Podcasts about Bethel

Sermon November 16, 2025 | Rev. Richard Harris | Christ Presbyterian Church in Houston, TX | “Back to Bethel and Beyond” from Genesis 35 The post Back to Bethel and Beyond appeared first on Christ Presbyterian Church of Houston.

On October 1, 2025, public radio stations lost all of their federal funding -- and for Black and Native American community stations, the cuts hit hard. Case in point, KYUK in Bethel, Alaska, which was the first Indigenous-led public radio station. They lost 70% their budget after federal public media cuts, and will be shrinking from 10 full-time staffers, to 4 people. We speak to Esther Green, a Yupik elder, and her co-host Diane McEarchren of KYUK's spiritual wellness show, Ikayutet, and station general manager Kristin Hall, about what the future looks like for the station.Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoicesNPR Privacy Policy

CD 1766 A.M. I Will Not Miss My Time - Part 2Bro Jason on the screen: Psa 90:10-12 KJV 10 The days of our years are threescore years and ten; and if by reason of strength they be fourscore years, yet is their strength labour and sorrow; for it is soon cut off, and we fly away. 11 Who knoweth the power of thine anger? even according to thy fear, so is thy wrath. 12 So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.Notice in verse 12 we are to ask the Lord to teach us - from the Hebrew this means to know by seeing. Q. What is he wanting to teach us: how to number our days?A. So that we can live in wisdom. Make note of the word number from the Hebrew means to count out and then to appoint!Decree with me: I will not miss my time from the Lord! With his help, by his instruction I will make the most of my time for his glory and will!Text: Ecc 3:1-8 KJV 1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: 2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; 4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance; 5 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 6 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; 7 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 8 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.We talked about Abraham this morning, tonight let's look at Elisha the the Godly.#2 Elisha *Read 1Ki 19:15-21 KJV 15 And the LORD said unto him, Go, return on thy way to the wilderness of Damascus: and when thou comest, anoint Hazael to be king over Syria: 16 And Jehu the son of Nimshi shalt thou anoint to be king over Israel: and Elisha the son of Shaphat of Abelmeholah shalt thou anoint to be prophet in thy room. 17 And it shall come to pass, that him that escapeth the sword of Hazael shall Jehu slay: and him that escapeth from the sword of Jehu shall Elisha slay. 18 Yet I have left me seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him. 19 So he departed thence, and found Elisha the son of Shaphat, who was plowing with twelve yoke of oxen before him, and he with the twelfth: and Elijah passed by him, and cast his mantle upon him. 20 And he left the oxen, and ran after Elijah, and said, Let me, I pray thee, kiss my father and my mother, and then I will follow thee. And he said unto him, Go back again: for what have I done to thee? 21 And he returned back from him, and took a yoke of oxen, and slew them, and boiled their flesh with the instruments of the oxen, and gave unto the people, and they did eat. Then he arose, and went after Elijah, and ministered unto him.*2Ki 2:1-15 KJV 1 And it came to pass, when the LORD would take up Elijah into heaven by a whirlwind, that Elijah went with Elisha from Gilgal. 2 And Elijah said unto Elisha, Tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Bethel. And Elisha said unto him, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they went down to Bethel. 3 And the sons of the prophets that were at Bethel came forth to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the LORD will take away thy master from thy head to day? And he said, Yea, I know it; hold ye your peace. 4 And Elijah said unto him, Elisha, tarry here, I pray thee; for the LORD hath sent me to Jericho. And he said, As the LORD liveth, and as thy soul liveth, I will not leave thee. So they came to Jericho. 5 And the sons of the prophets that were at Jericho came to Elisha, and said unto him, Knowest thSupport the show

Nehemiah was cup bearer to the king of Persia - an exalted and esteemed position. He had just received news from Hanani of the terrible condition of the walls and gates of Jerusalem. The year was about BC 469 and as soon as Nehemiah heard these words he prayed and fasted for several days acknowledging his sins and those of his people, which had brought this terrible situation. He acknowledges Yahweh's righteousness and His loving kindness quoting from the Law of Moses, as told in Deuteronomy. Chapter 1 concludes with the implication that Nehemiah intended to take up the matter with king Darius. The next chapter tells of Nehemiah in the presence of the king with his face showing a sadness of heart - this was forbidden by the law. Nehemiah who, the book shows to be a man of prayer and action, is questioned by the king as to what the sadness might mean - is there a plot against the king? Whereas the prayer of chapter 1 was over many days this time this prayer is a brief spontaneous momentary prayer requesting God to cause the king to favourably listen to Nehemiah's prayer. The response of the king was to grant Nehemiah extended leave to return to Jerusalem to fix the problem. In verses 9-10 we are told of the Persian king's support for Nehemiah. We are also told about the disturbance this created among the Jews' enemies. After 3 days of thinking about the size of the problem before him Nehemiah arose at night and secretly inspected the walls. So that ownership of the problem would occur, Nehemiah asked the rulers what they would recommend be done. Their answer was, "Let us rise up and build". This only served to strengthen the opposition they faced. Nehemiah told Sanballat, the Horonite (i.e. Edomite), Geshem - the Arabian; and Tobiah- the Ammonite and servant to Sanballat - that these enemies had "no portion or right or claim in Jerusalem" (2verses20 ESV).   Hosea in chapter 12 speaks of Israel's falsehood to God and even to the Assyrians also so that Egypt came and punished them. Verses 2-14 speak of the LORD's quarrel with both the northern kingdom of Ephraim and the southern kingdom of Judah. These verses tell in a parable what both kingdoms needed to learn - and of course the lessons are equally true for us. Hosea tells us that Jacob was from the time of his birth until the night before his confrontation with Esau a deceiver to whom God was teaching lessons by continuously exposing Jacob to deceivers far worse than himself - particularly Laban, who was both his uncle and father-in-law. When Jacob was faced with a dilemma that he could not solve God compounded the problem for him by dislocating Jacob's hip (read Genesis 32). Now Jacob was forced to rely on God, rather than his own resourcefulness, and to now have finally learnt that all along he should have left the solution to his problems with God. The summation of Jacob's life given by God, through Moses, was that Jacob was a "plain" (Hebrew "just", or "upright") man - this meant he always tried to be godly, but had to wrestle with traits that were strongly part of his heritage. The greatest lesson of his life was to learn to TRUST God. Hosea tells us that now Jacob having found God at Bethel (the house of God) tells us to learn the same. Deuteronomy tells us that when they gave their tithes to Yahweh that they were to recite, "A Syrian ready to perish was our father" (Jacob). For us the great lesson from the life of Jacob is recorded in verse 6 - read aloud, pause and ponder. Despite what Israel and Judah had done God would restore them in His loving kindness, as the remainder of the chapter indicated. Verse 13 indicated that Yahweh chose to work through those whom society sees as misfits- Moses was but a prophet. In Colossians 3 verses 1-4 tell us that since we have through the act of baptism been raised in him to a new life our thoughts and actions should be in harmony with this. And so, from verses 5-9 all those past behaviours are to find no place among believers. Our new self is being renewed every day through our growth in understanding what it means to be "in Christ". From verses 12-17 the focus of the believer's mind and actions is to centre on living with (and as) Christ. From verses 18 to the chapter's end, he addresses the different groups within Christian households and advises on proper behaviour. Chapter 4 continues with instructions for masters and servants - such an important topic as five sixths of the Roman world were slaves. Verses 2-4 is a request to those at Colossae to pray for Paul's preaching. Verse 5 tells that their speech and behaviour must be sincere at all times - "seasoned with salt". Verses 7-17 conclude with final greetings. Verse 18 tells us that the letter was written by Paul in his own handwriting.   Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

A group of state lawmakers tasked with studying how Alaska pays for public education convened on the Kenai Peninsula to visit schools and speak with staff. A month after ex-typhoon Halong struck Western Alaska, the flow of relief supplies for the displaced and building materials needed to shore up villages is going strong in Bethel.

A group of state lawmakers tasked with studying how Alaska pays for public education convened on the Kenai Peninsula to visit schools and speak with staff. A month after ex-typhoon Halong struck Western Alaska, the flow of relief supplies for the displaced and building materials needed to shore up villages is going strong in Bethel.

2532 - IDF Sgt Maj Chaim Malespin joins the trio to unlock the mystery of ancient Ai and reflect on the Israelites' greatest defeat. The brothers visit Ammunition Hill, where a recent archaeological find verifies supernatural intervention.

Ezra 9 tells of the problems of those who had married nonbelievers. Verse 4 tells that the rulers and officials had been at the forefront of those who had disobeyed God's command about this. The reader should look at Malachi 2verses10-16 and Nehemiah 13verses23-27 to understand Yahweh's views on this subject; and why His prophets were so strong in denouncing this practice. From verse 10-15 Ezra seeks God's forgiveness of His people for their wrongful ways in marrying out of the Truth and counsels all of God's people to forsake that dangerous and evil course.Hosea 10 tells of a vine that produced no fruit for God. How often do the prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ take up this theme cp Isaiah 5 and consider the number of references in the last week of our Lord to the barrenness of the fruitless, but showy fig tree. Also see John 15 where our Lord comments on himself being the vine. Without fruit a vine is useless - its wood is poor fuel; its wood cannot be used to make anything. We are useless unless we are producing the fruit of the spirit for God in our lives (see Galatians 5verses22-25; and Ephesians 5verses8-16). But for Israel when the LORD looked at their actions, instead of fruit, He saw poisonous weeds. Instead of sincere worship of Yahweh He saw the idolatrous calf worship. Bethel (meaning "the house of God") becomes Bethaven ("the house of vanity" - or "nothingness"). The result of this would be the delivering up to captivity of Israel to nations who were themselves ruled by idolatry. Israel's sinfulness was evident from earliest times, even when the Tabernacle was at Gibeah. The Lord God would again bring them under the yoke, when they will finally learn righteousness and will open their hearts to God as the poetic symbol of breaking open the fallow ground of their hearts suggests. By doing this God would be able to rain blessings on them. But the coming judgment would be a necessary part of helping Israel to learn this.Paul sent the letter to the Colossians in about 62 AD. He never personally visited the region where there were two groups of believers - one in Colossae and the other in Laodicea. The one letter was read by both at this time and about 34 years' time when another letter was sent in 96 AD by the Lord Jesus Christ. The area was exceptionally fertile and lay in a very rich valley. The epistle commenced with the greeting "Grace ('charis' the Greek greeting) and peace ('shalom' the Jewish greeting) coming to the believers from God our Father. This is followed by thanksgiving and prayer for their faithfulness in the gospel as reported to the Apostle from Epaphras. The believers were increasing in knowledge and love. But the greatest of all thanks was to be expressed to God, our Father, who had "qualified us to share the inheritance of the saints in light ... and has transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son" (verses 12-13 ESV). Then from verses 14-23 Paul tells us of the pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father. Our Lord Jesus is the beginning (Gk 'archegos') and head of God's new creation and is the firstborn (Jesus firstborn by birth, death and resurrection) of that creation; the firstborn from the dead to be raised to eternal life. Verses 24-29 tell of Paul's suffering for all Gentile believers, that he might share and participate in the sufferings of Christ (as part of his body, which we, the ecclesia are). In verse 27 we have the key verse and theme of the book, "Christ in you (i.e. each of us) the hope of glory".Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow

Ezra 9 tells of the problems of those who had married nonbelievers. Verse 4 tells that the rulers and officials had been at the forefront of those who had disobeyed God's command about this. The reader should look at Malachi 2verses10-16 and Nehemiah 13verses23-27 to understand Yahweh's views on this subject; and why His prophets were so strong in denouncing this practice. From verse 10-15 Ezra seeks God's forgiveness of His people for their wrongful ways in marrying out of the Truth and counsels all of God's people to forsake that dangerous and evil course. Hosea 10 tells of a vine that produced no fruit for God. How often do the prophets and the Lord Jesus Christ take up this theme cp Isaiah 5 and consider the number of references in the last week of our Lord to the barrenness of the fruitless, but showy fig tree. Also see John 15 where our Lord comments on himself being the vine. Without fruit a vine is useless - its wood is poor fuel; its wood cannot be used to make anything. We are useless unless we are producing the fruit of the spirit for God in our lives (see Galatians 5verses22-25; and Ephesians 5verses8-16). But for Israel when the LORD looked at their actions, instead of fruit, He saw poisonous weeds. Instead of sincere worship of Yahweh He saw the idolatrous calf worship. Bethel (meaning "the house of God") becomes Bethaven ("the house of vanity" - or "nothingness"). The result of this would be the delivering up to captivity of Israel to nations who were themselves ruled by idolatry. Israel's sinfulness was evident from earliest times, even when the Tabernacle was at Gibeah. The Lord God would again bring them under the yoke, when they will finally learn righteousness and will open their hearts to God as the poetic symbol of breaking open the fallow ground of their hearts suggests. By doing this God would be able to rain blessings on them. But the coming judgment would be a necessary part of helping Israel to learn this. Paul sent the letter to the Colossians in about 62 AD. He never personally visited the region where there were two groups of believers - one in Colossae and the other in Laodicea. The one letter was read by both at this time and about 34 years' time when another letter was sent in 96 AD by the Lord Jesus Christ. The area was exceptionally fertile and lay in a very rich valley. The epistle commenced with the greeting "Grace ('charis' the Greek greeting) and peace ('shalom' the Jewish greeting) coming to the believers from God our Father. This is followed by thanksgiving and prayer for their faithfulness in the gospel as reported to the Apostle from Epaphras. The believers were increasing in knowledge and love. But the greatest of all thanks was to be expressed to God, our Father, who had "qualified us to share the inheritance of the saints in light ... and has transferred us to the Kingdom of His beloved Son" (verses 12-13 ESV). Then from verses 14-23 Paul tells us of the pre-eminence of the Lord Jesus Christ the Son of the Father. Our Lord Jesus is the beginning (Gk 'archegos') and head of God's new creation and is the firstborn (Jesus firstborn by birth, death and resurrection) of that creation; the firstborn from the dead to be raised to eternal life. Verses 24-29 tell of Paul's suffering for all Gentile believers, that he might share and participate in the sufferings of Christ (as part of his body, which we, the ecclesia are). In verse 27 we have the key verse and theme of the book, "Christ in you (i.e. each of us) the hope of glory". Thanks for joining us - we pray you found these comments helpful in your appreciation of God's words, join again tomorrow 

When we feel spiritually disoriented, God often invites us to revisit the original altars—the sacred places where we first heard His voice and received His direction. This “theology of place” helps us remember the undeniable call that gave our lives purpose, grounding us when culture, comfort, or suffering try to pull us off course. Yet faith doesn't only look back—it also builds forward, creating new altars in uncharted territory as acts of trust, inviting God to meet us again. Both remembering where we began and stepping boldly into new places with God are essential to living out the calling He's placed on our lives. —— Genesis 13: 1-4, 14-18 Abram and Lot Separate 13 So Abram went up from Egypt to the Negev, with his wife and everything he had, and Lot went with him. 2 Abram had become very wealthy in livestock and in silver and gold. 3 From the Negev he went from place to place until he came to Bethel, to the place between Bethel and Ai where his tent had been earlier 4 and where he had first built an altar. There Abram called on the name of the Lord. 14 The Lord said to Abram after Lot had parted from him, “Look around from where you are, to the north and south, to the east and west. 15 All the land that you see I will give to you and your offspring[a] forever. 16 I will make your offspring like the dust of the earth, so that if anyone could count the dust, then your offspring could be counted. 17 Go, walk through the length and breadth of the land, for I am giving it to you.” 18 So Abram went to live near the great trees of Mamre at Hebron, where he pitched his tents. There he built an altar to the Lord.

Do You Struggle with Your “Prayer Life”? Find a Quiet Place for Your Personal Relationship with God and Pray to the Universe's Creator MESSAGE SUMMARY: Do you struggle with your “Prayer Life”, even though you know it is the most important component of a life lived as a Jesus Follower? Abraham provides you with a model for a “Prayer Life” that works. Abraham was an awesome man, and he had things happen in his life that were both important for him and humankind down through the ages as a resultant of his “Prayer Life”. For the development of your own “Prayer Life”, you can learn from Abraham's “Prayer Life”. One of the first things Abraham did, when he went to a new location or was in a new situation, was to build an altar to the Lord and call on the Lord's name in prayer. In Genesis 12:8, Abraham's focus on and the priority given to his “Prayer Life” is described: “From there he {Abraham}moved to the hill country on the east of Bethel and pitched his tent, with Bethel on the west and Ai on the east. And there he built an altar to the LORD and called upon the name of the LORD.". Prayer was a priority for Abraham to build a place for God in his life and for his personal relationship with God. A way you can follow Abraham's example is to find an altar, a church, or a quiet place in your life to worship and pray, and to call upon the Lord's name like Abraham.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, Sabbath rest is truly an unbelievable gift! Thank you that there is nothing I can do to earn your love; it comes without any strings attached. As I close my eyes for these few minutes before you, all I can say is, thank you! In Jesus' name, amen.  Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 133). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM A CHILD OF GOD. Yet to all who received Him, to those who believed in His Name, He gave the right to become children of God-- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God. John 1:12f SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Genesis 12:7-8; Genesis 13:3-18; Genesis 22:9-14; Psalms 79:1-13. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “My Grace is Sufficient” at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Leading Your Family to Bethel Genesis 35:1-15 Speaker: Dr. Weston Brown Series: Genesis More info @ covenantshreveport.org

Justice Rolls DownAmos 1:1-2; 5:14-15, 21-24Amos 1:1-21 The words of Amos, who was one of the sheep breeders from Tekoa—what he saw regarding Israel in the days of King Uzziah of Judah and Jeroboam son of Jehoash, king of Israel, two years before the earthquake. 2 He said: The Lord roars from Zion and makes his voice heard from Jerusalem; the pastures of the shepherds mourn, and the summit of Carmel withers.“I will not relent from punishing _______________, for three crimes, even four.”Amos 2:4-84 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Judah for three crimes, even four, because they have rejected the instruction of the Lord and have not kept his statutes. The lies that their ancestors followed have led them astray.5 Therefore, I will send fire against Judah, and it will consume the citadels of Jerusalem. 6 The Lord says: I will not relent from punishing Israel for three crimes, even four, because they sell a righteous person for silver and a needy person for a pair of sandals.7 They trample the heads of the poor on the dust of the ground and obstruct the path of the needy. A man and his father have sexual relations with the same girl, profaning my holy name.8 They stretch out beside every altar on garments taken as collateral, and in the house of their God they drink wine obtained through fines.Economic ExploitationAbuse of the PoorSexual ExploitationReligious AbuseAmos 5:4 For the Lord says to the house of Israel: Seek me and live!Amos 5:6 Seek the Lord and live, or he will spread like fire throughout the house of Joseph; it will consume everything with no one at Bethel to extinguish it.Amos 5:14-1514 Pursue good and not evilso that you may live,and the Lord, the God of Armies,will be with youas you have claimed.15 Hate evil and love good;establish justice at the city gate.Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be graciousto the remnant of Joseph.Pursue (seek) good and not evil.Hate evil and love good.Establish justice at the city gate.Isaiah 1:13-1713 Stop bringing useless offerings.Your incense is detestable to me.New Moons and Sabbaths,and the calling of solemn assemblies—I cannot stand iniquity with a festival.14 I hate your New Moons and prescribed festivals.They have become a burden to me;I am tired of putting up with them.15 When you spread out your hands in prayer,I will refuse to look at you;even if you offer countless prayers,I will not listen.Your hands are covered with blood.16 “Wash yourselves. Cleanse yourselves.Remove your evil deeds from my sight.Stop doing evil.17 Learn to do what is good.Pursue justice.Correct the oppressor.Defend the rights of the fatherless.Plead the widow's cause.Amos 5:21-2421 I hate, I despise, your feasts!I can't stand the stenchof your solemn assemblies.22 Even if you offer meyour burnt offerings and grain offerings,I will not accept them;I will have no regardfor your fellowship offerings of fattened cattle.23 Take away from me the noise of your songs!I will not listen to the music of your harps.24 But let justice flow like water,and righteousness, like an unfailing stream.Pursue (seek) good and not evil.Hate evil and love good.Establish justice at the city gate.Let justice flow like water.Justice is living in such a way that those around you can live.Righteousness like an unfailing stream.We are to be people who seek God.What God desires is not a moment of goodness but a movement– a flow. Justice and righteousness aren't events we attend; they're rivers we join. Is your life adding to that flow or blocking it?

OUR SECOND FINAL EPISODE: After over a month (hell, almost two months), and a lot of discussion and, yes, even one failed attempt, our hosts return! However, they bring with them the news that this episode will be the final regular episode of A Podcast [ , ] For All Intents and Purposes. After eleven years, priorities have changed and, you know, things have changed that caused our hosts to reconsider their priorities and take inventory. It isn't good-bye, necessarily. They have the tools to reconvene whenever they want, but it won't be on a regular schedule. So, our hosts make their last official recording a chance to reflect, discuss, and confirm that they never became more than your 14th source for all nerdy and geeky news and discussion. WEEK IN GEEK: Our hosts decide to end as they began with their respective Weeks in Geek. This week, Andrew finally begins watching season two of the Disney+/Star Wars show, Andor, while D. Bethel gets lost in the beauty and poetic carnage of Ghost of Yotei. FINAL THOUGHTS: This show has been a genuine product of two old friends needing an excuse (before realizing they didn't need an excuse) to hang out every week and have overly-thoughtful conversations about nerdy and geeky things. However, our road has been paved by a variety of souls that were kind enough to lend their personalities and discussion to our uploads. As things draw to a close, we would like to thank the following (in no particular order): Taylor Katcher, Kyrun Silva, Jake Waltier, Luke Terpeinen, Nicole Jekich, Jacqueline Nolis, André La Roche, Elijah Kaine, Josh Tobey, Mary Traverse, and even more friends who have joined our ranks along the way. Thank you for helping us build our voice within the nerd discourse and for allowing us to platform yours along the way. INFO: Visit our website at forallintents.net and leave your thoughts as comments on the page for this episode. Social: Andrew - Mastodon, D. Bethel - Instagram & BlueSky Subscribe to our YouTube channel. FEATURED MUSIC: "Disco Medusae" by Kevin McLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3652-disco-medusae "District Four" by Kevin McLeod Link: https://incompetech.filmmusic.io/song/3662-district-four Tracks are licensed under Creative Commons BY Attribution 4.0 License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Friday Bible Study (10/31/25) // Ezra 2:1-40- (ESV) // The Exiles Return Now these were the people of the province who came up out of the captivity of those exiles whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried captive to Babylonia. They returned to Jerusalem and Judah, each to his own town. 2 They came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai, Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvai, Rehum, and Baanah.The number of the men of the people of Israel: 3 the sons of Parosh, 2,172. 4 The sons of Shephatiah, 372. 5 The sons of Arah, 775. 6 The sons of Pahath-moab, namely the sons of Jeshua and Joab, 2,812. 7 The sons of Elam, 1,254. 8 The sons of Zattu, 945. 9 The sons of Zaccai, 760. 10 The sons of Bani, 642. 11 The sons of Bebai, 623. 12 The sons of Azgad, 1,222. 13 The sons of Adonikam, 666. 14 The sons of Bigvai, 2,056. 15 The sons of Adin, 454. 16 The sons of Ater, namely of Hezekiah, 98. 17 The sons of Bezai, 323. 18 The sons of Jorah, 112. 19 The sons of Hashum, 223. 20 The sons of Gibbar, 95. 21 The sons of Bethlehem, 123. 22 The men of Netophah, 56. 23 The men of Anathoth, 128. 24 The sons of Azmaveth, 42. 25 The sons of Kiriath-arim, Chephirah, and Beeroth, 743. 26 The sons of Ramah and Geba, 621. 27 The men of Michmas, 122. 28 The men of Bethel and Ai, 223. 29 The sons of Nebo, 52. 30 The sons of Magbish, 156. 31 The sons of the other Elam, 1,254. 32 The sons of Harim, 320. 33 The sons of Lod, Hadid, and Ono, 725. 34 The sons of Jericho, 345. 35 The sons of Senaah, 3,630.36 The priests: the sons of Jedaiah, of the house of Jeshua, 973. 37 The sons of Immer, 1,052. 38 The sons of Pashhur, 1,247. 39 The sons of Harim, 1,017.40 The Levites: the sons of Jeshua and Kadmiel, of the sons of Hodaviah, 74.Website: https://mbchicago.org FOLLOW US Facebook:   / mbc.chicago   Instagram:   / mbc.chicago   TikTok:   / mbc.chicago   Podcasts: Listen on Apple, Spotify & others TO SUPPORT US Zelle to: info@mbchicago.org Website: https://mbchicago.org/give Venmo: https://venmo.com/mbchurch DAF Donations: https://every.org/mbc.chicago PayPal: https://paypal.com/donate/?hosted_but... #Ezra #DanielBatarseh #BibleStudy #mbchicago #mbcchicago #Bible #versebyverse #church #chicago #livechurch #churchlive #chicagochurch #chicagochurches #sermon #bibleexplained #bibleproject #bibleverse #bookbybook #oldtestament #explained

Speckmann, Anne www.deutschlandfunk.de, @mediasres

ONE THING: You can't add days to your life, BUT you can add (resurrected) life to your days! Since you have been raised to new life with Christ, set your sights on the realities of heaven, where Christ sits in the place of honor at God's right hand. Think about the things of heaven, not the things of earth. For you died to this life, and your real life is hidden with Christ in God. And when Christ, who is your life, is revealed to the whole world, you will share in all his glory. - Colossians 3:1-4 (NLT)

Calvary Bible Chapel

Emily Berliner, founder of EBO Consulting Inc., a business and nonprofit consulting firm that helps mission-driven organizations manage growth, navigate change, and build systems that actually work.Through customized strategies, hands-on support, and a relationship-first approach, Emily and her team guide clients to streamline operations, strengthen leadership, and create sustainable impact.Now, Emily's journey from Bethel, Alaska to London and back again demonstrates how a global education, local roots, and a deep love for Alaska can combine to create a business that bridges regions and realities.And while juggling the unique demands of running a company in Alaska - from seasonal swings to remote infrastructure - she's built a resilient, values-led business that thrives on efficiency, clarity, and care.Here's where to find more:https://eboconsultinginc.comhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/emily-berlinerhttps://www.instagram.com/eboconsulting907https://www.facebook.com/eboconsulting907________________________________________________Welcome to The Unforget Yourself Show where we use the power of woo and the proof of science to help you identify your blind spots, and get over your own bullshit so that you can do the fucking thing you ACTUALLY want to do!We're Mark and Katie, the founders of Unforget Yourself and the creators of the Unforget Yourself System and on this podcast, we're here to share REAL conversations about what goes on inside the heart and minds of those brave and crazy enough to start their own business. From the accidental entrepreneur to the laser-focused CEO, we find out how they got to where they are today, not by hearing the go-to story of their success, but talking about how we all have our own BS to deal with and it's through facing ourselves that we find a way to do the fucking thing.Along the way, we hope to show you that YOU are the most important asset in your business (and your life - duh!). Being a business owner is tough! With vulnerability and humor, we get to the real story behind their success and show you that you're not alone._____________________Find all our links to all the things like the socials, how to work with us and how to apply to be on the podcast here: https://linktr.ee/unforgetyourself

Does Israel truly have the right to the land? From Jacob's return to Bethel to God's covenant promises, Scripture makes the answer clear. Join Jim Scudder on InGrace for part one of Does Israel Have Rights to the Land? and see how God's Word settles the question once and for all.

In this message, Dr. Shea Shrader exposes the danger of almost obedience — being close to God's will but stopping short of full surrender. Using the story of Jacob stopping short of Bethel, this sermon challenges believers to examine where they've settled for comfort instead of completion.From Genesis to Matthew, the message reminds us that partial obedience is still disobedience, and that compromise always comes with a cost. Yet, through God's grace, we can return, be cleansed, and restored to the place of blessing.Don't miss this challenge to go all the way to Bethel — to leave Shechem behind and walk in full obedience to the God who never stops short on us.

In this message, Dr. Shea Shrader exposes the danger of almost obedience — being close to God's will but stopping short of full surrender. Using the story of Jacob stopping short of Bethel, this sermon challenges believers to examine where they've settled for comfort instead of completion.From Genesis to Matthew, the message reminds us that partial obedience is still disobedience, and that compromise always comes with a cost. Yet, through God's grace, we can return, be cleansed, and restored to the place of blessing.Don't miss this challenge to go all the way to Bethel — to leave Shechem behind and walk in full obedience to the God who never stops short on us.

The Bible never hides the mess that happens when sinful people collide. It doesnt take much to recognize that since Adam and Eve were promised a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent, the story of Gods people is one of dysfunction. All who make up Jesus family tree include broken and messy people. When we come to Genesis 29, we meet Jacoba deceiverand Leah, the woman no one wanted. But their story began long before this moment. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants would come a child who would bless all nations. That promise passed to Isaac, and before his twins were born, God declared,The older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Jacob deceived his aging father, stole his brothers blessing, and fled for his life. Alone in the wilderness, with only a stone for a pillow, God met him in a dream.I am the LORD, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go (Gen. 28:1315). God didnt appear to Jacob because he finally got his act togetherHe showed up in Jacobs mess. Thats the beauty of grace: God steps into our brokenness, keeps His promises, and accomplishes His plan through imperfect people. Later, God gave him the name Israel, but for the purpose of this sermon, we will continue to refer to him as Jacob (Gen. 35:9-21). Outside of Eden We Want Rachel (Gen. 29:1-20) When Laban heard his nephew had arrived, heran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house(Gen. 29:13). Jacob stayed with his uncle for a month, and during that time he fell in love with Labans younger daughter, Rachel (v. 18). Why did Jacob love Rachel? The text tells us:Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leahs eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance(vv. 1617). Were not told exactly what it means that Leahs eyes were weak. Some think she was cross-eyed or simply lacked the beauty that her younger sister possessed. Whatever the case, the contrast is clearLeah was plain, but Rachel was striking. Even their names hint at the difference:Leahmay mean wild cow or gazelle, whileRachelmeans ewe or lamba softer, more affectionate name. Rachel was beautiful, and Jacob was captivated. When Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work, Jacob didnt ask for wageshe offered seven years of labor for Rachels hand. Laban agreed.So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days(Gen. 29:20, NLT). Rachel was the apple of his eyethe treasure of his heart. To Jacob, life with Rachel promised the happiness he had always longed for. And isnt that what we all want? On this side of Eden, every heart searches for a Rachelsomeone or something we believe will complete us. We might not call it Rachel, but we chase it in our stories, our dreams, and our longings. We dont want Leah. We want Rachel. If the Bible repeats something, we need to pay attention to it. But, if the Bible repeats something three times, it elevates it to the superlative degree as something super important. Three times we are told of Jacobs love for Rachel: Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. (Gen. 29:18) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her. (Gen. 29:20) So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. (Gen. 29:30) Guess how many times we are told that Jacob loved Leah. Zero. In fact, when it comes to love, here is what we are told: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Outside of Eden We Get Leah (Gen. 29:21-30) After Jacob completed the seven years he had promised his uncle, he was ready to receive what his heart had longed for.Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may have relations with her. So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast(Gen. 29:2122). Finally, Jacob believed life was about to become sweet. The wedding celebration began, the food was served, and the wine flowed freely. When the bride was brought to himveiled and under cover of nightJacob, likely feeling content and confident, welcomed her.Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.... So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah!(Gen. 29:23, 25a). Morning light brought a brutal truth. The woman beside him was not Rachelthe love of his lifebut Leah, the weak-eyed daughter whose very name meant wild cow. Jacob was furious. He had been deceivedjust as he had once deceived his brother Esau. His dream of happiness, shattered.And he said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?(v. 25). But Laban, the master manipulator, calmly replied,It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years(vv. 2627). Jacob was trappedused for free labor once again. He was tricked into taking the daughter he hadnt chosen, and bartered into another seven years for the one he loved. Unfortunately for Leah, she was stuck in the middle of all the drama. Outside of Eden There is Still Hope The marriage that Jacob was tricked into began with a week-long celebration. Laban insisted Jacob complete the festivities with Leah, giving enough time for her to become pregnant. Yet Jacob was eager for the days to end, and as soon as the week was over, he immediately married Rachel. Driven by the selfish motives of both Jacob and Laban, Leah found herself trappedcaught between their desires and loved by no one. Leah was rejected, while Rachel was cherished. The striking irony in Leahs story is that, while she was overlooked by everyone else, God loved her: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Despite Gods blessings with each child, Leahs deepest longing, which was for her husbands love, remained out of reach. After every birth, Leah hoped that her husband would finally love her, yet that hope was continually unfulfilled. Consider how Leah responded after each of her first four child were born: Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me. (v. 32) Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also. So she named him Simeon. (v. 33) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi. (v. 34) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. (v. 35) I wish Leahs story ended with her praising theLORD, but it didnt. She continued to seek Jacobs affection by giving him what Rachel could notchildren. Just as Sarah gave Hagar to Jacob, Rachel followed the same pattern when she could not conceive, unwilling to trust Gods timing. What followed was a rivalry between Leah and Rachel, each striving to win Jacobs love by giving him more sons. Both even gave their servants to Jacob, and through them, four more sons were born. In time, God blessed Leah with two additional sons and a daughter, yet her longing for her husbands love was never fulfilled (seeGen. 30:1921). Rachel, meanwhile, bore only two sonsJosephand, finally,Benjamin, the only son Jacob named. Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, for you have another son! And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin(Gen. 35:1618). Application The irony in Leahs story is striking: although she was overlooked by her father, unloved by her husband, and scorned by her younger sister, she was shown favor by God. Leah became the mother of seven children, including Levi and Judah. Through Levi, the priestly lineage was established, and through Judah, the royal line was formeda line that ultimately led to the birth of Jesus Christ! The promise God made to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... was Leahs promise. Listen to the prophetic blessing pronounced upon Judah by Jacob in Genesis 49:8-10, As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;your fathers sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lions cub;from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He crouches, he lies down as a lion,and as a lion, who dares to stir him up? The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the rulers staff from between his feet,until Shiloh comes;and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The ugly wife was loved by God! Leah couldnt have seen it then, but the beauty God would bring through her lineage is staggering. Her name may meanweary,exhausted,gazelle, or evenwild cowyet through her would come the Deliverer promised to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Isaac, and now to Jacob. She was the wife no one loved or treasured, except God Himself. From Leahs sons came the tribe ofLevi, the tribe set apart to oversee the worship and sacrificial life of Israel. From the Levites, God appointed theHigh Priest, chosen from Aarons line, to mediate between God and His people. Upon his chest he wore a sacred breastplate adorned with twelve precious stones, each set in gold and engraved with the name of one of Israels tribes. Thefirst stone,sardiusa deep red rubyrepresentedReuben, whose name meansBehold, a son!Thelast stone,jasper, representedBenjamin, meaningson of my right hand. Leahs legacy was not measured by Jacobs affection but by Gods covenantal love. Through the unloved wife, God brought forth the priesthood that pointed to the Great High PriestJesus Christ. Conclusion Now, permit me to show you something from Revelation 4-5. In Revelation 4, John is invited to see the heavenly throne room of God. Notice what it is that John sees: After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. John is ushered into heavens throne room, and what captures his attention is that the One seated on the throne radiates with the colors of jasper and sardiusthe first and last stones on the High Priests breastplate. This is not accidental imagery. It is intentional revelation. What shines from the throne is He who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. When you pair the meanings of those names Behold, a Son and Son of My right handyou hear the gospel proclaimed from the very throne of God. Who is this Son at the right hand of the Father? Revelation 1:1718 gives the answer: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. The One radiant like sardius and jasper is none other than Jesus Christ. And how do we know He sits at the right hand of the Father? Because Paul who himself was from the tribe represented by the jasper stonedeclares in Romans 8:3134: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against Gods elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. This is the One who is worthy to open the scroll in the Fathers hand. Revelation 5:5 tells us, ...behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The elder tells John to look at the Lion of Judah. But when John turns, he doesnt see a lion. He sees a Lamb. A Lamb standing, as if slaughtered... (Rev. 5:6). Jacob chased after a beautiful woman whose name meant sheep, but through Leahthe unloved, weary wifewould come the Lamb of God. The Lamb who stands before the throne as the triumphant Redeemer. And all of heaven erupts in worship: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12). What is the point of Leahs story? God redeems what is ugly, weary, and rejected. He takes what the world despises and uses it to accomplish His glorious plan of redemption. This is why the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing a new song to Leahs descendant: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). And here is where the story turns deeply personal. We are Leah. We are the unlovely bride. We are the weary, broken, and undeserving. But instead of being repulsed by us, Jesus loves us. He makes us His Bride. Paul writes, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:3839). Leahs story ends not in sorrow, but in the songs of heaven. The woman who was unloved became the vessel through whom the Lamb of God would come. The tribe she bore would point to the Great High Priest, and the Son of her bodys lineage would one day stand at the right hand of the Father. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. That is our story too. If you belong to Christ, then your shame, your weariness, and your rejection are not the end of the story. The throne is. The Lamb is. His love is.

The Bible never hides the mess that happens when sinful people collide. It doesnt take much to recognize that since Adam and Eve were promised a descendant who would crush the head of the serpent, the story of Gods people is one of dysfunction. All who make up Jesus family tree include broken and messy people. When we come to Genesis 29, we meet Jacoba deceiverand Leah, the woman no one wanted. But their story began long before this moment. God had promised Abraham that through his descendants would come a child who would bless all nations. That promise passed to Isaac, and before his twins were born, God declared,The older shall serve the younger (Gen. 25:23). Jacob deceived his aging father, stole his brothers blessing, and fled for his life. Alone in the wilderness, with only a stone for a pillow, God met him in a dream.I am the LORD, the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac. The land on which you lie I will give to you and to your offspring and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed. Behold, I am with you and will keep you wherever you go (Gen. 28:1315). God didnt appear to Jacob because he finally got his act togetherHe showed up in Jacobs mess. Thats the beauty of grace: God steps into our brokenness, keeps His promises, and accomplishes His plan through imperfect people. Later, God gave him the name Israel, but for the purpose of this sermon, we will continue to refer to him as Jacob (Gen. 35:9-21). Outside of Eden We Want Rachel (Gen. 29:1-20) When Laban heard his nephew had arrived, heran to meet him, and embraced him and kissed him, and brought him to his house(Gen. 29:13). Jacob stayed with his uncle for a month, and during that time he fell in love with Labans younger daughter, Rachel (v. 18). Why did Jacob love Rachel? The text tells us:Now Laban had two daughters; the name of the older was Leah, and the name of the younger was Rachel. And Leahs eyes were weak, but Rachel was beautiful in figure and appearance(vv. 1617). Were not told exactly what it means that Leahs eyes were weak. Some think she was cross-eyed or simply lacked the beauty that her younger sister possessed. Whatever the case, the contrast is clearLeah was plain, but Rachel was striking. Even their names hint at the difference:Leahmay mean wild cow or gazelle, whileRachelmeans ewe or lamba softer, more affectionate name. Rachel was beautiful, and Jacob was captivated. When Laban offered to pay Jacob for his work, Jacob didnt ask for wageshe offered seven years of labor for Rachels hand. Laban agreed.So Jacob worked seven years to pay for Rachel. But his love for her was so strong that it seemed to him but a few days(Gen. 29:20, NLT). Rachel was the apple of his eyethe treasure of his heart. To Jacob, life with Rachel promised the happiness he had always longed for. And isnt that what we all want? On this side of Eden, every heart searches for a Rachelsomeone or something we believe will complete us. We might not call it Rachel, but we chase it in our stories, our dreams, and our longings. We dont want Leah. We want Rachel. If the Bible repeats something, we need to pay attention to it. But, if the Bible repeats something three times, it elevates it to the superlative degree as something super important. Three times we are told of Jacobs love for Rachel: Now Jacob loved Rachel, so he said, I will serve you seven years for your younger daughter Rachel. (Gen. 29:18) So Jacob served seven years for Rachel, and they seemed to him like only a few days because of his love for her. (Gen. 29:20) So Jacob had relations with Rachel also, and indeed he loved Rachel more than Leah, and he served with Laban for another seven years. (Gen. 29:30) Guess how many times we are told that Jacob loved Leah. Zero. In fact, when it comes to love, here is what we are told: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Outside of Eden We Get Leah (Gen. 29:21-30) After Jacob completed the seven years he had promised his uncle, he was ready to receive what his heart had longed for.Then Jacob said to Laban, Give me my wife, for my time is completed, that I may have relations with her. So Laban gathered all the people of the place and held a feast(Gen. 29:2122). Finally, Jacob believed life was about to become sweet. The wedding celebration began, the food was served, and the wine flowed freely. When the bride was brought to himveiled and under cover of nightJacob, likely feeling content and confident, welcomed her.Now in the evening he took his daughter Leah and brought her to him; and Jacob had relations with her.... So it came about in the morning that, behold, it was Leah!(Gen. 29:23, 25a). Morning light brought a brutal truth. The woman beside him was not Rachelthe love of his lifebut Leah, the weak-eyed daughter whose very name meant wild cow. Jacob was furious. He had been deceivedjust as he had once deceived his brother Esau. His dream of happiness, shattered.And he said to Laban, What is this that you have done to me? Was it not for Rachel that I served you? Why then have you deceived me?(v. 25). But Laban, the master manipulator, calmly replied,It is not the practice in our place to marry off the younger before the firstborn. Complete the week of this one, and we will give you the other also for the service which you shall serve with me for another seven years(vv. 2627). Jacob was trappedused for free labor once again. He was tricked into taking the daughter he hadnt chosen, and bartered into another seven years for the one he loved. Unfortunately for Leah, she was stuck in the middle of all the drama. Outside of Eden There is Still Hope The marriage that Jacob was tricked into began with a week-long celebration. Laban insisted Jacob complete the festivities with Leah, giving enough time for her to become pregnant. Yet Jacob was eager for the days to end, and as soon as the week was over, he immediately married Rachel. Driven by the selfish motives of both Jacob and Laban, Leah found herself trappedcaught between their desires and loved by no one. Leah was rejected, while Rachel was cherished. The striking irony in Leahs story is that, while she was overlooked by everyone else, God loved her: Now the Lord saw that Leah was unloved, and He opened her womb, but Rachel was unable to have children (v. 31). Despite Gods blessings with each child, Leahs deepest longing, which was for her husbands love, remained out of reach. After every birth, Leah hoped that her husband would finally love her, yet that hope was continually unfulfilled. Consider how Leah responded after each of her first four child were born: Leah conceived and gave birth to a son, and named him Reuben, for she said, Because the Lord has seen my affliction; surely now my husband will love me. (v. 32) Then she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Because the Lord has heard that I am unloved, He has therefore given me this son also. So she named him Simeon. (v. 33) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, Now this time my husband will become attached to me, because I have borne him three sons. Therefore he was named Levi. (v. 34) And she conceived again and gave birth to a son, and said, This time I will praise the Lord. Therefore she named him Judah. Then she stopped having children. (v. 35) I wish Leahs story ended with her praising theLORD, but it didnt. She continued to seek Jacobs affection by giving him what Rachel could notchildren. Just as Sarah gave Hagar to Jacob, Rachel followed the same pattern when she could not conceive, unwilling to trust Gods timing. What followed was a rivalry between Leah and Rachel, each striving to win Jacobs love by giving him more sons. Both even gave their servants to Jacob, and through them, four more sons were born. In time, God blessed Leah with two additional sons and a daughter, yet her longing for her husbands love was never fulfilled (seeGen. 30:1921). Rachel, meanwhile, bore only two sonsJosephand, finally,Benjamin, the only son Jacob named. Then they journeyed on from Bethel; but when there was still some distance to go to Ephrath, Rachel began to give birth and she suffered severe difficulties in her labor. And when she was suffering severe difficulties in her labor, the midwife said to her, Do not fear, for you have another son! And it came about, as her soul was departing (for she died), that she named him Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin(Gen. 35:1618). Application The irony in Leahs story is striking: although she was overlooked by her father, unloved by her husband, and scorned by her younger sister, she was shown favor by God. Leah became the mother of seven children, including Levi and Judah. Through Levi, the priestly lineage was established, and through Judah, the royal line was formeda line that ultimately led to the birth of Jesus Christ! The promise God made to Adam and Eve, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob... was Leahs promise. Listen to the prophetic blessing pronounced upon Judah by Jacob in Genesis 49:8-10, As for you, Judah, your brothers shall praise you;your hand shall be on the neck of your enemies;your fathers sons shall bow down to you. Judah is a lions cub;from the prey, my son, you have gone up.He crouches, he lies down as a lion,and as a lion, who dares to stir him up? The scepter will not depart from Judah,nor the rulers staff from between his feet,until Shiloh comes;and to him shall be the obedience of the peoples. The ugly wife was loved by God! Leah couldnt have seen it then, but the beauty God would bring through her lineage is staggering. Her name may meanweary,exhausted,gazelle, or evenwild cowyet through her would come the Deliverer promised to Adam and Eve, to Noah, to Abraham and Sarah, to Isaac, and now to Jacob. She was the wife no one loved or treasured, except God Himself. From Leahs sons came the tribe ofLevi, the tribe set apart to oversee the worship and sacrificial life of Israel. From the Levites, God appointed theHigh Priest, chosen from Aarons line, to mediate between God and His people. Upon his chest he wore a sacred breastplate adorned with twelve precious stones, each set in gold and engraved with the name of one of Israels tribes. Thefirst stone,sardiusa deep red rubyrepresentedReuben, whose name meansBehold, a son!Thelast stone,jasper, representedBenjamin, meaningson of my right hand. Leahs legacy was not measured by Jacobs affection but by Gods covenantal love. Through the unloved wife, God brought forth the priesthood that pointed to the Great High PriestJesus Christ. Conclusion Now, permit me to show you something from Revelation 4-5. In Revelation 4, John is invited to see the heavenly throne room of God. Notice what it is that John sees: After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things. Immediately I was in the Spirit; and behold, a throne was standing in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. And He who was sitting was like a jasper stone and a sardius in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, like an emerald in appearance. John is ushered into heavens throne room, and what captures his attention is that the One seated on the throne radiates with the colors of jasper and sardiusthe first and last stones on the High Priests breastplate. This is not accidental imagery. It is intentional revelation. What shines from the throne is He who is the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. When you pair the meanings of those names Behold, a Son and Son of My right handyou hear the gospel proclaimed from the very throne of God. Who is this Son at the right hand of the Father? Revelation 1:1718 gives the answer: Do not be afraid; I am the first and the last, and the living One; and I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of death and Hades. The One radiant like sardius and jasper is none other than Jesus Christ. And how do we know He sits at the right hand of the Father? Because Paul who himself was from the tribe represented by the jasper stonedeclares in Romans 8:3134: What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who is against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but delivered Him over for us all, how will He not also with Him freely give us all things? Who will bring charges against Gods elect? God is the one who justifies; who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, but rather, was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us. This is the One who is worthy to open the scroll in the Fathers hand. Revelation 5:5 tells us, ...behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has overcome so as to be able to open the scroll and its seven seals. The elder tells John to look at the Lion of Judah. But when John turns, he doesnt see a lion. He sees a Lamb. A Lamb standing, as if slaughtered... (Rev. 5:6). Jacob chased after a beautiful woman whose name meant sheep, but through Leahthe unloved, weary wifewould come the Lamb of God. The Lamb who stands before the throne as the triumphant Redeemer. And all of heaven erupts in worship: Worthy is the Lamb that was slaughtered to receive power, wealth, wisdom, might, honor, glory, and blessing (Rev. 5:12). What is the point of Leahs story? God redeems what is ugly, weary, and rejected. He takes what the world despises and uses it to accomplish His glorious plan of redemption. This is why the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders sing a new song to Leahs descendant: Worthy are You to take the scroll and to break its seals; for You were slaughtered, and You purchased people for God with Your blood from every tribe, language, people, and nation (Rev. 5:9). And here is where the story turns deeply personal. We are Leah. We are the unlovely bride. We are the weary, broken, and undeserving. But instead of being repulsed by us, Jesus loves us. He makes us His Bride. Paul writes, For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Rom. 8:3839). Leahs story ends not in sorrow, but in the songs of heaven. The woman who was unloved became the vessel through whom the Lamb of God would come. The tribe she bore would point to the Great High Priest, and the Son of her bodys lineage would one day stand at the right hand of the Father. Worthy is the Lamb who was slain. That is our story too. If you belong to Christ, then your shame, your weariness, and your rejection are not the end of the story. The throne is. The Lamb is. His love is.

When we put away our idols, purify our hearts, and rise in obedience, God meets us again with blessing and purpose—so arise and go back to your Bethel today! Jacob settled in Shechem instead of fully obeying God's call to Bethel. His compromise led to tragedy—Dinah's violation and family turmoil. God mercifully called Jacob again to return to Bethel, the place of promise. Jacob commanded his household to put away foreign gods and purify themselves. At Bethel, Jacob built an altar, renewed his worship, and received fresh blessing. God reaffirmed Jacob's new identity as “Israel” and the covenant of multiplication and inheritance. True restoration begins when we return to the place where we first met God.

In this episode of the 4 Tales Podcast, we sit down with writer and artist Dan Bethel, the creator of the acclaimed webcomic series Long John. Dan shares the journey behind Long John's creation, the inspiration for its characters and world, and how he balances storytelling with visual artistry.We also dive into the challenges of producing an independent webcomic, his creative process, and what fans can expect next from the series. If you love comics, worldbuilding, and hearing directly from the minds behind great indie storytelling, this episode is a must-listen.Read Long John at http://www.longjohncomic.com/Subscribe to our YouTube channel at https://bit.ly/4TalesYoutubeFollow Danny's books at https://www.4thwallpros.com/Check out Kyrun's books at https://www.tauruscomics.com

Join The Arena Community for Pastors and Ministry Leaders!https://www.thearenasummit.com/the-arena-pastors?mcp_token=eyJwaWQiOjc3NTU2Miwic2lkIjo2ODk3OTM1NzksImF4IjoiMDc0MjZlYTE3MjczZjAxNmYxMGY5ZThmMDZjNTQzM2EiLCJ0cyI6MTc2MTI1MDAwMSwiZXhwIjoxNzYzNjY5MjAxfQ.SLb6owBUFx2GDl8xbsV8nC2utp0XKU5zyR-JyfFJEg8Order The Barbarian Way now!https://www.amazon.com/Barbarian-Way-Unleash-Untamed-Within/dp/1400257395Aaron and Erwin McManus unveil a new Arena Space for pastors and ministry leaders, offering weekly two-hour sessions for spiritual growth, leadership training, and church development. Erwin explains the evolution of the Arena from a business-centered community to a ministry-focused hub designed to strengthen leaders through Scripture and shared experience. Guest Eric Johnson, former pastor at Bethel and now leading Studio Church, shares his journey of vision, transition, and rebuilding infrastructure from the ground up. He reflects on leadership timing, the challenge of backlash, and the importance of clear vision and emotional resilience when pastoring through change. Together, they discuss the delicate balance between innovation and tradition, the integration of AI tools into church systems, and the need for community-based decision-making. The conversation expands to the psychological demands of leadership, the tension between self-care and service, and the cultural shift toward emotional health in ministry. Erwin and Eric emphasize that great leadership is rooted not in preference but in purpose—requiring humility, adaptability, and a deep commitment to the people being led. The episode closes with an invitation to join the Arena Pastors Call, a space for ongoing growth, collaboration, and mentorship among spiritual leaders.Join the Mind Shift community here: http://erwinmcmanus.com/mindshiftpodFollow On Socialhttps://www.youtube.com/@ErwinRaphaelMcManushttps://instagram.com/mindshiftpodhttps://instagram.com/erwinmcmanushttps://instagram.com/aaroncmcmanusJoin The Newsletter!https://erwinmcmanus.com/newsletter

What happens when you buy a house that was built pre-1800?  You get the wildest noises caused by critters unknown! Also - Who needs a church sign anyway? Topic Suggestions: info@hpc.church 

In this newscast: Alaska Federation of Natives delegates on Saturday called for an immediate emergency declaration from President Donald Trump – and more federal assistance for communities hit by the remnants of Typhoon Halong. It was one of dozens of resolutions passed on the final day of the AFN convention in Anchorage; Alaska Airlines is dropping its popular policy that allowed travelers flying within the state of Alaska to check three bags for free. The change will primarily impact non-Alaska residents; More than 1,500 Juneauites joined millions of people nationwide this weekend to partake in the second iteration of the No Kings protest against President Donald Trump's policies and actions; Alaska Congressman Nick Begich on Saturday delivered his first address to the Alaska Federation of Natives since being sworn in this year; As residents boarded air transports out of Kipnuk Wednesday, they were leaving what remained of their houses, belongings, and ancestral homeland behind. For many, that list also included their dogs. A Bethel-based nonprofit sprang into action to rescue the pets.

In this episode of Secret 2 My Success, hosts Allen and Mic sit down with Kase Bethel, a dynamic Culver's franchise owner who's quickly making his mark in South Florida. Kase opened his first Culver's location in Loxahatchee Groves in September 2023, bringing the beloved Wisconsin-based brand's signature ButterBurgers and frozen custard to the local community. Now, he's preparing to open his second location in Boynton Beach—with plans to expand further throughout Palm Beach County.Kase shares his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons learned in launching and managing a successful restaurant, and what it takes to maintain Culver's commitment to quality and hospitality. He discusses the challenges and rewards of franchise ownership, how he builds and motivates his team, and his passion for creating a customer experience that feels like home.Allen and Mic guide the conversation with their trademark humor and insight, exploring the mindset, strategy, and determination behind Kase's growing success. Whether you're a franchise owner, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply love hearing inspiring business stories, this episode serves up plenty of food for thought—and maybe a craving for a ButterBurger, too!https://gotowncrier.com/2023/09/new-culvers-restaurant-now-open-in-lox-groves/#:~:text=Taking%20part%20in%20a%20Central,is%20owned%20by%20Kase%20Bethel.Support the show

Scripture presents a view of salvation (a soteriological vision) that provides a vision for personal and community life at Bethel. This is the view that Jesus Christ shed His blood unto death so that both Jews and Gentiles can be forgiven of their sins, that by trusting Christ as Savior and Lord a person's faith […] The post The Implications of the Gospel for Bethel appeared first on Bethel Mennonite Church - Gladys VA.

Cale Clarke finishes up his analysis of Genesis 34 as he talks about Dinah’s brothers rescuing her while pillaging the city and the moral implications of that. He shares how God is the ultimate chessmaster and works through people’s sin. Cale also discusses Jacob’s call from God to go to Bethel and the changes he had to make in his life.

Rescue crews are airlifting hundreds of evacuees in rural Alaska after the remnants of a typhoon brought hurricane-force winds and record-breaking storm surge to the state's remote western coast. Geoff Bennett discussed the storm with Sage Smiley, the news director at KYUK in Bethel, Alaska, a town that has become a hub for the recovery effort in recent days. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy

Bill Johnson serves as the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Known globally for his teaching on revival, faith, and the Kingdom of God, Bill's ministry has been marked by a consistent focus on gratitude, generosity, and living a life shaped by God's presence. Through decades of leadership, he has taught that generosity is more than financial giving—it's a lifestyle of humility, kindness, and service that reflects God's design for humanity. In this episode, Brad sits down with Bill to talk about gratitude, generosity, and why the two are inseparably linked. Bill shares stories from his own journey and ministry, including how generosity builds cultures, changes atmospheres, and even serves as a “weapon” against division and despair. He also unpacks why generosity is evidence of repentance, how repeated acts form culture, and why we are never more like Christ than when we are generous. Along the way, Bill offers practical wisdom on cultivating a grateful heart, modeling generosity across generations, and trusting God even in seasons of delay. “To live without thankfulness is the most self-centered way to live.” – Bill Johnson “If you're actually giving, you're not trying to get a response. If you're trying to get a response, you're buying—you're not giving.” – Bill Johnson “You're no more like Jesus than when you're generous.” – Bill Johnson This Week on The Wow Factor: Gratitude as the foundation for humility, mental health, and healthy relationships Why generosity is more than money—it's a posture of life and service The story of “Generous Students” and teaching gratitude with no carry-forwards Why repeated acts of giving form a true culture of generosity The three kinds of givers: no giver, grumpy giver, cheerful giver How small, intentional acts—like tipping hotel staff or thanking baristas—shift atmospheres Why generosity is evidence of repentance and a renewed mind How encouraging words can be one of the most powerful forms of giving Modeling generosity across generations and why Bill gives gifts on his own birthday The importance of living in trust when God's answers are delayed Serving communities quietly: Bethel's behind-the-scenes generosity toward their city Why generosity must move from an action to a lifestyle that can't be switched off Bill Johnson's Word of Wisdom: Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Start somewhere, even if it's small. Sacrifice means going one step beyond comfort, and that's where growth begins. Yesterday's sacrifice is today's convenience—so keep pressing into new steps of generosity. Connect With Bill Johnson: Bethel Church Website Bethel Church Facebook Bethel Church Instagram Bethel Church YouTube Bethel Church Podcasts Pastor Bill Johnson Facebook Pastor Bill Johnson's Books Connect with The Wow Factor:   WOW Factor Website   Brad Formsma on LinkedIn    Brad Formsma on Instagram    Brad Formsma on Facebook    X (formerly Twitter)   

TODAY'S TREASUREThen God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there...” Genesis 35:1Send us a comment!Support the show

Hundreds of thousands attended Charlie Kirk's memorial service. Are we seeing a Kirk-inspired Christian revival or a rallying cry for Christian nationalism? Theologian Nijay Gupta and Christian writer Bethel McGrew join Justin Brierley to debate their different perspectives on the Charlie Kirk moment and his controversial statements on race and minorities.For Nijay Gupta: https://nijaykgupta.substack.com/p/if-you-are-elevating-charlie-kirk For Bethel McGrew: https://www.furtherup.net/  'Responding To The Rebirth' Conference: http://rebirthconference.net/ More info, book & newsletter: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/ Support via Patreon for early access to new episodes and bonus content: https://www.patreon.com/justinbrierley/membership Support via Tax-deductible (USA) and get the same perks: https://defendersmedia.com/portfolio/justin-brierley/ Give a one-off gift via PayPal: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/brierleyjustin Buy the book or get a signed copy: https://justinbrierley.com/the-surprising-rebirth-of-belief-in-god/ Got feedback? Share it with us by emailing: feedback@think.faith Ep 24 show notes: https://justinbrierley.com/surprisingrebirth/season-2-episode-24-charlie-kirk The Surprising Rebirth of Belief in God is a production of Think Faith in partnership with Genexis, and support from The Jerusalem Trust. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By Rob Wood - Because God said so.

Sometimes you pray... and nothing happens. You’re asking for something good, but God isn’t budging. What’s happening? You might be wrestling with God.Maybe He’s been leading you to do something—and you’ve resisted... You won’t let Him into that one area of your life. You won’t break off that relationship that drains you spiritually. You won’t give up that habit that drags you down. You’re afraid to take that step of faith.Remember Jonah? God said, “Go.” Jonah said, “No.” And God said, “Oh?”If that’s you—you’re not alone. Even Jacob wrestled with God. His struggle began with resisting and ended with resting. He stopped fighting and started clinging—saying, “I will not let You go until You bless me.” Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in this message. Notes: Focus verse - Genesis 32 God’s plans are better than ours. Have you ever prayed and prayed for something, and no answer came? The Bible urges us to bring our needs to God.Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) Wrestling with God is not necessarily a bad thing. “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."—Abraham Lincoln Hosea 12:3 (NLT)Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. Hosea 12:4 (NLT)Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him. Jesus is the Passover lamb in Exodus; in Numbers, He is the bronze serpent lifted up. A Christophany is an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. Jacob was wrestling with Jesus Himself. Genesis 25:23 (NKJV)And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, …And the older shall serve the younger." Psalm 139:14,16 The meaning of Jacob’s name isheel-catcher, contender, supplanter, grabber. God does not just see you for what you are, but for what you can become. God sees things differently than we do.We see failure, God sees potential.We see the past, God sees the future.We see sin, God sees restoration. Time showed that Jacob was a righteous manand Esau was an ungodly man. It’s not about how we start this race in life but how we finish it. It was not an easy road for Jacob, and that was his own fault. Hebrews 12:16 (NLT)Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. When we get tired of praying, we start scheming, and we make a mess of things. Rebecca sent Jacob to visit her brother, Laban.On the way there, Jacob had an encounter with God. All Jacob had to do was wait on God’s timing. Jacob met his match in his uncle Laban.The trickster met the trickster extraordinaire. We reap what we sow. Christians should try to live in peace with people.Romans 12:18 God meets us at whatever level He finds usand lifts us to where He wants us to be. God will come to you in just the right way.Hebrews 4:16 Read Genesis 32:24–30 Jacob was wrestling with Jesus Christ. We need to get away from all the distractions of life and get alone with God. When you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God. Now, instead of fighting with God, Jacob is clinging to Him. In surrender to God’s plan, Jacob found what he always wanted,the very blessing he asked God for. We win by losing.Luke 17:33 Genesis 32:28 (NLT)"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won." "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."—Corrie Ten Boom Are you running from God?The good news is God is running to you. Join us for the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Sometimes you pray... and nothing happens. You’re asking for something good, but God isn’t budging. What’s happening? You might be wrestling with God.Maybe He’s been leading you to do something—and you’ve resisted... You won’t let Him into that one area of your life. You won’t break off that relationship that drains you spiritually. You won’t give up that habit that drags you down. You’re afraid to take that step of faith.Remember Jonah? God said, “Go.” Jonah said, “No.” And God said, “Oh?”If that’s you—you’re not alone. Even Jacob wrestled with God. His struggle began with resisting and ended with resting. He stopped fighting and started clinging—saying, “I will not let You go until You bless me.” Pastor Greg Laurie shares more in this message. Notes: Focus verse - Genesis 32 God’s plans are better than ours. Have you ever prayed and prayed for something, and no answer came? The Bible urges us to bring our needs to God.Philippians 4:6 (NKJV) Wrestling with God is not necessarily a bad thing. “My concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right."—Abraham Lincoln Hosea 12:3 (NLT)Even in the womb, Jacob struggled with his brother; when he became a man, he even fought with God. Hosea 12:4 (NLT)Yes, he wrestled with the angel and won. He wept and pleaded for a blessing from him. There at Bethel he met God face to face, and God spoke to him. Jesus is the Passover lamb in Exodus; in Numbers, He is the bronze serpent lifted up. A Christophany is an appearance of Jesus in the Old Testament. Jacob was wrestling with Jesus Himself. Genesis 25:23 (NKJV)And the LORD said to her: "Two nations are in your womb, …And the older shall serve the younger." Psalm 139:14,16 The meaning of Jacob’s name isheel-catcher, contender, supplanter, grabber. God does not just see you for what you are, but for what you can become. God sees things differently than we do.We see failure, God sees potential.We see the past, God sees the future.We see sin, God sees restoration. Time showed that Jacob was a righteous manand Esau was an ungodly man. It’s not about how we start this race in life but how we finish it. It was not an easy road for Jacob, and that was his own fault. Hebrews 12:16 (NLT)Make sure that no one is immoral or godless like Esau, who traded his birthright as the firstborn son for a single meal. When we get tired of praying, we start scheming, and we make a mess of things. Rebecca sent Jacob to visit her brother, Laban.On the way there, Jacob had an encounter with God. All Jacob had to do was wait on God’s timing. Jacob met his match in his uncle Laban.The trickster met the trickster extraordinaire. We reap what we sow. Christians should try to live in peace with people.Romans 12:18 God meets us at whatever level He finds usand lifts us to where He wants us to be. God will come to you in just the right way.Hebrews 4:16 Read Genesis 32:24–30 Jacob was wrestling with Jesus Christ. We need to get away from all the distractions of life and get alone with God. When you get to the end of yourself, you get to the beginning of God. Now, instead of fighting with God, Jacob is clinging to Him. In surrender to God’s plan, Jacob found what he always wanted,the very blessing he asked God for. We win by losing.Luke 17:33 Genesis 32:28 (NLT)"Your name will no longer be Jacob," the man told him. "From now on you will be called Israel, because you have fought with God and with men and have won." "Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God."—Corrie Ten Boom Are you running from God?The good news is God is running to you. Join us for the Harvest Crusade: Hope for America on November 16! --- Learn more about Greg Laurie and Harvest Ministries at harvest.org. This podcast is supported by the generosity of our Harvest Partners. Support the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

ONE THING: Compassion is taking your talk out for a walk! Dear children, let's not merely say that we love each other; let us show the truth by our actions. – 1 John 3:18 (NLT)

The Grizzly Den is back!

Sheila Murray Bethel shares the unforgettable story of Frank, a San Francisco cab driver who transformed his job into a model of professionalism, accountability, and lifelong learning. With humor and heart, she reminds us that true leadership means being “CEO of yourself,” committing to continuous growth, and upgrading your skills, mindset, and habits so you can serve at your very best.Source: Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel - Global Expert on Leadership • Successful Business Executive - Part 2 Hosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on InstagramSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Sheila Murray Bethel shares the unforgettable story of Frank, a San Francisco cab driver who transformed his job into a model of professionalism, accountability, and lifelong learning. With humor and heart, she reminds us that true leadership means being “CEO of yourself,” committing to continuous growth, and upgrading your skills, mindset, and habits so you can serve at your very best.Source: Dr. Sheila Murray Bethel - Global Expert on Leadership • Successful Business Executive - Part 2 Hosted by Sean CroxtonFollow me on Instagram Check out the NEW Black Excellence Daily podcast. Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Pandora, and Amazon. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Bill Johnson serves as the Senior Leader of Bethel Church in Redding, California. Known globally for his teaching on revival, faith, and the Kingdom of God, Bill's ministry has been marked by a consistent focus on gratitude, generosity, and living a life shaped by God's presence. Through decades of leadership, he has taught that generosity is more than financial giving—it's a lifestyle of humility, kindness, and service that reflects God's design for humanity. In this episode, Brad sits down with Bill to talk about gratitude, generosity, and why the two are inseparably linked. Bill shares stories from his own journey and ministry, including how generosity builds cultures, changes atmospheres, and even serves as a “weapon” against division and despair. He also unpacks why generosity is evidence of repentance, how repeated acts form culture, and why we are never more like Christ than when we are generous. Along the way, Bill offers practical wisdom on cultivating a grateful heart, modeling generosity across generations, and trusting God even in seasons of delay. “To live without thankfulness is the most self-centered way to live.” – Bill Johnson “If you're actually giving, you're not trying to get a response. If you're trying to get a response, you're buying—you're not giving.” – Bill Johnson “You're no more like Jesus than when you're generous.” – Bill Johnson This Week on The Wow Factor: Gratitude as the foundation for humility, mental health, and healthy relationships Why generosity is more than money—it's a posture of life and service The story of “Generous Students” and teaching gratitude with no carry-forwards Why repeated acts of giving form a true culture of generosity The three kinds of givers: no giver, grumpy giver, cheerful giver How small, intentional acts—like tipping hotel staff or thanking baristas—shift atmospheres Why generosity is evidence of repentance and a renewed mind How encouraging words can be one of the most powerful forms of giving Modeling generosity across generations and why Bill gives gifts on his own birthday The importance of living in trust when God's answers are delayed Serving communities quietly: Bethel's behind-the-scenes generosity toward their city Why generosity must move from an action to a lifestyle that can't be switched off Bill Johnson's Word of Wisdom: Faith is spelled R-I-S-K. Start somewhere, even if it's small. Sacrifice means going one step beyond comfort, and that's where growth begins. Yesterday's sacrifice is today's convenience—so keep pressing into new steps of generosity. Connect With Bill Johnson: Bethel Church Website Bethel Church Facebook Bethel Church Instagram Bethel Church YouTube Bethel Church Podcasts Pastor Bill Johnson Facebook Pastor Bill Johnson's Books Connect with The Wow Factor:   WOW Factor Website   Brad Formsma on LinkedIn    Brad Formsma on Instagram    Brad Formsma on Facebook    X (formerly Twitter)   

Why do we sexualize our emotions, and how can we process our emotions without sexualizing them? In this episode, Jonathan Hernandez answers these questions in English. Check out the Spanish version of this episode here.Jonathan Hernandez is a newly Certified Husband Material Coach with over a year of experience as a Certified Connection Codes Coach. He completed three years at Bethel's School of Supernatural Ministry and is passionate about helping couples build deeper connection and guiding men into healthy and fulfilling sexuality.Connect with Jonathan here:rueda.jonnythecoach.com/englishSupport the showTake the Husband Material Journey... Step 1: Listen to this podcast or watch on YouTube Step 2: Join the private Husband Material Community Step 3: Take the free mini-course: How To Outgrow Porn Step 4: Try the all-in-one program: Husband Material Academy Thanks for listening!

¿Por qué sexualizamos nuestras emociones y cómo podemos procesarlas sin sexualizarlas? Jonathan Hernández responde a estas preguntas en el primer episodio de Husband Material en Español. Aquí tienes la versión en inglés: https://podcast.husbandmaterial.com/713910/episodes/17963054-how-to-process-sexualized-emotions-with-jonathan-hernandezJonathan Hernández es nuevo coach de Husband Material. Cuenta con más de un año de experiencia como coach certificado de Connection Codes. Estudió tres años en la Escuela de Ministerio Sobrenatural de Bethel y tiene una gran pasión por ayudar a las parejas a vivir más conectadas y a los hombres a experimentar una sexualidad sana y plena.Guía gratuita de la Rueda de emociones:rueda.jonnythecoach.com/rueda-794076Guía de las emociones/template diario:rueda.jonnythecoach.com/guia-103093Curso de los fundamentos:rueda.jonnythecoach.com/cursoAplicación para Sesión de Claridad:rueda.jonnythecoach.com/formulario_sesion_claridadSupport the showTake the Husband Material Journey... Step 1: Listen to this podcast or watch on YouTube Step 2: Join the private Husband Material Community Step 3: Take the free mini-course: How To Outgrow Porn Step 4: Try the all-in-one program: Husband Material Academy Thanks for listening!

On September 14th, 2025 Kris shared a powerful message about Bethel Church as a prophetic community and house of encounters. God named us "Bethel" for a purpose, just as Jacob encountered God at Bethel (the house of God) and Peniel (face to face with God), we're called to be a place where heaven opens and identities are transformed. When you come to Bethel, you don't just receive a prophetic word, you have an encounter that changes you into the person you need to be to fulfill your divine destiny. Get “Just Stand” Now: https://www.krisvallotton.com/books Connect with Kris Vallotton: Website: https://www.krisvallotton.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/kvministries/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kvministries/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/kvministries Additional Resources by Kris Vallotton: https://shop.bethel.com/collections/k… About Kris Vallotton: Kris Vallotton is the Senior Associate Leader of Bethel Church, Redding, and is the Co-Founder of Bethel School of Supernatural Ministry (BSSM) and Spiritual Intelligence Institute. He is also the Founder and President of Moral Revolution and a sought-after international conference speaker. Kris and his wife, Kathy, have trained, developed, and pastored prophetic teams and supernatural schools all over the world.