Podcasts about Affliction

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Susannah Wilson joins Jana Byars to talk about A Most Quiet Murder: Maternity, Affliction, and Violence in Late Nineteenth-Century France (Cornell UP, 2025). The monograph examines the death of a five-year-old girl in late nineteenth-century France, unfolding the mystery through judicial investigations, psychiatric medical evaluations, and ultimately, a trial for murder. The investigators quickly learned that the child, Henriette, had been abducted by Marie-Françoise Fiquet, an employee at the city tobacco factory and known troublemaker. Fiquet had taken the child back to her home and kept her there all day. But what actually happened between the abduction at midday and the discovery of the child's body at five o'clock in the morning remained a mystery. Susannah Wilson uses archival records, press coverage, and psychiatric reports to reveal how the troubled history and reputation of Marie-Françoise Fiquet, marked by suspicions of sexual debauchery, infanticide, abortions, poisoning, theft, and extortion, was a case study in an emerging medical paradigm. Her signs of trauma, psychological disturbance, and medical morphine abuse provide insight into factitious disorders—or simulated illnesses—that would be more commonly observed in the following century. A Most Quiet Murder provides a new view of nineteenth-century France, where the law and public authorities intervened in the lives of the working classes and their children during moments of crisis to exercise the law of the land. The murder of a child reveals the connections between the psychology of female violence, the emergent understanding of factitious disorders, and the psychologically complex motives that extend beyond simple altruism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Suffering exposes what we believe about God faster than success ever could. When affliction lingers, disappointment goes unresolved, and growth feels slower than we want, the question isn't whether God is present—it's whether our theology can carry the weight of real life. Too many believers inherit a framework that collapses under pressure, leaving them confused, bitter, or quietly disillusioned. This week on Win Today, Dr. Craig Keener joins me to rebuild a theology of suffering that can endure. We talk about why God is not in a hurry to mature us, how pressure actually forms spiritual resilience, and what it looks like to develop a mindset about affliction that produces endurance rather than erosion. This conversation doesn't minimize pain—it gives it meaning. If you're suffering, stalled, or carrying disappointment you haven't known how to name, this episode will help you reframe affliction as formation and discover the kind of maturity that only pressure can produce. Guest Bio Dr. Craig Keener is a leading New Testament scholar, historian, and theologian whose work has shaped global conversations on Scripture, the Holy Spirit, miracles, and suffering. He has authored dozens of academic and popular-level books and has taught and lectured internationally, bringing rigorous scholarship together with pastoral sensitivity and lived faith. Show Partners We spend a third of our lives asleep, so stop treating your bed like an afterthought. Cozy Earth's Bamboo Sheets are a game-changer. They're silky smooth, breathable, and cool to the touch. And they're more than bedding; Cozy Earth also makes bath essentials, pajamas, and men's and women's loungewear designed to bring calm and comfort to everyday life. Try their sheets risk-free with a 100-Night Sleep Trial and a 10-Year Warranty. Start the New Year right. Head to cozyearth.com and use code WINTODAY for up to 20% off. And if you see a post-purchase survey, tell them you heard about Cozy Earth on Win Today. SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters, because a lot of so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Susannah Wilson joins Jana Byars to talk about A Most Quiet Murder: Maternity, Affliction, and Violence in Late Nineteenth-Century France (Cornell UP, 2025). The monograph examines the death of a five-year-old girl in late nineteenth-century France, unfolding the mystery through judicial investigations, psychiatric medical evaluations, and ultimately, a trial for murder. The investigators quickly learned that the child, Henriette, had been abducted by Marie-Françoise Fiquet, an employee at the city tobacco factory and known troublemaker. Fiquet had taken the child back to her home and kept her there all day. But what actually happened between the abduction at midday and the discovery of the child's body at five o'clock in the morning remained a mystery. Susannah Wilson uses archival records, press coverage, and psychiatric reports to reveal how the troubled history and reputation of Marie-Françoise Fiquet, marked by suspicions of sexual debauchery, infanticide, abortions, poisoning, theft, and extortion, was a case study in an emerging medical paradigm. Her signs of trauma, psychological disturbance, and medical morphine abuse provide insight into factitious disorders—or simulated illnesses—that would be more commonly observed in the following century. A Most Quiet Murder provides a new view of nineteenth-century France, where the law and public authorities intervened in the lives of the working classes and their children during moments of crisis to exercise the law of the land. The murder of a child reveals the connections between the psychology of female violence, the emergent understanding of factitious disorders, and the psychologically complex motives that extend beyond simple altruism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Susannah Wilson joins Jana Byars to talk about A Most Quiet Murder: Maternity, Affliction, and Violence in Late Nineteenth-Century France (Cornell UP, 2025). The monograph examines the death of a five-year-old girl in late nineteenth-century France, unfolding the mystery through judicial investigations, psychiatric medical evaluations, and ultimately, a trial for murder. The investigators quickly learned that the child, Henriette, had been abducted by Marie-Françoise Fiquet, an employee at the city tobacco factory and known troublemaker. Fiquet had taken the child back to her home and kept her there all day. But what actually happened between the abduction at midday and the discovery of the child's body at five o'clock in the morning remained a mystery. Susannah Wilson uses archival records, press coverage, and psychiatric reports to reveal how the troubled history and reputation of Marie-Françoise Fiquet, marked by suspicions of sexual debauchery, infanticide, abortions, poisoning, theft, and extortion, was a case study in an emerging medical paradigm. Her signs of trauma, psychological disturbance, and medical morphine abuse provide insight into factitious disorders—or simulated illnesses—that would be more commonly observed in the following century. A Most Quiet Murder provides a new view of nineteenth-century France, where the law and public authorities intervened in the lives of the working classes and their children during moments of crisis to exercise the law of the land. The murder of a child reveals the connections between the psychology of female violence, the emergent understanding of factitious disorders, and the psychologically complex motives that extend beyond simple altruism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/gender-studies

1 Peter 4:12-19 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss following in the footsteps of Jesus by sharing in His suffering.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24172The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Steve Dangle recaps and analyzes Game 49 of the Toronto Maple Leafs season against the Minnesota Wild NEW BOOK!: https://www.harpercollins.ca/9781443469968/hockey-rants-and-raves/ BECOME AN SDP VIP! https://www.youtube.com/sdpn/join SDPN: https://www.sdpn.ca/ ADVERTISE WITH US! https://sdpn.ca/sales/ SDPN DISCORD: https://discord.com/invite/MtTmw9rrz7 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

1 Peter 4:1-6 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss the shift that takes place now that we are in Christ. We move from living to fulfill the passions of the flesh to pursuing the will of God.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=24138The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

1. The Wandering Heart Before Affliction 2. The Loving Hand Behind Affliction 3. The Obedient Life in the Midst of Affliction Affliction, far from being random or meaningless, is a divinely orchestrated means of spiritual growth, sanctification, and conformity to Christ, as revealed throughout Scripture. The sermon emphasizes that every believer's life is shaped by the teleological purpose of affliction—its ultimate aim being to draw the heart away from worldly distractions, deepen dependence on God, and produce the peaceable fruit of righteousness. Rooted in the example of Christ, who endured the cross for the joy set before Him, believers are called to respond to trials not with rebellion or bitterness, but with humility, obedience, and faith, recognizing that God's loving hand uses suffering as a refining discipline for His glory and our good. Whether through personal hardship, persecution, or national trials, the believer is reminded that affliction is medicinal, not punitive, and that God sees, hears, and is actively working in every groaning moment. Ultimately, the Christian life is a pilgrimage toward eternal glory, and every trial, when embraced in faith, becomes a step toward greater holiness, deeper intimacy with Christ, and the fulfillment of our chief end: to glorify God.

In this episode we meet Ron, who spent decades with his family living in South Asia with nomadic peoples - shepherds and goatherders who spend the winters on the plains and the summers up in the mountains. We'll hear about the many dangers that they face and the many tragedies they endure.We also learn about how the nomadic life and mindset can teach us much about the various cultures and historical contexts of the Bible. In what sense are we, as the people of God, also nomadic? What is significant about the theme of 'tabernacle' throughout the Scriptures?To learn more about nomads or working with nomads, do check out The Nomadic Peoples Network here. For the courses that Ron mentions in the episode, visit this site. And for Ron's podcast, Let Nomads Move You, visit your normal podcast platform or click this link.Support the show_________________________________________________________________________________Do get in touch if you have any questions for Matt or for any of his guests.matt@frontiers.org.ukYou can find out more about us by visiting www.frontiers.org.ukOr, if you're outside the UK, visit www.frontiers.org (then select from one of our national offices). For social media in the UK:Instagram: frontiers_ukAnd do check out the free and outstanding 6 week video course for churches and small groups, called MomentumYes:www.momentumyes.com (USA)www.momentumyes.org.uk (UK) _________________________________________________________________________________

Verse by verse study through the book of Acts Chapter Seven and Verse Thirty Four

Put your sights on heaven and start living for joy. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

PSALMS 102–103 — AFFLICTION, REMEMBRANCE, AND COVENANT MERCY“Standing Under Pressure and Remembering Yahuah Correctly”Teacher: Kerry BattleAhava ~ Love AssemblyThis evening message follows the Torah class and continues the Psalms teaching sequence, addressing how Israel responds after obedience is already established.Psalms 102–103 move from affliction to remembrance.These psalms establish:How Israel speaks in sufferingHow memory is governed under covenantHow mercy is taught without disorderThis is not emotional release.This is covenant regulation.WHAT WE COVER IN THIS MESSAGE1. Psalm 102 — Affliction Without AccusationPsalm 102Psalm 102 gives voice to affliction without rebellion. The psalmist speaks honestly of weakness and distress while refusing to accuse Yahuah of injustice. Affliction is acknowledged, but covenant order is maintained.2. Yahuah Is Eternal While Man Is FrailPsalm 102:12–28Human strength fades, but Yahuah remains unchanged. Personal suffering is placed under covenant purpose, and Zion's restoration is affirmed as appointed. Continuity belongs to the covenant, not the moment.3. Psalm 103 — Remembrance Is a CommandPsalm 103:1–5Israel is commanded to remember Yahuah and forget none of His benefits. Memory is regulated. Forgetting commandments while remembering benefits produces disorder.4. Mercy Without LicensePsalm 103:6–14Yahuah's mercy is compassionate and patient, yet covenantal. Mercy restores relationship but does not remove accountability. Fear of Yahuah governs mercy.5. Who Mercy Is ForPsalm 103:15–18Mercy is extended to those who fear Yahuah, keep His covenant, and remember His commandments to do them. Mercy is inherited through obedience.6. Authority Precedes WorshipPsalm 103:19–22Yahuah's throne is established, and His kingdom rules over all. Worship flows from settled authority, not emotion. Praise follows order.WHY THIS MESSAGE MATTERSAffliction is disciplinedMemory is regulatedMercy is definedObedience is preservedLeadership is restrainedCovenant order is protectedPsalms 102–103 teach Israel how to endure hardship without accusation and how to receive mercy without abandoning obedience.SCRIPTURE REFERENCES FOR STUDYPsalms 102–103Deuteronomy 7 • Deuteronomy 8 • Deuteronomy 30Exodus 34Isaiah 40Lamentations 3Malachi 3Hebrews 1Every section is taught precept upon precept.ABOUT AHAVA ~ LOVE ASSEMBLYWe teach the Pure Word of Yahuah, no religion, no tradition, no compromise.Our teaching follows the Sovereign Blueprint:Law | Precept | Example | Wisdom | Understanding | Prudence | Conviction | Fruit of the Ruach | Final Heart CheckSUPPORT THE WORK — GIVE VIA ZELLEZelle QR at: ahavaloveministry.comZelle only.No CashApp.No PayPal.FINAL WORDAffliction does not cancel covenant.Mercy does not erase obedience.Memory must be disciplined.Authority remains settled.These psalms regulate life under sustained pressure.Final Heart Check:When affliction lingers, do you humble yourself or accuse Yahuah?When mercy is shown, do you return to obedience or relax it?

Send us a textPain can make faith feel like a thin thread—but that thread holds. We open with the comfort of Isaiah 57:1, a promise that God protects His people even in loss, then move into the raw honesty of Job's lament: why be born to suffer? That question echoes through hospital corridors and midnight testimonies, where worship still rises and witness still happens. One voice shares a near-death night without insurance, another prays over abuse and confusion, and together we discover that dependence on God isn't a fallback plan—it's the center of the Christian life.We talk about church as the people gathered in Christ, not the building or schedule. When the need is urgent, we stop and pray. When calling gets rearranged, we trust the One who rearranges. Job's grief doesn't deny providence; it wrestles with it. That wrestling teaches us the difference between shallow blame and honest formation. Affliction doesn't prove hidden sin; it often grows deeper faith. Doctrine—election, calling, preservation—comes alive when it drives us to lean fully on God. The mantra of the kingdom isn't independence; it's dependence. In that dependence we find courage, mercy, and a community that refuses to let go.Through stories from a hospital bed, hallway witness, pastoral tension, and a plea for safety and healing, we keep returning to the same truth: God preserves, God hears, and God leads. If you're carrying something heavy, let these prayers and reflections be a hand on your shoulder. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope, and leave a review with one verse that carried you—so we can lift it up together.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textOriginally posted in July 2025 and previously only available on Patreon. Exploring Simone Weil's radical vision of attention, affliction, and God's love—and how the gospel both fulfills and challenges her deepest insights.”Support the showFollow and Support All my Creative endeavours on Patreon. Jeremy McCandless | Creating Podcasts and Bible Study Resources | Patreon Check out my other Podcasts. The Bible Project: https://thebibleproject.buzzsprout.com History of the Christian Church: https://thehistoryofthechristianchurch.buzzsprout.com The L.I.F.E. Podcast: (Philosophy and current trends in the Arts and Entertainment Podcast). https://the-living-in-faith-everyday-podcast.buzzsprout.com The Renewed Mind Podcast. My Psychology and Mental Health Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568891 The Classic Literature Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2568906

1 Peter 1:1-12 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin discuss the testing of our faith.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=23929The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

The sermon centers on the transformative power of present suffering in producing an eternal weight of glory, grounded in 2 Corinthians 4:17, where Paul affirms that temporary, light afflictions are not meaningless but are divinely working toward an immeasurable, eternal reward. It emphasizes that suffering is not an anomaly but the normal experience of life in a fallen world, yet through faith, believers are called to look beyond visible pain to the unseen, eternal realities of Christ's glory. The glory produced is not merely future reward but an internal, ongoing transformation—spiritual maturity and Christlikeness forged in the fire of trials, renewed daily in the inward man. This relationship is not one of mere cause and effect, but of profound disproportion: God's grace far exceeds the suffering endured, redeeming every trial into a means of eternal substance. Ultimately, the key to enduring affliction is fixing one's gaze on Christ, whose glory, beheld by faith, transforms believers from one degree of glory to another, making suffering a sacred instrument of divine purpose.

Send us a textWhat do you hold onto when time races and comfort disappears? We step into Job 9 and sit with a righteous man who can't reconcile his pain with God's justice. The language is fierce and beautiful—days flying like a runner, ships skimming the water, an eagle dropping on its prey—and it feels uncomfortably familiar. When judges seem blind and the wicked prosper, the heart wants answers. Instead, Job gives us honesty and awe, and we explore how both can deepen faith rather than destroy it.Together, we unpack the difference between true comfort and the kind that only numbs. We talk about the subtle ways false comfort creeps in—through distractions, pleasures, and idols—and why it leaves us weaker when the storm finally hits. Isaiah's critique of idols and Jesus' call to build on the Rock frame our conversation: foundations matter. And when life moves fast, wisdom must move faster. Brevity isn't a threat to faith; it's a summons to live with intention, to repent quickly, to love deeply, and to anchor our hope beyond the churn of the moment.We also name a fear many believers carry but seldom say aloud: Am I still saved? Affliction can shake assurance, yet the very question often signals a living faith reaching for its Shepherd. A personal testimony of abuse, shame, and a cancer diagnosis grounds the theology in real life and reveals how God can send a word in season through simple acts of care. If human help fails, God still sees. If false comforts lull, the Spirit wakes. Listen for practical ways to guard your heart, resist idols, redeem your time, and seek the comfort that strengthens rather than sedates.If this conversation meets you where you are, subscribe, leave a review, and share it with someone who needs a solid anchor today.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Perhaps 40% of the everyone in the world has headaches, but they're remarkably under-studied and misunderstood. Tom Zeller Jr. is author of THE HEADACHE: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction and a Search for Relief, a deeply reported journey into the world of headaches and an exploration of what it means to live with severe, unexplained, and recurrent head pain. Tom Zeller Jr. is co-founder and editor-in-chief of Undark, a nonprofit digital magazine exploring the intersection of science and society. Previously, he was a reporter and columnist at the New York Times, an editor at large for National Geographic and a Knight Science Journalism fellow at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Send us a textWhat if your hardest season isn't proof of secret sin but a canvas for God's wisdom and will? We open Job 9 and sit with a hard truth: no one stands against God and prospers, and no one stands before Him justified by personal merit. Job's friends read his losses like moral receipts; Job answers with humility and a high view of God that dismantles shallow formulas about pain, righteousness, and reward.We trace the thread from Job's confession—God is wise in heart and mighty in strength—to the larger theology of sovereignty that runs through Scripture. Affliction, in this story, doesn't begin with Job's failure but with a heavenly challenge that exposes transactional faith. That tension unlocks a better way to think about suffering, sanctification, and the limits of our judgments. We also press into language that often confuses listeners: salvation as a gift received rather than a deal accepted. Drawing on Romans 5 and Romans 9, we explore how perseverance grows in tribulation, why no one resists God's will, and how mercy remains mercy only when it is not owed.You'll hear practical counsel for comforting the hurting without weaponizing doctrine, along with reminders to guard study spaces from fruitless quarrels. Expect a sober, hope-filled journey that prizes humility, clarity, and Scripture over speculation. If you've ever been misread in your pain—or tempted to read someone else's story with too little light—this conversation offers firmer ground to stand on and gentler words to share.If this helped you see suffering and grace with fresh eyes, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs encouragement, and leave a review so others can find it too.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Send us a textWhat if the hardest truth about judgment actually makes grace more beautiful? We wrestle with the unsettling language of reprobation, God's command to “let them alone,” and the claim that when divine judgment falls, it is just, final, and not ours to reverse. From Exodus to the plains of Sodom, we trace how Abraham's intercession reveals both the depth of God's justice and the precision of his mercy, and why Lot's rescue shows preservation without diluting judgment.We press into a pivotal question: why are people finally cast into hell? Not simply for rejecting an offer, but for sin that demands justice. John 3 reframes everything—humanity stands “already condemned,” and the gospel is rescue for the dead, not good advice for the neutral. That's why the cross is not a symbol of sentiment but the place where wrath and mercy meet. We challenge soft revisions of eternal punishment that might sound compassionate but end up shrinking the worth of Christ's sacrifice and the urgency of faith.Then we turn to Job, who begged God to leave him alone. The answer was mercy through refusal. Had God let go, Job would have cursed him; instead, God held him in and through the fire. Affliction becomes severe mercy, like a shepherd who wounds to heal and keep a sheep from ruin. This is the tender core of the conversation: grace is not God looking away; it is God refusing to let go. We close with a call to sober hope—preach Christ, pray with urgency, and rest in the assurance that the Savior's intercession is stronger than your weakness. If this challenged your assumptions or strengthened your faith, follow the show, share this with a friend, and leave a review to keep the conversation going.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Life is full of nuisances. For many – maybe all – life inevitably contains some pain, suffering, and affliction. How we approach these situations is a central element of our religion and theology. Our Sages revealed to us that accepting affliction is a means to achieve wisdom. It is one of the 48 ways to […]

Send Us Your Prayer Requests --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Send us a textWhat if your time is already measured—and your work today echoes into eternity? We walk through Job 7 to uncover a bracing truth: life has fixed boundaries set by God, and within them we're called to labor like hired workers under a wise and sovereign Master. That lens changes everything. Purpose is not about comfort or clout; it's about faithfulness that glorifies Christ and prepares us for the rest God promises beyond the heat of the day.We press into the hireling metaphor to ask the hard questions: What is our actual assignment? How do evangelism, obedience, and love fit into a life that's brief and bounded? And how does the promise of resurrection in John 5 calibrate our priorities when both the righteous and the unrighteous will be raised? Along the way, we confront a cultural fixation on “goats” and “stars,” exposing how easy it is to promote human fame while neglecting the glory of Jesus, the true star of Jacob. If we're promoters, our campaign should be Christ's renown—his beauty, his authority, his saving work.We also tackle the seduction of comfort. Ease can numb dependence, breed complacency, and turn vibrant faith into silence. Job's longing for shade isn't quitting; it's the honest hope for rest after work is done. That desire invites us to live awake: to hold comforts lightly, guard our hearts against distraction, and keep our attention on the One who endured suffering without sin. Affliction and faith can coexist, because the power isn't in how much faith we muster, but in whom our faith rests—Jesus.Listen for a frank, scripture-shaped call to purpose: glorify God, serve as ministers of reconciliation, and steward your appointed days with courage. If this resonates, follow the show, share it with a friend who needs clarity, and leave a review so more people can find truth that steadies the soul.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Pastor Dru addresses the divisive tendencies within both society and the Christian community, urging believers to follow Jesus' example of embracing a "both-and" approach in their faith journey by balancing teaching and compassionate action.

Jose and Dolo are TURNING UP for one of the wildest cards of the year as UFC 323 storms into Las Vegas. This episode is nothing but smoke, energy, and straight fight-week chaos as the guys break down every matchup that's about to blow the roof off T-Mobile Arena.We're talking:

PSALMS 88–89 — THE DARKNESS AND THE COVENANT OATH“Affliction, Lament, and the Unbreakable Faithfulness of Yahuah”Teacher: Kerry BattleAhava ~ Love AssemblyToday's class dives into Psalms 88–89, where Yahuah reveals how deep affliction, silence, and covenant questions collide with the eternal oath He swore to David.This is not poetry.This is covenant reality.Psalm 88 exposes the raw suffering of the righteous that does not break covenant identity.Psalm 89 responds with the legal record of Yahuah's covenant, sworn by His holiness.This is the tension every believer feels:pain versus promise,darkness versus oath,silence versus covenant.These psalms legitimize the cry from the pit and anchor Israel in the oath Yahuah will not break.Psalm 88 exposes:1. Covenant identity in darkness (Ps 88:1)2. The weight of isolation and abandonment (Ps 88:8, 18)3. The feeling of being counted with the dead (Ps 88:5–6)4. The conflict between prayer and silence (Ps 88:9–13)5. The legitimacy of lament in covenant6. The reality that darkness does not equal rejection7. The endurance of faith when answers do not come8. The training of the soul through affliction9. The honesty of suffering before YahuahPsalm 89 anchors Israel in covenant oath:1. Yahuah's sworn promise to David (Ps 89:3–4)2. The foundation of His throne: justice and righteousness (Ps 89:14)3. Yahuah's choosing and establishing of His king (Ps 89:20–29)4. Discipline without covenant rejection (Ps 89:30–34)5. The eternal permanence of His oath (Ps 89:35–37)6. The tension between promise and present suffering (Ps 89:38–45)7. The appeal to Yahuah's faithfulness in delay (Ps 89:46–51)8. The blessing declared in hope (Ps 89:52)Each movement ties into the covenant foundation:Identity is anchoredLament is validDarkness is temporaryDiscipline is loveOath is eternalCovenant is unbreakableYahuah is faithfulIsrael must standPsalms 88–89 are not emotional songs.They are covenant training grounds.I. Foundation — The Cry and the CovenantAffliction and oath held together.II. Psalm 88 — The Depth of the PitLament, darkness, isolation, and covenant identity.III. Covenant StandingWhy “Elohim of my salvation” matters in darkness.IV. Psalm 89 — The Courtroom of CovenantYahuah reveals His oath to David.V. The Davidic CovenantSeed, throne, mercy, permanence.VI. The TensionHow to walk in covenant when circumstances contradict promise.VII. The Covenant Revelation FrameworkLaw • Precept • Example • Wisdom • Understanding • Prudence • Conviction • Fruit of the Ruach • Final Heart CheckVIII. Final Heart CheckDo you stand on oath or on emotion.Ps 88 • Ps 89 • Job 30 • Ps 22 • Lam 3 • Isa 50:102 Sam 7 • Ps 132 • Jer 33 • Isa 55 • Luke 1Deut 7:9 • Matt 1Precept upon precept.

The brain is remarkably small, but stress can make it even smaller. Recent research has revealed that cumulative stress can shrink the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for managing emotions, impulses, and social interactions. This shrinkage is linked to anxiety and depression, highlighting the toll that a lifetime of stress can take. But there’s good news—the brain’s plasticity allows it to heal through intentional practices like exercise, meditation, and meaningful relationships. The psalmist in Psalm 119 understood this idea of growth and healing after facing stress and hardship, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees” (v. 71). Affliction, though painful, became the psalmist’s teacher—taking us from being “astray” from God to choosing to “obey [His] word” (v. 67). The psalmist expresses gratitude for his bitter medicine and God’s goodness (v. 68). While he understood that affliction and suffering could diminish him, he trusted God to use those experiences to refine and restore him (v. 66). Like our brains, our spirits are capable of being stretched. God uses this stretching to cause growth and renewal. Through Scripture, prayer, and a Spirit-inspired perspective, God can reverse the effects of our hardships. He can use our afflictions for our spiritual growth, transforming pain into purpose.

Send us a textWhat happens when good theology lands on a hurting heart with the wrong aim? We walk through Job 5:18–27 and watch Eliphaz speak true things about God—His power to wound and heal, His deliverance in “six troubles, yes in seven”—while misdiagnosing Job's pain as proof of hidden sin. The result is a masterclass in how truth, severed from compassion and context, can crush the very person it's meant to comfort.We unpack the sovereignty of God in suffering without shrinking from the hard questions it raises. Affliction and restoration come from the same Lord, yet that doesn't license guesswork about another's guilt. Instead, we trace the contours of faithful care: listening before labeling, honoring lament, and refusing to weaponize Scripture as a quick fix. The promises of protection in famine, sword, slander, and fear are not levers to pull but anchors to hold when explanations go quiet.From here, we draw a surprising line from Job to Jesus. The afflicted becomes the teacher, just as Christ corrected His critics while bearing reproach. Israel longed for a conquering king and overlooked the suffering servant who conquers death. That same impulse fuels a modern myth: success equals God's favor. We challenge that narrative and recover a cruciform lens—strength perfected in weakness, victory revealed at the cross, hope that binds rather than blames. Join us as we reimagine comfort that is doctrinally rich, emotionally wise, and shaped by the humility of Christ. If this conversation stirred you, share it with a friend, subscribe for more deep dives, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Mike Kim

Visit www.joniradio.org for more inspiration and encouragement! --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

In this week's episode of The Word Within, Micah Herbster and Micah Gillespie continue their journey through the ninth stanza of Psalm 119, reflecting deeply on the theme of God's goodness—even in affliction. Building on last week's discussion about the Lord's corrective kindness, they now explore how God can use even the opposition of the wicked to prod His people back toward Himself.Walking verse-by-verse through Psalm 119:69–72, the conversation uncovers the Psalmist's experience with slander, the hardened hearts of the proud, and the striking contrast of the believer's unwavering obedience and delight in God's law. Together, the Micahs consider how affliction can be received as a gracious gift—teaching us God's statutes, shaping us into Christlikeness, and proving that God's Word is more valuable than “thousands of gold and silver.”As we enter the Thanksgiving season, this episode calls us to recognize the often-unexpected ways God works for our good, even through difficulty. Join us as we embrace the goodness of God—especially in the afflictions that lead us closer to Him.

The School of Affliction (broadcast date: 11/23/2025)

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

St Isaac reveals a truth that is both luminous and frightening. He tells us plainly that nothing shapes the soul more profoundly than the afflictions God allows. In prosperity, the heart drifts. It forgets that it is a creature, and begins to imagine that the strength of its own hand has gained these things. In comfort, the soul becomes dull. In praise, it becomes intoxicated. And in success it begins, slowly, almost imperceptibly, to enthrone itself. So God, in His mercy, disrupts this illusion. He sends the tutors of grief and the teachers of fear. Not because He delights in suffering, but because He knows what the soul becomes without it. St Isaac speaks with severity because he has seen the madness of those who, having tasted power, wealth, or health, forgot the One who gave them breath and dared to call themselves gods. Nothing is more lethal to the spiritual life than a life free from the memory of God. Thus God places the soul in the crucible of adversity so that remembrance might be rekindled. He stirs us with the fear of things hostile, not to crush us, but to drive us toward the gate of His mercy. And when He delivers us, His deliverance becomes a seed of love. When He comforts us, His comfort becomes a memory of His providence. When He saves us, His salvation becomes the ground of gratitude. This is the strange and paradoxical path St Isaac sets before us: afflictions become the birthplace of divine sonship. Within their furnace the soul learns who God is, learns how He cares, learns how to love and to give thanks. But St Isaac pushes further. Affliction alone is insufficient if the soul does not respond with remembrance. Forgetfulness is the true death, the soul's quiet apostasy. Thus he commands: Seat yourself before the Lord continually. Do not let your heart wander into trivial anxieties lest, when the hour of trial comes, you find yourself unable to speak boldly before the One you barely remember. Intimacy with God is born of continual conversing with Him. Forgetting Him is not merely a lapse but a rupture in the bond of trust. And then he reveals the fruit: from long abiding in this remembrance, the soul is drawn into wonder. The heart that seeks the Lord begins to rejoice. The condemned become strengthened. The repentant become purified by the brightness of His face. Finally, St Isaac places before us the two paths, both simple and searching. The sinner who returns will not stumble over his sins; the Lord will not remember them. The righteous man who falls and persists in his sin cannot rely on his former virtues; he will die in the darkness he has chosen. Everything depends on the present turning of the heart. St Isaac's words strike with the clarity of desert fire. Affliction is not the enemy but the womb of remembrance. Suffering is not punishment but invitation. Every grief becomes a gate. And the soul that accepts the discipline of remembrance, that seats itself continually before God, finds that even the darkest circumstances become a field where the seeds of divine love take root and flower. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:03:23 Sam: Hi Fr. Greetings from hot and humid oz. Could you please let me know your email address. I'll reach out and let you know of my schedule as keen to travel to Pittsburg. Thanks Sam 00:03:57 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: philokaliaministries@gmail.com 00:04:04 Sam: Thanks 00:12:07 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 162 paragraph 24 00:12:28 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: philokaliaministries.org/blog 00:14:50 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/blog 00:14:52 Thomas: Good 00:14:59 Thomas: In library for study tables so can't talk 00:15:17 Thomas: Fall season is over but we've got lifts and conditions now 00:15:29 Thomas: Yeah it's not great 00:16:05 Thomas: That has happened a couple times 00:16:42 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: https://www.philokaliaministries.org/blog 00:16:43 susan: how is laurie recovering? 00:33:56 Maureen Cunningham: Brother Lawrence 00:36:59 Maureen Cunningham: What is the difference between affliction verse oppression 00:39:02 Vanessa Nunez: Every Friday I do my vigil adoration time and what you say is what I felt the Lord was saying last Friday in my time of silence and prayer.  “For all the sufferings you've endured shall be made into glory and bare many fruit.” 00:40:29 David Swiderski, WI: A spiritual director I had living overseas mentioned God's voice is like a whisper on the wind and the devil an annoying scratching irritation. I am not sure if I do the breathing correctly but an orthodox friend mentioned to breath in and say Lord Jesus Christ son of God and exhale saying have mercy on me a sinner. Breathing in I constantly think of the whisper of the holy name as inhaling is always quieter like a whisper and exhaling is stronger and forceful in voice. And repetition calms the mind to hear better not only the quiet but the hope is clarity from God. 00:40:51 Vanessa Nunez: Reacted to "A spiritual director…" with ❤️ 00:42:00 Elizabeth Richards: Reacted to "A spiritual director..." with ❤️ 00:42:52 Ryan Ngeve: Father how does one keep that awareness of the grace of God and not reliance on one's own strength 00:43:03 samuel: Reacted to Father how does one ... with "

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

Your momentary struggles on earth pale in comparison to the eternal joy God is preparing, so learn to suffer gladly, trusting His perfect plan. -------- Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible.     Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org   Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

2 Corinthians

2 Corinthians

In this episode of Pray the Word on 2 Corinthians 1:3–4, David Platt reminds us that God is our only true and lasting source of comfort in affliction.Explore more content from Radical.