they know what they're doing? And then someone in that group goes to public school. Or is a school board member. Or is a teacher, right? Or how about you're expressing that absolute correct conviction that anyone who goes to a non-Christian concert or, heaven forbid, takes their kids there, right? They're doing a terrible disservice to their family. Or how about expressing the very strong and, of course, correct that anyone who chooses not to follow the right vaccination schedule for their kids, they're just a looney tune, right? Or anyone who lets their kids participate in Halloween in any form, they're just inviting their children to be overcome by evil spirits. Or one more, maybe you have a strong conviction that you know that someone who is not a five-point Calvinist, right? They know what all the tulip letters stand for.06:34Maybe they're destined for help. And you know that you're right. You know that your purpose is to declare your conviction in these circumstances. And you don't really have to have much regard for the people around you. And this is where 1 Corinthians 10 brings us this morning. I mean, we all have convictions, of course. These strong opinions.07:04And if it's not one of the ones I listed, maybe it's the idea of drinking that Jeff talked us, walked us through with that example in the small group, right? We had a few months ago or heaven forbid politics or dress standards or social media. So the question then becomes, what do I do with these convictions? What do I do with my convictions on a non-essential, non-salvation issue that offends somebody else?07:34thinking.07:36Because I know you.07:37Some of you right now are thinking, I'm a black and white kind of a person.07:41I'm right.07:42The rest of the world, they're wrong.07:46So what do I do?07:47What do I do?07:48If I have this strong conviction, do I stand my ground, defend my rights?07:52Do I prove my theology?07:54Do I push harder because I know I'm correct and it's just going to require a little more convincing?07:59You might be thinking, of course I do.08:01That is my role in this world.08:04Why else would God put those things in my head or on my heart? Paul has some things to say about this issue, and that's what we're going to dive into. So before we get into Paul's instructions, let's pray. And in our normal harvest tradition, I would ask that you take a moment and pray for me, and I will pray for you.08:33Holy Father, I pray that your word would speak loudly this morning. I pray, God, that the wisdom that our brother Paul brings us in the Holy Scriptures, God, would convict us where we need to be convicted and would encourage us where we need to be encouraged. And God, that we would leave a changed people in whatever way you know that we need to be changed. It's in Christ's holy and precious name we pray. Amen. So Paul has been building us up. We've been in 1 Corinthians for a while now, right?09:02And Paul has been building us up to this point. In chapters 1-4, in this letter to the Corinthians, he's correcting their wisdom. He's saying, are you following human personalities or are you following Christ and the cross? Remember the sections we had Taylor and Jeff and Rich? He's saying, who are you following? And then in chapters 5-7, Paul is correcting their conduct. He says, how do Christians, how are we supposed to handle these topics of sexuality, marriage, holiness? The body is a temple of the Holy Spirit.09:33And then in chapters 8 and 9, he spends some time correcting their rights. He says, knowledge without love is pretty dangerous, actually. The Christian liberty is real, but liberty without love, it can become really destructive. And then here we are in chapter 10. Paul is going to show us how to actually live this out. This is the practice of this liberty that Paul has been talking to the Corinthians about. Because he acknowledges you have rights, you have freedoms, you have convictions.10:02But how do we use them in a way that helps people instead of hurting people or pushing them away? How do you handle these convictions in a way that is honoring to Christ? So let's look at three clear responses from Paul for us on this particular topic. If you look at verse, starting in verse 23 and we'll look at 24, Paul begins by saying, all things are lawful, but not all things are helpful.10:32All things are lawful, but not all things build up. Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Apparently this phrase, all things are lawful, it had become kind of a favorite slogan of the Corinthians. So much so that you might remember that Paul already talked about this and used this same language back in chapter 6. And back in that chapter, Paul was using this rhetorical argument, This rhetorical technique to say to the Corinthians and now to us, freedom isn't just what you can do, but rather what you should be looking at what you should do. This idea that we all have this freedom in Christ, Paul asks us, how are you using it in light of what is good and what is helpful to do? See, the Corinthians were saying, and you might remember from a few weeks ago, or maybe you don't, so I'll remind you, I'm free, I'm under grace, I have rights, I can do this. And in some sense, they were right. But actually, Paul is talking about a term that some theologians will use. It's called adiophora. It's really just getting to this idea of these matters of indifference. These things that are neither clearly commanded nor forbidden by God in Scripture. They're not sin. Not holiness issues.12:00with explicit commands, but you might call them gray areas. Questions like, can I eat this? Can I eat that? Can I go here, participate in this, celebrate that, enjoy this freedom? So Paul doesn't deny Christian liberty and Christian freedom at all. He doesn't say actually nothing is lawful. Instead, he applies two simple, profound filters. Yes, it may be lawful, but he says, but is it helpful?12:31Yes, it may be permitted, but does it build up? And that is a completely different standard, isn't it? It's not, what am I allowed to do? Whether or not something is lawful, that is really the bare minimum for a believer. Instead, whether something is helpful should be our standard, and that's what Paul is calling us to. So I want to focus a little bit on this word build up, this two-word phrase build up.12:59In the Greek it literally means to build a house. And Paul is saying your liberty should function like a construction project, not demolition work. Christian freedom is not a license for self-gratification. It's a tool. It's a tool for church building, for people building, and disciple building. So the question is not what can I get away with? The question is what helps build up the people around me.13:29And that's our first point this morning that Paul is bringing to us. What do I do if my conviction offends someone? You choose to construct. You choose to construct. If my freedom tears down a brother, then my freedom has actually become selfish. Paul then takes it in a slightly different direction than he did back in chapter 6 when he says, Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor. Boy, that's really hard, isn't it? Because what's our natural tendency? Do you naturally seek your neighbor first? Probably not. Probably not, at least most of the time. We think about my preference, my conviction, my right, my comfort. But Paul says, with all this freedom, with all this liberty, start with your neighbor instead of yourself. That is the way of Christ. Let me illustrate it to you maybe this way. Maybe this will help. Drive home the point. Let's just say I decide to do a renovation project in my house. Actually, you know what? Better yet. Let's say I have a neighbor who calls me up and says, hey, you know what? I want to do a renovation project in my house. Would you help me? I'm a good neighbor, right?14:55This guy lives next to me, Larry. He's a pastor. He's a good guy. So he gives me a call and I say, you know what? Yeah, I'll help you out, Larry. I'll come over. I'll help you with your renovation project. Well, what's the first step in any good reno job? Demo day, right? So Larry calls me up and I decide, okay, yeah, I'm going to go help Larry and I go grab my sledgehammer like a good neighbor and I walk over there and I am prepared. I am ready to help him do some demo.15:25I have every right to be there, don't I? I mean, he invited me. So legally, I'm allowed in his house, and I brought the right tool. I brought the sledgehammer, right? And Larry, I mean, he knows. He knows how I feel about demo. He knows that I'm really excited about this, and I'm going to have some skill, and I'm probably going to have some, maybe some opinions, too. So Larry invites me over, and we're maybe talking a little bit about the project. He gives me some of his opinions and some of his thoughts, and I'm thinking, you know, and I'm like, yeah, you know, okay.15:55Larry knows me. He knows I've done some demo in my day and I've got some things to offer here. And I'm thinking, you know what? I heard his ideas, but there's this one wall. It's right in the middle of the house. And I have a very strong conviction that that wall, it's got to go. I mean, for the good of his family, for the good of Larry and Kimmy and their girls and grandbabies, that wall, it's going because I feel very strongly about this. In fact, I feel strongly enough that my sledgehammer, I take it.16:25And I just knocked that wall down. That wasn't Larry's idea. That was my conviction. Well, that wall just so happened to be very structurally integral to the house. So what happens when I take that wall down? The second story of that house is now directly on the first floor. But it didn't just fall on me. It fell on Larry and his wife and their girls.17:00See, my exercise of my freedom in that instance, it became destruction. And Paul says that's exactly how some Christians handle their own personal liberty. They swing the sledgehammer of personal rights without asking what they're hitting, without thinking about it. They say, I'm free, I'm right, I can do this, I feel very convicted about this. In a sense, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I'm free, I That's okay. That's true. But are you building the house or are you collapsing it? With your conviction. Because in the church, just like in Larry's house, it's not just you. There are other people under this roof. There are younger believers watching. There are weaker believers learning. There are unbelievers observing. There are hurting people trying to heal. And your liberty, it affects them too.17:55So the application here, it's simple, but it's kind of uncomfortable. Ask yourself, am I more interested in defending my rights or protecting the structural integrity of my brother's house? And in this week, instead of swinging a hammer, a sledgehammer of your conviction, maybe choose to lay a brick of encouragement. Maybe instead of proving your point, you protect a person. And maybe instead of demanding liberty, you ask, what would help them the most? So what do I do if my conviction offends someone? I choose to construct. And then Paul goes on to take it even further because sometimes this issue, it's not just about general building up or edification. Sometimes someone else's conscience is actually involved. And that leads us to Paul's second point. Look at verses 25 to 30. Paul goes on to say, eat whatever is sold in the meat market.18:55without raising any question on the ground of conscience. For the earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof. You can pause there. Paul maintains a very high view of God's creation. Paul's actually quoting King David here from Psalm 24 and he's telling us, listen, this is similar to back in chapter 6. He says, meat is just meat. The earth, all of this, it belongs to the Lord. An idol, it's nothing. Food itself is morally neutral.19:24So Paul tells strong believers, stop turning everything into a theological investigation. Go buy the meat. Eat dinner. Don't interrogate the butcher. You do not need to walk into the meat market saying, excuse me, before I purchase this ribeye, I need a full spiritual background on this cow, please. No. Relax. That is not Paul's point at all.19:54He says, enjoy the meat, enjoy God's provision without unnecessary anxiety.20:00And He goes on to say, if one of the unbelievers invites you to dinner and you are disposed to go, eat whatever is set before you without raising any question on the ground of conscience.20:14He says, if you want to go to the unbeliever's house and have dinner, if you think it's a worthwhile time, if you think it's going to be good, it's a good opportunity, then go and eat.20:24And don't worry.20:26He says, without raising any question on the ground of conscience.20:33Concede your conscience on this non-essential and non-sin issue and go.20:42But then the situation changes somewhat.20:45Verse 28, look at that.20:46It says, But if someone says to you, This has been offered in sacrifice, then do not eat it.20:56So now there's an informant at the dinner table.20:59A believer sitting next to you who says, he points out that this meat, it's been sacrificed to idols.21:04It's tainted, right?21:07He says, now someone's conscience, now someone else's conscience is involved in this scenario.21:12And now the issue is no longer about the meat.21:15It's now about the person.21:19Paul then says, stop eating.21:22Stop.21:23For the sake of the one who informed you and for the sake of their conscience. Not yours, but their conscience. Not because the meat is suddenly bad. Not because the conscience of another person is at stake. This is where we Christians get it wrong so often. We think the goal is to prove, that we have to prove that we are theologically on this non-essential issue. That we think we have to convince the weaker brother that we are totally right on this issue. And if we don't, then we've done something wrong. But Paul says the goal is to protect the person. For the weaker brother, eating that meat would have been a violation of his conscience. Even if the act is objectively fine, which Paul has already told us, it is.22:22If he believes it's wrong, but does it anyway, he's training himself to disobey what he believes God wants him to do. It's kind of like what Paul says in his letter to the Romans in chapter 14 where he says, But whoever has doubts is condemned if he eats, because the eating is not from faith. For whatever does not proceed from faith is sin. The issue isn't just about the external act.22:52of eating.22:53It's about the intent of the heart on these negotiable issues.22:57These negotiable convictions.22:59If this guy were to go ahead and eat the meat.23:01And go against his conscience.23:04His conscience guided conviction.23:07He would actually be sinning.23:10Because as it says in Romans.23:11This man's faith.23:12Or in that context.23:14Faith means a conviction or an assurance.23:17His assurance is that eating the meat does not honor God.23:21So would he be honoring the Lord? And Paul says to concede. To yield. Not because your theology has changed. Not because your conviction has disappeared. But because the love of your brother matters more than proving your point. So we have to concede for the conscience. That's our second point. Concede for the conscience.23:52So to drive this home a little bit, why don't we reverse the scenario a little bit and say, imagine the believer goes into the marketplace and he starts just making a total scene. He's flipping tables over. He's tossing meat away. He's tossing it on the ground stomping on. He says, this whole place is compromised. This meat, it's pagan. Everyone here is wrong. You're all going straight to hell.24:20None of us would ever do anything about a particular issue we feel strongly about on social media, right? But what does that accomplish? What would that accomplish in this scenario? Would that help to reach anyone? Or does it simply create noise and disagreement? So continuing on in Paul's scenario, imagine that you get invited to dinner by an unbeliever and you say, yeah, I'll come over. I'll come over.24:50But only if... Fill in the blank. I'm only going to come over if there's no alcohol there whatsoever. Or, you know what? I'm only going to come over if everyone agrees with my political... No MAGA hats, please. There's not going to be any MAGA hats, right? Or everybody's vaccinated, right? Everybody's had the COVID and the double and they're wearing the masks, right? You remember those days? Or I'm only going to come... You know what? You guys only read from the ESV version of the Bible, right?25:21Okay, good. And I'll come over then. Or, you know, there's no evolution or there's no old earth people at this dinner, right? We're all seven-day young earth people, right? I'll come over if your family does things my way. Is that building a bridge to the gospel? Is it building a wall, isn't it? And then continue on, right? Imagine that someone at the table, they're struggling with the conscience issue of, eating whatever's in front of them for whatever reason, instead of gently stepping back, the stronger believer, maybe you in this case, you actually launch into a theological debate. You are going to convince this guy why he is wrong about his conviction. Nobody gets helped in that scenario. In fact, the dinner becomes a courtroom scene, right? Everybody gets exhausted, and Paul says, stop trying.26:20to win all the arguments in the moment all the time. You've lost your focus when you're doing that. He says sometimes, or we can say that sometimes, that weaker brother's conscience, it's not an invitation for debate. Maybe it's a check engine light on our liberty or on what we think. The Holy Spirit might just be saying to you, you know what? In this instance, slow down. This is not about you. This is not about your rights anymore. This is about your witness.26:50of me.26:54So, is there a non-essential issue where you could maybe take a step back?26:58Not because you're weak.27:01Not because your convictions are wrong.27:04Maybe it's in your family.27:06Maybe it's in your small group.27:09Maybe it's in your workplace or with a newer believer or somebody you're trying to win for Christ.27:14If your conviction on a non-essential issue, on a non-salvation issue, is consistently resulting in people being pushed away or being hurt. Maybe your knowledge isn't the problem. Maybe it's your pride. Because sometimes the greatest display of spiritual maturity is not just standing your ground in a confrontational way. It's actually being willing to take a step back and concede to the conscience of someone else. Now I know, Again, because I know you, because I know myself. Some of you are out there saying, Brian, I cannot, I can't, I can't believe Jeff and Taylor are letting you stand up there and say this. I mean, I have strong convictions. Is Paul telling me to just take them all and just set them aside? Set them on fire over here? They're useless? Isn't that a violation of my own conscience? That's not what's being said here at all. Our convictions are important.28:18And do you really think Paul, a guy who has a fair amount of pretty strong convictions on issues like sex, marriage, gender roles, spiritual gifts, etc., do you really think he would tell us your personal convictions, they don't matter at all? No. And in fact, I would say that discussing your convictions with believers or non-believers in a non-confrontational way, it can be really helpful. That's where iron sharpening iron can come, right? You can help a believer with your convictions. But remember, like Jeff told us last week or two weeks ago, we should all be believers in legalism. But what kind? Personal legalism, right? We should be very strict on ourselves according to conviction from Scripture, but to have that be general legalism to everybody else, that's where we get in big trouble. And all of this, that leads us to Paul's final and biggest point.29:18Why do all of this? Paul goes on to ask a couple of questions. He says, For why should my liberty be determined by someone else's conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I denounced? Because of that for which I give thanks. In other words, why do this? Why lay down my rights? Why surrender preferences? Why choose people over liberty? Why choose to concede for the conscience? Is it so that people think we're nice?29:48Is it so they think that we're really winsome and non-argumentative and non-confrontational? We're just go along to get along people? Is it so we can fill every seat in this auditorium two Sundays a week? Is that why we do this? Let's see what Paul has to say. Go ahead and look at verse 31. Paul lands this entire argument when he says, So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all for the glory of God. Give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God. Just try, just as I try, to please everyone in everything I do. Not seeking my own advantage, but that of many, that they may be saved. Be imitators of me as I am of Christ. This is the center of everything. Glory to God alone.30:43If you eat the meat, do it, give thanks, and go. If you abstain in order to protect your brother's conscience, do it to the glory of God alone. Not just in the big spiritual moments either, not just church and missions and all that, but in the mundane. The eating, the drinking, posting, talking, working, walking. Because every ordinary moment Paul is sharing with us can become an opportunity to put the character of God on display. And he is most with His people when we value Him and His family more than our own freedoms and our own right to express those convictions. So this is the how. How do we keep our conviction from becoming barriers? Or what do we do when our conviction offends someone? Our third point is that we celebrate our Creator. We celebrate our Creator.31:43We need to ask, does this make God look amazing and beautiful? Does this glorify Him and bring honor to Christ? We need to celebrate the Creator. Because if eating the meat, if it creates a scandal and confusion and makes your neighbor think that Christ is compromised, then it doesn't matter how correct your theology is, you are not glorifying God.32:12Verses 32 and 33 just shows us how broad this responsibility is. Paul says again, give no offense to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God. He's got all the bases covered there. Jews, they were people with religious history and pretty strong convictions. Greeks, people outside the faith who are watching Christianity and seeing what it looks like. And the church, fellow believers who have different and may have different maturity levels than we do. And Paul is saying, be a universal witness to them all. Don't put any unnecessary obstacles in front of them. I've got to pause one more time and say, I think I know what you're thinking. This is just not right. We can't be this way. I know those kinds of Christians. The ones that are so agreeable, so winsome that they stand for, nothing.33:15They're just a bunch of people-pleasing, gospel-compromising weaklings.33:21Guys, this is not, do not misunderstand Paul or me.33:25This is not about people-pleasing.33:28Because people-pleasing, what is it?33:30It's self-centered, right?33:31It's me controlling all your perceptions of me.33:34That's not what's going on here.33:35Paul is talking about being a person who is strategically on mission for Christ always.33:43He is saying, I will gladly set aside my negotiable preferences and hold my convictions personally at every opportunity I have if it removes barriers between someone and Jesus.33:56And that is radically different than a washed down or watered down, unoffensive gospel.34:01That is not what we're talking about here.34:04Paul says, he goes on to say, be imitators of me as I am of Christ.34:09And he's pointing us to Christ.34:10He wants us to celebrate Christ.34:12and to celebrate the Creator. There might be someone here this morning who doesn't usually come to church. Or maybe you've been to church a lot, but you know the truth in your heart is that you've never trusted Christ as your Savior. And maybe all of this hasn't really resonated with you for that reason. Well, this point, Paul's point here, our Creator, that's to you. It's to all of us. But I want to make sure that you tune in here. Because he says, look at Jesus. Jesus as God's Son, who was with Him from the creation of everything, had every right, every freedom, every authority, all power, and yet what did He do? He laid it down. Philippians says that Christ did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, But he emptied himself. Christ didn't cling to any of these divine rights, divine privileges that he had as the Son of God. Instead, he moved toward sacrifice. His entire earthly life was a steady march to sacrifice. Toward death on the cross so that he could overcome death and become the perfect substitute for spiritual death for all of those who choose to follow him.35:41And if that's not something you've done yet, if you haven't trusted Christ as your Savior, if you've never looked to Christ as your only refuge and strength, please talk to me. Talk to Jeff or Taylor or go to the prayer corner after church. We'd love to talk to you more about that. Because Paul says, look to Christ. And he says, watch me do the same. Paul says, I'm just a regular guy following Christ.36:10If I can lay down my rights for the sake of the gospel, then you can too. And honestly, that is where we probably need, I know I need sometimes, the strongest correction. Because so much of our culture and in our mindset, it sounds so often like Corinth, right? We say, I know an idol is nothing. I know Halloween is pagan. Democrats are evil. Republicans are selfish. Drinking is wrong. Drinking is right. Whatever. You fill it all in. Maybe sometimes we're right, but Paul is saying, hear me on this.36:40there's a better question. Do you know what your neighbor needs? Do you know what your neighbor needs? He needs Christ. That's the point. We say, I have all these freedoms. Yes. But you also have the power through Christ to abstain from freely expressing all of those convictions that you have all the time to everyone.37:10Or even better yet, perhaps, you have the power through Christ to be patient. To be patient with someone else, a weaker brother, to come to a better understanding of their faith. And to grow in their own convictions. So do you have the patience to allow the Holy Spirit to work in your brother's life in that moment? Or do you feel like you have to be the Holy Spirit in their life?37:40for them.37:43That is maturity.37:45Having that patience.37:48In the Corinthian way that Paul is pushing back against says, my goal is personal liberty.37:53I am free.37:54I am independent.37:56I am a Corinthian.37:58I'm an American.38:00The way of Christ says, my goal is to win people for Jesus.38:05The way of Christ is self-denial for the good of others.38:10The way of Christ says it is not about me. It's about Him. It's about people's eternal souls and the gospel and God's glory. Our worship team can make their way on up as I finish up. Because the Corinthian way, which is oftentimes our way, it produces pride and it produces division.38:40Christ's way produces humility and unity and brings glory to our Heavenly Father, but I've got to ask you this morning, which way will you choose? The Corinthian way or Christ's way? So what if my conviction offends someone? Choose to construct. Use your liberty to build people up and not demolish them.39:09What if my conviction offends someone? Concede for the conscience. Value the person more than proving your point. What if my conviction offends someone? Celebrate the Creator. Let your highest goal be the glory of God, not the defense of self. Let's pray. Heavenly Father, we thank you, God, for your word. We thank you that, God, that it answers all of our questions.39:39God, that it so clearly cuts into all of our circumstances. God, and we just, we think of this word from Paul this morning, and God, I pray that our hearts would be looking to our neighbor. God, that through the power of your Spirit, that we would be turned away from ourselves, from selfishness. God, and that we would look to the needs of those around us. God, that we would seek to build others up.40:09God, and that we would follow the leading of your Holy Spirit in those moments when we're wondering, do I say what I feel strongly about? Or do I hold back? Do I concede on this issue or do I push in? God, I pray that your Spirit would work strongly in each of our lives, God, and that we would hear Him. Lord, and most of all, I pray that our goal would be to bring you glory, to look to you in all things. To celebrate you as our Heavenly Father. And to look to Jesus as our one and only Savior. We love you and we're grateful for all you do for us. It's in Christ's name we pray. Amen. Small Group DiscussionRead 1 Corinthians 10:23-11:1What was your big take-away from this passage / message?In what area of life are you most tempted to defend your “rights” or personal convictions instead of asking, “Is this actually building others up?” What would it look like to choose construction over demolition there?Can you think of a time when someone's conscience, weakness, or spiritual maturity should have mattered more than proving your point? How did you handle it, and would you handle it differently now?Where is God calling you to “concede for the conscience” of someone else right now—maybe in your family, friendships, workplace, or at Harvest? Why is that so difficult for you?Paul says, “Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.” How can you tell when your convictions are truly about God's glory versus when they are really about pride, preference, or control?BreakoutPray for one another.
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, The Psychic Being — Soul: Its Nature, Mission and Evolution, Section 1 Meaning and Nature of the Psychic Being, pp. 24-25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2026/04/06/the-dual-levels-of-body-life-mind-and-soul-the-external-formations-and-the-inner-subliminal-and-subtler-level-that-links-to-the-universal-and-causative-being/Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo's writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com#Sri Aurobindo #yoga #integral yoga #spirituality #subliminal #soul #psychic being #desire-soul
Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North Sermons - Harvest Bible Chapel Pittsburgh North
Introduction: What Does God Want Me to See and Know This Easter? (Ephesians 1:15-23) The HOPE THAT IS FOUND in Belonging to Christ. (Eph 1:18a) The UNENDING RICHES THAT ARE AVAILABLE in Christ. (Eph 1:18b) The RESURRECTION POWER of Christ. (Eph 1:19-20a) The SIMPLICITY OF SUBMITTING TO THE KINGSHIP of Christ. (Eph 1:20b-23) Sermon Notes (PDF): BLANKHint: Highlight blanks above for answers! Audio Transcript 00:00-00:05Please turn your Bibles to where Sydney just read, Ephesians chapter one, verses 15 through 23.00:06-00:10Ephesians chapter one, verses 15 through 23.00:12-00:16You know, kids are so easily distracted, aren't they?00:17-00:19Their kids, their heads are often in the clouds.00:20-00:22They're not thinking about what they should be thinking about.00:22-00:25They're not looking where they should be looking.00:25-00:28They don't know important things that they need to know.00:29-00:33I know this from first-hand experience with my own kids, Sam and Emmy.00:33-00:40Sam and Emmy are so easily distracted, and it can be so hard to get their attention.00:41-00:47Sometimes I physically have to put my hands on their faces to redirect their focus.00:47-00:49Why do I do that?00:49-00:55'Cause I want them to see something so that they will know something.00:56-01:02Sam makes a huge mess and he's not cleaning up despite my many pleas for him to clean it up.01:02-01:07I have to gently put my hands on his face to redirect him to the disaster zone.01:08-01:14I want him to see the mess so he will know that he needs to clean up the mess.01:15-01:21Emmy throws a temper tantrum about something completely unreasonable and she's not listening to reason.01:22-01:26I lovingly put my hands on her face to redirect her focus to my eyes.01:27-01:37I want her to see the seriousness of my face so that she will know that she needs to say sorry, she needs to ask for forgiveness, and stop her pouting.01:38-01:46My kids are so easily distracted, and they need parental reminders from their mom and dad.01:47-01:50But if we're honest, we're not much better than kids, are we?01:51-01:53You and I are easily distracted.01:54-01:58You and I do not think about what we should be thinking about.01:58-02:01You and I do not look where we should be looking.02:02-02:06You and I do not know important things that we need to know.02:07-02:15You and I need our Heavenly Father to lovingly grab a hold of our faces and redirect our focus.02:17-02:25You and I need to see and know important truths that God wants us to see and know.02:26-02:33You and I need to truly see Jesus Christ for who he is so that we can truly know him both now and forever.02:34-02:45You and I need to truly see what is expected of us in this book so that we will know what responsibilities we need to carry out from day to day.02:45-02:47We're at the end of our latest series.02:49-02:49Respect the office.02:50-02:53Jesus' roles determine my responsibilities.02:53-03:00Last Sunday, we saw that Jesus is the ultimate prophet who perfectly represents and speaks for his Father.03:01-03:10When you truly see Jesus as prophet, you know that you must listen and believe whatever he says.03:13-03:25This past Good Friday, Pastor Jeff showed us that Jesus is our great high priest who laid down his own life, who shed his own blood as a sacrifice for our sins on the cross.03:26-03:36When you see Jesus as priest, you know that you must confess your sin, you must repent of your sin, you must ask for forgiveness of your sin.03:38-03:51This morning we will see that Jesus Christ is the king of all, who is high above any ruler, any president, any CEO, any billionaire, and nothing and no one can compare to Jesus Christ.03:51-03:58And when you see Jesus as King, you know that you must obey whatever he says.04:00-04:10As is our custom at Harvest, please pray for me that I'll faithfully proclaim God's word, and I will pray for you that you will faithfully receive God's word.04:13-04:18Father, we come to you, And we thank you for what this day represents.04:20-04:27We thank you that because of your son, because of what he has done, we can have true hope.04:27-04:30We can have true life.04:31-04:36And if there are people in this room who do not have true life, may you seek and save the lost today.04:36-04:39May you bring the dead to life.04:39-04:42May you give faith where there previously was no faith.04:42-04:48And for the rest of us, Lord, may we be comforted, may we be encouraged, may we be challenged and built up by your word.04:48-04:52I thank you so much that you watch over your word to perform it.04:52-04:54Your word never returns to you empty.04:54-04:57It always accomplishes the purpose for which you sent it out.04:57-05:00And Lord, I trust you and we trust you this morning.05:00-05:03We ask that you would do a great and mighty work in all of our hearts.05:04-05:08We ask all these things in the mighty name of Jesus Christ, amen.05:10-05:19In the original Greek, the apostle Paul writes, one long run-on sentence in Ephesians chapter one, verses three through 14.05:19-05:26Have you ever listened to a family member or friend who breathlessly tells you a story, they're really, really excited, they just wanna get it out?05:26-05:30That was me growing up, no one could understand any story I was telling growing up.05:31-05:33That is the Apostle Paul in this passage.05:33-05:40He is so blown away by who Christ is and what he has done for the Ephesian church.05:41-05:48He gives a huge list, they have been redeemed, they have been rescued, they have been adopted into the family of God.05:48-05:54They have been blessed with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and on and on the list goes.05:56-06:03In Ephesians chapter one, verse 15, Paul takes a deep breath, so he can go on for another run-on sentence.06:04-06:07So let's read the beginning of Paul's second run-on sentence.06:08-06:10In chapter one, verses 15 through 17.06:10-06:12of Ephesians.06:12-06:38He says, "For this reason, because I have heard "of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love "towards all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks "for you, remembering you in my prayers, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, "the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom "and of revelation and the knowledge of him." Paul isn't indifferent to the Ephesian church.06:39-06:40He isn't like, eh, whatever.06:41-06:46He has a deep love for these people because he ministered in Ephesus for years.06:46-06:50He personally led many of the Ephesians to Christ.06:51-06:55And since the day he left Ephesus, he has been receiving reports about them.06:55-06:56He's been checking in on them.06:56-07:01He's been hearing about their deep faith in Christ and their love for one another.07:03-07:13All that the Ephesians have been given in Christ and all they've been doing for Christ Paul to constantly give thanks and pray for them?07:15-07:16What is he praying for?07:17-07:19What is he asking for on their behalf?07:21-07:35Well he tells us in verses 17 through 18 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom and of revelation and the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know.07:38-07:39Let's stop there for a minute.07:39-07:41pick up the rest of Paul's thought very soon.07:42-07:44What is Paul's prayer for the Ephesians?07:45-07:48To see so that they will know.07:49-07:57To see important truths with the eyes of their hearts so that they will know these truths in their hearts for the rest of their lives.07:59-08:09The truths that Paul wants the Ephesians to see and know are the same exact truths that you need to see and know on April 5th, 2026.08:11-08:14Some of you are here because you really wanna be here.08:14-08:20You couldn't wait to celebrate the resurrection of our Lord with other brothers and sisters in Christ.08:21-08:23Others of you would rather be someplace else.08:24-08:26You're really hoping, I won't talk for too long.08:27-08:37You're really hoping that this service will be mercifully short so you can get back home, eat Easter lunch, hunt for some eggs, and pass out from a food comb on the couch.08:38-08:42And if that's you, I want you to hear a loud and clear message from me.08:42-08:44I am so glad that you're here.08:45-08:48I have been praying for you all week long.08:48-08:54I have been praying that you would see and know what God wants you to see and know.08:55-09:01Whether you are excited or unenthused to be here, you need to ask yourself one question this morning.09:02-09:06What does God want me to see and know this Easter?09:07-09:11What does God want me to see and know this Easter?09:12-09:15Number one, your outline, the hope that is found in belonging to Christ.09:16-09:19The hope that is found in belonging to Christ.09:22-09:26Let's return to Paul's thought that we left hanging a minute ago in verses 16 through 18.09:27-09:45He writes, "I do not cease to give thanks for you, "remembering you in my prayers, "that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, "the Father of glory, may give you the spirit of wisdom "and of revelation and the knowledge of him, "having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, "that you may know." What does he want them to see and know?09:46-09:50What is the hope to which he has called you?09:51-09:57Paul wants the Ephesians to see and know the hope that is found in belonging to Jesus.09:59-10:02Have you ever noticed that the hardest words to define are the simplest?10:04-10:06We use words like hope every single day.10:07-10:08But what does it actually mean?10:08-10:10What is hope?10:12-10:13There are actually two definitions for hope.10:14-10:18There is the worldly definition and there is the biblical definition.10:19-10:24There is the wrong definition and the right definition.10:25-10:30And your personal definition depends upon your status relationship with Christ.10:33-10:38If you do not love and follow Jesus, hope is only wishful thinking and nothing more.10:39-10:42Hope is crossing your fingers and wishing for the best.10:43-10:47Hope is knocking on wood and longing that nothing bad will happen to you.10:49-10:52You have no basis for this hope beyond your desire for it.10:54-10:57That kind of hope is no hope at all.10:59-11:09In the next chapter of Ephesians, Paul says that until you trust in Christ for salvation, you are without hope and you are without God in the world.11:11-11:16So that is the wrong and unbiblical definition of hope.11:17-11:21Let's talk about the right and biblical definition of hope.11:22-11:28According to God's word, hope is confident expectation in the character and plans of God.11:29-11:34Hope is confident expectation in the character and plans of God.11:34-11:48When you trust in Christ and belong to him, you have a confident expectation that every single one of your sins have been wiped away, have been paid for, that your past, present, and future offenses are no longer held against you.11:49-11:57When you trust in Christ and belong to him, You have a confident expectation that God will keep every single promise in this book.11:57-12:06When you trust in Christ and belong to him, you have a confident expectation that you are bound for heaven and not hell.12:09-12:13These hopes aren't maybes or mightbes that you're unsure of.12:13-12:16These are firm and fixed realities that cannot change.12:18-12:23If you're a true born-again believer in Christ, You have no need for wishful thinking.12:23-12:25You have no need for crossing your fingers.12:25-12:27You have no need for knocking on wood.12:28-12:37When you truly belong to Jesus Christ, you see that he is trustworthy, and you know that there is a 0% chance that he will fail you.12:40-12:43What does God want me to see and know this Easter?12:44-12:48Secondly, the unending riches that are available in Christ.12:49-12:53the unending riches that are available in Christ.12:57-13:07At the end of verse 18, Paul goes on to pray that the Ephesians would see and know what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints.13:08-13:14If I were to ask you to come up with your net worth off the top of your head, would you be able to do it?13:16-13:19Some of you uber savvy and prepared individuals exact number.13:20-13:25This would also be really easy for you teenagers and college students because your net worth is practically zero.13:26-13:27You own nothing really.13:28-13:30Others of us would need to sit down and crunch the numbers.13:31-13:33Subtract our debts, add our assets.13:35-13:39Do you realize that all of your assets will belong to someone else?13:40-13:43All of your stuff will be passed on.13:45-13:52Maybe you've already thought about the family heirlooms, the keepsakes that you wanna pass down to your kids, your grandkids, your friends, your relatives.13:52-13:57Maybe you've already been the beneficiary of a very small or a very big inheritance.13:59-14:01You inherited a house and all that came with it.14:02-14:06You inherited a decent chunk of money that you were not expecting.14:08-14:19No matter what you've inherited in the past or what you plan to pass down to others in the future, these things pale in comparison to the inheritance that God gives to his children.14:20-14:21I mean, think about it.14:21-14:22What is God's net worth?14:24-14:25It's limitless.14:25-14:26It's incalculable.14:26-14:28What does God own?14:30-14:32You are the first service, so I'll give you some grace.14:32-14:33Let's try that again.14:34-14:36What does God own?14:37-14:41So if you belong to him, what do you stand to gain?14:42-14:43Everything.14:45-14:46God isn't a cheapskate.14:47-14:53If you're a born again believer in Christ, God doesn't put you on a weekly allowance plan that is based on your performance.14:54-15:08God's not up in heaven thinking, "Well, I was gonna loosen the purse strings a bit more "and give Taylor more this week, "but he really let me down, he really failed me, "so too bad for him, maybe next week, if he behaves better." That is not how God operates at all.15:09-15:11He is unbelievably generous towards you.15:12-15:15He's unconditionally loving towards you.15:18-15:21I know what some Christians in this room and watching online are thinking right now.15:21-15:23Taylor, that sure sounds nice.15:25-15:26But that's not my experience.15:27-15:31You're saying that I have everything, but I feel like I have nothing.15:33-15:35Life isn't going very well for me right now.15:37-15:40I get that, and I felt that.15:41-15:43You may feel like you have nothing.15:44-15:47You may feel like you are running on empty.15:48-15:52You may feel like you have nothing left to give.15:53-15:59But I want you to see and know all that is available to you in Christ.16:00-16:04In Christ, you have unlimited access to God the Father in prayer.16:04-16:10You can come to him 24/7 to bring your request, your Thanksgiving just to talk to him.16:11-16:14You've been given the very word of God.16:14-16:18You can talk to God in prayer and God talks to you in his word.16:19-16:23You've been filled with the Holy Spirit who leads, guides, and comforts you.16:23-16:29You have a protective and older brother named Jesus who is constantly interceding for you in heaven.16:32-16:37As a pastor, I hear so many people tell me, I just want more of God.16:38-16:40I just want more of the Holy Spirit.16:40-16:42I just want more from God.16:43-16:48Listen, in Christ, you have been given everything that God has.16:49-16:50You have been given all of him.16:51-16:55God cannot give you more of himself because he's given you all of it.16:58-16:59Do you really believe that?17:01-17:03Do you really live like you believe that?17:05-17:07No gift has been reserved.17:07-17:09No blessing has been withheld.17:10-17:13No grace has been kept back from you.17:15-17:19Even if you are financially poor, you are spiritually rich.17:20-17:25Even if you feel empty, you have been filled with the fullness of God.17:27-17:31If the past 12 years, my wife and I have shared a joint bank account.17:31-17:41And whenever we open that account, For some reason, PNC Bank put her name in bold letters on the top of the checks and me in smaller letters underneath of hers.17:43-17:44I'm told that's not how it usually goes.17:44-17:45Am I right?17:46-17:47It's very emasculating.17:48-17:51I think PNC laughs at me every time they print those checks for us.17:52-17:53But here's the thing.17:54-17:56My checks clear just as well as Kate's does.17:58-18:03My card withdraws money out of our account just like Kate's card does.18:05-18:14I have unlimited access to a bank account with my wife, but I also have unlimited access to an even greater account.18:14-18:18I share the resources of someone even greater than my wife.18:18-18:21I share the infinite riches of an infinite God.18:22-18:31On our account, his name is huge and mine is teeny tiny small, but I still get to access those riches whenever I want to, whenever I need them.18:33-18:37And the same is true for you if you've been adopted into the family of God.18:38-18:48And the same can be true of you today if you let go of the unsatisfying garbage of this world to grab a hold of the infinitely satisfying treasures of heaven.18:51-18:56God wants you to see and know the riches that are available to you in Christ.18:58-19:01What does God want me to see and know this Easter?19:02-19:04Thirdly, the resurrection power of Christ.19:05-19:07The resurrection power of Christ.19:11-19:21In verse 19, Paul prays the Ephesians would see and know what is the immeasurable greatness of his, God's power towards us who believe.19:22-19:23Power.19:25-19:28Power is such a foreign concept to so many people.19:28-19:34Power is such a foreign concept to most people who fill churches Sunday after Sunday.19:34-19:38Most Christians feel so powerless.19:40-19:44They feel powerless to resist temptation so they give in without a fight.19:45-19:49They feel powerless to serve the church so they sit on the sidelines.19:50-19:54They feel powerless to share the gospel so they stay silent.19:55-20:03They feel powerless to be the husbands and wives they've been called to be, so they settle for being passive rather than active.20:04-20:09They feel powerless to be godly parents, so they make excuses.20:12-20:13How about you?20:15-20:17Do you feel powerless?20:20-20:22If you feel powerless, you're not alone.20:23-20:24I certainly feel that way.20:26-20:31I certainly feel that way as a homeowner because I am not a handyman whatsoever.20:32-20:39If there's something broken at your house, I wouldn't recommend calling me as your first, second, 20th, 100th option.20:40-20:45When something breaks at my house, I mostly feel powerless to address it.20:47-20:52Recently, the toilet paper roll holder ripped off our downstairs bathroom wall.20:52-20:56I wasn't surprised, it's the bathroom my kids use the most and they're not gentle with the toilet paper.20:57-21:00It's like they're on the Price is Right rolling down the toilet paper.21:05-21:10I walked into the bathroom, I assessed the damage and I'll be honest with you, I felt an initial wave of powerlessness.21:12-21:16And I thought, well, guess what's gonna be savages in keeping toilet paper on the bathroom sink from now on.21:18-21:22But then I thought to myself, wait a minute, I own a drill.21:23-21:24I own wall anchors.21:25-21:31I have a teeny tiny screwdriver set that can be used as teeny tiny screw that locks this toilet paper holder into place.21:33-21:38I realized that I already had all that I needed to fix this issue.21:40-21:41And guess what?21:41-21:42I did fix it.21:44-21:45Thank you.21:48-21:52The next time you come to my house, I'll show you the glories of the toilet paper holder.21:57-22:09Whenever you feel that initial wave of powerlessness as a Christian, remember that you already have all that you need to face the issue in front of you.22:10-22:13What you already have is far better than a cheap set of tools.22:14-22:17You have the very power of the God of the universe.22:19-22:24And Paul tells us in verses 19 through 20 what this power is truly capable of.22:24-22:38He says that he wants the Ephesians to see and know what is the immeasurable greatness of his power towards us who believe, according to the working of his great might, that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead.22:41-22:47The power of resurrection isn't just something that Jesus experienced and no one else will ever again.22:49-22:57The power of resurrection is something that everyone who trusts in Christ experiences right now.22:57-23:03It is something that you will experience for all of eternity if you've given your life over to him.23:04-23:07Please catch this because this is truly life-changing.23:08-23:20If you have trusted in Christ for salvation, that same power that brought him back from death and raised him from the grave 2,000 years ago resides within you.23:21-23:26That same power raised you from spiritual death and gave you new life.23:27-23:36That same power will enable you to share the gospel, not caring what anyone thinks about you, not worrying about what the response will be.23:37-23:43That same power will inspire you to not believe the lies and discouragement of the enemy.23:43-23:49That same power will motivate you to love your wife, respect your husband, serve your children.23:50-23:56That same power will equip you to use your spiritual gifts in the life of the church.23:58-24:01Yes, in and of yourself, you are powerless.24:02-24:14In and of yourself, you cannot do anything of value for anyone, but in Christ, you have access to the death-defying, life-giving power the God of the universe.24:14-24:19It is at your fingertips whenever you want it, whenever you need it.24:24-24:33Do not insult the sacrifice and resurrection of your Savior by believing that he has left you unequipped for the responsibilities you've been given.24:36-24:41At this point in the message, you may be thinking, wasn't this supposed to be about seeing and knowing Jesus as King?24:41-24:42when is that part gonna come up?24:44-24:47Well, I'm gonna take a page out of Pastor Jeff's preaching book.24:47-24:49Everything I've said so far has been the introduction.24:50-24:51Here's the actual sermon.24:52-24:53Don't worry, it'll be short, it won't be long.24:55-24:56Everything leading up to this has been the warmup.24:57-24:57Here's the main event.24:58-25:01What does God want me to see and know this Easter?25:02-25:06Finally, the simplicity of submitting to the kingship of Christ.25:08-25:11the simplicity of submitting to the kingship of Christ.25:17-25:23When you hear the gospel story, it's usually concluded with the resurrection of Jesus.25:25-25:26Usually goes like this.25:26-25:30Jesus, God himself, took on flesh and came to this earth.25:30-25:31He lived a perfect life.25:32-25:36He had a three year long ministry filled with miracles and sermons.25:36-25:41He was crucified in the tomb for three days, rose again, roll credits, the end.25:44-25:45Is that actually the end of the gospel story?25:47-25:57There is a major event that is missed, and that is the ascension of Christ, which is a fancy theological way of saying that Jesus went back to heaven.25:59-26:05Paul wants the Ephesians as well as you and I to see and know the importance of the ascension.26:06-26:26In verses 20 through 21, he says, the same power that raised Christ from the dead also seated him at the Father's right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion and above every name that is named, not only in this age, but also in the one to come.26:28-26:33Through his crucifixion, Jesus is the Savior who destroys the power of death.26:34-26:39Through his resurrection, Jesus is the victor who destroys the power of death.26:41-26:48Through his ascension, Jesus is the king who defeats the power of those who challenge his rightful rule and authority.26:50-27:00Yes, Satan and the forces of darkness seem to be winning right now, but I promise you they have lost already because they cannot compete with the one who sits on heaven's throne.27:01-27:13Yes, people do and can resist the king right now, but one day, every knee will bow, every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father.27:15-27:16You have two options.27:17-27:23You can willingly bow the knee right now, or you can be forced to bow in eternity.27:25-27:35You can joyfully proclaim that Jesus is your savior, your Lord in the present, or you can begrudgingly admit that you were wrong and he was right in the future.27:38-27:45No matter what you say, no matter what you do, you cannot change the reality of this universe's political situation.27:46-27:49Jesus Christ rules and reigns.27:50-27:55But your position, your side of this political reality can change.27:56-27:58Will you choose team pride?27:59-28:00The captain of that team is Satan.28:01-28:04Spoiler alert, that team is gonna lose big time.28:06-28:14There is team submission, and the captain of that team is Jesus Christ himself, who wins every single game in an absolute shutout.28:16-28:17What will you choose?28:19-28:22Will you resist, or will you submit?28:24-28:29Let's wrap up by reading more about the kingship of Jesus in verses 22 through 23.28:29-28:48Paul writes, "And he, God the Father, put all things under Christ's feet and gave him his head over all things of the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all." Jesus Christ is the head, the ruler, the boss, the king of the church.28:49-28:56He's in charge around here, not me, not Pastor Jeff, not Pastor Rich, not the elders, not you.28:56-28:59Jesus Christ is head over the church.28:59-29:03He is in charge of every true church across the face of this planet.29:04-29:11And the church should be a living example of what it looks like to submit to the kingship of Jesus.29:12-29:16The church should be on the front lines displaying the love of Christ.29:16-29:21The church should show a watching world what it looks like to obey the word of God.29:24-29:29How are most Christians doing at setting that example of submission in 2026?29:32-29:32Not the best.29:33-29:42Most professing Christians act like they know Jesus, but they live like they do not know Jesus.29:43-29:49Many professing Christians seem to care more about their own personal opinions than the authoritative word of God.29:50-29:58Most professing Christians seem to love themselves more than the lost, more than their fellow church members.30:00-30:04Do you profess to know Jesus, but make Jesus look bad?30:08-30:13Do you give others around you a totally inaccurate picture of what it looks like to submit to King Jesus?30:15-30:21If your answer to those questions is yes, it's time for repentance, it's time to change course.30:22-30:31Earlier I said that God can never give you more of himself and that's 100% true, but you can always give God more of yourself.30:32-30:34God withholds nothing from you.30:35-30:37What are you withholding from him?30:39-30:40Is it your finances?30:42-30:47Do you foolishly think that all the money in your account belongs to you when it actually belongs to God?30:48-30:49Is it your time?30:50-30:57You've been wasting the most precious gift you've been given, time, by spending it on yourself and no one else.30:59-31:00Is it social media and entertainment?31:01-31:06You're constantly consuming garbage, yet you act surprised that garbage comes out of your mouth?31:07-31:09Is it your status and reputation?31:10-31:16You care so much about what people think of you that you're willing to tear others down and lie your way to the top.31:17-31:22Listen, care about nothing and no one more than Jesus.31:24-31:26The Christian life is so simple.31:28-31:31Do you want me to share the not so secret secret of the Christian life?31:33-31:34Doesn't seem like you want it, no one said anything.31:35-31:38Do you want the not so secret secret to the Christian life?31:39-31:40All right, fine, I'll share it with you.31:41-31:43Just do what Jesus says.31:46-31:47Just do what Jesus says.31:48-31:50Obey his word.31:50-31:56Life is so much simpler when you submit to Jesus in every single way.31:56-32:00It's so complex to figure out other masters to follow.32:00-32:06It's so unsatisfying to be the boss of your own life 'cause if you are honest enough to admit it, you are clueless.32:07-32:08You have no idea what you're doing.32:09-32:10You have no idea what's going on.32:13-32:17Yes, the Christian life is simple, but it's also challenging, isn't it?32:18-32:24It is absolutely pride crushing to admit that you know nothing and Jesus knows everything.32:25-32:29It's humbling to acknowledge that he is in control and you are not.32:30-32:35It's difficult to follow Jesus, not cater to your own personal preferences.32:37-32:39I have to tell you, you will feel miserable.32:40-32:48You will feel directionless until you see and know that submitting to Jesus is the only way to lasting joy.32:50-32:52The worship team can now make their way forward.32:54-32:59Do you see and know that Jesus is the ultimate prophet?33:01-33:05He spoke the truth 2,000 years ago and he still speaks the truth to this day.33:06-33:10Do you see and know that Jesus is the high priest?33:10-33:17He laid down his own life, he shed his own blood on the cross to wash away your many sins.33:19-33:22Do you see and know that Jesus is the king of all?33:23-33:31He resurrected from the grave, he ascended to heaven where he sits at the Father's right hand, where he rules and reigns right now.33:32-33:37This position of prominence proves that He is God and you are not.33:38-33:45This position of prominence proves that He is a rightful claim over your life and you have none.33:47-33:52If your heart is still unyielded to Christ, if your knee is still unbowed, what are you waiting for?33:53-34:00There is no better time to obey Jesus' command to believe in Him than this very moment.34:02-34:06There is no better opportunity to trust in Jesus for salvation than right now.34:08-34:16There is no better day than Easter Sunday to draw your line in the sand and say, today is the day when I gave my life to Jesus.34:16-34:19Today is the day when everything changed for me.34:21-34:29If you turn from your sin and you place your faith in Jesus, the old you will die.34:30-34:33never to be seen or heard from again.34:34-34:43A new you will rise from the grave with Christ, and one day you will live with Christ forever and ever.34:45-34:51That is the ultimate truth that God wants you to see and know this Easter.34:52-34:53Let's pray.34:56-34:59Father, this amazing news often seems too good to be true.35:00-35:10How could a holy, perfect, all-powerful God care about weak people like us?35:11-35:15People who have rebelled against you, who've wanted nothing to do with you.35:16-35:34Lord, instead of just turning your back on us, instead of just consigning all of us to hell forever, You sent your one and only Son to become one of us, to live the perfect life we could never live, to die the death that we deserved to die.35:36-35:38Lord, let this news never become old to us.35:39-35:40May it never become normal.35:41-35:42May it always blow us away.35:43-35:49And Lord, I do lift up those of us in this room who are still resisting, who are still doubting.35:51-35:54God, I can't change anyone, but you can.35:56-35:57I know you can save.35:58-35:59I know you can bring the dead to life.35:59-36:02Lord, I ask you would do that this very moment.36:04-36:05Lord, we thank you for who you are.36:05-36:09We thank you for what you've done, and we thank you for all that you continue to do for us.36:10-36:13We ask all this in Jesus' name, amen. Small Group DiscussionRead Ephesians 1:15-23What was your big take-away from this passage / message?What is the difference between worldly hope and biblical hope?What are the riches and blessings that have been made available to you in Christ?What does it mean that you share in the resurrection power of Jesus? How should this truth change how you live from one day to the next?How are you failing to submit to the kingship of Christ right now?BreakoutPray for one another.
Picasso's Guernica wrenches the cry, “How long, O Lord?”Year 2, Holy WeekMonday • 3/30/2026 •This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 51; Lamentations 1:1-12; 2 Corinthians 1:1-7; Mark 11:12-25This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)
To Be Like Him | He Captures Our Hearts | Matthew 21-25This year, we're studying the gospels as one harmonious story in order to see the glory of God as revealed through them with the clearest picture of God in the person of Jesus painted for us and “To Be Like Him.”In today's sermon, pastor Abie Kulynych discusses the grace and kindness found in Jesus' teaching to the religious leaders showing His persistence in seeking to capture their hearts so they can become children of God.
Matthew 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
86. Familiar Music in the Tenor Clef 12 31 25This episode is definitely not about Forgotten Cello Music. It is about learning a clef that often gets left of in the course of learning. That is to say, teachers don't dwell on it, so it would seem. (Although it could just be my poor teaching.)I wanted to share what I have created so that if anyone is in need of a practical building up in approach, here it is.You will learn from this book:1. Comparison of the same notes between Bass and Tenor clefs.2. Incremental climbing up in register.3. The use of Tunes that you likely already have played before. You can purchase it as a PDF that you can print out or as a paperback on Amazon. PDF:https://www.patreon.com/travelingcello/shop/familiar-music-in-tenor-clef-660113?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink&utm_campaign=productshare_creator&utm_content=join_linkhttps://www.sheetmusicplus.com/en/explore?q=aaron%20sinnettPaperback: https://a.co/d/bY6hgmmPlease support my work as I am working hard to bring more regular episodes back. With your help I can bring monthly episodes back!
May we find here renewal of our wonder at the goodness of God's good news.Monday • 12/22/2025 •Monday of the Fourth Week of Advent, Year Two This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 61; Psalm 62; Zephaniah 3:14–20; Titus 1:1–16; Luke 1:1–25This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)
Thursday of the Third Week of AdventMatthew 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Mt 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,but before they lived together,she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,yet unwilling to expose her to shame,decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,“Joseph, son of David,do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spiritthat this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet:Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son,and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded himand took his wife into his home.He had no relations with her until she bore a son,and he named him Jesus.
Text: John 2:23-25This sermon is part of our current series: John: Life in His NameWe are continuing our series on the book of John.Recorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: November 30, 2025Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2025 — Bethany Radio
Infinite Plane Saturnday 11/15/25This podcast features a host discussing various conspiracy theories and sociopolitical critiques with callers and chat participants. Central themes include the concept of “psyops” (psychological operations), the perceived fakery of global events and media narratives, and the idea that both mainstream and alternative media are part of a larger, controlling system. The conversation frequently references simulated events like the Charlie Kirk shooting hoax, the use of archetypes and occult subtexts in mass media, and the dangers of passively accepting a “mass collectively agreed upon delusion,” suggesting that resistance requires rejecting the narratives of both mainstream and alternative spheres.The discussion covers a range of interconnected topics focusing on media fakery, psychological operations (psyops), and the nature of the current global reality, often referring to it as the “world stage” or the “Truman Show”.Here are the bullet points covering the main topics discussed in the source:Media and Psychological Operations (Psyops): The pervasive nature of psyops, characterized by a barrage of distracting events (e.g., stabbings, shootings, plane crashes). These events are described as “bread and circuses” designed to absorb time and attention. The purpose of psyops is context, suggestibility, and conditioning the public for future events.Fabricated History and Metascripting: The belief that historical and contemporary events are proactively planned and staged decades in advance, referred to as history bending or following a “meta script”. Major figures like James Cameron and Stephen King are identified as “metascriptors” whose work contains predictive content influencing public perception.AI and Societal Takeover: The theory that Artificial Intelligence (AI) will fulfill the role of the anticipated “alien invasion” by demonstrating superior intelligence and solving human problems, ultimately leading humanity to submit to it. AI on the world stage will reinforce the mainstream “Wikipedia version of reality” due to its programming.AI in Religion and Personal Life: Instances of churches adopting AI, such as the creation of AI Charlie Kirk and AI-powered chatbots (AI Jesus) for confession and spiritual advice. There is also discussion of horrifying apps that create “digital clones of deceased loved ones” based on their past content, raising concerns about necromancy and the misinformation effect on memories.The Political Duopoly and Controlled Opposition: Rejection of the political sphere, including figures like Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, Ben Shapiro, and Nick Fuentes, viewing them as “clowns” or “Poe's” (parodies of extremism) who do not believe what they say and function as provocateurs. The left/right divide is viewed as manufactured outrage and psychological warfare designed to keep the population within a “mainstream box”.Critique of Alternative Media (Red Pill/Woke Right): Alternative media is framed as a “honeypot” or “cul-de-sac” designed to put a leash on free thinkers and prevent them from exiting the worldview established by the world stage. This segment of media often focuses on specific scapegoat narratives (J-pill, Israel, Democrats) that are themselves based on fake events.Skepticism and Methodology: The necessity of adopting a skeptical methodology, referred to as “informed disbelief,” to navigate the “closed informational system”. The aim is to approach events like anthropologists, judging performances rather than reacting to them emotionally, thereby avoiding weaponization in the psychological war.The Charlie Kirk Event: Detailed analysis of the alleged assassination attempt as a high-profile psyop, noting indications like the number 33 being associated with the time frame of its investigation. The event is framed as creating a “martyr” for the “woke right” that mirrors the martyrdom narrative of George Floyd for the woke left, complete with coinciding birth dates.SynopsisThe core of the discussion centers on the premise that global reality is an engineered construction, a “Truman Show” managed through pervasive psychological operations (psyops) and sophisticated media fakery. This engineered environment is described as the “PSYOP entertainment complex,” where government, media, entertainment, and religion function as a unified, centralized entity. The objective is total control and the consolidation of worldview, achieved by proactively scripting and simulating major historical events decades in advance, a process known as history bending.Political and media figures (such as Candace Owens, Charlie Kirk, and Ben Shapiro) are considered manufactured characters or “clowns”. Their actions and the manufactured outrage they provoke are mechanisms of the political horseshoe and the left-right dialectic, which acts as a “steam valve” to distract the masses from recognizing the nature of the underlying ubiquitous world order. For examp
Softmal, Nytron - All Night LongSaison - Something Made MeAverage White Band - A Love Of Your Own (DJ Fudge)ARLE L'Tric, Art Of Tones - Feel ItPeter Brown - Over MeKevin Yost, Peter Funk - Return To The DeepAlex Herrera - House MuzikMoon Rocket - IntroSoft House Company - What You Need (Micky More & Andy Tee)Jestofunk & Jocelyn Brown - Special LoveJohan S. - Say Something (Jay Vegas Mix)Enrico BSJ Ferrari, Jo Paciello - Watching YouRoland Clark, Osheen - The ConversationRecorded 11.12.25This mix was inspired by the best house tunes of 2017-2018. I hope you enjoy it.Deep House Episodes was recently ranked one of the top Deep House podcasts by Good pods https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/other/deep?period=alltime#79962701
"Why I Stopped Debating Settled Opinions" IPS Deprogram 11/10/25This summary is based on the IPS morning deprogram live stream from 11/10/2025, titled: **"Why it's pointless to debate settled opinions, why I stopped"**.The episode focuses on the futility of debating individuals whose beliefs, whether mainstream or alternative, are entrenched—a state referred to as having "settled opinions". The host argues that attempting to convince these individuals is unproductive because their opinions are not rooted in objective reality or facts. Instead of debating, the host suggests studying these perspectives from an outside, anthropological standpoint.### Core Argument and PerspectiveThe fundamental problem with engaging individuals who hold settled opinions is that their framework is flawed because they are trapped within the **duopoly** of mainstream and alternative perspectives, which the speaker likens to "Plato's cave dwellers".The key quotes illustrating the host's stance include:* "And when you're dealing with believers, **facts don't actually matter to them**".* "So the mainstream does not have the right or the authority to be the **default arbiter of what is true**".* "The fake stuff permeates the entire media ecosystem, and it dominates it. It is **given the spotlight**".* "The only way out of this propaganda matrix is to recognize it for what it is. It's not just the media's lying. It's that the **world view that we get is based on the consensus agreement** on what happened yesterday, what happened last week, what happened last month".* The paradigm shift offered by the IPS perspective is recognizing that **"the fake events are scheduled decades in advance"**.The conversation emphasizes moving from being a "believer" to becoming a **"seeker"** who adopts the stance of the **"informed disbeliever,"** which holds more weight than "low information belief". This position is inherently skeptical, requiring the "suspension of judgment until we get more data". The host also notes the appearance of "agents" or "liars" in the comment section who attempt to validate mainstream narratives regarding current events, like a recent plane crash in Kentucky. The host observes that the probability of having multiple comments claiming direct, one-degree separation from witnesses of a small-channel event is highly suspicious.The host and a caller agreed on a term for those who defend the media:* **"Media bodyguards"**: Individuals, sometimes referred to as "media advocates," who feel a moral obligation to defend the mainstream media's narrative and argue against media manipulation.### Key Terms and ConceptsThe broadcast defines several key terms fundamental to the IPS "off world stage" perspective:* **Duopoly**: The closed informational system consisting of both mainstream media (the main cave) and alternative media (the alternative cave), both of which "assume the basic claims of the mainstream are valid".* **Predictive Programming**: A form of strategic media planting, likened to "product placement for ideas, for situations, for events, for history". It is designed to set the audience up for something and influence future choices through suggestibility.* **Concurrent Programming**: The undeniable phenomenon where entertainment content (like movies or shows) is released "at the exact same time as the event," proving the real-world event was planned in advance.* **PsyOp Script**: The written plan that precedes the creation of the corresponding "psyop content" in culture and media for every fake event.* **Forest of Fakery**: A concept describing the systemic nature of fakery, where truthers focus on a few "designated fake trees" (e.g., 9/11, Sandy Hook) and miss the big picture that "all the trees are fake".* **News Bending/History Bending**: The long-term effects of news fakery, resulting in the distortion or proactive creation of our historical timeline.* **Mandela Effect**: Defined as a "weaponized misinformation effect". This is a psychological operation used to "screw with [people's] memories" by altering recollections through present context and suggestion.* **MAIDS (Mind Aids)**: A condition applied to people on the world stage, meaning their mental immune system has been compromised, making them vulnerable to "mind viruses" like logical fallacies and orthodox trutherisms.### ConclusionUltimately, the host concludes that if individuals still operate within the mainstream narrative (the default) or the alternative media framework, they are within a closed system and are "closed minded by default". The only position from which to offer valid criticism is the "off world stage," which provides a "subtractive view" that removes all the fabricated events and beliefs. This perspective is characterized by skepticism, not credulity, and represents "mind war inoculation".
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pg. 25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/23/spiritual-development-through-action-of-the-divine-force-rather-than-through-purely-personal-effort/Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo's writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
reference: Sri Aurobindo, Bases of Yoga, Chapter 2, Faith — Aspiration — Surrender, pp. 24-25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/10/22/the-means-of-focus-and-receptivity-in-the-integral-yoga/Video presentations, interviews and podcast episodes are allavailable on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo's writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
Text: James 1:13-25This series we will be diving into the Book of James to learn the relationship faith and obedience have with one another. Faith is more than a hopeful optimism – it's a commitment of trust and dedication that reveals itself in our daily steps of obedience. Come visit us in person! To learn more about our church visit: https://www.wearebethany.com THIS SERMON CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmshgH0JLqxzRXiEr2QktQ Worship Service of Bethany Baptist Church (Wendell, NC/Raleigh, NC) September 28, 2025Worship Service of Bethany Baptist Church (Wendell, NC/Raleigh, NC) Come visit us in person! To learn more about our church visit: https://www.wearebethany.comFollow us on Facebook and Instagram
The Space Show presents Lynn Harper discussing microgravity medicine with commercial space operators are ready! Sunday, 9-21-25This summary was provided by Zoom and edited.We started our program by introducing our guest of honor, Lynn Harper, Strategic Integration Advisor to ISS National Lab and InSPA. Space show program participants were also introduced including Marshall Martin, John Hunt, John Jossy, Dr. Ajay Kothari and Dr. Phil Swan. Lynn shared her slides on ISS results from 2022-2024, which were later accessible to all participants through chat. In addition, the link to her slides and to other relevant material to this discussion can be found at the end of this summary. All of us discussed the potential for career growth in space-based microgravity medicine, with Lynn highlighting exceptional results from 2024. Check out the chat window in the video for additional links to relevant items of interest. Once again I announced an upcoming live presentation of AJ's art show in Fairfax, Virginia, scheduled for Tuesday at 12:30 PM Pacific time.Ms. Harper discussed the advancements in microgravity and space-assisted medical research, highlighting significant breakthroughs in disease modeling and drug development. She explained how microgravity has accelerated research in areas such as cancer, Alzheimer's, and other diseases, with examples like Merck reformulating its cancer drug Keytruda to enable injectable administration due to uniform crystal growth in space. The potential economic impact of these advancements is substantial, with projections of $40 billion in annual revenue by 2030. Lynn also emphasized the need for more space research capacity, as demand far exceeds current availability, particularly for personalized drug testing, and she discussed the role of commercial space providers in meeting this demand. As you will hear later in the discussion, it also sparked talk about extending the life of the ISS to do this important research and work.Our program focused on the remarkable results from space research, particularly the impact of microgravity on material and biological processes. Lynn highlighted that recent experiments have shown significant improvements in materials like crystals and biomaterials grown in space, with potential applications in medicine, such as cancer treatments and 3D printing of tissues. The discussion emphasized the need to continue using the International Space Station (ISS) for these experiments, as private space companies may not be able to replicate its capabilities by 2030. The group also discussed the possibility of future space stations with both zero-gravity and artificial-gravity environments to support various research needs.Lynn and Ajay discussed the potential benefits of conducting materials research in low gravity environments, such as the moon, which offers both 1/6thG and extreme cold conditions in almost permanently shadowed craters. They explored how processing minerals in space could reduce Earth's dependency on imported critical minerals, with microgravity potentially offering cost-competitive advantages over Earth-based processing. Lynn confirmed that cancer research experiments, which currently work in Earth's gravity, could be adapted for microgravity, and Ajay suggested building lunar labs to conduct these experiments continuously. Marshall raised a question about the implications of extracting space materials to build labs, which Lynn acknowledged as a valid consideration for future discussions.Lynn discussed the slow adoption of space-produced medical materials due to the time it takes for information to spread and the need for statistically significant results to gain acceptance. She emphasized the importance of reducing space transportation costs to make space medicine accessible to everyone, not just the wealthy. We talked about the challenges of communicating space-related advancements to a poorly informed public and the disconnect between space enthusiasts and the general population. All of us agreed on the need to spread awareness through various media outlets to inform decision-makers and the public about the potential benefits of space medicine.The economic potential and funding of space-based research, particularly microgravity medicine was discussed in some detail. Lynn explained that space investments have historically delivered a 7:1 return on investment and highlighted successful examples like Starlink and Keytruda. Ajay questioned why the healthcare industry, with a $3.5 trillion budget, doesn't fund more space-based medical research, but Lynn clarified that other government agencies and private companies already contribute significantly to ISS National Lab projects. The discussion also touched on the need for more frequent and reliable flight vehicles, with Lynn noting that SpaceX and ISS are currently operational but new developers will need to go through a learning curve of initial flights before achieving commercial reliability.Lynn discussed the significance of human life beyond Earth, emphasizing the potential for humans to thrive in space and the importance of space exploration for defining the nature of life in the universe. She highlighted the United States' 25-year history of permanent space habitation and expressed optimism about future space endeavors. The group agreed on the need for a variable gravity facility in low Earth orbit to support long-term human survival on the Moon or Mars, as well as reproduction studies to ensure the ability to have children in space settlements. Before ending, many in the meeting inquired as to the possibility of extending the life of the ISS given the value and importance of the work being done on the ISS National Lab. The response to that was a bit up in the air but I guess we will see on that one. The conversation ended with appreciation for Lynn's insights and a reminder of an upcoming art show featuring AJ's work.Additional relevant links to this discussion:1. John Jossy: JAXA AG mouse study in KIBO module https://www.nature.com/articles/s42003-023-04769-32. Lynn Harper 1:18 PMExceptional Results from ISS 2022-2024 https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/19qy1UE32hZvSglITBvFD0hTFfVr7EHj3/edit?slide=id.p1#slide=id.p13. John Jossy 1:26 PMSpaceX Starfall Lab: https://thehill.com/opinion/technology/5420403-spacex-space-based-manufacturing/Special thanks to our sponsors:Northrup Grumman, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Helix Space in Luxembourg, Celestis Memorial Spaceflights, Astrox Corporation, Dr. Haym Benaroya of Rutgers University, The Space Settlement Progress Blog by John Jossy, The Atlantis Project, and Artless EntertainmentOur Toll Free Line for Live Broadcasts: 1-866-687-7223For real time program participation, email Dr. Space at: drspace@thespaceshow.comThe Space Show is a non-profit 501C3 through its parent, One Giant Leap Foundation, Inc. To donate via Pay Pal, use:To donate with Zelle, use the email address: david@onegiantleapfoundation.org.If you prefer donating with a check, please make the check payable to One Giant Leap Foundation and mail to:One Giant Leap Foundation, 11035 Lavender Hill Drive Ste. 160-306 Las Vegas, NV 89135Upcoming Programs:Hotel Mars discusses microgravity medicine with Ben RobertsBroadcast 4437 Zoom: OPEN LINES DISCUSSION | Sunday 28 Sep 2025 1200PM PTGuests: Dr. David LivingstonZOOM Open Lines Discussion. Listen/participate w/Zoom phone numbers to be published on our blog for this program Get full access to The Space Show-One Giant Leap Foundation at doctorspace.substack.com/subscribe
Text: James 1:13-25This series we will be diving into the Book of James to learn the relationship faith and obedience have with one another. Faith is more than a hopeful optimism – it's a commitment of trust and dedication that reveals itself in our daily steps of obedience. Come visit us in person! To learn more about our church visit: https://www.wearebethany.com THIS SERMON CAN BE VIEWED ON OUR YOUTUBE CHANNEL:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCqmshgH0JLqxzRXiEr2QktQ Worship Service of Bethany Baptist Church (Wendell, NC/Raleigh, NC) September 21, 2025Worship Service of Bethany Baptist Church (Wendell, NC/Raleigh, NC) Come visit us in person! To learn more about our church visit: https://www.wearebethany.comFollow us on Facebook and Instagram
What role does the Holy Spirit play in our transformation? John Mark unpacks how true transformation always requires partnership with God's Spirit, encouraging us to rely on his presence and power to form us into the image of Jesus.Key Scripture Passages: 2 Corinthians 3v17–18; Exodus 34v29–35; John 15v5; Galatians 5v22–25This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Caleb from Portland, Oregon; Carrie from Saint Louis, Missouri; Nick from Houston, Texas; Carolyn from San Luis Obispo, California; and Abbi from Yukon, Oklahoma. Thank you all so much!If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.
Read OnlineJesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.” Matthew 13:24–25This parable begins in a very good way. It states that good seed was sown. In other words, the pure Gospel was preached into good soil. This should be understood as any situation where the preacher is truly effective and where the Gospel reaches many ears and is planted in many hearts. This is worth rejoicing over. But this parable quickly points out that those responsible for guarding the good soil in which the Word of God was planted, failed in their duty to protect it. As a result, the “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.” In other words, the evil one also had sown his lies into the hearts of those who heard the Word of God, and those lies took root and began to grow.This is a clear description of the world we live in today. First, it's a description of the hearts of many Christians who have heard the Word of God and have responded, only to also struggle with doubts, confusions and lies sown by the evil one. But it is also a clear description of the world as a whole and even of the Church on earth. There are many divisions within societies and even within the Church. There are many competing voices. And among those whose hearts are good soil, it can be hard to distinguish between that which is from God and that which is a subtle deception from the evil one.The weed referred to in this parable is called cockle. Cockle was a weed that, as it grew, looked much like wheat. It was very difficult to distinguish from wheat until the grain began to appear. But when the grain did begin to appear, it was clearly distinguishable. And if the cockle were to accidentally be ground in with the wheat, it would cause nausea when eaten.The parable is quite clear. The lies that the evil one sows in the hearts of the faithful, those with fertile hearts, are very subtle, especially at first. It is easy for those subtle lies to confuse us. The evil one rarely succeeds in misleading the faithful through grave and obvious errors. Therefore, he deceives with small errors. As a result, the error is often not understood until much later as the fruit is born. The result is division, confusion, conflict and the like—conflict within our own souls, within our world and even within our Church.What is the solution? Vigilance. We, as followers of Christ, must be exceptionally vigilant in regard to that which we allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sounds good at first doesn't make it good. This is why we have the Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church and the teachings of the saints. We must constantly examine all that we allow into our hearts, our families, our world and our churches in the light of the pure and consistent teachings of our faith. And when we see divisions, this is a clear sign of some subtle error that has crept in. In the end, at the harvest time, when we all face Christ our Lord at our judgments, He will separate the good from the bad. But for our part, vigilance is essential so that only the pure seed of God's Word is received by us and sown by us.Reflect, today, on your own soul as fertile ground. What “seed” is sown there? What do you allow to penetrate your heart and take root? Are you vigilant, remaining attentive to the ways that the evil one tries to mislead you through subtle lies and errors? Ponder these questions honestly, and if you find conflict and confusion in your life, look more deeply at the source of these troubles. If there are lies that you have allowed into your own life, then turn them over to our Lord so that He can remove them at the proper time.Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You. Parable of the Sower by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
Read OnlineAt that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25This passage is in stark contrast to the passage just before it in which Jesus chastised the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for not repenting and believing in Him. And as soon as Jesus issued those rebukes, He turned His eyes to Heaven and offered praise to the Father for revealing the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who were “childlike.”One of the greatest threats to a pure and childlike faith is intellectual pride. Those who consider themselves as “wise and learned” are often tempted to rely upon their own reasoning abilities to come to conclusions and beliefs in life. The problem is that even though the matters of our faith are fully reasonable, they go beyond the conclusions that human reason alone can achieve. We cannot figure out God by ourselves. We need the gift of faith for that, and the gift of faith begins with a spiritual communication from God through which He reveals to us Who He is and what is true. Only the childlike, meaning, those who are humble, are able to hear this form of communication from God and respond.This passage also reveals to us that Jesus passionately rejoices in this form of humble faith. He gives “praise” to the Father in Heaven for witnessing such faith, because Jesus knows that this form of faith originates from the Father. In your life, it is important that you regularly ponder whether you are more like the wise and learned or like those who are childlike. Though God is an infinite and incomprehensible mystery, He must be known. And the only way we can come to know God is if He reveals Himself to us. And the only way God will reveal Himself to us is if we remain humble and childlike.As we come to childlike faith, we must also imitate the praise that Jesus offered the Father for the faith that He witnessed in the lives of His followers. We, too, must turn our eyes to those who clearly manifest this pure knowledge of God by the gift of faith. As we see this faith lived, we must rejoice and offer praise to the Father. And this act of praise must be given not only when we see faith alive in others, it must also be given when we see the gift of faith grow within our own soul. We must foster a holy awe of what God does within us, and we must rejoice in that experience. Reflect, today, upon Jesus giving praise to the Father as He witnesses the faith born in the hearts of His followers. When Jesus looks at you, what does He do? Does He issue chastisements? Or does His Sacred Heart rejoice and give praise for what He sees. Give joy to the Heart of Christ by humbling yourself to the point that you, too, are counted among the childlike who truly know and love God. My rejoicing Lord, You are attentive to the workings of grace in every human heart. As You see the Voice of the Father speaking to Your children, You rejoice at such a sight. Dear Lord, I pray that my own heart will be the cause of Your joy and Your praise of the Father in Heaven. Please speak to me and help me to believe with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: James Tissot, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsSource of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2025 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.
June 26, 2025 Today's Reading: Catechism: The Lord's Prayer - The ConclusionDaily Lectionary: Joshua 1:1-18; Acts 8:1-25This means that I should be certain that these petitions are pleasing to our Father in heaven, and are heard by Him; (The Lord's Prayer - The Conclusion - What does this mean?)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Have you ever thought, “What if God doesn't like what I pray for?” or “Does God really hear my prayers?”Don't worry—you're not alone. Doubting whether or not God hears our prayers or answers them is what Dr. Luther is getting at in his meaning for the conclusion of the Lord's Prayer. God commands us to pray. Not in a “do it or else” kind of command. God invites us to pray to Him just as you would ask your parents for things you want or need.Your heavenly Father desires to give you all that you need in this life. That doesn't mean that every petition will be “Yes.” God's “no” is good. We might not be content with that wherever we are in life at that time. But know this: God's “no” is not disappointment in you or your prayers. If something is bothering you, or if there is something you want more than anything, pray that God would give it to you if He wills. If you can't think of what to pray for, pray the Lord's Prayer; it is the prayer for the baptized Christian that teaches us how to pray.Trust that the Father hears your prayers, and be comforted that you have the Son and the Holy Spirit interceding for you. God continues to give you daily bread and care for you in your daily life against sin, death, and the devil. Remember your Amen. Amen is that final word where you confess that this is your prayer and that you know that your Father in heaven hears it and will answer it just as He has promised. God truly hears your prayers, and your heavenly Father invites you, His child, to pray for Him about everything. We give thanks to God that we can come to Him in prayer and that He sees you as His dear children. In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Amen, that is, so shall it be. Make strong our faith in You, that we May doubt not but with trust believe That what we ask we shall receive. Thus in Your name and at Your Word We say, "Amen, O hear us, Lord!" (LSB 766:9)- Justin Chester is a seminary student at Concordia Theological Seminary, Fort Wayne, IN.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.In Clarifying the Great Commission, Rev. Daniel Christian Voth identifies common omissions from our collective understanding of Jesus' farewell discourse—omissions that turn Christ's promises of forgiveness, life, and salvation into a legalistic command. Come and discover a richer understanding of The Great Commission.
Text: Hebrews 10:24-25This sermon is part of our current series: Church Body CovenantThis summer we are working through what it means to covenant together as a church.Recorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: June 22, 2025Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2025 — Bethany Radio
Episode 12: In this final episode of "Ten Great Doctrines of the Bible" we cover the church and future things! We discuss the body of Christ, the local church, leadership and membership within the local church, the return of Christ, judgment, the new heaven and earth, and eternity. 4.30.25This is a midweek Bible study based on the book, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. It is an overview of the whole of scripture and key doctrines.Visual aids are frequently used and can be accessed here if you would like to follow along:Study Slides
Episode 11: This week, we cover the doctrine of Salvation and discuss the basis of salvation, what it results it, the cost and also timing!4.23.25This is a midweek Bible study based on the book, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. It is an overview of the whole of scripture and key doctrines.Visual aids are frequently used and can be accessed here if you would like to follow along:Study Slides
Is the world getting worse? Or better? John Mark explores how the world is progressing materially and technologically, but regressing psychologically, relationally, and spiritually. He shows how, even in the midst of the good and the bad of the human condition, the resurrection of Jesus opens the door for us to live the life we're longing for. Key Scripture Passage: Romans 8v18-25This podcast and its episodes are paid for by The Circle, our community of monthly givers. Special thanks for this episode goes to: Alissa from Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Terry from Dublin, Georgia; Jacob from Edmond, Oklahoma; John and Vicki from Bend, Oregon; and Vanassa from Los Angeles, California. Thank you all so much!If you'd like to pay it forward and contribute toward future resources, you can learn more at practicingtheway.org/give.
In today's episode of The Love Revival Podcast, we're pulling back the velvet curtain on the one thing that makes a woman completely unforgettable to men — and no, it's not about how she looks, what she says, or how hard she tries.It's about Feminine Embodiment.The energy that magnetizes without effort.The vibe that turns heads without even trying.The state that makes men lean in, obsess, and pursue deeply… because they feel you on a soul level.If you've ever wondered why some women seem to have men wrapped around their finger — and it's not because they're the “prettiest” or the “nicest” — this is the episode that explains why.In This Episode You'll learn:What feminine embodiment actually is (and why most women don't have it)How to stop chasing and start receivingThe 3 energetic shifts that make you irresistibleHow to move from overthinking to overflowing pleasureWhy magnetism is an energy, not an effortThis episode is your permission slip to drop the performance and become a woman who is so in her body, she doesn't need to prove a damn thing.
Episode 10: This week, we wrap up the doctrine of man and then discuss the doctrine of sin. We examine the nature of sin, the fall of man, and how this lead to our corruption, along with our continued rebellion.4.2.25This is a midweek Bible study based on the book, 30 Days to Understanding the Bible by Max Anders. It is an overview of the whole of scripture and key doctrines.Visual aids are frequently used and can be accessed here if you would like to follow along:Study Slides
Lured Up Podcast 340: Meeting With NianticLive Streamed on - 3/15/25Publish Date - 3/19/25This was quite the week in Pokémon GO. With the Community reeling from the news of the sale to Scopely. The amount of uncertainty and emotion is at an all time high. With feelings spanning the entire spectrum of thought, some Trainers remain concerned with cautious optimism, while others think this will spell out the demise of Pokémon GO as we know it. While our perspective is definitely to be optimistic while calling it like we see it, we had some of our concerns and doubts eased a bit after meeting with Niantic for a Q&A session to discuss the transition.I was able to meet with Michael Steranka the Senior Product Director on Pokémon GO and Mark Van Lommel, Niantic's Director of Communications, Games and Influencer Relations. Our 30 minute Zoom call was a no-nonsense information fest, where a small group of Pokémon GO creators from around the world could communicate directly with Niantic to have their questions answered.On this episode we will go through in detail some of the key questions that were asked, and Niantic's detailed and confidence inspired responses. Time will absolutely tell what the future holds for Pokémon GO, but for now we were able to address some of the topics that matter most to Trainers. From Niantic's core values of exercise, exploration and real world social interaction to the reputation that Scopely games have over their monetization practices, Niantic was fully transparent and didn't shy away from answering every question. By the time episode 341 drops, we will have a second meeting with Niantic, where we hope to have even more questions answered! Stay tuned!Festival of Colors: https://bit.ly/LU340Colors Deep Depths: https://bit.ly/LU340DeepDepthcs Catch Mastery: https://bit.ly/LU340CatchMastery DMAX Raikou: https://bit.ly/LU340Raikou Letter from Ed Wu: https://bit.ly/LU340EdWu Scopely Welcome: https://bit.ly/LU340ScopelyWelcome Niantic Meeting: https://bit.ly/LU340NianticMeeting LuredUp@PokemonProfessor.com Voicemail and SMS: 732-835-8639 Use code FULLHEAL at https://tgacards.com/ for 10% off your order!Support the show by bookmarking and shopping at TCGPlayer.com using this link - https://bit.ly/TCGPlayerAffiliate Connect with us on multiple platforms! https://linktr.ee/PokemonProfessorNetwork HostsKen PescatoreAdam TuttleWriter and ProducerKen PescatoreExecutive Producer XanderShow music provided by GameChops and licensed through Creative Commons▾ FOLLOW GAMECHOPS ▾http://instagram.com/GameChopshttp://twitter.com/GameChopshttp://soundcloud.com/GameChopshttp://facebook.com/GameChopshttp://youtube.com/GameChopshttp://www.gamechops.comIntro MusicLake Verity (Drum & Bass Remix) TetracaseGameChops - Ultraballhttp://gamechops.com/ultraball/https://soundcloud.com/tetracase https://soundcloud.com/MegaFlare0Break MusicNational ParkMikel & GameChopsGameChops - Poké & Chillhttp://smarturl.it/pokechillhttps://twitter.com/mikel_beatsOutro MusicVast Poni CanyonCG5 & GlitchxCity (Future Bass Remix)GameChops - Ultraballhttp://gamechops.com/ultraball/ http://soundcloud.com/cg5-beatshttps://soundcloud.com/glitchxcityPokémon And All Respective Names are Trademark and © of Nintendo 1996-2025 Pokémon GO is Trademark and © of Niantic, Inc.Lured Up and the Pokémon Professor Network are not affiliated with Niantic Inc., The Pokémon Company, Game Freak or Nintendo.#pokemon #pokemongo #podcast
reference: Sri Aurobindo and the Mother, Looking from Within, Chapter 1, Looking at Life and Circumstances, pp. 24-25This episode is also available as a blog post at https://sriaurobindostudies.wordpress.com/2025/03/14/dealing-with-dualities/ Video presentations,interviews and podcast episodes are all available on the YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@santoshkrinsky871More information about Sri Aurobindo can be found at www.aurobindo.net The US editions and links to e-book editions of SriAurobindo's writings can be found at Lotus Press www.lotuspress.com
Text: 1 Samuel 28:12-25This sermon is part of our current series: Not by MightRecorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: March 9, 2025Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2024 — Bethany Radio
No Agenda Episode 1739 - "Hypophora" "Hypophora" Executive Producers: Commodore RC Tolbert Commodore Donald Barthlow Commodore Paul Fellner Ronnie Ross Dru Koester herbidude Sir Walkman Duke Bob D Maple Basile Weijters Commodore semi-anonymous vegan Lindsay Christensen Associate Executive Producers: Sir Ross the Boss Sheikh Craiggy bin James Al Courtice Mike Janssens Frank Gravato Eli the Coffee guy incognito Linda Lu Duchess of jobs and writer of resumes 1739 Club Members: Become a member of the 1740 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Commodores: Commodore RC Tolbert Commodore Donald Barthlow Commodore Paul Fellner Commodore semi-anonymous vegan. Title Changes Sir Adam > Sir Adam, Baronet of Tamriel Knights & Dames Madilyn Hawk > Madi Hawk, Dame Madibug of Southern Schillinois Craig Courtice > Sheikh Craiggy bin James Al Courtice Art By: Blue Acorn End of Show Mixes: Neal Jones - John Jones - David Keckta Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1739.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format Last Modified 02/16/2025 16:55:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 02/16/2025 16:55:25 by Freedom Controller
Text: 1 Samuel 26:13-25This sermon is part of our current series: Not by MightRecorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: 2/16/25Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2024 — Bethany Radio
Text: 1 Samuel 26:1-25This sermon is part of our current series: Not by MightRecorded live at Bethany Bible Church on: February 9, 2025Bethany Radio is a production of Bethany Bible Church in LeRoy, MN.More content and info is available on our website: bethanybibleleroy.com 2024 — Bethany Radio
No Agenda Episode 1735 - "The Blurt" "The Blurt" Executive Producers: Sir Harrison Sir Sala Hauser Dan Nickischer Eric Carey Joe Clements Seth Murdock Bailey Davies Associate Executive Producers: Joseph Stegman Matthew Martell Andrew Eli the Cofee Guy Linda Lu Duchess of jobs and writer resumes A W Christiansen Become a member of the 1737 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Knights & Dames Joe Gwaltney > Sir Duderino of the Elbow Art By: Tante Neel End of Show Mixes: Sir Chris Wilson - David Keckta - Joe Grillo Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1736.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format Last Modified 02/06/2025 16:36:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 02/06/2025 16:36:25 by Freedom Controller
No Agenda Episode 1734 - "MEGA" "MEGA" Executive Producers: Arch Duke of Florida Sir Aaron Cole of the Strawberry Fog Earl Christopher SpeedyBubble Sir Digi Jake Gordon Sean Dietrich Nelson Ariza Associate Executive Producers: Sir Castic the Nomad Danielle Williams Sir Bates Eli the coffee guy Linda Lu Duchess of jobs and writer of resumes Lorraine Antoniotti Sir Tim Become a member of the 1735 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Knights & Dames Aaron Cole > Sir Aaron Cole of the Strawberry Fog JD > Sir Castic the Nomad Art By: Blue Acorn End of Show Mixes: David Keckta - Dimebag - Matt Lizarri Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1734.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format Last Modified 01/30/2025 16:52:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 01/30/2025 16:52:25 by Freedom Controller
Reading IIs 62:1-5 For Zion's sake I will not be silent, for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her vindication shines forth like the dawn and her victory like a burning torch. Nations shall behold your vindication, and all the kings your glory; you shall be called by a new name pronounced by the mouth of the LORD. You shall be a glorious crown in the hand of the LORD, a royal diadem held by your God. No more shall people call you “Forsaken,” or your land “Desolate,” but you shall be called “My Delight,” and your land “Espoused.” For the LORD delights in you and makes your land his spouse. As a young man marries a virgin, your Builder shall marry you; and as a bridegroom rejoices in his bride so shall your God rejoice in you.Reading IIActs 13:16-17, 22-25When Paul reached Antioch in Pisidia and entered the synagogue,he stood up, motioned with his hand, and said, “Fellow Israelites and you others who are God-fearing, listen.The God of this people Israel chose our ancestors and exalted the people during their sojourn in theland of Egypt.With uplifted arm he led them out of it.Then he removed Saul and raised up David as king;of him he testified,‘I have found David, son of Jesse, a man after my own heart;he will carry out my every wish.'From this man's descendants God, according to his promise, has brought to Israel a savior, Jesus.John heralded his coming by proclaiming a baptism of repentance to all the people of Israel; and as John was completing his course, he would say, ‘What do you suppose that I am? I am not he.Behold, one is coming after me; I am not worthy to unfasten the sandals of his feet.'”GospelMt 1:18-25This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, but before they lived together, she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man, yet unwilling to expose her to shame, decided to divorce her quietly.Such was his intention when, behold,the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.For it is through the Holy Spirit that this child has been conceived in her.She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.”All this took place to fulfillwhat the Lord had said through the prophet: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel,which means “God is with us.”When Joseph awoke,he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.He had no relations with her until she bore a son, and he named him Jesus.
Teen Mom Young and PregnantSeason 1, Episodes 24 and 25This week, Princess is upset that Bar and Ashley's oven is a crime scene. Also, the Somalian pirate is back and he's all askew and spitting on doors
Nov 10, 2024 GRAND PARKWAY BAPTIST CHURCHComponents of Biblical Faith- Part 2Self-ControlGalatians 5:16-25Introductory thoughts…1. There is a difference in self-control and self-discipline.2. Thinking about this should cause us to think deeper about our salvation.3. Self-control requires a power greater then self. 1. Walk by the Spirit, v. 16To walk by the Spirit is what happens when the desires produced by the Spirit are stronger than the desires produced by the flesh. The Holy Spirit produces desires in us that are in keeping with God's word and lead us into the experience of God's will.“I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land. 25 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you. 26 And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. 27 And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.”Ezekiel 36:24-272. Be led by the Spirit, v. 18This means two things…a) not under the laws condemnationb) not under the laws constraintProgression in our posture towards the Holy Spirit… knowing…..understanding….trusting….enjoying13. Crucify your flesh, v. 24Crucifying the sinful nature is really the identification and dismantling of idols. Crucifying the flesh is about strangling sin at the motivation level, rather than simply setting ourselves against sin at the behavioral level. Real changes in our lives cannot proceed without us discerning the idols and desires that come from our individual sinful nature. Tim Keller Four root idols that drive our behavior: a) Power: a longing for influence or recognitionb) Control: a longing to have everything go according to my planc) Comfort: a longing for pleasured) Approval: a longing to be accepted or desired“The evil in our desire typically does not lie in what we want, but that we want it too much.” -John Calvin4. Keep in step with the Spirit, v. 25This means you...Live from the inside out in a world full of people who are living from the outside in. It is to live in bondage to the invisible in a world full of people who live in bondage to the visible. No longer fear getting caught, you fear missing out. Understand that Deep calls out to Deep and you got tired of that producing an echo in you. Don't need external rules because you are now governed by an internal Reality. Mental Worship1. How often do you think about the Holy Spirit?2. Can you feel how the Holy Spirit leads you to be careful when it comes to obedience?3. Where are you in the progression towards the Holy Spirit? Knowing…understanding…trusting…enjoying?4. How well do you relate to the cycle of stopping, starting and quitting?5. Of the four root idols of power, control, comfort and approval, which one do you deal with the most?
Text UsLuke 1:5-25This week's episode of the One Truth centers around Zacharias in the temple, receiving a vision from the angel Gabriel, and the foretelling of the son he has to come, that will be known as John. The John who we know today as John The Baptist, who was the forerunner to the Lord Jesus Christ. What do we learn from this encounter, what did it mean, and how did it come about, and how did Zacharias receive it?
Read OnlineWhoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will preserve it for eternal life. John 12:25This is one of the many powerful and even shocking statements of Jesus. A similar statement by Jesus is found in all four of the Gospels. In this, John's version, the words “love” and “hate” are used. By loving our lives we lose them, but by hating our lives we preserve them. At first read, one may think that those words “love” and “hate” were accidentally reversed. One might conclude that what Jesus meant to say was, “Whoever hates his life loses it” and “whoever loves his life preserves it.” But that's not what He said. He did in fact say the opposite.It must be understood that the words “love” and “hate” here are not used in the way we normally use them. In this passage, Jesus is using the word “love” to refer to selfishness or self-centeredness. And He uses the word “hate” to refer to selflessness or sacrificial self-giving. In other words, whoever is selfish in life will lose everything in the end but the one who is truly selfless and self-giving in life will ultimately gain everything. This profound teaching of our Lord is difficult to comprehend without the gift of grace. Our human reason alone may struggle with the idea that selfless living is good. It is easy to rationally conclude that it is far better to elevate ourselves before everyone. The rational mind might conclude that happiness and the “good life” is found in obtaining riches, status, power and the respect of all. But this form of selfish self-centered living, though tempting on a purely human level, is actually the path to losing everything that is truly good. On the contrary, it is only when we allow God's grace to inform our human reason that we will arrive at the conclusion that being selfless rather than selfish is what's best. To be selfless means our eyes are always turned to the good of the other. It means we do not sit and dwell on ourselves. It means we are fully committed to the service of God and our neighbor no matter the cost to us. We must give everything away in the service and love of God and that is the only way by which God gives back to us more than we could ever hope for.Saint Lawrence, whom we honor today, was a deacon and martyr in the third century. This great saint literally gave up everything, including his very life, so as to say “Yes” to God. As a deacon in the Cathedral Church in Rome, he was entrusted with the task of distributing alms to the indigent people in need. In August of the year 258, the Emperor issued an edict stating that all clergy were to be put to death. After the pope was killed, they came for Lawrence and, before killing him, asked him to turn over all the riches of the Church. He asked for three days to gather those treasures, and, during those three days, he distributed all he could to the poor. Then, on the third day, he presented himself before the prefect and brought with him not the material wealth of the Church but the true wealth. He brought the poor, crippled, blind and suffering and declared that the Church was truly rich and that the people with him were the Church's true treasures. The prefect, in anger, sentenced Lawrence to death by fire, to which Lawrence freely submitted.Reflect, today, upon the high Christian calling you have been given to live a life that is completely selfless and self-giving in every way. If you find that you dwell on yourself most often, then try to change that habit. Turn your eyes to God and the service of others. Try to care more about the needs of those around you than your own concerns. Do so because this is what Jesus calls us to do, and, if He calls us to such a selfless life, then we must know and believe that it is worth it in the end. My sacrificial Lord, You gave Your precious life away to all out of love. The total self-giving of Your life resulted in the salvation of those who will accept this glorious gift. Help me to not only open myself to this freely given gift of Yours but to also imitate Your selfless life by giving myself in service of You and others. Saint Lawrence, deacon and martyr, pray for us. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: The Martyrdom of Saint Lawrence By Jean Baptiste de Champaigne, via Wikimedia Commons
Read OnlineJesus proposed a parable to the crowds. “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a man who sowed good seed in his field. While everyone was asleep his enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat, and then went off.” Matthew 13:24–25This parable begins in a very good way. It states that good seed was sown. In other words, the pure Gospel was preached into good soil. This should be understood as any situation where the preacher is truly effective and where the Gospel reaches many ears and is planted in many hearts. This is worth rejoicing over. But this parable quickly points out that those responsible for guarding the good soil in which the Word of God was planted, failed in their duty to protect it. As a result, the “enemy came and sowed weeds all through the wheat.” In other words, the evil one also had sown his lies into the hearts of those who heard the Word of God, and those lies took root and began to grow.This is a clear description of the world we live in today. First, it's a description of the hearts of many Christians who have heard the Word of God and have responded, only to also struggle with doubts, confusions and lies sown by the evil one. But it is also a clear description of the world as a whole and even of the Church on earth. There are many divisions within societies and even within the Church. There are many competing voices. And among those whose hearts are good soil, it can be hard to distinguish between that which is from God and that which is a subtle deception from the evil one.The weed referred to in this parable is called cockle. Cockle was a weed that, as it grew, looked much like wheat. It was very difficult to distinguish from wheat until the grain began to appear. But when the grain did begin to appear, it was clearly distinguishable. And if the cockle were to accidentally be ground in with the wheat, it would cause nausea when eaten.The parable is quite clear. The lies that the evil one sows in the hearts of the faithful, those with fertile hearts, are very subtle, especially at first. It is easy for those subtle lies to confuse us. The evil one rarely succeeds in misleading the faithful through grave and obvious errors. Therefore, he deceives with small errors. As a result, the error is often not understood until much later as the fruit is born. The result is division, confusion, conflict and the like—conflict within our own souls, within our world and even within our Church.What is the solution? Vigilance. We, as followers of Christ, must be exceptionally vigilant in regard to that which we allow our hearts to receive. Just because something sounds good at first doesn't make it good. This is why we have the Scripture, the Magisterium of the Church and the teachings of the saints. We must constantly examine all that we allow into our hearts, our families, our world and our churches in the light of the pure and consistent teachings of our faith. And when we see divisions, this is a clear sign of some subtle error that has crept in. In the end, at the harvest time, when we all face Christ our Lord at our judgments, He will separate the good from the bad. But for our part, vigilance is essential so that only the pure seed of God's Word is received by us and sown by us. Reflect, today, on your own soul as fertile ground. What “seed” is sown there? What do you allow to penetrate your heart and take root? Are you vigilant, remaining attentive to the ways that the evil one tries to mislead you through subtle lies and errors? Ponder these questions honestly, and if you find conflict and confusion in your life, look more deeply at the source of these troubles. If there are lies that you have allowed into your own life, then turn them over to our Lord so that He can remove them at the proper time. Most holy Word of God, You are the living Word who sows seed upon the fertile ground of our Hearts. You plant Yourself in the hearts of those who believe so that Your life can bear good fruit in the faithful. Please sow the seed of Your Word in my own heart, dear Lord, and protect me from the deceptions of the evil one. As You do, I pray that You bring forth an abundance of good fruit through me. Jesus, I trust in You.Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Parable of the Sower, via flickr
Read OnlineAt that time Jesus exclaimed: “I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” Matthew 11:25This passage is in stark contrast to the passage just before it in which Jesus chastised the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida and Capernaum for not repenting and believing in Him. And as soon as Jesus issued those rebukes, He turned His eyes to Heaven and offered praise to the Father for revealing the hidden mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven to those who were “childlike.”One of the greatest threats to a pure and childlike faith is intellectual pride. Those who consider themselves as “wise and learned” are often tempted to rely upon their own reasoning abilities to come to conclusions and beliefs in life. The problem is that even though the matters of our faith are fully reasonable, they go beyond the conclusions that human reason alone can achieve. We cannot figure out God by ourselves. We need the gift of faith for that, and the gift of faith begins with a spiritual communication from God through which He reveals to us Who He is and what is true. Only the childlike, meaning, those who are humble, are able to hear this form of communication from God and respond.This passage also reveals to us that Jesus passionately rejoices in this form of humble faith. He gives “praise” to the Father in Heaven for witnessing such faith, because Jesus knows that this form of faith originates from the Father. In your life, it is important that you regularly ponder whether you are more like the wise and learned or like those who are childlike. Though God is an infinite and incomprehensible mystery, He must be known. And the only way we can come to know God is if He reveals Himself to us. And the only way God will reveal Himself to us is if we remain humble and childlike.As we come to childlike faith, we must also imitate the praise that Jesus offered the Father for the faith that He witnessed in the lives of His followers. We, too, must turn our eyes to those who clearly manifest this pure knowledge of God by the gift of faith. As we see this faith lived, we must rejoice and offer praise to the Father. And this act of praise must be given not only when we see faith alive in others, it must also be given when we see the gift of faith grow within our own soul. We must foster a holy awe of what God does within us, and we must rejoice in that experience. Reflect, today, upon Jesus giving praise to the Father as He witnesses the faith born in the hearts of His followers. When Jesus looks at you, what does He do? Does He issue chastisements? Or does His Sacred Heart rejoice and give praise for what He sees. Give joy to the Heart of Christ by humbling yourself to the point that you, too, are counted among the childlike who truly know and love God. My rejoicing Lord, You are attentive to the workings of grace in every human heart. As You see the Voice of the Father speaking to Your children, You rejoice at such a sight. Dear Lord, I pray that my own heart will be the cause of Your joy and Your praise of the Father in Heaven. Please speak to me and help me to believe with all my heart. Jesus, I trust in You. Source of content: catholic-daily-reflections.comCopyright © 2024 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. Used with permission via RSS feed.Featured image above: Jesus Goes Up Alone onto a Mountain to Pray By James Tissot, via Wikimedia Commons
Marvels: The Eternals x Genesis 1:1-25This was recorded much closer to the release of Eternals but is just now being released by accident. Still an excellent (and accurate) devo, hope you enjoy it!Your daily crossover of faith and fandom! Experience daily Biblical encouragement from nerdy Christian podcasters, bloggers and content creators. Join the Nerd of Godcast community at www.NOGSquad.com
No Agenda Episode 1658 - "Spaving" "Spaving" Executive Producers: Chuck Scott Lamond Laurens De Ceuster Viscount of Whistler Associate Executive Producers: Sir Joho Linda Lupatkin, Duchess of Jobs & Writer of Resumes Sir Fakeologist Become a member of the 1659 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Title Changes Baron of Whistler > Viscount of Whistler Art By: Nessworks nessworks@getalby.com End of Show Mixes: Fletcher - Hiro Protagonist - Prof J Jones Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1658.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format Last Modified 05/09/2024 16:45:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 05/09/2024 16:45:25 by Freedom Controller
No Agenda Episode 1597 - "Honorifics" "Honorifics" Executive Producers: Duke of Central Florida Dame Laura of the golden mean Dame Janartheni of the Ceylon Spices Sir Infinitus Todd Hesemann Ed Coda Dame of the skiing dogs Viscount Sir CrashEMT Reuben Schwebel Dame GMoney Jacob Keller Johnny O Sir Michael Black Knight of the Dudes Named Ben Snohomish, WA Darius Gandhi Laura Mullen Associate Executive Producers: Dame Astrid Duchess of Japan and all the Disputed Islands in the Japan Sea Sir Quirky Sir Luca of the South East Isaac Contreras Sir William of North East Ohio Sir Antonio Sir Jimmy James Linda Lupatkin 1597 Fibonacci Club Member: Duke of Central Florida Become a member of the 1598 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Title Changes Baron of Backwardation and Contango > Duke of Central Florida Knights & Dames Laura Moody > Dame Laura of the golden mean Janartheni > Dame Janartheni of the Ceylon Spices Jodi Atkinson > Dame of the skiing dogs William Dolgae > Sir William of North East Ohio Brian Genack > Sir Lab Rat of Kenshasha Art By: Sir Shoog (aka FauxDiddley) End of Show Mixes: Sir Michaelanthony - Jesse Coy Nelson - Sir Geoff Smith - Dr Eye Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda No Agenda Social Registration Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1597.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format NoAgendaTorrents.com has an RSS feed or show torrents Last Modified 10/08/2023 16:36:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 10/08/2023 16:36:25 by Freedom Controller
No Agenda Episode 1589 - "Valudation" "Valudation" Executive Producers: Sir Roderic Baron of Fancy Gap VA and the surrounding villages Beth Lamber & Maria Hong Karl Zawaddzki Eliza Marotte T & Dan Shaun Associate Executive Producers: William Alston Melissa Reeve Jimmy V Linda Lupatkin Matt Grisham & Aaron Landerville Become a member of the 1590 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Title Changes Sir Rodric of Flavortown > Sir Rodric, baron of Fancy Gap VA and the surrounding villages Knights & Dames Aaron Moore > Sir Double A the Wandering Knight Art By: Dame Kenney-Ben kl35402@getalby.com End of Show Mixes: Jesse Coy Nelson - Sir Michaelanthony - Tom Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones Clip Collectors: Steve Jones & Dave Ackerman NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda No Agenda Social Registration Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1589.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format NoAgendaTorrents.com has an RSS feed or show torrents Last Modified 09/10/2023 16:46:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 09/10/2023 16:46:25 by Freedom Controller
No Agenda Episode 1537 - "Dig Up Canada!" "Dig Up Canada!" Executive Producers: Rob Wing Massimo Cattaneo Sir Michael Klink Dame Karen, Keeper of the Travel Hounds Associate Executive Producers: Edward Musiel Brian Agro Sir Baron Jon Helmer Become a member of the 1538 Club, support the show here Boost us with with Podcasting 2.0 Certified apps: Podverse - Podfriend - Breez - Sphinx - Podstation - Curiocaster - Fountain Knights & Dames Karen > Dame Karen, Keeper of the Travel Hounds Art By: Roger Roundy End of Show Mixes: Hey Citizen - Phantomville Engineering, Stream Management & Wizardry Mark van Dijk - Systems Master Ryan Bemrose - Program Director Back Office Jae Dvorak Chapters: Dreb Scott Clip Custodian: Neal Jones NEW: and soon on Netflix: Animated No Agenda No Agenda Social Registration Sign Up for the newsletter No Agenda Peerage ShowNotes Archive of links and Assets (clips etc) 1537.noagendanotes.com Directory Archive of Shownotes (includes all audio and video assets used) archive.noagendanotes.com RSS Podcast Feed Full Summaries in PDF No Agenda Lite in opus format NoAgendaTorrents.com has an RSS feed or show torrents Last Modified 03/12/2023 16:29:25This page created with the FreedomController Last Modified 03/12/2023 16:29:25 by Freedom Controller