Podcasts about Antioch

Patrick celebrates the release of his free 14 track album, KEEP GOING, and details how you can get it. Keep Going – The Patrick Madrid Show Album Release Party! (00:36) Marty - Caller yesterday thought that a pastor would be charged $100 for not submitting a marriage certificate after a wedding. That is not the case, I am a lawyer. (06:50) Craig - How can I explain transubstantiation? (16:06) Megan - Why do you think so many famous saints died young? (33:19) Charles - About the gentleman who was having a difficult time understanding transubstantiation. The Miracle of Lanciano would help him understand. (43:55) Adam - Why is the bishop of Rome the Pope and not the Bishop of Antioch? (47:32) Al - I was raised Catholic and converted to being Evangelical. What is the Catholic definition of salvation? (49:11)

Reading Acts 13:13-25 where the Apostle Paul preaches in the synagogue at Antioch in Pisidia, arguing first to the Jews there that Jesus is the Christ according to the prophets. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Trinity Anglican Seminary is built on the same daily prayer rhythms you practice every time you hit play. Morning Prayer. Evening Prayer. Weekly Eucharist. It's a place where chapel and classroom aren't two separate worlds, they're one. Whether you're pursuing a degree or exploring a certificate in Anglican studies, come experience being formed in community around study and prayer at Trinity. Learn more at tas.edu/dailyoffice.Evening Prayer for Monday, July 20, 2026 (Proper 11; Margaret of Antioch, Martyr, 4th c.).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalm 51Ezra 8:21-362 Timothy 3Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

Trinity Anglican Seminary is built on the same daily prayer rhythms you practice every time you hit play. Morning Prayer. Evening Prayer. Weekly Eucharist. It's a place where chapel and classroom aren't two separate worlds, they're one. Whether you're pursuing a degree or exploring a certificate in Anglican studies, come experience being formed in community around study and prayer at Trinity. Learn more at tas.edu/dailyoffice.Morning Prayer for Monday, July 20, 2026 (Proper 11; Margaret of Antioch, Martyr, 4th c.).Psalm and Scripture readings (60-day Psalter):Psalm 501 Samuel 112 Corinthians 2:12-3:18Click here to support The Daily Office Podcast with a one-time gift or a recurring donation.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Click here to access the text for the Daily Office at DailyOffice2019.com.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

How does the Gospel change our relationships? Pastor Derrick Lynch continues our series, “Ephesians: One in Christ,” preaching from Ephesians 4:17-24. Notes in this sermon: The Gospel manifests and motivates transformed relationships. Visit www.bluevalleychurch.org for more information about Blue Valley Church in Overland Park and Olathe, Kansas.

Monday of the 16th Week in Ordinary Time Optional Memorial of St. Apollinaris; born in Antioch, and became a disciple of St. Peter; his successor as bishop of Ravenna, St. Peter Chrysologus, preached a sermon in his honor in the 5th century, recalling how in the Church’s infancy, St. Apollinaris showed deep faith and dedication in the face of punishment; two beautiful churches in the onetime important Byzantine city of Ravenna are dedicated to him; he died in 79 A.D. Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 7/20/26 Gospel: Matthew 12:38-42

With season 1 and 2 complete we move into Acts: Season 3. The narrative shifts to Antioch and the focus is on Paul - previously called Saul - as he shares the gospel in Gentile areas. ___ Paul, Silas, & Timothy leave Luke in Philippi and make their way to the capital of Macedonia - Thessalonica - which is greatly influenced by Roman culture and ideology, even the Jewish leaders have fallen victim to its schemes. The synagogue's affection and affiliation with Rome has led the leaders to refuse Jesus as Lord and they violently sent Paul and Silas away. They left by night and found themselves in a backwoods town called Berea where their message was received with great eagerness.

rWotD Episode 3364: Council of Jerusalem (536) Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Monday, 20 July 2026, is Council of Jerusalem (536).The Council of Jerusalem of 536 was a meeting of Chalcedonian representatives of the church of the Three Palestines (Prima, Secunda, Tertia) to condemn certain persons accused of the Monophysite heresy. It was convoked at the initiative the Roman emperor Justinian I following the forced resignation of the Patriarch Anthimus I of Constantinople in February or March, an event in which Pope Agapetus I had played the main role.Following the Council of Constantinople in May–June 536, Patriarch Menas of Constantinople wrote to Patriarch Peter of Jerusalem urging him to hold a council of the Three Palestines to condemn the same heretics as had Constantinople: Anthimus, Severus of Antioch, Zaʿūra the Stylite and Peter of Apamea. The emperor also sent a letter. These letters were delivered by the monks of the Judaean Desert who had traveled to Constantinople to take part in the council there. Since Jerusalem had only been raised to a patriarchate by the Council of Chalcedon in 451, the authority of the bishop of the city over the church in the Three Palestines was not accepted by anti-Chalcedonians.The council met on 19 September 536 in Jerusalem (formally Aelia Capitolina). It conducted its business in Greek. Its acts are preserved in the collection known as the Collectio Sabbaitica. The verdicts of the Council of Constantinople were read into the record and the assembled clergy at Jerusalem discussed all four condemned clerics. Their own verdict, however, only explicitly condemned Anthimus. It was subscribed by 47 bishops, which was almost every bishop in the Three Palestines. There is no logical sequence to the subscriptions and they were all made in Greek.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:14 UTC on Monday, 20 July 2026.For the full current version of the article, see Council of Jerusalem (536) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Bluesky at @wikioftheday.com.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm neural Kajal.

Pray the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Tuesday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary TimePsalm 102Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 2Reading 2: From a letter to the Magnesians by St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyrSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

When Saul first came to Jerusalem to meet with the Apostles, they initially didn't trust him because of his past history of persecuting the Church. Barnabas, whose name means “son of encouragement,” advocated for Saul to them. He championed Saul's calling as an Apostle to the Gentiles, and later sought Saul's help in the revival at Antioch.

The Book of Acts | The Amazing Church in Antioch | 7-19-26 by Kearney eFree Church

When I went to Furman University back in the early 70s, I was giving the nickname “Kid”. It's what all the people in the band and music department called me, it was on the back of my Phi Mu Alpha fraternity jersey, even to this day, 50 plus years later, my college friends call me “Kid”.I'm not quite sure how I came to be called “Kid” … but it stuck. Maybe it was because I acted like a kid or looked like a kid, I never really knew.Do you have a nickname? What is it? Who gave you that name? How did you get it? Nicknames are given for a lot of reasons. Some are given to honor you. Some are given to embarrass you. Some are given because of the way you act, the way you look or the way other people see you.In ancient times, the city of Antioch was famous for creating and giving nicknames to people, places and things. These nicknames could have been given in honor or ridicule. In Antioch, the Followers of Jesus were given a very distinct nickname based on their passion for, and devotion to Jesus… and it stuck!I encourage you to read Acts 11 as we discover and unpack this nickname and look at how God was active, present and alive in Antioch and how believers changed the entire feel of the city. 

June 28, 2026 - Sunday AM Bible Class This episode is a sermon-style study through Acts chapters 6–8, centering on Acts 6:1–7 and tracing a recurring pattern in the early church: success invites new problems, and God's people must respond biblically. Neal walks the congregation through the first of four challenges in these chapters, examines subsequent disputes that arise as the gospel moves outward, and previews Stephen's pivotal defense in Acts 7. Topics covered include the practical complaint of the Hellenist widows being neglected, the apostles' wise response of discernment and delegation, and the appointment of seven servants—Stephen, Philip, Procurus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicholas (a proselyte of Antioch)—who are prayed for and commissioned. The sermon highlights the apostles' priority to devote themselves to prayer and the ministry of the Word, the laying on of hands as dedication (and possibly the impartation of gifting in the first-century context), and the resulting fruit: continued numerical growth and many priests turning to faith. The episode then follows the ripple effects of that growth: Stephen's ministry among the Greek-speaking Jews, the disputes and false witnesses stirred up against him, and the challenge of addressing angry, unreceptive listeners. The speaker traces Stephen's strategy in Acts 7—seeking connection, emphasizing God and his work, appealing to Israel's history, and finally confronting stubbornness and sin—and explains the pattern of God raising deliverers, people rejecting them, and God vindicating them. Practical applications are drawn for today's churches and leaders: how to handle internal complaints biblically, the value of delegation and qualified servants (parallels to deacons), the importance of elders/eldership staying focused on prayer and the Word, and principles for speaking truth to difficult or angry listeners (Matthew 18, Galatians 6, Ephesians 4). The episode underscores that faithful, God-centered responses to problems lead to unity, confidence in leadership, and further growth. Format and guests: this episode is a single-message sermon delivered by the congregation's teacher (no outside guests). Key takeaways include the governance model shown in Acts 6, the spiritual qualifications and heart behind servant ministry, the pastoral tactics Stephen uses when facing opposition, and the encouraging outcome that faithful obedience deepens the church's witness and produces growth.   Duration 43:58

June 24, 2026 - Wednesday PM Bible Class This episode is a classroom-style exploration of Barnabas, the New Testament figure known as the "son of encouragement." Recorded as part of a summer teaching series, the speaker walks listeners through key passages in Acts (chapters 4, 9, 11, 13, and 15) to trace Barnabas' life, ministry, and influence on the early church. Topics covered include Barnabas' background (Joseph the Levite from Cyprus), his generosity in selling land to support believers, and his defining role encouraging and strengthening the church at Antioch. The episode looks closely at how Barnabas bridged the gap between the church and Saul (Paul), advocated for second chances (notably with John Mark), and helped develop emerging leaders—demonstrating humility, courage, and sacrificial support. Listeners will hear Scripture readings and practical illustrations, including personal anecdotes from the class (camp mailboxes of encouragement, Devo leadership) and contemporary analogies (nicknames and team roles) to highlight how encouragement functions as ministry. The class discusses why churches struggle to accept changed people, how encouragers see potential rather than past failures, and the risks and sacrifices involved in standing with the rejected. Contributors and voices in the discussion include the class leader and responses from members. The episode emphasizes five practical lessons: encouragement changes lives; godly people look beyond a person's past; great leaders develop other leaders; encouragers also need courage; and godly people help restore failures. Expect a study grounded in Acts with clear, applicable takeaways for church life—how to give hope, mentor others, offer second chances, and use generosity and courage to advance spiritual growth in your community.   Duration 37:50

Chapter 12 of the Book of Acts wraps up with Herod dying, Saul and Barnabus completing their mission in Jerusalem and heading back to Antioch.  Luke divides Acts into two parts and Chapter 12 is the end of the first portion.  The good news of Jesus Christ dying and being raised from the dead as the ultimate sacrifice for sin has been proclaimed in Jerusalem and beyond, primarily through the leadership of Peter.  The second portion of Acts will highlight Paul's missionary endeavors. As we recap the first 12 chapters to see how God has worked through His people, we see that the Word of God has increased and multiplied in 4 ways - the spoken word, the written word, the silent word, and the Living Word.  It's as vital and vibrant today as it was for the early church.  How can we as individuals and corporately continue to see God's word increase and multiply?   Acts 12:20-25 Elder Greg McGinnis   Visit our website at www.fremontpres.org Email us at podcast@fremontpres.org

iTunes Spotify iHeart RSS Twitch Odysee YouTubeCheck out all of our podcasts Support us on patreon Visit our swag shop Join our chat Panel: Producer Dave, The CouncilmanShow NotesMembers Show:FouthwallPatreonMusic:Model Rocket Scientist - Big Small TownsAudible Smoke Signal - Locals

Pray the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Monday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary TimePsalm 73Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 1Reading 2: From a letter to the Magnesians by St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyrSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

Tate Matthews welcomes Tom Kreager (TK) of The Tennessean to the show to discuss the highly anticipated release of the 2026 Dandy Dozen. Marking the 20th anniversary of the prestigious list, which first began in 2007, TK breaks down the elite twelve mid-state high school athletes who made the cut. The duo previews the alphabetical roster, featuring heavy hitters like Antioch's 4-star Colorado quarterback commit Andre Adams, Upperman's Ole Miss commit Colton Johnson, and an explosive trio of receivers from Brentwood Academy. TK also provides behind-the-scenes details of the players' recent indoor photoshoot held at Franklin Road Academy (FRA). Later in the segment, Tate and TK review a special anniversary piece: "The 10 Biggest Misses of the Dandy Dozen.". They reflect on historical evaluation misses, discussing players who were completely left off the list—like Goodpasture's Keenan Reynolds, who later finished fifth in the Heisman voting—and players who were ranked far too low, such as Donta Hightower, Graham Barton, Marcel Reed, and Alontae TaylorSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In Acts 11, ordinary, nameless believers—scattered by persecution—stepped into Antioch, crossed cultural lines, and preached the Lord Jesus to Hellenists, and “the hand of the Lord was with them, and a great number who believed turned to the Lord” (Acts 11:21, ESV). These were not apostles or platformed leaders, but faithful “them” whose obedience launched gospel advance from the third-largest city in the Roman Empire and birthed the very name “Christians.” This message confronts the lie that God only uses the gifted, the clean, or the famous: He delights to rest His hand on ordinary people who simply proclaim Christ with steadfast purpose. Whether you're in a hidden Tarsus season of waiting or feeling sidelined by past failure, the same sovereign Lord who used the scattered is at work in you—preparing, shaping, and ready to unleash fruitfulness for His glory.

Pray the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Sunday of the Sixteenth Week in Ordinary TimePsalm 24Psalm 66Reading 1: 2 Corinthians 1Reading 2: From the beginning of a letter to the Magnesians by St. Ignatius of Antioch, bishop and martyrSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

She was born in Antioch of Pisidia to pagan parents; her father was a pagan priest. When she was about twelve years old her mother died, and she was given into the care of a woman who told her of the Gospel of Christ. She was immediately filled with love for Christ and consecrated her life to His service. Her father, hearing of this, was furious and disowned her. When she was fifteen years old, she was brought before the governor Olymbrius, who first desired to marry her and, when she refused, ordered her to make sacrifice to the idols. She refused and proclaimed herself a Christian. For this she was harshly tortured, imprisoned, and finally beheaded. While she was in prison she was tormented by demons, but drove them away by her prayers. For this reason she is especially invoked for deliverance from demonic possession. One of her hands is preserved at Vatopedi Monastery on the Holy Mountain, and some of her relics are preserved at an Albanian Monastery dedicated to her.

With season 1 and 2 complete we move into Acts: Season 3. The narrative shifts to Antioch and the focus is on Paul - previously called Saul - as he shares the gospel in Gentile areas. ___In God's sovereign providence, He leads Paul, Silas, Timothy, and now Luke, to Philippi where they meet a random assortment of people with nothing in common but their need for Jesus. And through unique salvation experiences, God builds His church in Philippi.

Drop us a note about the podcast. What if the biggest threat to your peace isn't the headlines, but who you've been treating like a savior? We start by reading Psalm 135, a blunt reminder that the Lord rules over heaven, earth, and the depths and that idols are powerless things made by human hands. From there, we pray for forgiveness and for the strength to live out our faith with real compassion for the hurting, including widows, orphans, and those who serve in uniform. We then move into Genesis 9 and the command to be fruitful and multiply, arguing that God's design for marriage, sex, children, and responsibility isn't random advice. When a culture rebels against that design, the damage shows up everywhere. We also read Acts 11, where Peter explains how the Holy Spirit falls on the Gentiles, the early church recognizes God's work, and believers in Antioch become known as Christians. Along the way, we highlight the practical generosity of famine relief as a model for faith that acts. The second half turns to public life and civic virtue. We remember a Pennsylvania state trooper killed on the roadside and bring the story back to the family left behind, then connect personal loss to national consequences. We also share a Medal of Honor note on Heath Canfield and revisit early American election sermons, including Matthias Burnett's 1803 sermon, to discuss separation of church and state, factional party zeal, and why a free republic depends on a virtuous people. If you've ever wondered whether politics can fix what's broken, this conversation pushes deeper toward the only lasting source of hope: God and Jesus Christ. Subscribe for more, share this with a friend who cares about faith and country, and leave a review so more people can find the show. What part challenged you most?#ChristianNation#AmericanPatriot#PsalmsSupport the showThe American Soul Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribeCountryside Book Serieshttps://www.amazon.com/Countryside-Book-J-T-Cope-IV-ebook/dp/B00MPIXOB2 America's Christian Heritage Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/2622483

Christians are a new creation, the old has passed away. How then can we put off the old self and put on the new self in our daily walk? Pastor Derrick Lynch continues our series, “Ephesians: One in Christ,” preaching from Ephesians 4:17-24. Notes in this sermon: Put off who you were Put on who you are Visit www.bluevalleychurch.org for more information about Blue Valley Church in Overland Park and Olathe, Kansas.

A Sunday morning sermon by Pastor Brett Deal.In the early church there was a man named Ignatius (30-107 AD). He devoted his life to the way of Jesus, was discipled by John, and served as the bishop of Antioch. In his final years, as a living witness to the rule and reign of Jesus, Ignatius was condemned by the Roman Emperor Trajan. In chains, he was brought to Rome to be executed, torn apart by wild beasts in the Colosseum. On his way to Rome, he wrote seven letters—just like his mentor John—to the churches. In all his letters, he knows many probably knew him better by his nickname, Theophorus. Between his name and nickname, we find an excellent example of what it means to be a disciple on the way to Pentecost! Ignatius means “fiery one.” It describes a burning ardor and passion (Mark 3.17)! His nickname, Theophorus, means “God-bearer.” This fiery one burned bright with the indwelling presence of God in his life!Deep calling to deep, this God-bearing servant rejoiced in his letter to the Ephesians because when they heard he was arrested, they hurried to his side to encourage and pray with him. With his final days, Ignatius “Theophorus” continued to lift up a name above all names, Jesus our Christ. He echoed Peter on Pentecost, exalting the name of Jesus, the One “attested by God with mighty works and wonders and signs God did through Him” who “was crucified and killed by lawless men” (Acts 2.22-23). Facing his own martyrdom, Ignatius knew his life was secure because the Eternal Lord of Life is the Almighty God who raised Jesus from the grave, “loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for Him to be held by it” (2.24). For this reason, the Pentecost fire in Ignatius' heart was not quenched as he was paraded “in chains for the sake of our common name and hope.” This persecution only served as a witness to the “faith in and love of Christ Jesus” in which we are truly held.Beloved, on our way to Pentecost, may we hold dear Ignatius' words, that we should “in every way glorify Jesus Christ, who glorified you, so that you, joined together in a united obedience… may be sanctified.”

Mark maps out the first journey of Barnabas and Saul from Antioch, with supernatural power and great impact, yet also marked by much jealousy and unbelief, causing suffering and opposition.

The church at Antioch is worshiping and fasting when the Holy Spirit says, "Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul." They pray, lay hands on the two men, and send them off to proclaim the faith. From there the word runs into a sorcerer on Cyprus and into a synagogue in Pisidian Antioch, where Paul preaches the God who kept His promise and brought Israel a Savior from David's line.  The Rev. Robert Smith, pastor emeritus in Ft. Wayne, IN, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 13:1-25. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

July 10, 2026Today's Reading: Acts 14:19-15:5Daily Lectionary: Judges 6:1-24; Acts 14:19-15:5“Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22) In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. After preaching the Gospel to both Jews and Greeks in Iconium, Paul remained there a while, “speaking boldly in the Lord” (Acts 14:3), before departing for Lystra. However, a great number of both Jews and Greeks believed that Satan shot his flaming darts through the “poison” of the unbelieving Jews. He sowed the seeds of division and violence, stirring up some Gentiles and Jews to stone Paul and Barnabas. Upon learning of this, they fled to Lystra and Derbe. Yet some Jews pursued him, coming from Antioch and Iconium to persuade the crowds to stone Paul. What God said to Ananias concerning Paul came true: “I will show him how much he must suffer for the sake of my name” (Acts 9:16). He is afflicted by such violence, but is he crushed? He is perplexed by unbelief, but is he despairing? He is persecuted, but is he forsaken? He is struck down and even assumed dead (Acts 14:19), but is he destroyed? Not at all—for the very life of Jesus is manifested in his earthly body. The power of Christ rests upon him in his weakness. He shares Christ's suffering and becomes like him in his death. So, after arising and entering the city with the disciples, he journeys onward to Derbe the very next day. He is not crushed but renewed. He is not driven to despair but filled with hope. He is not forsaken but filled with the Spirit. He is not destroyed but strengthened for the work God has called him to do. Each trial becomes an occasion for endurance, for building character, and for rejoicing in the promise of God's eternal glory. After preaching the gospel to Derbe, he again returns to Lystra, Iconium, and Antioch, “strengthening the souls of the disciples, encouraging them to continue in the faith, and saying that through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God” (Acts 14:22). What an encouragement! Elders are appointed for ministry in the church, and the hearts of the faithful are committed to the Lord through prayer and fasting. From Pisidia to Antioch, the Word of God takes root, and a door of faith is opened to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. My walk is heav'nward all the way; Await, my soul, the morrow, When God's good healing shall allay All suff'ring, sin, and sorrow. Then, worldly pomp, begone! To heav'n I now press on. For all the world I would not stay; My walk is heav'nward all the way. (LSB 716:6)Rev. David Woelmer, pastor of Grace Lutheran Church, Smithville, Texas. 

He was born in Antioch during the years that Christ walked in the flesh in Palestine. His parents, hearing of Christ's miracles and teaching, journeyed to Jerusalem, bringing their young son Pancratius. There all three of them saw and listened to Jesus Himself, and met the disciple Peter as well. After the Ascension, Pancratius and his parents were baptised in Antioch (some accounts say by the Apostle Peter himself). The Apostle Peter installed Pancratius as bishop of Taormina in Sicily, where he worked great wonders and brought many to Christ.   A pagan general named Aquilinus, hearing that Taormina had become Christian, set out with his army to destroy the town. Pancratius instructed the faithful not to fear and went out to confront the army, armed only with the sign of the Cross. When the army came near the town, the soldiers were seized with confusion and fear, fell on their own weapons and attacked one another, and finally withdrew in terror. Thus the city was saved by the prayers of the holy bishop. Later, pagans stoned him to death, granting him a martyr's end. His relics may still be venerated in Rome.

After the Jerusalem Council, the church in Antioch rejoiced to hear that salvation came by grace alone, not by adding human effort to the work of Christ. In Acts 15, the gospel is protected from legalism and the church is strengthened in unity. This episode reminds us that grace brings freedom, builds up believers, and keeps the church centered on the Word.

When Peter comes back from baptizing a Roman household, the first thing he gets is criticism for eating with the wrong people, and he answers by simply telling what God did until the objections fall silent. It was here, at Antioch, that believers were first called Christians, a name probably meant as an insult but stuck as a badge of honor. The gospel keeps crossing the lines we are sure should not be crossed. This episode is for anyone who has ever decided certain people were beyond the reach of grace.  The Rev. Nathan Scheck, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Seward, NE, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Acts 11:1-30. To learn more about St. John in Seward, visit stjohnseward.org. The book of Acts picks up where the Gospels leave off. Jesus has risen. He has ascended. And now what? Acts answers that question. Luke tells the story of how the Holy Spirit built the Church from a handful of frightened disciples in Jerusalem into a movement that reached Rome itself. Along the way, you get Pentecost, the first sermons, the first martyrs, the conversion of Paul, the first church councils, shipwrecks, riots, and the persistent, stubborn work of God through Word and Sacrament even when His people didn't have a plan. If you've ever wondered how we got from Easter morning to the Church you sit in today, this is the book. Tune in for this new series on Thy Strong Word with Pastor Phil Booe and guest pastors as we open up the Book of Acts.  Thy Strong Word, hosted by Rev. Dr. Phil Booe, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church of Luverne, MN, reveals the light of our salvation in Christ through study of God's Word, breaking our darkness with His redeeming light. Each weekday, two pastors fix our eyes on Jesus by considering Holy Scripture, verse by verse, in order to be strengthened in the Word and be equipped to faithfully serve in our daily vocations. Submit comments or questions to: thystrongword@kfuo.org.

Join us as we dig deeper into last Sunday's sermon from Pastor Gabe Kasper "The Gospel Increases" and hear from Amy Duncan and Nate Zuellig on "Bigger Table".   Digging Deeper Questions: When conflict arises how do you deal with it? Did you learn anything from this text on how to handle it better?    The early church was culturally diverse but united in mission, how might we better embody that in our congregation? our lives?    What is the aim of your life? Is it bringing peace?    Scripture Reading: Acts 6:1-15 1 Now in these days when the disciples were increasing in number, a complaint by the Hellenists arose against the Hebrews because their widows were being neglected in the daily distribution. 2 And the twelve summoned the full number of the disciples and said, "It is not right that we should give up preaching the word of God to serve tables. 3 Therefore, brothers, pick out from among you seven men of good repute, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we will appoint to this duty. 4 But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the word." 5 And what they said pleased the whole gathering, and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolaus, a proselyte of Antioch. 6 These they set before the apostles, and they prayed and laid their hands on them.   7 And the word of God continued to increase, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests became obedient to the faith.   8 And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. 9 Then some of those who belonged to the synagogue of the Freedmen (as it was called), and of the Cyrenians, and of the Alexandrians, and of those from Cilicia and Asia, rose up and disputed with Stephen. 10 But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking. 11 Then they secretly instigated men who said, "We have heard him speak blasphemous words against Moses and God." 12 And they stirred up the people and the elders and the scribes, and they came upon him and seized him and brought him before the council, 13 and they set up false witnesses who said, "This man never ceases to speak words against this holy place and the law, 14 for we have heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and will change the customs that Moses delivered to us." 15 And gazing at him, all who sat in the council saw that his face was like the face of an angel. Intro/Outro Song: "Only One" Nate Zuellig ULC Artist In Residence    "Bigger Table" Matt Maher CCLI Song # 7202727   CCLI License # 11254293

A @Christadelphians Video: In this **thought-provoking** and **revealing** Bible study, **Christadelphian** brother Roger Lewis presents an **outstanding** exposition of Simon of Cyrene – the man compelled to carry the cross of Jesus. This **wonderful** and **insightful** character study traces Simon's journey from a reluctant Passover pilgrim to a transformed prophet in the early ecclesia. We discover how one dramatic encounter with the suffering Saviour turned Simon's life completely around, and how his family's footsteps spread the gospel from Jerusalem to Rome. Prepare to be inspired to take up your own cross and follow Him.**Chapters** 00:00 – Introduction: Inspiring Characters of Scripture 02:35 – Matthew & Luke: Simon Compelled to Bear Christ's Cross 08:07 – Who Was Simon of Cyrene? A Devout Jew from Africa 12:34 – Walking Behind Jesus: Hearing the Saviour's Words 15:15 – Mark's Revealing Detail: Father of Alexander and Rufus 18:46 – From Compelled Service to Commissioned Preacher in Antioch 25:04 – Paul's Warm Tribute to Rufus and His Mother 28:37 – Remarkable Archaeological Confirmation: The Tomb of Simon & Alexander 35:50 – The Heart of the Lesson: Take Up Your Cross and Follow Me 43:12 – Conclusion: A Call to Shoulder Our Cross Today (ends 44:44)**Bible Verse Category**

Ann sits down with Inez Russell and Linda Gilliam to discuss the Waco Six Shooters Granny Basketball team. Ann also speaks with Jeffie Sanders to discuss "Bring Back the Choir: Praise in the Choir Stand", a live gospel event to be held at Antioch South Church in Waco.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Is freedom of religion taught in the Bible? Why is freedom of religion so important? Pastor Micah Hayes preaches from 1 Timothy 2:1-7 on a special Independence Day weekend. Notes in this sermon: A free church in a free state makes way for the free gospel Pray freely Live freely Believe freely Share freely

Together, we continue our exploration of the sacrificial memorial of the sacrament of the Eucharist. Fr. Mike reiterates that the whole Church, both visible and invisible, is united in the Sacrifice of the Eucharist. He also further unpacks the importance of a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch, which states that the offering of the sacrifice of the Eucharist must be united with the apostolic succession of our Pope and bishop. Today's readings are Catechism paragraphs 1369-1372. This episode has been found to be in conformity with the Catechism by the Institute on the Catechism, under the Subcommittee on the Catechism, USCCB. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/ciy Please note: The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.

I. The Jewish Christians say, "I was wrong" II. Barnabas says, "I can't do this alone" III. The Church in Antioch says, "How can I help?" 

Dr. Justin Dancer continues through the book at Acts, focusing on Acts 13:1-13. God is not silent. He speaks through His Word, His Spirit, and the needs around us. In Acts 13, the early church at Antioch models what it looks like to listen, surrender, and respond to the mission of God. Through fasting and prayer, the church heard from the Holy Spirit and willingly released their two strongest leaders, Barnabas and Saul, to be sent out. Being set apart is not just about purity; it is about being intentionally removed for a greater purpose. The gospel encountered real spiritual opposition, but the truth of Jesus Christ prevailed, and a powerful Roman official was astonished into belief. The same gospel that amazed him is just as powerful today. The question for every follower of Jesus is whether we are still filled with wonder at His grace, and whether we are willing to give up something good to pursue something greater for His kingdom.

Pastor Timothy shows The apostles’ one, unchanging gospel, centered on Jesus, was affirmed in Jerusalem and defended in Antioch, displaying God’s design to unite Jews and Gentiles as one people.

The Face of an Angel Acts 6 by William Klock I hate doing administration stuff.  I'm really glad that John handles our finances so well and makes sure all our bills get paid.  I don't like filling out annual parish reports and get annoyed when I have fill out one for ACNA and another for the REC.  Why can't they just ask the same questions and share the information?  Our church register is stuffed with Post-It notes going back five or six years so I know what to enter in it whenever I eventually get around to sitting down to make all the entries for baptisms, deaths, weddings, membership, and all of that.  And I wonder if Peter had his own First Century Post-It note system for dealing with the dreaded admin work that was perpetually threatening to cut in on his preaching and praying.  Because that's what we come to in Acts 6.  The church has been growing quickly.  There's something like 5,000 Christians in Jerusalem.  We don't know how they were organised.  We know that the apostles and presumable some others regularly spent time in the temple.  But they met together in their homes.  Were they divided into what we might think of as “churches” or “parishes” with an apostle or two overseeing each—or maybe each apostle overseeing two or three groups?  We don't know.  But what we do know is that the twelve apostles were overseeing everything.  They were preaching, they were teaching, they were praying, they were pastoring, they were making sure everyone's needs were met.  And it got to be too much, even for twelve of them.  I get that.  I have a friend who pastors a Baptist church of about 950.  They figured out thirty years ago that they need one elder to every hundred people or so in order to pastor well.  In Acts we're talking at least 500 church members per apostle.  People started falling through the cracks and complaining.  Look at Acts 6.  [Page 1086 in the pew Bibles.] “Now, in those days when the disciples were increasing in number, the ‘Hellenists' raised a dispute with the ‘Hebrews' because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food.” As we've seen in Chapters 2 and 4, these first Christians were very aware that they belonged to a new family and they lived accordingly.  They were the beginnings of Gods new Israel.  The Spirit had filled them with love for each other—the kind of love that torah had always envisioned for the people of Israel—and so they began to live it out.  They fellowshipped with each other.  They shared meals together as Jesus' family and they shared with their brothers and sisters who were in need.  They weren't just overflowing with the love and mercy of Jesus; despite most of them having little, as a people they were overflowing with generosity and abundance. And there were plenty who were truly in need.  Widows would normally be looked after by their own family, but when people joined the church—just as in some parts of the world today—it meant being cut off from their families and the support they once had.  The church suddenly found itself providing for a large number of widows.  Maybe it was a language barrier or maybe it has something to do with social connections, but the Hellenists—the Greek-speaking widows—the ones who had come to Jerusalem from the great Jewish diaspora—they were falling through the cracks.  It surely wasn't deliberate.  It was growing pains.  The sheer scope of the church's charity work had become too much for the twelve to handle efficiently.  So the Greek-speaking members of the church take up their cause with the apostles.  The fact that their fellow “Hellenist' believers take up their cause with the apostles, suggests it was a language problem.  Maybe these widows didn't know how or when to ask for food or where to get it and there were simply so church members, that the apostles were no longer able to know the personal needs of everyone.  Whatever the case, the apostles realise they have to do something.  Luke goes on: “So the twelve called the full number of disciples together.  ‘Listen,' they said, ‘It wouldn't be right for us to leave the word of God to serve tables. So Brothers, choose seven men from amongst yourselves who are well spoken of and filled with the Spirit and wisdom.  We will put them in charge of what needs to be done in this matter.  We will continue to pay attention to prayer and to the ministry of the word.” The apostles knew what their primary calling was.  It was to study and to teach and to preach the word and to pray.  Sure, they could do some other things.  But when those other things became so big that it meant taking significant time away from their ministry of the word and their time in prayer, well, it was time for the church as a whole to pick up the slack.  To sort of quote Paul: God gave some to be apostles and other to—well—to fill the other multitude of roles that need filling in the church.  Some are eyes and ears and mouths, others are hands and feet and finger and toes.  The body needs them all.  And this was common sense.  But it also—and I think Luke deliberately frames it this way—it had precedent in Israel's own story.  Think of Israel in the beginning, in the wilderness, just delivered from Egypt, and Moses trying to rule over a thousand and thousands of people and feeling totally overwhelmed.  Luke wants us to see the fledgling church as the new Israel and so he shows us the apostles in the position of Moses.  It's time to choose some well-respected men from amongst the people to help.  Verse 5: “The whole gathering was pleased with what they said.  They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolaus (a proselyte from Antioch).  They presented them before the apostles, and having prayed, they laid their hands on them.” It's worth noting: the seven names are Greek names.  One of these men was even a proselyte, meaning he was a gentile who had converted to Judaism and was now a Christian.  Presumably the seven were meant to serve the whole church, but the church chose seven men who were especially able to help with the problem at hand: the Greek-speaking widows.  So the church elects these men, brings them before the apostles for their approval, prays for them, and then it's the church that lays hands on them.  Now, almost every English translation says that it was the apostles that laid hands on these seven, but the Greek text doesn't really bear that out.  It says they, the church, elected the men and brought them to the apostles and there's absolutely nothing in the text that indicates a change of subject before Luke says that “they” laid hands on the men.  The church—probably a representative few—laid hands on the seven, not the apostles. And when we look at what was involved, it suggests even more that it was the church doing the laying on of hands.  There are several words in Hebrew that, in English, all get sort of generically translated as “to lay hands”, but the Hebrew behind the idea here, has the sense of pressing down on something—as if you're sharing or transferring something of yourself to another: your sins to a the scape goat, or the people of Irael “pressing down on” the Levites who will represent them and fill in for their firstborn sons, or Moses pressing his hands down on Joshua and making him his representative and successor.  Remember, the whole point of this is that the apostles knew “serving tables” wasn't their job.  Their job was word and prayer.  It was the job of the wider church to look after the welfare of each other and so it's appropriate that the church not only elects these seven men, but also “ordains” them, if you will. And what were the seven?  Traditionally we've called them deacons.  Deacon comes from the Greek word to serve—in this case to serve (διακονεῖν) tables, which is symbolic of making sure the widows get their charity.  But otherwise, what we see these men doing doesn't look all that much like what we see deacons doing later in the New Testament.  In fact, when the apostles talk about “serving tables”, there's a probably a word play there—“tables” is a banking or accounting term, not just a word for a literal table—that suggests that what these men were really doing was overseeing, administering the distribution of food and, more broadly, the resources of the church.  And if that was the case, they look a lot more like bishops.  I could be wrong, but what I would tentatively suggest, is that these seven men were the first men to be appointed to pastoral office in the church, before that role had split into bishops on the one hand and deacons on the other.  I think these guys were, more or less, both proto-deacons and proto-bishops.  And while their primary duty was to oversee the church's charity, the church chose them because they were full of the Spirit.  And in Acts, what that means is that they were bold and unafraid proclaimers of the good news about Jesus. So, writes Luke in verse 7, because of the apostles could now be devoted to the word to prayer and because these seven men were now ordained to ensure the church was being what the church is supposed to be, “The word of God increased and the number of disciples in Jerusalem multiplied greatly.  This included a large crowd of priests who became obedient to the faith.”  Brothers and Sisters, when the church—the people and the leaders—are boldly proclaiming the word of God and are diligent in prayer, God will multiply it.  We might miss it, but Luke makes the point: It's not us.  We don't grow the church.  It's God.  The power lies with him.  We need to trust his word and we need to proclaim it.  We need to pray and entrust our ministry to him.  Not gimmicks, not money, not all the other things churches often do to try to make themselves effective.  Just preach God's word and pray.  He'll bring fruit from it.  And be patient, because God works on his own schedule, not ours.  And, we might miss it: Luke makes a point of telling us a significant new step in the church's growth: now it's attracted a crowd of priests.  And that would not have gone unnoticed by the leaders of the temple.  Luke doesn't say anything here, but this means the Jewish leaders are getting more concerned, getting more angry, becoming more inclined to violent action. But, first, Stephen's story.  Look at verse 8: “Stephen was filled with grace and power and performed great signs and wonders amongst the people.  But some from the Freemen's Synagogue, as it was named, and from Cyrene, Alexandria, Cilicia, and Asia stood up and disputed with Stephen.  They could not, however resist the wisdom and the spirit with which he spoke.”  Stephen preached in the gospel in the synagogues.  And here's the thing.  Luke makes a point of saying that Stephen wasn't just full of power; he was also full of grace.  We've all heard people speak who are full of power, but are short on grace.  They can be jerks.  Maybe they're right, but just the way they speak makes people angry.  But that's not Stephen.  He's speaking with great grace.  But the folks listening still aren't having any of it.  Not that Palestinian Jews were any more receptive, but Luke kind of gives the sense that maybe these folks—they're all hellenised, diaspora Jews like Stephen—maybe they're overly defensive of their Jewish heritage because they feel deficient in some way for not being Palestinian Jews.  Whatever their motivation, they're angry with what he says and they get even angrier because they couldn't resist him.  And then they get even angrier—we've all seent his happen—they're even angrier, because he's not angry in response. He's full of grace  They couldn't refute what he was saying.  But rather than concede, they dig in and at that point there's only one thing left to do: they make false accusation of blasphemy.  Verse 11: “Then they put up men to say, ‘We heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and against God.'  They aroused the people, the elders, and the scribes.  They set upon him, seized him, and took him in front of the assembly.  They set up false witnesses to say, ‘This man never stops speaking words against this holy place and the law.  We heard him say that this Jesus of Nazareth will destroy this place and change the customs which Moses handed down to us.'  Everyone who was sitting in the assembly looked hard at Stephen.  They all saw that his face was like the face of an angel.” It sounds a lot like the accusations against Jesus, when he was accused of saying he would destroy the temple and rebuilt it in three day.  Of course, yes, he said that, but his point was that God was doing something new, that God was about to fulfil his promises, and that God would establish a new temple in which he would come to dwell with his people.  But the Jewish elders didn't hear it that way, not because Jesus wasn't clear, but because they couldn't accept that God was fulfilling his promises through Jesus.  If Jesus was the Messiah, he was doing it all wrong, at least so far as they were concerned.  He couldn't be the one. And now exactly the same thing is happening to Stephen.  We don't have his words, but based on the false accusations against him as well as his defence that will follow in Chapter 7, we have a pretty good idea what he was saying and it was closely related to what Jesus had said.  Just like Jesus, just like Peter, just like the preaching we see through Acts, Stephen told the story of God and his people and how it leads to Jesus. There were four things that were all-important for the Jews and that marked out their identity.  There was the temple; the torah or law; the land of Israel itself and especially Jerusalem, where the temple was; and there was their ethnic identity as Jews—the sons and daughters of Abraham, delivered by God from Egypt when Moses led them through the Red Sea to Mt. Sinai.  Those things marked them out as God's people.  Those things marked them out as separated, as different from the pagan peoples and nations around them.  Compromise those things, and you'd be sliding down a slippery slope into the same idolatry that had got their ancestors exiled to Babylon.  So when Stephen spoke, as any of the Christians would have, about God establishing a new temple or about Jesus fulfilling torah, out came the angry charges of blasphemy. But those first Christians—just like Jesus—were never attacking the temple or the law.  The problem was that Israel—despite knowing her own story so well and so thoroughly—had forgotten where it was going and then failed to recognise how Jesus was bringing it to its climax.  When Jesus or when Peter or when Stephen said that God was doing a new thing, what people like the priests and the scribes, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, people like Saul of Tarsus heard was that these Jesus people were saying was the law and the temple were bad. What Stephen (like Jesus and Peter before him) was trying to say is that the word of God tells a story and that this story was moving forward and, as it moved forward, new things would happen.  This didn't mean that the old things that had happened were bad.  Just the opposite!  They were good.  They were necessary to get the story to the point it's at now.  Imagine you take a trip to Montreal.  First you drive your car to Nanaimo to get to the ferry, then you take the ferry to Horseshoe Bay, then you get off the ferry and get on a bus that takes you downtown, where you take SkyTrain to the airport, where you finally board an airplane that flies you across the country.  The fact that you left your car parked in Nanaimo to get on a ferry or that you left Skytrain to get on an airplane or even that you stopped travelling once you arrived in Montreal, none of that means that the car or the ferry or the bus or the airplane or even the trip itself was bad.  You couldn't get where you are without them!  And, just so, God gave Israel the law.  God gave Israel the temple.  And they were good things.  They were necessary things.  They were gracious things.  They were things that prepared the people for and brought them to the part of the story where Jesus became a part of it. But they tuned this part out.  Some modern Christians do the same.  I'm not sure where it comes from.  Maybe it comes from listening to Luther with only one ear.  But we get the idea that the old covenant was a bad thing.  People will get the wrong idea that the old covenant was about being saved by works and that's why Israel refused Jesus, who came to offer salvation by grace.  A thousand time, no.  If that's what Stephen had been saying, the Jews would have been right to be angry with him, because he would have been wrong.  The status of God's people has never been because of works; it has always been because of grace.  That's part of how the old covenant prepared people and led them to the part of the story where Jesus enters. Other times we just ignore God's story altogether and try to write our own.  But what's often even more dangerous is when we know God's story to a point, but then we lock it down and refuse to let him take it in a new direction.  We do that.  And that's what these folks mad at Stephen are doing.  Jesus just couldn't be where the story they knew was heading; instead, Jesus became a threat to their version of the story. And yet Stephen persisted.  Even as they dragged him before the Sanhedrin with a slate of false witnesses against him.  And think about that.  They're convinced they're in the right.  They're convinced that they represent God and everything that is good and right and true.  They think they're the heaven on earth people.  And yet what do that they do in response to his preaching?  They lie. By their actions they condemn themselves.  And in contrast stands Stephen.  For all his speaking with power, he's full of grace.  And as he stands before the Sanhedrim, as false witness after false witness testified against him, the Spirit, God, transforms—almost transfigures him—to the point that the whole assembly is left staring at him.  Luke says his face became like the face of an angel. As far as literal appearance, I don't know what that means.  But the important thing is that everyone recognised what was happening and in that moment, the Spirit revealed Stephen—and along with him the church—for what he, what they, what we really are: In that moment Stephen was revealed as the face of Jesus' heaven on earth people.  He was actively part of the church living out heaven on earth.  He was preaching the good news about Jesus and he is the fulfilment of God's promise to bring heaven and earth back together.  And in the middle of this controversy, in the middle of the false accusations, in the middle of these men who, despite all the evidence, were digging in their heels and refusing to accept the message about Jesus, refusing to let God lead the story they new so well in a new direction, God himself vindicated Stephen and made him a manifestation of heaven on earth.  Stephen was full of the Spirit, a little temple in miniature full of God's presence.  As if the shekinah—the cloud of glory visibly representing God's presence that had been missing from the temple ever since Israel's exile—suddenly became present with Stephen.  God announcing: “In this man, in this people, through my son, in this gospel I am fulfilling my promises.  Listen to him.” Brothers and Sisters, this should be a picture of us.  The bit where Stephen was transfigured and looked like an angel—whatever that means—that was unique.  But the rest of it, that ought to be us.  A people committed to be a covenant family, not just overflowing with talk of love and grace and mercy, but a family of people where love and grace and mercy are abundant in real, practical ways.  A family where we make a point of doing what needs doing to make sure that nothing gets in the way of that love and grace and mercy.  We ought to be a people of word and of prayer who are bold for the gospel, because we know that the power lies not with us, but with God.  His word, not ours, brings life.  His Spirit has the power to renew minds and regenerate hearts.  And so we pray, entrusting ourselves and our ministry to him and we proclaim not our word, but his.  We tell the story that leads the world to Jesus.  And if we're doing all these things, that word, that story will have power, but our telling of it will also be full of grace. The world, the flesh, and the devil will do their worst.  People will dig in their heels.  People will tell lies about us and about the story and the good news we proclaim.  People may even violently persecute us one day.  But remember: It's all of grace.  The story that leads us through the law and the prophets, through torah and temple, is all about the grace of God towards rebellious sinners, and so is the story that leads to forgiveness and life with God, the story that leads us to Jesus and the Spirit and eventually to the New Jerusalem.  Brothers and Sisters, it's all of grace.  Live the story of God's grace and the light of heaven will permeate the church.  Proclaim the story of God's grace, and that light will being to permeate the world. Let's pray: Lord, fill us with your grace.  And don't just fill us with it; ensure that we're ever and always overwhelmed by the knowledge and understanding of your grace, so that we will live it out in practical terms as your church and so that we will go out with boldness to proclaim your good news, not to win arguments, but make your grace known.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen.

When Barnabas arrived in Antioch, he saw the grace of God and rejoiced. Rather than questioning what God was doing among Gentile believers, he encouraged them, discipled them, and helped strengthen the growing church. This episode reminds us that healthy churches celebrate God's work, train new believers, and care deeply for the family of faith.

Reading Acts 11:25-30 where the Apostle Paul (still called Saul) joins Barnabas at Antioch, and it's there that Christians are called by that name for the first time. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

Resourses mentioned in this episode: Contra Webbon Et Al.: Denying That Jesus Is A Jew Denies His True Humanity (Part 1) (Part 2) These are not Illinois Nazis Resources on Christian Nationalism All the Episodes of the Heidelcast Subscribe to the Heidelcast! Browse the Heidelshop! On X @Heidelcast On Insta & Facebook @Heidelcast Subscribe in Apple Podcast Subscribe directly via RSS Call The Heidelphone via Voice Memo On Your Phone The Heidelcast is available wherever podcasts are found including Spotify. Call or text the Heidelphone anytime at (760) 618-1563. Leave a message or email us a voice memo from your phone and we may use it in a future podcast. Record it and email it to heidelcast@heidelblog.net. If you benefit from the Heidelcast please leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts so that others can find it. Please do not forget to make the coffer clink (see the donate button below). SHOW NOTES How To Subscribe To Heidelmedia The Heidelblog Resource Page Heidelmedia Resources The Ecumenical Creeds The Reformed Confessions The Heidelberg Catechism The Heidelberg Catechism: A Historical, Theological, and Pastoral Commentary (Lexham Academic) Recovering the Reformed Confession (P&R Publishing, 2008) Why I Am A Christian What Must A Christian Believe? Heidelblog Contributors Support Heidelmedia: use the donate button or send a check to: Heidelberg Reformation Association 1637 E. Valley Parkway #391 Escondido CA 92027 USA The HRA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization  

Reading Acts 11:19-24 where some of the disciples go to Antioch and the surrounding region, sharing the gospel with Greeks and are joined by Barnabas. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

For the lives of these two great Apostles, we can only recommend a reading of the entire New Testament, which contains accounts of their lives and many of their inspired writings. St Peter, after preaching in Judea, Antioch and parts of Asia, came to Rome, where he was crucified by order of the Emperor Nero, about the year 66. Being led to the cross, he begged the executioner to crucify him upside-down, because he felt unworthy to partake of the same death as the Savior.   St Paul's apostolic labors extended from Arabia to Spain. He also ended his earthly course in Rome, beheaded by order of Nero, some say at the same time that St Peter was crucified.

Part two of the recap opens with a quieter decision that says a lot: removing Our World Belongs to God from the Covenant for Office Bearers. As Willy explains, the real debate wasn't about the contemporary testimony's merits but about what an office bearer should be bound to — and Synod's answer was the ecumenical creeds and the Reformed confessions, nothing added. It's one more thread in a confessionalist turn that ran through the whole week, captured by a transformationalist on the floor who joked that the confessionalists are in the driver's seat, the pietists are riding shotgun, and the transformationalists are in the back seat — and said he was okay with that. From there Jason and Willy celebrate two structural decisions: keeping Sunday as a real Sabbath in the middle of Synod, and decisively rejecting biennial synods. Willy, who sits on the COD and voted against the biennial proposal, says the lopsided voice vote shows the task force is out of touch with the denomination. Jason makes the deeper case for meeting yearly — this year delegates actually changed their votes mid-debate, which is what real deliberation looks like and exactly what gets lost when a church only gathers every two years. The heart of the episode is the unanimously adopted ten-year church planting vision and the Saturday-night State of the Church address that set it up. Jason, no reliable fan of Zach King, offers a genuine correction: King earned his standing ovation, naming a pivot from a season of fighting into a season of building — an Antioch moment of discipleship, leadership development, and healthy church planting. The goal is concrete and audacious: 150 new churches in five years, about three per classis. Both hosts ground it in the pastor shortage and the hard work of legacy churches, but the encouragement is unmistakable. Double the candidates showed up this year. Young confessional men are coming. So stop waiting on the denomination, Jason says — do the work, grassroots. Timestamps: 0:00 — Intro: the gospel covers this synod 2:07 — Removing Our World Belongs to God from the Covenant for Office Bearers 4:07 — Doubling down on confessional identity: the driver's-seat line 6:29 — Decisions about Synod: the days and biennial synods 7:20 — Keeping the Sabbath and rejecting biennial synods 11:02 — The big theme: the ten-year church planting vision 11:51 — Zach King's State of the Church address and a standing ovation 13:10 — An Antioch moment: from fighting to building 15:03 — 150 churches in five years; three per classis 18:21 — The pastor shortage, leadership development, and legacy churches 22:24 — Double the candidates: young men returning to the CRC 22:54 — Post-millennialism banter 23:41 — Final thoughts: happy warriors and grassroots work Join and support us on Substack: https://themessyreformation.com/ Intro music by Matt Krotzer

This icon was once kept in the Church of Blachernae in Constantinople. In 1383, it suddenly appeared in the sky over Lake Ladoga, then travelled through the air to the city of Tikhvin, where it alit by the River Tikhvina. A monastery was built there to house it. In the twentieth century it was brought to America. Innumerable miracles have been worked through this wonderworking icon, especially healings of children.   On this day is also commemorated the Hodigritia Icon of the Mother of God. According to many accounts, this icon and the Tikhvin Icon are one and the same, so we list them together. Hodigritia is translated "Directress" or more literally "She who shows the way." It was painted by Luke the Evangelist himself, who knew the Mother of God in the flesh. Over the years the icon was taken from Antioch to Jerusalem, then to Constantinople where it was enshrined in the Church of Blachernae. When Constantinople was attacked at the same time by the Persians and the Scythians, Patriarch Sergius carried the holy icon around the ramparts, and the city was miraculously delivered from its pagan enemies. During the iconoclast period, the icon was hidden in a wall in the monastery of the Pantocrator.