Podcasts about Ascent

Welcome to Day 2880 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2880 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 135:1-7 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2880 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day two thousand eight hundred eighty of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: Unmasking the Idols – Yahweh's Unrivaled Cosmic Supremacy In our previous stop along this grand, poetic landscape, we witnessed the beautiful, atmospheric conclusion to the Songs of Ascents. In Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Four, we stood under the starlit canopy of Jerusalem at midnight, watching the weary pilgrims prepare to descend the mountain. Before disappearing into the darkness, they exchanged a parting blessing with the temple guards and the Levites, who kept watch through the treacherous night. We learned that while the surrounding pagan world cowered in terror of the nocturnal shadows—fearing the chaotic whims of the rebel spiritual principalities—the guardians of Yahweh raised their hands in holiness, enforcing the spiritual borders of the Creator's earthly embassy. We left that trail with the comforting assurance that the Maker of heaven and earth issues an unshakeable benediction from Mount Zion, a blessing that follows us into every dark corner of our exile. Today, we transition into a grand, sweeping temple liturgy that takes the flickering spark of that midnight praise, and explodes it into a glorious, daytime anthem of cosmic victory. We are stepping onto a new trail, exploring the opening movement of Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five, verses one through seven, in the New Living Translation. This psalm is historically categorized as a “Hallel”—a great song of praise—and it serves as a spectacular, polemical unmasking of the false gods of the nations. The psalmist pulls back the cosmic curtain, calling the assembly to praise the unrivaled, absolute sovereignty of Yahweh. Let us step onto the path, adjust our focus, and prepare to encounter the High King of the celestial council. The first segment is: The Call to the Courts of the Most High Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verses one through three. Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord! Praise him, you who serve the Lord, you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God. Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music. The psalm opens with a thunderous, rhythmic command that shatters the morning silence of the temple courts. “Praise the Lord! Praise the name of the Lord!” In the original Hebrew, this opening blast is Hallelujah—a direct, imperative shout commanding the entire assembly to boast in Yahweh. Notice the specific target of this adoration: “the name of the Lord.” In the ancient Near East, and throughout the biblical narrative, a deity's name was not just a convenient label or a linguistic tag. The name represented the very essence, the character, the reputation, and the active presence of the person. In the books of Moses, Yahweh explicitly stated that His "Name" would dwell in the sanctuary. Therefore, to praise the Name is to actively execute an assignment of cosmic allegiance. It is declaring that the reputation of the God of Jacob is superior to any other entity in existence. The psalmist specifically addresses the leaders of this worship in verse two: “Praise him, you who serve the Lord, you who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God.” This bridges perfectly with our previous study of the final Song of Ascent. The watchmen who stood by night are now joined by the full daytime staff of priests, musicians, and gatekeepers, standing in the expansive, sunlit courts of the sanctuary. To "stand" in the ancient courtly language did not mean merely to be on one's feet; it was a technical term for serving as an official minister in a royal court. The priests were the human counterparts to the loyal, heavenly host. Just as the angels stand in the celestial throne room to execute the decrees of the King, the priests stand in the earthly copy of that throne room, maintaining the cosmic order through worship and sacrifice. The motivation for this unceasing service is detailed in verse three: “Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good; celebrate his lovely name with music.” The goodness of Yahweh is the absolute bedrock of biblical theology. The surrounding pagan nations lived in constant, paralyzing anxiety because their gods—the rebel elohim of the divine council—were fundamentally fickle, malicious, and self-serving. They had to be constantly appeased with blood, bribes, and frantic rituals just to keep them from throwing a cosmic temper tantrum. But the God of Israel is immutably, beautifully good. His Name is "lovely"—meaning sweet, pleasant, and deeply satisfying to the soul. The community is commanded to celebrate this goodness with music, using the rhythmic resonance of harps, lyres, and voices to align the atmosphere of the earth with the harmonious songs of the heavenly host. The second segment is: The Sovereign Allotment and the Treasured Heritage Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verse four. For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure. The psalmist shifts from the general goodness of God, to a specific, historical act of cosmic boundary-setting. “For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own special treasure.” To unlock the massive, explosive weight of this single verse, we must view it through the brilliant lens of the Ancient Israelite divine council worldview, as masterfully taught by Doctor Michael S. Heiser. We must look back to the foundational blueprint of cosmic geography recorded in Deuteronomy, chapter thirty-two, verses eight and nine. That text reveals that when the Most High divided the nations at the Tower of Babel, He scattered humanity into separate language groups, allocating them to the oversight of lesser spiritual beings—the sons of God. Those territorial elohim subsequently rebelled, choosing to demand worship for themselves, and plunging the pagan world into darkness. But the text explicitly states that Yahweh's personal portion is His people; Jacob is the lot of His inheritance. By repeating this reality in Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five, the writer is launching a devastating polemical attack against the claims of the rebel nations. He is stating that Israel's existence is not a geopolitical accident. While the rest of the world was disinherited, and handed over to the dominion of corrupt, angelic governors, Yahweh reached down into history, called Abraham out of paganism, and birthed a unique nation “for himself.” He calls Israel His “own special treasure.” The Hebrew word used here is segullah, which refers to a monarch's private, personal wealth. In the ancient world, a king would collect taxes that went into the public treasury to run the empire; but he also possessed a private vault of priceless jewels, gold, and treasures that belonged uniquely to him. Israel is Yahweh's segullah. The Creator of the universe looks at this small, historically persecuted group of exiles, and He says, "You are My private jewels. You are the specific family through whom I am going to launch My rescue mission to reclaim the entire planet from the rebel gods." The third segment is: Stripping the Power of the Rebel Council Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Five: verse five. I know the greatness of the Lord— that our Lord is greater than any other god. The corporate song suddenly shifts into a bold, personal testimony of cosmic discernment. “I know the greatness of the Lord—that our Lord is greater than any other god.” In our modern, Western theological framework, we often read a verse like this and assume the psalmist is talking about psychological idols—things like money, career, or self-esteem. Or, we assume he is stating that the pagan gods are completely non-existent figments of human imagination. But in the ancient Near Eastern context, the statement is far more radical, and far more dangerous. The psalmist is not an abstract monotheist in the modern sense; he is a fierce monolatrist. He fully recognizes that the "other gods"—the elohim of the nations—are real, active, and powerful supernatural entities operating in the unseen realm. They are the rebel principalities that inspire human empires to commit systemic injustice and violence. But the psalmist stands in the temple courts, looks out at the towering structures of the pagan world, and delivers a definitive...

Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of Hot Goss, here on the New Hope Underground feed! This week, we discuss The Ascent, New Hope's Summer Schedule, and Long John Series — all of which are available on New Hope Now! Then, we Blind Rank hot things and take a stab at some Blackbeard Trivia!You can listen to A Long John Deeper Dive right here on the New Hope Underground feed, wherever you listen to podcasts, with new episodes dropping weekly on Sunday mornings throughout the series.Support the show by visiting volleycoffee.co and use code HOTGOSS at checkout for 20% off your purchase!––––Quick Links:— Visit our website: http://newhopechurch.cc— Fill out the Connect Card: http://newhopenow.cc— Join a Serve Team: http://newhopenow.cc— See what's happening now: http://newhopenow.cc––––The New Hope Podcast Network:— New Hope Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/newhopepod— New Hope Underground: https://newhopechurch.cc/underground— SOMA Bible Study Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/somapodcast— The Parent Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/parentpodcast––––Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/newhopechurchcc) and follow us on Instagram (http://instagram.com/newhopechurchcc) for the most up to date information on all New Hope ministries and events!––––Thank you for giving generously at New Hope. It's because of your giving that we are able to share Jesus with our community and further our vision of seeing a greater movement of Jesus in each new generation! If you'd like to give this week, you can do so at https://newhopechurch.cc/give, by mail to PO Box 57 Effingham, IL 62401, or through the Church Center App. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Brent Berger, CFO, NXT Ascent, shares insights on why cash flow matters more than revenue alone, how CFOs can drive operational value beyond financial reporting, and the growing role of AI in helping businesses make faster, smarter decisions.

In this episode, Brent Berger, CFO, NXT Ascent, shares insights on why cash flow matters more than revenue alone, how CFOs can drive operational value beyond financial reporting, and the growing role of AI in helping businesses make faster, smarter decisions.

Welcome to Day 2878 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2878 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 134:1-3 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2878 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2878 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Midnight Benediction of the Cosmic Mountain In our previous episode on this grand, generational expedition, we explored the fourteenth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Three. We peered inside the seamless walls of Jerusalem to witness the radiant, supernatural atmosphere of the kingdom. We discovered that holy harmony among the family of God is an aggressive, defensive weapon that actively subverts the chaotic fragmentation of the Tower of Babel. We felt the fragrant, vertical cascade of Aaron's precious anointing oil, and we marveled at the cosmic inversion of the landscape, where the life-giving dew of Mount Hermon—the ancient, dark stronghold of the rebel gods—was hijacked, and redirected by Yahweh to refresh the holy mountain of Zion. We rested in the ultimate, sovereign decree of life everlasting. Today, my friends, we have reached the final step of this specific trail. We are standing at the absolute conclusion of the fifteen pilgrim psalms, exploring Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Four, verses one through three, in the New Living Translation. This final Song of Ascent is a short, dramatic, and intensely atmospheric liturgy. The great festival in Jerusalem has ended, the crowds are dispersing, and the pilgrims are preparing to descend the mountain under the cover of darkness, to return to their ordinary lives in a compromised world. But before they lose sight of the temple, they turn back one last time to exchange a beautiful, midnight blessing with the guardians of the sanctuary. Let us step onto the final ridge, look into the glowing courts of the Lord, and receive the parting benediction of the cosmos. The first segment is: The Midnight Vigil of the Royal Guardians Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Four: verses one and two. Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord. Lift your hands in holiness, and praise the Lord. The final psalm opens with a stirring, midnight call to worship, issued by the departing pilgrims to the staff of the temple. “Oh, praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, you who serve at night in the house of the Lord.” To fully appreciate the cinematic, mysterious beauty of this moment, we must paint the physical, and spiritual, picture. The annual feast is over. The campfires on the hillsides around Jerusalem are dying down, and the thousands of pilgrims are packing their bags to begin the long trek back to their distant homes. As they step out into the cold night air, leaving the safety of the inner courts, they look back at the dark, towering silhouette of the temple standing against the starlit sky. The city is quiet, but the temple is still alive with activity. They see the flickering orange glow of the altar fires, and they spot the shadows of the Levites and the priests moving through the corridors. The pilgrims shout out a final, parting charge to these nocturnal ministers: “Praise the Lord... you who serve at night.” In the ancient Hebrew framework, the night watch was a position of immense responsibility. While the rest of the nation slept, these specific servants were commanded to keep the sacred fires burning, to guard the thresholds, and to maintain a continuous, unceasing rhythm of prayer and vigilance within the courts of Yahweh. We must look at this nocturnal service through the profound lens of the Ancient Israelite divine council worldview, as masterfully taught by Doctor Michael S. Heiser. In the ancient Near Eastern mindset, the night was not just a time for rest; the night was the domain of chaos. The darkness was considered the primary operating hour for the rebel spiritual principalities—the fallen elohim who ruled over the disinherited nations. The pagan world lived in constant, paralyzing terror of the night, believing that evil spirits and demonic forces prowled the earth when the sun went down, seeking to undo the order of creation. But inside the house of the Lord, the darkness is completely neutralized. The temple watchmen are not cowering in fear; they are standing on duty as royal guardians of the cosmic gateway. The temple is the earthly embassy of the Supreme Commander of the heavenly armies. By keeping the lights burning and the praises rising through the midnight watches, these priests are actively enforcing the spiritual borders of God's domain. They are asserting Yahweh's absolute sovereignty over the night, demonstrating to the unseen, rebellious realm that the true King never slumbers, and His fortress is never undefended. The departing pilgrims instruct these guardians exactly how to execute their spiritual defense in verse two: “Lift your hands in holiness, and praise the Lord.” The lifting of the hands is the ancient, universal posture of complete surrender, intense appeal, and open-hearted adoration. The priests are told to lift their hands “in holiness”—or, as other translations render it, “toward the sanctuary.” They are aiming their worship directly at the Holy of Holies, where the Ark of the Covenant rests beneath the wings of the cherubim. By raising their hands in the dark, the watchmen are acting as human lightning rods, drawing the supernatural sanctity and the protective power of the heavenly throne room straight down into the earthly realm, creating a continuous barrier of holy light that keeps the forces of chaos at bay. The second segment is: The Return Blessing from the Creator of the Cosmos Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Four: verse three. May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion. In the final sentence of the entire Songs of Ascents collection, the direction of the voice shifts. The temple watchmen, standing on the high, illuminated battlements of the sanctuary, hear the parting shout of the pilgrims. They look out into the darkness at the departing travelers, raise their own holy hands over the crowd, and speak a majestic, reciprocal blessing back down upon them: “May the Lord, who made heaven and earth, bless you from Zion.” This closing benediction is a masterpiece of covenant theology and cosmic polemics. Notice the specific, dual title given to Yahweh: “the Lord, who made heaven and earth.” In the Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two worldview, the surrounding pagan nations believed that the universe was carved up into separate, localized jurisdictions. The gods of Babylon claimed the rivers; the gods of Egypt claimed the Nile; and the gods of Philistia claimed the coastal plains. These rebel spirits asserted that their authority was absolute within their own geographic boundaries, and they demanded total compliance from any human who entered their territory. But the priests of Israel shatter that illusion with their final blessing. They remind the departing pilgrims that the God they serve is not a minor, regional spirit of the hills. He is not a localized deity trapped inside the stone walls of Jerusalem. He is the absolute, supreme Architect of the entire macrocosm. He spoke the heavens into existence, and He formed the earth from the void. Therefore, there is no place on the planet that is outside of His jurisdiction. When the pilgrims leave Jerusalem to return to their homes in the distant, compromised corners of the world, they are not leaving the territory of their God. They can walk confidently into any environment, knowing that every square inch of dirt they step upon belongs exclusively to the Maker of heaven and earth. And look at the launching pad of this blessing: “from Zion.” As we have learned on this fifteen-stop mountain climb, Mount Zion is the designated cosmic mountain, the official footprint of Yahweh's heavenly throne room in the human realm. The blessing that the priests pronounce is not a cheap, temporary wish for good luck. It is a massive, supernatural transmission of Shalom—complete, flourishing wholeness and divine favor—cascading down directly from the centralized command center of the universe. The pilgrims are told that this blessing from Zion will follow them down the mountain trail. It will go with them as they navigate the treacherous roads, as they return to their families, and as they face the daily, suffocating hostility of the pagan cultures. Zion's light will go with them into the darkness of their exile. The final step of the ascent is actually the beginning of the descent, where the travelers are sent back out into the world, transformed into living extensions of the cosmic mountain,...

One of the most common questions we hear from clients considering Celebrity Cruises is: "How's the food?"In this episode of Marvelous Mouse Talk, we're taking you onboard Celebrity Ascent to explore the ship's dining scene from breakfast through late-night snacks. We'll discuss what's included in your cruise fare, which specialty restaurants are worth the extra cost, and our personal favorites from a recent sailing.Whether you're a foodie looking for elevated dining experiences or simply want to know where to find the best burger, pizza, steak, or dessert onboard, we've got you covered.To get in touch with any of the agents featured on this episode please email them at:Amy : Amy.Krause@MarvelousMouseTravels.comAshley : Ashley.Ridgeway@MarvelousMouseTravels.comAllison : Allison.Outwater@MarvelousMouseTravels.comVisit our website to request a quote: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.MarvelousMouseTravels.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠View our Youtube channel:⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠Marvelous Mouse Travels - YouTube⁠

Today's message is week 1 in our summer series through the Psalms. Thank you for listening. Take a look at the sermon notes of this message on the church website: https://www.gatewayfranklin.com/sermonsTo find out more about Gateway Franklin Church, visit us at gatewayfranklin.com or join us online each week at gatewayfranklin.online.

It's time for episode 482 of the Mobile Tech Podcast with guests Don McGuire (Qualcomm) and Domenico Lamberti (TechTechPotato) -- brought to you by Qualcomm. This episode comes in two parts. First, we discuss Qualcomm's Computex 2026 announcements, including Snapdragon C and Dragonfly. Second (15:24), we share our thoughts on Qualcomm's Snapdragon C, Intel's Wildcat Lake, and NVIDIA's RTX Spark. We also cover hot new computers like Acer's Aspire Go 15 and Swift Air 14, ASUS' Ascent QN10, Dell's XPS 13, and more... Fun!Episode Links- Support the podcast on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/tnkgrl- Donate / buy me a coffee (PayPal): https://tnkgrl.com/tnkgrl/- Qualcomm: https://www.qualcomm.com/ (sponsor)- Qualcomm at Computex 2026: https://www.qualcomm.com/news/press-kits/computex-2026-press-kit- Don McGuire: https://www.linkedin.com/in/donnymac/- Domenico Lamberti: https://www.threads.com/@mobile_dom- Qualcomm Snapdragon C: https://www.xda-developers.com/snapdragon-c-specs/- Intel Wildcat Lake: https://hothardware.com/news/intel-launches-core-series-3-wildcat-lake- NVIDIA RTX Spark: https://hothardware.com/news/nvidia-announces-rtx-spark-at-computex-2026- Acer Aspire Go 15: https://www.tomshardware.com/laptops/we-went-hands-on-with-qualcomms-new-usd300-and-up-arm-laptop-platform-mystery-eight-core-cpu-in-active-cooled-snapdragon-c-laptop-surfaces-in-acer-aspire-go-15- Acer Swift Air 14: https://www.windowscentral.com/hardware/laptops/acer-swift-air-14-2026-hands-on- ASUS Ascent QN10: https://www.xda-developers.com/snapdragon-x2-elite-is-finally-coming-to-a-mini-pc/- Dell XPS 13: https://www.xda-developers.com/dell-xps-13-2026-hands-on/Affiliate Links (If you use these links to buy something, we might earn a commission)- Apple MacBook Neo: https://amzn.to/3ORAMGM- Apple Mac mini: https://amzn.to/43SxwhV- ASUS Zenbook A14: https://amzn.to/49HF1eX- Acer Swift 14: https://amzn.to/4uUGVkV- Microsoft Surface Laptop: https://amzn.to/4vUmtB9

En este episodio Otto y Normando recorren lo último en tecnología aplicada a la vida diaria: desde autos híbridos y cápsulas informativas sobre su funcionamiento hasta Hexa, el robot que mueve tus plantas según sol y lluvia. También hablan de empresas que modifican genéticamente plantas para colores y rasgos personalizados, y de avances en salud como boquillas que analizan el aliento, perros y IA capaces de detectar varios tipos de cáncer. Se presentan dispositivos de asistencia para la movilidad (Hip y Knee Modules de Ascent), un espejo inteligente que evalúa biomarcadores y salud mental sin contacto, y gafas de realidad aumentada (X-Real y rumores sobre Apple) junto a las implicaciones de privacidad que traen.WWW.OTTOTECNOLOGIA.COM 

Psalm 120Speaker: Melissa Zinsitz The First Step of the Ascent Melissa Zinsitz

Jeremiah 12:5Speaker: Dr. Kevin Huddleston Psalms of Ascent Dr. Kevin Huddleston Download

Psalm 126

Scott Mason talks with Tim Fitzgerald of Gopowercat.com about the Jets' newest safety, VJ Payne! Tim discusses: -Payne's family and high school career -What led Payne to Kansas State -Fighting for playing time as a true freshman -Ascent in 2024 and 2025 -Durability and character -Good fit with the Jets? and much more! Check out the Play Like A Jet store and get your "Play Like A Jet" logo shirt RIGHT NOW! Hoodies, hats, mugs, etc.....also available! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/19770068-play-like-a-jet-logo-shirt?store_id=717242 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 2875 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2875 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 132:13-18 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2875 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2875 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Blooming Horn of Zion's King In our previous episode on this grand pilgrimage, we marched alongside the ancient Israelite community in the second movement of Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two, verses six through twelve. We witnessed the historical, corporate joy of locating the long-lost Ark of the Covenant, which had been neglected in the wooded, overgrown fields of the countryside. We joined the grand procession as the Ark was carried up the slopes of Mount Zion, and we heard the priests raise that dramatic, ancient battle cry: "Arise, O Lord, and enter your resting place!" We explored the cosmic weight of the Ark as the physical footstool of Yahweh's heavenly throne, and we stood in awe as the Creator responded to David's restless devotion by swearing an unbreakable, unconditional oath to establish the Davidic dynasty forever. Today, we have reached the magnificent, soaring finale of this epic psalm. We are completing our exploration of the longest Song of Ascent by diving deep into Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two, verses thirteen through eighteen, in the New Living Translation. The human voices of the pilgrims, and the earthly liturgy of the procession, now recede into a quiet, reverent silence. The stage is completely cleared, and we hear the direct, first-person decrees of Yahweh Himself. The Sovereign Commander of the heavenly armies takes the microphone to deliver His final, unyielding oracle regarding the destiny of His holy city, His anointed king, and the entire cosmos. Let us step onto the final ridge of this specific trail, open our ears, and listen to the voice of the Almighty. The first segment is: The Cosmic Headquarters and the Eternal Rest Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two: verses thirteen and fourteen. For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home. “This is my resting place forever,” he said. “I will live here, for this is the home I desired.” The climax of the psalm opens with a foundational declaration of divine selection: "For the Lord has chosen Jerusalem; he has desired it for his home." To fully appreciate the absolute explosion of theological and cosmic weight embedded in these words, we must view this geography through the lens of the Ancient Israelite divine council worldview, as masterfully taught by Doctor Michael S. Heiser. We must recall the grand narrative of Deuteronomy chapter thirty-two, verses eight and nine, which reveals that when the Most High divided the nations at the Tower of Babel, He allocated the different people groups to the oversight of lesser spiritual beings—the sons of God. Those territorial elohim subsequently rebelled, corrupting their assignments, and demanding worship for themselves, plunging the pagan world into spiritual darkness. But Yahweh claimed one specific people, and one specific piece of geography, as His own personal, prized allotment. That prized allotment is Zion. By declaring that He has "chosen Jerusalem," Yahweh is executing a monumental act of cosmic boundary-setting. He is looking at the entire planet—which has been carved up by rebel spiritual forces—and He is planting His royal flag on this specific, modest hill. The surrounding pagan cultures believed their gods ruled from massive, physically imposing mountains, like Mount Zaphon or the towering heights of Mount Hermon. But Yahweh bypasses the arrogant, towering peaks of the rebels, and He chooses Jerusalem. He "desired it for his home." He then seals this choice with an absolute, eternal decree in verse fourteen: "‘This is my resting place forever,' he said. ‘I will live here, for this is the home I desired.'" The phrase "resting place"—or menuchah in the Hebrew—carries a deep, ancient Near Eastern royal meaning. A king's resting place was not where he went to take a nap; it was his palace. It was the centralized command center from which he issued decrees, administered justice, and ruled his empire after completely defeating his enemies. When Yahweh says Zion is His resting place "forever," He is announcing that Jerusalem is the permanent, unchangeable headquarters of the cosmos. He is completely evicting the claims of the rebel principalities. He says, "I will live here." The High King of heaven has moved His primary residence down into the human realm, establishing His divine council administration right in the midst of His people, and creating an unshakeable fortress of truth that can never be overthrown by the powers of chaos. The second segment is! The Overflowing Feast and the Garments of Victory Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two: verses fifteen and sixteen. I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food. I will clothe its priests with salvation; its loyal servants will sing for joy. Because the ultimate Source of life and cosmic order has taken His seat on the mountain, the blessings of His presence immediately begin to cascade down, radically transforming the socioeconomic and spiritual reality of the city. Yahweh promises, "I will bless this city and make it prosperous; I will satisfy its poor with food." The rebel spiritual forces and their arrogant, earthly proxies governed the pagan empires through exploitation, greed, and systemic cruelty. In Babylon, Egypt, and Canaan, the wealthy elite built their palaces by grinding the faces of the poor into the dirt, while their corrupt gods demanded heavy sacrifices from the starving masses. But the government of Yahweh operates on an economy of absolute Shalom—complete, flourishing wholeness and restorative justice. When the King of Zion prospers His city, the blessing is not hoarded by a select few at the top. It ripples all the way down to the margins of society. He promises to "satisfy its poor with food." In the ancient world, satisfying the poor with bread was the ultimate sign of a righteous, legitimate monarch. Yahweh's presence ensures that hunger is eradicated, oppression is broken, and the vulnerable are fiercely protected. The cosmic center becomes a place of abundant, overflowing life for everyone who dwells within its gates. The divine blessing then moves from the physical needs of the community, to their spiritual armor in verse sixteen: "I will clothe its priests with salvation; its loyal servants will sing for joy." We must look back to verse nine of this same psalm to see the beautiful, reciprocal nature of this verse. In the previous processional prayer, the pilgrims petitioned God, saying, "May your priests be clothed in godliness and righteousness." Now, Yahweh answers that prayer, but He expands the vocabulary. He doesn't just promise to clothe them in righteousness; He says, "I will clothe its priests with salvation." The Hebrew word for salvation here is yesha, implying deliverance, victory, and safety. The priests, who serve as the crucial human mediators between the heavenly council and the earthly congregation, are completely wrapped in the defensive armor of the Divine Warrior. They become walking advertisements of God's saving power. And because the leadership is securely wrapped in victory, the effect on the congregation is instantaneous: "its loyal servants will sing for joy." The hasidim—the covenant-keeping exiles—break out into uninhibited, ecstatic shouting. Their worship becomes an auditory shield, completely drowning out the deceptive lies and the mocking laughter of the surrounding culture. The third segment is: The Sprouting Horn and the Resplendent Crown Psalm One Hundred Thirty-Two: verses seventeen and eighteen. Here I will increase the power of David; I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one. I will clothe his enemies with shame, but he will be a resplendent king.” The psalm reaches its grand, prophetic finale by focusing entirely on the destiny of the Davidic monarch, the human vice-regent of God's earthly kingdom. Yahweh decrees, "Here I will increase the power of David; I will prepare a lamp for my anointed one." The phrase "increase the power of David" uses an incredibly vivid, old-world idiom. The literal Hebrew text says, "There I will cause a horn to sprout for David." In ancient Near Eastern iconography, the horn of a wild ox represented raw, undefeated military strength,...

In this episode, we kick things off with a major private equity play in the intermodal freight space. Open Road Ventures announced it has acquired Double-Stack Logistics, an intermodal freight broker with direct rail relationships and a fleet of over 150 containers. The company specializes in converting freight that typically moves over the road into intermodal shipments, and the backing will allow Double-Stack to expand its service offering and North American footprint. Next, we explore a massive break for drivers hauling fertilizer as FMCSA grants hours-of-service waivers across 34 states to ease a critical squeeze on fertilizer supplies. Running from May 26 through August 26, the waiver allows drivers to operate for sixteen hours in a twenty-four-hour period—far beyond the standard eleven-hour limit—and eliminates the electronic logging device requirement, giving farmers the narrow window they need to get fertilizer applied during spring planting season. Finally, we unpack a bitter legal battle in the air cargo charter market where GlobalX Airlines is suing Ascent Global Logistics for $30 million, alleging the former investment partner steered charter work to its own subsidiary. According to the complaint, Ascent assigned hundreds of charters per month worth up to $15 million to USA Jet Airlines while only referring about $1 million in flights to GlobalX over three years, a stark breach of their exclusive freight brokerage agreement. Follow the FreightWaves NOW Podcast Other FreightWaves Shows Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Hear Stephen Wood preach from Psalm 120 beginning our sermon series on the Psalms of Ascent. Stephen gave this sermon at Liberti River Wards church on May 17, 2026.

Jo Glynn-Smith is a coach & specialises in leadership growth, career transition and personal transformation, working with people to navigate change. Alongside her coaching practice she hosts The Midlife Entrepreneur podcast, which explores the shift from corporate life into entrepreneurship, so is perfectly placed to guide us through how to pivot in mid-life & address how listeners might honestly assess whether they are ready to do the same. Keep listening to hear a practical guide on ‘how to pivot' FF&M enables you to own your own PR & produces podcasts.Recorded, edited & published by Juliet Fallowfield, 2024 MD & Founder of PR & Communications consultancy for startups Fallow, Field & Mason.  Email us at hello@fallowfieldmason.com or DM us on instagram @fallowfieldmason. MUSIC CREDIT Funk Game Loop by Kevin MacLeod. Link &  LicenceText us your questions for future founders. Plus we'd love to get your feedback, text in via Fan MailSupport the show

Eleonora Teplinsky, MD, is the head of breast and gynecologic medical oncology and Valley-Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Paramus, New Jersey, as well as an ASCO breast cancer expert. She explained the most compelling research results on breast cancer presented at the 2026 American Society of Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting. Listen to the episode to hear Dr. Teplinsky explain: the importance of the OPTIMA study, as well as her caveats about the results the latest results from the ASCENT-04 study what progression-free survival 2 (PFS2) is and how it helps doctors decide which treatments should be given first what we do and don't know about GLP-1 medicines and cancer

Hi folks! We're back (yes, even including Jayson!) with an episode that's a little different than our usual - do let us know what you think! This month and next month, we're doing a different kind of deep dive. Rather than specifically looking at a single game mechanic or designer, we're looking at a game company - in this case, Fantasy Flight Games. Not to give anything away, but the fact that this episode is subtitled "The Rise" might give you a moment's pause about next month's episode... Have you ever wanted to read a novel set in one of FFG's game universes? Well, they released some anyway. Diskwars: The Mess FFG made a movie! Rotten Tomatoes has it at 8%, so you know we need to set up a watch party on Discord... The War of the Ring Collector's Edition is mighty hard to find these days, but you can still get the only slightly less cool Two Decades Limited Edition. Frank says the first edition of this FFG product had "one fatal flaw - it's a terrible game." Are you - or were you - a Fantasy Flight Fan? Are there other game companies you'd like us to give this kind of treatment to? Was this a terrible idea? Come visit our Discord server to chat with us and other like-minded game nerds! As always, thank you for listening. Please consider writing us an iTunes review if you like what you hear! We'd also love to have you visit our website and let us know what kinds of games we should discuss next. You're also more than welcome to comment on the episode page, or our Discord, or our Facebook page, or tag @ascentofboardgames on Bluesky. Whatever way you prefer to share your opinions with us, we'd love to hear them.  As always, we appreciate your listening - stay safe out there, and happy gaming! Website: https://www.ascentofboardgames.com Email: ascentofboardgames@gmail.com Discord: https://discord.gg/tdH3QAn  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/ascentboardgames/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/ascentofboardgames.bsky.social Discord: http://discord.ascentofboardgames.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ascentofboardgames/ And, very occasionally, Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/ascentofboardgames Intro and outro music is "Evening Melodrama" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com), licensed under a Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0 License. The Ascent of Board Games is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Some rights reserved. Thank you for listening!

Psalm 123, Andrew Sheely

Before Carolina Ascent heads to Lexington to challenge for the Super League title, Coach Poole drops by for a wide-ranging conversation on the season, philosophy, and growing Ascent to this point in the franchise's young history...

It's a full Thursday Thoughts on SDH AMWe look at MLS news and reports on Atlanta United and Philadelphia UnionCarolina Ascent Head Coach/GM Philip Poole visits on their Gainbridge Super League title match in Lexington this weekendFuboTV's Nino Torres looks at the Copas, Pep Guardiola, and the World Cup Chronicles plus all the news from overnight and overseas...

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nearly 25% of U.S. adults—roughly 60 million Americans—live with chronic pain, while approximately 8.5% experience high-impact chronic pain that significantly limits their daily life or ability to work. Chronic pain is one of the most misunderstood health challenges in modern society, often forcing people to navigate invisible suffering, medical uncertainty, and profound personal transformation. In this deeply honest and inspiring episode, former Silicon Valley CEO and Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute Fellow Nancy Deyo shares her extraordinary story of survival, identity loss, and rebuilding after a medical crisis on Mount Kilimanjaro changed the course of her life. What began as an ambitious climb turned into a fifteen-year journey marked by misdiagnosis, persistent pain, opioid dependence, and the collapse of the high-performance mindset that once fueled her success. Nancy opens up about the emotional and psychological realities of chronic illness, including what happens when discipline, endurance, and “pushing through” are no longer enough. Unable to sit because of debilitating pain, she attended graduate school lying on an army cot, later traveled across the world stretched across three airplane seats, and eventually found her way back into professional life—all while learning how to adapt to a body and future she could no longer control. Drawing from the experiences detailed in her forthcoming memoir, Perilous Ascent, Nancy offers people a powerful conversation about resilience that goes beyond motivational clichés. This episode explores the hidden costs of achievement culture, the loneliness of invisible illness, navigating flawed healthcare systems, and how to reconstruct identity when life no longer responds to effort in the same way it once did. Whether you are facing chronic pain, burnout, major life disruption, or simply searching for a more sustainable understanding of success and resilience, this conversation delivers practical wisdom, emotional honesty, and a compelling reminder that adaptation—not perfection—can become the path forward.   For more information: https://nancydeyo.com/ Discover More: https://nancydeyo.substack.com/   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Why mess with a good thing, right? With one more win to go for a USL Super League Championship, Carolina Ascent Coach Philip Poole makes his fourth visit to Soccer City to share some insight on how his team got to this title match, and how they plan to win it. You'll gain a lot from his focus on process over results and how it paid off in the down times. It's for the climb, Baby!

Have a Social with the Saints! Receive encouragement for your daily life as we meet role model Bl. Franz Jägerstätter, husband, father, and conscientious objector to the Nazi regime. Get a free quote card and pamphlet of Bl. Franz Jägerstätter here. We invite you to share them with friends and family. We want to hear from you! What struck you about Bl. Franz Jägerstätter? Please send us your feedback to ministry@pilgrimcenterofhope.org The official Socials with the Saints theme song is "Hero's Ascent" by Chris Haugen. Used with permission. We are so grateful to this month's sponsor, Shawn & Gina Harward, who made this podcast episode possible. Thanks for listening, and remember, you are never alone in the communion of the saints! May God bless you. Help us spread hope!

-James White- Psalm 121 is one of the Songs of Ascent. God's people have sung, and read, and meditated upon, these words for thousands of years. What does the Lord have for us in these words today?

Welcome to Day 2870 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2870 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 131:1-3 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2870 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2870 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Sanctuary of the Quiet Soul In our previous episode on this grand pilgrimage, we crawled through the dark, suffocating currents of the eleventh Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Thirty. We stood at the very bottom of the spiritual abyss, De Profundis, crying out from the depths of personal and corporate guilt. We witnessed the hyper-vigilant sentry straining his eyes on the city battlements, waiting with absolute, unshakeable certainty for the first radiant rays of the dawn. We celebrated the staggering reality of Yahweh's celestial ledger-erasing forgiveness, and we anchored our lives to a redemption that completely overflows, buying our souls back from the legal custody of the dark powers. Today, we step forward onto the next section of the mountain pass, moving into the twelfth song of this ancient pilgrim collection. We are exploring Psalm One Hundred Thirty-One, verses one through three, in the New Living Translation. This masterpiece, written by King Solomon's father, King David, is one of the shortest psalms in the entire Bible, containing only three brief verses. Yet, what it lacks in length, it more than makes up for in profound, world-altering psychological depth. It provides the perfect, beautiful emotional resolution to the desperate cry of the previous psalm. Once a soul has been lifted out of the depths of the abyss, and completely cleansed by the overflowing mercy of the King, the frantic striving, the exhausting pride, and the paralyzing anxieties of this life simply melt away. Let us step onto this quiet, sunlit ridge of the trail, and learn the rare art of a quiet soul. The first segment is: The Abdication of Cosmic Hubris Psalm One Hundred Thirty-One: verse one. Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty. I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp. The song opens with an intimate, raw, and deeply transparent confession made directly to the Creator. “Lord, my heart is not proud; my eyes are not haughty.” To fully appreciate the staggering nature of this statement, we must look at the identity of the writer. This is King David speaking. David was not a quiet, sheltered monk living far away from the realities of the world. David was a towering giant of human history. He was a ruthless warrior who slaughtered tens of thousands on the battlefield, a brilliant political strategist who unified a fractured nation, and a wealthy monarch who established an empire. He was a man who possessed every earthly reason to be consumed by arrogance. Yet, as he walks the pilgrim road to Jerusalem, stripping off his royal robes and marching shoulder-to-shoulder with the lowliest peasants, he looks up to the heavenly throne room and declares, “Lord, my heart is not proud.” The Hebrew word for proud here implies being swollen, inflated, or lifted up above your proper station. David refuses to let his heart be infected by the toxic gas of self-importance. He adds, “...my eyes are not haughty.” Haughty eyes are visually raised eyes. It is the posture of a person who constantly looks down their nose at others, treating fellow image-bearers with condescension and contempt. We remember from our trek through Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three how deeply the pilgrims suffered from the contempt of the proud and the arrogant proxies of the culture. David actively abdicates that posture. He refuses to participate in the competitive, status-driven games of the world. He then provides the practical, operational definition of his humility: “I don't concern myself with matters too great or too awesome for me to grasp.” Other translations render this phrase, “Neither do I exercise myself in great matters, or in things too wonderful for me.” The Hebrew phrase for “too awesome” or “too wonderful” is b'nifla'ot mimeni, which refers to things that are hidden, supernatural, or beyond human jurisdiction. We must view this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite divine council worldview, as masterfully taught by Doctor Michael S. Heiser. In the ancient Near East, the great temptation for human rulers was cosmic hubris. The rebel spiritual principalities—the fallen elohim of the nations—rebelled against Yahweh precisely because they wanted to overstep their assigned boundaries. They wanted to hoard forbidden knowledge, manipulate cosmic events, and ascend to heights that were reserved exclusively for the Most High God. They infected human empires with this same madness, driving pagan kings to perform dark, esoteric rituals to uncover the hidden secrets of the gods, frantically trying to control the future through sorcery and political manipulation. David looks at the chaotic, overreaching ambition of the rebel gods and their earthly empires, and he completely opts out. He says, “I am not an elohim. I am a human being made of dust. I am a servant, not the Master. I do not need to understand the hidden, complex mechanics of how Yahweh governs the unseen spiritual realm. I do not need to stay awake at night frantically worrying about the turning of the cosmic gears, or trying to decipher every single hidden mystery of the universe.” True wisdom lies in knowing your limitations within God's created order. It is the peace of acknowledging that you do not have to be omniscient, because you serve a King who is. David abdicates the burden of trying to run the cosmos, choosing instead to manage the small, specific territory of his own obedience. The second segment is:The Sanctuary of the Weaned Child Psalm One Hundred Thirty-One: verse two. Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me. Having cleared away the noisy, exhausting clutter of pride and cosmic anxiety, the psalmist introduces one of the most beautiful, tender, and emotionally resonant metaphors in all of Holy Scripture. “Instead, I have calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child who no longer cries for its mother's milk. Yes, like a weaned child is my soul within me.” Notice the active verbs used here: “I have calmed and quieted myself.” This tells us that a peaceful soul is not something that happens to us automatically or accidentally. It requires aggressive, intentional self-discipline. The natural human heart is a raging storm of desires, appetites, and demands. Left to itself, your soul will scream for attention, throwing continuous tantrums for more control, more validation, and more security. To calm and quiet the soul means you have to actively take the reins of your inner life, speaking the authoritative words of the Creator over your own internal chaos: “Peace, be still.” To illustrate this quietness, David invites us to look at a mother and her child. But pay close attention to the specific stage of development he highlights: it is a weaned child. In the ancient Near East, a child was typically not weaned until they were three, or even four, years old. An unweaned, nursing infant operates on a purely transactional, high-stress relationship with its mother. When that tiny baby is hungry, it doesn't care about the mother's comfort, the time of night, or the surrounding environment. It experiences a physical craving, and it screams. It scratches, it claws, and it treats the mother not as a person to be loved, but as a utility to be consumed. The moment it gets what it wants, it falls asleep; the moment the milk is delayed, the frantic, red-faced panic returns. This is a profound, accurate description of how many of us naturally relate to the Creator. We live as spiritual infants, completely unweaned from the world. Our relationship with Yahweh is entirely transactional. We approach His throne room only when we want something, when we are desperate for a blessing, hungry for a breakthrough, or terrified of a crisis. We scratch and claw at His hand, demanding that He fulfill our immediate desires according to our precise timeline. And if the answer is delayed, or if the blessing is withheld, we immediately throw a spiritual tantrum, accusing God of abandoning us, and allowing our hearts to spin into a frenzy of anxiety. But look at the weaned child. This older child has gone through the painful, difficult process of having the immediate gratification of the milk removed. They have survived the transition. And now, they come to...

May 24th, 2026 | Speaker Janae Collins The Psalms of Ascent, emphasizing God's constant protection, guidance, and faithfulness as believers journey through life and place their trust in Him.

Scott Mason talks with Erik Skopil of Ducks Territory about the Jets' newest TE, Kenyon Sadiq! Erik discusses: -Sadiq's family and high school career -What led Sadiq to Oregon -Fighting for playing time as a true freshman -Ascent in 2024 and 2025 -Role in helping to get Oregon to the college football playoff -Durability and character -Culture shock? -Good fit with the Jets? and much more! Check out the Play Like A Jet store and get your "Play Like A Jet" logo shirt RIGHT NOW! Hoodies, hats, mugs, etc.....also available! https://www.teepublic.com/t-shirt/19770068-play-like-a-jet-logo-shirt?store_id=717242 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to Day 2868 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2868 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 130:1-8 Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2868 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2868 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – Out of the Depths of the Cosmic Abyss In our previous episode on this grand pilgrimage, we traveled along the rugged trails of the tenth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Nine. We confronted the gritty, painful reality of the survivor. We looked at the deep, bloody furrows plowed across the back of the covenant community by the wicked—the earthly agents of the rebel spiritual principalities. Yet, we celebrated the triumphant, sharp justice of Yahweh, who stepped onto the field and sliced the harnesses of oppression in half. We saw that while the haters of Zion look elevated, they are ultimately nothing more than shallow roof-grass, destined to wither into worthlessness under the heat of divine judgment. Today, we take our next deliberate, introspective steps up the mountain pass toward Jerusalem. We are exploring the eleventh song in this ancient collection: Psalm One Hundred Thirty, verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. Historically, this deeply moving psalm has been known in the Christian tradition by its opening Latin words, De Profundis, which translate to, "Out of the Depths." The psalmist shifts our focus from the external persecution of worldly enemies, to the internal, suffocating weight of personal and corporate guilt. We are moving from the battlefield of physical survival, into the profound spiritual depths of the human soul, learning how to cry out for mercy when we are drowning in our own brokenness. Let us step onto the trail, and listen to the desperate cry for redemption. The first segment is: Crying from the Chaotic Waters of Despair Psalm One Hundred Thirty: verses one and two. Out of the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Listen to my prayer. The song opens not with a shout of triumph, but with a muffled, echoing cry from the dark. "Out of the depths of despair, O Lord, I call for your help. Hear my cry, O Lord. Listen to my prayer." To truly comprehend the terrifying weight of this opening, we must view the imagery through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview. The Hebrew word for "depths" is ma'amaqim. In the ancient Near East, the deep, dark, and churning waters of the ocean were not viewed merely as a geographic feature; they represented primeval chaos, the cosmic abyss, and the terrifying domain of death. The sea was the playground of Leviathan, and the watery throat of Sheol—the underworld. To be in "the depths" meant you were drowning, completely overwhelmed by cosmic forces, suffocating in total darkness, and entirely cut off from the land of the living. But what has dragged the psalmist down into this spiritual abyss? It is not the armies of Babylon this time; it is the realization of his own sin. The depths of despair represent the suffocating environment of guilt. When you recognize how far you have fallen from the cosmic blueprint of the Creator, the psychological weight can feel like a multi-ton tidal wave, pinning you to the ocean floor. Yet, look at the direction of his cry. Even from the bottom of the chaotic abyss, wrapped in the dark currents of his own failure, the pilgrim directs his voice straight upward. He calls out to the Name of Yahweh. He begs, "Hear my cry, O Lord. Listen to my prayer." This is an act of fierce, desperate faith. The rebel spiritual forces—the corrupt elohim of the Divine Council—want the guilty soul to believe that it is permanently abandoned, that the abyss has claimed them forever. But the psalmist refuses to listen to the blackmail of the enemy. He knows that the voice of the Creator can penetrate the deepest, darkest waters of the cosmic void. When you are drowning in your own brokenness, you must use your final breath to send an SOS straight to the heavenly throne room. The second segment is: The Celestial Ledger and the Scandal of Grace Psalm One Hundred Thirty: verses three and four. Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive? But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you. Standing before the cosmic courtroom of heaven, the psalmist poses a chilling, rhetorical question that seals the fate of all humanity. "Lord, if you kept a record of our sins, who, O Lord, could ever survive?" In the ancient Near Eastern worldview, it was believed that the gods kept rigorous, celestial ledgers. The rebel principalities kept meticulous books, recording every infraction, every mistake, and every failure of mankind, utilizing those records to extort, torture, and condemn human beings. They demanded absolute, flawless perfection, but provided absolutely no grace. If Yahweh operated on the same system, the cosmic trial would be over before it even started. The Hebrew word for "survive" here means to stand. If God brought out the unedited ledger of our hidden thoughts, our compromised motives, and our outright rebellions, every single human being, every angel, and every member of the council would instantly collapse under the weight of perfect justice. No one could stand. But then, the psalmist introduces a staggering, paradigm-shifting truth that completely shatters the cosmic legal system of the enemy. Verse four declares, "But you offer forgiveness, that we might learn to fear you." This is a beautiful, supernatural paradox. In our human way of thinking, we assume that if a judge lets a criminal off the hook, the criminal will lose all respect for the law. We think that punishment produces fear, and forgiveness produces carelessness. But in the economy of the Most High God, the exact opposite is true. The rebel gods of the pagan nations used fear and guilt to manipulate their followers into slavery. They never offered true, total forgiveness; they only offered temporary, expensive truces. But Yahweh performs a miracle of grace. He skims off the record of our sins, completely erasing the ledger through His covenant love. When a human being, drowning at the bottom of the abyss, experiences the overwhelming, unmerited release of divine forgiveness, it triggers a profound, holy shockwave in their soul. They don't become careless; they become utterly captivated. They develop a deep, trembling, and reverential awe—the true "fear of the Lord." They realize they are dealing with a King who is too good, too powerful, and too merciful to ever be trifled with. Forgiveness doesn't produce license; it produces absolute, unswerving loyalty to the true Sovereign of the cosmos. The third segment is: The Hyper-Vigilant Vigil for the Sun of Righteousness Psalm One Hundred Thirty: verses five and six. I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word. I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn. Having received the assurance of forgiveness, the psalmist transitions into a posture of patient, yet hyper-vigilant, waiting. "I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word." The Hebrew word for "counting on," or "waiting," is qavah, which carries the visceral idea of twisting cords together to make a strong rope. It implies an active, muscular tension. The pilgrim is not waiting passively, like a person sitting bored in a doctor's office. He is binding his soul tightly to the promises of God, bracing himself for the long watch. He has anchored his hope exclusively to the "word"—the cosmic decrees and covenant oaths of Yahweh. He illustrates the intensity of this waiting with a beautiful, hauntingly repetitive military metaphor in verse six. "I long for the Lord more than sentries long for the dawn, yes, more than sentries long for the dawn." To understand this, we must remember our previous treks through the Songs of Ascents, specifically Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven, where we learned about the vital role of the watchman guarding the city walls. Imagine a sentry stationed on the high stone battlements of Jerusalem during the ancient night watch. The darkness around him is heavy, absolute, and infested with hidden dangers. The enemy principalities and their human proxies do their most destructive work...

Many believers fall into the trap of thinking God's love depends on their spiritual performance, creating cycles of striving and hiding when they fail. Psalm 134 reveals a different truth: God's presence isn't earned through performance but entered through relationship. The pilgrims and temple servants in this psalm understood that neither could sustain their calling without God's blessing and presence. Through Christ's work, not our own, we've been brought near to God. When we draw near to Him without agenda, simply to be in relationship, transformation happens naturally - weary souls find rest, anxious hearts find peace, and striving people stop performing.

May 24th, 2026 Pastor chad McDonald This week, we begin an overview of the Psalms of Ascent, beginning with Psalm 120. Three times each year the people of Israel would ascend to Jerusalem to worship. The ascent was not only geographical but also spiritual. It was a “going home” for the nation. These psalms were sung as the people made their way up to Jerusalem, and this first psalm was a song that demonstrated their longing to return to Zion. In this psalm, we will see that the psalmist is homesick. He has spent too much time in the world, and he wants to go home. You have probably been there, too. There have been times when you have probably been homesick, geographically or spiritually. I pray you will join us this weekend as we begin our ascent with the psalmist, and as we turn our attention to our heavenly home. In Christ, Pastor Chad

Today we look at God's presence like a mountain that we are invited to climb and draw close to God. We look at Exodus 24 on the instructions God gives to Moses for climbing the mountain because the climb starts with building at the base and the sight that we can at the summit. For more information on The Gathering, check out our website thegathering.online

Psalm 122, Josh Brooks

May 24th, 2026 Pastor chad McDonald This week, we begin an overview of the Psalms of Ascent, beginning with Psalm 120. Three times each year the people of Israel would ascend to Jerusalem to worship. The ascent was not only geographical but also spiritual. It was a “going home” for the nation. These psalms were sung as the people made their way up to Jerusalem, and this first psalm was a song that demonstrated their longing to return to Zion. In this psalm, we will see that the psalmist is homesick. He has spent too much time in the world, and he wants to go home. You have probably been there, too. There have been times when you have probably been homesick, geographically or spiritually. I pray you will join us this weekend as we begin our ascent with the psalmist, and as we turn our attention to our heavenly home. In Christ, Pastor Chad

Welcome to Day 2865 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2865 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 125:1-6 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2865 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2865 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Blessed Hearth – Cultivating Cosmic Peace in the Home In our previous episode on this ancient pilgrim path, we climbed through the eighth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven. That profound psalm, written by King Solomon, delivered a striking warning about the total futility of human ambition. We learned that unless the Lord builds the house, and unless the Lord guards the city, our frantic, anxious, early-morning-to-late-night labor is completely wasted. We explored the beautiful martial metaphor of children being shaped like arrows in the hands of a warrior, designed to be launched directly into the cultural battlefield to push back the darkness. We resolved to surrender our personal blueprints to the Divine Architect, resting securely in His sovereign provision. Today, we take our next rhythmic, joyful steps up the trail toward the Holy City. We are immersing ourselves in the ninth Song of Ascent: Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight, verses one through six, in the New Living Translation. This psalm serves as the perfect, beautiful twin to the one we just left behind. If Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven warned us against the dangerous traps of building an autonomous empire, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight shows us the breathtaking, positive reality of what happens when a household is properly aligned with the cosmic order of the Creator. We are moving from the construction site, and the battlefield, directly into the warmth of the family hearth. Let us step onto the trail, and discover the true anatomy of a blessed life. The first segment is: The True Anatomy of Joy and Uncorrupted Labor Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight: verses one and two. How joyful are those who fear the Lord— all who follow his ways! You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be! The psalm opens with a resounding, universal declaration of flourishing. “How joyful are those who fear the Lord—all who follow his ways!” The Hebrew word used here for “joyful,” or “blessed,” is Ashrei. As we have discovered on our long trek through the Psalter, Ashrei is not a fleeting, superficial happiness. It is not an emotional high based on good luck, or comfortable circumstances. Ashrei is a state of deep, structural well-being. It is the profound satisfaction of a human life that is working exactly the way the Designer intended it to work. And how do you achieve this state of cosmic alignment? The psalmist gives a dual-sided answer: by fearing the Lord, and by following His ways. The “fear of the Lord” is not the cowering, paralyzed terror of a slave shrinking from a cruel tyrant. It is the deep, trembling reverence of a creature who recognizes the supreme, unrivaled majesty of the Creator. We must view this through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, specifically regarding the Divine Council theology taught by Dr. Michael S. Heiser. The surrounding pagan nations lived in constant, anxious terror of their localized deities. The rebel gods of Canaan, Babylon, and Egypt were capricious, demanding, and unpredictable. The pagans had to constantly manipulate these spiritual forces through frantic sacrifices, just to avoid their wrath. But Yahweh is entirely different. He is the Holy, Righteous Sovereign. To fear Him means to recognize His ultimate authority, to reject the deceptive claims of the rebel principalities, and to lock your loyalty exclusively onto His covenant. This internal reverence naturally manifests in external action: you follow His ways. You map your daily footsteps according to the cosmic blueprint of His Torah. When your life is properly aligned with the King, the blessing immediately overflows into your daily work. Verse two promises, “You will enjoy the fruit of your labor. How joyful and prosperous you will be!” This is a profound, beautiful reversal of the ancient curse of Genesis Chapter Three. After the rebellion in Eden, human labor was corrupted. The ground was cursed, yielding thorns and thistles, and humanity was condemned to eat their food through anxious, sweat-soaked sorrow. Furthermore, in a chaotic world ruled by rebel spirits, a farmer could work hard all season, only to have a hostile foreign army raid his fields and steal his entire harvest right before his eyes. But under the protective, sovereign guard of Yahweh, the curse is neutralized. The pilgrim who fears the Lord is granted a rare, magnificent privilege: he actually gets to sit down, rest, and enjoy the direct fruit of his own hard work. Your labor is no longer an exercise in futility. It becomes meaningful, productive, and deeply satisfying. You become prosperous, not necessarily in the shallow, materialistic sense of amassing millions in gold, but in the true, biblical sense of having more than enough to sustain a joyful, flourishing life. The second segment is: The Living Metaphors of the Fruitful Hearth Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Eight: verses three and four. Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home. Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table. That is the Lord's blessing for those who fear him. The psalmist moves from the public sphere of the fields and the marketplace, and walks right into the private sanctuary of the home. He uses two of the most powerful, evocative agricultural metaphors in the entire ancient Near East to describe the inner circle of the family. First, he declares, “Your wife will be like a fruitful grapevine, flourishing within your home.” In the ancient Mediterranean world, the grapevine was the ultimate symbol of joy, celebration, and abundant life. Wine was not just a beverage; it was the essential element that gladdened the human heart during feasts and covenant celebrations. A grapevine required careful, long-term cultivation, pruning, and protection. By comparing a wife to a fruitful grapevine flourishing within the innermost parts of the home, the psalmist is painting a picture of deep intimacy, security, and intoxicating joy. She is not a slave, or a piece of property, as women often were in the surrounding pagan empires. She is the very source of life, beauty, and relational warmth at the center of the household. Her presence fills the domestic sanctuary with a rich, nourishing vitality that causes the entire family structure to blossom. Second, he looks down at the next generation: “Your children will be like vigorous young olive trees as they sit around your table.” Think about the unique nature of the olive tree. In ancient Israel, the olive tree was the absolute cornerstone of the economy. Olive oil was used for cooking, for fueling the lamps that pushed back the darkness, and for anointing priests and kings. But an olive tree is an exercise in extreme, multi-generational patience. A newly planted olive shoot can take anywhere from ten to fifteen years before it begins to bear a significant harvest of fruit. However, once that tree matures, its root system becomes virtually indestructible. It can live, flourish, and produce rich, valuable oil for centuries. When the psalmist looks at the children sitting around the family dinner table, and calls them “vigorous young olive shoots,” he is looking far past the present moment. He is describing a generational investment. These children are currently small, requiring constant watering, protection, and pruning according to the wisdom of God's Word. They are the arrows we learned about in Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven. But because they are being raised within the secure perimeter of a household that fears Yahweh, they are developing deep, unshakeable spiritual roots. They are being prepared to stand firm against the chaotic storms of the culture, ensuring that long after the parents have returned to the dust, the family legacy will continue to produce the rich oil of truth, light, and righteousness in a dark world. The psalmist pauses to secure this domestic imagery with a final, sealing declaration in verse four: “That is the Lord's blessing for those who fear him.” He wants to make sure we do not miss the connection. This beautiful, flourishing picture of a joyful wife and vigorous children is not an accident. It is not a stroke of good luck. It is the direct, intentional, and covenantal reward...

Have you ever gotten an inquiry that you just knew you couldn't turn down, even though you'd never done that exact thing before? That's what happened when I booked my first live engraving event - without ever having touched an engraver. In this episode, I'm sharing the full story of how I said yes to an engraving live event, learned to engrave in one week, and pulled off a wildly successful event. I'm sharing what that experience and other similar experiences have taught me about putting an idea into action fast for your business. This isn't about winging it. It's about knowing when you have the skills to go for it, and deciding that you're ready.In this episode we talk about:How to confidently take on something new, without taking on too much riskWhy readiness is a decision, not a feelingThe key to booking jobs you've never done before

This week, Pastor Abraham closes out our Psalms of Ascent series with Psalm 134. Interested in hearing more? Join us next week for our morning services at 123 W 57th St, in Midtown, New York City.

Today on the 5: As part of "May-be It Won't Suck" month, we watched a 1994 movie I just barely remember titled Dark Angel: The Ascent. Starting a Full Moon production is always a dice roll, but this movie rises above budgetary limitations by presenting a "Heaven & Hell" story that works very differently than you might expect.

Vanguard is the most effective vehicle ever created for participating in the fruits of American capitalism. Today it's the single largest equity owner of the majority of corporations in the S&P 500, on behalf of 50 million clients (including, likely, many of you). And yet Vanguard itself is essentially a communist organization — it has no shareholders, makes no profits, and operates more like REI than Fidelity. If you own a Vanguard fund, you own a piece of the firm itself. Any excess margin instead gets returned to clients in the form of lower fees, which since 1975 have added up to roughly five hundred billion dollars transferred out of Wall Street managers' pockets and into retail investors' savings accounts. And oh yeah, it all started as a cockamamie revenge plot by a guy who'd just been fired by his partners. Today we tell the story of communist capitalism at its finest — Vanguard.Sponsors:Many thanks to our fantastic Spring '26 Season partners:J.P. MorganWeAreDevelopers eventServiceNowVercelStatsigLinks:Sign up for email updates, get our takeaways and research photos from each episode, and vote on future topics!Our Vanguard "episode preview" in WSJStay the Course: The Story of Vanguard and the Index Revolution by John C. BogleThe Bogle Effect by Eric BalchunasWorldly Partners' Multi-Decade Vanguard StudyWorldly Partners' Article Generational Investing: The Discipline Behind 100+x OutcomesAll episode sourcesCarve Outs:Our WSJ pieces on Ferrari and VanguardMacBook Pro M5 MaxMichael MacKelvie on YouTubeThe Super Mario Galaxy MovieBrooks Vanguard sneakersMore Acquired:Get email updates and vote on future episodes!Join the SlackCheck out the latest swag in the ACQ Merch Store!00:00:00 Start00:00:41 Intro00:05:30 Jack Bogle's Early Life & Family Ruin (1929)00:12:34 Princeton Thesis & Mutual Funds Emerge (1949-1951)00:27:20 Joining Wellington Management (1951)00:30:38 The Go-Go Years & Fidelity's Ascent (1958-1965)00:40:36 Jack Takes the Reins & The Ivest Merger (1965)00:46:04 The Go-Go Bust & Jack's Crisis of Conscience (1970-1973)00:53:28 Jack is Fired: The Genesis of Vanguard (1974)01:13:03 The Journal Article That Inspired It All (1974-1976)01:35:02 Building the Fund & Early Struggles (1976-1981)01:44:32 The Rise of Indexing & Vanguard's Growth (1988-1992)01:49:06 Jack's Health & The CEO Transition (1995-1996)02:00:06 The ETF Debate & Jack's Second Firing (1999)02:24:18 The 2008 Financial Crisis: Vanguard's Moment02:30:46 The Warren Buffet Bet (2008-2019)02:41:28 Fidelity & BlackRock's Resurgence (Post-2008)02:52:04 Salim Ramji: Vanguard's First Outside CEO03:04:43 Wellington's Comeback & Mutual Ownership03:08:23 Analysis03:30:58 Quintessence03:39:35 Carve-Outs + Outro‍Note: Acquired hosts and guests may hold assets discussed in this episode. This podcast is not investment advice, and is intended for informational and entertainment purposes only. You should do your own research and make your own independent decisions when considering any financial transactions.

Welcome to Day 2863 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2863 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 127:1-5 – Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2863 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2863 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The title for today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – The Architect, the Watchman, and the Warrior In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we climbed through the seventh Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Six. We stood in the tension of the “already, but not yet,” remembering the unbelievable, dream-like rescue of God's people from exile, while desperately praying for a fresh outpouring of His grace. We learned the profound, agricultural lesson of the sower. We discovered that in the contested territory of this fallen world, we often have to plant our seeds in tears, exhausted by the spiritual warfare around us. Yet, we anchored our souls to the unbreakable, cosmic guarantee that those who weep as they plant will eventually return singing, carrying a massive, joyful harvest. Today, we take our next deliberate steps upward on this ancient pilgrim trail. We are exploring the eighth song in this magnificent collection. We are turning our attention to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven, verses one through five, in the New Living Translation. Interestingly, this specific psalm is attributed to King Solomon. Solomon was the ultimate builder of the ancient world; he built the glorious Temple, fortified cities, and amassed unprecedented wealth. Yet, in this psalm, he pauses to deliver a sobering warning about the futility of human ambition. He teaches us that building a physical empire, or a lasting family legacy, is entirely useless if the Architect of the cosmos is not the one holding the blueprints. Let us step onto the trail, and learn how to build a legacy that actually lasts. The first segment is: The Futility of Autonomous Ambition Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses one and two. Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good. It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones. This magnificent stanza opens with a definitive, double-sided declaration of human limitation. “Unless the Lord builds a house, the work of the builders is wasted. Unless the Lord protects a city, guarding it with sentries will do no good.” To truly grasp the weight of these words, we must view them through the lens of the Ancient Israelite worldview, specifically regarding the Divine Council and the cosmic rebellion. When human beings attempt to build a house, a dynasty, or a fortified city without the authorization and the active presence of Yahweh, they are essentially repeating the catastrophic sin of the Tower of Babel. At Babel, humanity sought to build a localized empire, a massive tower to reach the heavens, in order to make a great name for themselves, completely autonomous from the Creator. That act of autonomous ambition resulted in God disinheriting the nations, confusing their languages, and placing them under the jurisdiction of lesser, rebel spiritual principalities, the fallen elohim. Therefore, any city, or any human institution, built outside the cosmic order of God, is inherently vulnerable. It belongs to the chaotic, unstable realm of the rebel gods. You can hire the greatest architects, lay the thickest foundation stones, and post the most highly trained sentries on the walls, but if the Most High God is not the active Protector of that territory, the entire enterprise is spiritually bankrupt. It is destined to collapse into the dust. This reality brings us to the deeply psychological, and practical, observation in verse two. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones.” The rebel gods of the surrounding pagan cultures demanded endless, anxious labor from their followers. The deities of Canaan, Egypt, and Babylon were viewed as cruel taskmasters, requiring constant sacrifices and frantic appeasement just to ensure the rains would fall, and the crops would grow. The kingdom of darkness thrives on human anxiety. It wants you waking up before dawn, terrified of failure, and going to bed late, exhausted and consumed by the stress of basic survival. But Solomon, the wisest king of Israel, calls this frantic, autonomous striving “useless.” It is vanity. It is chasing the wind. He draws a sharp, beautiful contrast between the oppressive systems of the world, and the loving economy of Yahweh. “For God gives rest to his loved ones.” Other translations say, “He provides for His beloved even in his sleep.” The God of the Bible is not a cruel taskmaster. He is the loving Father who provides Shalom—complete, restful wholeness. This does not mean that believers are called to be lazy. We are called to be diligent, responsible stewards of creation. But the motivation changes entirely. We do not work out of a suffocating, paralyzing fear of starvation, or a desperate need to build our own autonomous empires. We work from a place of profound rest, knowing that the Sovereign Lord is the ultimate Provider, and that He is intimately guarding the house we are building. The second segment is: The Divine Gift and the Rejection of the Fertility Cults Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verse three. Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him. Suddenly, the psalm pivots. Solomon shifts the metaphor from building a physical house out of stones and cedar, to building a household, a dynasty, made out of human lives. He declares, “Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.” In our modern culture, we might read this simply as a sweet, sentimental statement about the joy of parenting. But in the ancient Near East, this was a massive, aggressive theological claim. It was an act of profound spiritual warfare. The nations surrounding Israel were deeply entrenched in fertility cults. They worshiped gods like Baal and Asherah, believing that these localized, rebel deities controlled the womb, the rain, and the harvest. When a couple wanted to conceive a child, they would participate in the corrupt, often deeply immoral, rituals of the pagan temples, frantically trying to manipulate the gods into granting them fertility. By stating that “Children are a gift from the Lord,” the psalmist is explicitly stripping all power and authority away from the false gods of Canaan. He is reminding the pilgrims that Baal has absolutely no jurisdiction over human life. The womb is not controlled by the chaotic forces of nature; it is the exclusive, sovereign domain of Yahweh. Every single child is a direct, intentional inheritance, and a precious reward, handed down by the Creator of the universe. To build a family legacy, you do not turn to the frantic, anxious practices of the world; you look upward, to the Giver of all good things. The third segment is: The Warrior's Quiver and the Expansion of the Kingdom Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Seven: verses four and five. Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands. How joyful is the man whose quiver is full of them! He will not be put to shame when he confronts his accusers at the city gates. Having established the divine origin of the family, Solomon introduces one of the most striking, martial metaphors in the entire Psalter. “Children born to a young man are like arrows in a warrior's hands.” Why does he compare children to weapons of war? Because, in the biblical worldview, raising a family is not a neutral, passive activity. It is an act of strategic, generational combat. The world is contested territory, deeply infected by the lies, the injustice, and the chaotic rebellion of the dark spiritual principalities. When you raise children in the fear and admonition of the Lord, you are intentionally shaping imagers of God, preparing them to push back against the darkness. Consider the nature of an arrow. An arrow is not meant to be kept safely inside the quiver forever. A warrior carefully shapes the shaft, balances the weight, sharpens the arrowhead, and attaches the fletching. All of this meticulous, grueling preparation is done for one specific purpose: to launch the arrow outward, into enemy...

In this jam-packed episode of SMQBs, Milk, House, and Rooster hold down the fort while Bison and Pope take the night off. The guys kick things off with their signature "Take 'em to the Bar" segment, diving into the exciting $2.3 billion MOU for a new Tampa baseball stadium , Don Mattingly's stunning turnaround with the red-hot Phillies , and Pep Guardiola's bittersweet farewell announcement from Manchester City. From there, the guys break down the highly anticipated NBA Conference Finals, analyzing the fast-paced Cleveland-Knicks series in the East and the star-studded Thunder-Spurs battle in the West featuring a clash of titans between Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.   They also cover the wild weekend in the golf world, highlighting Aaron Rai's shocking 200-to-1 underdog victory at the PGA Championship. The conversation takes a serious and thought-provoking turn as Rooster lays out how the Supreme Court's Louisiana v. Calais ruling. House also taps into his theatrical roots to deliver a legendary, no-punches-held teardown of Lane Kiffin in this week's "Punchable Face" segment.  Enjoy!!!

The Carolina Ascent are unbeaten in 10 matches with one game left in the regular season, and they have a massive party planned at ALMS for the occasion. Fullback Jill Aguilera and Coach Philip Poole pop into Soccer City to talk about the win streak, the club's growth in Year 2, the mindset going into the playoffs, and of course the Fan-tastic finale on deck. If there's one soccer team you were betting on to bring hardware to the Queen City this season, this is it, so there's every reason to get on board as the Ascent are just a handful of wins away from a Championship...It's for the Climb, Baby!

What if you could walk the exact same road Jesus walked on His way to the Temple, hear the golden bells of the high priest, and stand where pilgrims sang the Psalms of Ascent? Jim Scudder takes you on an unforgettable journey through the newly opened Pilgrimage Road in the City of David—where faith, history, and archaeology come alive in stunning ways.

Thank you for tuning into this week's episode of Hot Goss, here on the New Hope Underground feed! This week, we discuss The Ascent and New Hope's Summer Schedule — which is now LIVE on New Hope Now! Then, Jonathan Broscious crashes the pod and we share some of our Hottest Takes!Support the show by visiting volleycoffee.co and use code HOTGOSS at checkout for 20% off your purchase!––––Quick Links:— Visit our website: http://newhopechurch.cc— Fill out the Connect Card: http://newhopenow.cc— Join a Serve Team: http://newhopenow.cc— See what's happening now: http://newhopenow.cc––––The New Hope Podcast Network:— New Hope Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/newhopepod— New Hope Underground: https://newhopechurch.cc/underground— SOMA Bible Study Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/somapodcast— The Parent Podcast: https://newhopechurch.cc/parentpodcast––––Like us on Facebook (http://facebook.com/newhopechurchcc) and follow us on Instagram (http://instagram.com/newhopechurchcc) for the most up to date information on all New Hope ministries and events!––––Thank you for giving generously at New Hope. It's because of your giving that we are able to share Jesus with our community and further our vision of seeing a greater movement of Jesus in each new generation! If you'd like to give this week, you can do so at https://newhopechurch.cc/give, by mail to PO Box 57 Effingham, IL 62401, or through the Church Center App. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Day 2858 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2858 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 124:1-8– Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2858 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2858 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. The Title for Today's Wisdom-Trek is: The Song of Ascent – Surviving the Raging Waters of Chaos In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we explored the fourth Song of Ascent, Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three. We stood safely within the seamless walls of Jerusalem, yet we realized that our souls were still carrying the heavy, agonizing scars of the wilderness. We felt the crushing, suffocating weight of cultural contempt. In response, we adopted the posture of a hyper-vigilant servant. We chose to lift our eyes above the earthly mockery of the arrogant, and we fixed our gaze firmly upon the hand of the Master, waiting desperately for His unmerited, vindicating mercy. Today, we are exploring the fifth song in this ancient pilgrim collection. We are turning our attention to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four, verses one through eight, in the New Living Translation. The psalmist shifts our perspective dramatically. Instead of looking upward in exhaustion, he demands that we look backward, and stare directly into the terrifying abyss of what could have been. He forces the congregation to confront a chilling, hypothetical question, imagining a reality where the Creator had ignored their upward gaze. Let us step back onto the trail, and examine the raging waters from which we have been saved. The first segment is: The Horrifying Hypothetical and the Maw of the Underworld Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses one through three What if the Lord had not been on our side? Let all Israel repeat: What if the Lord had not been on our side when people attacked us? They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger. The stanza opens with a dark, shuddering question: "What if the Lord had not been on our side?" The psalmist is not asking this lightly; he commands the entire gathered congregation of Israel to repeat the phrase. He wants the collective community to mentally strip away the protection of Yahweh for just a moment, and truly comprehend their own agonizing vulnerability. Imagine a universe where the Most High God was neutral, apathetic, or simply absent. Imagine facing the hostility of the surrounding pagan nations without the covering of the Divine Shield. The psalmist describes the attackers not merely as human politicians, or enemy soldiers, but as forces of cosmic destruction. He says, "They would have swallowed us alive in their burning anger." To fully grasp the terror of this imagery, we must understand the Ancient Near Eastern, and biblical, worldview. The language of being "swallowed alive" is heavily rooted in the mythology of the Canaanite god of death, Mot. In the ancient world, death was not just an inevitable biological event; death was a predatory, insatiable entity. The underworld, Sheol, was often depicted as a monstrous beast with a gaping maw, a throat that stretched from the dirt all the way up to the heavens, eager to swallow humanity whole. When the psalmist says the attacking armies would have swallowed them alive, he is revealing the spiritual reality behind the human conflict. The nations attacking Israel are the earthly proxies of the rebel elohim—the fallen spiritual principalities of the Divine Council. The ultimate goal of the kingdom of darkness is not just to win a military skirmish; it is to consume, devour, and entirely erase the imagers of God from the face of the earth. Without the intervention of Yahweh, the burning, demonic anger of the rebel gods would have dragged the entire covenant community down into the belly of the grave. The second segment is: The Torrent of Cosmic Chaos Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses four and five The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us. Yes, the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives. The terrifying metaphors continue to escalate. The psalmist shifts from the gaping jaws of the underworld, to the devastating, unstoppable force of a flash flood. "The waters would have engulfed us; a torrent would have overwhelmed us." In the arid, rocky landscape of the Middle East, a sudden rainstorm in the distant mountains can create a deadly, roaring wall of water that completely floods a dry riverbed, or wadi, in a matter of minutes. Anyone caught in its path is violently swept away. But once again, the physical imagery points directly to a massive, cosmic reality. In the biblical worldview, stretching all the way back to Genesis Chapter One, the raging, untamed waters represent primordial chaos. The sea—known as Yamm in the ancient Ugaritic texts—was viewed as a hostile, chaotic deity, a dark, churning realm that constantly threatened to undo the beautiful, organized creation of Yahweh. The rebel spiritual forces use the chaotic waters as their primary weapon against the order of God. When the psalmist says, "the raging waters of their fury would have overwhelmed our very lives," he is describing a spiritual tsunami. Have you ever felt that sensation in your own life? Have you ever felt the toxic culture, the deceptive lies, and the sheer hostility of the world rising up like a dark flood, threatening to sweep you off your feet, and pull you under? That is the exact experience of the exile. The enemy does not just want to defeat you; they want to drown you in despair. They want to engulf your soul in chaos, until you can no longer breathe. And the chilling truth that the psalmist wants us to acknowledge is this: on our own, we are no match for the flood. Human willpower cannot hold back the raging waters of cosmic fury. If the Lord had not been standing as a breakwater on our behalf, the torrent would have absolutely overwhelmed our very lives. The third segment is: Escaping the Teeth of the Beast and the Fowler's Snare Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verses six and seven Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart! We escaped like a bird from a hunter's snare. The snare is broken, and we are free! Suddenly, the dark, suffocating tension of the hypothetical question breaks, and the psalm explodes into a brilliant, breathless shout of triumphant gratitude. "Praise the Lord, who did not let their teeth tear us apart!" The psalmist looks back at the jaws of the predator, and he realizes that the mouth of the beast was forcibly slammed shut. Just as God famously shut the mouths of the lions for Daniel in the pit, Yahweh intervened for His people. The rebel gods bared their fangs, the chaotic nations moved in for the kill, but the Creator simply said, "No." He would not permit His beloved exiles to be torn to pieces. He then uses an incredibly delicate, beautiful metaphor to describe our deliverance. "We escaped like a bird from a hunter's snare. The snare is broken, and we are free!" Imagine a small, fragile bird, desperately fluttering its wings, caught tightly in a hidden net laid by a cruel fowler. The bird has absolutely no strength to break the thick ropes of the snare. It is completely helpless, exhausted, and awaiting its execution. This perfectly describes our condition when we are trapped by the deceptive, arrogant schemes of the wicked. But then, the massive, capable hands of the Divine Warrior reach down. God does not just untangle the bird; He violently snaps the trap in half. "The snare is broken!" This is the ultimate, cosmic rescue mission. The rebel spirits set their intricate traps of idolatry, fear, and cultural compromise, hoping to permanently bind the believers. But Yahweh shatters their mechanisms of control. And the result of that divine intervention is absolute, soaring liberty. "...and we are free!" In the biblical sense, freedom is not the ability to do whatever your sinful flesh desires. True freedom is the glorious release from the suffocating, chaotic traps of the enemy, allowing you to fly upward, and live joyfully within the safe, ordered boundaries of God's cosmic blueprint. You have been liberated from the snare of death, so that you can sing in the branches of the Tree of Life. The fourth segment is: The Cosmic Anchor of the Creator Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Four: verse...

A new play based on the true story of Qian Xuesen, the brilliant aerospace engineer from China who helped launch America's space age—until Cold War paranoia forever changed the course of his life...and ours. Qian Xuesen, a promising young engineer from China, travels to America in 1935 on a Boxer Indemnity Scholarship. Advancing quickly through the ranks at MIT and Caltech, he becomes a pioneer of the American space age, co-founding JPL (Jet Propulsion Laboratory) and helping the United States of America win World War II. Then, as extreme nationalism swells at the beginning of the Cold War, Xuesen finds himself accused of being a Communist, and what happens next shapes the future of both his new and native homelands. Developed by Henry Ong and director and dramaturg Diana Wyenn from 2016 until the playwright's passing in 2018, this production marks the long-awaited world premiere of the beloved playwright and LA Theater champion's prescient and timely final play. Inspired by true events and filled with Ong's signature blend of heart and humor, Ascent reveals how fear, extreme nationalism, and xenophobia affects individual lives, shapes political decisions, and overshadows truth—often with lasting global consequences. 

Welcome to Day 2857 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2857 – Wisdom Nuggets – Psalm 123:1-4– Daily Wisdom Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2857 Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2857 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps! I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2857 of our Trek. The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Wisdom-Trek: The Song of Ascent – The Upward Gaze of the Exhausted Exile In our previous episode on this grand expedition, we experienced the profound, overwhelming joy of arrival. We explored Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Two, the third Song of Ascent. We stepped off the dangerous, contested trails of the wilderness, and we finally passed through the massive, seamless gates of Jerusalem. We marveled at the unity of the tribes, the beauty of the walls, and the reassuring presence of the thrones of David, which represent the ultimate, restorative justice of the Creator. We prayed fiercely for the Shalom of the cosmic center, asking for peace within its walls, and prosperity within its palaces, for the sake of our families, and for the magnificent reputation of the house of our God. Today, as we settle into the holy city, the adrenaline of the journey begins to fade. The pilgrim is safe within the walls, but a deep, lingering exhaustion settles into his bones. We are exploring the fourth song in this pilgrim collection: Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three, verses one through four, in the New Living Translation. This is a short, but intensely emotional, psalm. It captures the reality that, even when we are safe in God's presence, the scars of the world's hostility still ache. It is a profound transition from the outward celebration of the city, to the inward, desperate, upward gaze of the soul. Let us step onto this quiet, reflective section of the trail, and learn where to look when we have had our fill of the world's mockery. The Upward Gaze to the Cosmic Throne (Reads Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three: verse one NLT) I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven. The psalm opens with a singular, deliberate physical and spiritual motion: “I lift my eyes to you, O God, enthroned in heaven.” If you remember back to Psalm One Hundred Twenty-One, the weary traveler looked up to the mountains, acknowledging the intimidating, pagan high places, and immediately declared that his help came not from the hills, but from the Maker of the hills. Now, in Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three, the pilgrim is physically standing on the holy mountain of Zion. He is surrounded by the magnificent architecture of Jerusalem, and he is likely looking directly at the impressive structure of the temple itself. Yet, even with the earthly temple right in front of him, he lifts his eyes higher. He looks past the physical stones, past the earthly priesthood, and past the walls of the city. He directs his gaze straight into the unseen realm, to the ultimate, unshakeable reality: “O God, enthroned in heaven.” This is a massive declaration of cosmic geography, deeply rooted in the Ancient Israelite worldview. The surrounding pagan nations believed that their gods were localized, limited to specific geographic territories, or physically housed within their handmade, wooden idols. But the psalmist knows that Yahweh cannot be contained by human architecture. Yahweh is the Supreme Commander of the Divine Council. He is enthroned above the heavens, ruling over the lesser spiritual beings, the rebel principalities, and the chaotic forces of the universe. When the psalmist lifts his eyes to the One enthroned in heaven, he is bypassing all the middle-management of the world. He is not looking to earthly politicians, he is not looking to human armies, and he is not even relying on the physical safety of Jerusalem's walls. He is anchoring his soul directly to the highest authority in existence. When your earthly circumstances are exhausting, you must lift your eyes above the horizon of your pain, and fix them upon the Sovereign King who oversees it all. The Posture of the Hyper-Vigilant Servant (Reads Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three: verse two NLT) We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal. Having directed his gaze to the heavens, the psalmist explains the exact nature of this upward look. It is not a casual, passing glance. It is a posture of intense, sustained, and hyper-vigilant dependence. He compares our relationship with God to the dynamic of a household servant in the ancient Near East. “We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy, just as servants keep their eyes on their master, as a slave girl watches her mistress for the slightest signal.” To fully understand the weight of this metaphor, we must step into the culture of the ancient world. In a wealthy or royal household, the master and mistress did not typically shout orders across a crowded banquet hall. They communicated with subtle, almost imperceptible, physical cues. A slight nod of the head, a subtle wave of the hand, or a quick glance of the eye, would instantly command a servant to pour more wine, remove a plate, or defend the door. Therefore, a good servant could never afford to be distracted. They could not look down at their feet, or stare out the window. They had to keep their eyes absolutely locked onto the hands and the face of their master, waiting for the “slightest signal.” Furthermore, in the ancient world, a servant was entirely dependent upon the master for their very survival. The master provided their food, their shelter, their clothing, and their legal protection against the outside world. To look to the master's hand was to look to the source of your life. The psalmist is saying, “This is exactly how we must look at Yahweh.” In a world ruled by the chaotic, rebellious forces of darkness, we have absolutely no independent capacity to survive. We are completely dependent upon the hand of the Creator. We must watch His hand for provision, when we are starving in the wilderness. We must watch His hand for protection, when the enemies are closing in. And we must watch His hand for guidance, ensuring that we are stepping exactly where the cosmic blueprint dictates. Notice what specific thing the servant is looking for: “We keep looking to the Lord our God for his mercy.” He is not demanding a paycheck. He is not claiming that he deserves a reward based on his own flawless performance. He is looking for grace. The Hebrew concept here is tied to favor, and deep, unmerited compassion. We stare at the throne of the universe, knowing that our only hope for survival in this hostile exile, is the compassionate, merciful movement of the Master's hand. The Suffocating Weight of Cultural Contempt (Reads Psalm One Hundred Twenty-Three: verses three and four NLT) Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt. We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant. The quiet, disciplined vigilance of the servant suddenly breaks into a raw, desperate, and exhausted plea. “Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy, for we have had our fill of contempt.” The repetition of the phrase “have mercy” reveals the intensity of the pain. The psalmist is spiritually, emotionally, and psychologically worn out. Why? Because he, and the covenant community of Israel, have “had our fill of contempt.” The Hebrew idiom for “had our fill” literally means to be absolutely glutted, saturated, or stuffed to the point of nausea. Imagine eating until you are physically sick, and then being forced to consume even more. That is how the psalmist feels about the mockery of the world. He is up to his neck in it. He cannot swallow another drop of their hostility. He clarifies the exact source of this nausea in verse four: “We have had more than our fill of the scoffing of the proud and the contempt of the arrogant.” We must view the “proud” and the “arrogant” through the lens of the Divine Council worldview. These are not just people who are a little bit conceited. These are the human proxies, the avatars, of the rebel spiritual principalities. The fallen elohim rebelled against God out of sheer pride, demanding worship for themselves. Therefore, the human cultures that worship these false gods are characterized by a profound, aggressive arrogance. These pagan nations looked at Israel, and they scoffed....

Former competitor and current WSL commentator Jesse Starling joins Dave Prodan as guest co-host to break down all the action from the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM. From standout performances at Snapper Rocks to the shifting momentum of the 2026 season, the duo dives into key storylines, including Stephanie Gilmore's and Ethan Ewing's breakthrough 2026 win. They bounce back and forth with heat analysis, Brazil taking back the Yellow Jerseys in Luana Silver and Gabriel Medina atop the rankings, and what these results mean heading into the next stop. Jesse brings a unique lens as both a former competitor and current voice of the sport, offering insight into the pressure, strategy, and evolution of today's CT field with sharp takes, behind-the-scenes perspective, and a deeper look at who's rising, who's slipping, and what it all means moving forward on tour. Follow Jesse here. Relive the Bonsoy Gold Coast Pro Presented by GWM. Stay tuned to the Corona Cero New Zealand Pro Presented by Bonsoy, May 15 - 25. Join the The Lineup Podcast Mega League Fantasy and the Lineup Podcast Brackets for your chance to win Prizes! Terms and conditions apply. Stay up to date with the rankings. Get the latest merch at the WSL Store! Use code LINEUP at checkout for FREE shipping. Join the conversation by following The Lineup podcast with Dave Prodan on Instagram and subscribing to our YouTube channel. Get the latest WSL rankings, news, and event info. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices