Podcasts about and easter

Sin is such a funny word. Short – but judgemental. And yet this thing called “sin” lies at the heart of Easter. Jesus died to pay for our sin. So what does that actually mean – “sin”?   Sin By Another Name This week we're still doing a retrospective on Easter and I thought we should ask a question. What makes Easter? Why did God do it? Why did God send His Son to die for you and me? Last week we saw that you and I are so incredibly precious to God. The Psalmist back in Psalm 8 asks the question. He says: I look up your huge skies, dark and enormous, you handmade the sky, the jewellery, the moon and the stars are mounted in their settings. Then I look at little old me and I wonder, why do you bother with us? Why do you take a second to look our way, God? It's a good question. And the answer is that we're so incredibly precious to God. And the more precious something or someone is, the more we do for that something or someone. Sadly in our world today, people pick the wrong things and make them precious. People pick wealth or they pick fame or they pick career or they pick status – always these external things – and they end up sacrificing their lives to them to no avail. But you and I are different. You and I are precious in the sight of God, in God's heart. And Easter is about Jesus on the Cross. Easter is about the most incredible sacrifice; the Son of God crucified, punished on our behalf. We've had a look at that already on the program over the last couple of weeks. But He was punished for you and for me. And for a long time I wondered, why? I mean, why did God go to those lengths? Look at me, look at you – we're not that bad. Okay, we're not perfect, at least I'm not, but isn't the whole ‘Easter, Cross, crucifixion' thing just a bit extreme? Christians talk a lot about "sin". Now for most of my life I thought of "sin" as being this really old-fashioned, stuffy, church concept. I mean, "sin"? Really? These days? Old fashioned, moralising, guilt trips. It belongs to a view of religion of the past that's not relevant today. People are writing books about it. A well known scientist by the name of C. Dawkins wrote a book called "The God Delusion" and someone who was writing that book up said this: The God Delusion makes a compelling case that belief in God is not just wrong but potentially deadly. And part of that is this notion that we have in the world today, that sin is some man-made religious concept. We live in a society that denies sin, whatever that might mean to you. Right? Wrong? Well they're fluid concepts, their circumstantial. It kind of depends what works for you. But the word "sin" – which I, for many years thought of as this stuffy, outdated concept – the word "sin" in the Bible literally means "to miss the mark". Today we say ‘missing the point of life'. And because of the society we live in – the society that puts ‘me' at the centre of my world, puts "you" at the centre of your world – we do whatever feels good to make us better and have more fun and more comfort. Okay, there's some social responsibility, but by and large we live in a selfish world. And in that society we kind of don't notice somehow that sin's going on. We notice the shotgun murders and that sort of thing, but in our lives day by day people deny the concept of sin. There's a wonderful parable called, "the boiling frog syndrome". You've probably heard of it. The notion that if you have some boiling water and put a frog in it the frog will jump straight out because it notices the water is hot. But if you begin with cold water and you gradually, gently heat the water the frog ultimately will die because he doesn't that the water is getting hot and it kills him. Global warming's a bit like that. I mean, we've been denying it for years. Governments and big business have been denying it because it's politically and economically expedient to keep pumping greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere, slowly cooking the earth. It's been obvious but we've denied it. A while ago I went to see Al Gore's movie, "An Inconvenient Truth". Whatever your politics, whatever your views of matters "green" are, it's absolutely a "must see" if you didn't see it. He makes a point that the number of category 4 and 5 hurricanes have almost doubled in the past 30 years. The flow of ice from glaciers in Greenland has more than doubled in the past decade. Malaria has spread to higher altitudes because of warming in places like the Columbian Andes – 7000 feet above sea level and at least 279 species of plants and animals are already responding to global warming by moving closer to the poles. It kind of paints a picture of a world out of control. It's so bent on consuming that we're prepared to destroy the planet. When we look at the facts they're obvious. The whole consumer treadmill, the economy based on greed, the boiling frog syndrome just denies that reality. We behave as though it doesn't exist. We do that with a lot of things. In the west where people are wealthy by global standards we ignore poverty, we ignore the wars and the starvation and the thousands of children that die every day of poverty. We just behave as though they don't exist. They still do but we just ignore them. The point of sin is that it's a bit like that boiling frog syndrome. It's deceptive. Through our selfishness we kind of rationalise; we deny the reality; we stick out heads in the sand and pretend. Well, it's not my problem. I'm not the one getting things wrong. The Apostle Paul in Romans Chapter 7 verse 11 writes this. He says: For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment deceived me and through the commandment put me to death. You see, sin is deceptive. In 2 Timothy Chapter 3 verse 13 he writes: Evil men and imposters will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. And Psalm 36 verse 2: With his own eyes he flatters himself too much to detect or hate his sin. And that's right on the money. We kid ourselves. We try and behave as though sin doesn't exist. Just stop and think about the last 24 hours and say, what did I do to hurt someone? What did I do to step on someone? What did I do to ignore someone? What did I do that ruined their lives and my life? Come on, we are masters of self-deception. It doesn't matter how much we deny it, when we look around the world, around society, around our own lives, sin is alive and well. "Missing the point of life" is alive and well and people are slaves to it like lemmings jumping over a cliff and the price … the price is being robbed of life itself. It's walking around like a living dead. But God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son so that whoever believes in Him wouldn't perish but have eternal life. That … that right there is what Easter was all about.   Simply No Excuse I'm going to ask you, have you ever been pulled over by a policeman for speeding. "Driver, do you know why you've been pulled over? Do you realize that you were exceeding the speed limit by whatever it is?" I have, and it's a horrible feeling. And you know there is simply no excuse. Speeding kills – it's as simple as that. Imagine speeding and killing a child coming out of a school, or someone you love or an elderly person crossing the road. Measured against the consequences, speeding is crazy; it's ludicrous; there's just no way you can justify it or you can excuse it, the consequences of speeding is death. Yet most drivers speed every day. That attitude "I've got to get there, just got to get there. I'll save 30 seconds, I'll save 1 minute, I'll save 2 minutes off my journey." That attitude completely misses the point, doesn't it? And that's such a good example of sin. "Sin" means "missing the point". Come on, look at our lives, look at the stuff that we want to descend into – being selfish, being greedy, just lying a little bit, a bit of deception, pompous egos, treading on people, crushing them – and then do you know what we do? We rationalize it. We justify it. We say it's everybody else's fault. They don't measure up to my mark, or they did me wrong, or that person over there hurt me and that's why I had a go at them. Come on! It misses the point and in God's eyes there is simply no excuse. We began the program today with the words of the Psalmist in Psalm 8, looking up at the heavens and the stars wondering, "God who am I that you should even give me a second thought?" The Apostle Paul takes that one step further in Romans Chapter 1 and verse 20, and he writes this: For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities, His eternal power, His divine nature, they've been clearly seen being understood from what's been made, so we are without excuse. In other words, you look around and you can't help but come to the conclusion that God is God. It's like speeding. When we deny God, when we turn away from Him, when we say, "No, no, no, I'm going to live my life buddy", there's no excuse. It's blindingly, glimpsingly obvious. Look around. The fact that God created it all is so obvious; God's majesty and His love and His wonders shine out through all the things He's made. I've said before, we are masters of delusion and so we are. Somehow for years I rationalised it but in my heart of hearts I knew that God was God, I knew that Jesus was the Son of God, but we get used to the fact that our lives are missing the point. We get used to the fact that we're off doing stuff and ignoring God. And then we try even harder to have a life of meaning. We work harder to earn more money or more recognition or to get a better career or … even though in our heart of hearts we know it's never ever going to hit the mark. It's like we've become slaves to it, we've become addicted to this sin, this treadmill, and we're compelled to keep going in the same direction. Put yourself in God's shoes for a moment. He creates you and me out of love, in His own image, and He gives us in this universe on this earth that He's made for us – He gives us the freedom to accept or reject Him. And this freedom comes from His love too. And He watches you and me take our freedom and reject Him and miss the whole point of creation and then suffer the consequences. And we do suffer. Missing the point brings suffering. Sin has its consequences. Loneliness, pain, doubt, isolation, a lostness, hurts, no real sense of identity. We get to a point where we've completely lost sight of the fact that you and I have been created in God's image – to delight in Him. And let me tell you, when God sees us in that state His heart aches for us. I was reading a book in my personal time with God the other day. In the Book of Judges when Israel had rejected God so many times and they came to God because God had sent punishment on them. They were defeated and the Amorites were fighting against them, and God said, "No, forget it, you people have rejected me so many times, go worship your gods, go worship your idols, go and suffer the consequences." Then God looked down upon His people and He saw them suffering and the Bible says He just couldn't help Himself. He had to go and help them. That's what God is like. He loves us. He wants to bless us. And when He sees us suffering the consequences of sin He can't help himself. His heart aches for us. And that's why, just at the right time, when you and I were still powerless to deal with any of that, when we were still busy rejecting God, just at the right time Jesus Christ died for the ungodly. He dragged that Cross to Calvary, He allowed Himself to be nailed to it. He took the burdens, the consequences, the pain of my sin and your sin once and for all. He paid the price that you and I should pay and greater love has no man than to lay down His life for His friends. And whoever believes in Jesus, believes that's exactly what happened there on the Cross of Christ at Easter. They're set free from the burden and the consequences of their sin. If we believe that with our lives we are free to have a relationship with God. We don't have to live under the burden of sin anymore, as slaves to sin with our whole lives missing the point. The moment we believe in Jesus its ground zero, it's a clean slate; it's a start again fresh. When we look at the Cross of Christ and say, "I believe", God our Father says, "My child, I forgive you". When we put our faith in Him the gates of heaven are flung open wide and there's a wild party. You might say, "But Berni, I took that step years ago and look at my life!" And I say to you, have you taken that step with your life. I mean, do you live your life in that reality every day? Come on, that's what Easter is. It's Easter every day because by shedding Jesus blood on the Cross, by His sacrifice, you and I have forgiveness every day. Through that empty tomb you and I have a new life every day – today, tomorrow, the next day, for all eternity. That's it. That's Easter.   A Personal Call Well you know, you and I are looking back on Easter. Here we are, a few weeks past Easter and you might think, why is this guy still yapping on about Easter? Why are we still looking back at Easter? Come on we've had the chocolate, we've had the long weekend. We've moved on, let's get on with the rest of the year. Let's get on with something new and fresh and exciting. But hang on a minute, I just believe that it's Easter every day. I just believe that God wants us to live and walk and breathe and have our being in the reality of the fact that God became man in the person of Jesus Christ and that He suffered and died to pay for my sin and your sin. He took our death, the death that we deserved, on His shoulders and He died that death for us. He rose again and He gave us a new life – a forgiven life, a life eternally in relationship with Him. You see, you and I are so incredibly precious in God's eyes. Do we get that? He loves us so much He's given us this freedom to choose Him or to reject Him. And you know, every day we have that choice in the way we think, where we put our trust, what goes on in our heart, what we do, what we say, everything. Jesus died for every person who's ever lived – for you, for me and for billions of other people. That's a huge thing. He bore all of our sin. Have you done something wrong and you woke up the next day – maybe you've hurt someone, you had an argument, you said something you wish you could take back right? – and you woke up the next day and you realise, you remember back the stupid thing you did and the consequences and the pain and the hurt. You know, you've hurt someone you love, whatever it is, and you just have to live through the consequences of that. It's sin. It's a terrible feeling. You know what I'm talking about. Imagine if you could experience it in one time, the consequences of all the mistakes, every sin you have made in your whole life. How would that feel? It would be unbearable wouldn't it? If we could feel all our sin and the consequences of it in one moment I think it would kill us. It would be unbearable. So now put yourself in Jesus' sandals for a minute. He bares the pain, the punishment and the consequences of all the sins of the whole of the human race for all time at that one place on the Cross. My, how Jesus suffered. We just can't see this as some huge macro act of God in history – it is that but if we restrict it to that we miss the point. Jesus died for the one, He died for me, He died for you to set us free from the slavery of sin, the slavery of living a life that completely misses the point, the slavery of living a life that will end in eternal separation from God. You know the worse bit about slavery? It's the fear, it's the lurking knowledge deep down inside that we're missing the point of our lives. And at the end of the day there will be a reckoning. That makes the life of sin a true life of slavery. In Hebrews Chapter 2 verse 14 it says this: Since we're human, of flesh and blood, Jesus too shared in our humanity so that by His death He might destroy Him who holds the power of death (that's the devil) and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death. For this reason He had to be made like His brothers and sisters in every way in order that He might pay the price for the sins of the people. How many people live life in the fear of dying? I used to. I don't any more because I know I believe in Jesus. I know that when I die I will go to be with the Lord my God, not because I'm such a great person but because I believe in Jesus. No more fear, no more lurking sense of a life without purpose, a life that's missing the whole point. Paul in Galatians Chapter 5 verse 1 says: It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. In other words, the reason Christ did what He did was to give us freedom. Stand firm then and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. You know, we can run but we can't hide. You and I can pretend that it's not there. We can do the boiling frog thing and say, "Sin's not an issue in my life. There's no such thing any more in this day and age." But sin is a reality, sin is slavery, sin has consequences. We keep on doing those same old, same old, same old things chasing after money or fame, treading on people, hurting people, whinging about people, whatever it is, whatever your brand of sin whatever your Achilles heal is – we keep doing that and it has consequences, it ruins relationships, it ruins our lives and it misses the whole point. I want to ask you again today, have you given your life over to this truth. I mean day by day do you walk, think your thoughts, make your choices in the wonderful knowledge incredible gift of life. Jesus died for you. Jesus paid the price for you. Jesus, here and now is calling you to be free of the slavery of sin and death once and for all by putting your faith in Jesus. Not just a single one-time act but a life lived in the truth and reality that Jesus died for you, that you might be forgiven. Jesus rose from that grave for you so that you might have a life eternal. This is not about taking a guilt trip here. It's about God calling you to Himself through His Son. Do you want that more than anything? Do you want to be close to God? Do you want to be with Jesus for the rest of eternity from this moment forward? Why don't you pray this prayer with me? Father,I've heard the message of Jesus today. I believe that Jesus died on the Cross for me and I want to accept Him as my Saviour, the one who set me free from the slavery of sin. But not just my Saviour, I want to accept Him as my Lord. I give my life, God, into your hands for you to be the Lord of my life above all other things, all other hopes and dreams and desires. Father, I'm so sorry for the things I've done in the past. I turn away from them right now. I want you to fill me up to overflowing with your Holy Spirit. Father give me the new life Jesus died and rose again to give me. I want to know Your peace and Your freedom and Your joy and Your love. I give my life to you in Jesus name. In Jesus name, Amen. This is where life is at. Not some rule-based constricting religion – freedom … freedom from all the things that we are enslaved to that ruin our lives. Freedom from wandering aimlessly through life towards a disastrous end, Freedom from the consequence of our sin and into a life with purpose and meaning and joy and wonder and glory, a life that only gets better and better, a life that goes for all eternity. Will there be trials in this life? Is it tough following Jesus? You bet you. Jesus never promises a bed of roses, He never promises a cake walk. In fact Jesus promises that when we put our faith in Him, there will be trials, there will be people and spiritual forces that come against us. But ultimately putting our faith in Jesus is about a new life. That's it. That's what Easter is all about. That's what Jesus was doing on the cross for me and you. All we need to do is to hear that message and let it sink into our hearts and hold onto that deep inside and never ever let it go. Easter. Jesus. Freedom. Life.

Join Church of England revs with a difference Thomas Pelham and Jamie Franklin to talk about the biggest stories in church and state. This time:The hit TV show Adolescence takes the UK by storm. But is this hard-hitting social realism or manipulative propaganda?The persecution of Christians in Syria and why we hear so little about it from the established church.Assisted Suicide Watch as the Bill is watered down to remove the high court judge safeguard.And Easter is cancelled in Eastleigh as local schools keeps Ramadan and Eid, but gives the Christian festival the boot.All that, your emails, plus much more. Enjoy!ORDER NOW JAMIE'S NEW BOOK THE GREAT RETURN!Please Support the Podcast!You make Irreverend possible. You can now support us on Substack! https://irreverendpod.substack.com/. Or support us on Patreon (https://www.patreon.com/irreverend) or Buy Me a Coffee (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/irreverend). Notices:Daniel French Substack: https://undergroundchurch.substack.com/Jamie Franklin Substack: https://jamiefranklin.substack.comIrreverend Substack: https://irreverendpod.substack.comFollow us on Twitter: https://x.com/IrreverendPodFind me a church: https://irreverendpod.com/church-finder/Join our Irreverend Telegram group: https://t.me/irreverendpodFind links to our episodes, social media accounts and ways to support us at https://www.irreverendpod.com!Thursday Circles: http://thursdaycircle.coSupport the show

In what's being called an epidemic of random attacks, more and more women are coming forward to say they were sucker punched out of nowhere on the streets of New York. If you need to know how serious it is – one woman was hit so hard her mouth had to be wired shut. And a father is called to the scene of a horrific car crash where his daughter was behind the wheel. She had struck the guard rail that impaled the car through the windshield...but where was his daughter? As Jim Moret tells us…if you don't already believe in miracles this may change your mind. Plus, Sean Diddy Combs the embattled music mogul has been in hiding since his homes in Florida and California were raided as part of a human trafficking investigation. While he's keeping a very low profile, more people are coming forward to say they had upsetting experiences with Combs. Combs denies all allegations of wrong doing. And Easter is Sunday and when you fill your basket with candy you may be in for a bitter sweet surprise. With chocolate eggs and bunnies more expensive than ever this year, we've got some ideas on how to make Easter more affordable. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Lifeway Research has found that 66% of Christians are not familiar with any method of telling others about Jesus, but half are willing to learn how. And 68% feel it's the pastor's responsibility to equip the congregation to share the gospel. Most Christians believe the Great Commission's call for evangelism applies to them, but they need someone to teach them how. And Easter provides the perfect opportunity.Listen as Rod Laughlin tells you how your pastor can teach the church to share the gospel, just prior to Easter, in 3 easy sentences. Rod Laughlin Rod Laughlin became a Christian when he was twenty-eight years old. Desiring to know more about the Bible, he earned an MDiv at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After serving the Lord as the pastor of two churches and in many other ways for thirty-seven years, he sensed God's call to put the Bible into modern formats. He has spent the last fourteen years leading a team to create The Readable Bible. Over one-hundred people have worked with him on this project.Gospel-Giving SundayReadable BiblePhone: 913-980-1409, 9-5 CTEmail: info@gospelchallenge.org

A food for thought and perspective building episode for you today as I share a story about Jim Stockdale, his inspiring journey during the Vietnam war, and why this story is connected to a physical transformation. Admiral Stockdale was held prisoner for 7 years during the war and when James C. Collins tased which prisoners didn't make it out of Vietnam, Stockdale replied: "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart. This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be." I'll explain how this relates to your coaching business, our job as coaches, and more. Topics include:    - Why I'm Sharing the Stockdale Paradox - How This Relates to Coaching Clients - Our Jobs As Coaching and Mistakes - Please Share, Rate, and Review ---------- No-Cost Coaching Resources and Gifts for Our Listeners The Check-In Checklist: https://www.academy.sammillerscience.com/checklist   [Free] Metabolism School 101: The Video Series http://www.metabolismschool.com/metabolism-101 ----------  Grab a Copy of My New Book - Metabolism Made Simple ----------  My Live Program for Coaches: The Functional Nutrition and Metabolism Specialization  www.metabolismschool.com ----------  Stay Connected Blogs and Coaching Resources: www.Sammillerscience.com  Instagram: @sammillerscience Facebook: The Nutrition Coaching Collaborative Community  https://www.facebook.com/groups/nutritioncoachingcollaborative TikTok: @sammillerscience - https://vm.tiktok.com/ZTdPVQtMH/ ---------- “This Podcast is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute the practice of medicine, nursing or other professional health care services, including the giving of medical advice, and no doctor/patient relationship is formed. The use of information on this podcast and the show notes or the reliance on the information provided is to be done at the user's own risk. The content of this podcast is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment and is for educational purposes only. Always consult your physician before beginning any exercise program and users should not disregard, or delay in obtaining, medical advice for any medical condition they may have and should seek the assistance of their health care professionals for any such conditions. By accessing this Podcast, the listener acknowledges that the entire contents and design of this Podcast, are the property of Oracle Athletic Science LLC, or used by Oracle Athletic Science LLC with permission, and are protected under U.S. and international copyright and trademark laws. Except as otherwise provided herein, users of this Podcast may save and use information contained in the Podcast only for personal or other non-commercial, educational purposes. No other use, including, without limitation, reproduction, retransmission or editing, of this Podcast may be made without the prior written permission of Oracle Athletic Science LLC, which may be requested by contacting the Oracle Athletic Science LLC by email at team@sammillerscience.com. By accessing this Podcast, the listener acknowledges that Oracle Athletic Science LLC makes no warranty, guarantee, or representation as to the accuracy or sufficiency of the information featured in this Podcast."

Advent prepares for Christmas. Lent for Easter. And Easter for the Ascension. Now the Ascension prepares us for Jesus's return.

Sometimes we need to listen to God and trust what He says. And Easter is proof that we can rely on that. 

Welcome to a new episode of Talking France.As always this week, we get stuck into the big issues that are making the news in France. That means finding out why a French minister exposed herself to a barrage of criticism this week by appearing on the cover of Playboy magazine? And Marseille, France's second city is being dubbed the "murder capital” again after more deadly shootings in recent days. But just how dangerous is the Mediterranean port city for visitors? And of course, the mother of all battles rumbles on. We bring you up to date with pension strikes - fuel shortages, piles of waste, cancelled trains and the protests.And is now a good time to buy a property in France? And if it is, what are the things you absolutely need to do before you take the plunge and sign the deal? Apart from visit the actual house of course. We'll find out.And Easter is upon us but how do the French celebrate it and why isn't Good Friday a public holiday?We also have some top tips for things you can do in France this Spring.Ben McPartland is your host but as ever the interesting info and insight is provided by The Local France's Editor Emma Pearson and journalist Gen Mansfield.Also a big thank you to those listeners who have become members of The Local in recent days and also those who have left positive reviews. It's really appreciated but more importantly your contributions help us to be able continue to be able to talk about France on this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On today's episode, Ian King speaks to Jacqueline Windsor, the head of retail at PwC, to discuss an improvement in consumer confidence over the past few months.He also discusses the UK's post-Brexit trade agreement with the chairman of Marks and Spencer - and whether it'll be good for business.And Easter is always a big time for the chocolate confectionary sector - Ian speaks to the co-founder of Hotel Chocolat about the food and drink industry.

Pastor Johnny is going to tell you today all about why we celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross. This doesn't seem like an occasion for joy – but think about this: His death defeated the enemy's power over you. It means new beginnings for you. And Easter is coming – Jesus won't stay in that grave!

Pastor Johnny is going to tell you today all about why we celebrate Good Friday, the day Jesus died on the cross. This doesn't seem like an occasion for joy – but think about this: His death defeated the enemy's power over you. It means new beginnings for you. And Easter is coming – Jesus won't stay in that grave!

Join MJ as she discusses all the things happening over at Bartlett's Farm. This week she talks about the Garden Center being now open. And Easter is coming up fast, so don't forget to place your Easter dinner order and pick it up on Saturday April 8th. You can check out their catering menu online. Also, their Easter Egg hunt is back with three sessions. This year they are requiring you to pre-register for your little ones to give the kids more chance for fun and prizes. Also, don't miss their Wines and Rinds - a wine and cheese tasting that happens on Friday March 31st from 3:30-5:30pm. Learn more by visiting online at https://bartlettsfarm.com/.

We live in troubled times. Over the past few years, the news has been filled with stories that have the potential to fill us with fear and despair for the future. But when we keep our eyes fixed on God, who says, ‘Don't worry, because I am with you. Don't be afraid, because I am your God,' we can get through. Admiral James Stockdale spent eight gruelling years in a Vietnam prisoner-of-war camp, but his faith sustained him throughout the ordeal. He said: ‘I never lost faith in the end of the story. I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.' When asked, ‘Who didn't make it out?' Stockdale replied: ‘Oh, that's easy…they were the ones who said, “We're going to be out by Christmas.” And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, “We're going to be out by Easter.” And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.' We don't always have an end date for the difficulties and challenging situations that we go through, but even when we can't see the finish line, Jesus can. So, ‘let us look only to Jesus, the One who began our faith and who makes it perfect. He suffered death on the cross. But he accepted the same as if it were nothing because of the joy that God put before him' (Hebrews 12:2 NCV). The God who gave us our start can steer us to a glorious finish.

A third lawsuit will be filed, this time challenging the constitutionality of East Cobb; Marietta Mayor Tumlin reconsiders adding Juneteenth as a holiday; And Easter celebrations filled the weekend.  #CobbCounty #Georgia #LocalNews      -            -            -            -            -            The Marietta Daily Journal Podcast is local news for Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, and all of Cobb County.             Subscribe today, so you don't miss an episode! MDJOnline            Register Here for your essential digital news.              Find additional episodes of the MDJ Podcast here.             This Podcast was produced and published for the Marietta Daily Journal and MDJ Online by BG Ad Group   For more information be sure to visit https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com/   See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Hang out with Chet, Kayla, and Maddie on this wild and crazy Monday after Easter! Coachella news, Maddie's sickness, AND Easter baskets, ALL on The Chet Buchanan Show! 

Such an interesting topic of conversation today… how do you know if you're parenting correctly? We're joined by the founder of Teen Seen to share her thoughts. And Easter is just around the corner so Jules and Mel talk about how they celebrate and why hat parades are the worst. Join in the chat in our FB group, Working Mums Australia. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Last week, I had conversations with multiple parents who were working hard to help their soon-to-be graduates navigate the big decisions coming their way!  In each case, I was able to share some stories and some strategies that seemed to help.  SO… I wanted to share them with YOU too.  Especially if you're navigating the wild waters of graduation from high school and/or college… personally or with your kids.  And the good news is… these stories and strategies will also help you if you're navigating decisions that will help you to live more of the amazing life you're designed to live.  Because… let's just be honest… if you're choosing to live an AMAZING life… that means it might look a little crazy to some of the people that are around you.  So… it takes guts to do something different.  So that's what this episode is all about!  Hope it helps YOU… whether you're navigating new seasons due to a big mile marker like graduation… OR… you're simply feeling like a change is coming and you're wanting to get ready for it!  Enjoy!  (By the way… please share this one with someone who might need it!!! THANKS!) RELATED EPISODES: Oscar-Winning Special Effects Artist: Howard Berger - www.mitchmatthews.com/074  Howard tells the story of how as a teenager, he almost blew up his house working on special effects project.  Listen how his parents reacted and what he did next! Author and Pastor, Jonathan Pitts - www.mitchmatthews/com/313  Listen how Jonathan has navigated encouraging his four daughters to continue to dream big and pursue their best life after the untimely loss of their mom. TV Star, musician and Cast Member of the Orville, J Lee - www.mitchmatthews.com/228 Listen to what his wise mom said to him when we decided to drive to LA (with $500 in his pocket) to pursue his dream of acting! Sprint Car Champion & Record Holder, McKenna Haase - www.mitchmatthews.com/210 Listen to what her parent said when she announced she wanted to be a professional sprint car driver RESOURCES I POINT TO IN THE EPISODE: I mention my interview with Sam Griffin when I'm talking about how bravery isn't necessarily what you want to lean on when you experience fear. www.mitchmatthews.com/118  I also speak to a concept that Jim Collins spoke to in his classic book, Good to Great.  It's called the “Stockdale Paradox” and it's something I've leaned on myself when I was stepping out and pursuing something new.  But it's also something I've taught countless leaders when I've discussed the importance of taking a stand for something you believe in and being willing to take a chance on a needed change.  #priceless Here's an excerpt from Jim's amazing book and his interview with POW survivor and entrepreneurial success story Jim Stockdale: I didn't say anything for many minutes, and we continued the slow walk toward the faculty club, Stockdale limping and arc-swinging his stiff leg that had never fully recovered from repeated torture. Finally, after about a hundred meters of silence, I asked, “Who didn't make it out?” “Oh, that's easy,” he said. “The optimists.” “The optimists? I don't understand,” I said, now completely confused, given what he'd said a hundred meters earlier. “The optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, ‘We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, ‘We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.” Another long pause, and more walking.  Then he turned to me and said, “This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be.” To this day, I carry a mental image of Stockdale admonishing the optimists: “We're not getting out by Christmas; deal with it!” Whew… yup!  That's gold.   DREAM THINK DO MINUTE BY MINUTE 0:02 What to expect today 2:38 The important conversation Mitch had to share 4:57 Are you ready to set into something new? Start here. 9:45 How Mitch overcame anxiety as a kid 15:55 How curiosity led a young Mitch abroad 24:29 What Mitch learned from a hard teacher 32:42 An amazing example of empathy 38:02 Being comfortable with standing in tension 47:35 Recap of these 3 powerful concepts 51:30 If you know someone who needs to hear this, share from wherever you I WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU: Okay… I want to hear from you.   What do you think?  Which story resonates with you?  Secondly… what quotes, stories or concepts do you lean on when you're needing to push through fear? More importantly… What do you think?  Is it important to step out and take some risks in order to pursue a “non-normal” life?  Will someone need to push past fear, the naysayers… and heck… get comfortable with the “tension” that can come from stepping into an amazing life?  Let me know what YOU think in the comments below! I can't wait to hear from YOU! Lastly, don't forget to share this episode!  And when you do either tag me or be sure to include the #dreamthinkdo.  THANKS!!!! You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.  (Let's connect there too!)

April 4, 2021. Pastor Meagan's sermon for this Easter Sunday is on the fear felt by Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and John when they went to the tomb and found that Jesus wasn't there. What would we have thought had we been there? Readings: Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8 *** Transcript *** Last Sunday, when we gathered for Palm Sunday Worship, we had a parade to celebrate the entry of Jesus into Jerusalem — and some of us took that parade down Lockwood, too. And Easter is another opportunity to celebrate with a procession. Many of you have probably heard the Judy Garland & Fred Astaire song, "In your Easter bonnet with all the frills upon it / You'll be the grandest fella in the Easter Parade.” So on Palm Sunday, we kept in mind as we walked where we were headed — into the city, where Jesus would be arrested, tortured, and die on the cross. And this Easter Sunday, this morning as we gather with joy to celebrate Jesus’ resurrection, it's important to remember where we've come from. Our Easter story, as joyful as it is as Mr. Jesse pointed out, doesn't begin with hope. It begins with an acknowledgement of death and profound loss. The women — Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of James and John — who went to the tomb that morning bearing spices, were there when Jesus died. They knew he was gone, and they didn’t have the slightest expectation that he had survived everything that had happened. They were drawn to the tomb that morning not by the thought that Jesus might be alive, but by the call of their faith to honor one that they had loved and followed by anointing the body that was left. They were there because they were not afraid to face the grief and reality of the tomb. Pastor Luisa Cabello Hanse of St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran Church in Minneapolis shared her experience of Holy Week and Easter during her childhood in Chile and Mexico at a Lenten Wednesday service a few years ago, and she told of the parade that they always had every year through town — on Good Friday, not Easter Sunday. Pastor Luisa said that Jesus’ resurrection meant so much more when she first took time to acknowledge the reality of his death. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and John faced the grief, they approached the tomb, and there in the place of death they saw evidence of the miracle. The stone, as large as it was, had been rolled away. A young man, sitting in the otherwise empty tomb, was waiting to tell them the good news: Jesus is alive. What would you have thought, had you been there? Each of the gospels tells the story a little differently, as Dr Neidner pointed out in our forum a couple of weeks ago. In Mark’s telling, the women do not instantly believe, and in fact the women who had courageously faced the tomb are so frightened by the announcement of Jesus’ resurrection that they leave with the intent of not telling anyone what had happened. All of us who have been through wounded-ness, death, and grief know resurrection does not erase the tomb. We all grieve loved ones who have died, losses brought to us by the pandemic, all of those things about church that we miss, the damage wrought by the sins of racism, poverty, and violence. Death is real, and the process of grief lasts a lifetime. Hope, new life, and joy grow slowly as healing continues. So it's not so surprising to think that the women were not ready to embrace the hope and joy of the good news and go out to tell everyone what’s happened the first minute they're told that Jesus is alive. And yet we know that eventually they did tell the story of the resurrection, if only because today we are still telling of the miracle that they found when they went to the tomb that first Easter morning. This Easter morning, we are gathered to tell again of how God brought life out of death, and Jesus who has died is now alive again among us. And today, most appropriately, we celebrate the baptism of Mae Lenhart. From the story of creation when God spoke earth and water into being, to the story of Noah and his family traveling through the flood in an ark and finding dry land to start a new life, to the Israelites crossing through the raging water of the Red Sea to find freedom on the other side, to Jesus’ baptism in water by John when God claimed him as beloved, water has always been a part of our story as people of faith. Baptism with water and the words of God’s promise reminds us that nothing can separate us from God. In baptism, we claim the promise of who we are — children of God, beloved, called and sent, to embody and proclaim the love and mercy of God for the world. As we celebrate Mae’s baptism on this Easter Sunday of the resurrection, we remember that we too have been through death and grief, and we too have been baptized, and that God’s promises prevail even in the face of death. We are all chosen, all called, all sent, to share the good news that in Christ, death will never be the final word. The women were afraid, and we may be too, but Paul in his letter to the Corinthians reminds us that Christ is with us even in our fear, and however unworthy we may feel, we are beloved and called to share the good news. On the other side of horror, loss, and grief, Jesus has come, and we have discovered hope and joy. How would you have told the story to the others who were waiting back in that Upper Room to hear about the visit to the tomb? What would you have thought, if you were one of Jesus’ other followers, hearing the story of Christ’s resurrection? What are you afraid of today? And who are you called to tell of this miraculous, radical hope? Alleluia! Christ is Risen! Thanks be to God. *** Keywords *** 2021, Christ Lutheran Church, Webster Groves, sermon, podcast, transcript, YouTube, video, Pastor Meagan McLaughlin, Acts 10:34-43, 1 Corinthians 15:1-11, Mark 16:1-8, Easter Parade, Irving Berlin, Jesse Helton, COVID-19, pandemic, coronavirus

Today is Easter Sunday. And Easter comes to people who are shaken, afraid, and have had their expectations turned upside down. Why? Because there is no place you can go that Jesus can't.

Being a Realistic Optimist and Using Faith to Survive Tough Times Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:34 During the Vietnam War, Jim Stockdale was flying his navy jet over North Vietnam. Below him he saw a missile rising up on course to hit his jet. Despite his efforts, the missile violently hit his plane.  He now could no longer steer the damaged jet and his only option was to bail out. When he hit the ground in a small village, he was quickly surrounded and severely beaten. Later to be taken to Hanoi and imprisoned in in the Hoa Lo prison, which was also known as the Hanoi Hilton.Upon arriving at the prison, he discovered he was the highest ranking officer. As such, he was in charge of protecting and guiding the other prisoners. This also meant he would be a target for his jailkeepers, who subjected him to extraordinarily difficult beatings. He remained in the prison for eight and a half years, from 1965 to 1973. During this time his legs were broken twice, he was constantly under nourished and suffered sleep deprivation. Some of his time was spent in isolation. None of his days were easy. Meanwhile, back home, his wife, Sybil, organized a group of other wives to form The League of American families of POW's and MIA's. She spent her time fighting for knowledge of their status; speaking to congress and even spoke at the Paris Peace conference. For eight and a half years she never gave up.On February 12th 1973, Rear Admiral James Stockdale was released as part of Operation Freedom, along with 591 other prisoners. When he arrived on the tarmac, he could barely walk and his eyes were sunken into his head. But at least he was home. He later received the Medal of Honor. He retired from the Navy in 1979. In his post retirement life, he was Ross Perot's selection to be vice president during his unsuccessful presidential run in 1992. He was also an author and president of the Citadel. After he returned, a questioned he answered a number of times; was how did he manage to survive?He answer was always; I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade.Another question he had to answer frequently was; whom didn't survive. His answer; Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart.For Stockdale this was an important point; which he explained as follows; You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality.

Good Friday, we know. And Easter most certainly. But what is Maundy Thursday? Maundy Thursday is the Thursday before Easter, believed to be the day when Jesus celebrated his final Passover with His disciples. Most notably, that Passover meal was when Jesus washed the feet of His disciples in an extraordinary display of humility. He then commanded them to do the same for each other.

March 24 - April 14Spring is here! Buds and blossoms, showers and flowers. And Easter is right around the corner. You know, chocolate and pastel colours, hiding eggs and finding them.Easter is one of those holidays when we may wonder what it's actually all about. I mean, did it really start with an Easter bunny coming out of a tomb to see his shadow? No wait, that was a groundhog. Oh right, it started with a man named Jesus who was killed on Friday and then supposedly rose from the dead on Sunday.Well, if a hundred people were asked who Jesus really was, we'd get a hundred different answers.Good man?Teacher?Prophet?Healer?Or maybe liar, deceiver or fraud?Or Messiah, even Son of God?Is it possible to truly discover who Jesus really is and get to the bottom of this Easter thing? Will the real Jesus please stand up? In this series, we will look at all of this. You just might discover who the real Jesus is. And it just might change everything!

March 24 - April 14Spring is here! Buds and blossoms, showers and flowers. And Easter is right around the corner. You know, chocolate and pastel colours, hiding eggs and finding them.Easter is one of those holidays when we may wonder what it's actually all about. I mean, did it really start with an Easter bunny coming out of a tomb to see his shadow? No wait, that was a groundhog. Oh right, it started with a man named Jesus who was killed on Friday and then supposedly rose from the dead on Sunday.Well, if a hundred people were asked who Jesus really was, we'd get a hundred different answers.Good man?Teacher?Prophet?Healer?Or maybe liar, deceiver or fraud?Or Messiah, even Son of God?Is it possible to truly discover who Jesus really is and get to the bottom of this Easter thing? Will the real Jesus please stand up? In this series, we will look at all of this. You just might discover who the real Jesus is. And it just might change everything!

March 24 - April 14Spring is here! Buds and blossoms, showers and flowers. And Easter is right around the corner. You know, chocolate and pastel colours, hiding eggs and finding them.Easter is one of those holidays when we may wonder what it's actually all about. I mean, did it really start with an Easter bunny coming out of a tomb to see his shadow? No wait, that was a groundhog. Oh right, it started with a man named Jesus who was killed on Friday and then supposedly rose from the dead on Sunday.Well, if a hundred people were asked who Jesus really was, we'd get a hundred different answers.Good man?Teacher?Prophet?Healer?Or maybe liar, deceiver or fraud?Or Messiah, even Son of God?Is it possible to truly discover who Jesus really is and get to the bottom of this Easter thing? Will the real Jesus please stand up? In this series, we will look at all of this. You just might discover who the real Jesus is. And it just might change everything!

March 24 - April 14Spring is here! Buds and blossoms, showers and flowers. And Easter is right around the corner. You know, chocolate and pastel colours, hiding eggs and finding them.Easter is one of those holidays when we may wonder what it's actually all about. I mean, did it really start with an Easter bunny coming out of a tomb to see his shadow? No wait, that was a groundhog. Oh right, it started with a man named Jesus who was killed on Friday and then supposedly rose from the dead on Sunday.Well, if a hundred people were asked who Jesus really was, we'd get a hundred different answers.Good man?Teacher?Prophet?Healer?Or maybe liar, deceiver or fraud?Or Messiah, even Son of God?Is it possible to truly discover who Jesus really is and get to the bottom of this Easter thing? Will the real Jesus please stand up? In this series, we will look at all of this. You just might discover who the real Jesus is. And it just might change everything!

Christianity is not a crutch. The gospel is honest about how hard life is at times. Sometimes we really are in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But, we can learn to face the bad things without fear. We just need to practice the paradox. Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:15-16. References: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain Jim Collins on the so-called “Stockdale Paradox, referring to Admiral James Stockdale (from “Good to Great”): "I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade." When Collins asked who didn't make it out of Vietnam, Stockdale replied: "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart." Stockdale then added: "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."

Christianity is not a crutch. The gospel is honest about how hard life is at times. Sometimes we really are in the Valley of the Shadow of Death. But, we can learn to face the bad things without fear. We just need to practice the paradox. Scripture: Psalm 23:4, Romans 8:15-16. References: “Pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers to us in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is His megaphone to rouse a deaf world.” C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain Jim Collins on the so-called “Stockdale Paradox, referring to Admiral James Stockdale (from “Good to Great”): "I never lost faith in the end of the story, I never doubted not only that I would get out, but also that I would prevail in the end and turn the experience into the defining event of my life, which, in retrospect, I would not trade." When Collins asked who didn't make it out of Vietnam, Stockdale replied: "Oh, that's easy, the optimists. Oh, they were the ones who said, 'We're going to be out by Christmas.' And Christmas would come, and Christmas would go. Then they'd say, 'We're going to be out by Easter.' And Easter would come, and Easter would go. And then Thanksgiving, and then it would be Christmas again. And they died of a broken heart." Stockdale then added: "This is a very important lesson. You must never confuse faith that you will prevail in the end—which you can never afford to lose—with the discipline to confront the most brutal facts of your current reality, whatever they might be."

In this episode we talk about Easter. In particular we spotlight our latest spoken word video: “Bread of Heaven.” link We also speak about Easter preaching. Here's a selection of 8 Easter sermons I've given in other settings. Nothing a resurrection won't fix (Job) (featured in this podcast) The Suffering Servant Rises (Isaiah 50) Why the Cross? (Matt 26:36-46) The Power of the Cross (Mark 15:21-41 ) The Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35) Come and have Breakfast (John 21) Two Cups / Maundy Thusday (Matthew 26:17-46) All Age Easter (Matthew 28) And… Easter songs and resources especially for all-age services.Support the show