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Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:19)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:19)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 8:48)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:19)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:27)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:57)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:19)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:39)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdfBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-epstein-chronicles--5003294/support.

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:57)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 8:00)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

Sean "Diddy" Combs, a prominent music mogul and entrepreneur, has faced multiple allegations of sexual assault spanning several decades. One such allegation involves a woman identified as Jane Doe, who claims she was assaulted by Combs during an event related to the MTV reality show Making the Band.BackgroundIn 2004, Jane Doe, then 19 years old, was a college student in Brooklyn. She met Combs during a promotional event for Making the Band, a reality show he produced that aimed to form a new music group.According to Jane Doe's lawsuit:Invitation to Hotel Room: Combs invited her and a friend to his hotel room in Manhattan under the pretense of discussing potential opportunities in the music industry.Unwanted Advances: Once in the room, Combs allegedly made unsolicited sexual advances, including inappropriate touching and attempts to kiss her.Physical Resistance: Jane Doe resisted his advances, leading to a physical struggle where she was reportedly pushed onto the bed.Assault: She alleges that Combs then sexually assaulted her despite her protests.Following the alleged incident, Jane Doe states she experienced significant emotional distress, including feelings of shame and humiliation. She also claims to have faced professional setbacks as a result of the assault.Jane Doe filed a lawsuit against Combs, seeking compensatory and punitive damages for the alleged assault. The case is currently pending in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New YorkThis allegation is part of a series of accusations against Combs, with multiple individuals coming forward with claims of sexual assault and misconduct. Combs has denied these allegations, and his legal team has stated that he intends to defend himself against these claims.(commercial at 7:35)to contact me:bobbycapucci@protonmail.comsource:combs-da-band-photoshoot-complaint.pdf

This podcast hit paid subscribers' inboxes on Feb. 28. It dropped for free subscribers on March 6. To receive future pods as soon as they're live, and to support independent ski journalism, please consider an upgrade to a paid subscription (on sale at 15% off through March 12, 2024). You can also subscribe to the free tier below:WhoHoward Katkov, Chairman and CEO of Red Mountain Resort, British ColumbiaRecorded onFeb. 8, 2024About Red MountainClick here for a mountain stats overviewOwned by: Red Mountain VenturesLocated in: Rossland, British Columbia, CanadaYear founded: 1947 (beginning of chairlift service)Pass affiliations:* Ikon Pass: 7 days, no blackouts* Ikon Base Pass and Ikon Base Pass Plus: 5 days, holiday blackouts* Lake Louise Pass (described below)Closest neighboring ski areas: Salmo (:58), Whitewater (1:22), Phoenix Mountain (1:33), 49 Degrees North (1:53)Base elevation: 3,887 feet/1,185 metersSummit elevation: 6,807 feet/2,075 metersVertical drop: 2,919 feet/890 metersSkiable Acres: 3,850Average annual snowfall: 300 inches/760 cmTrail count: 119 (17% beginner, 34% intermediate, 23% advanced, 26% expert)Lift count: 8 (2 fixed-grip quads, 3 triples, 1 double, 1 T-bar, 1 carpet)View historic Red Mountain trailmaps on skimap.org. Here are some cool video overviews:Granite Mountain:Red Mountain:Grey Mountain:Rossland:Why I interviewed himIt's never made sense to me, this psychological dividing line between Canada and America. I grew up in central Michigan, in a small town closer to Canada (the bridge between Sarnia and Port Huron stood 142 miles away), than the closest neighboring state (Toledo, Ohio, sat 175 miles south). Yet, I never crossed into Canada until I was 19, by which time I had visited roughly 40 U.S. states. Even then, the place felt more foreign than it should, with its aggressive border guards, pizza at McDonald's, and colored currency. Canada on a map looks easy, but Canada in reality is a bit harder, eh?Red sits just five miles, as the crow flies, north of the U.S. border. If by some fluke of history the mountain were part of Washington, it would be the state's greatest ski area, larger than Crystal and Stevens Pass combined. In fact, it would be the seventh-largest ski area in the country, larger than Mammoth or Snowmass, smaller only than Park City, Palisades, Big Sky, Vail, Heavenly, and Bachelor.But, somehow, the international border acts as a sort of invisibility shield, and skiing Red is a much different experience than visiting any of those giants, with their dense networks of high-speed lifts and destination crowds (well, less so at Bachelor). Sure, Red is an Ikon Pass mountain, and has been for years, but it is not synonymous with the pass, like Jackson or Aspen or Alta-Snowbird. But U.S. skiers – at least those outside of the Pacific Northwest – see Red listed on the Ikon menu and glaze past it like the soda machine at an open bar. It just doesn't seem relevant.Which is weird and probably won't last. And right now Shoosh Emoji Bro is losing his goddamn mind and cursing me for using my platform focused on lift-served snowskiing to hype one of the best and most interesting and most underrated lift-served snowskiing operations in North America. But that's why this whole deal exists, Brah. Because most people ski at the same 20 places and I really think skiing as an idea and as an experience and as a sustainable enterprise will be much better off if we start spreading people out a bit more.What we talked aboutRed pow days; why Red amped up shuttle service between the ski area and Rossland and made it free; old-school Tahoe; “it is the most interesting mountain I've ever skied”; buying a ski area when you've never worked at a ski area; why the real-estate crash didn't bury Red like some other ski areas; why Katkov backed away from a golf course that he spent a year and a half planning at Red; why the 900 lockers at the dead center of the base area aren't going anywhere; housing and cost of living in Rossland; “we look at our neighborhood as an extension of our community of Rossland”; base area development plans; balancing parking with people; why and how Red Mountain still sells affordable ski-in, ski-out real estate; “our ethos is to be accessible for everybody”; whether we could ever see a lift from Rossland to Red; why Red conducted a crowd-funding ownership campaign and what they did with the money; Red's newest ownership partners; the importance of independence; “the reality is that the pass, whether it's the Epic or the Ikon Pass, has radically changed the way that consumers experience skiing”; why Red joined the Ikon Pass and why it's been good for the mountain; the Mountain Collective; why Red has no high-speed lifts and whether we could ever see one; no stress on a powder day; Red's next logical lift upgrades; potential lift-served expansions onto Kirkup, White Wolf, and Mt. Roberts; and the Powder Highway.Why I thought that now was a good time for this interviewMy full-scale assault of Canada, planned for 2023, has turned into more of an old-person's bus tour. I'm stopping at all the big sites, but I sure am taking my time, and I'm not certain that I'm really getting the full experience.Part of this echoes the realization centuries' of armies have had when invading Russia: damn this place is big. I'd hoped to quickly fold the whole country into the newsletter, as I'd been able to do with the Midwest and West when I expanded The Storm's coverage out of the Northeast in 2021. But I'd grown up in the Midwest and been skiing the West annually for decades. I'd underestimated how much that had mattered. I'd skied a bit in Canada, but not consistently enough to kick the door down in the manner I'd hoped. I started counting ski areas in Quebec and stopped when I got to 4,000*, 95 percent of which were named “Mont [some French word with numerous squiggly marks above the letters].” The measurements are different. The money is different. The language, in Quebec, is different. I needed to slow down.So I'm starting with western Canada. Well, I started there last year, when I hosted the leaders of SkiBig3 and Sun Peaks on the podcast. This is the easiest Canadian region for a U.S. American to grasp: Epic, Ikon, Mountain Collective, and Indy Pass penetration is deep, especially in British Columbia. Powdr, Boyne, Vail, and Pacific Group Resorts all own ski areas in the province. There is no language barrier.So, Red today, Panorama next month, Whistler in June. That's the way the podcast calendar sets up now, anyway. I'll move east as I'm able.But Red, in particular, has always fascinated me. If you're wondering what the largest ski area in North America is that has yet to install a high-speed lift, this is your answer. For many of you, that may be a deal-breaker. But I see a time-machine, an opportunity to experience a different sort of skiing, but with modern gear. Like if aliens were to land on today's Earth with their teleportation devices and language-translation brain chips and standard-issue post-industro-materialist silver onesies. Like wow look how much easier the past is when you bring the future with you.Someday, Red will probably build a high-speed lift or two or four, and enough skiers who are burned out on I-70 and LCC but refuse to give up their Ikon Passes will look north and say, “oh my, what's this all about?” And Red will become some version of Jackson Hole or Big Sky or Whistler, beefy but also busy, remote but also accessible. But I wanted to capture Red, as it is today, before it goes away.*Just kidding, there are actually 12,000.^^OK, OK, there are like 90. Or 90,000.Why you should ski Red MountainLet's say you've had an Ikon Pass for the past five or six ski seasons. You've run through the Colorado circuit, navigated the Utah canyons, circled Lake Tahoe. The mountains are big, but so are the crowds. The Ikon Pass, for a moment, was a cool little hack, like having an iPhone in 2008. But then everyone got them, and now the world seems terrible because of it.But let's examine ye ‘ole Ikon partner chart more closely, to see what else may be on offer:What's this whole “Canada” section about? Perhaps, during the pandemic, you resigned yourself to U.S. American travel. Perhaps you don't have a passport. Perhaps converting centimeters to inches ignites a cocktail of panic and confusion in your brain. But all of these are solvable dilemmas. Take a deeper look at Canada.In particular, take a deeper look at Red. Those stats are in American. Meaning this is a ski area bigger than Mammoth, taller than Palisades, snowy as Aspen. And it's just one stop on a stacked Ikon BC roster that also includes Sun Peaks (Canada's second-largest ski area), Revelstoke (the nation's tallest by vertical drop), and Panorama.We are not so many years removed from the age of slow-lift, empty American icons. Alta's first high-speed lift didn't arrive until 1999 (they now have four). Big Sky's tin-can tram showed up in 1995. A 1994 Skiing magazine article described the then-Squaw Valley side of what is now Palisades Tahoe as a pokey and remote fantasyland:…bottomless steeps, vast acreage, 33 lifts and no waiting. America's answer to the wide-open ski circuses of Europe. After all these years the mountain is still uncrowded, except on weekends when people pile in from the San Francisco Bay area in droves. Squaw is unflashy, underbuilt, and seems entirely indifferent to success. The opposite of what you would expect one of America's premier resorts to be.Well that's cute. And it's all gone now. America still holds its secrets, vast, affordable fixed-grip ski areas such as Lost Trail and Discovery and Silver Mountain. But none of them have joined the Ikon Pass, and none gives you the scale of Red, this glorious backwater with fixed-grip lifts that rise 2,400 vertical feet to untracked terrain. Maybe it will stay like this forever, but it probably won't. So go there now.Podcast NotesOn Red's masterplanRed's masterplan outlines potential lift-served expansions onto Kirkup, White Wolf, and Mount Roberts. We discuss the feasibility of each. Here's what the mountain could look like at full build-out:On Jane CosmeticsAn important part of Katkov's backstory is his role as founder of Jane cosmetics, a ‘90s bargain brand popular with teenagers. He built the company into a smash success and sold it to Estée Lauder, who promptly tanked it. Per Can't Hardly Dress:Lauder purchased the company in 1997. Jane was a big deal for Lauder because it was the company's first mass market drugstore brand. Up until that point, Lauder only owned prestige brands like MAC, Clinique, Jo Malone and more. Jane was a revolutionary move for the company and a quick way to enter the drugstore mass market.Lauder had no clue what do with Jane and sales plummeted from $50 million to $25 million by 2004. Several successive sales and relaunches also failed, and, according to the article above, “As it stands today, the brand is dunzo. Leaving behind a default Shopify site, an Instagram unupdated for 213 weeks and a Facebook last touched three years ago.”On Win Smith and SugarbushKatkov's story shares parallels with that of Win Smith, the Wall-Streeter-turned-resort-operator who nurtured Sugarbush between its days as part of the American Skiing Company shipwreck and its 2019 purchase by Alterra. Smith joined me on the podcast four years ago, post-Alterra sale, to share the whole story.On housing in Banff and Sun PeaksCanadian mountain towns are not, in general, backed up against the same cliff as their American counterparts. This is mostly the result of more deliberate regional planning policies that either regulate who's allowed to live where, or allow for smart growth over time (meaning they can build things without 500 lawsuits). I discussed the former model with SkiBig3 (Banff) President Pete Woods here, and the latter with Sun Peaks GM Darcy Alexander here. U.S. Americans could learn a lot from looking north.On not being able to buy slopeside real estate in Oregon, Washington, or California The Pacific Northwest is an extremely weird ski region. The resorts are big and snowy, but unless you live there, you've probably never visited any of them. As I wrote a few weeks back:Last week, Peak Rankings analyzed the matrix of factors that prevent Oregon and Washington ski areas, despite their impressive acreage and snowfall stats, from becoming destination resorts. While the article suggests the mountains' proximity to cities, lousy weather, and difficult access roads as blockers, just about every prominent ski area in America fights some combination of these circumstances. The article's most compelling argument is that, with few exceptions, there's really nowhere to stay on most of the mountains. I've written about this a number of times myself, with this important addendum: There's nowhere to stay on most of the mountains, and no possibility of building anything anytime soon.The reasons for this are many and varied, but can be summarized in this way: U.S. Americans, in thrall to an environmental vision that prizes pure wilderness over development of any kind, have rejected the notion that building dense, human-scaled, walkable mountainside communities would benefit the environment far more than making everyone drive to skiing every single day. Nowhere has this posture taken hold more thoroughly than in the Pacific Northwest.Snowy and expansive British Columbia, perhaps sensing a business opportunity, has done the opposite, streamlining ski resort development through a set of policies known as the B.C. Commercial Alpine Ski Policy. As a result, ski areas in the province have rapidly expanded over the past 30 years…California is a very different market, with plenty of legacy slopeside development. It tends to be expensive, however, as building anything new requires a United Nations treaty, an act of Jesus, and a total eclipse of the sun in late summer of a Leap Year. Perhaps 2024 will be it.On “Fight The Man, Own the Mountain”Red ran a crowd-funding campaign a few years back called “Fight the Man, Own the Mountain.” We discuss this on the pod, but here is a bit more context from a letter Katkov wrote on the subject:Investing in RED means investing in history, independence, and in this growing family that shares the same importance on lifestyle and culture. RED is the oldest ski resort in Western Canada and it has always been fiercely independent. There are not many, if any ski resorts left in North America like Red and the success of our campaign demonstrates a desire by so many of you to, help, in a small way, to protect the lifestyle, soul and ski culture that emanates from Red.RED is a place I've been beyond proud to co-own and captain since 2004 and the door is still open to share that feeling and be a part of our family. But please note that despite the friendly atmosphere, this is one of the Top 20 resorts in North America in terms of terrain. The snow's unreal and the people around here are some of the coolest, most down-to-earth folks you're ever likely to meet. (Trying to keep up with them on the hill is another thing entirely…)With $2 million so far already committed and invested, we wasted no time acting on promised improvements. These upgrades included a full remodel of fan favorite Paradise Lodge (incl. flush toilets!) as well as the expansion of RED's retail and High Performance centres. This summer we'll see the construction of overnight on-mountain cabins and the investor clubhouse (friends welcome!) as well as continued parking expansion. We've heard from a number of early investors that they were beyond stoked to enjoy the new Paradise Lodge so soon after clicking the BUY button. Hey, ownership has its privileges…On the Lake Louise PassKatkov mentions the “Lake Louise Pass,” which Red participates in, along with Castle Mountain and Panorama. He's referring to the Lake Louise Plus Card, which costs $134 Canadian up front. Skiers then get their first, fourth, and seventh days free, and 20 percent off lift tickets for each additional visit. While these sorts of discount cards have been diminished by Epkon domination, versions of them still provide good value across the continent. The Colorado Gems Card, Smugglers' Notch's Bash Badge, and ORDA's frequent skier cards are all solid options for skiers looking to dodge the megapass circus.On the Powder HighwayRed is the closest stop on the Powder Highway to U.S. America. This is what the Powder Highway is:And here's the circuit:Fairmont is just a little guy, but Kicking Horse, Kimberley, and Fernie are Epic Pass partners owned by Resorts of the Canadian Rockies, and Revy, Red, and Panorama are all on Ikon. Whitewater used to be on M.A.X. Pass, but is now pass-less. Just to the west of this resort cluster sits Big White (Indy), Silver Star (Ikon), and Sun Peaks (Ikon). To their east is Sunshine, Lake Louise, Norquay (all Ikon), and Castle (Indy). There are also Cat and heli-ski operations all over the place. You could lose a winter here pretty easily.On Katkov's business backgroundIn this episode of the Fident Capital Podcast, Katkov goes in-depth on his business philosophy and management style. Here's another:On bringing the city to the mountainsWhile this notion, rashly interpreted, could summon ghastly visions of Aspen-esque infestations of Fendi stores in downtown Rossland, it really just means building things other than slopeside mansions with 19 kitchens and a butler's wing. From a 2023 resort press release:Red Development Company, the real estate division of RED Mountain Resort (RED), in conjunction with ACE Project Marketing Group (ACE), recently reported the sell-out of the resort's latest real estate offering during the season opening of the slopes. On offer was The Crescent at RED, a collection of 102 homes, ranging from studio to one bedrooms and lofts featuring a prime ski in – ski out location. Howard Katkov, CEO of RED, and Don Thompson, RED President, first conceived of bringing the smaller urban living model to the alpine slopes in January 2021. ACE coined the concept as "everything you need and nothing you don't" …An important component was ensuring that the price point for The Crescent was accessible to locals and those who know and love the destination. With prices starting mid $300s – an excellent price when converted to USD – and with an achievable 5% deposit down, The Crescent at RED was easily one of the best value propositions in real estate for one of the best ranked ski resorts in North America. Not surprisingly, over 50% of the Crescent buyers were from the United States, spurred on by the extraordinary lifestyle and value offered by The Crescent, but also the new sparsity of Canadian property available to foreign buyers.As a good U.S. American, I ask Katkov why he didn't simply price these units for the one-percenters, and how he managed the House-Flipping Henries who would surely interpret these prices as opportunity. His answers might surprise you, and may give you hope that a different sort of ski town is possible.The Storm publishes year-round, and guarantees 100 articles per year. This is article 15/100 in 2024, and number 515 since launching on Oct. 13, 2019. Get full access to The Storm Skiing Journal and Podcast at www.stormskiing.com/subscribe

"In a competitive market, talent acquisition faces challenges of scarcity and skill gaps. Beyond recruitment, success hinges on cultivating a positive work culture and prioritizing employee satisfaction."Meet Rajan Gupta, Head of Talent Acquisition at Lakshya Digital and Keywords Studios India. With a Post Graduate Diploma in Business Operations and a Certificate in HR Management, Rajan is a seasoned professional in technical and non-technical recruitment, gaming recruitment, stakeholder management, and talent retention strategies. Demonstrating leadership in HR, change management, and internal job postings, he brings extensive experience in performance appraisal, leadership skills, program planning, and applicant tracking systems. Join us for a brief insight into Rajan's rich educational journey and professional backgroundIn this episode, Rajan Gupta delves into the intricate art of navigating talent acquisition. From conquering talent scarcity and skill gaps to embracing the transformative shifts in the digital realm, Rajan provides actionable strategies. The discussion covers the evolving importance of work culture, candidate experience, and the crossroads of HR and marketing. Job seekers also gain valuable insights, making this episode a treasure trove for HR professionals seeking career growth and mastery in talent acquisition.Episode HighlightManaging global teams in a competitive market poses unique challenges.Proven strategies for attracting and retaining top talent across diverse companies.Identifying key skills and competencies desired by employers for various roles.Notable changes observed in recruitment practices, with insights into future trends.Follow Rajan Gupta  on LinkedinProduced by: Priya BhattPodcast Host: ipshita sharmaAbout Springworks:Springworks is a fully-distributed HR technology organisation building tools and products to simplify recruitment, onboarding, employee engagement, and retention. The product stack from Springworks includes:SpringVerify— B2B verification platformEngageWith— employee recognition and rewards platform that enriches company cultureTrivia — a suite of real-time, fun, and interactive games platforms for remote/hybrid team-buildingSpringRole — verified professional-profile platform backed by blockchain, andSpringRecruit — a forever-free applicant tracking system.Springworks prides itself on being an organisation focused on employee well-being and workplace culture, leading to a 4.8 rating on Glassdoor for the 200+ employee strength company.

ontractor Needs Permission of Insurer to be Protected by an Owner-Controlled Insurance Program Team Industrial Services, Inc. (Team) found it had incurred a $222 million judgment against it in a wrongful-death lawsuit arising out of a steam-turbine failure in June 2018 at a Westar Energy, Inc. (Westar) power plant. Team sought indemnity for the judgment from Westar, Zurich AmeCrican Insurance Company (Zurich), and two other insurance companies, arguing that it was, or should have been, provided protection by Westar's Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) through insurance policies issued by Zurich and the two other insurers. In Team Industrial Services, Inc. v. Zurich American Insurance Company, et al, No. 22-3275, USCA, Tenth Circuit (November 29, 2023) resolved the dispute acknowledging that Team's arguments were well reasoned and creative.BACKGROUNDIn 2013 Westar instituted its OCIP, through which contractors and subcontractors could obtain insurance protection for work performed at covered locations. Westar had discretion to decide which contractors would be eligible to enroll in the OCIP. Eligible contractors had to complete enrollment forms to be considered for participation. During the time relevant to this dispute, insurance was provided by a Zurich policy, whose premiums were paid by Westar. According to Zurich's policy, an enrolled contractor's "rights and duties under this policy may not be transferred without [Zurich's] written consent." (emphasis added)Westar never made Team eligible to enroll in the OCIP.  Team never submitted an enrollment application, and it was never enrolled. Team's parent company acquired Furmanite's parent company.Although Team and Furmanite became "sister companies," they were distinct legal entities and never merged. Team assumed Furmanite's workload at the power plant. Furmanite's insurance coverage under the Westar OCIP continued even though its service contract had been retired. Furmanite's coverage continued, even after it perhaps should have ended.Team argued to the District Court that it inherited Furmanite's coverage under the OCIP.The District Court ruled that Change Order No. 2 unambiguously retired Furmanite's MSA and left Team's MSA as the sole governing document. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barry-zalma/support

Contractor Needs Permission of Insurer to be Protected by an Owner-Controlled Insurance Program Team Industrial Services, Inc. (Team) found it had incurred a $222 million judgment against it in a wrongful-death lawsuit arising out of a steam-turbine failure in June 2018 at a Westar Energy, Inc. (Westar) power plant. Team sought indemnity for the judgment from Westar, Zurich American Insurance Company (Zurich), and two other insurance companies, arguing that it was, or should have been, provided protection by Westar's Owner-Controlled Insurance Program (OCIP) through insurance policies issued by Zurich and the two other insurers. In Team Industrial Services, Inc. v. Zurich American Insurance Company, et al, No. 22-3275, USCA, Tenth Circuit (November 29, 2023) resolved the dispute acknowledging that Team's arguments were well reasoned and creative.BACKGROUNDIn 2013 Westar instituted its OCIP, through which contractors and subcontractors could obtain insurance protection for work performed at covered locations. Westar had discretion to decide which contractors would be eligible to enroll in the OCIP. Eligible contractors had to complete enrollment forms to be considered for participation. During the time relevant to this dispute, insurance was provided by a Zurich policy, whose premiums were paid by Westar. According to Zurich's policy, an enrolled contractor's "rights and duties under this policy may not be transferred without [Zurich's] written consent." (emphasis added)Westar never made Team eligible to enroll in the OCIP.  Team never submitted an enrollment application, and it was never enrolled. Team's parent company acquired Furmanite's parent company.Although Team and Furmanite became "sister companies," they were distinct legal entities and never merged. Team assumed Furmanite's workload at the power plant. Furmanite's insurance coverage under the Westar OCIP continued even though its service contract had been retired. Furmanite's coverage continued, even after it perhaps should have ended.Team argued to the District Court that it inherited Furmanite's coverage under the OCIP.The District Court ruled that Change Order No. 2 unambiguously retired Furmanite's MSA and left Team's MSA as the sole governing document. DISCUSSION Team ignored that the enrollment in Westar's OCIP was not automatic. Since Team never enrolled nor was it even invited to enroll in Westar's OCIP, nor did Zurich ever give written approval to a transfer of coverage from Furmanite to Team, coverage did not exist.The Change Order did not contain a mention of insurance coverage or the OCIP. There is no ambiguity in the language of the change order from Finally, Team raises a perfunctory claim of promissory estoppel.  Since there was no allegation that Westar knew about the reporting it could hardly have expected to induce Team's reliance. Nor was there any evidence of a promise by Zurich to provide insurance coverage to Team.The Tenth Circuit affirmed the judgment. ZALMA OPINION When Team's parent company acquired Furmanites parent company and took over the work originally done by Furmanite it assumed that it was covered under the OCIP but did nothing to confirm the fact, proving that breaking it up into its component part and will cost Team $222 million. Insurance, even a contract as complex as an OCIP, must be fulfilled and to gain the coverage Westar needed to allow them to apply, Team needed to file an application with Zurich and Zurich had to agree. None of those things happened and Team had no coverage. (c) 2023 Barry Zalma & ClaimSchool, Inc. Please tell your friends and colleagues about this blog and the videos --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/barry-zalma/support

Today's episode is part 1 of a series all about intuitive eating with light structure, also known as my GPF style of eating. Life is too short to spend your days consumed obsessing about food and your body. Through years of experimentation, I finally came up with a way of eating that allows me to experience true FOOD FREEDOM. In this episode, we discuss: Bridging the gap between restrictive dieting and intuitive eatingMy thoughts about different diets, as well as intuitive eating (and why we shouldn't have to pigeon hole ourselves under one label) How I'm able to make food choices based on how I want to feel (energized and healthy) while still enjoying pizza and ice cream (without guilt!)Finding balance in the extremes when it comes to nutritionA bit of my personal story and backgroundIn part two, we'll chat all about the logistics around my GPF style of eating, like how to structure every meal to feel full, satisfied and content (and stop obsessing about when/what your next meal is).I highly encourage you to listen to this episode FIRST... don't skip it! This lays the foundation for all the practical things we'll discuss in part 2.I hope this episode, and the ones to come, save you from YEARS of struggle with food and your body. If I can help you bypass the hardship I went through, I would absolutely love to -- and it all starts with this episode. Podcast Instagram: @healthyhappypodcastRead more in my book: Healthy & Happy: Find Food Freedom and Create the Body You Love

Today's Episode: Tell the White House: Cuba is not a Sponsor of TerrorGuest: activist, author and co-founder of CODEPINK, Medea Benjamin. BackgroundIn the last days of the outgoing Trump administration, then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added Cuba back onto the list of state sponsors of terrorism, after it had been removed from the list in 2015 by the Obama-Biden administration. After a significant review, the Obama-Biden White House had certified that “(i) the Government of Cuba has not provided any support for international terrorism during the preceding 6-month period; and (ii) the Government of Cuba has provided assurances that it will not support acts of international terrorism in the future.”   Trump's re-designation of Cuba to the list was purely a political move to please conservative Cuban-Americans. The excuse was that Cuba was purportedly providing safe haven for Colombian insurgents, but these insurgents were in Cuba because of the island's role in facilitating the historic Peace Accords between the Colombian government and a guerrilla group. Insurgent activities years ago during Colombia's civil strife does not fit the definition of international terrorism, and the guerilla representatives were in Cuba as part of an internationally recognized process of peace negotiations supported by the United States, Norway, Colombia and other nations. By being on this list, Cuba is subjected to a series of sanctions and international financial restrictions that limit the nation's ability to carry out critical financial transactions, including those needed to advance its efforts to combat the pandemic and reboot its economy.Follow our GuestFacebookInstagramTwitterAdditional Linkshttps://www.codepink.org/cuba-no-terrorIn partnership with Common Frontiers, Council on Hemispheric Affairs (COHA), Friends of Latin America, Massachusetts Peace Action and Task Force on the Americas, original broadcasts of WTF is Going on in Latin America & the Caribbean can be viewed every Wednesday at 4:30pm PT/7:30pm ET on CODEPINK YouTube Live

The focus of this episode is: 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 Getting this passage right.Here's some good advice. “Don't take verses out of context.” How do you do that? One way is to cut off the beginning of a passage. If you miss the beginning thoughts of a passage you risk missing the meaning of the following message. Sadly, this happens every time people skip over 1 Corinthians 11:2 and start at verse 3. And most people start after verse 2. They leave out this critical verse!In verse 2, Paul begins a passage of praise. He praises the Christians at Corinth for resisting pressure to behave differently. He praises them for following exactly what he had advised them to do. Only after the end of the passage of verses 2-16 does he begin to criticize the Corinthians. So, What were they getting right? They were applying what he summarizes in verses 10-12. Have you noticed?Wrong assumptions. In 1962, Don and Carol Richardson risked their lives to share the Gospel with the Sawi people of New Guinea. Their book Peace Child tells their unforgettable story of living among a people group where treachery was valued as their highest virtue. They would fatten potential victims with friendship before betraying them for slaughter.The very first time these pioneer missionaries tried to tell the Sawi headhunting cannibals of New Guinea the Good News about the cross of Christ things went very wrong! This occurred as they were telling about Jesus the night Judas betrayed him with a kiss. Jesus, the good guy, was praying in the Garden of Gethemane on the hill across from Jerusalem where soon he would be nailed to a cross for our sins. In the night, Judas, the bad guy, came up to him in the darkness with a crowd with clubs and swords. He wanted to make it clear to them who to arrest. He didn't want them to get the wrong person. He didn't want Jesus to get away. He told the brutal crowd, watch for the one I greet with a kiss. He is the one to arrest.The listeners held their breath as the scene unfolded before them for the very first time. Up came Judas, the follower, to Jesus his teacher. “Teacher” the betrayer said to Jesus and then kissed him.The listeners went wild! What a master stroke! What a fantastic betrayal! The missionaries were horrified at the unexpected response their teaching produced. These headhunting cannibals saw Judas as the hero of that night scene. He had just betrayed his victim. To them, he had triumphed!In the Sawi culture they valued treachery. They would deceive their enemies pretending to be friends. Judas for them was a master of betrayal. Jesus was just a witless target. Undoing the results of that session took lots of work. In a less spectacular way, people have been getting wrong the message of 1 Corinthians 11. Coming to these verses with the wrong presuppositions, readers and translators alike have missed the message the passage. They have misread the key verses. Let's start with the overall flow of thought which is Praise for Proper Practice 1 Corinthians 11:2-16.2Now I praise you, brothers and sisters, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. …10Therefore, a woman should have authority over her own head …16But if anyone thinks of being contentious, we have no other custom, nor do the churches of God.17Now I do not praise you in giving these next instructions since you come together not for the better but for the worse. …After Paul moved on from Corinth in his missionary journeys, the church he had founded there continued the practices he had taught them to follow. They followed what he had taught them about women and men ministering to the congregation. God raised up both women and men to lead the congregation in worship and to teach God's Word.Apparently there were grumblers who tried to restrict some people from leading the group. They wanted their old religious traditions to be followed and grew contentious about it. But the rest of the congregation maintained the course on which Paul had set them. They earned his praise for this. Paul wanted them to continue what they had started together in Corinth. In every church he started, this was the way he wanted the believers to worship and teach.Incomplete or incorrect? Paul learned from the visitors from Corinth (1:11) that the church had developed four distinct factions. Some people purported to be “of Paul,” others “of Peter,” and still others “of Apollos” or “of Jesus.”In spite of all this, Paul was still their unquestioned spiritual parent, the one who first planted their church. Divisions of opinion had arisen among them on practical issues dealing with marriage (7:1) and idolatry (8:1; 10:14). Some wanted the church to follow the rules and regulations found in the Jewish oral law, for example in 14:34-35.In 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul addresses those in the church at Corinth who wanted to limit the ways women were participating in ministry. Had Paul really meant that women should pray and prophesy along with men? Shouldn't the women have to submit to some extra regulations? Jewish tradition overflowed with restrictions on women. Shouldn't women have to follow these extra restrictions too?In verses 2-16, Paul affirms that women are full members of the body of Christ and are fully gifted by the Holy Spirit to minister in the name of Jesus. Paul appeals to Genesis, and to reason, to restate his case. He is firm. There is no room for dissension on this point of doctrine and practice.Five keys to understanding. A number of people find 1 Corinthians 11:2-16 difficult to understand. Whenever a passage seems difficult, it is important to look at the surrounding context of the passage to see if some tips to its meaning may be found. In this case, the immediate context will give us two helpful keys to unlocking the meaning of the passage: praise (key #1), and Paul's three-fold focus (key #2). To unlock the meaning of a passage it is also helpful to look for internal key words that give insight into the historical context. In this case there are key words in the last and first verses of the passage: “contentious” (key #3 in verse 16), and “traditions” (key #4 in verse 2).The most basic key to understanding the meaning of a Bible verse is a clear translation from the original language into modern language. It will be especially helpful to make a fresh translation from the Greek of the key action verse in this passage, verse 10. And that's key #5.Key to understanding #1: Praise. Paul praised the Corinthians in verse 2: 2I praise you, brothers and sisters, that you remember me in all things and keep the traditions just as I delivered them to you. … Apparently there was difficulty for them in keeping his traditions because, in verse 16, he refers to some who were “contentious.” In spite of these contentious ones, the church at Corinth had remembered what Paul had taught them to do and they had done it.He did not always praise them. In the next section of his letter he gave them some energetic criticism:17I do not praise you in giving these instructions since you come together not for the better but for the worse. …What were the Corinthians doing that earned them the praise or the criticism of Paul? In verses 17 and following it is clear that they were criticized for not conducting themselves properly when they celebrated the Lord's Supper. As for verses 2-16, what they were doing that was praiseworthy is often misunderstood. This is where a basic rule of interpretation is helpful: Whenever you see the word therefore in a passage, check to see what it is there for.In this case, a “therefore” occurs at the beginning of verse 10:10therefore, a woman ought to have authority …Apparently, the verses leading up to verse 10 argued in favor of what he affirmed in verse 10. Paul had taught, and most of the Corinthians had agreed with him, that a woman ought to have authority. Some people in Corinth had been contentious about this. Paul praised the rest (Key #1) and encouraged them to keep following what he had taught them.Key #2: Three-fold focus. Immediately before writing the words of chapter 11, Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 10:32, “Do not cause anyone to stumble, whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God….”It is helpful to note that Paul was sensitive to the needs of these three overlapping groups:JewsNon-Jews (also called Greeks or Gentiles)All Christians without regard to their backgroundIn 1 Corinthians 11:2-16, Paul focused parts of the passage on each of these three groups in the church:Verses 3-9: to the converted Jews.Verses 11-12: to everyone in church.Verses 13-15: to the converted non-Jews.In these three sections, there are details appropriate to each group. Paul's appeal to Nature, in verse 14, is a case in point. The non-Jews would have related to an appeal to Nature, but not the Jews. Paul had to appeal to the Jews on other grounds.In the verses not addressed to any specific group – verses 2, 10 and 16 – Paul deals with the real business of this passage. He praises the Corinthian Christians (verse 2). He gives instructions on how to behave (verse 10). He dismisses any who want to be contentious (verse 16).Key #3: Contention. A third key to understanding this passage has to do with Paul's reference in verse 16 to those who had been “contentious.” The ones who were the most contentious about Paul, his teaching and his practice were those who promoted Jewish legalism.As the early church spread across the Roman Empire there was confusion as to whether Christianity was something new, or whether it was just a subgroup of Judaism. This confusion was understandable since the promises of a coming Messiah had been given to the Jews. Jesus was a Jew. And the first converts were Jews.When non-Jews began believing in Jesus as their savior it seemed logical to the Jews who had become Christians that the new Gentile believers should become practicing Jews as well. But there were two main reasons why this logic was incorrect.First, many of the practices required of Jews in the Old Testament served to represent spiritual truths that only pointed to the promised Messiah. The blood sacrifices of spotless animals in the Temple pointed to the ultimate blood sacrifice that would be made by the sinless Messiah. The regulations that guided the behavior of the priests on duty all worked to keep the symbolism of the future spotless Lamb of God perfectly clear.These practices and these rules were made obsolete with the sacrifice of Christ on the cross. The early church dealt with these regulations and discarded them early on. They were famously discussed in depth in the meeting of the church in Jerusalem described in Acts chapter 15.Second, there were other lesser regulations and rules that had been built up during the hundreds of years that passed between the ministry of the last Old Testament prophet, Malachi, and the coming of John the Baptist and Jesus.This system of case law and regulations obscured the message of the Old Testament. At times it contradicted it altogether. Jews at the time of Jesus, including Paul, practiced these legalistic regulations to a greater or lesser degree in their daily lives. These regulations were scrupulously followed by the Pharisees. The Scribes were teachers of this law.One of the things these regulations required was the covering of the head both by women and men. This covering symbolized that sin caused an ongoing separation of the worshipper from God. Covering the head, hiding the head of the sinner from the holy God, was the appropriate thing to do. Perhaps you have seen movies with an actor playing the role of Jesus covering his head just as he was about to pray to God.Jesus fought against baseless legalistic Judaism during his earthly ministry. He confounded self-righteous sinners who followed these rules.In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus identified and rejected their regulations. Six times he said: “You have heard it said, …, but I say to you ….” (Matthew 5:21, 27, 31, 33, 38, 43).As a Pharisee, Paul had been a scrupulous follower of these laws. But as a Christian, Paul left behind these empty practices. Jesus the Messiah had fulfilled the Old Testament Law and gave each and every believer full status as a child of God (see Galatians 2:14).During the years following his conversion, Paul became skilled at discerning and discarding the dry husks of legalism. He excelled in teaching truths straight from the Old Testament, especially how Jesus fulfilled the prophesies of the coming Messiah.After Paul's first missionary journey, legalists came and tried to impose Jewish regulations on the converted Gentiles. Paul opposed their teachings.Acts 15 records that the church in Jerusalem supported Paul in his work and agreed that Christians did not have to convert to Judaism. Nevertheless, Paul continued to face direct opposition from Jews outside the church and frequent contradiction from legalistic Judaizers inside the church.A number of times, Jews outside the church opposed Paul and denounced him publicly. This resulted in beatings, stonings and imprisonments. At other times, Judaizers within the church visited places Paul had ministered. They contradicted his teachings to modify them to fit more or less with the oral law.Here is Paul's own description of the havoc wreaked by unbelieving Jews who were hostile to the Christians in Thessalonica. This was the church Paul planted in northern Greece before he started the church at Corinth:14For you, brothers and sisters, became imitators of God's churches in Judea, which are in Christ Jesus. You suffered from your own countrymen the same things those churches suffered from the Jews, 15who killed the Lord Jesus and the prophets and also drove us out. These displease God and are hostile to all people 16in their effort to keep us from speaking to the Gentiles so that they may be saved….                     1 Thessalonians 2:14-16Key #4: Traditions. If some of the Corinthians were “contentious,” as Paul said in verse 16, what were they contending for and what were they challenging? Verse 2 tells us. They challenged “the traditions” Paul had taught the Corinthian believers. What might they have wanted to change? Since, in verse 10, Paul focuses on women, it can be assumed that they were challenging Paul on what he had taught about the status and ministry of Christian women.There were numerous regulations in the Jewish oral law that applied to women in the synagogue. These regulations implied, or said outright, that the nature and status of the women was not on a par with the men.Much like some modern non-Christian religious regulations that require women to cover their heads differently from men, so the ancient Jewish regulations required women to cover their heads in a way different from men. While the Jewish oral law said that men and women both had to cover their heads, there were many more reasons given for why women had to cover their heads.Paul never passed on such legalism to his spiritual children in Christ. If the Jews had their reasons for restricting women, Paul had his for ensuring their full participation in ministry. No wonder people flocked to hear Paul's teaching! He presented a vibrant counterpoint to the dead legalism of his day.As we will show, Paul's words in verse 10 confronted those who wanted to impose regulations on women believers. Both men and women believers had the right to discard any covering hinting at sin. No one had the right to tell them to do otherwise and it was obviously wrong to do so.Key #5: Translations. In 1 Corinthians 11:10, Paul restated his position. A look at the Greek words in which the New Testament was written makes this quite clear. But modern translations of this passage make it look as if Paul is saying something here opposite to what he originally wrote!Before taking a look at what Paul said these in 13 Greek words, here is a sampling of what translations present verse 10 as saying:Good News Translation (GNT) On account of the angels, then, a woman should have a covering over her head to show that she is under her husband's authority. (24 words)Contemporary English Version CEV. And so, because of this, and also because of the angels, a woman ought to wear something on her head, as a sign of her authority. (26 words)Living Bible TLB: So a woman should wear a covering on her head as a sign that she is under man's authority, a fact for all the angels to notice and rejoice in. (30 words)New International Version NIV: It is for this reason that a woman ought to have authority over her own head, because of the angels. (20 words)English Standard Version ESV That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. (19 words) Clearly, something is going on here with all these differences from translation to translation. However, in Greek, verse 10 is made up of just thirteen easy words. The following is a word-for-word transliteration of the Greek of 1 Corinthians 11:10:1. “therefore” or “for”            7.“to-have” 2. “this” (“reason”)                8.  “over”3. “ought”                               9.  “the” (“her”)          4. “the”                                    10. “head”5. “woman”                            11. “because-of”        6. “authority”                         12. “the”13. “angels.”The verse can be translated simply as follows in 14 English words:Therefore, the woman ought to have authority over her head, because of the angels.Although it rearranged the words, one version translated clearly the original Greek text. It was the TNIV or Today's New InternationalVersion:"For this reason, and because of the angels, the woman ought to have authority over her own head."Thus, Paul affirms that a woman is in charge of her own head. How this meaning fits with the verses around it is what we will address next.Bruce C. E. FlemingFounder of the Tru316 Project, Tru316.comAuthor of The Book of Eden, Genesis 2-3

In this episode, host Russell Hillier is joined by John Van Zyl, veteran of the Rhodesian Light Infantry and creator of the Fighting Men of Rhodesia Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDfQx5rjmSc&t=6sJohn talks about growing up in Colonial Africa, the Rhodesian Bush War and what it's like to lose your country.Backgroundin the 1960's Rhodesia was a prosperous country, with high employment, a strong currency and little crime. Ten years later and it was all gone. By 1980, Rhodesia had vanished off the map. History is a demanding teacher and the lesson is that things can fall apart quickly, regardless of what country you call home.  

In this episode PM Power colleagues, J Veeraraaghavan (JV) & Sivaguru are in conversation as JV shares his career journey during the mid-career days, when he moved from one leadership role to another includingGetting the right breaks through his careerManaging projects, taking up middle managerial roles and moving into executive managementGetting exposed to and experience in roadmap planning for productsCurbing the tendency to jump in and act when team members were facing challenges, rather than taking an approach of helping themWhat helped him get over this:Emotional intelligenceBeing aware of self and being empathetic and sensing how others feelHaving a technical backgroundIn addition, approachability and ability to guideOn dealing with managers, when he took on larger responsibilities How he overcame the sudden feeling that one had nothing to do, as a manager, while being responsible overallHis first experience in managing a program and what he learnt from not having prior experienceWhat he realized by inadvertently stepping into the shoes of the project manager and realizing the impact it had on the project managerHis thoughts on luck v/s hard work for a successful managerFour dimensions of success for a middle manager - Engineering excellence; Delivery oversight; Self leadership; Coaching skillsHow executive leadership can enable middle managers to go beyond performance reviewsEstablishing communities of practice to help middle managers His take on managing time This podcast was created on Hubhopper studio. If you wish to start your own podcast for free, visit www.hubhopperstudio.com. Hubhopper is India's leading podcast creation platform. Start your podcast with Hubhopper studio & get your voice heard across platforms like Spotify, Gaana, Google podcasts, Wynk Music and more. Click on the link in the episode description or visit www.hubhopperstudio.com

Introduction One of the purposes of this podcast is to share our unique bol.com culture with you. Traditions play an important part in culture. So, in this episode, we share a view on the evolution of a tradition.What this episode coversA tradition that underlines our focus on data. In this sales season, everybody in bol.com wants to know how we are doing, preferably Real-Time. With the latest version of the Real-Time Sales dashboard, our guests managed to get the information within 100ms from sales to the dashboard.If you are one of the people that spent maybe a little too much time watching the results of the election in the US of A unfold on CNN or another network, you could catch the bug of this tradition too. We have a magic board, but we don't have the talking heads that came with it....BackgroundIn this episode, we talk about that one screen all bol.com colleagues have open all day in this season period. The initial version which was born back in 2004 and got the name Ancorama. Referring to the colleague who built it. It looked like an excel sheet being updated by querying the database. A couple of years ago a new initiative was born, Real-Time Sales. It brought great new graphs. But in fact, it still wasn't Real-Time.Now we are dealing with a brand new version and it is also known as Real-Time Sales, the next generation. Our guests had a huge stake in building this version and we want to know everything about it.SubjectsWhy and when did you start the project?How did you achieve 100ms processing time?What building blocks used and why?RSocket, R2DBC, Reactive programming, Vue3, Kotlin CoroutinesTest approachFuture developmentsGuestsGoos van den Bekerom; Software Engineer in the buying domainMarvin Zwolsman; Software Engineer in the buying domain and friend of the show! (Hey Google)Eugene Figueiras; Software Engineer in the Selling, Assortment and Fintech domain.NotesBlogpost on peak season frontend performancePodcast on season preparationsThe state of reactive streams with Oleh Dokuka

In this episode, host Russell Hillier is joined by best-selling author and veteran of the Rhodesian Bush War, Tim Bax.For ten years, Tim Bax fought against the tide of infiltrating ZANLA and FRELIMO terrorists throughout Rhodesia and Mozambique, as part of the legendary Rhodesian Light Infantry and Selous Scouts. His life growing up in Africa and Canada, as well as his war-time experiences are captured in the book “Three Sips of Gin.”Tim joined the podcast from his home in Orlando to share his thoughts about writing, as well as the lessons from Africa that can be applied to the modern battlefield.BackgroundIn the 1960’s and 1970’s Rhodesia was Africa’s wealthiest nation, with a robust agricultural sector, strong currency and a capitol city that boasted fancy restaurants, Jaguar cars and high-end clubs.By 1980, it was all gone.Although the Rhodesian Light Infantry and Selous Scouts never lost a battle, they still lost the war. After years of economic sanctions and with their rifles and ammunition supplies spent, Rhodesia capitulated. The new country called Zimbabwe would soon be on the path to hell, with Robert Mugabe as its leader.

Pastor's Notes: Say What?!? - Escaping Death?TEXTJohn 11:25-2725 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. 26 And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”27 She said to Him, “Yes, Lord, I believe that You are the Christ, the Son of God, who is to come into the world.”INTRODUCTIONGood evening everybody!I hope you’ve been making good use of your time by spending it with family and getting more in tune with God in this season. I’ve really enjoyed this teaching because it’s helped us look at the greater context of Scripture.Today, I want to look at something all of us are faced with: Death. Tonight, I want to talk to you about Escaping Death.ILLUSTRATIONIn the news lately, all we’ve heard about is the mortality rate of the corona virus. People always seem to panic when they are faced with the possibility of death.The stark reality is this: Ten out of ten people die! It’s not a matter of if, but when. The Bible tells us in Hebrews 9:27 “It is appointed unto man once to die, and then the judgement.”TRANSITIONIt is here that we have a conflict, because in the text we’re confronted with what seems to be a contradicting statement from Jesus. It’s here that Jesus says “He who believes in me will never die.”Wait a minute……. say what?BACKGROUNDIn our passage, we are dealing with the death of a friend: Lazarus. He had died, and it seemed insensitive that Jesus had delayed His coming. Mary and Martha has expressed the fact that they wanted Jesus to come to him. But now, it had been four days!It seemed that Lazarus was dead. Yet Jesus uses this passage to talk about the resurrection. Let’s see what type of insight we can learn from this particular passage.APPLICATION The Origin of Death - The Garden of Eden- The Lie of Satan- Separation from God The Dual Nature of Death - Physical Death- Spiritual Death- The Case of Lazarus The Plan of Life - His intention was eternal life.- It comes from belief in Him.CONCLUSION

today er continue our Untapped series as we study The River of God. Pastor's Notes: TEXTEzekiel 47:1-9 NKJV Then he brought me back to the door of the [a]temple; and there was water, flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east, for the front of the temple faced east; the water was flowing from under the right side of the temple, south of the altar. 2 He brought me out by way of the north gate, and led me around on the outside to the outer gateway that faces east; and there was water, running out on the right side.3 And when the man went out to the east with the line in his hand, he measured one thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the water came up to my ankles. 4 Again he measured one thousand and brought me through the waters; the water came up to my knees. Again he measured one thousand and brought me through; the water came up to my waist. 5 Again he measured one thousand, and it was a river that I could not cross; for the water was too deep, water in which one must swim, a river that could not be crossed. 6 He said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he brought me and returned me to the bank of the river.7 When I returned, there, along the bank of the river, were very many trees on one side and the other. 8 Then he said to me: “This water flows toward the eastern region, goes down into the [b]valley, and enters the sea. When it reaches the sea, its waters are healed. 9 And it shall be that every living thing that moves, wherever [c]the rivers go, will live. There will be a very great multitude of fish, because these waters go there; for they will be healed, and everything will live wherever the river goes.INTRODUCTIONGood morning!I hope you had as much fun last week as I did. We started our Untapped series, and we looked at God’s intention was man on the Earth, in His image. Because Adam dropped the ball, Jesus came and fixed the problem, and once again made us one with God. So Jesus didn’t just die to get us to Heaven, but so Heaven could also get on the inside of us!Today, I want to take this revelation just a little bit further. Today, I want to talk about “The River of God”. ILLUSTRATION In John 4:14, Jesus ministers to a woman at a well, and He tells her that all those who drink of the water that He gives (the water of life), it will “spring up a fountain of water springing up to everlasting life.”That’s why when you are saved, you can now share that water with others, and lead another soul to Christ! Water is often a symbol in the Scripture of the work of Christ and the ministry of the Holy Spirit.TRANSITION Since all of this is starting to come together, let’s look at what Ezekiel shows us about the River of God. BACKGROUNDIn our passage and the chapters that are previous, the prophet Ezekiel is having a vision of the New Jerusalem and the temple. He is measuring the courts, the gates, and all of the other various aspects of this holy city. Then, he is taken to this river that is flowing. It seems to be a central characteristic of the New Jerusalem. In fact, John mentions it in Revelation 22:1- 5 NKJV. Here are the key characteristics I see when I look at this passage: APPLICATION The Source Of The River (vs. 1-2) - Ezekiel tells us that this river is coming from the temple.- It is flowing. A pond is stagnant, but a river flows. The Levels Of The River (vs. 3-5) - He walked out some, and it hit his ankles. - Then his knees. - Then his waist. - Then it was over his head where the water would overtake him. The Purpose Of The River (vs. 6-9) - This river would give life. It flowed to the Dead Sea and brought resurrection to that which had been dead. - It brought healing. - Everything that touched the river would live!- Part of the proof of it’s existence was the life surrounding everything. CONCLUSION How do we seal this up? Just like we learned last week, salvation concerns Heaven, but it doesn’t ONLY concern Heaven. Well, this River of Life concerns Heaven, but it doesn’t ONLY concern Heaven!In John 7:37-39 NKJV, Jesus said concerning these thingsOn the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” 39 But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those [a]believing in Him would receive; for the [b]Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit!We can choose how far we walk out in the River of GodThe life that is in us is there to take it to the nations! THIS IS THE PURPOSE OF THE BAPTISM OF THE SPIRIT! The life of God is IN us, but the life of God also wants to flow THROUGH us!When that dam of water bursts forth, the very first thing it will affect is your tongue! Your mouth won’t even be able to use English fully to express what you feel down on the inside. That life will bubble forth!Who’s ready to come and jump in the river? Or do you just want to put your toes in?

Pastor's Notes: Romans 4:13-22 NKJV13 For the promise that he would be the heir of the world was not to Abraham or to his seed through the law, but through the righteousness of faith. 14 For if those who are of the law are heirs, faith is made void and the promise made of no effect, 15 because the law brings about wrath; for where there is no law there is no transgression.16 Therefore it is of faith that it might be according to grace, so that the promise might be [a]sure to all the seed, not only to those who are of the law, but also to those who are of the faith of Abraham, who is the father of us all 17 (as it is written, “I have made you a father of many nations”) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did; 18 who, contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, “So shall your descendants be.” 19 And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. 20 He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. 22 And therefore “it was accounted to him for righteousness.”INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody!I hope you’re excited to be here today. I know I sure am. I love the holidays, but I’m certainly glad to be getting back into the routine of life. I loved the Christmas season as we really focused on the personhood of Jesus Christ and His power to save humanity.Next week, I’l be starting a brand new series entitled “First Things First”, that will propel us in to the new year. But today, on this last Sunday of December, I want to talk to you about faith. I’ve entitled this message “Living Above See Level”.ILLUSTRATIONJanuary 1 marks a point on our Western calendar called “New Year”, and it has become a day where people traditionally have made some goals and adjustments to their lives. We’ve all heard them.- Lose weight- Start a business- Get out of debt- Read the Bible throughYou name it, and people have tried it.Many have succeeded ,while many have failed. I wont ask you to raise your hand to share if you made your resolution last year or not.TRANSITIONThe truth is, many of us have goals and ambitions in life, but what if I told you that God didn’t create you just to be mundane or to merely exist?What if I told you that God wanted you to live an adventurous life of faith? Well, He does!And I’m telling you, you have to think bigger in this new year!- Some of you are stuck relationally- Some of you are stuck financially- You're at a dead end job, working for someone else dream, someone else’s vision.- You are hand to mouth and check to check - Some of you are stuck spiritually- You are doubting God’s call- And Gasp.....We can even be stuck as a church - Living on yesterday’s vision- Living on outdated methodologyWe can become paralyzed by fear, discouraged by circumstances, and held captive by our senses.It’s time to believe God and to life by faith! That is, to live by more than what we can see.BACKGROUNDIn our passage, we are told about a name named Abraham, who the Bible does call “The Father of Our Faith”.Abraham was chosen by God to start the nation of Israel. However, we have an issue: Abram is old and Sarai is barren! That doesn't make for a good situation!Yet, Abram received a promise from God.APPLICATION1. Faith receives the promise (vs. 13-16)- We receive the promise not by works. - We receive the promise not by the law. - We receive it by faith.2. Faith proclaims the promise (vs. 17-18)- Faith proclaims the promise. - “He called those things that be not as though they were.”- Don’t forget that God changed His name from Abram to Abraham. Abraham means “father of many nations”.- That means that long before He had kids, God was speaking over him. Every time someone called his name, they were prophesying.- It’s not lying to say what God says.- That’s why Joel 3:10 NKJV says “Let the weak say I am strong”3. Faith rejects present circumstances (vs. 19)- We often forget that there is a time frame between the promise and the manifestation.- From the time God first called Abraham (i.e. Abram) in Haran, to the time when his “son of promise” Isaac was born, nearly three decades went by. Abram left Haran for the “Promised Land” when he was 75 years old, full of faith and the zeal of a new recruit into God's kingdom.- That means there were many mornings to wake up doubting. Many days to keep “looking”, but he decided to live ABOVE “see” level”.- He wasn’t weak in faith. He didn’t consider his own body being dead. He didn’t consider the deadness of Sara’s womb.- He did not waver. “One morning God will, one morning He’s not.The next day, maybe He will........James 1:6-8 NKJV But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. 7 For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; 8 he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.4. Faith builds our confidence (vs. 20-21)- He gave God glory. Faith always praises God in advance. - He was persuaded that God was able.5. Faith pleases God (vs.22)- He was made righteous due to his unwavering faith.- Hebrews 11:6 NKJV But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a reward er of those who diligently seek Him.CONCLUSIONWhat you have to understand about God is that payday isn’t always on Friday, but there’s always a reward for our faith. He is faithful. Do you trust Him?

We are excited to have Pastor Brad back from Africa. to day he teaches us what it means to be blessed. Pastor's Notes: 2 Corinthians 9:5-11 NKJVTherefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work. As it is written: “He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever.” Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.”INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody!It’s so good to see each of you! I’m certainly glad to be in the States. God did some amazing Things and showed us a favor in many ways. We are so excited about the work that is to come things and showed us a favor in many ways. We are so excited about the work that is to come.SHOW PICTURESKENYA PICSWhat you are looking at is the school that we were given and that we will renovate over the next couple of years. It will serve as the first missionary training center in Kenya. As of now, Kenya only has what we would call “home” missionaries, with none crossing the borders. we will be training them to go into other Muslim countries. How awesome is it that we will be a church that will not just be a missions supporting, but missions producing body of believers! I have to first go on record and say thank you to our church body and our board for allowing me to be me. It takes a strong and secure body of believers to allow their pastor to be used in non traditional ways. I expressed that this was my heart before I ever moved here. Just because I get excited about missions, don’t be weary that I am leaving or anything like that. If I was going to do that, it’s not because I haven’t been asked or don’t have opportunity. Right now, I’m called to be a pastor that just happens to love the world. I am planted, committed, and rooted in our work right here. Doing missionary work keeps me grounded, balanced, and focused on the Great Commission. I also believe that’s a part of who we are as a church. We are a blessed people and a blessed nation.That’s why I wanted to finish off this series with a message I’ve entitled “Blessed”, and on a message on the joy of giving.Note: This is not a message on tithing. If you don’t get tithing, you surely won’t get this message. All Christians should tithe. If you aren’t tithing, you are robbing God, robbing yourself of blessings, and robbing the kingdom of God from ministry that should come from your obedience. Yet today, I’m talking about giving in regards to offerings. We can call this “over and above” giving.ILLUSTRATIONYou see, we are a blessed people! Right now, you might not feel blessed. You might not feel like.....- You make enough.- Your house is good enough. - Your clothes are the best.- Your bank account is full enough.- Your thought might be “I can’t give anything.” But hear me: You live in America.You live in one of the most financially prosperous nations in the world. If you make minimum wage, you make more than most of the impoverished nations in the world. Where I minister in Africa, the average wage is $3 a DAY. A GOOD salary is 50 DOLLARS a MONTH!Most In AMERICA have....NetflixWiFiMore than one car per familyMoney to eat fast foodMoney for golf and hobbies$1000 cell phones that you pay $25 a month extra on your bill for ...And then say “I don’t have any money to give the ministry.”Don’t get me wrong. Blessings are good. Prosperity comes from God. But the issue is when we take our blessings for granted.When we do, we complain, become ungrateful, and ultimately become tight fisted. In doing so, we can stop up the blessings that God gives us.Consider this scripture in the book of wisdom......Proverbs 11:24-25 NKJVThere is one who scatters, yet increases more; And there is one who withholds more than is right, But it leads to poverty. The generous soul will be made rich,And he who waters will also be watered himself. Notice the end of this verse: Open hands produce open heavens. Tight fisted living causes poverty.Why does God want to bless us?To hoard up? To have more?No!We are blessed to be a blessing!God definitely doesn’t mind us having stuff. it’s when we lose perspective on why we have the stuff.TRANSITIONThat’s what we see in our text. We see people who get it. Paul uses the church at Macedonia as an example to the church at Corinth. Macedonia had ever reason not to give, but they did anyways because they caught the vision. It’s in chapter 9 that shows that as they began to give, God began to bless them even more abundantly. 

BACKGROUNDIn our text, Paul is giving us some principles about giving that all of us can learn from. 

APPLICATION1.The Love Of Giving- Paul tells them to prepare and be ready.- To people who love to give, giving is not an afterthought.- How do people manage? - Givers plan to give.- Illust: Making it rain- Slide: “Give God what’s right, not what’s left.”- Slide: “Prioritize God first and blessings will follow!”2. The Levels Of Giving- Bountifully or Sparingly- Generous or Stingy- Generosity is not determined by amount, but by obedience and sacrifice.3. The Law Of Giving- Your level of reaping is determined by your level of sowing.- More seed to sow comes by planting more seed- Why is Africa is so impoverished when their ground is so rich. Because of hunger, they’d rather eat their seed to meet a temporary need than to sow it and wait for a better harvest.CONCLUSIONWe are blessed. I’m encouraging you to see yourself differently, and change your habits to put God First.

This evening Pastor Blonie Smith brings us the word as she continues the midweek series More Pastor's Notes: TEXTGalatians 5:19-25 NKJV19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: [d]adultery, [e]fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, [f]murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 [g]gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.INTRODUCTIONGood evening!It’s me again! Last week, we finished the nine manifestations of the Spirit, but tonight, we are going to look at the nine fruit of the Spirit.The gifts have to do with ability, while the fruit has to do with character. When we get saved, the fruit of the Spirit begins to develop in our lives.Over the next few weeks, we will be looking at three at a time.Tonight, we will look at love, joy, and peace.ILLUSTRATIONIn John 15, Jesus said "I am the vine, and you are the branches. If you abide in me, you will bear much fruit.”A tree cannot bear any fruit on its own without being connected to the root system. To us, Christ is that root system. When we are in Him, these fruit begin to produce in our lives.BACKGROUNDIn our passage, the Apostle Paul is dealing with the Galatians specifically in this chapter about the flesh. He lists out things like adultery, drunkenness, idolatry, and other things. He is clear to state that Christians shouldn't engage in such things.He then goes into listing the attributes of a Christian, which are the fruit of the Holy Spirit.Let’s look at the first three.SCRIPTURAL APPLICATION1. Love- The first one we see is love.- This love is agape love. It’s the unconditional love that God gives us.- When the Holy Spirit is in control of our lives, the fruit of love will be in full manifestation.- 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 gives us a long list of the attributes of love.2. Joy- Joy is often misunderstood.- Joy is not happiness. Happy is based on circumstances. Joy is based on knowing a person.- This joy is the joy Paul had in prison when he sang praises to God in the midnight hour. Acts 16- The joy of having us let Jesus endure the cross. Hebrews 12:23. Peace- This peace is so different that any peace in the world.- It is a peace that is rooted in trust.- Jesus had trust in the middle of the storm in the sea. He was asleep in the bow of the boat. Mark 4:38- Paul had peace in the shipwreck. Acts 27:25CONCLUSION

Hello there... Excuse the Fan in the backgroundIn this Episode we talk about our top 5 movies for the first half of 2019.http://ryreviews.com/best-5-films-mid-season-2019/  We also talk about the film "Yesterday"http://ryreviews.com/yesterday-movie-reviews-by-ry/  Follow Us and Support the podcast:Follow Scuba @SavanCod on twitter: https://twitter.com/SavanCodFollow RyGuy @ incubustrav on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/incubustrav/https://www.facebook.com/scubasstudiohttps://www.patreon.com/Scubastudio Show Credits and Thanks to:Intro and Outro Music by: The Strength Logo Artwork by: Volgraza from Nimajination studios

Pastor's Notes: TEXTColossians 3:1-11 NKJV If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everyone!I am so glad you’re here. Last week, we covered the topic of redemption, and what it truly means to bought back from the auction block of sin. We saw the value that each of us has in the eyes of God, and what it truly means to truly be saved.This morning, I’m going to go old school. You may not know this, but I AM old school. What I mean by that is while it’s ok to modernize the way we do things, the message must never change! What I’m going to talk to you about today is something that I don’t hear much about anymore. In the past, it was taught from a wrong angle, and I believe it caused us to get off into much legalism. Jesus also dealt with that. I believe that today, as we touch this subject, you will see the importance of it. I want to teach today about holiness in the life of the believer, but specifically on the topic of sanctification. Today, the title of this message is called “Sanctified”.What is “sanctified’?DEFINITION: It means to “set apart”, or “to make holy”. It also means to be separated and pure from sin. ILLUSTRATION 
One rule we have at my house is to rinse off your dishes as soon as you are done with them. The idea is to immediately wash away the food and grime left on your plates, bowls, and silverware so that it doesn’t get caked on and become difficult to get off.Unfortunately, my family (including me) does not always follow this rule. That means that the burned grease, old cereal, and leftover food can get plastered onto the dishes so that it takes more than a bit of elbow grease to remove it.Sometimes the leftover food seems to become one with the dish and that, no matter how hard we scrub, it will never come off.That’s exactly how sin can feel when you truly don’t deal with it.The best remedy for food stuck in this situation is to leave a dish soaking in water for a period of time. This allows the water to loosen up the grime and dirt so that it can be wiped away, usually without much effort.The power of the water over a period of time is enough to get rid of the dirt and grime that you could not get off no matter how hard you scrubbed.Breaking sinful habits works in a similar way, but instead of using physical water, we need the water of the Word.True believers in Jesus Christ are already clean in God’s sight because of the blood of Jesus Christ, but can still struggle to live in obedience because they live in the flesh. That is why we need to know not only what can help us live more obediently, but Who can help us live more obediently as well.
 TRANSITIONThat’s exactly the way we should be as believers. We are saved! God’s nature has been imparted on the inside of us. Our spirit is born again! The issue is that we have the flesh and our mind still to deal with.Those are the things in which we must ourselves work on.On the cross, Jesus sanctified us by His precious blood. That is HIS responsibility.Now once we are saved, we are to sanctify ourselves. Most of all Paul’s letters to the epistles teaches this. It doesn’t nullify the work of the cross. What it simply means is that Christ’s sacrifice has set us free, but now we must choose to walk free and stay free.If and when we mess us, we confess it, repent, and get back up! 
 BACKGROUNDIn the time of writing this book, Paul was a prisoner in Rome. Although he had never visited this church personally, he had an interest in it because it started as an outgrowth of his ministry in Ephesus. It had gotten back to Paul that gnosticism and lewdness had slipped into the church. He was concerned that these false ideologies and doctrines might destroy the work there, so this letter was sent to remind them of exactly what they have and how they should respond. APPLICATION 1. Our Position- He uses the word “if” here, but we know He is saying “If you are saved, look at this.”- Where is our position? We’ve been seated with Christ!- We have died with Him.- We are buried with Him.- We are raised with Him.- We live in Him.- We will be glorified with Him- So as saved people, we ought to think different. We all know that what you think about affects what you do. 2. Our Prescription- We are told to put to death the flesh. This is the part we don’t like.- Contrary to what people may think in today’s culture, Christians are supposed to live different.- We have to crucify it. Why? Because even though we are saved, we can still be enticed and tempted to do the wrong thing.- He names some stuff.- Fornication- Uncleanness- Passion- Evil Desire- Covetousness- Anger- Wrath- Malice- Filthy Language- LyingSurely these are not an exhaustive list of sins, but are likely the ones they were dealing with. What are they a big deal? They are a big deal because they aren’t the characteristic of Christ! Are we perfect? No! We shouldn’t be excusing these things. They have consequences. 3. Our Purpose- Put on the new man- Renewed in Christ- Why? The world needs to see Jesus in us!- Even if we aren’t perfect, if we are saved, we will have a desire to reflect His nature and character in our lives. When we miss it, His Spirit convicts us, and we correct that and do it differently next time- The Word will renew us (Romans 12:1-2) CONCLUSIONIn the old days, holiness was all about the outside (hair, clothing, etc)Jesus addressed this with the Pharisees. They had it all together on the outside, but on the inside, they were like the white tombs opposite of the Temple Mount. (Matthew 23:27-28)How do we continue to allow Him to change us? From the inside out.

This morning Pastor Brad finishes the Mythbusters series with the myth that The Bible Isn't Relevant  Today. Pastor's Notes: 2 Timothy 3:16-17 NKJV16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for [a]instruction in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work. INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everyone!My family and I are glad to be back this morning. We had a much needed disconnect and do over trip before school starts back up in a few weeks. I hope that you’ve enjoyed this series. I’ve endeavored to teach some very diverse and controversial topics. I catch flack for doing so, but I do it because I strive to teach the whole counsel of the Word of God. I don’t believe we should run from that which other’s deem difficult.Today, however, I want to finish this series with a very passionate topic that I pray you will also become passionate about. It’s the reason why next month, we will embark on a reading plan together as a church. I want to bust the myth that “The Bible Isn’t Relevant Today.”ILLUSTRATIONI believe with all my heart that the church today has a major issue facing it. It’s not the issue of worship. We have great music and songwriters. It’s not service. This generation loves to volunteer and be a part. It’s not community . This generation loves relationship.So, what is it, you may ask?I believe the greatest challenge we face today is a good grasp of the Word of God.Don’t get me wrong—I love technology. You may hate it, but if you aren’t engaging in the electronic world, you are quickly becoming obsolete. In a world full of MP3’s, text messages, social media, and storage in “the cloud”, you have to learn some new things to be efficient in the 21st century.However, I believe technology has made us dumber concerning the Word of God.Let me explain...TRANSITIONI love having the words on the screen. It’s especially helpful to new believers and people who forgot their Bible at home. It’s also great in a day full of different translations and versions of the Scripture to have one version on the screen for everyone to read from.Yet, what has been a blessing has now crippled us.Most people don’t know the books in the Bible or where they are located. Likewise, most people don’t know how to find a scripture without Google!There were days where we were memorizing Scripture, and now we reply upon the search engine to do all of our study.To top it off, social media is full of meme’s that contact single verse, out of context scriptures.LifeWay Christian Research reveals some major issues concerning Bible study:-  9 out of 10 American homes own a Bible. The average however, owns three.-  Only 1 in 5 people surveyed had read the Bible through at least once.-  1/3 of Christians read the Bible once a week.-  Only 85 percent of Christians believe the Bible is the infallible word of God.- Many millennial believe that Biblical stances on homosexuality, abortion, and drug use are outdated, and culture trumps the Scripture. If this indeed is true, Houston, we have a problem!Because of this shift in culture, people who preach the Bible standards of truth are considered bigots, intolerant, and hateful.As one person said “Truth sounds like hate to those who hate the truth.”But even against stream in this current culture, we must teach and preach the Word of God. It indeed changes lives!BACKGROUNDIn our passage, the Apostle Paul is encouraging his son in the Lord Timothy to hold fast in preaching the Gospel. Even in his day, there were those who wanted to have their ears tickled with messages that make them feel good.But notice he said “all Scripture” is given by inspiration of God .That means ALL of the Word is both practical and relevant to us. The word of God isn’t a buffet. We don’t have the option of picking what we like and leaving what we don’t. We have to take it as a whole. APPLICATION1. It gives us foundation-  He uses the word “doctrine”.-  Doctrine can be defined as “a defined structure of beliefs”.-  So why is reading the Bible important? It tells us what we believe and why we believe it!*The Trinity *The Holy Spirit*The infallibility of Scripture *Healing*The Name of Jesus* etc2. It gives us correction-While the Bible isn’t to be viewed as a book full of negativity, I think we wrongly view correction as negative. The truth is, in this generation, we don't like to be corrected. We get offended when anyone tries to show us any error we may be walking in.- When we are walking in bitterness, unforgiveness, or unrighteousness, the Scripture can put us back in the right working order.3. It gives us instruction- The Scripture is an instruction manual.- If you want the greatest level of effectiveness out of a product, use it in accordance with the user’s manual!- It can teach you how to walk with God, love people, handle your money, raise your Children, and anything you could possibly think of. CONCLUSIONThe Bible is not some archaic book that is out of touch. It’s a roadmap to successful living.

It's time to continue our Mythbusters series. Today Pastor Brad tackles the Myth that God Can't Forgive Me! Pastor's Notes: 1 John 1:5-9 NKJV5 This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him is no darkness at all. 6 If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us. INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody! I am so glad to be back in the house today. Blonnie and I were able to spend some much needed time with her parents, and we appreciate all of you being so very supportive as we have went through this. This morning is Friend Day, and we want to make sure you come out to Crystal Beach at 4 pm and bring your folding chair with you. Today, I want to continue my Mythbusters series with a message entitled “God Can’t Forgive Me”. In today’s message, we will be looking at the believer, sin, and God’s attitude about it. ILLUSTRATIONWhy did I choose this title for this message? Because it’s something I have heard often. Whether it be……A soldier who had to kill someone in dutyA woman who regretted an abortionA man who cheated on his spouseA drunk driver who killed a whole family ….. and the list could go on and on. I have heard non Christians use this as an excuse not to come to Christ, and I have also heard believers use this verse to walk in condemnation and shame. What I want to share with you today is that if you have a past, no matter what it is, there is forgiveness!Jesus not only wants to forgive you, but He died so that He could! His mercy and grace is so deep. That’s called “Good News”. TRANSITIONYet, what should our attitude as believers be toward sin? Sin is simply “missing the mark” and falling short of God’s standard.In our passage, we are going to see God’s instruction and attitude concerning sin. BACKGROUNDIn our passage, 1 John was traditionally thought to be written by John the evangelist, son of Zebedee, and disciple of Jesus. His purpose in writing is revealed in the first few verses as he is encouraging the believers not to walk in sin. Sounds like a true evangelist, doesn't it? 1 John is addressing a heretical belief that was present in that day that basically said that because our spirit is saved and made new, but our salvation doesn't really affect our body. So in retrospect, this teaching sounded something like this: “I am saved, so my sin really doesn’t matter!” Unfortunately this teaching and thought has popped back up in the church again through something I call the ‘hyper grace movement”. John addresses this head on as he extends the heart of God towards forgiveness, but also reveals the truth about willful sin. Let’s look at our text and see exactly what He says. APPLICATION1. God is Holy (vs. 5)“God is light” reveals to us His nature. He is absolutely pure. There abides no darkness in Him. Children should always look like their parents. Their primary DNA comes from the father.      2. Our Walk Matters (vs. 6-7)Walking in Darkness: Many professing “Christians” say they are born again, but they have the same patterns as the world. TheyGet drunkDo drugsLook at pornSleep aroundCheat on their taxesCuss like a sailorETCThat list could go on and on!NOTE: I even saw a t shirt one time that said “I love Jesus but I cuss a little.” I’m sorry folks, but we are called to be different! I know it might be unpopular. I know you might get offended. I know you might not come back, but I’t not gonna let you sit up in this church week after week calling yourself a Christian and you are LIVING in open sin with no repentance. I’m telling you today you need to GET RIGHT WITH GOD!I hear you: Now now pastor. No one is perfect. We all sin. That is true. our verse even deals with that. Yet, there’s a difference between being SINLESS and SINFUL. Sinless = We all can and do mess up, but we are convicted, repent, and change. You have a heart forward God and a negative attitude toward sin. If you mess up, it should bother you. Sinful = Jesus loves me anyways and I’m just going to keep on doing it. That’s what people are saying today. I’m saved. I’m delivered. Grace has me covered all the way. Past, present, and even in the future!Sadly, the prophet Jeremiah dealt with this in his day as false prophets were enticing the children of Israel to forsake God’s ways. Look at the working of this passage:Jeremiah 7:8-11 NKJV8 “Behold, you trust in lying words that cannot profit. 9 Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely, burn incense to Baal, and walk after other gods whom you do not know, 10 and then come and stand before Me in this house which is called by My name, and say, ‘We are delivered to do all these abominations’? 11 Has this house, which is called by My name, become a den of thieves in your eyes? Behold, I, even I, have seen it,” says the Lord.Notice he said they mentioned they had been “delivered" to do those things. No my friend! God’s grace is not an license to keep on sinning. You are deceived and don’t really know Him. Walk In The Light: When we are walking, that denotes action. When we are walking with Jesus, His grace and His mercy redeem us when we mess up, not if. We are not a perfect people! But we must walk with Jesus to receive that forgiveness! 3. The Blood Is Enough (vs. 9)If we confess: That means we have to stop acting like the issue isn't there. If it’s a problem, you need to confess it. Get that sinfulness out of the dark and over into the light. - If we do that, He is faithful to forgive and cleanse, no matter how dark or dirty it may be. 4. We All Need Grace (vs. 10)We have all missed it. Not a person in this room is perfect. The only difference is there are those who are openly living in sin and thing they are ok. They are not. Then, there are those who know God is merciful. God can forgive you. CONCLUSION He doesn't want to just forgive you, He wants you to break free. Many are quick to justify sin by quoting the words of Christ when He said in John 8:7 “He that is without sin, let him cast the first stone.” Yet, the forget the part after that in verse 11 where He said “ Neither do I condemn you, now go and SIN NO MORE. When Jesus forgives us, He doesn't do so for us to stay in the same nasty mess we were in. He wants us to break free. There’s grace and breakthrough for you today if you’re willing to receive it.

Today Pastor Brad starts his new summer series he calls Mythbusters.  During this series we will take a look about some popular myths concerning Christians. We start with a message about the myth "I Don't Have To Go To Church To Be A Christian." Pastor's Notes: TEXTLuke 4:14-21 NKJV14 Then Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit to Galilee, and news of Him went out through all the surrounding region. 15 And He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.16 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed MeTo preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me [i]to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind,To set at liberty those who are [j]oppressed;To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.”Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him.21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody!I hope you had a great Memorial Day weekend. Besides that, I pray you were blessed by the ministry of Christopher Alam. He actually called me this week and asked me to convey his gratitude for the generosity of our church family.Today, I want to start a brand new series entitled “Mythbusters”. ILLUSTRATION I’m sure many of you saw the show years about called “Mythbusters”.Each MythBusters episode focuses typically on two or more popular beliefs, Internet rumors, or other myths. The list of myths tested by the series is compiled from many sources, including the personal experiences of cast and crew, as well as fan suggestions, such as those posted on The Discovery Channel online MythBusters forums.It was an interesting show to me because it taught us that you can’t just believe everything you hear. We should be diligent to get the facts and compile what is necessary to get the truth. TRANSITIONThat’s why in this series, we will be busting cultural myths that are impacting our present Christian culture. Many of our topics are hot topics and controversial issues both spiritually and politically. Therefore, from week to week, I won’t be sharing on social media the topics of my messages. This will be one of those series where you just have to show up to see what I will be preaching on. However, some of the myths we will be busting are:“Only God Can Judge Me”“Abortion Isn’t Murder”“People Are Born Gay”“Marriage Is Just A Piece Of Paper”“God Will Never Give You More Than You Can Bear” “It Isn’t God’s Will To Heal Everyone”....... along with several others.Today however, I want to unload a myth that many people in today’s present culture have believed. You’ve probably heard it before: “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”GASP!What if I tell you that statement is not true at all?Now wait a minute, pastor!You mean to tell me the little old ladies who can’t go to church aren’t Christian?I didn’t say that.Let me explain: This would not apply to shut in’s or those physically unable to go to church. That’s why when we know about these people, we and our staff do our best to reach out, stay connected, have communion with them, encourage them, etc.Second, I’m also not preaching that coming to church saves you, or how many times a week you come. I’m no fool. I know that only faith in Christ and the blood of Jesus can save you. Besides that, we just learned Wednesday night in our teaching of the wheat and tares that just because you come to church doesn’t make you saved!Yet, let’s examine the myth: “I don’t have to go to church to be a CHRISTIAN.” (My emphasis added)The word Christian means “little Christ”, “Christ follower”, or “Christ like”.So the question is not salvation, although I believe a truly saved person wants to belong to the body of Christ, but rather, “What are Jesus thought’s about attending a centralized gathering of believers?”BACKGROUNDIn our text, we see Jesus doing what He did best: Teaching. And Jesus ministry did involve open air teaching and preaching and in the streets, but one thing is for sure: He was regularly in the synagogue or the temple preaching.APPLICATION1. Jesus Thought It Was Important- Our text says “and as His Custom was” Another way to say this is “it was His habit”- I will say thing. Regular church attendance has to become one of those good habits in your life, sort of like bathing, brushing your teeth, etc.- Much of the other places in the Gospel tell us that Jesus regularly was there.2. It Was The Center Of Culture- Temple Worship, the Synagogue, and Sabbath worship both was, and still is a way of life in Jerusalem today. The people’s lives were planned around the regular coming together of worshiping God.- After the resurrection, more and more Jews were not accepting of Christianity, the early disciples worshiped in churches on the first day of the week.- Jesus Was the beginner of the church.- We too, like Christ and the disciples, should plan our lives intentionally around the corporate worship with believers.3. It Has Purpose- They came together for:- Worship- Prayer- Instruction- Fellowship- Serving- EncouragementCONCLUSIONSo in our current culture things are great like live streaming, podcasts, and tv programs. They can be a great way to supplement your spiritual life. What an even better tool for people who are physically unable to attend, or those who work off or are in the active military.Yet, they should never be a substitute for the believer who is able.When you give up on attending church, what's at stake?Well, to put it in a nutshell: the unity of the body, your own spiritual growth, protection, and blessing are all at risk when you're disconnected from the body of Christ.

This morning, as Pastor Brad teaches us about The Power Of Partnership, we finish the Driven By Eternity series. Pastor's Notes: TEXTPhilippians 4:10-19 NKJV10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your[a] care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity.11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to [b]be abased, and I know how to [c]abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through [d]Christ who strengthens me.14 Nevertheless you have done well that you shared in my distress. 15 Now you Philippians know also that in the beginning of the gospel, when I departed from Macedonia, no church shared with me concerning giving and receiving but you only. 16 For even in Thessalonica you sent aid once and again for my necessities. 17 Not that I seek the gift, but I seek the fruit that abounds to your account. 18 Indeed I [e]have all and abound. I am full, having received from Epaphroditus the things sent from you, a sweet-smelling aroma, an acceptable sacrifice, well pleasing to God. 19 And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody!I’m super excited to be here with morning. Thanks to everyone who has continued to keep my family in your prayers during this difficult time.It is with great joy that we’re anticipating our upcoming FIRE Conference with Christopher Alam. As we have shared before, please invite your lost loved ones and those you know who are ill and need a touch from the Lord. It starts THIS Friday night at 7 pm. We hope you will be here.Today, I will be finishing this series with a message entitled “The Power Of Partnership”.ILLUSTRATION Many of you are familiar with start up businesses. If you look around you, everything had a beginning. Starbucks, Wal Mart, Apple, Samsung, Chevrolet, etc.The one thing that shares a commonality among all of these is stock. Most companies today that are thriving have astronomical stock prices.If you would have bought into Apple and Wal Mart in the 80’s and Amazon in the late 90’s, you would be a millionaire by now. Today, a single stock comes at a hefty price.However, the thing about stock is that buying stock is investing in a product. In essence, you are getting ownership into the company.When the company wins, every shareholder wins. When the company goes broke, well, everyone goes broke. TRANSITIONThe great think about the Kingdom of God is it isn’t like that. It isn’t going broke, nor will it ever!Yet, when we give into the kingdom, it’s like investing stock into a booming company.Now, before you get all sideways with me, I’m not trying to tell you that you give to get rich. That is totally the wrong motive for doing anything.We give out of an obedience to God and His word. We also give because of our love for His work!What we do for eternity is literally the only thing that will last for eternity.Yet, just like a stock can pay out, our dividend is souls yes, but also many other blessings! God blesses those who bless the kingdom.BACKGROUNDIn our text, the Apostle Paul is writing to the church at Philippi.According to history, the Apostle Paul founded the church on his second missionary journey.He actually wrote this letter to thank this church for partnering with his ministry.It’s been told throughout the years that a church will often take on the personality of it’s leader. Here, it’s apparent that Paul imparted a missionary spirit and a heart of generosity into his people.Praise God!There’s a blessing that comes when people catch a heart for the work of God.Let’s look at our text APPLICATION1. It keeps giving (vs. 10)- I want you to notice that Paul said it “flourished again”.- This implies that their giving had continued to be a blessing.- It likely not only continued to help him spiritually, but I’m sure it helped him emotionally. It helps people to know that others are “with them”.- When we give to missions, we are “a part of the team”.- It’s a great thing to know people love you and are supporting you.2. It’s a Blessing (vs. 14)- Notice that the words, “shared in my distress”.- Literally, they lifted a burden.- Week after week, month after month, I get requests from missionaries. I wish I could say yes to all of them. The number one thing they have need of is not only prayer, but resources.- There are projects that need completed and people that need to be reached.- Sure, the Gospel is free. Plane tickets, Bibles, vehicles, etc. are not. 3. It’s Partnership (vs. 15-17)- The biggest thing I wish I could communicate with people is that when we are giving to ministry, we aren’t giving it people. Yes, it goes into the hands of people, but it goes into the hands of God.- It’s not just giving. That’s what the church has taught all these years. Notice Paul said giving AND receiving,- They sent consistent aid to Paul.- He told them it was going into their account. Did you know that you have a heavenly account? How do you put stuff in it? Giving!- An account is meant to put stuff in AND to take stuff out.- Your blessing account gets full when you’re a giver and generous towards the work of God. 4. It’s Sacrifice (vs. 18)- I’m not sure how much they gave, but Paul recognized it as a sacrifice.- You only sacrifice when something is valuable. If you’re putting $2 in the missions offering but paying $100 on a cell phone, thats not sacrifice. Oh come on, somebody!- I’m not trying to beat you up. I’m trying to let you know that God blesses us when we truly are generous. Notice was Paul said in 2 Corinthians 9:6 “But this I say, He who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. “- Notice there are only two levels of giving with God: Sparingly or bountifully. Or as a I like to say it, stingy or generous.- Don’t be mistaken. The amount doesn’t determine which one that is, but rather proportion and attitude. 5. It’s Security (vs. 19)- Notice Paul starts off the verse with “and”. That means it’s connected.- This is a verse that is often taken as a promise isolated and out of it’s context.- However, the promise of God “supplying all your need according to His riches in glory....” is directly connected to missions giving.- Point blank? When you take care of God’s business, you don’t have to fret and worry. People are all financially messed up when they put themselves first, and then maybe if anything is left, they might give a little to God.- No! I’m challenging each of us to be generous when it comes to giving, but especially to missions!Why? CONCLUSIONBecause we are driven by eternity! Souls Souls Souls!We have to pray, we have to go, and we have to give!

This morning Pastor Brad starts a new series he calls Driven By Eternity with a sermon titled People Of Spirit. Pastor's Notes: TEXTMark 16:14-20 NKJV14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who [a]believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they[b] will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.”19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.INTRODUCTIONGood morning, everybody!I’m so glad each and every one of you are here. This morning, we are going to start a brand new sermon series entitled “Driven By Eternity”.Over the next three weeks, we’ll be looking at the mission of the church and what we are called to. Last week, I preached about the necessity of the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Today, I want to preach to you about “ People of The Spirit. BACKGROUNDIn our text, we see Jesus have a conversation with His disciples about the work they were to do. He accompanied that with soul willing, along with accompanying signs of supernatural power such as healing, deliverance, tongues, and casting out demons. All of these were to follow after the Holy Spirit would be poured out, which is what we learned about last week. Yet, verse 20 is what I wanted to lock in on. It says:“And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them, and confirming the Word through the accompanying signs. Amen”. These people went out and preached the Gospel, believed God, and saw the world turned upside down. The Book of Acts is actually a historical record of the formation and mission of the church.In Acts, you see this brand new church that was formed in Jerusalem. They had received the power of the Holy Spirit.They received opposition and persecution, but with God’s help, they pressed forward. Souls were being saved, disciples were being baptized, and corrupted culture was being challenged. (We should still be doing this today!). Acts records the very missionary journeys that the early Apostles did, spreading the Gospel to all of the known world at that time. TRANSITION Yet my friend, you and I have the same responsibility and are a part of the same mission: To share Jesus Christ and to warn  people about eternity. That’s what is truly great about our church. Let me take you on a journey. APPLICATION Our Past- Let’s look at our past. - Denomination believers heard about a prayer meeting in California. - Many went there and received the Baptism of the Spirit. - In this revival, people were awakened to eternity and the soon coming of Jesus. - Out of this revival formed many groups, but most notable is the one you’re a part of right now. In 1914, a group assembled in Hot Springs Arkansas to establish was we know is the Assemblies of God. - From there, a doctrinal statement was formed and a passion for missions. - Missionaries were sent all around the world with many going on faith, packing their belonging in coffins to be shipped overseas with no expectation of returning. - Churches all over the USA were planted through revivals, prayer meetings, and brush arbor services. - Such is how our church was started. In 1922, Gordon and Glen Miller came to Woodward to start a new work. In 1924, Woodward First Assembly of God was started. - Throughout the years, many pastors have served, many leaders have came out of our church such as pastors and missionaries, and many people have been saved, healed, and filled with the Holy Spirit. - Yet, He isn’t done. Our Present- Dear friends, God is doing something TODAY!- Times have progressed. Methodist have updated. Scenery has changed. Yet, our mission is the same: SOULS- Today, souls are being saved.- Today, people are being healed. - Today, marriages are being restored. - Today, the Holy Spirit is still filling people. - Today, we are still sending missionaries!- The mission is still the same: To exalt Jesus and to preach this full gospel message across the land!- Fun Fact: Did you know that our church sends out roughly $4,000 per month in missionary support to 42 different missionaries and missions outreaches? That's why we ask you to give. That’s why we need you to sacrifice!Our Future- While we honor the past, we live in the present. Yet while we live in the present, we plan for the future. - We will see more people saved.- More people healed. - We will raise up more leaders.- We will support more missionaries. CONCLUSION

In this English edition of De Balie Podcast editor Ianthe Mosselman speaks to writer Sheila Heti, whose latest book is on motherhood. In this novel the main character doubts whether she wants children or not, because writing is what’s most important to her in life. What does it mean to choose for a life without children?Mosselman and Heti speak about motherhood and the critique that fell on Heti after the publication of her book Motherhood. Critique that was often personal, aimed at the writer instead of the characters from the novel.BackgroundIn this Dutch essay for the Nederlandse Boekengids De Balie-editor Ianthe Mosselman discussed her own take on the issue of motherhood and artistry, referencing Sheila Heti's Motherhood