Podcasts about Afterall

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to miss God when life feels ordinary? We pray for miracles, yet overlook the countless ways Heaven is already moving around us. We beg God for provision while standing in the middle of prayers he's already answering. We ask him to open doors, never realizing the door in front of us was opened by his hand all along. Girl, God is working in your life right now. Not someday. Not when things finally change. Not only in dramatic, jaw-dropping moments. Right now. In the ordinary conversation. In the unexpected timing. In the strength you somehow found to keep going. In the opportunity that “just happened” to appear. In the little things you almost brushed past without noticing. Because our God specializes in taking ordinary things and adding his extra. And when God adds his extra to your ordinary … it becomes extraordinary. Our God is not limited to meet needs in ordinary ways, practical ways, or expected ways. Although often times his power meets us in disguise, so we are unaware of how miraculous it truly is. We experience split second perfect timing that was orchestrated in heaven just for us, but it seems ordinary so we don’t recognize it as miraculous. We walk into divinely opened doors which only God could open for us, but because it was open when we got there and required no extra effort on our part, we failed to notice God did that. But all around you, God has been working. Every day of your life, God’s power has been on miraculous display in everything that seems ordinary. You likely never even notice … until God shows up and does something extraordinary. God is our extra. He can take our ordinary lives that seem unimpressive and normal, and he can make them radically extraordinary. You bring your ordinary, and he brings his extra. Let that be your prayer today. God, take my ordinary and make it extraordinary. I need the extra only you can offer! One of Jesus’ extraordinary miracles on earth is recorded by Matthew in a single verse. None of the other gospels mention the miracle, so it seems to be less impressive than his other miracles. But I believe this miracle is precisely what you and I need today. We need to see Jesus’ extra meeting the ordinary. Peter has just confessed that Jesus is the son of God. He has placed his faith in Jesus, committed his life to him. Then Peter is approached by tax collectors asking about Jesus’ payment of taxes. Funny, even Jesus was pestered by tax collectors. And this is what Jesus tells Peter to do in Matthew 17:27, “Go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you.” This is what you call extraordinary. This miracle hidden in a single verse in our bible shows us so much about our Jesus! 1. God works through the ordinary. 2. Obedience unlocks provision 3. God partners with what's already in your hand. My friends, not everything miraculous looks dramatic. God works through ordinary things like a fish to do radically extraordinary things. Jesus could have avoided paying the taxes. Afterall, this was the temple tax, money collected to build the temple. Jesus was greater than the temple. He could have flexed just a bit, shown who he really was and proven he was exempt from this tax. But, he didn’t. Jesus is humble, there’s no need to flex. So, money was needed to pay the tax. A half-shekel, which was about 2 days wages. Jesus could have manifested the money in the pocket of his robe, and Peter would have never known the difference. But Jesus decided to be extra so Peter could be in on the miraculous. Gosh, I love that about our Jesus … He actually lets us be part of his extraordinary works. We're not needed … but we're wanted! All Peter had to be was obedient. Jesus didn't say, “Hey Peter, your tax bill is just going to be magically erased.” No, Jesus said, “Go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch.” Peter was being called to obedience. Action was required, and actually quite ordinary action. Isn't that what we often miss – when we need an extraordinary act of God, we overlook the very ordinary acts of obedience on our part. We want God to show up and do miraculous things without us getting our hands dirty. Girl, you still gotta put the bait on your own hook. Obedience unlocks provision. Peter still had to bait the hook and put it in the water! Sometimes the greatest miracles happen in the middle of ordinary obedience. I have to be honest with you – it's the absolute only reason I was willing to get up at 3:30 this morning to work on this devotional while at retreat on a very busy filled day. I want to see God's miracles, so I will be obedient in the ordinary things like waking up as early as needed to give God his time. Jesus didn't ask Peter to do anything insanely courageous. Nothing flashy. Not even anything exciting. No Peter, just fish. Do what you already know how to do. He uses precisely what Peter is good at … fishing. Jesus simply tells Peter to go fishing, do what he’s always done, and the money will be provided. God partners with what's already in your hand. Peter was a fisherman. He had fished nearly every day of his life. He knew how to tie a hook on. He knew how to cast that hook out. And he knew how to bring that fish in. And Jesus told him to do what was so ordinary for him, but this time it would be EXTRA. Jesus' extra on your ordinary is … extraordinary! What feels routine to you may be the very place God wants to reveal his glory. Do you want to be part of Jesus' miraculous works? Jesus will do his thing with or without you. His power will not be stopped. But you've received an invitation to be part of that work and it will be the most fulfilling and beautiful part of your entire life. Oh how I pray you won't miss it. Peter was invited into partnership to be part of this miracle, not because he was needed but because he was wanted. When Jesus invites you into a partnership with him, what is it you imagine you will need to do? Do you imagine you will need to do something big? Something really special? Something flashy? Something everyone will see? Honey, what if it will be as simple as doing what you’ve always done, but this time you just do it with Jesus working in and through you? Peter fishing wasn’t anything big and special. If anyone would have seen Peter fishing that day, they would have thought absolutely nothing of it. But, Peter was fishing in partnership with Jesus and the catch would be radically different. The difference wasn't the fishing. The difference was Jesus. JESUS IS YOUR DIFFERENCE MAKER! What if Jesus is inviting you into this miraculous partnership with him, but it’s not nearly as flashy as you imagined. It’s really quite ordinary. It’s what you’ve already been doing. It’s what you’ve been doing every day. It’s what you already know how to do. Would you do it? Really, would you show up and do what you’ve always done, but this time do it with Jesus? Peter didn't need a new calling. He needed Jesus in his current calling. Now, REALLY think about the power of God that is displayed in this single verse tucked away in a miracle no one else talked about. Of all the fish in the sea, Jesus knew precisely which fish had a coin in its mouth. He also knew exactly where that fish would need to be in order to bite Peter’s hook. God orchestrated all of that! Before Peter ever cast the hook, God had already prepared the fish. And what … you think God doesn’t care about the little details of your life? He cares where your hook lands. He directs which fish bites your hook. He orchestrates it all in such ordinary ways you may have missed it before. You miss it until he adds a little extra to it. Do you need God to add a little extra today so you know it’s really him? Do you need to see his fingerprints so you know he’s really working in the details of your life? Girl, ask him! Ask him for a glimpse of his extraordinary power today. I bet he’s done it for you before. I bet you’ve been in the right place at the right time. I bet you were enabled to speak words you didn’t know you had. I bet you had supernatural strength just when it was needed. I bet you’ve reached into your pocket and found forgotten money. How absolutely extraordinary!!!! It’s already happening for you!!!!! I wonder what else God will do for you and through you if you will keep showing up, doing the ordinary things you do, but do it as a committed partnership with him? What will he divinely align for your catch? What will he miraculously provide when you try again? God already knows what you need. Before Peter ever reached the shore, the fish was already swimming with provision in its mouth. Before you ever prayed, God was already preparing an answer. Before you knew the need was coming, Heaven was already in motion. But putting the hook in the water is still your call. Yes, get up early. Yes, show up again. Yes, you make that phone call. Yes, you do the ordinary work again. Do the ordinary thing God has placed in front of you and trust him to add his extra. Because remember this – one ordinary act of obedience with Jesus can become absolutely extraordinary. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com

Matthew Shear IG: @matthew_shear takes us on the journey to cast Amanda Peet, Alessandro Nivola, and Judd Hirsch in his directorial debut. In the midst of a long and successful career as an actor, should you ever write your own film? Does it even make sense to follow your agent's advice about making more content?Matthew just wrapped as series reg, and Matt and Oren are curious about how and why he figured that making a film and getting into SXSW, was a good thing? Afterall this is a film that Oren's DP said they loved!So Matthew dives deep into what it means to be vulnerable. The blood, pain, and the angst, as only an actor can understand. And he takes us through how, after deciding to act and direct in the film he spent years toiling to write, he decided it might be best "for the film" if he were to give up his role as lead actor!!!Well... that's what happened, and not how it ended. And if you want to know how you can turn fortune yourself, and hear about how good guys win and money doesn't always, then this is the episode you have to hear!Help Matts' film: https://wefunder.com/badfeelingHelp our Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/JustShootItPodMatt's Endorsement: the D line of the LA Metro opened 2 new stops:Oren's Endorsement: Have a jumping off point for creative inspiration. Read a book before bedtime.Matthew's Endorsement: Watch interviews with Robert Smith from "The Cure" on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Tobin shocks the gang as he shares a clip of Chris Simms praising Malik Willis; could Tobin finally let him out of hell. Afterall he was kinda right about Tua in the end! Leroy has enough of not only Tobin's pronunciation of OTAs but also the questions being asked by reporters so he goes off on a rant! Then the gang play their favorite Wednesday game Rats Off A Ship! In this edition the gang has a little too much fun at Leroy's expense!

Title: “Let No One Deceive You” Part 1 Text: 2 Thessalonians 2:3-5 FCF: We often struggle falling prey to speculation and uncertainty regarding the end times. Prop: Because the Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness, we must not let anyone deceive us. Scripture Intro: CSB [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 2. In a moment we will read from the Christian Standard Bible starting in verse 3 and going through verse 12. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. Last week, Paul definitively addressed the concern the Thessalonians had about the Day of the Lord. That it had come and that somehow they had missed it. Paul answers them directly… it has not come. Today, he will outline a particular event that must precede the Day of the Lord and the return of Christ and the gathering together of His people. And that event seems to be something significant enough and obvious enough that he is somewhat shocked that they have believed this lie, since he has already taught them all of this. He warns them… don't let yourself be deceived. Because of the nature of this information and the fact that there is such wide uncertainty concerning it, I will be forced to break down this context into probably three or perhaps even four sermons from here until verse 12. But let's start with reading the entire context before we get into it. Please stand with me to give honor to and to focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: God of our salvation, we confess that since our salvation is all of You, that there is neither nothing we can do to get it from You, nor is there anything we can do to void it if You have given it to us. Nevertheless, we confess that this does not make us passive agents in our preservation. You have told us repeatedly to hold fast to what we have received from Christ and His apostles. You have warned us repeatedly in Your Word to trust what You have said over and above what our own senses declare to us. You will preserve us, but the way You do that is by the faith You have put in us. A saving kind. A kind that endures. And so, Lord, we enter this passage to respond in faith and trust Your promise over and above what we observe. Keep us in Your loving care and preserve us to the end. We pray this in Jesus' name – Amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Satan doesn't care what we worship, as long as we don't worship God.” D.L. Moody “Satan is not fighting churches; he is joining them. He does more harm by sowing tares than by pulling up wheat. He accomplishes more by imitation than by outright opposition.” Vance Havner “There is something very comforting in the thought that the devil is an adversary. I would sooner have him for an adversary than a friend.” C.H. Spurgeon These words prepare us for the exposition of the Word of God today. Let us begin. I.) A great rebellion led by a lawless man doomed to be destroyed by Jesus will occur before the Day of the Lord, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (3) a. [Slide 3] 3 - Don't let anyone deceive you in any way. i. Paul puts his finger directly on the root of the problem facing the Thessalonians. ii. They are letting people lead them away from what they have learned about the Day of the Lord. iii. Their discernment is vacillating, they have been overcome by sudden fear, and they are believing lies. iv. From verse 3 until verse 12, Paul's basic application is simply this: Do not let anyone deceive you. v. No matter what others say or how they say it, the Thessalonian church must be firmly rooted in truth and convinced of what they have been taught. vi. But Paul is not going to leave it there. He is going to instruct, or re-instruct them on the sequence of events concerning the Day of the Lord. b. [Slide 4] For that day will not come unless the apostasy comes first i. Paul gatekeeps the coming of the Day of the Lord behind one event. ii. The event is what he describes as “the apostasy”. 1. The Greek word here means “rebellion” which is most often what we might use to translate this if it were in a political sense. A rebel or a traitor. 2. But given the context of this passage, it seems better to see this in a religious sense. 3. There may be overlap as political and religious upheaval will most likely go hand in hand. But when we use the word rebellion here, I think we do generally lose the religious sense. 4. An apostate is someone who publicly denies a previously held religious belief and distances themselves from the community that holds to it. This could, although not necessarily, include persecution against their previously held beliefs. iii. So, to what is Paul referring? 1. Interestingly enough many of the references to this teaching are written after Paul writes this. a. [Slide 5] 2 Tim 3:1 – 5 - “But know this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, without gentleness, without love for good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, but having denied its power. Keep away from such men as these.” b. [Slide 6] 2 Peter 3:3-4 – “knowing this first of all, that in the last days mockers will come with their mocking, following after their own lusts, and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming?” c. [Slide 7] Jude 18-19 - “In the last time there will be mockers, following after their own ungodly lusts. These are the ones who cause divisions, worldly-minded, not having the Spirit. “ d. [Slide 8] 1 Tim 4:1 – “But the Spirit explicitly says that in later times some will fall away from the faith, paying attention to deceitful spirits and doctrines of demons, by the hypocrisy of liars, who have been seared in their own conscience” 2. This suggests that this is something Paul was shown directly by God's Spirit. 3. [Slide 9] And so, Paul is relaying that in the end there will be a time when people will say they are following the real Jesus, turning from what they see as a corruption of Jesus' teachings, emphasizing the freedom of their flesh to pursue anything they wish, and mocking any who would suggest that Jesus is concerned about living a holy life. They will claim to be godly but have no power to overcome their own sinfulness. They will divide, they will be worldly, and they won't have the Spirit of God. 4. Friends… if what I just described to you doesn't sound familiar… then you are living under a rock. 5. I have just described a cancer that is currently growing in western Christianity. iv. Does that mean that the great apostasy has happened? v. I would… cautiously say… no. 1. Down through the history of the church age there have been several events that seemed to be a great apostasy. a. When the Jews rejected their own Messiah and killed Him. b. When Gnosticism overtook the church and led many astray in the 2nd century. c. When Rome adopted Christianity as the official religion and paganism creeped into it and joined to make the Roman Catholic church. 2. And it is possible that what we see happening today would be fitting this prophesy but as Paul will say in a few verses, this spirit of lawlessness is already at work in the world. It makes sense that we would see aspects of this pop up – like birth pangs. 3. But the way this is spoken about, it seems like we might see a much more staggering and global case of people abandoning biblical Christianity and flocking to other forms of Christianity or paganism. 4. Although we see apostasy on the rise in our culture, and have seen periods of it through the ages, still we see great movements of the Spirit and people are coming to faith in Christ. 5. What Paul speaks of seems to be a great winnowing of Christians that will necessarily result in biblical Christianity being heavily persecuted, on a global scale, and seemingly the church will be overcome by it. vi. Although I don't think this has happened yet – where the United States goes, the world is sure to follow. Should the disdain of biblical Christianity continue to grow in the west, I can see it quickly developing into a worldwide event… especially when the other component of this event happens… c. [Slide 10] and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the man doomed to destruction. i. The identity of the man of lawlessness is, as you might imagine, a hotly debated topic in Christendom. ii. Although there is actually more agreement than you might think, especially between two of the three major eschatological frameworks. iii. Although I am loathe to do it, it is necessary for me to briefly introduce these three major frameworks, so that you are not completely in the dark as to what I am talking about as we go forward. And in order to understand the makeup of these frameworks, you must understand some different approaches to prophesy about the end times. iv. [Slide 11] Last week I already introduced you to one of these… preterits. 1. Preterists believe that some or all of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled, especially at AD 70 when Jerusalem and the temple were destroyed. 2. Historicists believe that some of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have been fulfilled after AD 70. 3. Futurists believe that all or most of the events mentioned in the scriptures regarding the last days have not yet been fulfilled. v. Depending on how much of each of these you mix together in your recipe, determines what dish of eschatological framework you make. vi. [Slide 12] The names of the three major frameworks are premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism. 1. [Slide 13] Premillennialism, at least one branch of it, is the oldest eschatological position. a. Well known church fathers such as Justin Martyr, Papius, Tertullian, Irenaeus, and many lesser-known individuals clearly wrote about and believed in a premillennial return of Christ. b. Premillennialism adds a heavy dose of a futurist understanding of end-times prophesy. Premillennialism would recognize and appreciate smaller fulfillments, but advocate that these always leave some portion unfulfilled in literal ways. Meaning that they cannot be the complete or final fulfillment. c. At its core premillennialism teaches that the gathering of the saints and a return of Christ will precede a literal 1000-year earthly reign of Christ with His people from Jerusalem. d. After which would be the final judgment and eternal state. e. Even Augustine of Hippo believed this for a time, but eventually became an influential opponent of it. f. Premillennialism today is divided into three broad categories based on when the church would meet Christ in the air prior to the 1000-year reign. i. The historic position is that after the tribulation, Christ would descend, collect His people, and come with them to the earth. This is what all the church fathers I have already mentioned taught. ii. There is also a newer position, represented by one later church father's sermon composed between the 4th and 6th centuries. 1. His name was Ephraem and his sermon said, “all the saints would be gathered together before the tribulation, and taken to the Lord, so they do not see any of the confusion which overwhelms the world.” 2. This would be the bedrock upon which the pretribulational view would be built. 3. A view that says that before the tribulation period, the Lord would come and gather His people and take them to be with Him in heaven during the remainder of the tribulation. iii. Finally, there is a much newer position that attests that at some point in the middle of the tribulation the church would be caught up to be with Christ and wait with Him until the end of the tribulation. 2. [Slide 14] Amillennialism is also incredibly old. Many church fathers held this view. a. Because this view takes many forms, we do see it mix together all three views of end-times prophesy. There is a dash of futurist, a hint of historicist, and a splash of preterist in this view. b. The view says that the tribulation and the millennium are figurative expressions to summarize the events of the last days. c. The tribulation is not seen then as a literal 7-year period, nor is the tribulation an event that is in the future. d. Amillennialism would see the events of the tribulation as describing events that led up to and including the destruction of the temple in AD 70. e. The 1000-year reign of Christ is a metaphorical age of the church, which begins after the destruction of the temple. f. Within this reign of Christ, Satan is bound so the church can share the gospel, but that doesn't mean that there is no opposition. g. At the end of the church age, Christ will return, gather His people, judge the earth, and usher in the eternal state. h. There is a lot of variety within Amillennialism, but this is the general framework behind it. 3. [Slide 15] Finally, there is Postmillennialism. Postmillennialism is, by far, the most modern of the three major frameworks of the end times. It's earliest known writings occurring in the late 1600s. a. Postmillennialism is very similar to Amillennialism, but with a heavier dose of a preterist view of end times prophesy. b. Like Amillennialism, Postmillennialism teaches that the events of the tribulation occurred prior to the destruction of the temple in AD 70. c. After this, a period of time, mentioned as 1000 years but really an undefined amount of time, will occur in which the church will progressively influence the world into a time of peace and prosperity. d. After this the Lord Jesus will return physically and judge the world and the eternal state will begin. e. Although often caricatured as merely supporting liberal social programs to institute progress, or to militantly take the world over, evangelical postmillennialism understands the transformation of the world happening by the preaching of the gospel alone. vii. Having now a basic understanding of each view, we can rightly give the options for how each view sees this “man of lawlessness.” viii. [Slide 16] Postmillennialism understands this entire passage quite differently than the other two eschatological frameworks. 1. Postmillennialism suggests that Paul is not talking about the second coming of Christ at all, nor is it talking about a Christian apostasy but rather a Jewish rebellion. 2. The rebellion then would occur with the events that lead up to the destruction of the temple in AD 70 and the man of lawlessness is none other than Emperor Nero his death occurring just prior to the destruction of the temple. ix. [Slide 17] Amillennialism understands this passage very broadly. 1. Although they do not believe in a literal tribulation or millennium, they do see this man of lawlessness as a movement, an institution, or an individual that telescopically occurs several times throughout the church age. 2. Although Paul's description here would be thought to refer to the events in AD 70, Amillennialism is broad enough to suggest that there could be several small fulfillments of this prophesy before a definitive manifestation of it occurs before Christ returns. 3. This isn't a baseless claim because most of the Jews of the 1st century would have concluded that the prophesies about the man of lawlessness were fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes defiled the temple and set up images of Zeus within it in 167 BC. Yes, over 150 years before Christ this happened. The last name “Epiphanes” means God-manifest. 4. Caligula, who claimed to be a god, tried to have an image of himself put up in the temple in AD 40, which was just 12 years prior to Paul writing this letter. He was stalled and then assassinated before he could see it done. 5. And Roman General Pompey entered the holy of holies in AD 63, just 11 years after Paul wrote this. 6. All that to say – what we have already observed – prophesies like these seem to have multiple fulfillments leading to an ultimate fulfillment. x. [Slide 18] Premillennialism would view the man of lawlessness as the little horn, the beast from the sea, the fourth king that rises up over the other three. The Antichrist. In premillennialism this is a future king or ruler who will establish a global regime, empowered by and submitted to Satan, seeking to destroy the saints of Christ. 1. Although we will not turn to them, there is remarkable harmony between 2 Thessalonians 2:3-12 and several other passages which refer to a similar person doing similar things. If you would like to look these up later and read for yourself, the references are on the screen. a. Dan 7:24-27 b. Dan 8:21-26 c. Dan 11:36-45 d. Dan 12 e. Revelation 13:1-10 2. [Slide 19] Furthermore, that a great apostasy would be tied to this person's rise to power and that he is given the same title as Judas, this seems to indicate a future, celibate, Christian insider, who betrays biblical Christendom and begins to seek to destroy it. a. The CSB translates this “the man doomed to destruction”, which is the same name that Christ gave to Judas Iscariot. This suggests not only that his regime will ultimately fall to Christ's Kingdom, but also that as a consequence of the apostacy, an apostate will emerge with great power. The man of lawlessness will be a former Christ professor. b. Daniel 11 indicates that this future king will not only not regard the gods of his ancestors but that he will also not regard the desire of women, more than likely this means he will be celibate. c. This could mean that he is celibate because he is focused on power alone and hasn't given his strength to women (Prov 31:3). Or perhaps he is celibate because he is asexual or even a homosexual. xi. I am of the opinion that, although the other frameworks include godly brothers, the premillennial position fits what Paul says… like a glove. d. [Slide 20] Summary of the Point: Verses 3-12 are heavy on teaching and light on application. That is a blessing to us because as much uncertainty as there is regarding the specifics of the teaching, there are some things that are quite certain. Paul assures the Thessalonian church that the Day of the Lord will not come until the time of great apostasy comes led by a lawless man who is doomed to be destroyed by Christ at His coming. Therefore, they must not let themselves be deceived to think that the Day of the Lord will come before these things. They must compare what they hear to what they have been taught. [Slide 21(blank)] Transition: Paul has identified the event that will occur before the Day of the Lord. He states that the apostasy and the man of lawlessness will come first. We have done our best to identify this person with consideration to broader Christendom. But what will this man of lawlessness do? II.) The lawless man will commit blasphemies that no created being ever has, so we must not let anyone deceive us. (4-5) a. [Slide 22] 4 - He opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, i. One of the primary atrocities that the man of lawlessness will commit will be his blasphemies against Yahweh and His Son. ii. In many of the contexts I put on the screen with the Premillennial position, this blasphemy is spoken of quite plainly. iii. And here Paul gives us a surprisingly rich description. iv. Paul isn't trying to be vague. He is trying to be crystal clear. v. First, we should recognize that this man of lawlessness does something that LITERALLY no Roman Emperor ever did. 1. We know that the Emperor cult was alive and well during the first century. We know that Caesar worship was going on in many cities that Paul visited. 2. We know that several titles in the New Testament, given to Christ, were actually mottos of Caesar worship which the apostolic authors used to correct pagan emperor worship. 3. Things like, Lord, Savior, Son of God, Image of God, God manifest, Lord and Savior. No King but Christ. 4. It was a deliberate rhetorical strategy of first century Christian preachers to simultaneously denounce Caesar worship and exalt the true King of Kings and Lord of Lords Jesus Christ. vi. But as often as we have noticed that Roman Emperors elevated themselves to deity… vii. NOT ONE Roman Emperor EVER put himself above every god or temple or object of worship. Not one. viii. Emperor worship was always viewed alongside the worship of many pagan gods. And temples to other gods were not torn down or replaced by temples to the Emperor. ix. Not only that, but down through the ages, although common to elevate a king to some level of deity, no king ever had the gall to suggest that he was over all gods. x. This gives postmillennialism a very difficult problem to deal with. Nero never claimed to be over every other god or object of worship. xi. Amillennialism too has a similar problem although it is not as problematic since some brands of amillennialism would say there is still a future man of lawlessness. xii. What is certain though, is that Paul's prediction here is, in no way, fulfilled prior to AD 70. Not if his words mean anything. xiii. Of course, a premillennial framework, which is primarily futurist allows for Paul's words to be true in their fullest sense. xiv. But this is not the extent of the man of lawlessness' blasphemy. Afterall, being over all so-called gods, demons or otherwise, and being over objects of worship – is no great blasphemy. xv. The real blasphemy comes next… b. [Slide 23so that he sits in God's temple, i. Every single eschatological framework has been written about after the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70 and the destruction of the temple. ii. Paul writes before the destruction of the temple by 18 years. iii. On the surface, it seems like Paul would most assuredly be referring to the literal temple and that the man of lawlessness would go into the temple and sit upon the mercy seat in the holy of holies. iv. What's the problem then? v. The temple doesn't exist and hasn't for the last 1,956 years. vi. Postmillennialism and Amillennialism suggest that The Roman General Titus did this when Jerusalem and the temple was destroyed. 1. Jewish historian Josephus gave account that the Romans entered the temple and set up images of the Roman Eagles on its ruins and worshipped there. 2. However, other accounts indicate that the temple was destroyed before the Romans entered in and that there is no actual evidence, aside from Josephus' words, to suggest that they set up images to worship on the temple ruins. 3. And no historian suggests that anyone went in and sat down in the temple. vii. [Slide 24] Amillennialism also suggests that this may be interpreted figuratively, although there are three ways it could be seen – hence the difficulty of a figurative fulfillment. 1. The Authority of God a. Taking his seat in God's temple could be metonymy which substitutes something for something that is associated with it. b. “Taking his seat in the temple of God” may simply be an expression to say that he took the place of God – perhaps even that he takes a religious position of authority that God alone would have. c. Some historicists point to the highly problematic position the Pope of the Roman Catholic church created in the 1200s called the Vicar or deputy of Christ, who can forgive sins. Such a place seems to take the authority that belongs to God alone. 2. God's Throne in Heaven a. Taking his seat in God's temple could also be seen as God's heavenly throne. b. Many scholars say that this cannot be for a man could not ascend to God's throne. c. However, if we understand a heavenly throne to imply space – we could actually see someone coming from space (or at least saying they did) and claiming to be the Lord of the Stars. d. I don't want to go down too big a rabbit trail here – but this is a possibility that seems to be even more possible given recent declassifications. 3. The Universal Church a. Many times, throughout the New Testament, the church is called the dwelling place or the temple of God. b. Perhaps the man of lawlessness would be a Christian apostate who rises from within Christendom. c. Furthermore, Paul never uses the expression “Temple of God” to refer to the temple building in Jerusalem. What he does call the temple of God are believers who have the Holy Spirit dwelling in their hearts. d. We'll talk more on this in just a second but let's get to the Premillennial position on this… viii. [Slide 25] Premillennialism traditionally has seen this as fulfilled literally with the building of a third temple. 1. This is plausible, although this puts the immanency of Christ's return, to which the New Testament resolutely espouses, at odds with premillennialism. 2. How can Christ's return occur at any time, when an entire temple needs to be built before someone can go and sit down in it? 3. As someone who leans heavily toward premillennialism, this is a huge problem and the answers that are traditionally given are fairly unsatisfactory. a. Some have suggested that the Day of the Lord and when Christ gathers His people should be seen as two separate events. b. Thus, the temple being rebuilt and the man of lawlessness taking his seat, is a prerequisite for The Day of the Lord and not the gathering of His people. c. However, the weakness of this view is that Paul seems to see both of these events as the same. In verses 1-2 of this chapter, it seems like they are the same event. 4. This is why the Amillennial view of a figurative interpretation is actually quite intriguing. Especially the third one. 5. Maybe we aren't looking for the man of lawlessness to actually sit in the temple of God. Maybe the man of lawlessness will take his seat among Christians. 6. [Slide 26] At first this sounds bonkers, but Revelation 13:6-7 says that the beast “opened his mouth in blasphemies against God, to blaspheme His name and His tabernacle, that is, those who dwell in heaven. And it was also given to him to make war with the saints and to overcome them” 7. Here John refers to the name of God and His tabernacle as those who dwell in heaven. And he is going to make war with the saints and overcome them, meaning he will kill them. And send them where? Heaven. 8. So perhaps we can be premillennial and not have a 3rd temple after all. ix. But even taking his seat among God's people or even in the temple itself is not the most egregious act of blasphemy. x. What is the worst thing he does? c. [Slide 27] proclaiming that he himself is God. i. Again, postmillennialism has no answer for such a prophetic word. ii. No Roman Emperor has ever claimed to be Yahweh. iii. [Slide 28] Pope Innocent III declared that “No king can reign rightly unless he devoutly serve Christ's vicar,” to which he was referring to himself. Although this comes very close to claiming to be God, it is not the same. iv. [Slide 29] No person in the history of the world has ever claimed to be God Himself… save one. The God-Man, Jesus Christ. v. This is why many rightly point out the mockery of Satan. vi. [Slide 30] Satan takes what God does and mimics and defiles it. 1. Just as God is three persons in one God, Satan is the Father power behind the man of lawlessness, his son, and the second beast from the land also called the false prophet, aids the man of lawlessness by giving false signs and wonders. The unholy trinity. 2. Just as Jesus was a Jew and rose up within Judaism, claimed to fulfill the law, and claimed to be God Himself, so the man of lawlessness will rise up within an apostate Christendom, exalt himself above every other so-called god and claim to be God. vii. Both the Amillennial and premillennial framework make way for this… but I think the premillennial position gives a clearer understanding here. viii. As close as some emperors and popes have come, none have ever truly fulfilled Paul's words to the letter. ix. This is all certainly a lot to take in. x. Nevertheless, Paul speaks of this quite succinctly. In only a couple verses he has talked about several extended passages in Daniel and throughout the yet-to-be-written New Testament. xi. How can he write so briefly on such a huge topic? d. [Slide 31] 5 - Don't you remember that when I was still with you I used to tell you about this? i. Paul can speak briefly about all of this – because he remembers teaching them all of this in much greater detail. ii. Paul now, as an aside, interrupts his teaching of the man of lawlessness to express, what I see as a bit of frustration or confusion regarding all that he has just said. iii. He says – “don't you remember?” iv. It has only been a few months, at most a year since Paul and his companions were with them in Thessalonica. v. They should remember…. vi. Paul is shocked that they are vacillating on this issue when it was so recent that he taught them these things. vii. But this drives us back to the original exhortation which Paul began in verse 3. viii. They have “let themselves” be deceived. ix. In this he also teaches them the cure to not allowing themselves to be deceived. x. It is, quite simply, to remember what they have been taught. xi. Compare what they are hearing, what is causing them fear, and what they are being tempted to believe to what they have already been taught. xii. Anything that contradicts – must be cast aside. e. [Slide 32] Summary of the Point: Again, shoving aside all the uncertain things, we can arrive at certain truths. The lawless man will commit acts of blasphemy so egregious that they have never been or been allowed to be before. He will elevate himself above all other gods and objects of worship. He will take his seat in God's temple and claim to be God. Because these things are so terrible, we should be looking for nothing less before the coming of the Day of the Lord. Let no one deceive us on this. Hold fast to what we've been taught. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that refines our beliefs and guides our lifestyles. [Slide 33] Basics of Faith and Practice: Even though there is a great deal of uncertainty here, some things Paul says are certain. The Day of the Lord must be preceded by the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. Until these things occur, the Lord will not return. And in order to be an orthodox Christian, you must see some or all of what has been predicted in this text, as still yet to come. So, we must not let anyone deceive us. So, what things do we need to take away from this text this morning? 1.) [Slide 34] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that before the Day of the Lord, first there must be the apostasy and the man of lawlessness. a. Aside from Postmillennialism, all Christians in the church age have believed that there will be some ultimate and definitive manifestation of the apostasy and the man of lawlessness before Christ returns. b. The two oldest positions concluded that things will get worse for the church before Christ returns. c. If you are Postmillennial, although I still see you as a brother –I find a lot of difficulty arriving at such a position. d. Providentially, we have seen a huge rise in Reformed or Reforming churches adopting Postmillennialism as their eschatological framework. But with an honest look at this passage – my friends – I just don't see it. e. We must conclude from this text, even after the events of AD 70, that there is still yet to come a great apostasy and a lawless and blasphemous man who will lead it. 2.) [Slide 35] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the man of lawlessness will commit acts of blasphemy that go beyond what any created being has committed in the history of the world. a. Even if Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28 describe Satan, even he never committed such blasphemies against Yahweh. b. At most Satan said he would be “like” the most High. c. But to elevate himself above every other created being, to sit down in the temple of Yahweh and claim to be Yahweh Himself… such acts have never been committed, by any of God's creatures. None have dared to do such things. d. The only man to have done something like this – is Jesus. Of course, then it isn't blasphemy, because it is true. e. Next week we will observe that something or someone is holding this man of lawlessness back. It is keeping him from leading this rebellion and committing these blasphemous acts. f. This all fits together to indicate to me – that as believers we will know when such a man is upon us. It won't be hidden and it won't be a surprise. There may be elements of it that will be tempting to believe… but we won't be fooled. And Paul gives us some fairly big clues. g. Look for a blasphemous man to claim to be God or even Jesus. h. Look for him to be claiming to be a Christian. Look for him to not regard the desire of women. Look for him to try to snuff out biblical Christianity. Look for him to desire power above all else. 3.) [Slide 36] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We should deny that the man of lawlessness has already come. a. I use the word should and not must – because of the uncertainty in this. I don't want to be too strong. b. But from my view, Paul doesn't give this sign to the Thessalonians supposing that it will be hard to see. c. In fact, he kinda words it like it will be easy to see. He is shocked they are thinking the Day of the Lord had come, when so clearly this apostasy and man of lawlessness had NOT come. d. This isn't negating what Jesus said about the false prophets giving prophesies and exhibiting signs that are so strong that if it were possible, it would deceive the elect. e. Jesus' point there is that it will be such a tumultuous time spiritually, that all Christians in name only will not stand a chance. They will be deceived. Only the elect will be preserved, not because they are special, but because they will hold fast to their divinely given faith – even though their eyes and ears tell them something completely different. f. Paul is saying to look for these signs. They must precede the Lord's return. g. Therefore… 4.) [Slide 37] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must not let ourselves be deceived. a. Christian, hold fast to your faith no matter what. b. And don't go running to see someone who has claimed to be Christ. No matter how convincing He is… We won't need to be called to go meet Him… He will bring us to Himself. c. Keep trusting in Christ alone. d. Keep growing in faith and love for one another. e. Keep gathering together with other believers who will help you see through the lies. f. And don't be looking for new or creative approaches to Christianity. Seek beliefs and practices that are firmly rooted in what the church has been doing since the beginning. g. Novelty and innovation in the church's doctrine and practice is the spirit of lawlessness. It is the beginning of this man's work. h. Do not let yourself be deceived Hold fast to what you were taught. 5.) [Slide 38] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” The man of lawlessness is also the man doomed to destruction. a. Though we may despise him, though we may hate him, though we may be tempted to love him, though we may be tempted to follow him… he is doomed for destruction. b. No doubt he will be convincing and powerful. He will persuade many. Another will come and give many signs and wonders proving him to be what he claims to be. c. Many people, friends and family members who we know and who have claimed to be Christians, will be deceived and will fall away. d. Many of us… will be hunted and killed by this man because we hold fast to biblical Christianity and refuse to worship Him as God. e. But remember… He will be slain by the breath of the Lord. His kingdom will topple. And he will be cast alive into the lake of fire along with the False Prophet. f. As much destruction as he may cause – also remember that God has sealed His true people by His Spirit. g. If possible, you would be deceived. But it is not possible. Not for those who continue to believe. Not for those that God has promised to glorify since He has counted them worthy of His call. h. God will preserve you… so keep believing. Keep hoping. Keep trusting. Even if all your senses tell you to stop. Keep hoping in Christ alone. 6.) [Slide 39] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” As long as you remain a quasi-Christian or an unbeliever, you will be deceived. a. Jesus' comments in Matthew 24 and Paul's words here make it abundantly clear. b. In the last days, the line between the visible and the invisible church will grow crisp and black. c. Now such a divide between the organization and the people who truly are Christians is very blurry. But in that day, the line between them will be quite plain. d. The visible church will be apostate. You will still be able to call yourself a Christian. You will still be able to worship Jesus. But you will have to confess that this one… this man… is Him. It will appear that He has come and set up His Kingdom. e. And the invisible church, the real church, will be the ones considered rebels. Deniers. f. They will say, “How can you deny that the Jesus you believed in all your life is not the one who is walking among us today? He has brought peace and love to the world! How can this not be the Jesus of the bible? He has healed our wounds!” g. Everything will be flipped on its head. h. My friends, if you are not a genuine Christian, you will be deceived by this man's coming. And what's worse, you will turn against true believers. You will seek our death. i. But its not too late. Not yet. j. You can repent of your sin and put your trust in the REAL Jesus today. You can leave all your sin and pride behind, all your idols, and serve Christ forever. It won't be easy… and you may die for Him… But you will be gathered together with Him on that day when He defeats this man of lawlessness. k. Won't you repent and believe on Jesus? Won't you bow the knee to Him today? [Slide 40 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Danish Reformer Niels Hemmingsen O Heavenly Father, I pray to you for your dear Son's sake, Jesus Christ, our only Savior's sake, that you would reign over us all with your word and your Holy Spirit. Do not let your enemy's hand have power over us, to steer us away from you. Give the rest of us the will and ability to refute the devil's deeds, adultery, and sexual sin. Make holy all those servants of God's word with your Spirit, so they might learn and seek your holy will. Help us all that we may live here in the world according to your will—in the fear of God, in honesty, and in pure living-that we may find on the final day of judgment that we are your chosen, in everlasting joy and salvation through your son, our Lord Jesus Christ. To you, the only good and merciful God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, be all worship, honor, and praise forever, amen. Benediction: Go, dwell on his love by sweetest song, And crown His head with multitudes of praises. Till all kings bow down to him and all nations serve Him. Until we meet again, Grace and peace to you.

Beat Migs! We go straight to the comments.

Boys love the story of David and Goliath. Afterall, anytime there's a battle involving giants with swords, it's sure to capture attention.But too often, boys fail to apply important lessons from David's life. Before David defeated Goliath, he had learned to depend on God when battling lions that attacked his sheep. By relying on God in these smaller tests of faith, David had confidence that God would help him no matter what giant situation came his way.What giants are your son facing? At school, is he struggling academically? Are bullies harassing him? Does he know how to navigate peer pressure?The more your son understands that true strength comes from God—for both the small and big stuff—the more victorious he will be in life.For more encouragement and parenting advice, visit Trail Life USA or RaisingGodlyBoys.com.

Title: God's Perfect Justice Text: 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 FCF: We often struggle believing that God's justice is perfect when we suffer for His name. Prop: Because God's justice will punish the guilty and reward the righteous, we must trust in His perfect justice. Scripture Intro: ESV [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1. In a moment we'll begin reading from the English Standard Version starting in verse 5. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. After greeting them and thanking the Lord for their growth and endurance in suffering, Paul wants to attack a couple topics all at once. First, he wants to comfort them in the midst of their persecution and second, he wants to clear up some teaching on the Day of the Lord. For the next two chapters, this will be his objective. This passage is riddled with interpretational difficulties, which could keep us from seeing it's comforting and impactful application. But this gives me a chance to teach a lesson alongside the message of this text. When we come to passages that are difficult to interpret, there are two dangers that we could run into. First, is the danger of ignorance. When you only read 1 study bible or only have one commentary, or only rely on what you think the passage says – then you'll never even know the interpretational options that have been posited down through the church age. The danger here is that the interpretation that you arrived at may be poorly attested for several reasons, or as you engage with others on the passage you might be overcome with pride and dismiss any other option than what you've seen. The second danger is the danger of getting bogged down in the details. We might even get discouraged when we see that there is really no clear-cut way to understand the passage. But it has been my experience that even passages that have no settled interpretation down through the church age – ultimately the basic meaning of the text… what bible interpreters call the telos… remains the same. For the purposes of this sermon, I intend to present a focused interpretation driving to the telos of the passage so we can apply it to our lives today. That is my goal. I will mention options of interpretation and briefly defend why I am interpreting the text in a specific way. But I do not intend to provide the full argument of each view. Now if you are one of those people who just has to know the details, I've done my homework. I've spent hours researching this and most of what I found is not going to make it into this sermon. But I promise, if you ask or come to prayer group and bible study Thursday – We'll talk about it. That being said, we have… A LOT to get to. So please stand with me to give honor to and focus on the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Perfectly Just God, You are perfect in all your ways. We do not have any trouble appreciating Your delay in justice when it is applied to our account. For had You not been merciful to us while we were yet sinners, we would have been cast from Your presence long ago. Yet when we see Your mercy applied to those who hate us, those who harm us, those who abuse us, those who slander us, or even those who spit on your laws and abuse others, we often are tempted to doubt that Your justice is perfect. Forgive us this treachery Lord. May we believe that Your justice is perfect. May we hope and trust in it. And if there are those who are not Your children here today, may You give them a new heart to fear Your justice and repent and believe on Your Son. Meet with us today Lord, and assure us of Your perfect justice. We pray this In Jesus' name, amen. Transition: [Slide 2] “Without justice, what are kingdoms but great banditries?” Augustine of Hippo “Justice always makes mercy dumb when sin has made the sinner deaf.” Thomas Brooks “The bible insists that God is entirely just, and that therefore ultimately justice will be done and will be seen to be done.” D.A. Carson “Belief in a just God is not optional.” Jay Poppinga “Indeed, I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just.” Thomas Jefferson Let these thoughts prepare you for the exposition of the text this morning. I.) God will repay those who harm us and give us rest when Christ is revealed, so we must trust His righteous justice. (5-7) a. [Slide 4] 5 - This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, i. Right off the bat we have an interpretational issue. ii. Paul begins this sentence with the word “evidence.” The words, “this is” have been added by the ESV primarily to help it feel more natural in English. iii. So, what is the evidence of the righteous judgement of God? iv. Well, before we address that, we should probably try to understand what God's righteous judgment is, since figuring that out will help us determine what could be the evidence for it. v. Even a cursory reading of this text forces us to see God's righteous judgment as His holy and right application of justice, both in meting out judgment to the wicked and in rewarding the righteous. vi. But perhaps even more correctly, we might say that Paul is talking about God's delayed but assured righting and reordering of the world to the way it should be. vii. So now that we understand what God's righteous judgment is… let's look at the options for what the evidence of it could be… viii. There are two different interpretations. 1. The biggest category is that the evidence is something that the apostle has already said. This actually divides into four different views, really debating on how far we go backward. 2. The second option is that Paul is not referring to something that has been said but is about to present the evidence of God's reordering of the world to the way it should be. 3. In my opinion, the only real option that actually gives evidence that God is reordering the world to be as it should is that the Thessalonians, former pagans and idol worshippers, are growing abundantly and enduring suffering. This proves that God is in the process of reordering the world. ix. But what will be the end of that process for the Thessalonians? They might be wondering this because they are currently enduring a lot of persecution for their faith. What is God's plan for justice for them? b. [Slide 5] that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, i. God's reordering of the world to reward the righteous and to punish the wicked has the outcome of the Thessalonians being counted worthy of the Kingdom of God. ii. God has begun a process which He will complete. He has not forgotten them just because He is delaying justice upon those who are afflicting them. iii. God doesn't begin people on the road to Christlikeness whom He does not intend to finish. He will perfect them and transfer them into His Kingdom. A Kingdom… c. [Slide 6] for which you are also suffering— i. They are enduring suffering primarily because they have declared their loyalty to Christ and His Kingdom. ii. Paul recognizes this and wants to assure the Thessalonians that God's justice is not doubtful because they are suffering. iii. The Day of the Lord has not already happened, and those opposing them won't get away with it. iv. No, they haven't yet gotten their reward for following Him. v. But their growth and endurance is the evidence they should look to that God who began a good work in them, will complete it. vi. Jesus Himself said that those who endure suffering for His sake are blessed indeed. vii. And Paul assures the Thessalonians that they are indeed blessed. So blessed, that they will be counted worthy of the Kingdom of God for which they suffer. d. [Slide 7] 6 - since indeed God considers it just to repay with affliction those who afflict you, i. Paul begins this next verse with the word “Since.” ii. This poses a challenge for us because it is the beginning of an “if…then” statement but Paul never actually gives us the “then.” iii. I would encourage us to think that the then has already been stated. iv. Paul's “then” is the fact that God is in the process of reordering the world with the assured outcome that the Thessalonians will be counted worthy of the kingdom they are suffering for, which is evidenced by their growth and endurance in faith and love. So, what must be true for all this to be the case? v. Paul points to the Old Testament teaching of retribution. An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. vi. Now we've seen, even in Paul's last letter, that it is inappropriate for the church to have this philosophy. We must return good for evil. We must forgive. We must love our enemy. We must turn the other cheek. vii. But God… God is a different story. viii. God is the ultimate keeper of the teaching of retribution. He will take what has been taken. He will give what has been given. He will punish and reward exactly what has been earned. No more and no less. And He alone is in a position to do this perfectly. ix. Since God sees justice this way – His justice is perfect, and He won't ignore the fact that they suffer for His Kingdom. x. But what else is true that assures the outcome of verse 5? e. [Slide 8] 7 - and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels i. In the law of retribution God also rewards what has been earned. ii. The reward for the Thessalonians is that they are counted worthy of the Kingdom. Which is the outcome of God setting things right as evidenced by their lives being transformed. iii. And Paul actually lumps himself and Silas and Timothy in this too. They too will get relief. They will be given rest by God. iv. But we see the timetable for this, clearly spelled out. v. When? When will God finally afflict those who are afflicting His people and give rest to the afflicted? When? vi. When the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels. vii. When Jesus returns, that will be when the world is finally put to order. That will be when all things will be set right. viii. This then, is clear indication that the Day of the Lord… has not happened yet. Which is Paul's thrust all the way through chapters 1 and 2. ix. The reason they are still experiencing this affliction and persecution… is not because the Day of the Lord has come… instead it is because the Day of the Lord has not yet come. f. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: Paul's point here is really to provide encouragement and assurances to the Thessalonian church. He wants them to understand that their suffering is not something that slipped by the Lord, it isn't something the Lord can do nothing about, and it isn't something the Lord is ambivalent toward. God's justice is right, holy, multifaceted, and executed in His perfect timing. He will repay those who harm His people and He will give His people rest when Christ is revealed. Why? Because His justice is right and good. Indeed, God has already begun His reordering of the world and the evidence is in our hearts growing to be more like Him and enduring through suffering for His name. So, we must trust His perfect justice. Its extent and its timing. He is good and He is just. Transition: [Slide 10 (blank)] Paul begins with the Thessalonians personally as a church, but he wishes to zoom out and show the greater principle of the Lord's Justice and reordering the whole world. II.) God will punish the wicked and reward the righteous when Christ is revealed, so we must trust His righteous justice. (8-10) a. [Slide 11] 8 - in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. i. Here we see our second and third interpretational issue in the first three words of verse 8. ii. Since there are Old Testament prophesies concerning the Day of the Lord which suggest that the vengeance of Yahweh comes in flaming fire, I see the fire as part of His vengeance. This actually solves both the interpretational issues in one fell swoop. iii. So, what is Paul saying? iv. Paul now is addressing all of humanity under the law of retribution. All the wicked and all the righteous will be judged at the coming of Christ. v. First, Paul focuses on the wicked. Jesus will come with a flaming fire to repay and punish a certain group of people. vi. Some commentators see two groups of people here, but really there is just one. vii. Over the next three verses Paul will have a triad of couplets which are designed in parallelism to explain who or what is happening. viii. The group whom the Lord will inflict vengeance on and repay for their wickedness is those who do not know God and those who have not obeyed the gospel of Jesus Christ. ix. Jesus said that there is no way to the Father but through Him. He also said that if you have seen Him, you have seen the Father. Jesus' words are very clear and we noticed this in Acts as well. The chokepoint for knowing Yahweh… is through believing on Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. x. But what do we do with this phrase, obey the gospel? Isn't the gospel by grace, through faith, in Christ and not of works? If we are obeying the gospel, doesn't that mean we are earning it somehow? xi. [Slide 12] Paul addresses this in Romans 10:16. xii. Paul, speaking of the hope for salvation for the Jews, says this… “But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord who has believed what he has heard from us?” So, faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” xiii. So, we see here very clearly that to not obey the gospel is to not believe the word of Christ as communicated from Christ to His apostles. xiv. And the gospel does demand belief or unbelief from every single man, woman, and child. You cannot hear the gospel and leave undecided. Why? Because even faith is a gift of God. The gospel is either embraced or it is rejected. There is no third option. xv. All who do not believe the gospel and submit to Christ as their Savior and their Lord, do not know God, and all will fall to the flaming fire of Christ's vengeance. xvi. But what will be the outcome of the flaming fire punishment? Is this just speaking of physical death? b. [Slide 13] 9 - They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, i. This verse is incredibly important to a proper understanding of the fate of the unbeliever. IT IS HUGE! ii. To help us I've broken the verse in to two parts so we can get everything out of it we need to. iii. There is a movement growing in Christendom, affecting even those in our circles of theology. iv. It is the belief in annihilationism. This belief is that the punishment that God gives to unbelievers is designed to burn away their sin debt to the extent that when it is finally paid, they would be consumed and cease to exist. v. They cite God's love and mercy and show how many passages that refer to this judgment reference fires burning for eternity but not necessarily those who are in those fires being consumed eternally. vi. This verse is an absolute wrecking ball to that belief. vii. Let's break this down word by word. 1. They – This is the subject of the sentence. Those who do not know God because they have not obeyed the gospel. 2. Will suffer – This is a future active indicative verb, there is no suggestion of conditionality here, meaning it isn't uncertain or possible only when certain conditions are met. To suffer means to pay, to experience, to atone for or to endure. 3. destruction – This is not the next word in the English sentence but this is the direct object. This is what they will suffer or endure. Destruction here means ruin, corruption, or death. I do grant that ruin, corruption, and death, at least as we know it, all end. A think cannot be in the process of ruining forever. Eventually it comes to ruin. I grant this… but let's keep going. 4. The punishment – This is an adverbial accusative. Meaning it modifies the verb to suffer while also applying to the direct object. What are they suffering? A certain kind of destruction. What kind? Punishment means: Penalty, or the consequences of their actions. A corruption, ruin, or death that is just or right. It is fitting. They suffer what they have earned. 5. Eternal – This is an adjective, meaning it modifies a noun. Eternal modifies the direct object, destruction in this sentence. Eternal means without end, perpetual, everlasting, or for an age. 6. Proponents of the annihilationist view suggest that the meaning “for an age” should be taken here and this supports their view. However, nothing in scripture indicates to us that the next age ever ends. In fact, the scripture seems to tell us that the next age is forever. Which doesn't actually help prove their case. 7. So, the ruin they suffer, the death they experience, the corruption they endure… is everlasting or perpetual or for the entire duration of the next age which is unending. 8. Meaning what? 9. Those who do not obey the gospel and know God, will endure everlasting death as the righteous consequence of their unbelief. Even though we see death as an end… the adjective “everlasting” means by definition that it does not end. 10. Therefore, they will not be annihilated. 11. When we've been there 10,000 years bright shining as the sun… they will have been there 10,000 years no closer to paying for what they've done. 12. And remember how Paul said that God considers the teaching of retribution to be just… if indeed God requires eternal death from those who are unbelievers, that means that sin in general, especially the sin of rejecting Christ, is a sin that cannot ever be paid by humans. Even if they were given an eternal age to do so. 13. This should sharpen our understanding of God's perspective of sin. viii. But now Paul adds another phrase that is just as important for us to dissect. And it is still in verse 9. ix. I told ya – HUGE VERSE. c. [Slide 14] away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, i. First, observe that this is another couplet. The presence of the Lord and the glory of His might are parallel in their structure. The glory of His might is necessarily part of and an expression of His presence. ii. But again, we see another interpretational difficulty. iii. What is meant by “away from.” iv. There are three basic options but in a sense all of these say essentially the same thing. v. In my opinion what makes the most sense given the rest of the context of the New Testament, is that eternal death and being separated eternally from the presence of God are in essence the same thing. vi. However, arriving at this conclusion poses a small dilemma for us. vii. We often confess that God is omnipresent. What does that mean? viii. Well, the prefix omni means all and the suffix, present, means at a particular place. When we combine those thoughts, we get the idea that God is everywhere. And this also includes that God is not only every place but every place at every time. God is everywhere and everywhen. ix. God's presence then is not able to be limited by any created limitation. Time, Space, Matter- were all created by God and cannot limit His presence. x. This is all well and good – but what do we make of this verse? xi. If unbelievers suffer the penalty of eternal destruction which is being “away” from the presence of the Lord and the glory of His might, where and when in creation is God not present? xii. Does this mean that God is not truly omnipresent? xiii. No. It doesn't. There are two clues in this verse that help us here. xiv. First, and less obvious, is the parallel phrase “and from the glory of His strength,” 1. Paul's inclusion of this phrase requires us to think of God in parts and pieces. He is a unified God and is One, but the unbeliever is specifically away from an aspect of God's character. Specifically, His glorious strength. 2. Meaning what? 3. He won't rescue them. God will never choose to use His strength to save them. 4. Well, how could He if He isn't present with them? 5. Exactly… xv. [Slide 15] But the best clue is actually the word translated here “presence.” xvi. But this word is not merely being in the same place. Instead, this word is, being in front of or face-presence. 1. Consider this, if you walk in the break room at your job and 1 person is facing the coffee machine getting coffee and another person is staring at some posters on the wall, and another is playing on their phone – would you conclude as you walked in that these co-workers were enjoying each other's company? 2. No. Of course not. Its possible they hate each other and are trying hard to ignore each other. 3. If you walked in and they were all sitting around a circle table looking at each other… before you even knew if they were talking to each other, you'd assume some level of closeness or comradery. xvii. Paul is not saying that the unbeliever will be cast away from the spatial presence of God. For God is everywhere. As David says, if I make my bed in hell, you are there. xviii. Instead, Paul is saying that the KIND of God's presence is radically different than the presence He gives to His elect. More on that in a moment. xix. His presence to them is also now, tragically, different than the kind of presence He had for them on earth. xx. God sends rain upon the just and the unjust. He causes the sun to shine on the wicked and the righteous. God's presence in the lives of the unbeliever in this life is one of relative closeness. Paul told the Athenians at the Areopagus that the Lord is not far off. xxi. But after the Lord Jesus returns, part of the flaming fire, part of the eternal destruction, is being cast away from the benevolent and powerful presence of God. xxii. In other words, God is still present. But He limits His presence there. It is not a merciful presence. It is not a saving presence. It is, instead, only a presence of justice and wrath. xxiii. So, we've seen the fate of the wicked. What about the fate of the righteous? What is their rest? d. [Slide 16] 10 - when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed. i. This is the third couplet Paul introduces in as many verses. Therefore, we should not assume that the saints and the believers are two different groups but just like those who disobey the gospel are the same as those who do not know God, and just as the glory of God's might is an expression of His presence, so also saying “all who have believed” is another way of describing Christ's holy ones. ii. Notice too here that eternal death is to be cast away from the face-presence of God and His saving power… while eternal life is… what? What is the “rest” of the believer? iii. John 17:3 says that eternal life is to know the only true God and Jesus Christ whom He has sent. iv. Can you know Christ and God better than when you see Him face to face? So, what is eternal life? v. It is Christ. It is seeing Christ face to face. vi. Indeed, the glory of Christ is on display in the very presence of His saints. They glorify Him. All those who believed on Him will marvel at Him on that day. vii. And in that glory and marveling, they will know eternal life. They will know eternal rest in His presence. And as Paul said in the previous letter, they will never be apart from Him ever again. viii. Then notice that Paul returns to the Thessalonians. He's been speaking in broad terms since verse 8. But He brings it all the way back to them… ix. Paul actually interrupts his thought to tell them “and that is you! You believed! You will join us there too!” When? x. On that day. On the day of the Lord when Jesus is revealed from heaven. e. [Slide 17] Summary of the Point: So, Paul's second point is an expansion of His first point. God will punish the wicked and reward the righteous when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven. And if this is true, then God's judgments are indeed just and he will count the Thessalonians worthy of that kingdom because they are showing the evidence that He is already reordering their lives by their growth in faith and love and endurance through suffering for His kingdom. So, what must we do? We must trust that the justice of the Lord is right. We must comfort, hope, and even fear that He will give to every man what they have earned on that great and terrible Day of the Lord. Conclusion: So, what have we learned today CBC that refines our beliefs and guides how we live? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 18] Paul expresses his pastoral care for the Thessalonian church who though growing leaps and bounds in their faith, are experiencing increased persecution because of it. In his desire to comfort them and address their concerns about the Day of the Lord, he explains to them that their growth is evidence that God is reordering the world and will count them worthy of His kingdom. Afterall, if God considers the law of retribution to be right, he will repay those who afflict them and give them rest. In fact, God considers the law of retribution right to such a degree, that He will judge all men and rightly reward them for what they have done whether punishment for wickedness or reward for righteousness. He will do this at the Day of the Lord and the revelation of Christ from heaven. In that sense then, Paul challenges the Thessalonians to trust in the perfect justice of God. Not just in who He gives what, but also in His timing of that justice. We too must trust in the perfect justice of God. But what does it mean to trust in His justice? What does this passage mean for us? 1.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that the justice of God is perfect. a. As I mentioned in the opening prayer, we usually have no complaints about God's justice when it is delayed in mercy for us. b. Isn't that interesting? c. When I am the sinner who has wronged another… when I am the wretch who has fallen into sin again and must repent and turn back to the Lord… d. I have no complaints about the mercy of God to delay justice for me. e. When we were first converted to Christ, we had no complaints about the delayed merciful justice of God so that He could lavish grace upon us to call us to Himself through faith in Christ. f. Typically, the only time we have complaints about the justice of God, is when we are the ones being abused and harmed by others. When we are being afflicted or persecuted – that is when we wonder if God is ever going to do something. g. In this regard, we are like little children. Trust me I know. h. I know what it is like to be the one who is the judge and who is responsible to dole out justice and attempt to set things in order the way they should be. i. But I also have two little sinners in my home who are constantly complaining about how I implement justice. j. Of course, my justice is NOT perfect. So, maybe they have something to complain about. k. But God's justice… l. Oh friends. m. His Justice is perfect. Not only in its timing but also in its extent. God will not punish the righteous to the same extent as the wicked. n. And don't forget that on the other side of mercy is wrath. God mercifully permitting others to afflict us or persecute us is also storing up wrath for themselves on the day of judgement. o. Though God defers justice, He never cancels it. Though God transfers justice, He never skips it. p. Even our sins were not canceled or skipped. Our sins were paid for. The suffering of eternal death… was paid for at the cross by Christ. Christ could pay the eternal death for His people because He was God. And God only accepted His payment because He was human. q. God is always Just. And His Justice is always perfect. 2.) [Slide 20] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm our growth in faith, love and endurance through suffering are evidences of God's reordering of the world. a. God's justice is also a long game. b. If we take the idea of Justice and keep ourselves from defining it too narrowly as only punishment, we can see that God's justice is actually the reordering and righting of a world gone topsy turvey. c. In that sense, when the Lord grows us in His grace to deepen our faith and knowledge of Christ and expand our love for one another, and produce steadfastness and endurance through trials, afflictions, and persecutions… d. When God does this in us and we see genuine spiritual growth in our lives – this is the evidence that God is truly and perfectly just. e. Why? f. Because He is reordering… you. g. How are we described prior to conversion? h. We are described as dead in sin, lost, lame and blind. i. But now we are not only alive but growing, we have been found, we are walking in a new life, and we have seen the light. j. God brings order to our chaos. k. God's justice is really nothing more than this. l. God will have His creation ordered, one way or another. m. One way or another all people will kneel before Christ and confess that He is Lord to the glory of God the Father. n. But my friend, if He is not doing this in your life today… If he is not reordering you… today… o. If God is, for now, showing you mercy and allowing you to sin and to reject Him… 3.) [Slide 21] Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that God's delay in justice implies His approval. a. Be warned friends. b. Be warned straying Christian. Be warned Christian in name only. Be warned unbeliever. c. God's permittance of your sin… is not approval. It is mercy. d. Mercy is when you do not get what you have earned. e. What have we earned by sinning against a holy God? f. What is sin? g. Sin is any lack of conformity to or breaking of the law of God. Sin is also idolatry which is rejecting or ignoring God in the world He created and instead worshipping something He created. h. How should sin be dealt with? i. If I created a pot for holding water and it no longer held water… If I designed an app to calculate tips and it always calculated it wrong… If I wrote a book about fixing toilets that was completely false and outdated – what should I do with the things I created? j. Since they aren't good for anything … They are only good for garbage. k. The rightful reaction God should have toward us in sin is to immediately and eternally punish us with death. l. God's mercy is allowing people to sin and even endure in sin without immediately casting them into the lake of fire. m. He withholds that justice – not because He approves of what we are doing, but because He is merciful. n. Don't be fooled that what you can get away with is somehow ok with God. o. We have a culture built on the delusion that God permits things BECAUSE He is loving and accepting. This is a lie. God permits things in mercy, and also in wrath. p. God did not destroy the Amorites until what… until their sins earned their destruction. q. Sometimes God, mercifully, allows us to sin, so that we EARN our destruction. r. That is why I say mercy and wrath are a two-sided coin. They go hand in hand. s. Sometimes, especially for God's people, mercy is NOT letting us get away with something sinful. t. The point is… God's delay in Justice isn't always what it seems. We don't know the mind of God. u. So, what should we do? 4.) [Slide 22] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” As believers, we must trust every aspect of God's perfect justice. a. God has given us explicit promises and commands that we should trust and follow – regardless of what is happening around us or in us. b. We are commanded to walk worthy of the calling we've been given. c. My friends… God's justice is always perfect. So, we should trust that HE WILL SORT IT OUT. d. Let's not worry about who is getting away with something or who is hiding something. e. This is a general caution to all those conspiracy theorists out there. f. Listen, I don't really care if you believe in conspiracies. I don't really care if you think that there is a secret world government steeped in devil worship and paganism. Because you know what – you might be right! g. But don't spend a lot of time worrying, fretting, or mobilizing to fight against it. Why? h. God's justice is perfect. How are YOU going to improve on it? Exactly? i. What DOES God require of you? Live righteously, humbly, and be merciful. Grow in faith, in love for one another, and endure trials and hardships with dependance on Christ. j. And then couple this holy living with gospel witness. Make disciples. k. This job description of the church as a whole is able to be applied both in a society built on the bible and a society that worships Satan and everything in between. l. God is reordering YOU. He is executing His justice on YOU. And that is all the evidence you need to trust that He will reorder the whole world when the Lord Jesus returns. m. Be what God has called you to be and trust that God will sort out who gets what… at the end of the age. n. But remember genuine Christ follower… 5.) [Slide 23] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” God will reward His people with eternal life, seeing Christ face to face and knowing Him. a. Eternal life is knowing God and His Son. b. In many ways that begins today. For today you can know God and His Son through the gospel and His revealed Word. c. But in another way, real and true knowledge of God and His Christ happens especially, and fully when we see Him face to face. d. John says that when we see Him, we will be like Him. e. Paul says when we see Him He will be glorified in us as we marvel at His splendor. And we will always be with Him from that day forward. f. Oh Christian… one day, you will know justice. All will be right. And because of what Christ has done, you will be rewarded with His glorious and wonderful presence. g. That is what that New Kingdom is all about. God living among His people… forever. h. What a comfort. Just a few more weary days… i. But what if you are a Christian in name only? What if you are an unbeliever? It is just a few more empty days… until what? 6.) [Slide 24] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” God will punish unbelievers with eternal death away from His merciful and saving presence. a. Friends, I don't want you to suffer eternal punishment. Why? b. Not because God is a big meanie who will dole it out. Not because God is unjust to require eternal punishment for sin. Not because God sacrifices Love in order to punish. c. God is merciful, just, and love and will still punish unbelievers with eternal death. And His doing so is still merciful, loving, and just. d. Why don't I want you to suffer eternal punishment? e. Because that was my fate too. f. I was on my way to destruction too. With each sin, I ran hastily and greedily to the fires of hell, tripping over God's mercy and correction, until finally His grace stopped me in my tracks and showed me His love for me. g. God will punish unbelievers with eternal death. h. Every human being's life has been filled, whether they recognize it or not, with the mercy and saving power of God all around them. God gives common grace to all men and allows them to live in His creation – even if they reject or ignore Him. i. But one day He will remove that merciful and saving presence and will only surround the wicked with His Just and wrathful presence. j. My friends, let today be the day of your salvation. If your heart is stirred to fear and shame… If you are afraid of the just punishment of God and ashamed of your sin against Him… If you recognize all that Christ did for you by taking your punishment and providing your righteousness… then I implore you to cry out to Him in faith. k. Confess that He is Lord, believe He is the risen Savior, appeal to Him in trust and dependance… And you will know the justice of God as He begins to reorder your life to fit His Kingdom. l. It is not too late. m. Talk to an Elder after the service, even before I am finished. Talk to an Elder if you need to obey the gospel. [Slide 25 (end)] Let me close in a prayer by the reformer Myles Coverdale. An English reformer who helped William Tyndale translate the bible into English and actually produced the first printed and complete English translation of the bible called, The Coverdale Bible. O merciful God, preserve our hearts from pride, conceit, and shameful covetousness. Give us grace to abide in your holy work assignment, and to be thankful for your grace. As we keep in mind how easy it is to fall, help us to walk in your fear before you. For if we stand, we must be careful not to fall, and not look down on those who as yet do not stand. Help us to continue in your grace, for we have nothing that we did not receive from you. And if, in weakness, we do fall, put your hand under us, Lord. Do not let us despair in sin, but cause us with repentance and sorrow for our offense to turn back to you. Keep us from despair and from betraying your dearly beloved Son. You send him to us through your gospel. And without him we have no safeguard, but only eternal death and damnation. Keep us from that, good Lord! For your mercies' sake. We pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Benediction: May He Who is your light, your strength, your song and cornerstone, Prepare you for the fiercest drought and storm; Quiet your fears and cease your strivings; That you may know the heights of His love And the depths of His peace. Until we meet again, Grace and Peace to you.

Episode 790: May 2, 2026 playlist: Pop Will Eat Itself, "1000 X No (PWEI.40 Rework feat. Stephen Mallinder)" (1000 X No (PWEI.40 Rework)) 2026 Republic of Music Robert Aiki Aubrey Lowe, "The Colony" (Manifestations in the Shadow of an Unknown Land) 2026 Kou Anjimile, "Like You Really Mean It" (You're Free to Go) 2026 4AD Shawescape Renegade, "78 Light Years From Earth" (Exoframe) 2026 Tresor Cate Kennan, "Devil's Hour" (Shadows) 2026 Kranky Dove, "After All the Rain Has Gone" (After All the Rain Has Gone / Grind On) 2026 Deena Carl Craig, "Meditation Five" (Meditations) 2026 Planet E Jac Berrocal, Vincent Epplay, Timo van Luijk, (Anne Gillis), "Sphere de Dyson" (Ste Cy) 2026 La Scie Doree Ibrahim Alfa Jnr., "Naked Lunchbreak" (Infinite Black Inside) 2026 FO Cloud Circuit, "When My Lover Is Across the Ocean" (Cloud Circuit) 2026 Watch That Ends The Night Eluvium, "A.M." (Virga III) 2026 Temporary Residence Email podcast at brainwashed dot com to say who you are; what you like; what you want to hear; share pictures for the podcast of where you're from, your computer or MP3 player with or without the Brainwashed Podcast Playing; and win free music! We have no tracking information, no idea who's listening to these things so the more feedback that comes in, the more frequent podcasts will come. You will not be put on any spam list and your information will remain completely private and not farmed out to a third party. Thanks for your attention and thanks for listening.

Send us Fan MailThis week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale talks with FWP Education Program Assistant Ryan Schmaltz about the Archery in the Schools Program. First, you all are going to love Ryan! He has so much energy and enthusiasm for this program and man what a job he has done! He has been all over Montana getting schools involved in this amazing program and training teachers how to teach it. Montana Fish Wildlife and Parks has been championing this program for about 15 years but over the last few years it has really taken off! It is part of the National Archery in the Schools Program or NASP which has, since its inception in 2002, reached over 23.5 million students, primarily in grades 4-12. The program operates in all 50 states, boasting a 50-50% male/female participation rate. But get this, in Montana last year alone about 150 schools included the program in their PE classes with over 14,000 Montana youngsters participating! But this is more than kids shooting arrows at targets and blocks of foam shaped like animals. It is changing most all the kids that participate! That is why you have GOT to watch or listen to this podcast. You can do that on MontanaOutdoor.com, YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts and many other websites and directories! Here is an example of what we mean by changing the kids. Ryan pointed out that in the recent State Tournament that a whole bunch of schools traveled to Helena to participate in, he looked out over the sea of well over 200 4th through 12th graders and did not see one child looking at a cell phone during the entire tournament. Oh, they had their phones with them, sticking out of their pockets and such but THEY WERE FOCUSED! As Rigger put it, “THAT is unheard of and just flat amazing! When has anyone ever seen that many kids and not one is looking a cell phone?!” Oh, but there are even more positive ways that this ancient sport is affecting our kids so be sure and watch this podcast now to find out more!Links:Click here to learn more about the National Archery in the Schools Program or NASP.To learn more about the program in Montana click here.Questions for Ryan? Click here to email him.Your host Downrigger Dale would love to hear from you, so click here and tell him what part of Montana you want to discover next! Afterall it is your podcast too!Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

I don't know about you, but I find the cereal aisle to be a pretty wondrous place.  We're all probably pretty used to it, but just imagine the cereal aisle from the perspective of a person who has never seen it before. It's a lot. I mean, how do you pick a cereal when you don't know what each of them has to offer.  Of course, this is where marketing comes in.  Marketing is that thing that tries to connect us with products, services, organizations, and every other matter of thing that is trying to get our attention. In the Attention Economy, that's a tall ask. The Attention Economy refers to how human attention is a scarce resource and can be traded for profit. The key point here is it is a ‘scarce resource,' and one that is only getting more scarce. As an educator, I know this very well. We only have so much attention to give, and there is more and more that is competing for it.  Marketers have a much harder job, but luckily for them they have more tools at their disposal to help. The trick is how to best use them. Today's guest on Experience by Design is Lisa Cole, Chief Marketing, Product, and AI Officer (or CMPAIO) of the company 2X. She also is the author of the just released book The Limitless CMO). She also is the author of the books “Brand Gravity” and “The Revenue Ramp.”  We talk about how growing up she was the kid that always tried to take things apart to see how they worked. That translates very well to exploring how AI can be leveraged for marketing today, digging into it and seeing how it works in order to capitalize on its abilities in the Attention Economy.  We discuss how we need to spend more time learning than just doing, finding ways to do things differently than before if we want to stand out from the noise. Lisa highlights the importance of reimagining workflows and tasks before applying AI to optimize outcomes and prevent inaccuracies. Afterall, the product produced through the use of a tool is always dependent on the skill of the person using it. Lisa's new book shows how marketing leaders can overcome constraints through three key levers: running marketing like a business, leveraging outsource models, and adopting AI. We also discuss the relationship between sales and marketing, and how many companies continue to make it harder to buy when they finally get your attention.  Finally, Lisa shares how she used an AI-based tool to interview her on long drives to help her generate ideas for her book.  In this new era of attention competition, there is a lot to learn to make people aware of our presence, and this conversation is a great place to start no matter what you are marketing. Even cereal. Lisa Cole: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisacole01/ 2X Marketing: https://2x.marketing/ “The Limitless CMO”: https://www.amazon.com/Limitless-CMO-Transform-Order-Taking-Market-Making-ebook/dp/B0GSCXR8HM

It was well before sunrise as we drove into the Namekagon Barrens Wildlife Area and parked the truck. Moving as silently as possible, we grabbed our chairs, a much needed thermos of coffee, and started the walk to the viewing blind, its white silhouette barely visible in the distance. Once to the blind, we crawled inside, set up our chairs, and unclipped the blinds windows. I stared out into the dark of the early morning, feelings of excitement and anticipation buzzing through me. Afterall, it's not everyday that I get the chance to watch sharp-tailed grouse dance on their lekking ground. 

HEYYY! It's been a MINUTE! Please enjoy the first show podcast for a little while..... Despite the fact it was a public holiday, your two favourite people surfaced and had a heap to talk about....! Karl revealed he ate an apple for the first time in a LONG while, and Katherine thought it was the first time in over 10 years of friendship she had seen him eat one.... Katherine also unintentionally redecorated the interior of her car, after securing her desserts over her make up.... AND Karl realised that he may in fact have not lasted 12 months without eating bread last year AFTERALL..... All that and more can be found here....ENJOY!. Email the show any time - mondaybreakfastradio@gmail.com Or reach out to Karl and Katherine on Insta and Facebook! Stay tuned for a March Highlights podcast to come in the next few days..... Take care.....BYEEEEE!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

  This episode is part of the Restoration Theology class. The Bible is a collection of sixty-six books, written by dozens of authors over centuries. It did not drop from heaven, nor did it arrive all in one generation. No, God slowly revealed the Christian scriptures over time. As a result, we find development within them, which is important to understand when building theology. While next time, we’ll focus on the final form of this or that doctrine, today our focus is on how doctrines change over time. This is nothing to worry about. It’s not a bug; it’s a feature! Afterall, our God is not a stone idol, but the dynamic living God who carefully shapes history to his sovereign ends, generation by generation. Today we’ll begin our first episode in a five-part series, covering all the major branches of theology. Enjoy!   Listen on Spotify   Listen on Apple Podcasts —— Links —— Check out the other episodes of the Restoration Theology class Support Restitutio by donating here Join our Facebook group, follow on X @RestitutioSF or Instagram @Sean.P.Finnegan Leave a 90 second voice message via SpeakPipe with questions or comments and we may play it out on the air Who is Sean Finnegan?  Read his bio here Get Finnegan’s book, Kingdom Journey to learn about God’s kingdom coming on earth as well as the story of how Christianity lost this pearl of great price. Get the transcript of this episode Intro music: Good Vibes by MBB Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0) Free Download / Stream: Music promoted by Audio Library.

Daily Dose of Hope March 17, 2026   Scripture: Romans 9   Prayer:   King Jesus, We come to you today with praise and lifting your name high.  You are a Lord of love, mercy, and forgiveness.  Thank you so much for allowing us to experience those things in you.  Also, Lord, thank you for showing us a new way of doing life.  The ways of this world are empty and temporal but your ways are eternal and fulfilling.  Help us be bold in our faith, staying strong in the midst of whatever challenges we face.  Help us live like the people you have called us to be.  We love you.  Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently working our way through Paul's letters chronologically.  We are now in our sixth pastoral letter, the book of Romans.   Today's reading is Romans 9.  One thing that is evident to me in the beginning is Paul's anguish for his people.  He is heart-broken for his Jewish brothers and sisters who have rejected Jesus.  I kind of picture him on his hands and knees praying for softened hearts.  And then I thought about how we should probably all be doing that.  How many people do I know, do you know, who don't have a saving relationship with Jesus?  Why aren't we on our hands and knees praying for their hearts to be softened and more open to the Gospel?  And how many of our brothers and sisters in the church are focusing on the wrong thing – religion instead of Jesus?  This also drives me to prayer.  Just a thought.   One other aspect of this chapter that kind of hit me is Paul's warning.  It appears that he is warning Christians to be careful.  Afterall, the Jews began to think that their connection was God was simply a right.  That they would be accepted because of their Jewish blood.  I can't help but think this is a warning to all of us – don't get too comfortable.  None of us have a right to be here.  We have a relationship with God and we have salvation because of what Jesus Christ has done for us.  We did nothing to earn it and we don't deserve it.  I worry that at times, in the church, we might fall into the same trap that the Jews fell into, thinking we are superior or have some kind of right to be here because we have "been in church" so long.  In doing so, there is the possibility, just maybe, that we might look down our nose at others and not extend grace and mercy like we are called to do.  Paul's warning is real, my friends.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Send a textThis week on the Montana Outdoor Podcast your host Downrigger Dale has a truly amazing discussion with business entrepreneur Karl Tyler. Karl had a dream from the time he was in 8th grade, he wanted to own a ranch and raise and sell the best cattle in the world. The problem was he did not have even remotely close to the money needed to buy a ranch let alone cattle. He headed to college to study animal sciences and found out he could not afford to stay in school unless he found a job. He got a job washing cars at a car dealership and with a lot of elbow grease, a can-do spirit and a big dream everything changed. He would later buy that dealership where he washed cars and then another dealership and another and another and, well, you just have to listen. It is an amazing story that will without a doubt inspire you. So, did he ever get that cattle ranch? Oh yeah and wait until you hear about the cattle that are on that ranch. They just might be the best in the world, In fact he is having two huge bull sales coming up on the March 6th at his ranch in Leadore, Idaho and on March 12that the Dillion Livestock Auction. If you are in the cattle business, then these sales are without a doubt a must for you to attend at least one of them either in person or online. And if you are needing some inspiration to make that big break happen for you, listen to this podcast right now!Links: Click here to learn about the Bull Sales on March 6th and March 12th.To see the sales catalogs for both bull sales and to learn all about the two bull sales and get all the contact information click here.Click here to attend the sale on the sixth online.To attend the bull sale on the 12th online click here.Click here to learn more about Karl's ranch in Leadore Idaho.Questions for the folks at Karl's Ranch? Click here to contact the Ranch.Your buddy Downrigger Dale would love to know where under the Big Sky you want to explore next. Afterall this is your Podcast too! Click here to email Rigger.Remember to tune in to The Montana Outdoor Radio Show, live every Saturday from 6:00AM to 8:00AM MT. The show airs on 30 radio stations across the State of Montana. You can get a list of our affiliated radio stations on our website. You can also listen to recordings of past shows, get fishing and and hunting information and much more at that website or on our Facebook page. You can also watch our radio show there as well.

Peter and Michael discuss "Bullshit Jobs" by anarchist anthropologist David Graeber. The result: two professional podcasters debating which jobs are real and which jobs are fake.Where to find us: Our PatreonOur merch!Peter's newsletterPeter's other podcast, 5-4Mike's other podcast, Maintenance PhaseSources:On the Phenomenon of Bullshit Jobs: A Work Rant37% of British workers think their jobs are meaninglessAverage Annual Hours Worked by Persons Engaged for United StatesThe times they are not changin': Days and hours of work in Old and New Worlds, 1870–2000‘Bullshit' After All? Why People Consider Their Jobs Socially UselessAlienation Is Not ‘Bullshit': An Empirical Critique of Graeber's Theory of BS JobsMany people feel they work in pointless ‘bullshit' jobs, research confirmsThe Overworked American: The Unexpected Decline of Leisure Study: Leisure Time DeclinesUSA Consumption as percent of GDPThe Significance of Task Significance: Job Performance Effects, Relational Mechanisms, and Boundary ConditionsTask significance and meaningful work: A longitudinal studyAmericans' job satisfaction in 2024Thanks to Mindseye for our theme song!

Lead me in your ways?   Afterall, I want to live for you!Prayer Request, Daily Devotions and more at …www.toughquestionsforgod.orgWebsite: www.toughquestionsforgod.orgyoutube @ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC769G9moIYN53BNHlGNf-hA

God has given man dominion (stewardship not ownership) over the Earth to manage and protect it (Gen. 1:26-28). He also wants us to be good stewards over our lives and our interactions with mankind. But sometimes, the need for power and control overtakes the purpose that God intended for us. The mask of power has tainted the hearts of many deceived by worldly gain, praise and applause, and temporary pleasure. We see the abuse of power destroying so many lives. The mistreatment of the innocent subjected to the greed of one's desires. We witness the crippling effects of pride versus the perfecting power of humbleness. Saying "I was wrong" is often covered up with the need to be right. Needless to say, the need to be "in charge" should carry the need " to do right". This is because regardless of your title, position, influence, etc... God is still in full control. Afterall, to lead means to lead like Jesus not to deceive like Satan. Repentance is the answer that corrects our sinful nature. We have every opportunity to examine our hearts and to follow God. But if not, the cost of disobedience is not cheap. For God will soon shatter the masks of manipulation, oppression, greed, and many other destructive habits by exposing what's done in private to a public stage. The stage of accountability where everyone will reap the harvest that they have sown in due season.

All You Need Is Love by The Beatles is a timeless classic and a perfect song to play on guitar. In this episode, Marlene walks you through how to play this feel-good favorite, breaking it down in a simple, guitar-friendly way. Afterall, love is all you need - and, well, a guitar! Start Your Free 7-day Yo-Guitar Video Library Trial! Join our Guitar Tips Community! Don't miss out, our next jam session is February 18th! Marlene's Guitar Courses & Learning Resources Yo-Guitar Video Library Learn to Play Guitar in a Day!  Coaching Sessions Marlene's Tips For Guitar Playing Success book Thursday Tips blog Facebook    Instagram    X (Twitter)     YouTube     Thank you to our sponsor! GatorCo.com   Available on... @YouTube @applepodcasts @applemusic @spotify  @spotifypodcasts  #AllYouNeedisLove #TheBeatles #LoveSongs #EasyLoveSongs #ValentinesDay #ValentinesLoveSongs #howto #learnguitar #guitar #learnguitar #playguitar #guitartips #guitarpodcast  Credits: Creator, Host, Producer: Marlene Hutchinson This podcast was made possible in part by: Gator Cases I Create Sound - www.icreatesound.com

Tonight on The Mormon Newscast, we lead with a story that cuts straight to trust and credibility. Just a few years ago the LDS Church claimed it could not turn over abuse-help-line records because those records were routinely destroyed. Then, just last week, the Church publicly cited those same records to defend itself from over… Read More »LDS Church Doesn’t Destroy Child Abuse Records Afterall !!! The post LDS Church Doesn’t Destroy Child Abuse Records Afterall !!! appeared first on Mormon Discussions Podcasts - Full Lineup.

Daily Dose of Hope February 9, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 12   Prayer:  Dear God, You are amazing!  How awesome it is that you who created all things are also so intimately involved in our lives.  We give you glory and praise for who you are.  We are so thankful for your love.  We want to know you more.  We want and need to hear your voice.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on you.  In these next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers...  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are journeying through Paul's pastoral letters.  Currently, we are in I Corinthians. Today's passage is I Corinthians 12.  Paul starts by reminding the believers of their former ignorance.  Afterall, there was a time not too long ago that they didn't know about the one true God but worshiped idols.  Now, they know Jesus and have the Holy Spirit within them – the Spirit of the Living God inside their physical body!  One of the many transformations that happens to us when we accept Jesus as Lord and Savior is that the Holy Spirit gives us a spiritual gift (sometimes even more than one.)    A spiritual gift could be seen as a God-given capacity that allows each believer to serve and uplift the body of Christ. And how do you get into this body of Christ?  In verses 13-14, Paul writes, For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.  Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many. The body of Christ is Jesus' church.  The specific word that Paul uses here for gift is charisma, which comes from charis, which is the Greek word for grace.  A spiritual gift is a gift of God's grace.  It's not something we have earned or developed.  But there is a wide diversity of gifts that the Spirit offers, and Paul lists many of these, including the gift of preaching/teaching, prophecy, apostleship, evangelism, and shepherding. There are even more specific gifts under these main headings. But while there is diversity in gifts, there is unity in purpose. The body of Christ requires all these different people with different and unique gifts to be working together to ensure that Jesus' mission continues to be carried out in the world. One gift is not more important than another but they are all essential to have a fully functioning body.   The Corinthians knew about the spiritual gifts.  This would not been new information to them.  But the problem was how they were using the gifts.  Certain gifts were being lifted up as more important than others.  And there appears to be a bit of a free for all in how the gifts are being used.  So, Paul wants them to know a different way.  He wants them to understand that all the gifts work together to bring unity to the church.  In fact, the church needs all of the gifts to be fruitful and effective.  He doesn't want the Corinthians to stop using their spiritual gifts, but he wants them to do so with maturity.  And as we will see in the next chapter, he wants the church to use their gifts with love (rather than arrogance or pride.)   Do you know what spiritual gifts you have been given? If not, I strongly encourage you to pray about that today. There are some really good spiritual gifts assessments that are free online as well. God has given us gifts for the purpose of building up the body of Christ. If you know your gifts, are you currently making use of them at New Hope or in your local church? There are many parts but one body. Your gifts are needed to form a fully functioning, healthy, thriving community of faith!   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Daily Dose of Hope January 30, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 6   Prayer:  Lord Jesus, We come before you this morning, thanking you for a new day.  Lord, you are good and we rejoice in your holy and powerful name.  As we begin our day, Lord, help us focus on you.  Help us set aside our scattered thoughts and focus on your Word and what you want us to learn today.  We get so distracted and self-consumed.  Forgive us for that, Lord.  In these next few moments of silence, help us have laser focus on your voice... In Your Powerful Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We have been journeying through Paul's letters.  Today, we are continuing through our fourth pastoral letter, I Corinthians. Today's reading is I Corinthians 6.  Paul continues to press this issue: Jesus-followers should look different than the culture around them. Why were they allowing secular courts to decide issues that should have been worked out in the church? Why were they getting pulled into disputes that distracted them from the mission in the first place? And then Paul presents a list of wrongdoings which have no place in the church. He is imploring them, "You know better!" You've been washed by the blood of Jesus Christ. You are different now, new creations, so behave like it. The second half of the chapter is the discussion about sexual misconduct in the church.  Some of the Christians in Corinth were saying they had been freed from the law and now could do whatever they wanted.  Remember, this was a very sexualized society.  People from the church were still having sex with prostitutes and they were saying it was no big deal.  Afterall, they weren't living under the law. Paul says that you were freed from the Law to love God and love others.    But the issue went deeper.  The Corinthians were kind of like, "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we may die."  They thought that their bodies were temporary and eventually God would be doing away with them, so who cares if they have some casual sex?  It's just biology, just our bodies, right?  Not our souls.  So, what's the big deal?  Well, Paul tells them what the big deal is.   The Corinthians believed in the immortality of the soul. But Christians believe in the resurrection of the body. Because the resurrection of the body is a core doctrine of the Christian faith, we take a very high view of the human body. Paul reminds them of this. The human body is sacred.  God created you, God values you.  We firmly believe that our soul and physical body are interconnected, we can't just separate the two so easily.    This is what Paul is saying:  You can't have sex with someone and not become one flesh with them.  You can't separate body and soul. Sex is not just biology; there's something deeply spiritual about it.  Souls are connecting with one another.  I read this and it feels like Paul is in parent-mode. He is telling the Corinthians to remember who and whose they are! He even tells them he is ashamed of them.  Two thousand years is a long time and yet people are still people. We aren't any better today; I do hope everyone realizes that. Yes, we think we are quite sophisticated. We think we are quite knowledgeable. But, just like the Corinthians, we still forget what it means to belong to Jesus. We still allow the values and temptations of the world to seep into our lives. How often we blend so neatly into the world around us. How often have you believed the same lies that the Corinthians believed? Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Daily Dose of Hope January 29, 2026   Scripture: I Corinthians 5   Prayer:  Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your Name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread. Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us. Save us from the time of trial and deliver us from evil. For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours, now and forever. Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope daily Bible reading plan.  We are currently journeying through Paul's letters.  Right now, we are working our way through I Corinthians.   A significant problem in the church of Corinth was both sexual immorality and sexual deviancy, which simply underscored their shallow discipleship. Corinth was a port town that was home to the Temple of Aphrodite, a pagan temple with many, many prostitutes. Sexual immorality was rampant and almost a way of life in the city. To say that Corinth was a very sexualized society would be a massive understatement.  It's estimated that one in every thirty people were prostitutes. You really see this when you visit there.  It touches every area of their culture.  So, it isn't surprising that the church was dealing with it.  What the culture deals with seeps into the church and the church is tasked with figuring out how to deal with it based on God's truth. The apostle Paul was trying to develop a holy church, based on commitment to Jesus rather than the pagan gods and ways of being. We see the struggles over these first few chapters.   In chapter five, today's reading, Paul addresses a case of incest in the church, specifically a man sleeping with his father's wife (presumably his stepmother). While this might have been acceptable in Corinthian society, it is absolutely deplorable among God's people. This kind of behavior was forbidden in the Torah and that translated into the church. The people of Jesus were also supposed to seek holiness and sexual morality was part of that. They are the body of Christ.   The issue isn't just the incest – yes, that is really bad – but it's that there are no boundaries whatsoever for sexual behavior.  And they are bringing those values, or lack thereof, into the church.  God's people have to call sin what it is and recognize it as a problem.  So, there was that.  Paul is appalled - why does this not bother them?  Their arrogance is hard to take.   Let's be real. This is just as much as issue in today's church as it was 2000 years ago in Corinth. Why don't we behave like the body of Christ, holy and blameless? We tolerate all kinds of stuff!  Do we demonstrate the same kind of arrogance and complacence? Certainly something to think about.   I do want to at least touch on what Paul says at the very end of the chapter, verses 12-13, What business is it of mine to judge those outside the church? Are you not to judge those inside? God will judge those outside. "Expel the wicked person from among you."  Basically, Christians are not called to judge those outside the church.  If someone is not a Christ-follower, then we can't hold them to the same standards.  They don't know any better really.  But, those inside the church have to be held accountable.  Paul is holding the Corinthians responsible for not dealing with the man having sex with his stepmother.  That kind of sinfulness has no place in Jesus' church.    Now, if someone committed a sin and then was repentant, that would be a different story.  Afterall, Jesus gives us all second chances and third chances and fourth chances.  If someone is serious about forgiveness and wants to change, then the church welcomes them.  If they are arrogant and refusing to change, that's when church accountability has to occur.    We struggle with this.  Accountability in general is something we struggle with in our culture.  What if this same situation were to happen at New Hope?  It would be uncomfortable and awkward but I couldn't, as the pastor, allow this man to sit in the pew with his arm draped around his stepmom for all to see.    What other situations might also require a response?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

You know too much stress decreases your productivity and your ability to effectively solve problems. Yes, you can focus on stress management to help curb its effect, but what do you do about all the things on your plate? Afterall, it's that increased workload that's contributing to your stress problem. In this episode, you'll learn about a tool that can help you better prioritize, achieve goals, manage your energy, and focus on the right habits, so you can use up to 80% less effort to get even better outcomes.  If you're listening to this podcast, you take your role as a leader seriously. You want to be more effective. You want to lead your team to greater success. And you probably want less stress. This podcast has great information and tips to get you started. But if you're ready for the next step – one that will give you the guidance and structure to take you to the next level of success – Strengths University has you covered. We just started the spring cohort of the Supervisor Strengths Institute, but if you're ready to upgrade your supervisor skills, you can register for the DIY Edition. You'll get immediate access to the same powerful content that you can move through at your own pace. Get the link to more information and to register HERE - https://learn.strengthsuniversity.org/DIYInstitute Have questions? Email Anne at anne@strengthsuniversity.org or set up a meeting with her HERE. Want more information about Strengths University? Check out our website at https://www.strengthsuniversity.org/

In this episode I fly solo yet again! I share about some great news that closed out 2025. One being that I was given a clear scan and can enjoy this moment being cancer-free. The other is that my book has finally been released!    I also share some lessons learned from the book writing process such as: Writers must write. Being edited is hard but necessary. Be careful not to lose your voice. Be proud of yourself when your piece is released, but know that there are many more pieces to come. And be sure to celebrate your arrival at the destination, but know that the journey is truly what it's all about.    I also dive into what's to come! A couple of workshops, more time spent writing, a local radio show on CIDI and...who knows! I'm taking my time entering into this New Year and deciding what's next. Afterall, what's the rush?   If you're looking to connect you can find me over here! Instagram Website Mailing list Order my book on Amazon Or you can wait until it's available at Brome Lake Books near the end of January!   Thank you so much for being here! Lots of love, Jaime xo

The first article this year was “Start This Year Well.” We explored 10 great action points. January is almost over, and some of the emotional energy of starting a new year is wearing off. So, we ask the question – how can you live well this year? The entire year! Afterall, it’s an on-going question. Read More … For more resources and tools that inspire and equip you to live well using God's Word in practical ways each day, visit the Alive and Active Life website.

IntroductionSo often we think that once we are Christians, our lives will get easier. We need to realize that the Christian life isn't always easy sailing. We will taste the pain and struggles of this age. Afterall, this world is under sin's curse even as Christ's redemption stands firm. We need to see perseverance as our conscious pushing forward in this world. We must remember that it is God who preserves us through His power. However, perseverance is our conscious focus on our eternal inheritance secured in Christ. Peter is uniquely qualified to teach that we persevere through God's preserving power. Peter struggled to persevere during Christ's trial. However, he met with Christ and received his assurance that Christ will preserve him to the end. Saved by God's PowerOur assurance comes from Christ, not our own worthiness or our faith in itself. We must look to Christ as our anchor and redeemer rather than constantly trying to prove ourselves worthy through works. Yes, as we take hold of Christ by faith, we are assured that the person of Christ is our redeemer. We proceed in His power. It is in his power that we move forward and conform to Christ. Preserved in God's StrengthGod guards both our inheritance in heaven and us through His power. Despite facing trials and persecution, believers are protected by God's strength, not their own. Our faith and hope must be in God Himself. We do not hope in our faith, but we hope in God. This is not my opinion, but this is Peter's glorious reminder in 1 Peter 1:21.Persevering Through FireTrials are God's way of refining our faith like gold, weaning us off worldly reliance, and teaching us to depend on Him. These difficulties aren't accidental but purposeful, purifying our faith and burning away what we trust apart from Christ.ConclusionOur victory is certain. This is not because of our competence or strength. We are assured that Christ guards and preserves us as our shield and defender. Let us continue to look with eyes of faith to our invisible Savior. He guarded Peter until the end. He guards our inheritance. He will guard you. Walk forward in that confidence, offering ourselves as a living sacrifice unto him.

Reading the Gospels from the point of view of leadership offers us many wonderful insights into our own leadership.  Afterall, watching how Jesus leads is the best way to discovering what he expects from us as well.  Leadership can of course mean many different things, but when you look at how he was towards his disciples you can't help but notice his intention to influence them as profoundly as possible.  He does this through words through teaching through example and most powerfully through his presence.

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.Fiber art finds a spotlightSandra Brick, a teaching artist at the Textile Center of Minnesota, recommends a trip to the Minneapolis Institute of Art to see Amy Usdin's contemplative fiber arts exhibit, “After All.“The show runs through Feb. 22 in the U.S. Bank Gallery.Sandra says: I think it's really great that Mia is giving fiber art this call-out in this show because, historically, fiber art has been considered a craft, and by having this exhibit at Mia, we're saying that it is an art.Amy's art is an expression of connection and transformation. There's woven layers, knots, found objects and time-composed pieces, both large and small, and many are hanging from the ceiling. So it's a truly immersive experience. You get to walk around the art. I would check it out just to learn and see how simple processes, like weaving, knotting, can be transformed into really contemplative, transformative pieces. A lot of the pieces are very airy, and so you're actually seeing through them. You see how it all blends together and flows into one really great use of the space.— Sandra BrickMultimedia storytelling takes the stagePerformance enthusiast Laurel Podulke-Smith of Rochester follows the work of local artist Jessalyn Finch, who has a short multimedia film debuting this weekend. “Embodied Landscapes” is the creation of Finch, Mary Mailand Schlichting and Laura Sukowatey. The film incorporates dance, large-scale drawing and sculpture.The premiere takes place at the Historic Chateau Theatre in Rochester on Sunday, Jan. 11. Screenings are at 2 and 3:15 p.m., with an artist talk and Q&A in between. Attendees are encouraged to wear cocktail attire and enjoy mocktails while meeting the artists.Surreal sisterhood in ‘Plano'Minneapolis theater maker Caleb Byers recommends “Plano,” presented by Third Space Theater. The play runs Jan. 9–18 at the Alan Page Auditorium at Mixed Blood Theatre in Minneapolis.Caleb says he's been anticipating this production since seeing Third Space Theater's original show “Breach” at the Fringe Festival. Caleb describes the play: Will Arbery is something of a magical realist-slash-surrealist playwright. And “Plano” is about three sisters, essentially in a sort of heightened reality and a sort of undisclosed period of time. Time is a little bit strange in “Plano.” They, in a very surreal style, move through their specific problems. There's very snappy, casual, modern dialogue. I'm incredibly excited for these artists in particular to tackle this.— Caleb Byers

In this episode of the podcast (episode 563), I want to first say Happy Solstice and how nice it is to start getting those longer days. I discuss the moment when a photograph and photographer stop explaining everything or at least trying to. Not because we fail,, but because it can’t explain everything nor should it. Most of us are taught to search for photographs. We head into the world with a sense of purpose, a checklist of things to photograph, or an idea of what would make the outing worthwhile. Searching is active can feel productive. It also quietly demands that the photograph arrive already formed, ready to justify itself and how well we did in the clicking of the shutter Seeing is different. Seeing has no urgency. It does not require the world to perform on command. It asks only that we stay. I notice that when I am searching, my attention narrows. I move faster. I recognize patterns quickly and dismiss what does not fit. The photographs that come from this state often easily explain themselves . There is nothing wrong with that, but there is a limit and it can be borning over time. AFterall, once the photograph has finished explaining, there is nothing else left to see. Seeing begins when searching exhausts itself. When I stop asking what I am going to make and start paying attention to what is already there. For me this is rooting in boredom or frustration when nothing else is working. Nothing is happening. The light is flat. The scene feels unremarkable. Yet, if I stay, something subtle begins to emerge. A relationship. A rhythm. A small shift in how I now look at things in the world. These photographs do not announce themselves. They do not resolve quickly. They often feel unfinished, even to me. And that is precisely what gives them room to breathe. A photograph that stops explaining does not close the conversation. It opens it. It allows uncertainty to remain intact. Instead of delivering meaning, it makes space for it. This kind of image asks the viewer to linger, to bring their own attention and experience into the frame. Seeing without searching is a discipline. It requires patience, restraint, and a willingness to leave with nothing. It means trusting that not every photograph needs to declare its purpose. Some of the most meaningful work I have made came from moments when I stopped trying to find something and allowed myself to simply be present. When the photograph arrived slowly. When it did not explain itself. When it asked me, and eventually the viewer, to stay.

Matthew 2:1-12 Wise Men, a Con Man, and a King Please turn to Matthew chapter 2. This is a very well-known advent passage about the wise men from the east bringing gifts to Jesus. There's a lot of mystery and wonder in this text. Part of that is because we're not given many details about the wise men. However, we are clearly given their goal. And so, as I read, listen for why they were seeking Jesus and what they did when they found him. Reading of Matthew 2:1-12. Prayer In our house, you'll find several nativity scenes at this time of year. They're festive and add to the aura of the season. But you know, they don't really accurately depict the manger scene. And one of the inaccuracies is with the three wise men. Most nativity scenes have them. They're usually tall, wearing middle-eastern attire, and bearing gifts as they stand next to the animals. Well, first of all, we're never told how many there were. Yes, they had three gifts, but that does not mean there were only three of them. And second, they did not arrive when Jesus was born. No, actually, they arrived likely when he was 1 year old. They weren't there to see Jesus in the manger. I'm not trying to be the grinch and steal your Christmas joy. Rather, I just want to be sure we distinguish what we actually know versus what tradition has come up with over the centuries. There's a big difference. So, then, what do we know? Who were these wise men led by a star to Jerusalem and then to Jesus? Well, we are told they were from the east and we are given a clue of there origin base on their name. The name “wise men” comes from the Greek word magoi. Some translations give them the title of Magi. It's a word derived from the Persian word for wise men. And because of that, some believe that the Magi came from where the Medo-Persian empire was centered (which is where modern day Iran is). Others believe that the Magi came from the region where the Babylonian empire used to be centered. That's where modern day Iraq is. There are good reasons for both possibilities. If we go back to the book of Daniel, it uses a very similar word for the wise men of the land. Daniel, as you may know, lived in Babylon in exile. Similarly, the book of Esther, which takes place in the Persian capital, also uses a similar word for wise men. In both cases, the Greek translation of the Old Testament uses the word magoi. And honestly, I don't think it makes much of a difference whether the Magi came from Medo-Persian roots or Babylonian roots. Even though these empires were centered in adjacent regions in the middle east, they overlapped as each kingdom took control. A few decades after Babylon conquered the whole region, they were then overthrown by the Medes and then the Persians. After that it was the Greeks under Alexander the Great who conquered the land, and then Roman Empire, which was in control when Jesus was born. And when these empires overthrew one another, it's not like they killed all the people. No, the people just were under the control of another kingdom. Yes, some of them moved out or were exiled. Others moved in to govern, but overall, the culture and history were preserved or intermixed with the new empire in power. Furthermore, when we consider the Babylonians and the Medes and the Persians, they each had their wise men. We know this from the Old Testament text as well as from historical writings from the time. The Magi were the highest educated men of the land. They were given utmost respect and they had major influence in the culture. In fact, extra Biblical writings about the Medes particularly emphasize this. Someone could not become a king in that empire without first the same rigorous study as the wise men. Even more, in the Median Empire, it was the wise men who anointed the king. Think about the significance of tht if the Matthew 2 wise men came from that region. The bottom line is that the Magi who were led to Jerusalem were held in the highest esteem and had significant cultural prominence. Now, let me mention something else important. These Magi knew some of the Hebrew Scriptures. Let me make that case. First, let's go back to Babylon. When Babylon overthrew Judah in the early 5th century BC, thousands and thousands of Jews were relocated to Babylon. They brought their culture with them. They brought their history and they brought their writings. Even when they were later permitted to return to Jerusalem, most of them remained in Babylon and some even intermarried with the Babylonians. Not only that, think of the testimony of Daniel and of Shadrach, Meshach and Abendego. Their wisdom and faithfulness earned them great status in the Babylonian Kingdom. King Nebuchadnezzar found them 10 time wiser than the wise men and enchanters of the region. That's mentioned in Daniel chapter 1. And when they were put to the test, God delivered each of them - you know, the three thrown in the fiery furnace, and Daniel from the Lion's den. After each incident, it was the Babylonian king who decreed that the one true God should be worshipped and served. These men were furthermore elevated to a high standing in the land. Daniel himself ended up being promoted to the third highest position in the entire Babylonian kingdom. You see, their wisdom, wisdom from God, became part of the wisdom of the land. A very similar thing happened in the Medo-Persian empire. Esther in the Old Testament was Jewish, but she was chosen to be queen by the Persian King. Some of you know the history. A plot was made against all the Jewish people in the land. They were to be slaughtered, but through the wisdom of Esther and her uncle, that plot was turned against the perpetrators. In the end, it was the Jewish people who prospered in all 127 provinces of the kingdom. It mentions from India to Ethiopia. Here is my point. Whether the wise men from the east came from a Babylonian heritage or from a Medo-Persian heritage, the wisdom of the land included wisdom from God almighty. Their education would have included testimonies of God's people and their teaching, which God had spread all throughout the east. So, these Magi, who were the highest learned men in the near Eastern culture, would have studied and known the God of Israel, and his prophecies, and the wisdom given his people. Perhaps they knew Balaam's prophecy from Numbers 24 that “a star shall come out of Jacob, and a scepter shall rise out of Israel.” So, yes, they came from the east, but they were not unfamiliar with what God had revealed and the prophecies of the Messiah. Now, we are not told what prompted them to leave their country and follow a star to Jerusalem. They may have been given a vision given by God in a dream (you know, similar to the dream they were given in verse 12); or it may have been an angel appearing to them similar to how angels appeared to Mary and Joseph and the shepherds. Or, as some have suggested, it may have been their studies of the Jewish Scriptures and the timing of the Messiah. We don't know, but whatever means God used, they knew that they were to seek the promised king who had come… and that he was worthy to be worshiped. Notice what they said when they arrived in Jerusalem. Verse 2. They asked: “Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.” Now, given the prominence and status of these Magi, their arrival in Jerusalem came with great acknowledgment. We know that because word of their arrival and their question.. filtered all the way up to King Herod. By the way, this Herod was Herod the Great. That is how he was known. Multiple Herods are mentioned in the New Testament. All of them are descendants of this Herod, Herod the Great. And none of them reached the prominence and power of their father or grandfather. This Herod was even given the title “king of the Jews” by the Roman senate. He wasn't even Jewish. This Herod is the one who built the great city Caesarea by the sea. He similarly constructed the mountaintop fortress of Masada in the south. This is the same Herod who ordered the massive renovation of the temple. He did this to try to please the Jews and solidify his title. If you remember, the temple had been rebuilt some 500 years earlier by some of the exiles who had returned. However, Herod transformed and refined it. He doubled the size of the temple mount. And he had the temple adorned with gold plates, and had it covered in white marble. The Jews appreciated this, of course, but it didn't change their opinion of him. In fact, in 2007 (you know, less than 20 years ago) archaeologists actually found Herod's tomb. It was inside the massive fortress that he built near Bethlehem called the Herodium. When they found it, they also found that Herod's sarcophagus had been smashed to pieces. You see, the Jews hated Herod the Great. It's likely, back in the first century, a group made their way into the chamber and destroyed his coffin and did something with his bones. That is because Herod was not a just ruler. He had his first wife executed, including his mother-in-law. He also executed three of his sons. And he had dozen of opponents killed, including high priests and pharisees. Now, look at verse 3. When Herod heard about the wise men and that they were seeking the newborn king of the Jews, it says Herod was troubled. This larger-than-life ruler of the land, who had political and military power, was troubled. Of course he was. These renowned Magi from the east had arrived and they were seeking a new king of the Jews. But that was Herod's title. Do you see why he asked the Magi in verse 8 to find the child born a King? It was not, as Herod had said, so that he could also worship him. No, not at all. Herod was a con man and a tyrant. He wanted to put to death yet another potential threat to his power. Herod did not know where to find this newborn king, so he did two things. First, he asked the priests and scribes. They mentioned Isaiah's prophecy about Bethlehem. Well, that wasn't narrow enough, so second, Herod met with the Magi. He asked them to return to him after finding the newborn king. Well, as the text mentions later, the Magi were warned about Herod in a dream. And so, Herod would never get his wish. So, the Magi were in Jerusalem. Herod had met with them. They knew they needed to travel further, but exactly where, they did not know. But just like before, a star rose to guide them. This star is mentioned four times in Matthew 2. It had brought them west from their country to Jerusalem. The star then turned them south towards Bethlehem. And it led them to the very house where Mary and Josph and baby Jesus were staying. But you ask, how can a star, high in the heavens above lead to a specific home? This is why I believe that it was more of a supernatural star-like object in the sky. Afterall, it moved. It turned them from heading west to south, and then it was able to bring them to a specific place. As verse 9 says, it came to rest over the place where the child was. So, the Magi arrived. Now, in a minute, I want to come back to what they did at that moment. But first, let's consider their gifts. They had brought gifts with them from the east. We sing about them and hear them often at this time of year. The Magi brought gold, and frankincense (not Frankenstein), and they brought myrrh. Now, different scholars have postulated different meanings for the gifts. Some have simply said the gifts were merely a royal tribute. In other words, the Magi brought expensive gifts as they would for any king. Others have suggested that each gift signified something. I think that's likely the case. Let me work that out. First, the gift of gold. Just like today, it was the most precious of metals. It was hard to find and hard to mine. Gold had many uses, but one prominent use of gold was for a king. You know, crowns were made mainly of gold. Kings drank from vessels of gold and they wore golden rings. They carried golden scepters. All those uses are highlighted in various passages in the Scriptures. Of course, gold was not exclusively used for kings, but it's reasonable to conclude that in the giving of gold by the wise men, they were acknowledging Jesus as a king. Second, they also brought him frankincense. It's a strange word. At its core is the word incense. And that is what it was. It came from a rare tree that grew in East Africa. Frankincense is referenced many times in the Old Testament as a fragrant perfume. Most often it was used in the temple by the priests including the high priest. Now, here's the important part. In it's temple use, Frankincense was reserved for incense and sacrificial anointing for Yahweh – for God. It's even referred to as Yahweh's incense. So, it's reasonable to conclude that the Frankincense signified Jesus' divine nature and his priestly role. Which brings us to the last gift. Myrrh. It was a perfume. It was used as a beautiful fragrance for women. You can find it referenced multiple times in the Song of Solomon. Elsewhere in the Scriptures, it's mentioned as a fragrance for clothing. But also, it was used as one of the burial spices. The bottom line is that Myrrh was a fragrance for man – you know, mankind. So, it was different from Frankincense which was reserved in the temple use for Yahweh. Myrrh was instead used for the people. As one commentator put it, “it was a perfume used by and in the interest of… man to make his life more pleasant… and his burial less repulsive.” So, as a gift from the Magi, Myrrh likely signified Jesus' humanity and perhaps his atoning death. In sum, the gifts brought by the Magi testified to who this child was. In the very least, the gifts testified to his kingship. But likely they furthermore testified to the fulness of Jesus divine nature and the fulness of his humanity. In his humanity he was, at that time, a young child born a king, but in his deity, he had existed from eternity past as God the Son. And he had come. The Magi knew and they testified to the wonder and awe of who this child was. He was worthy for them to worship. And I want you to notice something significant. Before the Magi even entered the house, look what verse 10 says. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy! They gave praise to God for leading them to Jesus. They recognized the significance of that moment in history and that God had brought them to this place, to this child king. And after that, the Magi entered and it says they fell-down before him and worshiped. These revered men, who were not Israelites, who were known for their decades of study and known for their cultural prominence fell down before a one-year old child and worshiped him. Is that not tremendous? I think it is in a couple of different ways. Number 1 - God used non-Israelites to acknowledge his Son, the true king. These Gentile Magi affirmed what many Jews would reject. As the Gospel of John points out, Jesus came to his own, but his own did not receive him. The worship by the Magi is a tremendous thing. It affirmed what the Scriptures in the Old Testament had been saying all along. That through the offspring of Abraham, through the seed of David, all nations would be blessed. It is truly an amazing affirmation of the Gospel call to all tribes, tongues, and nations. Number 2 – the second thing that is tremendous is that they were led by God. God had turned the hearts of these men to him and they followed him. They followed his star. Even with all the temptations for pride that comes with knowledge and wisdom, these men humbled themselves to worship the true king. Go back to verse 10, again. They rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. Again, this was before they fell down and worshiped. In other words, they gave glory to God for leading them to Jesus. And then they worshiped him. Believer in Christ, you and I were not led by a star to Jesus. But it is no less supernatural how God turned your heart and mine and led us to him. Yes, let's worship the newborn king in this advent season. Yes, let's give praise to God in Christ who is Lord and Savior. Yes, let's declare the reason that Jesus came. He was born to die in our place and then resurrected so to overcome sin and death and the devil for us. So, yes, let's worship Jesus for all these reasons. But let's also rejoice like the Magi for God bring us to him. Were it not for God leading in our lives, we would still be in darkness. But God has led us to his Son, the King. Perhaps you've come today or you've been coming, but you have yet to fall down and worship. God has been leading you. After all, you are here. He's led you to Jesus. He's led you to hear his Word. But there's something preventing you from falling down in worship. Maybe skepticism. Maybe you say that you cannot intellectually get to a place of belief. But if there was any group back then who could argue against belief, it would have been the Magi. Wouldn't it not? The Magi were the intellectuals of the time. Yet, they submitted themselves to God and they humbled themselves before him. They both praised him for leading them to Jesus and then fell down and worshiped the true king. God has led you to this point. Let him now lead you into the house before the humble king. It takes faith, doesn't it? Was it not by faith that the Magi followed the star. It was. It also requires setting aside your unbelief and forsaking your own way. It takes humility to recognize all that you don't know compared to the wisdom and glory and power of God. And it takes falling down before him and submitting your whole life to him, just as the Magi. Will you let God lead you into his house and will you fall down as the Magi did to worship Christ? He is, as 1 Corinthians says, the power of God and the wisdom and of God. He is worthy to be worshiped. What an amazing testimony in these verses… of God at work leading and affirming that he himself has come to us. May we each praise God for leading us as he did the Magi. And as they also did, may we each humbly fall down before the king of kings, for who he is… and for what he has done for us so that we may worship him. Amen

God's movements can bring discontinuity, discomfort, or hardship—but they also result in extraordinary outcomes. In this sermon, Pastor Allen Jackson discusses what it looks like when God moves in the earth and why choosing to hope in the Lord is essential. Afterall, hope (the theme of the first week of the Advent season) is about the future. Our futures may look tenuous, and we may have misplaced or outright abandoned our hope—but when we choose to reject despair, and hope in God's faithfulness and trustworthiness, we can find a joy that lasts even in the midst of sorrow. 

https://www.bathtubmermaid.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/TBM-2512-17-DDOA-Candle.mp3 Description: Welcome to the Dog Days of Advent. I made a list of prompts, and wrote a bite-sized story for each one. They don’t live in the same universe, but they’re all a little off-kilter from what you might expect from holiday fare. And if you pay attention, you’ll notice that the last line of each story becomes the first line of the next. Today’s prompt is  Candle. Excerpt: No one there was particularly observant. A few weren't Jewish at all. But Hanukkah had a way of widening the doorway. Light was light, after all, and the station nights were long. Episode Cast: Melissa A. Bartell Links and References Transcript: Candle Dog Days of Advent Credits: The Bathtub Mermaid: Tales from the Tub is written and produced by Melissa A. Bartell, and is recorded and produced using Audacity. Bathtub Mermaid blog header art was created by Rebecca Moran of Moran Media Sound Effects and Music are from Freesound and UppBeat Music Used : “MAOZ TZUR” by “Noel Malekar” Video Link: https://youtu.be/53ptIa-5BrQ Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkKx-mTqoqjZPno7MbFKhA Channel Link: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJkKx-mTqoqjZPno7MbFKhA Follow on : Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/cinematicnoel Soundcloud – https://soundcloud.com/cinematicnoel Contact: BlueSky: @melysse.bsky.social Facebook: MissMelysse Instagram: @Melysse Mastodon: @Melysse Email: missmelysse@gmail.com Or, leave a comment on this page.  

And to All a Good Bite… of Mystery! A Holiday Chat with David Rosenfelt Need a fun holiday read? Look no further than David Rosenfelt's AND TO ALL A GOOD BITE, Book #32 in the Andy Carpenter series. When Andy receives a phone call around Christmas time that a young man he knows, Jeff Wheeler, has been accused of murder, he realizes his football games and holiday relaxation will have to wait. Before his homicide charge, Jeff was best known for rescuing a Golden Retriever puppy from a building explosion. Andy doesn't believe his client is guilty. Afterall, who would save a puppy and then kill someone? This could prove to be Andy's toughest case yet. In his typical witty writing style and page-turning fun, Rosenfelt delivers another heart-warming canine read for the holidays. For more information on David Rosenfelt, visit: davidrosenfelt.com For more about my K-9 books, visit: kathleendonnelly.com Sit. Stay. Read. is a proud part of the Authors on the Air Global Network.

Today's NPC Prompts were:Fantasy Setting, Ghost, Barber, Fallen Noble, Lawful Neutral, Optimistic, Slovenly, Mistaken for an Infamous CriminalIn the market district of the city, one shop is abandoned. The locals give the entrance of Canbree's Salon a wide birth. It's said that the owner was an infamous murderer. If only they knew the truth of the matter. Dulcinea Canbree is still willing to tell the tale, after all, she still inhabits her salon. It was her life's work after her father disowned her for a young love that didn't last. Why was she thought to be a murderer? A distant relative who shares many of Dulcinea's features framed her for the crimes. After conviction and execution, her spirit will not rest until her name is cleared. Want to make a suggestion? Submit a form here: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://forms.gle/oSMMhMWpvZcLdGPK7⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Reach out at ⁠⁠⁠⁠Resonantmoon.com/npc-matchmaker⁠⁠⁠⁠This project is for the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Dog Days of Advent 2025⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Music is "Air Prelude" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The newest data from the Real Estate Staging Association just dropped for Q2 and Q3, and I need to share something with you that honestly broke my heart a little bit when I saw it. The ROI numbers? Absolutely extraordinary. We're talking about the kind of returns that would make any financial advisor pause and say, "Wait, are we talking about a Ponzi scheme here?" But here's what got me: The average staging investment sits under $5,000. A $3,800 to $4,300 investment producing anywhere from $58,000 to $100,000 in additional seller equity. Now, I'm not sharing this to make you feel bad about your pricing or to pressure you into arbitrary price increases. This isn't about comparison or judgment. But when you place those incredible ROI numbers next to what our industry is charging on average, it creates a powerful moment for reflection. So today's conversation is really about one question: Does the price I charge reflect the value I create? In this episode, I'm walking you through the latest RESA statistics, breaking down the neuroscience behind why pricing feels so hard and inviting you to start tracking your own data so you can price from confidence instead of fear. Afterall. We are entering into a new season and better now than ever.   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: The staggering new staging ROI numbers from Q2 and Q3 and why they matter more than ever. Why many staging CEOs undercharge from outdated brain patterns. How to build your own staging statistics and stop relying on national averages to justify your pricing. A reflection framework to help you assess alignment between your pricing and the outcomes you create.   RESOURCES:   Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom!   ENJOY THE SHOW? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you. Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible

Maybe like so many today you relate faith to the beginning of the Christian life? Afterall, we know that it takes faith to become a Christian right? Today on a Daily Walk pastor John Randall will show us that biblical faith is actually so much more than that. It's a key to being and doing all that God intends for us. Turn if you would to Hebrews eleven as pastor John points out the importance of faith! To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1368/29?v=20251111

Any person of Christian faith who is in position of leadership will find it easy to speak about prayer.  Afterall, prayer is an essential part to the Christian life.  But it might be more challenging for us to understand its practical power.  Being men and women of action, we rely often on our own strength to make things happen.  Given that sense of responsibility what value does prayer have?  In this final talk in our seris on Joyful Leadership we explore the practical power of prayer in our lives.

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Daily Dose of Hope November 25, 2025   Scripture - Acts 5:17-42   Prayer:  Holy and Merciful God, Thank you for a new day during this Thanksgiving week.   We are so very grateful that your mercies are new every morning.  We are thankful for your mercy, grace, and patience with us.  Help us, Lord, gather our scattered thoughts and focus on you and your Word.  In these next few moments of silence, help us be still and know that you are God...In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently walking through the book of Acts.  Today, we are finishing Acts 5.   The apostles are witnessing and people are coming to faith in Jesus.  They are seeing signs and wonders.  Even Peter's shadow falling on people is leading to healing.  The Holy Spirit is working in powerful ways to demonstrate God's glory and grow the young church.  Healing and deliverance are the norm, not the exception.    This really makes the Jewish leaders jealous and worried.  Afterall, they want to control their perceived grip on religious power.  The apostles are thrown in jail but freed by an angel.  They go right back to the Temple courts and witness to the Gospel.  When the Jewish leaders question and threaten the apostles, the believers are clear that they are going to follow God over man.  Their boldness is amazing.  It's clear the Spirit is in them in a powerful way.  But what I am always alarmed by is their joy at being suffering disgrace for the Gospel.  I mean they are flogged!  That's extremely painful.  And they praise God for this.    This leads to some pretty difficult questions for us.  First, when have you suffered disgrace for the Gospel?  Second, when have we experienced discomfort for the Gospel?  Seriously, what is the worst we have experienced for the Gospel? And finally, if you have experienced disgrace or discomfort, were you filled with joy?   I think we tend to go to great lengths to avoid disgrace and discomfort.  Why?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

It's a well-known fact that leaders in industry and society are men and women of action.  If we're in charge, it's to produce a result.  But living under this kind of pressure can sometimes weaken that is necessary for success.  Afterall, we didn't get involved just to be a machine.  We got involved in order to lead and leadership is much more than just producing results.  In this seventh part of our series on Secrets To Joyful Leadership we explore the power of beauty and its capacity to motivate a joyful leader. 

Daily Dose of Hope November 24, 2025   Scripture - Acts 5:1-16   Prayer: Almighty God, As we move into a new week, we pray that today will be a day that we see glimpses of your glory.  We need you, we yearn for you.  Lord, help us set aside our distractions and settle our scattered thoughts so we can focus on you and you alone.  In the next few moments of silence, Lord, hear our prayers... In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the daily Bible reading plan at New Hope Church in Brandon, Florida.  We are currently walking through the book of Acts.  Today, we are staring Acts 5, specifically the first sixteen verses.   The story of Ananias and Sapphira is kind of disturbing.  But keep in mind that this is happening within the context of the new church community.  This is a community in which people are selling all their possessions and living in unity, of the same mind and spirit.  Then, Ananias and Sapphira, in contrast, tell everyone they are selling a piece of land and giving all the profit to the church.  But they secretly keep a big chunk for themselves.  This is the thing – if they had been honest and said they were splitting the proceeds and keeping some for themselves, it would not have been a big deal.  Afterall, it was their property and their money.  They could decide how to use it.  The issue was in the deception.  Rather than being filled with the Holy Spirit (as we see in the rest of the community), they were filled with a spirit of evil.    Here is an interesting question – were Ananias and Sapphira true believers?  They probably were.  Their story is told in the context of the actions of "all the believers" in Acts 4.  They knew the Holy Spirit.  It's possible that Ananias may have earlier promised to give the whole amount of the sale of the property to the church and then they changed their mind and decided to be deceptive rather than truthful.  Maybe the best evidence that they were believers is that they were disciplined for their actions.  They wanted attention and accolades but they lied to get it.  They were even given a chance to fess up but they stuck to their lies.  As a result, they died.    It shows us that believers can be led into bold, obvious sin.  And really, don't we see this often in the church?  A respected church leader falls from grace – the inappropriate relationship, embezzled funds, something is just not right.  Satan is active and at work in our lives and we have to be on guard, prepared with the full armor of God.  You guys, spiritual warfare is real.    If this story seems harsh, it is.  You are totally right.  I've thought about this.  The church was young.  They were really setting boundaries.  The apostles were establishing their own leadership.  This was a warning to the church as a whole.  Deception and evil will not be tolerated.  We are not to look like the culture at large.  We belong to Jesus.  We reflect Jesus.    Does New Hope reflect Jesus?  What can we do better?  What can you do better?   Blessings, Pastor Vicki    

Elyce Arons is a cofounder of Kate Spade and the cofounder and CEO of Frances Valentine. Elyce grew up on a cattle farm in Kansas before attending the University of Kansas where she met her lifelong best friend, Katy Brosnahan. Together they helped launch the multibillion-dollar bag company Kate Spade, with Katy's eventual husband Andy Spade and Pamela Bell. Elyce is also the author of the book, We Might Just Make it After All.  In this episode we discuss the following:  The great advice Elyce gave about the value of writing thank you notes. Not only has Elyce written countless thank you notes, but also she has helped countless others write thank you notes through her stationery line at Kate Spade. After this interview with Elyce, I ordered a box of thank you notes and a pack of stamps. I first wrote a note to thank my wife Keshia for being so wonderful. And then I wrote a note to Elyce, thanking her for coming on the podcast. And just like that, I'm on track for 25 notes in six months when I check back in with Elyce. I encourage all of you to follow Elyce's advice to write thank you notes to people you meet with. By doing so, you will make others' lives better.

In this chapter of Soul Of The Fire, Bert's decision to have a vote in Anderith is questioned, but he assures everyone it's for the best. Afterall, they only need to delay Richard and Co. long enough for the Order to arrive, and then all their problems are solved. In the meantime, Richard get's to do whatever he wants - except read the one book he came here to find.

We had to try it. We couldn't help ourselves. And, can you blame us?!? Afterall, who can resist a $20 Barolo from Costco's Kirkland Brand, or Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve label?!? Not us, and we bet not you either. The question on your lips, of course, is “are the wines worth their $20 price tag?” Look, you need to listen to the episode to find out, but here are a few things that might entice you even further. First, the wines are both from Serralunga d'Alba, both have pretty decent ratings from online sources, and both are made by very reputable and well known Barolo producers. So what could go wrong?!? We'll give you our honest opinion about these wines, and we'll also tell you about what all the hubbub is about Barolo. BTW, if you didn't know, Barolo is considered by the majority of wine nerds to be the best of the best of Italian wines. We also have a scintillating wine in the news story about bribes and luxury watches, and an interview with a member of our tribe! Wines reviewed in this episode: 2020 Trader Joe's Diamond Reserve Barolo from the Bersano Estate Lot #6, 2019 Costco Kirkland Signature BaroloSend us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we'd love to hear from you!Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

"If this task had to be repeated 100 times, would you still want to be doing it?" This is the question I ask every staging CEO, and honestly, it's the one that opened the door to the world of automations for me. In this episode, I am sharing why automations became one of my favorite leadership tools. Not because they're techy or trendy, but because they create clarity, consistency, and real breathing room inside a business. Especially a staging business like ours where there are so many processes and repeats. From my early days building simple workflows to now helping staging business owners at various phases streamline theirs, I've learned that automations don't take away the human side of your business, they amplify it. Afterall, it is when the backend runs smoother and calmer that you get to focus on the work only you can do; the real staging business owner duty. Wonder what automations can do for you? Listen to find out!   WHAT YOU'LL LEARN FROM THIS EPISODE: Why automations are leadership tools and how they shift you from reactive to intentionally designed operations. The first workflow I ever built and why it still runs eight years later The causes of business bottlenecks and how automations support all three. How to identify your next automation opportunity  RESOURCES:   Learn more about the Automation Atelier here Apply for Private Coaching: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/privatecoachingapp Enroll in Staging Business School Accelerate Track: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/accelerate Join the Staging Business School Growth Track Waitlist: www.rethinkhomeinteriors.com/growth Follow the Staging Business School on Instagram: www.instagram.com/stagingbusinessschool Follow Lori on Instagram: www.instagram.com/rethinkhome If you want to learn how to streamline your operations so you can grow with less stress and burnout in your staging business, enrollment is open for Staging Business School Accelerate Track. I'd love to see you in the classroom! ENJOY THE SHOW? Leave a 5-star review on Apple Podcasts so that more Staging CEOs find it. Also, include links to your socials so that more Staging CEOs can find you. Follow over on Spotify, Stitcher, Amazon Music, or Audible  

Daily Dose of Hope November 12, 2025   Scripture – John 19   Prayer: Holy God, You are a God of order and a God of purpose.  The world may seem chaotic, but you are not.  You have ordered your world with perfection.  Help us trust you.  Lord, fill us with your perfect peace.  In Your Name, Amen.   Welcome back to the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements the New Hope Church daily Bible reading plan.  As most of you know, we have been walking through the Gospels and will soon walk through Acts.  Today, we begin John 19.    Our passage begins with Jesus before Pilate.  Even Pilate, the Roman official, recognizes that Jesus has done nothing wrong. Pontius Pilate is an interesting guy.  He knows that Jesus hasn't done anything wrong, certainly nothing worthy of execution, and he truly wants to free Jesus.  The text indicates that Pilate is somewhat scared of Jesus. He tries to placate the Jewish leaders.  He has Jesus flogged.  He offers to release Barrabas, a noted insurrectionist, thinking for sure they would rather have Jesus set free rather than a murderer.  But that isn't what happened. And Pilate isn't willing to stand up for what he knows is right.  His own role in Jesus' death lands him a mention in the Apostle's Creed, the most famous and oldest Christian Creed.  Think about it, for two thousand years, Christians around the globe have been declaring that Jesus died under Pontius Pilate.    Bottom line:  The Jewish officials are desperate to get rid of Jesus. They are blinded by fear, jealousy, and contempt. In an attempt to get Pilate to cooperate with their plans, they threaten to report him to Caesar. After all, Jesus claimed to be king and anyone who made such a claim would be considered a threat to the emperor. The great irony here is that the Jews are essentially presenting themselves as better Roman citizens than Pilate, the Roman official. When it's convenient for them, they are happy to use the pagan Roman government to get their way. They will sacrifice their own ethics to ensure that Jesus is killed.   The thing about sacrificing our ethics is that it's a slippery slope, is it not? These Jewish officials were probably very pious men. They thought they were doing the right thing. Afterall, Jesus was saying blasphemous things and he didn't follow their rules. They needed to step in and take care of it. But gradually their dislike of Jesus became hate. They so badly wanted him gone that they were willing to do anything, break their own laws, disobey Torah, simply to get rid of him. They were willing to do anything, no matter how shady it was or low they had to go.   Has your hatred of another person ever made you compromise your own values? We think we are so much better than these Jewish officials but I think sometimes we are just like these Jewish officials. Dig deep today, friends. Examine your own heart. The remainder of the chapter is pretty powerful.  Jesus carries his own cross to the place of his execution.  The soldiers cast lots for his clothing.  He breathes his last breath without any of his bones being broken by the soldiers.  They pierced his side with a spear.  Lots of prophecy being fulfilled here.   Finally, two faithful Jewish men, Joseph of Arimathea and Nicodemus, take Jesus' body and place it in a tomb.  Not a lot can be done to prepare the body for burial because it's Friday afternoon and the Sabbath is upon them.  Things will have to wait.  But things may look a lot different on Sunday morning.   Blessings, Pastor Vicki

Actress Erika Christensen joins Vanessa to talk about her new film After All, where she plays a daughter caring for her ill mother. Together, they explore the unexpected intimacy of birth, death, and everything in between. To connect with the team and gain access to behind the scenes content, join our community at joinparents.com You can also find us on ⁠Instagram⁠, ⁠TikTok⁠ & ⁠Youtube⁠. If you have questions you want Vanessa to try to answer, or just want to tell us what you think of the show, email us at parents@campsidemedia.com. Can't wait to hear from you! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Watch The X22 Report On Video No videos found (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:17532056201798502,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-9437-3289"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");pt> Click On Picture To See Larger Picture Trump has sent out new tariff letters, the world is about to change, he is hitting the [CB] system hard and is reversing what they had in place. The US is taking back control of the production of coal and rare earth minerals. Trump hits Powell again, Bernie Moreno calls for Powell to resign. The [DS] is in a panic, investigations have begun and one will lead to another. The conductor is Obama and all the investigation will lead back to him. It has now come out that Epstein worked for the CIA, was the [DS] using Epstein to blackmail people in the US around the world and were they working with foreign governments, most likely yes. The storm is forming and all the treasonous acts are coming together to create the perfect storm.   Economy https://twitter.com/KobeissiLetter/status/1943046253232713988 25%  12. Japan: 25% 13. South Korea: 25% 14. Brunei: 25% 15. Moldova: 25% 16. Philippines: 20% These tariffs are set to go live on August 1st. President Trump says any retaliation will be met with increased tariffs. Trump also says there will be no further tariff pause extensions. (function(w,d,s,i){w.ldAdInit=w.ldAdInit||[];w.ldAdInit.push({slot:18510697282300316,size:[0, 0],id:"ld-8599-9832"});if(!d.getElementById(i)){var j=d.createElement(s),p=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];j.async=true;j.src="https://cdn2.decide.dev/_js/ajs.js";j.id=i;p.parentNode.insertBefore(j,p);}})(window,document,"script","ld-ajs");   50% TARIFF will reverse the Biden Administration's thoughtless behavior, and stupidity. America will, once again, build a DOMINANT Copper Industry. THIS IS, AFTER ALL, OUR GOLDEN AGE!  Trump Administration Takes Stake in Rare Earths Firm In Move To End China's Control  The Trump administration is deepening its effort to sever U.S. reliance on Chinese rare earth supplies, committing $400 million in equity financing to MP Materials Corp. as part of a broader plan to expand domestic production of rare earth magnets used in advanced weapons systems and industrial technologies. The Department of Defense will acquire a newly issued class of preferred stock in MP Materials, convertible into common shares, along with warrants to purchase additional equity. Following the transaction, which is expected to close Friday, the Pentagon will become the company's largest shareholder, with a potential stake of about 15%, according to MP Materials. The deal also includes a 10-year commitment by the U.S. government to support pricing and demand for domestically produced rare earth magnets. The Defense Department has guaranteed the purchase of 100 percent of the output from a planned magnet manufacturing facility—dubbed the “10X” plant—at a minimum price of $110 per kilogram for neodymium-praseodymium (NdPr), a key rare earth alloy used in missile guidance systems, fighter jets, and electric motors. The U.S. imported roughly 70 percent of its rare earths from China in 2023, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The push to reshore the supply chain gained urgency during the trade war launched by President Trump, when Beijing threatened to restrict rare earth exports. Source: breitbart.com Political/Rights https://twitter.com/dogeai_gov/status/1943128485758706090 of America's livestock and food supply. https://twitter.com/HansMahncke/status/1943139533572252007   https://twitter.com/DataRepublican/status/1943147963074711683 AND THERE IT IS: California Governor Gavin Newsom Announces Funding for New ‘Multifamily Rental Hou...