Podcasts about as luke

The book of Acts chronicles the early church and how it multiplied and spread around the world. As Luke tells the story of the early church, he gives us hope in the unchanging love of God and His desire for us to be a part of His family. As you listen, ask yourself: 1. What did you hear God saying to you? 2. What jumped out at you? 3. When was the last time you prayed fervently? 4. How can you focus on what matters? Share your stories, prayer requests, or your response to this podcast in the comments below. If you would like to know more about who we are, what we believe, or when we meet, visit http://newlife.church. Or you can fill out a digital connection card at http://newlife.church/connect - we would love to get to know you better!

As Luke and Leia attempt to unthaw communications with Colonel Odan on the ice world of Akuria, Nate Tapp keeps things chill by joining us to discuss our frosty feelings about Black Widow and the MCU, to see how many ice-cold instances of worms we can remember from the Star Wars universe, and to let us snow what he thinks about the old-school style of Marvel Star Wars comics in the seventies. 

WHAT IF WEDNESDAY - In the Empire Strikes Back, Luke finds Master Yoda on Dagobah to begin his training as a Jedi. As Luke begins to unlock his power with the Force, he has a Force vision of his friends in danger compelling Luke to stop his training to go help them. When Luke leaves, there is a heaviness seen in Yoda, knowing that Luke is in a vulnerable place. What if Luke had stayed? What if Yoda had been able to help Luke prepare more for his confrontation with Darth Vader and The Emperor ? How powerful could Luke have become? Let's find out what would have happened if Luke had finished his training on Dagobah. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

As Luke, Leia and the droids set off from Yavin 4 to contact another band of rebels, Sam and Brian set off on their latest explorations, starting with a storyline first printed in the pages of a children's magazine from 1977! Sean Davis joins to help them usher in the era, to weigh in on the great debate involving Boba Fett's Starship™, to talk about the myriad delights in the pages of Pizzazz, and to return to a time when the rules of Star Wars were not yet set in stone!

This week, we assembled two episodes, Episode 71 and Episode 124. Kyle Seipel was a guest on both of those episodes, 71 alongside his friend and business partner Peter Biondo, and in 124 he was by himself. As Luke mentions in his intro, sometimes these are hard to listen to, but its still Kyles voice, and the stories will still bring a smile to your face. 

In this lesson, we will read and hear the response of those who had listened to Peter's exhortation and teaching about Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved by God. Dr. Mitchell gives us 3 credentials as to who Jesus was and is. The people were to repent, that is to change their minds as to who this Jesus was and is. Who do you believe Jesus to be ? Is He God in the flesh? We say, Yes, with out a doubt. The people also were to be baptized in the name of this Jesus who was crucified and raised from the dead. They would then receive the Holy Spirit whom God promised to those who would believe in this Jesus, the Christ. As Luke then writes, there were about 3000 souls saved that day. Here is Dr. Mitchell on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast, Acts 2:36. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unchanging-word/message

As Luke's life hangs in the balance, repercussions from the devastating event are the catalyst for some life-changing decisions for those around him.

In the book of Acts we are in chapter 1 verse 9. After the Lord had given instructions to His disciples, He ascends into a cloud as the disciples were looking on, and He disappeared into the cloud. As Luke tells us, two men stood by them and asking why they were looking into heaven. These two men in white robes were angels who knew something about Jesus and His 2nd coming as well. These were the words they said. “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven shall come in the same way as you saw Him go into heaven”. God's messengers point people to the risen Jesus. Dr. Mitchell speaks of our Lord's ministry to us in heaven since He sent the Holy Spirit as He said He would. Dr. Mitchell speaks of our exalted Christ, Acts 1:9 on the Unchanging Word Bible Broadcast. --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/unchanging-word/message

It's called "cancel culture" but that's not quite right. What's happening, instead, is a large-scale weaponization of outrage bait. It's happening predominantly on the right, but also can happen on the left! As Luke in this episode sums it up: "Everyone's mad about things that aren't happening." We're focusing on the Kamala Harris book story, the Biden banning meat thing, and one shocking development that happened on TikTok last week. What's even crazier, though, is that just because a lot of this stuff is not happening doesn't mean it doesn't matter. Also, we talk about the Oscars!

From the minds that brought you Spit-Take Theater and dozens of other classic sketches that you don’t know, comes Disgruntled Bit-Players Radio Theater, a podcast that will present original radio plays designed to make you chuckle warmly so hard that you’ll puke.  In the thrilling confusion to Megaballs, Bjorn and Ned have been captured by The Department. As Luke and Helen race to rescue their friends, Bjorn learns about the horrors of Area 51 and the terrifying fate that awaits him. Also, a special performance by Shields and Yarnell!   Cast: Announcer: Keith G. Marsteller Bjorn: Evan Mosher Guard: Michael J. Anderson Ned: Trevor Brown Luke: Salim Rahman Helen: Alisa Ledyard Director: Kathleen Hogan Carl: Cory Nealy Representative Smith: Margaret Wack Dodi: Rhonda J. Soikowski Lew: José Amador Captain Pierce: Christopher Seiler Jaworski: Spencer Joplin-Wack Deputy X: Sarah Bixler Deputy Y: Michael J. Anderson Old Farmer: Salim Rahman Additional voices: Christopher Seiler, Joe Wack, Duncan Joplin-Wack, Marcia Marsteller  Written and Directed by Joe Wack Produced by  Megan Joplin, Keith G. Marsteller, José Amador and Joe Wack Audio Production by Keith G. Marsteller Sound Mastering by Evan Mosher DBP Radio Theater Theme by Evan Mosher Theme from Megaballs ("Beast of Thunder") written by Peter W. Heizer “Industrial Cinematic” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ “Hot Pursuit” Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/ Superfriends Star Wipe Original Artwork by Rob Ullman Logo by Cheese Bone Digital

Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics Issue 31 "Return To Tatooine" (October 1979) is a treasure trove of nostalgia - from famous Tatooine locations to classic creatures, Kenner toys to old friends. What a FUN classic comic!!   Richard and Sarah discuss this comic and find FTOOM! Fast Facts (classic comic people or places that appear now in Star Wars books, comics and films). There are plenty of these, especially as they relate to classic Kenner toys like the Patrol Dewback and the Imperial Troop Transporter! Also we do a REALLY dramatic reading of the Hostess/Marvel crossover Fruit Pie ad titled, ‘The Human Torch and The Icemaster Cometh’! Sarah got to be the Icemaster. She took her role seriously. Watch the Unedited Episode and See the Comic Book Pages in this Video   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UuRzHHMZbwI   Classic Marvel Star Wars Comics #31 “Return to Tatooine" Description:   Title: "RETURN TO TATOOINE" Release Date: October 23, 1979 Writer: Archie Goodwin Artwork: Carmine Infantino, Bob Wiacek, Carl Gafford Cover Art: Carmine Infantino, Bob Wiacek Editors: Jim Shooter, Archie Goodwin   Synopsis:   Luke Skywalker returns to his home planet for the first time since the events of SW and he’s with his droids R2-D2 and C-3PO. His mission is to recruit blockade runner pilots to help the Rebel Alliance evacuate their base on Yavin 4.    During his mission, Luke reunites with his old friends Fixer and Camie and learns that the House of Tagge may be working with the Empire. As Luke continues his original mission and ventures to the Mos Eisley Cantina, he bumps into Han and Chewbacca. But now they all have to act quickly as the Empire has just discovered them.   As usual, we take our Facebook Group Comments on the cover into account as we analyze this issue. Become a part of our Facebook Group to contribute!   If you liked this episode, check out this podcast episode in which Valance confronts Luke Skywalker and has a moment of reflection and character growth.   How To Listen on the Go:   Apple Podcasts Amazon Music Google Play Music YouTube Subscribe via RSS iHeartRadio TuneIn   Support The Show   Skywalking Through Neverland T-Shirts at TeePublic! Check them out HERE.   Contact Us   Instagram: http://instagram.com/skywalkingpod   Twitter: https://twitter.com/SkywalkingPod   Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/skywalkingthroughneverland   Join us every week on YouTube for a behind-the-scenes look at our show. We also bring you to Disneyland, Red Carpet Events and Theme Park Openings.   Send emails to share@skywalkingthroughneverland.com and follow us on Facebook.  

When Jesus' followers saw what was going to happen, they said, “Lord, should we strike with our swords?” And one of them struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his right ear. But Jesus answered, “No more of this!” And he touched the man's ear and healed him” (Luke 22:49-51) That sin tries to cover its tracks is not unusual. We have heard stories of people showering their spouses with attention and gifts while seeing someone else on the side. Regularly, we hear of people pilfering funds designated for the needy as they work for relief organizations. Sin works to disguise itself. In contrast stands Jesus. As Luke tells the story of Jesus arrest and crucifixion, he invites us to look at Jesus, to see him remain true to his mission to the bitter end. As his enemies surround and arrest him as a dangerous criminal, he stops his disciples from fighting back and heals the servant's ear. Here is a picture of the gospel. Jesus ministers to sinners in need. Judas and his crowd are the people Jesus came to minister to. He practices what he preached; he blesses his enemies. Jesus puts a stop to the sword action of his followers. He wants no struggle at his arrest. He will submit to God's call and to the Jewish leadership's desire to arrest him. They will be held accountable to God for their actions. He picks up the severed ear and heals the servant. Everything about the arrest is told in a way that indicates how amazing it is that anyone seeks to arrest Jesus. Luke calls the moment of Jesus' arrest a time “when darkness reigns”. He means that even though Jesus' death has been ordained, it is not just (Acts 2:22–24). Satan's attempt to stop Jesus is underway again. But Satan's work will be stopped—not by preventing Jesus' death, as the disciples attempt, but through resurrection. Ironically, the cross will accomplish the exact opposite of what the darkness wishes. Such is the mystery of God's ways. Though the Jewish leadership seems to be in control, God and his agent are really in control. Jesus claims to be on God's side, but those who arrest and crucify him disagree. Luke is inviting us to answer the question, “Which side represents God?” And then, which side will we choose? Will we embrace the forgiveness and blessing Jesus offers those who recognize him through faith? The catch being that he offers it freely to his enemies and ours as well. Can we possibly endure injustice done against us for the sake of the gospel? Jesus calls his followers to such a life. Jesus' response and absence of violence communicates his confidence in God's sovereignty. He renounces the use of force. Defense comes through the injustice of his suffering, not through the sword. A day is coming when Jesus will do battle (see Rev. 19), but that is not today; we do not need to take up the sword for Jesus now. Our call is to share the Word, love our neighbor and enemy, and work for the unity of the saints.

In this session, we examine 5 of the major themes across Luke's Gospel and Acts. As Luke draws from age-old themes begun in the Old Testament, we see a continuity between his Gospel and his history of the early church.

As Luke and a party of Hoojibs and Hiromi infiltrate the orbiting Tof warship, frequent e-Word writer and first-time Star Friend David Robertson infiltrates the podcast to talk with us about his childhood experiences with these comics in the weekly Star Wars magazine, to weigh in on the Tofs as Star Wars villains, and to dive into the joys of the Special Editions and Prequels.

Today on the podcast we have a very special guest with us. Katy McCown is a wife and mom and ministry leader of “She Laughs”. Katy is also the wife of former NFL quarterback Luke McCown. Luke spent 13 years in the NFL as a backup quarterback and has played on several teams. As Luke would be traded, their family would have to move from one season to the next, sometimes overnight. After 12 moves in 13 years God is using Katy and Luke in this ministry to woman around the country. Katy has a podcast and resources on her site for women. She has also created woman’s conferences to strengthen women in their walk with Jesus. In this interview Katy shares about their life in the NFL and trying to live in community even though they moved so often. She also discusses her desire to see women growing in their relationship with Jesus in ways that are more than just information transfer, but knowing and experiencing a full relationship with Jesus.For more information on Katy’s ministry or HCP, check out our website at http://www.healthychurchpodcast.com Or find us on FaceBook!

In life there are many roads and sideroads that we can take, yet only one road leads to God and His home - merging with Jesus. As Luke continues in chapter 9, three would-be followers miss their “merge” because they want to follow Jesus in their timing and on their terms. The good news for us is that though there’s only one road to God, and it’s narrow...only one-laner...by grace Jesus invites us to enter from any point in any condition and merge with Him. He even gives us the strength to follow and stay merged.

Imagine signing up for a website, start sharing links and, voila, you’re earning money! That’s just one of the scenarios that could happen when you create an account with TonicPow and start participating. On this week’s episode of Coingeek conversations, Charles Miller talks to TonicPow Founder and CEO, Luke Rohenaz about his startup and its potential to go after the tech giants. TonicPow allows its users to earn Bitcoin, advertise a business or do both. You can sign-up and choose to be a promoter and/or an advertiser. How? Well, a promoter can copy one of the display ads, share the link and instantly get rewarded in Bitcoin SV. Whereas an advertiser can display an ad for promoters to pick up by simply creating a campaign. Luke and his partners first presented TonicPow at the 2019 Coingeek Conference in Toronto where they won second place in the first Bitcoin Association BSV Hackathon. Since its inception, the site has gone through many phases, Luke says. What started as a peer-to-peer advertising solution, now includes a pay-per-click model where users can see results a lot quicker. The aim is to help advertisers achieve “conversions” – when users end up spending money on the product or service advertised. “What we want to do is not just be paying you for clicks, we hope that you share things, really looking out for this conversion.” While the goal of the 2019 hackathon was to onboard people to BSV, Luke points out the challenge at the Cambrian SV Bootcamp in Bali was to increase on chain transactions, and that again changed TonicPow’s thinking: “why don’t we report every click that goes on chain, solve different problems with transparency but also the concept of these real time micropayments, which show off the real capabilities of Bitcoin SV.” In the interview, Charles quotes what Luke has said in the past— “As it develops, TonicPow could go after tech giants with the ‘network effect’ of the shared database of the BSV blockchain.” When asked to expound on this, Luke describes the ‘network effect’ as having the ability to use shared protocols to ingest data from other services. Luke brings up the concept of ‘coopetition’ where competitors share content online through the use of agreed common protocols. “That’s what I mean by the shared network effect, you don’t have to be the mega giant to compete with the mega giant. You just have to be a participant in a mutually beneficial coopetition scenario.” In relation to other social networks on Bitcoin SV, Luke visualizes TonicPow as potentially evolving to an open protocol. But unlike other existing ad models that revolve around knowing about people intimately, TonicPow’s targeting strategy makes use of individual promoters who share to their audiences and followers. As Luke emphasized “they’re doing the targeting without spying.” So, what makes TonicPow stand out from other social media marketing campaigns? It’s in the special powers of Bitcoin SV: “where we end up shining is when you start to count up the various little edges that Bitcoin gives you.. it’s a better place to build something like this.”

As Luke’s gospel begins to unfold, a weathered priest and a betrothed teenager each receive a wild promise from the Lord about sons soon to be born into their lives.Both ask what seem like similar questions, but each receives a very different answer.In this sermon we’ll talk about why that is and what it means for how we are to respond to the promises of the gospel.Luke 1:5-38

As Luke, Plif and the Hiromi plan their escape from the invading Tof, we welcome Melissa Thiede back to the podcast to chat with us about bad movies that we watched as children, to weigh in on the final Biggest Bad of the Marvel Star Wars comics, and for a deep dive into the physiology of Hoojibs.

Pastor Luke continues in our series Borrowed Time. As Luke continues in 2 Timothy, he reminds us that God has so much more for us as we participant in God's work.

As Luke 1:26-38 shows, life can miraculously emerge from the overshadowing power of the Most High. And with it, comes hope. The post Advent: Hope first appeared on Vineyard.

As Luke and Lando return to Iskalon to deliver the news of Kiro's fate to his people, Geoff Clarke, our Canadian Correspondent, returns to the cast to give us his thoughts on the first 3 episodes of The Mandalorian, to explore an exciting new season of 1985 television premieres (including two infamous Star Wars cartoons), and to get hyped with us about the debut of our new favorite character in the galaxy far, far away... Dania Francis.

Welcome to the land where vodka is cheaper than Pringles. At least according to Jake on today's podcast. As Luke and JBL look back at the two Friday practice sessions they find themselves with an all too familiar question: can anyone catch Mercedes? The battle for the midfield is tight and Renault have the upper hand after the first day of running.

As Luke and Kiro attempt to rescue Dani from the clutches of the Nagai, we welcome a new Star Friend, Ariel Quist-Sprawls, to the podcast to discuss New Coke's effect on our lives, to compare what we all had for dinner, to discuss our favorite and least favorite interpretations of the force, and to debate which Nagai has the best hair.

As Luke finds himself on the hostile world of Kinooine, facing his most formidable foe since Darth Vader and the Emperor, we find ourselves facing some of our favorite Star Friends, Cam Siemer and Sean Davis, for a lengthy and spirited discussion covering such diverse topics as the rumored (and definitely real) Lucas Cut of Episode IX, the exciting reintroduction of the Dark Lady Lumiya and the incredible art of Cynthia Martin, plus we read an enormous e-Word that has us ranking the Terminators and delving into the nature of force sensitivity.

As Luke, Han and Leia unravel a dastardly plot unfolding on Cantros 7, we're rejoined by Star Friend (and creator of our theme song!) Daren Sprawls to talk about whether or not cat-like aliens belong in the Star Wars universe, to find out which internet cat celebrities Sam follows on social media, and to dive into the dense mythology of Grimalkians, the fierce anthropomorphic cat people of a future South America. Cats, cats, CATS!

As Luke struggles to understand the meaning of the dreams that have been plaguing him, Sean Davis makes Sam and Brian's dreams come true by returning to the podcast to discuss A Nightmare on Elm Street's release, the thematic reflections of Kylo Ren in this issue, and the triumphant and long-awaited return of Flint and Barney.

As Luke ends his account of the life of Jesus we discover more and more opposition to Jesus. Even today we will be tempted to resist the influence of Jesus in our lives. Join us this week as we explore the call of Jesus to make Him our cornerstone. Text: Luke 20:9-18 Speaker: Michael Bayne

As Luke and Leia catch up and share their feelings about the state of the Alliance, Nate Tapp catches up with us to share his feelings on a post-Return of the Jedi world, to examine Luke and Leia's place in the Skywalker legacy and to tell us who his favorite Muppet is.

As Luke finds himself being tempted by the dark side of the force during a planetary revolution, we find ourselves tempted by Jack Stovold's wiles, as he joins us to talk about one of his favorite Marvel Star Wars issues, to warn us about the dangers of naturally occurring poison gas, to react to the rapidly expanding Star Wars television universe with us and to SEE US IN THE THRONE ROOM!

Last week, Mark Hamill confirmed that "The Rise of Skywalker" is the last time he will play the character of Luke Skywalker. For most of us, Luke is Star Wars. He’s the perspective through we which first glimpsed a galaxy far, far away. As Luke learns about the Force - we learned about the Force. And over the past 43 years, we’ve grown to understand more about more about trusting the Force along with Luke.But FIRST, Hot Takes!- Samuel the Hutt might have been right about Boba Fett!- Two "Star Wars: Rebels" Favorites May Be Coming to The Mandalorian!- Is Dave Filoni being coy about a "Rebels" Follow Up Series?It's TIME for Tatooine Sons!

CONVERSAT10N: What exactly is wellbeing? In this episode, Luke Sniewski joins Carlette to help all of us understand a bit more about that! Luke, a retired professional football player, is a Wellbeing Coach, Somatic Therapist and author of “A Million Ways to Live”. As Luke shares his personal journey with us, he and Carlette talk about how to shift focus from being “all about performance” to having a mind-body connection and how stillness and mindfulness can lead to wellbeing. MeQ™ Skills: Winning strategies, My Support Team

As Luke, and a motley crew of castoffs, pirates, and a telepathic bunny, struggle to deactivate a doomsday device that they've accidentally triggered, we welcome Melissa Thiede back to the pod to hear about her experience seeing an early screening of The Rise of Skywalker, to imagine with us the unique life cycles of Hutts, to analyze this comic's take on nihilism and to finally find out what exactly is STILL ACTIVE AFTER ALL THESE YEARS.

I have a good friend, Liz, who grew up going to a Catholic church. She tells me not to talk to her about religion. She says she generally hates Christians, but I'm “OK” with her because in her words, I'm not “weird about my religion.” Usually, this is followed by a laugh, and a comment like, “I mean you are sooooo weird, but not about religious stuff.” Most of her hatred towards religion comes from how her family was treated when her mother committed suicide. And truthfully, I am right there with her hating that about religion.See, when her mother committed suicide, Liz, her father, and brother were disowned by the rest of her family. She remembers leaders from the church coming to her house to discuss whether or not they could have her mother's funeral at the church. Liz wasn't in the room; she just remembers it only took a few minutes for her father to start swearing at them and throw them out. In her words,“He pretty much said ‘eff em' after that and we never went back.”Afterwards, Liz's dad began drinking a lot more and Liz was left with most of the responsibility of raising herself and her brother. Considering all she went through, (and there is a whole lot more to her story!) it is amazing Liz is the strong confident woman I now know.When I talked to Liz about what Jesus is actually like, she said, “That sounds good, but I don't think it's possible to really know the truth about Jesus. Honestly, I wish it were true. I gave up on church, but I never did quit praying.”Liz thinks Jesus sounds awesome, but she HATES religion, especially the condemning judgments from uptight people. She'd like to believe God really, actually loves us, but a lot of what she has seen from his followers is hate. Like Liz, many of us like the idea of Jesus but we have doubts because of things we have seen in religion and the world.The crazy-awesome hope for us is: you, me, and Liz aren't alone in wrestling with this kind of doubt. Turns out, the entire New Testament book of Luke was written for this very purpose! In his introduction, (found in Luke 1:1-4) Luke explains that he has put together a well-researched account of the life of Jesus so his friend and patron, Theophilus, could know “the certainty of the things he had been taught.” (about Jesus). Luke 1:4 (NIV)In other words, Luke wrote for an audience who had heard the stories of Jesus, but still had doubts.Just to be clear, the gospel of Luke wasn't meant to be an Americanized, theological defense with scientific proofs for believing Jesus did miracles. Luke wrote a well-researched account of what witnesses said. His proof is, look how different and incredible what Jesus taught really was. Luke simply said, “Here's what happened guys.” No push, no “if you died tonight, what would happen to your eternal soul?” emotional plea. Just, “here's what happened”, because what happened stands on its own as worth following.Here's the freaking awesome thing: There are tons of books out there about logical proof for believing in Jesus. This isn't one of them. This is a book about looking fully at the condition of the world alongside the book of Luke and finding peace in our messy world and hope with enough grit to stay with us in the tough times. This book is about knowing that what Jesus taught is worth following.The next crazy-awesome thing is Luke's audience. Theophilus would have helped distribute Luke's book throughout Rome. Luke was likely a non-Jew (Gentile) though he may have been a Hellenistic Jew, meaning a Jew who was also immersed in Greco-Roman culture. Either way, he was not one of the Jewish religious elite. So, take a minute to reflect on how crazy it is that he wrote a defense of the teachings of a Jewish Rabbi for a non-Jew who helped him share it with a whole lot of their very un-Jewish Roman peers.To begin to wrap your mind around just how crazy this is, think back on studying ancient Rome in middle-school. Remember those stories about ancient Greek and Roman gods who were petty and caused half of the problems with humanity because of their soap opera worthy drama? That's the culture Luke grew up in. Those are the people he was writing to. Only the culture was way more scandalous than your middle-school teachers told you. The Roman army was incredibly brutal and their religion was not PG-13. For example, some temples included orgies as part of their worship. Even worse, Roman citizens were allowed to discard servants and children who they no longer found useful. The ancient world was all about power and had no place for valuing people without it.So, if you are like Liz and have felt the brunt of a religious system which was also all about its own power and didn't value you in your weakness, it should excite you to know that Luke's audience saw the same kinds of things. It should excite all of us to realize how incredibly radical what Luke was telling them was. As you read Luke, think about how completely different the message of Jesus was from the Roman religion and culture. Of course, Luke's audience wrestled with doubt!Why was the message of Jesus worth working through all of that doubt? What did Jesus teach that offered Luke's audience so much peace and hope? As you read this book, think about how every story presents a radical contrast to the culture Luke was writing to. Imagine an ancient Roman walking past a temple where discarded servants were dying on the steps while remembering the stories of God in the flesh empowering those same kinds of people.Finally, think about the religious separation between Luke's ancient Roman audience and some of the Jews. Luke and his audience were super familiar with religious judgment and legalism, only more extreme than anything we've ever known. In ancient Rome, strict religious leaders around Jerusalem separated themselves so much from Gentiles that they would not even enter their homes. Contact with a Gentile sent strict Jews running for some water to do some serious ritual cleansing. Priests and religious leaders would cross to the other side of the street to keep from even the slightest contact with a Gentile (which was seriously messed up)! Of course, in an ancient society full of farmers and manual laborers, strict observance of these rules was not possible for many Jews. For example, the Galilean Jews who were mostly fishermen and traders, were considered more liberal (and unclean) mostly because of their occupations and the region they lived in. I mean, it's kind of hard to avoid contact with Gentiles when you are selling them the fish you caught. For them and many other Jews, the life they were born into made it impossible to strictly observe all of the rules.This messed up religious separation is one of the things that makes the story about Jesus so freaking AH-Mazing and gives it validity. Jesus started a movement to value all people in the most unlikely of places, a religious society that refused to accept anyone not born with the ability to keep all of their rules. Jesus confronted the whole idea of religion being about rules for judging who is in and who is out. Nothing says this more powerfully than the book of Luke.Luke was saying, “Hey guys. You know how the Jews can't even eat with us or come into our houses ‘cause they think we are so far from God that they can't associate with us without hurting their own relationship with God? Well, crazy thing: The Messiah their Scriptures prophesied about for hundreds of years came and fulfilled those prophecies, only for all of us, not just them. We all get to be in, y'all!”I just gotta say: Wow!!! I love this so much! What a kick in the pants to religious elitism!So, as we look at Luke's defense alongside stories of survivors I've met through the years, think about your doubts. Ask yourself, how did this story help people overcome their doubts? How is what Jesus taught different from the religious cultures of ancient Rome, ancient Israel, and much of modern America?In Rum and Cola for the Soul, I share stories of modern survivors of abuse and trauma along with Luke's stories of Jesus. As we look at what Jesus taught and the way he empowered the marginalized people of his time, you will see a beautiful picture of peace and hope for this world. Peace which can look fully at the pain in this world and see the beauty of the people caught in its grasp. Hope which knows what you see isn't all there is. There is purpose, meaning, and power to make things better for every person wrestling with the pain of this world.Nothing in this book is going to turn off all of your doubts and questions (cause that would be a cult). What I hope this book will do, is show you how the message of Jesus is a truth worth pursuing. I hope you will see the freedom from legalistic religion his message offers. Following Jesus isn't a simple truth to agree or disagree with. It's a whole new way of seeing the world. A way which puts us on a better path to finding peace and hope. The longer you walk on this path, the more you will see that ultimately there are good answers for all of your questions. Ultimately, you'll probably have more questions the more you follow Jesus. That's OK. Relationships are built on growing in our understanding.As a matter of fact, this whole book is about my story of growing in my understanding of who Jesus really was and what he taught. The stories I share are reflections of me sorting through my bitter baggage as I reflect on all I've seen in twenty years of working with survivors like Liz while wrestling with American church culture.So, if you are like me, Liz, and Theophilus, and you are also wondering how the message of Jesus applies to your world, you are going to love going through the book of Luke.The Voice of Hope in Our Struggles(Luke 1:5-25)The first thing you are going to love about the book of Luke is what it says about our struggles. In my 20 years of getting to work with some really amazing survivors, I have learned to recognize a common voice that is always there. In the middle of trauma, abuse, pain, suffering, injustice, heartache, whatever the problem people are wrestling with, there is always a voice present, telling them they matter. Once you recognize God's voice and his message of extreme gritty hope for all of us, you will hear that same message and see its beautiful influence for all people who are struggling.The kid in foster care who had been in over a dozen foster homes said, “If there is a God, he couldn't possibly love me. Nobody loves the stuff I do.” But at the same time, somehow, he still knew there was hope for him. He still fought to prove to the world that their judgement of him was wrong.The homeless man who looked at me with tears in his eyes and said, “Jesus don't want nothing to do with the likes of me.” Though he had given in to the world's judgement of him, there was still an echo of hope for him. I saw it when a car drove by. A passenger threw a can at him and said, “Get a job, you bum.”He defiantly challenged their judgement as he yelled, “Fuck you, asshole,” while flipping them off.The voice of hope was there with the addict as she visited rehab for the fifth time, hoping this time she could stay the course.The pregnant teen who ran from abusive parents only to find herself selling her body for a more abusive boyfriend. She heard the voice of hope as she tore off a phone number from a flyer in a bathroom stall, thinking just maybe she might escape one day.The little girl whose abusive father constantly told her she was not good enough. She heard the voice of hope as she delighted in hiding her father's things when he wasn't around. She couldn't avoid his angry tirades, but in her own childish way, she fought back against his condemnation of her.There is a battle going on. People in this world have treated these survivors like they are worthless. Life has been harder for them than for most people. Often, they are made to feel as if their struggles are somehow their fault. As if they somehow cosmically deserve to be treated as less worthy than others. However, at the same time, there is another message, something which seems to come from deep within, telling them, “You are incredibly valuable. Your present struggles do not define your value and worth.”Every time I see hints of that voice of hope winning out, I want to stand up and cheer. “Yes! Yes! Yes! My friend! You are more valuable than you know! Your struggles shape you but they should not define you. They are not who you are. You are more than that. You are treasured by God and he longs to fight your battles with you.”I believe that little bit of sass, that defiance, that hope which spurs us on in our darkest moments, they come from the Spirit of God reaching out with his voice of hope, to his beloved children, telling us our circumstances do not define the way he sees us.Sadly, it feels like God's steady, defiant voice is often drowned out by the world shouting a different message to us: “You mess up all the time. You caused this. You deserve to have these problems. We don't love you. How can you possibly believe God loves you? You're crazy. God loves perfect people.”If you're like me, my shame, doubts and fears echo and even magnify the world's judgmental message to me. When I listen to their message, I think, “Not only are they right in their judgments, I'm worse than they know”.All too often, people who claim to know God simply add to the noise. They keep people from hearing God's message when they make religion all about trying to be good to impress or manipulate God. We all fall for this when we think the good in our lives somehow makes us better than other people.If you aren't struggling with any big issues in your life, it might be a comfortable for you to believe you deserve the life you have, I suppose. However, basing your value on your achievements or life of ease, is missing the message of God for his hurting children. Everything Jesus did shouted God's message of love for all of humanity. It was never limited to those whose lives were easy.The very first story in the book of Luke, found in Chapter 1:5-25, gives us our first peek at God's message of hope for people while they were struggling. In this story, Elizabeth and Zechariah faithfully served God and Luke points out, God was pleased with them. Despite God's approval of them, they still dealt with an extremely hard struggle for most of their lives.From an ancient perspective, this story was actually shocking. People in ancient times weren't all that different from us today, except they perhaps had more to fear than us. They didn't live in the modern age of science, so their religions were openly based on gods who they controlled through rituals, sacrifices, dances, prayers, and morals which pleased whichever god they were trying to win favor from. Today, I think we use more intellectual language to try to cover up the same basic ways of seeking control. Still, at the heart of it, most modern religion isn't really that different than the ancient ones; we all want a way to avoid suffering.Ancient Jews were supposed to be different. They believed in only one God and they were to be his chosen people who would lead the world into a relationship with him. But deep down, their religious leaders still wanted a system they could control. Through hundreds of years, the Jewish religious leaders developed elaborate systems of rules about rules about the rules so you would know at exactly what point you were “in” or “out” with God.By the time Jesus came onto the scene, there were so many rules in Judaism that it was virtually impossible for a working-class person to follow them all. The religious leaders considered people in poverty, people with diseases, people with handicaps, and people who weren't following the Law to be “out.” Many of the ancient Jewish religious leaders were so strict that they believed all struggles in life were the result of sin. So much so that some believed babies born with diseases or handicaps must have sinned in the womb! (CRAZY right?!) As hard as it is for us to wrap our minds around anyone believing a baby actually did something so wrong in the womb that they deserved to suffer in this life for it, that's the kind of messed up thinking seeking to avoid suffering through religion leads to.As Luke begins his book, written to convince people to follow Jesus, he starts with a very unlikely story. A story which stands in contrast to the control most people are seeking through religion. Deep down, we all want control over what is uncertain and uncontrollable. We all want to avoid the pain and hurt in this world. We want it to not touch us. But, when your own life gets hard, when you face deep loss, trauma, or your own failures, your heart longs to know there is something more. You long for God's message reminding you of your value in the middle of your pain.The story of Zechariah and Elizabeth is an example of God's acceptance of people even as they struggled.In the time of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zechariah, who belonged to the priestly division of Abijah; his wife Elizabeth was also a descendant of Aaron. Both of them were righteous in the sight of God, observing all the Lord's commands and decrees blamelessly. But they were childless because Elizabeth was not able to conceive, and they were both very old. Luke 1:5-7 (NIV).Think with me for a minute about how emotionally traumatic it is today for women to not be able to have children when they want to. In ancient times, it was even more devastating. Women were only valued because of their ability to have children. A woman who couldn't have children was considered cursed by God. So much so, that even though divorce was supposed to be illegal for Jews, they made an exception for women who couldn't have children.In this culture, even though Zechariah and Elizabeth followed God and were accepted by him, religious people around them did not see them that way. Zechariah and Elizabeth lived with being viewed as a flawed, cursed couple, rejected by God most of their adult lives. We know they struggled with this because, Elizabeth described her situation as “disgraced among the people” vs. 25 (NIV).Luke tells us they were very old. They had given up. They had no hope of ever having a child. Yet, they remained faithful. They still followed God and tried to keep all they knew of his rules for how to live. They were accepted by God. Yet, even though they had this beautiful, empowering relationship with him, for most of their adult lives they lived in disgrace and didn't get the one thing all ancient people wanted: a child.Hold up! Think about this! This story doesn't fit the formula. They did everything right. They were supposed to be rewarded.Luke goes on to tell us the rest of the story:Zechariah was chosen by chance to go into one of the most holy parts of the temple and burn incense. It was a special honor. While Zechariah was there, an angel came to him and said God had heard his prayers and he and Elizabeth would have a son. Zechariah and Elizabeth's son was John the Baptist, the prophet sent to prepare Israel for their Messiah, the one the Jewish people had been hoping to see for hundreds of years. Being the parents of a prophet was a huge honor, so people often believe this is the point of the story. They see it as: Zechariah and Elizabeth followed God faithfully all of their lives and at the end, they got a super-sized reward by being the parents of a prophet. People who still want to cling to the old formula of “doing good stuff = controlling God” see this story fitting the formula because Zechariah and Elizabeth were the parents of a superhero of the faith.But catch this!The beauty of the story is: Zechariah wasn't expecting things to work out that way. We see this when the angel spoke to Zechariah and told him he would have a child. Zechariah did not believe it was possible. It is super important to realize Zechariah was not expecting God to give him a child. He didn't jump at the angel's message and go, “I knew it. I knew God was going to come through for me.” No. He basically argued with the angel and explained to the angel how it was impossible for him to have a child because they were old. He wasn't remaining faithful because he expected a reward. He knew his relationship with God was reward enough.How freaking awesome is that?Zechariah and Elizabeth were both faithfully following God without expecting to be physically blessed in this life. Following God was their reward. They had a relationship with the Creator of the Universe! They were choosing to follow his path, and this decision gave meaning and purpose to their lives. Because they understood this, they were the kind of people God chose to be the parents of a great prophet. They were the kind of people who get to be in on the great work God wants to do in this world. They were survivors who understood that no matter what happens in this life, choosing to follow God gives meaning to our struggles.I love thinking about Zechariah and Elizabeth in relation to some of the faithful survivors I know. These faithful survivors are AH-MAZING examples of what it looks like to follow Jesus. They inspire me every time I think of them. And you know what? Their lives are still hard. They still struggle with stuff. They still fall and have doubts. But their lights shine the brightest of all because they are surrounded by darkness. They have peace in their struggles because they listen to the message of God telling them how treasured they are. They walk around full of hope because they learn to drown out those other voices a little more every day.Whatever you are struggling with, I hope you quiet yourself and listen for the voice of defiant hope telling you that there is so much more to you than your current circumstances. I hope you hear the voice of God telling you how treasured you are no matter what struggles you may be dealing with.

Flashback Episode: Year 4 – Episode 3: As Luke transitions away from Jesus’ childhood, before describing Jesus as an adult, discover how Luke describes Jesus’ forerunner in ministry, John the Baptist, and what made John’s ministry important and significant. Join the discussion on the original episode's page: Click Here.Listen to this episode and/or subscribe on ReflectiveBibleStudy.com...

Luke Davis assumes co-hosting duties for the second time and what a great conversation we had. For those that have not listened to Saga Ep.024 with Luke, I highly suggest going back and listening to it, before or after. A very detailed episode, its number three on the top-10 also. This episode Luke updates us on the changes that have occurred since he was on in August. He went from truck driving and being away from his kids to the police academy and having some much needed family time and flexibility back into his life. Luke covers some really good ground in regards to the experiences during his time in the academy and he also lets us into the reason why this change was so needed. Sean Hess, Saga Ep.016, got Luke thinking and he reached out to Sean and they got a chance to talk. As Luke says, use the network of Veterans out there, it works.  Richard Rowland leaves us with a thought to ponder in his "Just For Today" segment. Remember, yesterday has been written, tomorrow is a blank page. Be alert to what you're putting into your work. Use a sharp pencil too! For you Netflix folks out there, Luke and I discussed the documentary "Game Changers" and how he is conducting an experiment on himself to see if his diet is the culprit in some digestive issues he's been having. He hit up the VA for some blood work and X-rays, so when he gets that info back he will share the differences during this time where he focuses on only "Plant-based Protein" for his dietary needs. I'm excited to hear how it goes, I've been cleaning up my diet for the better part of a year now, but I still have a long way to go. Every one stay safe out there and stay blessed.   HOV©2020

Introduction “Dress however you please,” Harry Potter author J. K. Rowling posted on Twitter, Thursday, 19 December 19. “Call yourself whatever you like. Sleep with any consenting adult who’ll have you. Live your best life in peace and security. But force women out of their jobs for stating that sex is real? #IStandWithMaya #ThisIsNotADrill.” In response, Vanity Fair reports: “JK Rowling is a TERF” (trans-exclusionary radical feminist) was trending within hours, and the conversation continued throughout the day. It led a handful of parents to question on Twitter whether it was appropriate to keep reading Harry Potter to their children, and may affect the way the books and their creator are seen by progressive Americans. From the Washington Post: “Rowling’s tweet triggered backlash almost immediately, attracting condemnation from individual users and organizations alike: ‘Trans women are women. Trans men are men. Non-binary people are non-binary. CC: JK Rowling,’ the Human Rights Campaign account tweeted. Replying to Rowling’s tweet, one fan wrote that she grew up reading the Harry Potter series as a trans child, and that the author’s decision ‘to support people that hate me’ brought tears to her eyes.’” That is the subject of today’s 10-minute episode.  Continuing J. K. Rowling’s Twitter post is the very combination of courtesy and respect for others and acknowledgment of important science that I strive for in my life, and commend to others in their lives. How is it that others could disagree--and disagree so deeply and loudly? The woman referred to in Rowling’s tweet is Maya Forstater, a tax expert who lost her job at a UK Poverty think tank after tweeting that trans women can’t change their biological sex. Basically adhering to the argument that has somehow become bitterly controversial: that men are not women, and women are not men. Forstater’s contract as a visiting fellow at the Washington- and London-based nonprofit Center for Global Development was not renewed, according to the Guardian, after they found her tweets to be exclusionary toward trans people. On Wednesday, Judge James Tayler at the Central London Employment Tribunal dismissed Forstater’s claims of wrongful termination, per the Guardian, calling her “absolutist in her view of sex” and her expressed beliefs “not worthy of respect in a democratic society.” Struther Martin’s character in the excellent movie “Cool Hand Luke” set the tone for today’s episode. Martin, oh-so-fittingly--is the Captain in a brutal Southern chain gang prison. Luke, “Cool Hand”, Paul Newman’s character who is idolized by his fellow inmates for his independent spirit, has just been dragged in, beaten and broken. As Luke lies there, surrounded by his fellow prisoners, here is what the Captain says. “Run one time, get a set of chains. Run again, get two sets of chains. Won’t be no need for no 3rd set; cause you gonna get your mind right. And I do mean right. Take a good look at Luke here (completely broken and unmoving). Cool Hand Luke.” A so-called think tank came up with this firing. Someone with the title of judge supported this termination, saying in part, that Forstater beliefs are, “not worthy of respect in a democratic society.” The woke world is taking the steps needed to get Rowling’s mind right. Mind you, Rowling has a history of being on the left, including having made  major donations to the British Labour party, and is a self-described anti-Trumper. The world of “I say it, therefore it is true.” will not let up until Rowling--and all of us--have our minds right--completely right, and in full alignment with current doctrine. Here’s another representative tweet in response to Rowling’s defense of the science that observes that sex is immutable: “What, exactly, is to be gained by using your platform to be cruel and exclusionary to one of the world’s most vulnerable populations? N.B. There is no attempt to argue the science.

This was such an incredible interview with Luke Foley.Before we get into it, be sure to check out the links at the end of this description to see where you can find Luke's outstanding restaurant.If you don't already know who Luke is, hopefully you've eaten at his amazing restaurant because if you haven't, you're missing out big time!Luke's passion for restauranteering began in a way different than you may think. Growing up, he had a giant interest in music - more specifically DJing. He started DJing at parties when he was just 14 years old. He later went on to create parties where he would also promote and DJ.Once he got to college, he continued his music side hustle. He ended up making a lot of connections through the club scene.Interestingly enough, there were a couple times in Luke's college career when he dabbled with the idea of becoming a finance guy on Wall Street. In both situations Luke discusses, he immediately realized that life was not for him.As Luke graduated college, his mentor and good friend Rez hired him to manage a night club he owned. This started getting the wheels spinning for Luke's idea to open up Bourbon's. In the interview, he describes how he went from being a manager at Rez's place to becoming the sole owner of Bourbon's Ktichen & Cocktail.My favorite part about the interview was when Luke explained his relationship with his staff. You can hear in his voice throughout the episode the passion he has about his restaurant and life in general. When he started talking about his team though, the intensity of his passion got kicked up a few levels.If you haven't already been to Luke's place, you HAVE to check it out. It's extremely popular, but totally worth the wait. Whether you're going out for a few drinks or looking to have a 5 star meal, Boubon's is the place to go. Thank you so much for coming on the show my friend! It was an absolute joy listening to the origins of your successful restaurant.https://www.bourbonsframingham.com/https://www.facebook.com/BourbonsFramingham/https://www.instagram.com/bourbonsframingham/?hl=en

Day 300 of the podcast, reading Luke 23-24 NET, read along at: https://netbible.org/bible/Luke+23-24/ This is day 300 of our journey. As Luke recounts the trial of Jesus, he makes it clear that Jesus was innocent. Jesus is passed from Pilate to Herod and back to Pilate again. Neither of them find any fault with Jesus, yet Pilate agrees to have him executed to appease the riotous crowd. While Jesus is hanging on the cross, even one of the criminals that is being crucified with him recognizes his innocence and calls on Jesus to save him. Finally, when Jesus dies, the centurion in charge of the execution also proclaims that surely Jesus was innocent. Jesus took my guilt upon himself to pay the punishment for me! After Jesus' resurrection, Luke gives an account of the many people that had Jesus appear to them and encourage them. Jesus opened the eyes of the disciples to finally understand the prophecies about the Christ and the necessity for his death and resurrection. Join me in Luke 23-24 and rejoice that the innocent Savior carried our punishment on himself! Key verses: Luke 23:43 And Jesus said to him, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.” Luke 24:5-6 The women were terribly frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, but the men said to them, “Why do you look for the living among the dead? 6 He is not here, but has been raised! Remember how he told you, while he was still in Galilee, All Scriptures are from the NET.

As Luke and Leia finally uncover the whereabouts of Tay Vanis, Sam and Brian welcome Jack Stovold back to the podcast for the final pre-Jedi issue to talk about C-3PO in love (and heartbreak), to weigh in on a huuuuuge amount of Star News (The Mandalorian! Obi-Wan! Galactic Cruiser! DARK REY'S DOUBLE LIGHTSABER), to read a bevy of listener e-mail about Annual 3 and to rank their favorite covers, characters and issues from this era of Marvel Star Wars!

On this week’s very special edition of Science! With Friends, one host reunites with a (young) old friend! Jocelyn’s former student Luke Moberly is now a senior at Lincoln High School, a builder of high-powered rockets, a budding physicist, a nationally ranked debater, and an ardent champion of effective science communication. In this episode, Luke tells Bradley and Jocelyn how his enthusiasm for science communication began with a fortuitous encounter between a wayward rocket and a Nebraska farmer. He offers his perspective on how and why scientists should make the effort to share their work with the public; the influences and experiences that have shaped his interest in science; and how he plans to continue sharing his passion for science in his future career. In addition to the challenges and rewards of communicating across lines of discipline and expertise, the friends discuss the central role of creativity in the scientific process. The next generation of science communication is upon us! As Luke would say: “Ready . . . three, two, one . . . launch.”Links:•Epic Rap Battle: c vs. π: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V0BQxF5vDYU•The Human Periodic Table Sings Tom Lehrer's "The Elements": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbzi1upkVJ4 •Science is deeply imaginative: why is this treated as a secret?: https://aeon.co/ideas/science-is-deeply-imaginative-why-is-this-treated-as-a-secretContact Science! With Friends (especially if you’re a scientist interested in a lively conversation about your science and science story):•Gmail: sciwithfriends@gmail.comScience! With Friends Podcast is Produced by the Basement Creators Network. You can find them at https://www.basementcreators.network/Sound Editing by Vince Ruhl

As Luke, Leia and Plif head to Kabray Station to search for information tapes left by Tay Vanis, Kevin Young returns to the podcast to listen with Sam to all of Brian's adventures at Galaxy's Edge, to debate the actions (or lack thereof) of a certain male Zeltron and to consider what is and isn't problematic in the world of Star Wars circa 1983.

This week, Luke Calvin is joining me for the episode to discuss church inclusion. Recently, conservative churches have struggled to process the inclusion of celibate gay Christians. As Luke beautifully says in the episode, the church is meant to be a place where "others" can find they belong. So what does and should that look like for Side B Christians. Luke is a Licensed Professional Counselor in the state of Missouri and is the co-director of New Hope Counseling Services.  He is also a worship director, and a ruling elder in the Presbyterian Church in America.  He lives in Wentzville, MO with his wife, Jen, and 2 boys Grey and Reese.    Music: 1. Theme Song - Driven to Success by Scott Holmes 2. Interim Music - (17:10) Come Ye Sinners by Murphy, D.X. and (35:56) Sun-Kissed by Scott Holmes    Books Mentioned: (50:24) Mike Mason, The Mystery of Marriage: Meditations on the Miracle. Colorado, CO: Multnomah Books, 2005.

As Luke, Leia and Kiro struggle to survive attackers from all sides in the ruins of Pavillion, Jack Stovold makes his triumphant return to the podcast to marvel at one of the final pre-Return of the Jedi issues to feature everyone's favorite Lord of the Sith in action, to analyze the ongoing results of the Iskalon Effect and to ponder the nature of hope in the Star Wars universe.

This BEST OF GFL episode is a replay of a previous episode. Grassfed Life Courses: https://farm-business-essentials.teachable.com/courses     Today we'll be going to Louisville, Kentucky to talk to farmer Luke Groce of Groce Family Farm. Luke and his wife Katherine started their farming career in 2009 as a vegetable farm.  An operation that had its successes and its failures.   As Luke said... “I've got a few war stories from the deep trap of doing too many things at the beginning of farming a piece of land with no experience, and then not doing any of it well enough. After treading water, and trying to keep up with all of it for six years, I've decided that CSA farming is a team sport. And I can't be good at, and stay on top of, growing 30-40 things by myself (plus keep up with 40+ pigs). It’s a kind of humbling thing to say, ‘I can't do this well.’ “ It was through some of the failures and struggles with the vegetable operation that led Luke down the path of raising pigs.  Another path that's full of war stories... having tried a bunch over the years from keeping pigs behind two strands of hot wire to experimenting with a unique bulk pork sales program, two things he will talk about today.  Not everything has worked, but some of it has and he's learned along the way continuing to grow his pork operation.   The move to pork was one that might not have happened, but it did, and it was a move that he wouldn't regret because it was a move would bring his family together living on the farm, and one that would save his farm.   Grassfed Life Courses: https://farm-business-essentials.teachable.com/courses  

As Luke and Leia struggle to survive the devastation of The Iskalon Effect, we welcome Melissa Thiede back from Black Spire Outpost to finally give us an insider's peek into Galaxy's Edge! We're also recalling memories of Levar Burton and Reading Rainbow, enjoying the antics of the Star Warriors on Gamandar and STILL trying to determine what exactly The Iskalon Effect is.

As Luke and Lando search for Bossk and IG-88 on Stenos, Sam and Brian find Kregg Castillo once again joining them on the podcast to discuss the opening of Galaxy's Edge, the reintroduction of beloved characters Rik Duel and Dani, and the bittersweet joy of seeing a Rodian frozen in carbonite.

One of the last sentences in Luke’s Gospel is “He (Jesus) parted from them and was carried up into heaven.” So, that would be a wrap, right? End of the story of Jesus’ ministry. Wait. Luke wrote a second book of the Bible, too, didn’t he? How does Luke begin his second volume, The Book of Acts? The very first sentence in the Book of Acts is, “In the first book, O Theophilus, I have dealt with all that Jesus began to do and teach, until the day when he was taken up.” Did you catch that? As Luke begins his second book he refers to all that Jesus began to do before his ascension to heaven. Well, that stirs our interest, doesn’t it? So, what’s Jesus doing now? What sort of ministry does Jesus have now that he has ascended to heaven? Join us as we look for answers to those questions!

As Luke and Lando learn about the heroic deeds of a young Han Solo on the planet Ventooine, Sam and Brian welcome Andrew McNally back to the podcast to weigh in on the confusing plan of the tyrannical Satab, to struggle to determine when exactly this episode of the podcast releases and to ponder the very nature of the Force.

If you’re working on launching a new community initiative, there are so many case studies, tools, and knowledgeable community professionals to help you along your journey. But what if you’re tasked with sunsetting a community? In this conversation, Patrick and Luke Zimmer, manager of the educator community for the National Geographic Society, discuss both instances. Luke has been tasked with managing the community for educators interested in geography education and after evaluating the limited capabilities of Google Plus, decided to go with a platform that offered more in the way of customization and data ownership. And, plot twist: Not long after making this decision, Google announced that it would be sunsetting its Google Plus consumer product, including the Google Plus Communities product. Launching a new community or sunsetting an existing one are both complex undertakings. As Luke puts it, our online communities are microcosms of the culture around us. What happens when that culture and those connections are wiped away? Patrick and Luke also discuss: A full rundown of the Google Plus Communities sunset Why having an anthropology background is helpful for working in community How the National Geographic Society is structuring its new online community and plans to measure success Big Quotes Online communities as microcosms of larger cultural movements: “When an organization chooses to foster a community like [IMDb did], they’re choosing to support a subculture of that particular group. When they choose to stop supporting that community, you’re essentially getting rid of that subculture, and you’re wiping out a culture. It’s unfortunate that that happens. … [But] in the grand scheme of things, that happens all the time, throughout history. Cultures, they rise and they fall and they ebb and they flow. It’s natural for online communities to follow that similar pattern. That’s one of the things that really fascinates me about online communities, that it really becomes a microcosm for these larger cultural cycles that we see throughout history.” –@LukeTZimmer On migrating a community from Google Plus Communities to Higher Logic:“Google Plus has four metrics that they give you. That’s just not enough if you’re really looking at the return on investment of your community. You need [a community platform] that really provides detailed support for programs and multiple programs, like National Geographic has for its educators. … I was definitely supportive of finding a platform that could integrate with our customer relationship management system, and making sure that we had as much access to our member data as possible.” –@LukeTZimmer Opening a closed community to the public: “Because it’s been a closed community and we’ve been working with a very specific population, even within our audience, it’s been pretty easy to understand the community and to manage their expectations and the culture of the community. One of the things that I’m most concerned about [is] opening up a private community to the public [and] maintaining that culture, that positivity that we have currently in our closed community and making sure that inviting these new populations in doesn’t throw off the balance.” –@LukeTZimmer About Luke Zimmer Luke Zimmer graduated from Indiana University with degrees in journalism and anthropology. He has worked with associations and nonprofits for more than five years with a specific interest in social media and online communities. In addition to his work as a community manager with the National Geographic Society, Luke also volunteers with the American Society of Association Executives where he is chair of the ASAE Communication Section Council. He has spoken at a number of ASAE events in addition to contributing to the ASAE newsletter, Associations Now. Luke has also spoken to webinar audiences for the online community platform Higher Logic, the National Association of Bar Executives, and AssociationSuccess.org. When he finds the time, Luke also blogs on community management, social media, and technology news and issues at Skariphos.com. Related Links Luke Zimmer on Twitter National Geographic Education Luke’s blog, Skariphos.com The American Society of Association Executives Higher Logic The National Association of Bar Executives AssociationSuccess.org Elizabeth Koenig on Community Signal IMDb shutters its online community National Science Teachers Association Conference Google Plus shares plans to shutter its consumer product Google Takeout allows you to download all of your Google-stored data Grosvenor Teacher Fellowship Program Transcript View transcript on website Your Thoughts If you have any thoughts on this episode that you’d like to share, please leave me a comment, send me an email or a tweet. If you enjoy the show, we would be so grateful if you spread the word and supported Community Signal on Patreon.