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Welcome to Day 2939 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2939– “Grave Warnings for the IN Crowd” – Luke 11:29-36 Putnam Church Message – 08/23/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Grave Warnings for the “IN” Crowd”   Last week, our message was “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness,” and we learned that Jesus Christ was sent to reclaim the nations and finalize God's kingdom. Today, we continue with our thirty-fifth message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Grave Warnings for the “IN” Crowd.” Our core passage today is Luke 11:29-36, starting on page 1615 of your pew Bibles. The Sign of Jonah 29 As the crowds increased, Jesus said, “This is a wicked generation. It asks for a sign, but none will be given it except the sign of Jonah. 30 For as Jonah was a sign to the Ninevites, so also will the Son of Man be to this generation. 31 The Queen of the South will rise at the judgment with the people of this generation and condemn them, for she came from the ends of the earth to listen to Solomon's wisdom; and now something greater than Solomon is here. 32 The men of Nineveh will stand up at the judgment with this generation and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah; and now something greater than Jonah is here. The Lamp of the Body 33 “No one lights a lamp and puts it in a place where it will be hidden, or under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, so that those who come in may see the light. 34 Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy,[a] your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy,[b] your body also is full of darkness. 35 See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness. 36 Therefore, if your whole body is full of light, and no part of it dark, it will be just as full of light as when a lamp shines its light on you.” Opening Prayer   Father, we come before You today asking for more than information. We ask for illumination. Shine the light of Your Word into every corner of our hearts. Lord Jesus, protect us from becoming people who stand close to You outwardly / while resisting You inwardly. / Keep us from demanding more evidence when You have already given us more than enough. Expose our pride, our hidden motives, our fears, and our excuses. Holy Spirit, give us clear eyes, humble hearts, and willing spirits. Help us not merely to admire the Light, but to walk in it. In Jesus' name, amen.       Introduction: Being “In” Does Not Mean Being Right By this point in Luke's Gospel, Jesus was no longer an unknown teacher from Galilee. His name was everywhere. John the Baptizer had drawn huge crowds and pointed people toward Him. Jesus had healed the sick, cleansed lepers, cast out demons, fed thousands, commanded storms, raised the dead, forgiven sinners, confronted hypocrisy, and commissioned His followers to carry His message throughout the land. People were talking about Him. / Some loved Him. / Some hated Him. / Some were afraid of Him. / And many were simply watching to see which way things would go. That is human nature, isn't it? / When something becomes popular, people begin asking, “Is this going to succeed?” / When an election approaches, some people wait to see who appears most likely to win. / When a business reorganizes, employees may quietly watch to see which executive is gaining influence. / When a controversy divides a community, some people hesitate to take a position until they know which side will cost them the least. And apparently, many people surrounding Jesus were doing something similar. / They were interested. / They were impressed. / They were curious. / But they were not committed. / They wanted Jesus to prove that following Him would be a safe investment. / Give us another sign. / Give us one more miracle. / Give us enough assurance that we can join Your side without risking too much.  / But Jesus refused to play that game. Last week, in “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness,” we saw Jesus draw a sharp line. There is no neutral ground. The Stronger Man has entered the strong man's territory. The Kingdom of God has come near, and everyone must decide where their allegiance lies. Now Jesus takes that truth one step further. / He turns from the obvious darkness around them to the hidden darkness within them. / And that is where this message becomes uncomfortable. Because Jesus' strongest warning is not directed toward people who know nothing about God. / It is directed toward the people standing closest to the revelation. / The “IN” crowd. / The religiously informed. / The culturally familiar. / The people who have seen much, heard much, and know much. And Jesus says, in effect: The greater the light you receive, / the more responsible you are for what you do with it. Let's look at four truths that will help us to understand this passage, which are on your bulletin insert. Main Point 1: Demanding More Proof Can Become an Excuse for Not Believing Luke tells us that as the crowd pressed in around Jesus, He said: “This evil generation keeps asking me to show them a miraculous sign. But the only sign I will give them is the sign of Jonah.” That sounds almost shocking. / Hadn't Jesus already given signs? / How many signs did they need? He had healed the blind. / He had cleansed lepers. / He had restored crippled bodies. / He had raised the dead. / He had fed thousands. / He had cast out demons. Immediately before this passage, He had delivered a man who could not speak because of demonic oppression. / And some still said, “Show us a sign.” At some point, the problem is no longer a lack of evidence. / The problem is unwillingness to respond to the evidence already given. The Sign of Jonah Jesus says Jonah will be the sign. / Jonah carried two powerful meanings. First, Jonah was a prophet sent by God with a message. / He went to Nineveh and said, essentially, “Judgment is coming. Repent.” / There were no fireworks. / No extended miracle campaign. /No entertainment. Just the Word of God. / And Nineveh responded. Second, as Matthew 12 makes clearer, Jonah's experience in the great fish also points forward to Jesus' death and resurrection. Jonah disappeared into the depths and emerged alive. / Jesus would descend into death and emerge victorious on the third day. The ultimate sign would not be another temporary miracle. / It would be the empty tomb.   Ancient Context: Nineveh Nineveh was not a pleasant little Gentile village. / It was associated with Assyria, one of the most brutal imperial powers of the ancient world. / Assyrian warfare was infamous for cruelty. They terrorized conquered...

For Week 3 of Faith in Practice, Raechel and Amanda are joined by Tim Wildsmith to discuss five more opportunities to engage with God through specific spiritual practices.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 3 of She Reads Truth's Faith in Practice reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Faith in Practice printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code DANIEL15 for 15% off the Daniel collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramTim Wildsmith on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

The antisemitism of the horseshoe right continues to run rampant. By way of example, one proponent of Tucker Carlson's view that modern-day Israel is the worst of all nations known to man posted the following to my Facebook page: “You keep arguing that we should read our Bibles. Please quote one book, chapter, and verse that says Christians must support the Christ-rejecting nation of Israel.” Challenge accepted. Here is just a start. Website: https://dreverettpiper.com
 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dreverettpiper X: https://x.com/dreverettpiper Instagram: https://instagram.com/dreverettpiper

The gospel worker from China was stunned by how many biblical resources were available to Christians in America. He created a plan to scan one Bible commentary onto CDs that could be carried back into China and copied for underground Christians there. But he needed help. He reached out to find a more technically-capable person to help with the process—and an international ministry was birthed! Ken Bitgood was the young man recruited to help with that scanning project. Today he and Digital Bible Society are distributing Scripture resources in more than 4,500 languages! When Ken first became a follower of Jesus, he was encouraged to live in God's Word. He'll tell how he did that (with the help of a car stereo) and how it birthed in him a passion to see people of all nations, tribes, and tongues access the riches of the Bible and Christian resources to encourage and edify the Body of Christ around the world. In their 25th year of ministry, the Digital Bible Society is working alongside more than 400 organizations to distribute resources, free and free to copy, in over 6,000 languages. Ken will share a story of a man from Beijing he met at a conference, who pointed to the DBS resources and said, "This is what put me in jail!" You'll hear more of Ken's heart to see laborers in the harvest fields as he shares his belief that every language should have God's Word translated for them in his lifetime. Visit the Bible Access List to learn more about where there is a shortage of Bibles and places that are restricted from having God's Word. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians in nations like North Korea, Nigeria, China, and Iran, as well as provide free access to e-books, audiobooks, video content, and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

In episode 503 of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb conclude their deep dive into Luke 10:25–37 — the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Far from a simple morality tale about helping strangers, this episode unpacks the parable's confrontational legal context, its reversal of expectation, and its profound Christological undertones. Tony and Jesse examine why the lawyer's question about self-justification was always destined to be unanswerable on his own terms, how the priest and Levite serve as a damning mirror for religious professionals, and why the Samaritan's lavish, costly mercy points beyond mere ethics to the gospel itself. The episode also explores the Mary and Martha account that immediately follows, arguing it cannot be read in isolation. Closing with Matthew Henry, the hosts land the discussion squarely on gratitude for Christ, the supreme Good Neighbor. Key Takeaways The parable is fundamentally about self-justification, not mercy ministry. The lawyer's question — "Who is my neighbor?" — is a legal maneuver, and Jesus' answer exposes the impossibility of fulfilling the law through self-effort rather than merely defining the scope of neighborly obligation. Jesus reverses the expected identification of "the neighbor." The listener naturally assumes the beaten man is the neighbor to be loved, but the punchline identifies the Samaritan — the one who showed mercy — as the neighbor, redirecting the question from who must I love to what does love actually look like. The Samaritan's mercy is deliberately, impossibly lavish. His actions — binding wounds, providing transport, paying an open-ended debt for a stranger and likely an enemy — exceed anything a reasonable person would do, pointing to a mercy that transcends mere human virtue. The priest and Levite indict religious professionalism. Their failure is not incidental; it demonstrates that meticulous law observance and ceremonial religiosity can actually obstruct the very love the law commands, hollowing out its spirit while preserving its form. The parable functions under all three uses of the law. For the unregenerate, it terrifies and condemns. For the regenerate, it is a third-use call to Spirit-empowered, grateful obedience. As civil law, it commends a society of compassion over indifference. Christ is the typological Good Neighbor. The Samaritan's actions — pouring oil and wine, bearing the cost, promising to return and settle all debts — carry genuine Christological resonance without requiring a full allegorical reading of every detail. The immediately following Mary and Martha account is thematically inseparable. Luke's editorial placement of that narrative directly after the parable creates a deliberate counterpoint: the one thing necessary is not anxious service but sitting at the feet of Jesus. Key Concepts The Lawyer's Question Was Never Going to Work The lawyer who approaches Jesus in Luke 10 is not a neutral inquirer — he is, as Luke tells us, seeking to justify himself. Tony and Jesse explore what this means with precision: the desire to be justified is not inherently wrong, but the mechanism the lawyer employs — the law — is catastrophically insufficient for the task. When Jesus responds with the parable, he does not sidestep the legal framework; he weaponizes it. The Samaritan's mercy is so extravagant, so far beyond ordinary moral expectation, that it functions not as an achievable standard but as a devastating exposure of how far short every human attempt at law-keeping falls. The command "go and do likewise" is not an encouraging send-off — it is, for the self-justifying lawyer, a door slamming shut. The Samaritan's Mercy Is Intentionally Beyond Reach One of the most important contributions this episode makes is resisting the domestication of the Samaritan's actions into a feel-good story about helping those in need. Tony reframes the scenario in contemporary terms: finding a gravely injured stranger from a hostile ethnic group, providing emergency first aid, transporting them to care, and writing a blank check for all future medical expenses — with no personal obligation to do so. No reasonable person would do this, and that is exactly the point. The mercy described is not aspirationally difficult; it is humanly inconceivable at scale. This is what Christ-like love looks like, and it is precisely what the law demands. The gap between the demand and human capacity is the gospel's entry point. The Mary and Martha Account Cannot Be Separated from the Parable Tony raises a hermeneutical observation that deserves more attention than it typically receives: Luke chose to place the Mary and Martha account immediately after the Good Samaritan parable, and that editorial decision is not accidental. Martha — busy with hospitality and service — looks, on the surface, like the practical application of everything the Samaritan modeled. Yet she is gently rebuked, and Mary, who sits at Jesus' feet, is commended for choosing "the one thing necessary." This creates a stunning theological counterweight: the parable exposes the impossibility of self-justifying law-keeping, and the very next story shows that even well-intentioned merciful activity, when it crowds out receiving from Christ, misses the point. The one thing necessary is always Christ himself. Memorable Quotes If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and rescue people — you're much more likely to see this as a sort of law beat-down. Where those of us who are regenerated and in Christ, this is third-use law. This is us seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts. - Tony Arsenal This text is not really to be preached or applied as some kind of bare moral exhortation. It's not 'try harder to be like the Samaritan.' That's totally disconnected from the gospel. It should be preached in a manner that exposes the impossibility of self-justification... and then of course it does point us to Christ as the one whose perfect, costly, self-giving mercy alone satisfies the law's demand on our behalf. - Jesse Schwamb If this parable and our conversation about it does nothing except stirring you to gratitude for the fact that our supreme good neighbor threw us on his donkey and carried us to the public house, and bound up our wounds, and paid for our debt — if it does nothing but drive you to gratitude and thankfulness and wonder, then we've succeeded in our task and we've left you with the Gospel. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 503 of the Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, at this point, there's one thing that we know for certain, and that is if you're gonna come at the law giver, the one who's composed and written the law, with a legal question to try to entrap the one who has given you the law, you better not miss. And it turns out, in Luke 10 where we've been hanging out, the lawyer who poses Jesus with the question of, "Who is my neighbor?" is a big swing and a miss. Yeah. And we're finally gonna get to all the characters that are part of this amazing parable in this conversation. But of course, there's something we gotta do first. Affirmations And Denials Jesse Schwamb: It, it's everybody's, what I'm led to believe everybody's favorite segment of this entire show. I mean, the crowds out there say, "Why even have a full podcast? Just do affirmations and denials for the entire time." And we, we hear you, because we're borrowing from that beautiful confessional format of the dead reformers to settle all the much not confessional [00:02:00] disputes. So in the great tradition of the Westminster Divines, who of course cannot just simply say, "We like grace," without also clarifying 17 things that grace is not- ... we're now again going to bring you our own binding, authoritative, and entirely unneeded but very official statement of affirmations and denials. It's affirming the things we love and denying things we don't. So Tony, as is our own custom, are you affirming with something or are you denying against something on this episode?  Tony Arsenal: Um, I'm denying something. Uh, it's a sort of a weird situation that has cropped up, uh, online. And I, I try not to use this segment too often to sort of wade into, um, I don't know, the, like, latest social controversy in the Reformed world. But every once in a while I come across something that I feel like you just need to sort of talk about. And, um, many of our listeners are probably already [00:03:00] aware of the situation that I'm gonna talk about, and it's very well-publicized and, and very public. Um, but I'm denying the sort of weirdness that has happened with the G3 Conference. Um, I'm not sure how familiar with G3 you are, Jesse, but for the, the listener who may not be, G3 is a conference, um, primarily run by Baptists, and is, in my understanding, is primarily attended by sort of Reformed-ish Baptists. And I don't, I don't say Reformed-ish to be pejorative necessarily. Um, but it, it's sort of like predominantly, um Non-confessional but not anti-confessional Calvinistic Baptists, sort of think more like covenant framework MacArthur-style Baptists maybe is, is a way to look at it. Um, and a few years ago, one of their main figures, I don't remember exactly what position he held, but it was a relatively high position in, in [00:04:00] the conference. Uh, his name was Josh Boyce. He, uh, w- was caught/confessed to maintaining, like, multiple anonymous or pseudonymous, uh, Twitter accounts and publishing several s- like pseudonym-based Substacks, um, that he used to basically attack the character of not only anyone online that seemed to cross him, but, like, people that he shared an office with. Like, anyone and everyone was targeted by him. And at the time it was a big hullabaloo. He, uh, he resigned. As far as I can tell, he's faded into obscurity and has not sought to come back, although that's always, you know, yet to be seen. But at the time there was very firm statements by the r- remaining sort of board members, leadership of G3, at how inappropriate this was, and how acting anonymously requi- you know, sort of evacuates accountability and, [00:05:00]and all these different things. And it's come out recently, um, just over the last week, that four of the members of the G3 board, um, who are all elders at the same church, had assembled a sort of anonymous dossier of accusations against, um, a- another pastor, uh, that he had been sort of serially plagiarizing sermons. Um, and when nothing really happened when they sent their anonymous dossier, they started distributing this to other, other, like, platforms and other church and m- parachurch ministries, kind of encouraging people to do their own investigation. Um, one such, uh, outlet was ... It's a, it's a, I don't know, sort of a news discernment blogger kind of a thing, um, has done some pretty decent reporting work I think in, in the recent past, although it has sort of a s- storied beginning, um, called Protestia They did just [00:06:00] that. They did an investigation, and in the course of their investigation, they identified who these anonymous, uh, the anonymous reporters were, and it was the same, the very same people who a few years ago, uh, pontificated, uh, at, at length about the importance of accountability and how anonymity has, uh, taken that away. Uh, people that accepted Josh Boyce's resi- resignation for acting anonymously have now done the same thing. They have since, uh, resigned from their church eldership, um, which is gonna be awkward because they haven't resigned from the board of G3, which, uh, the offices of G3 are in the same building as the church that they've now resigned at. Uh, and I guess where, where my denial comes in and the reason that I feel like it, it might be worthwhile for us just to Even reflect on it a little bit is there is an element in the Reformed world that seeks a platform and seeks an audience and seeks notoriety, and I, I was musing [00:07:00] today a little bit on my own Twitter that th- there was a time in my life where that was very much what I wanted. I wanted to be a, a very public, well-known theological voice, and, um, a- and I just have sort of like drifted away from that. And the, the reason I think it's worth mentioning on our show is that we do have an audience. We have a, a modest audience. It's not huge. It's not nothing. Um, but th- there is a real temptation to seek fame and notoriety that is absolutely destructive and really antithetical to, uh, to Christian principles of what it means to serve those around you, to serve with humility, to r- you know, redound any glory that might come to you for your actions to, to the fact that it is Christ who empowers all things and brings all good blessings. So I don't know that I have much more commentary on it. It's just a weird... It's a very weird situation, but it, it seems like it very much has come from a [00:08:00] place of feeling as though minor slights by people you associate with warrant sort of a, a nuclear option like this because, uh... and I don't wanna read too much into motives, but, but it seems like because your reputation and your notoriety is so great that any offense to it needs to be responded to in kind, and that's just not, that's just not the Christian way. So again, I don't know that I have any more commentary or thoughts on it. It just was a weird situation that I'm, I'm like, "Why do we gotta do this to each other, folks?" Like, why are we, why are we biting at each other all the time? Why are we doing these things except from a place of sinful pride? So I'm denying that. I'm denying sinful pride. I'm denying my own tendencies to seek glory in a spotlight. Um, I'm very thankful that God did not, uh, see fit to grant me that desire 'cause it probably would've been even more destructive for me than it has been for these guys. So I'm very happy to live in obscurity, [00:09:00] to serve the local church, to share our voices in this very modest, tiny platform that we have, and perhaps the Lord will see fit to change that one direction or the other, and I'll, I'll be happy to serve at His, uh, at His will. But I'm glad for now that, uh, the, the temptation of international fame has not been something that I even have the opportunity to lay hold of. Um, I'm very thankful for that, that, uh, grace from the Lord.  Jesse Schwamb: I had that light, sarcastic, some might say somewhat humorous opening and affirmations and denials, and you, you just brought the heaviness, which is okay. Sometimes that's, sometimes that's what happens.  Lament Devotional Spotlight Jesse Schwamb: And- Yeah ... I- fortunately, I have an affirmation, but it's, uh, of, like, a weird, heavy kind now that I think about it. So, um, I'm trying to, I'm trying to get everybody on the cusp of good books that I think are coming out. And so here's another one where it's not even gonna be released until September 30th, and so you have plenty of time to go out and find this thing. So P&R Publishing, many may be [00:10:00] familiar, does this whole series, topical series, which are called 31-Day Devotionals for Life, and there's a new one being released by Christine Chappell. It's called Lament: Crying Out in Faith. So I'm affirming with this piece because I've had the joy of been working through some of this stuff, and I think this is some of the best treatment I've ever read, been able to practice, been coached into for lamenting. We've talked before at length about how Christians, especially in the West, often because we just have great lives, we aren't familiar with lament. We don't practice it well. We hardly sing any songs of lament. We're unfamiliar with it. It's like a foreign land to us. And then sometimes when we're, we get convicted we should lament, we kind of interpret that as, "Well, yeah, I, I know I can blow up at God. I can get angry with him and, and that's okay." David does it too, and it's okay to express all your feelings with God. What I like about this work is it cultivates more of a prayer language. It gives voice to pain and grief so that there can be a real healing. It's not just a complaining. It's not just [00:11:00] throwing your voice out into the ether to, you know, wildly pontificate or self-aggrandize about how hurt or upset you are. It enables us to cry out to God in such a way that it promotes emotional authenticity, but at the same time maintains reverence. I think that is, uh, at least what I need. The beauty of this book is somebody you know or yourself need to lament something. Actually, I think we all have something to lament, even as it's getting older or things changing in our lives. So I highly, highly, highly affirm with this book. It's Lament: Crying Out in Faith. P&R does a lot of great publishing in this way. It's just the year of the devotionals, Tony. I don't know why. Yeah. I mean, I even hate to use devotional. It's the year of good resources for daily praise and worship- Yeah ... and lament should be part of our praise and worship. Yeah. So, but doing it in the right way is something I'm learning. I had mixed understanding of it. So this will clarify, encourage, edify in all the ways that I think we need.  Tony Arsenal: That sounds great. I, I do agree with you. I think, um- [00:12:00] Although I think it may be a little bit less so in, in the sort of confessional Reformed tradition just because the Psalms in general play such a prominent role in Reformed worship. Um, I do agree with you that broadly, like, we, we in the Western evangelical w- world don't, we don't know how to do laments. Um, I'm not one of those people that would say im- imprecatory prayers are inappropriate. I know there are some even within the Reformed world that would say im- imprecatory prayers are not appropriate for God's people in, in the new covenant. Um, I don't know that I agree with that, but, but that's another example of, like, that's in the prayer and hymnbook of our people- Right ... and we don't really know how to do it. Yes. So, and, and imprecation and lament are very closely related to each other. They're, they're very similar, um, ways of thinking and they're, they're both kind of modes of prayer that, uh, we don't, we don't really engage in. And so when we do have- when the occasion arises, we're, like, out of practice. So that's a great, uh, a great [00:13:00]affirmation and yeah, a little, a little weirdly heavy. Maybe this is gonna be a, a weirdly heavy episode. Who knows?  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it very well could be.  Good Samaritan Deep Dive Jesse Schwamb: I mean, listen, it was no doubt heavy for the lawyer who stood up- True who was  Tony Arsenal: like- Nicely done ...  Jesse Schwamb: I'd like to justify myself, so Jesus, let me ask you, we took our question, "Who is my neighbor?" I do all these things. I'm down with the law. Yeah. I know all this stuff. And I think we had some really great conversation last time. I'm biased, but I think we had some really fantastic unpacking of the first part of this, and if you haven't heard that yet, you should go back and listen to episode 502. But in this episode, we're really getting into all of these wonderful and somewhat colorful characters. So I'm gonna pick us back up in Luke chapter 10, starting in verse 25. So I'm going back a little bit just to set that proper context for this amazing parable that Jesus tells us. So he says, "And behold, a scholar of the law stood up and was putting him," that is Jesus, "to the test, saying, 'Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?' And he said to him, 'What is written in the law? How do you [00:14:00] read it?' And he answered and said, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.' And he said to him, 'You have answered correctly. Do this and you will live.' But wishing to justify himself, he said to Jesus, 'And who is my neighbor?' And Jesus replied and said, 'A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. And a priest happened to be going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. Likewise, a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him, and when he saw him, he felt compassion.'" And he came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them, and he put them on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. And on the [00:15:00] next day, he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, "Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, when I return, I will repay you." Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers' hands? And he said, "The one who showed mercy toward him." Then Jesus said to him, "Go and do the same."  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, this is one of those parables we, we mentioned, uh, I guess we've invented a new classification of parables called the Big Daddy parables. That's right. Um, uh, this is one of those parables that is so ubiquitous and well-known, uh, that word there, choice there was a little hat tip to my Lutheran friends. Um, so ubiquitous and well-known that I think we actually can, can rush into a common understanding and not, not be right at all about it. And I think the, the way this, uh, uh, the way I've seen this commonly done in, in circles I've run in in the past is this [00:16:00] becomes a parable about mercy ministry. Um, and, and the primary point is about how we serve our neighbors. And I think there certainly is, um, there certainly is an element of that that we can glean from this, that Christ is making a commentary on the fact that, um, the, the, the right way to not only serve your neighbor but to even identify your neighbor, uh, and it's funny because I think this is, this is where I think people go wrong. The, the Samar- or the, um, the, the lawyer is asking, "Who is my neighbor?" Right. And I think we commonly read this, and we read it to say, well, the Samaritan, uh, or the, the guy who got beat up is the neighbor. Right. And so we have to serve our neighbor like the Samaritan did. But the, the, the punchline, whatever, of the story is that the Samaritan is the g- is the neighbor, right? We, we call this the Parable of the Good Samaritan, but we might wanna call it the [00:17:00] Parable of the Good Neighbor. And so it says more about what it means to be a good neighbor than it does to, um, to say about who, who our neighbor necessarily is, right? The, the s- uh, the lawyer was asking, "Who's my neighbor?" And the answer was the one who shows mercy. And there's kind of a weird, there's kind of a weird paradox there, and this is something Jesus commonly does, where, like, He doesn't really answer the question. Um, the, the lawyer is like, "Well, who is it that I have to love," right? "The, I have to love my neighbor as myself, and who is it that I have to love?" And Jesus' answer basically is like, "Well, the good neighbor is the one who showed mercy." Well, that doesn't answer- Right ... His question. So I think we have to be careful when we, uh, we work through this not to just sort of default and jump to what might be called, like, the lowest common denominator interpretation, right? These are things that, yes, um, there is something to say about, uh, mercy ministry and how important it is to serve the, [00:18:00] serve those around us who are in need, right? That's, that's the command that comes out of this or the outcome that comes out of this is Christ is commanding this, um, this lawyer to go and be merciful to others. Um- But if we, if we move too quickly to that, we miss a lot of what this has to say about the nature of justification- Right ... the nature of Christ as, as the capital T good neighbor, right? The, the good neighbor who, who takes care of our sin and pays the debt for us to be restored, right? I don't, like I said last week, I don't think that that is too on the nose. Um, I think we miss the fact that the question, uh, the question is coming from a place, and we talked about this a little bit last week, but and maybe we'll get into it a little more. The question is coming from a place, um, whether you view this negatively, like I think most do, and there's warrant for that, or whether you view it a, a little bit more neutrally or maybe even positively, which is where I land, the desire to justify or to be [00:19:00] justified is not a bad desire. And the, the text doesn't seem to offer a lot of commentary on the fact that the, the, um, lawyer is desiring to justify himself, other than the implied commentary o- of what the parable says about salvation in that someone else needs to save you, so you can't do it yourself in the first place. So I'm excited to get through this. Um, I, I think we're probably gonna be here, we're gonna camp out here for at least another week after this, 'cause there's just so much to this parable. Who knows? Maybe we'll fly through it and it'll be a quick conversation, but I, I don't... That's not really our jam. Um- That's not really what we do But yeah, it, it's, it's a big daddy parable. There's a lot here to unpack.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You're right about that. Interestingly, as always, Jesus flips the law, but here the law flipping, like, ends up smacking you in the face because it does start with this inquiry about just identify for me who my neighbors are. If you give me these discrete instructions like the law has given me to do all these things, which by the way, I mean, even that when we have this lawyer saying, [00:20:00] "I've done all these things. I've identified just for instance that the law includes loving the Lord God with everything, every part of who I am." He says like, "Yeah, I've done all these things." This is, I've already accomplished that. So now let me get, become self-justified in confirming I've done all these things. If you just tell me who the neighbors are, I'll be able to say to you, "Yep, I've already done that." Instead, what happens is Christ says, "Here's what neighborly love looks like. And what it's gonna look like is so dramatic and so shocking that you ought to take pity and have concern and show compassion for those not just who are unlike you, but are, like, abhorrent, those who you would even never identify with in the parable of the story I'm about to tell you." So I think there's all of that, like you said, to move away from just kind of categorizing this as a nice homily about how we ought to behave. However, there might be, like, some kind of moralistic theme in this that directs us toward actions of love and generosity, which by the way, could just be common grace. Those exist outside of strict belief and adherence to the gospel, and certainly can be far afield from actually loving Christ. [00:21:00] The other thing that I think sometimes happens with this, and I'm gonna be unpopular on this one, I'm afraid, but is that I think there is often a lot of allegorical excess. And certainly there are people more intelligent than I who really embrace that. So I'm looking at you, Patristic Fathers. Like, you know, if you wanna read some interesting stuff, everybody can go look up Origen or Augustine on this. Yeah. And they allegorize this parable in New England what we would call wicked fine detail. I mean, down, down to everything. So the oil and the- Yeah ... wine, the soil, each of the persons here representing something that in itself, like, everything. And I think that that is okay. What I struggle with on that is, and this is where I'm unpopular, I think, is that- There are a lot of other exegetes, I don't think I'm alone, that would look at this and say, "Yes, there is something about this that draws us into, like, just general typological resonance. I'm not gonna reject that." There are these, like, broader canonical themes of, like, helpless [00:22:00] humanity, like you said, and undeserved mercy. Those all legitimately, I think, echo the gospel truths. But I'm kind of resisting, or I'm prone to resist, treating every narrative detail in this as some kind of, like, independent cipher. Yeah. And so I think I want to come a little bit in criticizing, like, the allegorical method here, that instead what happens when we do that is we're, we're... I think we're obscuring a little bit Christ's actual didactic purpose, which is fundamentally ethical and legal, 'cause that's the question he's answering. He's trying to answer this question, "Who's my neighbor?" And he's gonna do it- Right ... with this definition-shattering example. And so I think, like, the most responsible hermeneutic here affirms that, like we said before, a parable should have a single main point, and it's determined in this context by that punchline, like you said. Um, at the same time, I think we can legitimately, like, permit some restrained theological reflection on, like, that broader resonance with the gospel. I'm not denying that. But without multiplying, like, allegorical [00:23:00] correspondences like the text itself doesn't even make. Even, even coming down to, like, who we see as Christ in the story, while that can be useful and helpful, it's not the same identification that we've seen in other parables. Yeah. So that's what makes this, like you're right, Tony, like, really unique and very interesting because we can draw lots and lots of parallels, and perhaps we should. But at the same time, it's always good to remember what is it that Jesus is on about here? What is it that the hearers were really being prone to understand and mull over and meditate on? And that's, like, this first principle of neighborly love, like you already called out.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I agree with you, too, is I, I think, um- We can sort of fall into a trap or a pit of assuming that all of the parables are meant to explain the same thing. Sure. And I think, like, within Matthew maybe that's a little bit more, uh, accurate because m- I think all, if not [00:24:00] most of, of the Matthean parables, you know, the Kingdom of God is like, the Kingdom of God is like. So th- like, that repeated f- refrain of, like, the Kingdom of God is... In, in Matthew, Christ is using parables to teach about the mysterious hidden reality of the kingdom in a way that people can understand. Um, this is different, right? This is not a Kingdom of God is like. There is no, um, clear this is like that, uh, introduction to this parable. Right. I, I've actually even read some commentaries that would question the assignment of the title parable to this, because they want to restrict what a parable is to those sort of kingdom, like, explicit simile- Good point ... things. Yeah. So- Right ... but I, I do think, um, w- we, we have to be careful not to run down that road, because this parable is not really... Again, like, it's not explaining what the Kingdom of God is like. This is trying to, um, not trying to, Christ is [00:25:00]articulating a reality that is baked into the law, um, and he's flipping the question on its head, and this is what I think is so, um, so wrong about the allegorical approach, right? Is that the allegorical approach seeks to find symbolism in every discrete character or element of the, of the parable, or of the, the allegory if you wanna, we wanna distinguish it. This really is, is trying to just get at that one point. And what- Mm-hmm ... I think is so, what must have been really just infuriating for this lawyer, um, regardless of what happened after this, right? We don't, we don't get commentary like we do with the rich, young ruler, and the stories are in many ways are very much the same. Like, it's the same basic setup. But we don't get commentary that, like, he went away sad, like we do with the rich, young ruler. We don't know what happened with this guy. We don't know what his reaction... But I, I'm sitting there putting myself in his place, and I'm, I'm thinking through this, and this is one of those things that it's actually hard even to mentally get yourself there. The, [00:26:00] the, each character that is introduced here, um, is a candidate for the neighbor. Right. But the most obvious candidate based on, um, the way we commonly interpret this, is that the dude who gets beat up and left stripped naked is, is the neighbor that we're supposed to love Right? So the lawyer, as he's hearing this parable, as it's being told, and the, the people who are there listening, right, the, the other people that are around, there's this character introduced, "Who is my neighbor? Well, a man was going down to Jerusalem. He fell among roggers, Roger, robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead." Like, the obvious answer is that Christ is introducing this poor, destitute, beat-up, naked dude, uh, as the neighbor that needs to be loved. And so he goes through the whole parable, and you're like, oh, well, like, the, you know, the, the priest and the Levite, they didn't love this guy. Uh, the Samaritan, you know, I think an audience of Jews probably would've been thinking like, "Well, the Samaritan can't be..." You know, the Samaritan [00:27:00] is just a dude. Like, none of these people are loving the, the, the beat-up dude like a neighbor should. Right. And then all of a sudden, Christ flips the script, and the neighbor is not the dude who's laying there naked, half dead, who's been rescued and, and, you know, restored and is being healed. It's actually the Samaritan. And so there's this... We have to... Part of the reason, I think, I mean, I, I, I guess I don't know for sure, but part of the reason I think s- that parables have this, like, reversal of expectation baked into many of them is that it is there to challenge our assumptions, and th- that sort of whiplash effect when you get to the end of it, you're like, "Whoa, that was like he was talking about totally, something totally different than what it seemed like he was talking about." I think that's actually a teaching tool here as well. Right. That the, the whole time you're thinking like, "Oh, this dude is the neighbor, and I've gotta figure out how to love him best," and that's what plays into these mercy ministry interpretations, is thinking that the, the point of the parable is to show us how to take [00:28:00] care of the, the people who need help, when really the point of the parable is the good neighbor. And, uh, we might butt heads a little bit on this, 'cause I think I take probably more of a Christological, uh, topological, typological interpretation than you do. I, I think that the point of the parable is that you can't justify yourself, and the only one who can justify you is the one who's kept the law perfectly. And what does it mean to keep the law perfectly? Well, love the Lord your God, but also love your neighbor as yourself. Well, who's the only person in the story who's loved the neighbor as himself? The one who s- rescues and heals and pays for this poor man who's been, you know, waylaid by robbers. He's the good neighbor who fulfills the law. He's the one who's justified himself. Now, yes, "Go do likewise," there's some echoes there of, of the go and sin no more language that we see in other places, too. So I, I think this parable is more, is more about- A, and this is where it shares some affinity with the rich young ruler, [00:29:00] right? The rich young ruler is told to go and to, to sell everything he has and donate it to the poor and to come and follow Christ. And he says, you know, he, he can't do that. He walks away sad. In this instance, it's the same kind of situation. It's an, a question about how do I fulfill the law? What do I need to do to be saved, to inherit eternal life, to obtain eternal life, whatever the phrasing is. And the answer is, "Obey the law perfectly." And the guy goes, "Well, hey, I did that." And he said, "Well, let me show you how much you didn't do that." And the reality is the only one who did that is Christ, the good teacher, right? I mean, there, there's so many parallels between these two accounts. It, it's almost the same, it's almost the same story. This one just in sort of parable answer form versus a more direct form, which we see with the rich young ruler. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, what I find really fascinating about these is that whereas, like you said, the, some of the other parables, they come under the volitional teaching of Christ. That is, He is presenting forward the topic at hand. So usually it's in the context of conversation, but He essentially makes [00:30:00] the segue. He presents and opens up this new kind of vista to explore. In this case, or in both those cases you talked about, the confrontation really comes from the outside. Of course, God, through Christ, predestined all of these things to pass, so I'm not saying that Christ was caught off guard, of course, by this line of questioning. And presumably He understands that when the lawyer asks this question, He knows that it's from a position of self-justification. So I don't disagree that that might be there, some of that at play, and that really the ultimate end of this would bring, to bring one's self to the realization that you can't do this. At the same time, though, I think almost, especially in this one, I think, uh, it's not that Jesus withholds that, but I read that do, go and do likewise is this is what you said you wanted. You asked me for an answer, and I gave you the answer. You asked for the law- Yeah ... I will give you the law. So I actually don't know how this ended. It doesn't strike me that it ended well, and I think, I don't know if there was some kind of massive realization there, but it's almost as if there is some [00:31:00] obscuring of this. This is like typical parable, parable language where I think if you're there and you're listening, and you're trying to just track with the question and track how that compounds and corresponds with the law, that you would leave more destitute, more confused, and perhaps more angry than before, and certainly not in a position of understanding, "Well, th- this one before me is the Christ." But that's exactly what parables do. So again, I, I think to me- Right ... I see this more as certainly, again, there are these wonderful themes These kind of overtures of the gospel within, but they are dark and very obscured because the man asks a question about the law, and Jesus comes with a message about the law. And like you said, that law is- Yeah ... like, there's almost no grace in his tone as I read it because, not that he is not graceful or full of grace and gracious, but this guy asks for justification under the law. And so it ends with saying, it ends with this really phenomenal phrase, of course, of the lawyer realizing he's got himself [00:32:00] caught in having to respond truthfully in answering the question of who is the neighbor, but of course doesn't identify the neighbor except to say, "Oh, the one who has compassion," as if like he himself couldn't bring himself- Right to say these words. And then for Jesus to say, "Yeah, go do it," is, is kind of like the ultimate nail in the coffin.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, and to tell a first century Jew to go and do, to be- Yes ... like a Samaritan is- Yes ... you know, e- even, even though that's not, like, highlighted in the text, you're right. Like, the, the lawyer probably couldn't bring himself to say the Samaritan was, right? And I, I think, um, you know, whether you take, uh, and maybe I'm novel on this. I guess I haven't really read, read a lot of people that take a, a more optimistic approach of this. But whether you take a more optimistic outcome approach or a more pessimistic or neutral, whatever, the, the actual outcome is the same, right? The, the lawyer is asking about self-justification under the law, like you said. Right. And Christ gives him [00:33:00] that. He tells him exactly what that means and what that looks like. And I think the, the impossibility of being the good neighbor as is described in the parable is exactly the sort of beat down of the law that, that, you know, we've talked about in the past is it's not as though, um, the, the, the actions of the Samaritan are not, uh, outwardly impossible, right? We- Right ... it's not unreasonable to think that someone could rescue someone from the side of the road and bring them to ... And like, the scenario itself is not that crazy. But the, the overall complex of the scenario, right? The fact that this man, um, was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, right? The, the ... All of this points to sort of like an impossible circumstance, an impossible situation. And, and the idea that even [00:34:00] within that impossible situation you're still expected to take care of the person who is your enemy, right? The Samaritan seeing a Jewish man beaten by the side of the road- That's right ... and although the parable doesn't specifically call out that he's Jewish, if he's going from Jerusalem to Jericho, there's an implication that he may actually also have been a priest. Um, we, we don't need to get into all the details on that, but there's, there's some good, uh, some good research out there that would point to the fact that the road from Jerusalem to Jericho is, uh, was actually a very common pathway traveled by either priests or Levites. And further evidence is that a priest and a Levite are also on this same road. And so the idea that the Samaritan would, um, would- Sacrifice of himself to take care of someone who very likely considers him to be an enemy, and sacrifices in a pretty significant way. Um, I, I'll, I'll pause and now as you're [00:35:00]talking I'll do all the, the background scrambling to make it look like I know exactly how much- a denari is supposed to, to be, and I know we've talked about it before, it's just not there.  Lavish Impossible Mercy Tony Arsenal: But, but it's not a- Yeah ... it's not a trivial amount of money. That's right. We're not talking about checking this guy into, like, a Motel 6 and, and dropping a couple hundred dollars. We're, we're talking about a substantial amount of money and, and we're talking about a commitment to pay whatever is required. Okay. An unknown amount of money for this man who has been left for dead. We're not talking about a minor injury. The, the robbers beat him up, they took his clothes, and they expected him to die in the desert. He needed to be carried on a donkey. He needed to have immediate first aid attention. We're talking about a, a relatively long-term recovery. So the scenario would be more like, we think of it like, "Oh yeah, I dropped him off at the local hotel for him to sleep it off." The scenario would be more like, "I found a guy on the side of the road. I didn't know who he was. He's, he's of a group of people that would consider me to be their enemy, and he's been shot 100 times, and I'm gonna patch up his [00:36:00] wounds. I'm gonna take him to the hospital. I'm gonna not only pay and say, 'Here, I, I've already used some supplies. Let me pay for that,' but I'm gonna pay for all of his medical bills until he's healed." Like, that's the scenario we're talking about. So it's not, it's not just, like, a good deed that has been done that is maybe, like, a really, really good deed, like it's a really nice thing to do. It's a, it's an outlandishly almost impossible to conceive of doing good deed. N- I don't know anyone, um, who would... And, and I know a lot of really great people. This is not a slam. I don't know anyone who would find a stranger on the road and who is, who's gravely injured and commit to pay for all of their medical care until they're healed. I just don't know anybody who would do that. Right. Um, some might say there's actually some wisdom in that, and, uh, we've talked about how sometimes the parables present a situation where maybe, like, this isn't actually the best practical knowledge. It's there to prove a point. Right. But I don't know anybody who, I don't know anybody who would do that, who, who would even think about doing that. Um, so the, the scenario here is one [00:37:00] of impossible lavish goodness being extended to those who you have no reason to be good to, and probably have reason to not be good to. That's what we're talking about. And so the, when the, the lawyer is told to go and do likewise, he's being told to do something that is impossible to fulfill, or even to conceive of fulfilling. And so there is this element of, like, "You think you can obey the law? Well, let me tell you how much you can't  Jesse Schwamb: obey  Tony Arsenal: the law."  Jesse Schwamb: Right. By the way, this episode is brought to you by State Farm. Like a good Samaritan, State Farm is there. Every time we've been saying good neighbor, I've been just been trying to avoid thinking about- Yeah Jake from State Farm. That's what I've been doing most of this time.  Tony Arsenal: Jake from State Farm?  Jesse Schwamb: Um, I totally agree, of course.  Priest Levite And The Law Jesse Schwamb: Like, what strikes me here is that it's, like you said, there is all this emphasis on what it means to show neighborly love, but the setup is also in those who basically should be showing it but aren't, and that's where we get, can get into this lovely... It's, [00:38:00] it's okay to kinda think through some of these characters. You know, for this priest and the Levite here, and what we know about them is that they, at first it sounds like there, there's almost this sense in the language like the priest falls ab- upon this, this, you know, bloodied man by chance, and that kinda heightens the drama, I think. The priest's confrontation is a little bit unplanned, but it's immediate and unavoidable, and he chooses to cross on the other side of the road, which is of course a deliberate act of avoidance. It's not mere obliviousness. And then the Levi almost goes further, or he came to the place, he saw him closer inspection, you know, greater culpability, and yet he still passes by. I really do wish I could hear this, like, in real time, like be among, because I have to- Yeah ... wonder that there'd be this kind of sense of building in the story. And the people might be kind of getting the sense that the characters that they know and love or should love as the heroes are not gonna be performing that way. And so I think even they're curious. They might be hoping against hope that it's gonna turn out well, but knowing the question and maybe something about Jesus, [00:39:00] they might anticipate that he's gonna go in a different direction. And so again, I think we have to stick with the text here. Like, Jesus doesn't explicitly state the motives of these gentlemen, but it's truthful. What's true- Right ... is that, like, these boys should have known better. You know, a lot of people have speculated that it was for ritual purity concerns or the, another ambush or social distance or just callousness. And I think that ambiguity might be deliberate because, again, what cuts against the lawyer here is whatever the specific excuse, the point is that these, like this kind of professional religiosity and even, like, meticulous law observance are of course not identical with, and probably can even distract or obstruct the love of neighbor that the law itself commands, which is wild, right? Because we talked about how, again, this just shows the law doesn't empower you to do the thing, and in fact, here- Right ... you could essentially abuse the law so that you suck the spirit right out of it and therefore do not do the very thing that it was intended to accomplish. So even this by itself, you just stop the parable here, it's kind of condemning because it's really this [00:40:00] potent warning against some kind of merely external ceremonial, professionalized religiosity that fails to produce, I guess, what Matthew calls, like, the weightier matters of law, like justice and mercy and faithfulness. And, you know, we should understand this because I think those that are from tradition have a certain affinity for the third use of the law as a guide for the grateful Christian living, and that's, you know, kind of what we're talking about here. But it insists that true law keeping is never merely ritual or notional, but it must issue in love, like costly love. Love outside of being inconvenienced is not genuine. I, I guess we'll get there. But, you know, I don't wanna harp on the characters as some are prone to do, but that is, I think, why the characters are here. It's both to set up and show, like, you're about to see that you really do not wanna identify by your own persuasion, by your own presuppositions with the one who's gonna be the hero, that is the, the one that shows neighborly love. At the same time, I'm gonna show you by way of condemnation that those who should exercise the greater love, [00:41:00] that do know better, that should know better, that should emblem- be emblematic of the spirit of the law, have done the exact same thing. Which I can only, uh, hope but believe is what this lawyer heard as well was that he was hearing that he was being stuck into this place before he was even given the question, well, who was the neighbor here? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and I, I think, um- There is a real sense in some of the parables that are sort of spoken against people. Um, this one doesn't specifically use that language, but it, it is a targeted, kind of a targeted response. There is a sense that throughout the course of the parable being told, they start to recognize midway through that they're like- Right you are the man. Like, this is one- Right, right ... of those Nathan and David kind of parables where, like, at some point the realization must have dawned on this guy that, like, "I've gotta be somebody in this parable." And I think that's where, where the, the challenging part is, is it's not clear, um, [00:42:00] it's not really clear even at the end of the parable who Christ is intending this guy to be, right? Right. Is he the lawyer or is he the, uh, is he the, the dead man on the side of the road, right? Is he... Or the dying man. Is, is he the l- the priest and Levite who pass by? Is he supposed to be the Samaritan, which would just be wildly offensive. Um, he's not necessarily, like, supposed to be anyone except for the fact that now at th- the punchline of the, the encounter here, Christ says, "Go and be like the Samaritan." And it's kind of like y- you know, if you were really following God's law, you would be the Samaritan in this one- Yeah, that's right ... but you're not. That's right. You're not and you can't be. Um, and so go, go ahead and do likewise.  Christ As True Neighbor Tony Arsenal: Um, I, I do think, too, there is some elements here where, um, I- Again, I, I think I take a little bit more of a typological, Christological-centered approach on this, but I, I don't think they're incompatible. But I do think there's an element here where Christ is also [00:43:00] unveiling, uh, sort of what he would do, like what, what his own plan of salvation is as the good, as the capital G, capital N good neighbor. Um, he is the one who does pour oil and wine on our wounds, right? A- and I don't wanna ... I don't think we need to fly off the allegorical deep end of reading oil and wine to be a reference to the Holy Spirit and t- Right but sometimes those things are evocative, indirect things that should, we should call our mind to those things. Like, I think, um, you know, when Melchizedek comes to bless Abraham and he, he presents him with bread and wine, right? I, I think, like, it's okay for us to go, "Wow, the Holy Spirit really made a point there that's subtle." And I think those little things within this parable drive me to look at this a little bit more along the lines of not only is there this sort of, like, law beat down, you [00:44:00] know, John Bunyan or not, um, Bunyan style, like the, "Moses just beat the crap out of me," kind of a- Right ... kind of a thing from Pilgrim's Progress. There's that, and I think it's really there. But it's also, uh, it's also sort of like this, uh, you know, "Blessed is the one who has ears to hear" side of it of, like, for those who are regenerated and can see the parable, can see the figures in the parable, it is now this beautiful picture of what it is that Christ does for those who cannot do it for themselves, right? And it's almost like the parable becomes a litmus test. If you look at the parable, and as you're reading through it, you sit there and you go, "Yeah, man, I'm like that guy who got beat up and left for dead. That, that really describes me," um, you're gonna get to the end of this and you're gonna be sort of, like, sitting in awe of, like, "Man, I have such a great savior who threw me on his donkey and, and promised to take care of all of my, all of my wounds, and promised to pay whatever it, whatever it cost." Um, y- you know, and all of these elements of, [00:45:00] like, oil and wine and, and all of these things be- kind of become alive to you in a way that someone who sees themselves as the, the good Samaritan, who thinks they're the one who's gonna come and rescue people, or I think increasingly in our day, and it's, it's weird to even say this, I think there are people who would look at this and resonate with the priest and lawyer and actually say, like, "Yeah, they shoulda, they shoulda crossed to the other side of the room." Mm-hmm. I've heard defenses of that in trying to argue that- The priest and the Levite, if they had, if this person was dead, they had touched the dead body, then, you know, they would've been ceremonially unclean. Uh, all of that is, I think, worth speculating about. But the reality is, um, who you see yourself in the parable actually says a lot, I think, about how you see Christ in light of either our ability to fulfill the law or our inability to fulfill the law, and therefore have our need for Christ. If you think you're the good Samaritan, if you think you're the one that's gonna come and [00:46:00] rescue people, that you're gonna be, you're gonna be the good neighbor, you're much more likely to see, uh, to, to be needing this as a sort of a law beat-down. Where those of us who, maybe this is the way you wanna parse it out, right? There's those of us who are, uh, regenerated and in Christ, and this is third-use law, right? This is, this is us- Right ... seeing what it means to be holy, and going and doing likewise, trying in our power, in our, our best to go and do likewise, empowered by the Holy Spirit, recognizing that we can't, and trusting the Lord to accept our feeble attempts- Right and be pleased by them. Right. Um, or maybe if you're not regenerated, this is f- this is first use, right? Right. And, and, and this is actually there to terrify you and to show you your condemnation and to serve as your condemnation. And, and there's even, and I didn't really intend to go all the way with this, but there's, there is also an element in here, and this is where, like, the mercy ministry interpretation comes in, where this is civil, this is civil law, where this is the, the, the, um, you know, the civil use of the law [00:47:00] to restrain evil, to show society what it is to be good, to, to restrain sin. Right. Yes, we want to be, uh, we, I would rather live in a society where people stop and help someone who's stranded or injured on the side of the road than, than a society where people pass by. Um, so I, I think all of those elements are in play here, and we do have to be careful not to take the full-on, like, never go full allegory approach to this, 'cause y- you can really... That's just a good general wisdom for all of, all of the Bible, but especially the parables and other figurative stuff. You can really just go totally far afield of what actually the point of the parable is- Right ... if you're not grounding it in the purpose that Christ is teaching it for, and, and the stated outcome of the parable, right? No one in the Bible makes c- I don't know that anyone in the Bible makes specific commentary on this within scripture, but the, the idea that, like, there's all these hidden meanings, well, if those are the hidden meanings, then why doesn't Christ talk about it? Why doesn't he come back- Right ... and [00:48:00] interpret those symbols later on like he does, like the Parable of the Sower or the Parable of the Seeds or Soils. Um, that one is much more directly allegorical in that the different seeds, the different soils represent specific people with specific s- scenarios. Christ comes and, and does that allegorical interpretation later on in the passage. There's nothing like that here. So I think we have to be really careful not to slip down that road. Jesse Schwamb: I think that it could be all those things. I, I totally agree with you on that. I think it could be all the use cases of the law. I think what makes this so wonderfully complex and a little bit tricky is that when I read this, I actually don't necessarily find myself gravitating toward putting myself in one place or the other. It almost depends on where I am or what's going on in my life. So for example, I think any time that any one of us, and we've all done this as Christians, have quenched the spirit, especially with respect to helping, serving, or loving others as my, our neighbor, then we're firmly in this parable in the place [00:49:00] of the priest and the Levite. Sometimes I think we are the one on the side of the road. We look to the church, to our brothers and sisters to help us, and what do they help us with? Like you were saying, Tony, they help us with that blood and oil. They help us with this, the power of the Holy Spirit, which is given to each one to help and to serve, to identify, to comfort with the comfort we ourselves have been received. And then I do think, and this might be unpopular, that, that sometimes by the grace of God, He empowers us to be the Samaritan, but only through His empowerment. Not, of course, because we're trying to just self-justify or because we're overtly generous in our own merit, but in fact, this is the way we ought to live, and that we ought to commend that kind of behavior to, again, acknowledge it as God-given and to promulgate it, especially among the body of believers. So I do think all three forms of the law are present there, but I do think I tend to, for whatever reason, right or wrong, I tend to tilt a little bit toward that third use here, just to see this as it's not wrong to, of course, to, I think, uh, lay over all of this, all these delightful variables and [00:50:00] details. Again, this idea of blood and oil, n- normative things, normal things, standard things that are being used to address- Yeah ... wounds. They're, they're... Of course, that would've been the practical way which you would've provided some kind of medicinal care to somebody in both that extreme circumstance, but also generally, because nobody's, like, keeping gauze or popping Advil to help this, this poor guy. And so it is- Right ... like this beautiful complexion of, I think, everything that we just talked about, that there is the law present, and depending on where you are, both in terms of your ingrafting into eternity, into the Kingdom of God, and then where you are in life, you- we should read ourselves probably, or l- let me say it this way, not so it's like eisegesis, but, like, that we should see ourselves often at different pli- times maybe playing or being tempted to play the parts of these different characters. And in that we find, I think, ultimately, of course, as you're saying, that Christ is over all, and that He is the one that, of course, perfectly emphasizes all of what it means to be the Savior, the [00:51:00] true loving neighbor who cares and binds and heals completely full stop. And yet there is something instructive here, I think, as well about going and bringing that compassion. I was just thinking, like, as we were talking, that there's such a difference, isn't there, like, in our world between these days, like, pity and compassion? Like, pity often is like, "Yeah, I feel sorry for you," but it strikes me as kind of like the James, is it James 1 or James 2, where it's kind of like, "Oh, you're... I, I'm so sorry that, like, you're, you're hungry and cold. You know what? Go, be warm, and be well-fed." You know, that's like pity. Like, "Yeah, I just- Yeah ... I feel a little bad. I identified with your emotions." Sending  Tony Arsenal: good vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I've got- Yeah. Yeah. That's right, right? Sending good thoughts and good vibes your way. I wanna say, like, keep those to yourself 'cause they're probably not all that- Yeah ... good. Um- I  Tony Arsenal: don't want your vibes.  Jesse Schwamb: I don't want your vibes. Get your vibes out of here. What I need is that power of God himself, uh, to bring compassion, and compassion is always wrapped in action. It identifies- Right ... and then goes. It, it's, it [00:52:00] is not self-promoting, it's self-sacrificing. And so that rule of law, which is like the good rule of law, the good teaching, the kind that brings life because it's the Decalogue wrapped in skin perfectly performed by the power of the Holy Spirit through the one who is perfect again in his passive obedience and active obedience. Yes, yes, we need, we need all of that. It's modeled here, I think, to a certain extent, but I think the go and do likewise is actually for all of us, but it's not the kind like we would say, "Well, like, good luck." It's more the- Yeah ... you know the one from whose side the blood flowed. You know the one who is pressed in the garden as if olives under the press leaking oil. You know who that one was, and that one is His spirit resides in you. So now go and do these acts- Yeah ... of mercy. Again, not s- for some kind of meritorious reward, but because you were made for good works, which were set apart for you to do, and part of those good works are [00:53:00] just always being a good neighbor. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and, and maybe to, to close out, I, I, I think maybe we actually did it. I don't know that we're gonna have to do another episode on this. I guess we'll see after we do- Who would've guessed? ... our postmortem here.  Mary Martha And Final Charge Tony Arsenal: But I, I think part, part of, um, part of what we need to at least acknowledge is that what, what follows this parable, right? This, this goes from a parable of a lawyer seeking to justify himself to now the account of Mary and Martha, and the fact that, uh, that, um, M- Martha, you know, is busy with much work, and Mary is sitting and listening to, to Jesus and is said to have chosen the better part. And I think, like- Mm ... this is something that I think because of the way, like, Bibles are formatted, the way that certain things are sort of, like, extracted out as discrete teaching units, this parable is pulled out and separated from this next part. And I, I think we can [00:54:00] really run into problems when we do that because- You know, even if we, even if we were to sort of treat the scripture as, like, a purely human book, right? Luke chose to put this account of Mary and Martha after this, right? And, and- Right ... probably not just because, like, it happened chronologically. There's no real, um, there's no real necessity that this account of Mary and Martha in this particular story had to happen immediately afterwards. Like, there's no organic link in, in the chronology of the story to drive that, right? And the two aren't related in terms of, like, historical cause and effect or, uh, proximity. There's none of those things. So the only answer as to why this was selected to follow the parable of the Good Samaritan is that there's some thematic connection that drove Luke as an author to put this, put this right following that. And so I think even that should drive us to thinking about, all [00:55:00] right, we've got this statement of go and do likewise, show mercy. Now there's almost this foil that the, the, the person in, in the account in the, the narrative here, and a, a true narrative, right? We're not in parable land anymore, but the person in the narrative that seems to be showing mercy, seems to be taking care of people the most, is actually the one who's chastised a little bit for, for being- Right overly zealous about m- mercy ministry, hospitality ministry- Right ... is what you might call it. She's the one who's like, "Tell my sister to help me with this." And she said, like, "You know, you're always gonna have time to do this, but, like, I'

What happens when we read the Bible? Why do we read it? What does it do to us? There are at least as many answers as there are people. Our interpretations of the Bible depend not only on what we read—which texts, which translations, etc.—but how and especially with whom we read it.  On this episode, professor of spirituality—and editor of the Commonweal Podcast—David Dault joins associate editor Griffin Oleynick to discuss the ethics of reading the Bible, detailed in his new book The Accessorized Bible. Core to Dault's argument are the Jewish concepts of tikkun olam, or repairing the world, and tzniut, indicating modesty. Reading—and even willfully misreading—the Bible with these in mind can help commit us to liberation instead of coercion, to peacemaking rather than violence.  For further reading: Christian Wiman on the Bible as poetry Luke Timothy Johnson on the history of the Bible Sarah Ruden on translating the Bible

There is a sudden supposed resurgence of Christianity in the United States, from GenZ to the general population buying Bibles, downloading applications, and listening to religious music on Spotify. But what value does this offer society if titles and statistics matter more than behavior. At least a decent percentage of the resurgence is fueled by foreign propaganda attempting to convince Christians with no context that Jesus was Jewish, believed in the Jewish laws, and will return as a Jew; that to be a true Christian means to lay down your beliefs and build the third temple; to do the very opposite of what Jesus taught. Jesus rejected the radical Jewish leadership, and he came to fulfill a law that had been abandoned by the same. His entire Ministry is based on this and the idea that non-Jews had just as much a right to salvation as anyone else. Besides, Jesus taught very little that wasn't already part of advanced philosophical and religious thought at the time, and long before. This is even true in the case of the Odyssey, which shares many archetypical and mythological features with the entirety of the Bible. It also appears that much of the contemporary conception of the New Testament, much like the Talmud appears to be an inversion of that text, is based on intentional perversions and distortions; even blasphemies. This episode also explores: The psychotic, bloodthirsty, mass murdering thief, King David. Daily news propaganda about biblical stories and characters wherein there is zero evidence presented for what the headline says. From the tomb of Jesus being found (again, but not really), to scribbles found during the time of the Exodus.Why so many sex addicts, porn stars, drug addicts, etc., suddenly are converting to Christianity.*The is the FREE archive, which includes advertisements. If you want an ad-free experience, subscribe below. 

For years, he and his girlfriend had been living with activity that seemed increasingly aggressive. Objects would suddenly fly across rooms, sometimes passing close enough to make them wonder whether whatever was throwing them was deliberately trying to frighten them without actually causing harm.Looking for help, they turned to a local parish and paranormal investigators. One piece of advice was simple: openly display the religious objects that represented their faith and make it clear that the home belonged to them.Instead of calming things down, that seemed to provoke something.Bibles began disappearing. Others returned damaged in ways they couldn't explain. And one morning, while he was home alone and at his most vulnerable, the activity appeared to respond again.What happens when the objects you put out for protection seem to make whatever is haunting your home even angrier?#RealGhostStoriesOnline #RealGhostStories #GhostStory #Poltergeist #Paranormal #HauntedHouse #ReligiousObjects #ParanormalActivity #Unexplained #GhostEncounter #TrueGhostStory Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Welcome to Day 2934 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2934– “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness” – Luke 11:14-28 Putnam Church Message – 08/16/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness.”   Last week, our message was “Lord, Teach Us To Pray,” and we learned Prayer is where our hearts are trained to live with God. Today, we continue with our thirtieth-fourth message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “The Kingdom of Light and the Kingdom of Darkness.” Our core passage today is Luke 11:14-28, starting on page 1614 of your pew Bibles. Jesus and Beelzebul 14 Jesus was driving out a demon that was mute. When the demon left, the man who had been mute spoke, and the crowd was amazed. 15 But some of them said, “By Beelzebul, the prince of demons, he is driving out demons.” 16 Others tested him by asking for a sign from heaven. 17 Jesus knew their thoughts and said to them: “Any kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and a house divided against itself will fall. 18 If Satan is divided against himself, how can his kingdom stand? I say this because you claim that I drive out demons by Beelzebul. 19 Now if I drive out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your followers drive them out? So then, they will be your judges. 20 But if I drive out demons by the finger of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 21 “When a strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his possessions are safe. 22 But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away the armor in which the man trusted and divides up his plunder. 23 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 24 “When an impure spirit comes out of a person, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, ‘I will return to the house I left.' 25 When it arrives, it finds the house swept clean and put in order. 26 Then it goes and takes seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that person is worse than the first.” 27 As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, “Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.” 28 He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.” Opening Prayer Most High God, Creator of heaven and earth, You alone are worthy of worship. You rule over everything seen and unseen. No spiritual power rivals You; no throne challenges Your sovereignty; no darkness can extinguish Your light. Lord Jesus, open our eyes today to the larger story of Your Kingdom. Help us understand the spiritual battle without becoming fascinated with darkness or fearful of the enemy. Holy Spirit, fill us with truth. Protect us from deception. Teach us to hear the Word of God and obey it. May Your Kingdom come more fully in us, through us, and around us. In the victorious name of Jesus Christ, amen. Introduction: There Is More Going On Than We Can See Most of what people in our culture know about Satan, demons, and angels probably comes from movies, novels, television programs, and video games. And popular culture usually makes one of two mistakes. / Either the supernatural becomes fantasy — something primitive people once believed before science enlightened us. / Or the supernatural becomes entertainment — angels, demons, ghosts, and evil spirits made frightening enough to sell movie tickets. The Bible gives us neither picture. / Scripture presents an unseen spiritual realm as every bit as real as the world we can see. / But we need to say something immediately. Satan is not God's opposite. There is no eternal yin and yang. / There are not two equally powerful kingdoms battling to see which one survives. / God has no equal. / Everything else — visible or invisible — is created. / That includes angels. / That includes the heavenly host. That includes Satan. / That includes every rebellious spiritual power. And this is where one of my Biblical mentors, the late Dr. Michael Heiser, called the Divine Council worldview helps us recover something the ancient biblical writers simply assumed their readers understood. The Old Testament describes God presiding over a heavenly assembly. / Psalm 82 pictures God standing in the divine council. / Psalm 89 speaks of the assembly of heavenly beings. Job opens with the “sons of God” presenting themselves before the Lord. / First Kings 22 gives us a glimpse of the heavenly host surrounding God's throne. / But these beings are never equal to God/Yahweh. Think of a king and his royal court. The existence of a court does not diminish the king. The biblical God is Creator. / Everything else was created. / He possesses authority inherently. / They possess only whatever authority He delegates. / He alone is worthy of worship. But some of those spiritual beings rebelled.  / And when we follow that thread through Scripture, suddenly Luke 11 becomes much larger than one demon being cast out of one mute man. We discover that Jesus has walked onto the battlefield of a war that stretches back to Eden. And the King has come to reclaim what was lost. The Larger Story: Three Rebellions and One Divine Rescue Mission Before we enter Luke 11, let me give you the broad biblical picture. / We do not need to become Bible scholars this morning. Just remember three moments. Eden: / Genesis 3 records humanity's rebellion. / The supernatural rebel (referred to as a serpent or “shining one”) deceives Eve and challenges God's goodness. Humanity joins the rebellion. / Death enters human experience. / Humankind becomes alienated from God. The Days Before the Flood: / Genesis 6 describes another supernatural transgression involving the “sons of God,” cohabiting with the “daughters of the earth,” which produced the Nephilim, followed by extraordinary corruption and violence. / Whatever questions remain about every detail; Scripture is showing us that human rebellion and supernatural rebellion become intertwined. Babel: / Then comes Genesis 11. Humanity gathers in defiance of God's command to spread throughout the earth. God scatters the nations. / Deuteronomy 32 looks back on that event and describes the Most High dividing humanity according to members of the heavenly court, while Israel becomes the Lord's own portion. In other words, the nations rebelled against God, and God gave them over. / But those spiritual rulers themselves became corrupt. / Psalm 82 pictures God judging them because they ruled unjustly. / And listen to the final prayer of Psalm 82: “Rise up, O God, and judge the earth, for all the nations belong to you.” There is the hope. / God intends to reclaim the nations. / Immediately after Babel, Genesis 12 introduces Abraham. / God tells Abraham that through his family all the families of the earth will be blessed. God is launching a rescue mission. / Israel would become the nation through which the Messiah would come. / And through the Messiah, the nations would be reclaimed. Now remember what has happened recently in Luke. /...

In many nations around the world, people are longing for the Scriptures. Many nations have forbidden the Bible and it's a crime to possess a copy or to even have a Bible app on one's phone. Here in the United States, the Scriptures are readily available, Bibles are plentiful, and you can go to many bookstores or chain retail stores and obtain a copy. But amidst this land of plenty there is actually a spiritual famine in the land which has resulted in great biblical illiteracy. Jesus says in Luke 6:46, "And why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say?" But friends how can we do what God wants if we neglect His Word? An important question must be asked at this point: "When was the last time you read from the Bible?" Some of you can readily say, "I did so this morning," or "I did so last night." Others may say, "Well, I listened to my pastor read it this past Sunday. Does that count?" Yet others, if you're being truthful will say, "Jim, it's been a long time." At the same time, many have fallen into the habit of no longer carrying a Bible to church. Some folks just pull out their phones and there it is. Yet, their minds get distracted as a text, an appointment reminder, or a news bulletin comes in. Dr. Woodrow Kroll, the former Bible teacher at Back to the Bible once said, "I remind you that God wrote a Book; and He only wrote one. I wonder what we'll say to Him at the Judgment Seat of Christ if He asks us, "Did you read My Book? I mean one time in your entire life did you read My whole Book?"

We are taught to forgive. But what happens when we forgive and reconciliation still feels impossible? In this Beyond the Notes conversation, Pastor Omar Edwards returns to Sunday's teaching on childlike forgiveness and opens Romans 12:16-21, what many Bibles call the marks of a true Christian. He draws a careful line between forgiveness, a one-way choice to release anger and the desire for payback, and reconciliation, a two-way road that needs both people to change, rebuild trust, and come back to the table. He walks through what it means to pursue peace, check our pride, and keep loving someone even when the relationship cannot return to what it once was. If you are carrying a broken friendship, a strained family tie, or a wound you have released but cannot yet see healed, this teaching offers a biblical way to think clearly and hold onto hope in a God who still changes hearts. Presented by McGregor Podcast 2026 Visit Our Website at McGregorPodcast.com New to McGregor? Plan a visit at mcgregor.net/plan-a-visit

Have you ever felt like you should pray more—but then life gets busy, your mind starts racing, and somehow prayer becomes one more thing on your to-do list? I know I'm not the only one who has struggled with carving out intentional time with God, and that's one of the reasons I loved this conversation so much.On this episode of the Anchored by the Sword Podcast, I'm joined by author Emily Wickham, author of Closer to God: A 10-Week Study on Prayer.Emily shares how prayer has been woven throughout her life, beginning with the example of her dad, who was a man who prayed about everything. Over the years, God continued to grow Emily's love for His Word, women's ministry, Bible study, writing, and helping other women grow closer to Him.But we also talk about something I think so many of us need to hear:Prayer isn't about hitting a certain number of minutes. It's about relationship.Emily reminds us that God isn't sitting there with a stopwatch waiting for us to pray long enough. He wants our hearts. He welcomes us into His presence whether we are sitting quietly at home, driving down the road, walking through a difficult season, or simply saying, “God, I don't even know what to say.”And I absolutely love that.Emily also shares part of her own freedom journey—walking through seasons where she would become deeply discouraged over perceived failures, mistakes, and areas where she felt she wasn't doing well. God eventually showed her that living under that heaviness wasn't where He wanted her to stay. Through repentance and His grace, He brought freedom into that area of her life.Emily's book, Closer to God, walks readers through nine prayers found throughout Scripture and encourages us not simply to read about prayer, but to open our Bibles, study God's Word, and begin writing and praying our own prayers.If prayer has felt difficult, inconsistent, intimidating, or like another thing you're failing at, I think this conversation will encourage you to look at it differently.You don't have to perform for God.You simply get to come close.Bio:Emily Wickham shares God's Word and wonders with women. She is an author, speaker, and award-winning writer as well as a podcaster, YouTuber, and blogger. Whether she's walking on the beach, sipping coffee on her porch, cooking a delicious meal, or gathering with family and friends, Emily delights in God's goodness. She is blessed to be Mark's wife for more than 35 years, the mom of four adult children, and a mother-in-love. Emily and her husband enjoy life in South Carolina.Anchor Verses:Isaiah 41:10Proverbs 3: 5-6Connect with Emily:Website: www.proclaiminghimtowomen.comYouTube: https://youtube.com/@emilywickhamauthor** Anchored in His Promises Women's Workshop — November 14, 2026**Join us for a powerful day of worship, encouragement, connection, and truth as we remind our hearts that God is faithful to every promise He makes. Anchored in His Promises is happening Saturday, November 14, from 9:00 AM–3:30 PM, featuring incredible speakers, practical teaching, and time to dig deeper into what it means to hold onto God's promises no matter what season you are in.“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” — Hebrews 10:23 (ESV)Learn more and grab your ticket at https://www.anchoredbythesword.org/event-list***And as always, if this episode encourages you, would you take a minute to rate and review the Anchored by the Sword Podcast and share this episode with someone who needs the reminder that God is always ready and waiting for us to come close? Every rating, review, and share helps these stories of freedom and hope reach someone who may desperately need to hear them.***

Sponsored by Wycliffe: There are still people whose Bibles are blank, while millions of others have incomplete stories. Help make God's Word accessible. Give today at: https://bit.ly/3Thk8SHTop headlines for Tuesday, August 25, 2026William Lane Craig sparks heresy accusations after rejecting a Nicene Creed doctrine. California parents petition the Supreme Court over a ban on religious homeschool curriculum. A freed missionary pilot thanks Trump and praying Christians after ten months in ISIS captivity. Plus, Grace Community Church names John MacArthur's successor.0:11 William Lane Craig draws backlash for questioning Nicene Creed0:59 Parents ask SCOTUS to end California ban on religious education1:44 1 person fatally shot at historic church camp meeting3:38 Freed missionary meets Trump, thanks praying Christians4:26 James Talarico claims 'Muslims, Christians worship the same God'5:14 Grace Community Church names John MacArthur replacement6:02 Moms for Liberty candidates lose school board majoritySubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsWilliam Lane Craig draws backlash for questioning Nicene Creed | Church & MinistriesParents ask SCOTUS to end California ban on religious education | Education1 person fatally shot at historic church camp meeting | U.S.Freed missionary meets Trump, thanks praying Christians | Church & MinistriesJames Talarico claims 'Muslims, Christians worship the same God' | PoliticsGrace Community Church names John MacArthur replacement | Church & MinistriesMoms for Liberty candidates lose school board majority | Politics

Join us for the second of Faith in Practice! This week, Amanda welcomes Joel Muddamalle back to the podcast to discuss the spiritual practices of service, meditation and memorization, fasting, Sabbath, and lament. As they unpack and process each practice, they remind one another of the ultimate aim and ambition of our hearts.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 2 of She Reads Truth's Faith in Practice reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Faith in Practice printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code DANIEL15 for 15% off the Daniel collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramJoel Muddamalle on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

The Bible is a book, but it is not just a book. __________ For more resources visit breakpoint.org. 

Gavin McMahon: The Arrow of Coherence That Unifies Your Brand Storytelling Business of Story Podcast | Host: Park Howell Most brand stories fragment the moment they leave the marketing department. Gavin McMahon has a name for what stops that — and it may be the most important concept in business storytelling you haven't heard yet. Gavin McMahon is a recovering mechanical engineer, founder of a 25-year leadership and storytelling consultancy, and author of Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business. He joins Park Howell on the Business of Story podcast to introduce the Arrow of Coherence — the cause-and-effect narrative logic that connects every layer of an organization, from the C-suite to the front line, into a single governing story world. The problem Gavin diagnoses is one every business leader will recognize: the synonymous mess. Most companies tangle purpose, vision, mission, and strategy into one undifferentiated blob of corporate language. The result? Thousands of employees making daily decisions — small and large, value-creating and value-destroying — without a coherent narrative to guide them. In a pre-AI world, that fragmentation was a slow burn. Today, ungoverned AI scales that fragmented story at machine speed. The Arrow of Coherence is Gavin's answer. Borrowed conceptually from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's idea of an arrow of relationship, Gavin defines the Arrow of Coherence as the cause-and-effect logic that must shine through a brand — the same governing logic that makes the world of IKEA, Apple, or Patagonia feel coherent whether you encounter it in product design, customer service, or a thirty-year-old marketing campaign. When that arrow is present, every decision in the organization points the same direction. When it's absent, you have drift. In this conversation, Park Howell and Gavin McMahon explore why brand storytelling is not a marketing function but an act of world building — and why the best brands govern their stories through something closer to a show Bible than a brand guideline. They discuss why the CEO is the most underutilized storyteller in any company, how to build a coalition of the willing to embed story culturally rather than hierarchically, and why AI will amplify your narrative entropy unless a governing Brand Brain is installed first. Gavin also shares the two things he wishes he had known in the 1990s when he was leading digital transformation at Gartner — lessons about human decision-making, the stories people tell themselves, and why the truth is never driven by facts alone. What you will learn in this episode: What the Arrow of Coherence is and how to apply it to unify your brand story across every department and channel. Why most organizations suffer from a synonymous mess of purpose, vision, mission, and strategy — and the single narrative move that untangles it. How show Bibles differ from brand guidelines and why that distinction determines whether your story survives scale. Why your CEO is your most underutilized brand storyteller. How to use AI as a collaborator without surrendering your story to it. The three practical steps you can take today to start building your own Arrow of Coherence. Gavin McMahon is the author of Story Business: Why Stories Rule the World and How They Can Reinvent Your Business. Learn more at storybusiness.com. Park Howell is founder of The Business of Story, creator of the Story Cycle System™, and author of Brand Bewitchery and The Narrative Gym. Full episode show notes, transcript, and resources at businessofstory.com.

“I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11 NLT) You’ve probably heard the old saying that a Bible that’s falling apart is usually the sign of a life that isn’t. I must admit that I like to see beat-up, marked-up Bibles that are coming apart, because it tells me that they’ve seen heavy use. Their pages are well-worn. Favorite passages can be located immediately because of familiar breaks in the spine. Every scribbled note, every underlined passage tells a story. I’ve often said that there should be a Bible produced especially for preachers. In fact, I’ve mentioned the idea to people who actually publish Bibles. I told them, “Make a preacher’s Bible. Give it a steel binding.” After all, preachers really use their Bibles. As we’re speaking, we do things like shake it, hold it up, and point to it. Why we do that, I don’t really know. Of course, as believers, we shouldn’t simply shake our Bibles or hold them up or point to them. We need to read God’s Word. We need to memorize it. We need to follow the example of the psalmist who said, “I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11 NLT). A purse or a briefcase may serve as a handy carrier for God’s Word, but our heart is an even better one. Jesus kept God’s Word in His heart. When the devil tempted Him in the wilderness, Jesus quoted Scripture to counter him. Three times the devil did his worst. And three times he was rebuffed by the Word of God. Matthew 4:11 says simply, “Then the devil went away” (NLT). He was no match for God’s Word. Scripture can serve a similar purpose in our lives. We have no way of knowing when and how the devil is going to tempt us. But we do know that God’s Word will thwart his plans. So, it’s important that we carry it with us wherever we go. That way, we can deploy it when we need to. Hiding God’s Word in our hearts also helps us fulfill the Great Commission. The apostle Paul wrote of unbelievers, “But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, ‘How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!’” (Romans 10:14–15 NLT). The more quickly and effectively we can access the Good News, the more powerful our witness will be. Being able to draw from what’s stored in our heart is a tremendous advantage. God’s Word is a powerful tool, and a powerful weapon against our enemy, whether we hold it in our hands or in our heart. Reflection question: What would hiding God’s Word in your heart look like in your life? Discuss Today's Devo in Harvest Discipleship! — The audio production of the podcast "Greg Laurie: Daily Devotions" utilizes Generative AI technology. This allows us to deliver consistent, high-quality content while preserving Harvest's mission to "know God and make Him known." All devotional content is written and owned by Pastor Greg Laurie. Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Who added chapters and verses to the Bible? Imagine trying to find a Bible passage without chapter or verse numbers. The Bible wasn't originally written with the numbered divisions we use today. So who added them, why were they created, and could they sometimes affect how we interpret Scripture?In this episode, Tiffany Coker and Pastor Jeff Cranston uncover the history behind Bible chapters and verses. They explain why these numbers are useful but not inspired, how chapter breaks can interrupt an author's original thought, and why familiar verses like Philippians 4:13 must be read within their surrounding context.Chapters:00:24 Who Added Chapters and Verses to the Bible?The biblical authors didn't divide Scripture into numbered chapters and verses. These numbers were added centuries later to help readers locate and reference specific passages.03:14 Why Were Bible Chapters Created?As universities grew during the 13th century, teachers and students needed a consistent way to find passages. Standardized chapter divisions became a navigation system that made studying and teaching the Bible easier.06:21 Who Created the Bible's Chapter Divisions?Stephen Langton, a theologian and later Archbishop of Canterbury, helped develop and standardize the chapter system used in most Bibles today. He built upon earlier methods rather than creating the entire system from scratch.08:01 Are Chapter and Verse Numbers Inspired by God?The words of Scripture are inspired by God, but chapter numbers, verse numbers, section headings, cross-references, and study notes are human-created tools that can help us study the Bible but may also influence how we interpret it.10:28 When Were Verse Numbers Added to the Bible?Verse divisions became standardized after chapter divisions. Over time, these systems were adopted in printed Bibles, allowing pastors, teachers, and readers to locate the same passage within seconds.12:17 Why Should We Read Beyond Individual Verses?The Bible is not a collection of disconnected inspirational statements. Reading the surrounding passage helps us understand verses like Philippians 4:13 and Romans 8:28 within their proper context and follow the biblical author's complete message.“  The modern chapter system emerged in the early 13th century as universities grew and theology began to move into classrooms; Students and teachers needed a consistent way to locate passages.”  – Pastor Jeff Cranston

Don't Imbibe the Kool-Aid with Kim Kennedy – Gary Meredith challenges Christians to reject political disengagement and embrace voting, campaigning, and public service as biblical responsibilities. Drawing on Scripture and Christian history, Bibles and Ballots argues that believers should confidently participate in government, defend religious liberty, and influence their communities through civic action...

The rapture of God's church and Jesus return is not just a subject for prophecy charts and end-times conversations. Scripture tells us to live ready.Scripture gives us a much bigger picture of what is happening around us, how we should live, what we should be watching for, and how seriously we should take the things God has asked us to steward. That means taking an honest look at our own lives, being willing to recognize deception, knowing the difference between biblical conviction and emotion, and refusing to let the noise of culture replace the truth of Scripture.Some things deserve our attention. Some things deserve our prayers. And some things require us to stop, open our Bibles, and ask whether we have gotten too comfortable.Are you ready?--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

JC Follows JC was an honored guest on my live stream, but recently he decided to try to debunk the supernatural Bible changes. So join Mark Masaeno and myself as we provide a rebuttal to JC's attempt to convince his listeners that millions of Christians are just confused when they suggest their Bibles are supernaturally changingStay connected in case we get bannedSign up for newsletterhttps://www.wakeuporelse.com/newsletterLEAVE A REVIEW...PLEASE!Why All Bibles Are ChangingLeave A Review On Amazonhttps://bit.ly/4aaCydmThe Mandela Effect Supernatural Bible ChangesLeave A Review On Amazonhttps://bit.ly/4vZsP1NThe Conspiracy Theorist Survival GuideLeave A Review On Amazon https://bit.ly/3QrDZO0JUMP IN - BE A PART OF THE REFORMATIONDO NOT make checks payable to "wakeuporelse"Make checks payable to John KirwinMAIL CHECKS TO John KirwinPO Box 78362Charlotte NC 28271Be a $10.00/month partner https://donorbox.org/wakeuporelseCREDIT CARDhttps://donorbox.org/wakeuporelsePAYPAL https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kirwi...CASHAPPhttps://cash.app/$wakeuporelse$WakeuporelseVENMOhttps://www.venmo.com/wakeuporelse@wakeuporelseZELLEwakeuporelse@proton.meCRYPTO CURRENCIEShttps://www.wakeuporelse.com/donateOur Channelshttps://www.wakeuporelse.comhttps://www.alteredbible.comhttps://www.rumble.com/c/wakeuporelse / wakeuporelse1 / wakeuporelse1 https://www.bitchute.com/wakeuporelse"The Conspiracy Theorist Survival Guide Podcast"https://www.wakeuporelse.com/ourpodcastContact John wakeuporelse@proton.meGet my books FREE www.alteredbible.com1) The Mandela effect Supernatural Bible Changes 2) Why All Bibles Are Changing3) The Conspiracy Theorist Survival GuidePURCHASE MY BOOKSWhy All Bibles Are Changinghttps://bit.ly/44kItsUThe Mandela Effect Supernatural Bible Changes and the doctrine of the preservation of scripture https://bit.ly/3SiceIkThe Conspiracy Theorist Survival Guide: A Guidebook For Persecuted Truthers https://bit.ly/4ezfx5d

Share a commentA single insult can reveal what's been building in the heart for weeks, maybe years. We start with a haunting phrase, “the disease of me,” and track how selfishness and resentment can spread through a team, a family, or a church until people who should be grateful become petty, reactive, and hard. To make it concrete, we retell an unforgettable sports moment from the 1981 Los Angeles Lakers: the team rallies without its star, then falls apart when the spotlight returns. It's a picture of what happens when recognition matters more than character.Then we open our Bibles to 1 Samuel 25 and watch the same dynamic threaten David. After an extraordinary display of humility in the previous chapter, David hits a season of loss and uncertainty as Samuel dies. Enter Nabal, a wealthy Calebite with a godless heart, harsh dealings, and a mouth full of contempt, and Abigail, his discerning wife with spiritual insight and the courage to act. We walk through David's protection of the shepherds, his respectful request for food during sheep shearing, and Nabal's scathing refusal packed with “my bread, my water, my meat,” the language of entitlement.The turning point is as practical as it is sobering: David straps on a sword and prepares to destroy an entire household because his good is repaid with evil. We slow down to talk about righteous anger versus sinful vengeance, why victories won today still bring temptations tomorrow, and how easily our sense of being wronged can become a justification for wrongdoing. If you've ever been overlooked, underpaid, misrepresented, or repaid with harshness, you'll recognize the battle. Subscribe for more Bible-centered teaching, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Share a commentA single insult can reveal what's been building in the heart for weeks, maybe years. We start with a haunting phrase, “the disease of me,” and track how selfishness and resentment can spread through a team, a family, or a church until people who should be grateful become petty, reactive, and hard. To make it concrete, we retell an unforgettable sports moment from the 1981 Los Angeles Lakers: the team rallies without its star, then falls apart when the spotlight returns. It's a picture of what happens when recognition matters more than character.Then we open our Bibles to 1 Samuel 25 and watch the same dynamic threaten David. After an extraordinary display of humility in the previous chapter, David hits a season of loss and uncertainty as Samuel dies. Enter Nabal, a wealthy Calebite with a godless heart, harsh dealings, and a mouth full of contempt, and Abigail, his discerning wife with spiritual insight and the courage to act. We walk through David's protection of the shepherds, his respectful request for food during sheep shearing, and Nabal's scathing refusal packed with “my bread, my water, my meat,” the language of entitlement.The turning point is as practical as it is sobering: David straps on a sword and prepares to destroy an entire household because his good is repaid with evil. We slow down to talk about righteous anger versus sinful vengeance, why victories won today still bring temptations tomorrow, and how easily our sense of being wronged can become a justification for wrongdoing. If you've ever been overlooked, underpaid, misrepresented, or repaid with harshness, you'll recognize the battle. Subscribe for more Bible-centered teaching, share this with a friend who needs it, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Learn more about twenty-five years of global impact, and reserve tickets to our gala. https://www.wisdomonline.org/mp/25 Learn more: https://www.wisdomonline.org/Support the show

Sponsored by Wycliffe: There are still people whose Bibles are blank, while millions of others have incomplete stories. Help make God's Word accessible. Give today at: https://bit.ly/3Thk8SHTop headlines for Thursday, August 20, 2026A former priest faces charges of stealing $740,000 from churches and his own mother. Pastor Greg Locke describes a pre-dawn federal raid on his Tennessee home. Thieves take $80 million in Renaissance masterpieces from a Sicilian museum. Plus, the Kendrick brothers reimagine Flywheel in Brazil.0:11 Church raids and the law: A look at federal invest1:01 Ex-priest charged with stealing over $740K from churches, his mom1:56 Navy SEAL who rescued 9/11 victims reflects on 'gratitude'3:40 Hundreds to attend ecumenical gathering on AI and human agency4:34 Child Evangelism Fellowship fires director facing charges5:30 Custodians facing disciplinary action after Sicilian museum heist6:28 Alex Kendrick on resisting pursuit of his own glorySubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsEx-priest charged with stealing over $740K from churches, his mom | U.S.Navy SEAL who rescued 9/11 victims reflects on ‘gratitude' | EntertainmentHundreds to attend ecumenical gathering on AI and human agency | Church & MinistriesChurch raids and the law: A look at federal invest | U.S.Child Evangelism Fellowship fires director facing charges | U.S.Custodians facing disciplinary action after Sicilian museum heist | WorldAlex Kendrick on resisting pursuit of his own glory | Entertainment

Great interview with Broadcasting Seeds Podcast on why all Bibles are supernaturally changingStay connected in case we get bannedSign up for newsletterhttps://www.wakeuporelse.com/newsletterLEAVE A REVIEW...PLEASE!Why All Bibles Are ChangingLeave A Review On Amazonhttps://bit.ly/4aaCydmThe Mandela Effect Supernatural Bible ChangesLeave A Review On Amazonhttps://bit.ly/4vZsP1NThe Conspiracy Theorist Survival GuideLeave A Review On Amazon https://bit.ly/3QrDZO0JUMP IN - BE A PART OF THE REFORMATIONDO NOT make checks payable to "wakeuporelse"Make checks payable to John KirwinMAIL CHECKS TO John KirwinPO Box 78362Charlotte NC 28271Be a $10.00/month partner https://donorbox.org/wakeuporelseCREDIT CARDhttps://donorbox.org/wakeuporelsePAYPAL https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/kirwi...CASHAPPhttps://cash.app/$wakeuporelse$WakeuporelseVENMOhttps://www.venmo.com/wakeuporelse@wakeuporelseZELLEwakeuporelse@proton.meCRYPTO CURRENCIEShttps://www.wakeuporelse.com/donateOur Channelshttps://www.wakeuporelse.comhttps://www.alteredbible.comhttps://www.rumble.com/c/wakeuporelse / wakeuporelse1 / wakeuporelse1 https://www.bitchute.com/wakeuporelse"The Conspiracy Theorist Survival Guide Podcast"https://www.wakeuporelse.com/ourpodcastContact John wakeuporelse@proton.meGet my books FREE www.alteredbible.com1) The Mandela effect Supernatural Bible Changes 2) Why All Bibles Are Changing3) The Conspiracy Theorist Survival GuidePURCHASE MY BOOKSWhy All Bibles Are Changinghttps://bit.ly/44kItsUThe Mandela Effect Supernatural Bible Changes and the doctrine of the preservation of scripture https://bit.ly/3SiceIkThe Conspiracy Theorist Survival Guide: A Guidebook For Persecuted Truthers https://bit.ly/4ezfx5d

Dating apps were supposed to make romance easier, but have they actually made men and women worse at dating? Kaitlyn Schiess takes over the host chair with Skye Jethani and Mike Erre to talk about Bumble's decision to let men make the first move and why modern dating culture seems to be leaving everyone frustrated. Then they turn to AI and ask what happens when people start outsourcing friendship, advice, and intimacy to chatbots, and why churchgoing Christians may be especially eager to trust the technology. Later, Kaitlyn talks with musicologist Kelsey McGinnis about the resurgence of contemporary Christian music and artists like Forrest Frank and Brandon Lake who are introducing CCM to a new generation. What makes Christian music "Christian," and can worship, celebrity, money, and the music industry coexist without corrupting one another?   Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode:  https://holypost.substack.com/p/734-the-problem-with-modern-dating?r=35kf51&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true   0:00 - Show Starts 1:42 - Theme Song 2:12 - Sponsor - PolicyGenius - Secure your family's tomorrow so you have peace of mind today. Go to https://www.policygenius.com/HOLYPOST to find the right life insurance for you 3:08 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month! 5:05 - Bumble's Controversial Change 23:29 - Sponsor - Tyndale - The Life Application Study Bible is here to give you resources to help you understand why scripture matters and how it applies today! Check it out now at: https://www.tyndale.com/sites/lasb/?utm_campaign=Bibles%20-%20NLT%20Life%20Applicati[…]ource=Holy%20Post%20Podcast&utm_medium=Microsite%20Nov%202025 24:24 - Sponsor - Rocket Money - Find and cancel your old subscriptions with Rocket Money at https://www.rocketmoney.com/HOLYPOST 25:30 - AI Will Affect Your Social Life 37:02 - Evangelicals Are AI-Pilled 48:19 - Interview 55:25 - What is CCM? 1:00:06 - Forest Frank 1:20:06 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: Bumble's Big Change: https://www.theatlantic.com/family/2026/08/bumble-dating-app-men-message-first/688298/   Evangelicals and the Machine God: https://mereorthodoxy.com/american-evangelicals-long-for-the-embrace-of-the-machine-god/   Christian Co-Living: https://www.christianitytoday.com/2026/08/christian-co-living-housing-crisis/ Other Resources: Kelsey Kramer McGinnis Website: https://www.kkramermcginnis.com/   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

A stranger emailed Wayne Jacobson with a claim that sounded like nonsense. The word righteousness is not really in the Bible. It turned out to be a translation problem 500 years in the making. In this clip, Wayne walks through how one Greek word came to be translated righteousness in our Bibles when it is translated justice everywhere else, and what changes when you put it back. KEY TAKEAWAYS ⚡️ The Greek word behind righteousness is translated justice in every other text of its day, including Plato's Republic. ⚡️ Reading it as justice instead of righteousness reframes nearly every verse where the word appears. ⚡️ The Reformation resolved righteousness through the cross but left transformation unresolved, which is exactly the gap this reopens. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 - A Stranger's Impossible Claim 01:15 - The Word That Means Justice Everywhere Else 03:00 - Why We Should Be Suspicious of Moving a Word 04:45 - What Luther Never Resolved CONNECT WITH DARON Website https://daronearlewine.com Coaching https://roguecollectivecoaching.com Email daron@daronearlewine.com Watch the full episode for the complete conversation on the messy middle, biblical repentance, and what to do when God feels distant. If this hit you where you're stuck, share it with someone who needs it and subscribe for Part 4. HASHTAGS #WayneJacobson #DaronEarlewine #JustLove #Righteousness #Gospel #Faith #ChristianPodcast

Welcome to Day 2929 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2929– “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” – Luke 11:1-13 Putnam Church Message – 08/09/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Lord, Teach Us To Pray.”   Last week, our message was “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best,” and we learned that when good things begin to crowd out the best thing, have the courage to exchange what is good for what is best. Today, we continue with our thirty-third message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Lord, Teach Us To Pray.” Our core passage today is Luke 11:1-13, on page 1614 of your pew Bibles. Jesus' Teaching on Prayer 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]'” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Opening Prayer Father, we come before You today as children who need to learn. We confess that we often pray last instead of first. We try to assemble life by our own wisdom, strength, and effort, and only when we have made a mess do we turn to You. Lord Jesus, teach us to pray. Teach us not only the words of prayer, but the heart of prayer. Teach us to come to the Father with reverence, trust, humility, boldness, and surrender. Holy Spirit, open our hearts to receive Your Word, and make prayer not a last resort, but the daily breath of our souls. In Jesus' name, amen. Introduction: When All Else Fails, Read the Instructions There is an old saying many of us know well: “When all else fails, read the instructions.” Some of us live by that saying a little too confidently. We look at a box marked “Some Assembly Required,” and instead of beginning with the instruction sheet, we dump the parts on the floor, glance at the picture on the box, and say, “I can figure this out.” And sometimes we can. / But every now and then, we get humbled. Imagine Christmas Eve. The children are asleep. A hidden box is dragged from the closet. The parts are laid out with great confidence. Screws, bolts, panels, wheels, rods, brackets — all carefully arranged. The project begins smoothly. But somewhere around midnight, the finished product starts looking less like the picture on the box and more like an abstract sculpture. Finally, with dawn approaching, the builder digs the instructions out of the trash. At the top of the page, in small print, some sarcastic soul has written, “Now that you have made a mess of things, please start over and follow these instructions.” That is funny because it is true. And it is often how we approach prayer. We say, “When all else fails, pray.” But Jesus did not live that way. Jesus did not pray only when He was desperate. / He prayed before major decisions. / He prayed after ministry. / He prayed in solitude. / He prayed with others. / He prayed when crowds pressed in. / He prayed in joy. / He prayed in anguish. / He prayed before the cross. Luke has emphasized this repeatedly. / Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray. / He prayed before choosing the Twelve. / He prayed on the mountain before the Transfiguration. / He prayed as His mission moved toward Jerusalem. / Prayer was not a spare tire in Jesus' life. / Prayer was the steering wheel. Last week, in “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best,” we saw Mary sitting at Jesus' feet while Martha was worried and upset about many things. Mary chose the one necessary thing — listening to Jesus. Now, in Luke 11, the disciples watch Jesus pray, and they realize they need instruction. They do not say, “Lord, teach us to preach.” They do not say, “Lord, teach us to heal.” They do not say, “Lord, teach us to cast out demons.” They say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” That request is still one of the most important requests any disciple can make. Let's explore four truths that will help us to understand why this one question is so important. These are found on your bulletin insert on the side that is titled: Lord, Teach us to Pray. Main Point 1: Prayer Begins With Relationship and Reverence Jesus begins the model prayer with one word: “Father.” / That is astonishing. Jesus does not begin with “Distant Creator,” though God is Creator. He does not begin with “Almighty King,” though God is King. He does not begin with “Sovereign Master,” though God is Lord. He teaches His disciples to begin with “Father.” In Greek, the word is pater. In Aramaic, Jesus used the intimate word Abba, which we see in Mark 14 when He prays in Gethsemane. Paul later says in Romans 8 and Galatians 4 that by the Spirit, believers cry, “Abba, Father.” This means prayer begins not with technique, but with relationship. We do not come to God as strangers trying to get the attention of a reluctant deity. We come as children to a Father who already knows us, loves us, and welcomes us. But Jesus also teaches reverence. “May your name be kept holy.” (Hallowed be your name.) God is Father, but He is not casual. / He is near, but not common. / He is loving, but

Sponsored by Wycliffe: There are still people whose Bibles are blank, while millions of others have incomplete stories. Help make God's Word accessible. Give today at: https://bit.ly/3Thk8SHTop headlines for Tuesday, August 18, 2026A televangelist who vowed he'd never see jail begins a nine-month sentence for tax obstruction. The Babylon Bee sues New Mexico over AI satire warning labels. Christian relief groups rush aid to earthquake-shattered Colombia. Plus, a Wenzhou house church pastor vanishes after a police raid.0:11 Brian Carn is imprisoned after declaring he'd never go to jail1:07 Adam Hamilton campaign responds to 'universalism' claims1:56 Babylon Bee sues New Mexico over law requiring AI satire warning3:46 Christian aid groups helping earthquake survivors in Colombia4:43 Pastor from 'Jerusalem of China' disappeared after police raid5:40 Man given life sentence for crucifixion-style murder of pastor6:29 'The Brink of War': Reagan's fight for religious freedom in USSRSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsBrian Carn is imprisoned after declaring he'd never go to jail | U.S.Adam Hamilton campaign responds to 'universalism' claims | PoliticsBabylon Bee sues New Mexico over law requiring AI satire warning | U.S.Christian aid groups helping earthquake survivors in Colombia | Church & MinistriesPastor from ‘Jerusalem of China' disappeared after police raid | WorldMan given life sentence for crucifixion-style murder of pastor | U.S.'The Brink of War': Reagan's fight for religious freedom is USSR

Join us for the first week of our Faith in Practice series with Raechel, Amanda, and Lisa Harper. Together they introduce the reading plan, explore the nuances of spiritual disciplines, and remind one another that in Christ all are welcome and invited to engage with the spiritual practices from a place of freedom and belonging.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 1 of She Reads Truth's Faith in Practice reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our Faith in Practice printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code FAITH15 for 15% off the Faith in Practice collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.Theology for the Rest of Us by Lisa HarperShe Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramLisa Harper on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

In this message, Pastor Nicole challenges us to consider what it looks like to remain anchored and rooted in Christ when it's easy to drift. Drifting can happen gradually, but staying rooted requires intentionality. Through Scripture and personal stories, Pastor Nicole shares three keys to remaining firmly established in Christ: knowing God's Word and believing it is true, choosing obedience to what God says, and knowing Jesus—not simply knowing about Him. When we make God's Word our foundation, obey His direction, and abide in His presence, we can stand firm even when the current of culture tries to pull us away.The invitation is simple but powerful: read our Bibles, obey Jesus, and be with Him daily. Jesus calls us to abide in Him, just as a branch remains connected to the vine. When we intentionally seek Him and build our lives on His Word, we become a church that is rooted and anchored rather than one that drifts with the current. The goal isn't simply to start well, but to remain faithful and finish well by keeping our hearts connected to Jesus.Support the show

Is the Ethiopian Bible the only truly accurate and complete Bible? Are all the other Bibles missing important books or even cropped to fit specific denominations? The Ethiopian Bible contains 90 books while the Protestant Bible has 66. Which is correct? To find the answer, Michael investigates the history of the Ethiopian Bible and considers whether these Scriptures are indeed God-inspired.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DONATE: https://evidence4faith.org/give/WEBSITE: https://evidence4faith.org/NEWSLETTER: http://eepurl.com/hpazV5BOOKINGS: https://evidence4faith.org/bookings/CONTACT: Evidence 4 Faith, 349 Knights Ave Kewaskum WI 53040 , info@evidence4faith.orgMy goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. - Colossians 2:2-3CREDITS: Developed & Hosted by Michael Lane. Produced & Edited by Michaela Vorwerk. Graphics & Publication by Michaela Vorwerk. Additional Art, Film, & Photography Credits: Stock media “Memories” provided by mv_production / Pond5 | Logo Stinger: Unsplash.com: Leinstravelier, Logan Moreno Gutierrez, Meggyn Pomerieau, Jaredd Craig, NASA, NOASS, USGS, Sam Carter, Junior REIS, Luka Vovk, Calvin Craig, Mario La Pergola, Timothy Eberly, Priscilla Du Preez, Ismael Paramo, Tingey Injury Law Firm, Dan Cristian Pădureț, Jakob Owens | Wikimedia: Darmouth University Public Domain, Kelvinsong CC0 | Stock media “A stately Story (Stiner02)” provided by lynnepublishing / Pond5

The sermon addresses the trustworthiness of biblical manuscripts by examining textual transmission and variant readings. It refutes skeptical claims, such as those by Bart Ehrman, by highlighting the abundance of ancient evidence and the minor nature of textual discrepancies. The speaker explains doctrines like verbal plenary inspiration and distinguishes between different Greek text families, including the Textus Receptus and eclectic texts. While acknowledging debates over specific translations like the King James Version, the message emphasizes that no essential doctrine depends on disputed readings. Ultimately, it affirms confidence in God's faithful preservation of His Word for believers today.

The sermon addresses the trustworthiness of biblical manuscripts by examining textual transmission and variant readings. It refutes skeptical claims, such as those by Bart Ehrman, by highlighting the abundance of ancient evidence and the minor nature of textual discrepancies. The speaker explains doctrines like verbal plenary inspiration and distinguishes between different Greek text families, including the Textus Receptus and eclectic texts. While acknowledging debates over specific translations like the King James Version, the message emphasizes that no essential doctrine depends on disputed readings. Ultimately, it affirms confidence in God's faithful preservation of His Word for believers today.

It's Mailbag Friday! You've got questions, we've got answers. Segment 1 • Why is antisemitism escalating around the world? — Jonathan • What's the difference between biblical counseling and Christian counseling? — Anonymous Segment 2 • How should I biblically handle my one-year-old's temper tantrums? — Alexandra • Is it appropriate to confront my retired dad about how he's spending his time? — Anonymous Segment 3 • Should we regularly use study Bibles if we have the Holy Spirit to help us understand Scripture? — Rachel • What does it actually mean to be “led by the Spirit”? Segment 4 • My grandfather died unsaved. How should I deal with the guilt of not sharing the gospel with him? — Matt • How long should I have victory over pornography before pursuing a relationship? — Jonathan ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

Brian talks with Emerson Collins, Focus on the Family's program manager of parenting and youth, about Bring Your Bible to School Day, taking place October 1 this year. What started in 2014 with 8,000 students has grown to over a million participants nationwide, encouraging students to carry their Bibles and have a conversation about their faith. Emerson explains the heart behind the campaign — equipping the next generation to defend their faith amid difficult questions and a constant battle for their attention from phones and social media — and shares the ongoing "Live It Challenge" for families to keep growing in their biblical worldview year-round. He also encourages nervous parents and students alike, and offers a simple challenge for families to start reading Scripture together tonight.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Today’s Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) William discusses shadows of Our Blessed Mother in the books of the Bible removed by protestants in their Bibles

It's Thursday, August 13th, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark and Adam McManus Haitian gangs target churches Violent gangs in Haiti are increasingly targeting churches. These gangs control up to 90 percent of the capital of Port-au-Prince. They have killed and kidnapped religious leaders and shut down dozens of churches.  Catholic Bishop Joseph Gontrand Décoste told Aid to the Church in Need, “We are the last remaining retaining wall: moral, ethical, spiritual, and prophetic. … That is why they want to eliminate us.” Christians help victims of Columbia's earthquake Christians are bringing disaster relief to Colombia.  A 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck the South American country on Monday. The quake killed 250 people and injured thousands more.  Many Christian relief organizations are sending aid to the country, including Samaritan's Purse. Franklin Graham, the president, wrote on X, “We … are currently working to put together an airlift of relief supplies, including emergency shelter tarp and hygiene kits. I encourage you to pray for the people of this country.” Hebrews 13:16 says, “Do not forget to do good and to share, for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.” Send a much-needed donation to the Columbian victims of this earthquake through Samaritan's Purse. You'll find the donation link in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Mexican Bible Society translates Scriptures into 8 local languages The Bible Society of Mexico is celebrating six decades of ministry this year. The Bible has been translated into eight indigenous languages in the country. And the demand for Bibles is growing as Protestant churches expand their presence.  Efraín Amaro is the head of distribution of the Bible society. He told Christian Daily International, “In 60 years, more than 374 million biblical materials have been distributed. We have reached 13 cities across the country with service and distribution centers.” Revelation 7:9-10 says, “After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, saying, ‘Salvation belongs to our God Who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!'” White House Press Secretary Karolien Leavitt embraces motherhood White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, age 28, will be leaving her position to fully embrace motherhood. She and her 60-year-old husband, Nicholas Riccio, have two children together -- their son Niko, 2, and Viviana who is three months. In a Truth Social post, President Donald Trump explained that she “will be departing her role at the end of the month so she can spend more time with her beautiful young children and family, a decision I totally understand and respect!” In a statement on X, Leavitt added, “Serving as the White House Press Secretary over the past year and a half has been the honor and adventure of a lifetime. I am incredibly grateful to President Trump for granting me so many extraordinary opportunities, such as working in the West Wing and spending countless hours in the Oval Office, flying around the world and meeting foreign leaders, and traveling across our beautiful country and meeting Americans from all walks of life. “The truth is, since returning to the White House after the birth of my daughter, I have felt in my heart that I cannot be the best mom my two young children deserve while devoting the constant time, energy, and attention required of the White House Press Secretary. And that is why I have ultimately made the bittersweet decision to depart the White House.” Titus 2:4-5 says, “Train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be reviled.” Democrat socialist barely defeated in Wisconsin Socialist Democrats suffered a setback in Wisconsin on Tuesday. Moderate David Crowley barely defeated socialist Francesca Hong in the Democrat primary election for governor. According to NBC, the vote was 39.8% vs 39.3%. Just 3,796 votes separated the two in the statewide race. Leftist candidates had been winning many Democrat primaries this year. Despite being considered a moderate, Crowley believes that killing unborn babies is “healthcare” and must be “protected at all costs.” He made this comment in his victory speech. CROWLEY: “Every one of us has something much bigger to unite around. And that is keeping [Make America Great Again] extremism from bringing the chaos we see in Washington into our neighborhoods right here in the state of Wisconsin. From the very first day that I announced this campaign, I said the real threat wasn't any of my primary opponents. The real opponent has always been Tom Tiffany. That remains true today.” Tiffany, the Republican nominee for Wisconsin governor, is currently a member of Congress. The Washington Examiner reports that new Democratic-affiliated polling shows Crowley beating Tiffany by three points this fall, though the race is within the margin of error. Crowley leads Tiffany 47% to 44%, according to the poll by Protect Our Wisconsin, a group backed by the Democratic Governors Association.  Federal gov't gave mega money to religious migrant resettlement groups The federal government funded major religious groups with hundreds of millions of dollars in migrant resettlement grants. The data comes from Brian Chau, the founder of Efforts News. Tech entrepreneur Elon Musk brought attention to this research in a post on X this week. In one case, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops received over $180 million dollars in migrant resettlement grants in 2024. That was over 80 percent of the group's revenue at the time. The contracts ended last year after the Trump administration cut funding to such programs.  Women hold more jobs than men in America Women now hold more jobs than men in the U.S economy.  A report from Indeed's Hiring Lab found the number of jobs held by men declined by 142,000 between February 2025 and February 2026. Over the same period, the number of jobs held by women grew by 298,000.   The report noted, “More jobs are held by women than men in the non-farm economy, not because of a recession, but because of years of eroding male labor force participation.” Americans become skeptical of capitalism Americans are becoming less positive toward capitalism. A new Gallup survey found 54 percent of U.S. adults said they have a positive image of capitalism. That's down from 61 percent in 2010. Thirty-nine percent said they have a positive image of socialism. That's up from 36 percent in 2010. The drop in positivity toward capitalism has accelerated since 2021. Americans trust small, local businesses and churches And finally, Americans tend to trust small, local institutions, according to research from the Barna Group.  U.S. adults put some of their highest trust in local businesses, individual Christians, and small churches. They put moderate trust in Christian pastors, Christian non-profits, and Christian businesses. But they had little trust for megachurches and celebrity pastors.  Compared to 2024, Christian non-profits, charities, and small churches saw the largest growth on the trust index.  Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, August 13th, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Today, I am joined by my husband Donny to talk about MARRIAGE - specifically 5 “rules” we keep in our marriage that have helped make our marriage stronger.  As a Christian couple, we take marriage VERY seriously.  We talk about our rule about divorce, fighting in marriage, trash talking your spouse, when to share your marriage struggles with others, friendship in marriage, and more.  LINKS: Shop Bible study resources and Christian living with 10% off Daily Grace Co using code MEGANE10: thedailygraceco.com/shelivespurposefully   Shop beautiful Bibles and more at Hosanna Revival with code SHELIVESPURPOSEFULLY at  https://hosannarevival.com/shelivespurposefully  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Welcome to the Podcast of Southwest Bible Fellowship in Tempe, Arizona. WHO ARE WE? • We are a group of people who are committed to living the grace life as set forth by the apostle of the Gentiles, the Apostle Paul. • We come together to study our Bibles, and yes, we believe we have God's perfect Word in the King James Bible. It and it alone is our final authority in all matters of faith and practice! • We do not come together and study our Bibles for the intent of being smarter than others. We understand that knowledge for the sake of knowledge is purely vain and serves no Godly purpose. • We do come together and study our Bibles for the intent of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ and the power of His resurrection. (Philippians 3:10) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that we have been crucified with Christ; nevertheless we live; yet not us, but Christ liveth in us: and the life which we now live in the flesh, we live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved us and gave himself for us. (Galatians 2:20) • We do come together and study our Bibles to understand that because Jesus Christ shed His blood for us and we should not live for ourselves but for Him, who died for us and rose again. (2 Cor. 5:15) • We do not claim to have attained to these lofty goals, but we press toward the mark of the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 3:14) You can donate to this ministry through www.butnow.org and the PayPal button on the homepage.

Sponsored by Wycliffe: There are still people whose Bibles are blank, while millions of others have incomplete stories. Help make God's Word accessible. Give today at: https://bit.ly/3Thk8SHTop headlines for Thursday, August 13, 2026Michael W. Smith warns modern worship risks becoming celebrity-driven, and sees revival among Gen Z. A former teacher and choir member faces felony charges over a bomb threat to a Fort Lauderdale megachurch. Alliance Defending Freedom challenges a Colorado district's sex-ed curriculum. Plus, a new report tallies 40 anti-Christian hate crimes across Europe in July.0:11 Woman arrested for sending bomb threat to Coral Ridge0:58 4 highlights from Tuesday's primaries: Graham's sister advances1:48 Michael W. Smith warns worship must not become 'celebrity driven'3:34 Trans American who fled US returns from 'dire' refugee center4:27 ADF denounces school district's 'graphic' sex-ed program5:26 40 anti-Christian hate crimes recorded in Europe in July: report6:21 Mike Stone's daughter Sarah enters hospice care at the homeSubscribe to this PodcastApple PodcastsSpotifyGoogle PodcastsOvercastFollow Us on Social Media@ChristianPost on TwitterChristian Post on Facebook@ChristianPostIntl on InstagramSubscribe on YouTubeGet the Edifi AppDownload for iPhoneDownload for AndroidSubscribe to Our NewsletterSubscribe to the Freedom Post, delivered every Monday and ThursdayClick here to get the top headlines delivered to your inbox every morning!Links to the NewsWoman arrested for sending bomb threat to Coral Ridge | U.S.4 highlights from Tuesday's primaries: Graham's sister advances | PoliticsMichael W. Smith warns worship must not become ‘celebrity driven' | EntertainmentTrans American who fled US returns from 'dire' refugee center | PoliticsADF denounces school district's 'graphic' sex-ed program | Education40 anti-Christian hate crimes recorded in Europe in July: report | WorldMike Stone's daughter Sarah enters hospice care at the home | U.S.

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when you step into places where the gospel is changing lives every day? Nathan Cook shares stories from Uganda and Senegal of refugee settlements, imprisoned believers, Muslim leaders asking for Bibles, and the surprising ways God strengthens faith when we choose obedience over fear.HOME | PLAN YOUR VISIT | BLOG | DIGITAL BULLETIN

True Biblical Worship vs. Strange Fire: What Does God Really Want? | KIB 543 DESCRIPTION Welcome to Kingdom Intelligence Briefing Episode #543 with Dr. Michael Lake and Mary Lou Lake. What does God actually desire from those who worship Him? Modern Christianity often defines worship primarily through music, singing, emotional experiences, and church services. But Scripture presents something far deeper. True biblical worship is not merely an event we attend—it is a covenant lifestyle of reverence, obedience, holiness, truth, thanksgiving, humility, service, repentance, and wholehearted devotion to God. In this episode, Dr. Michael Lake examines the biblical theology of worship from both the Old and New Testaments. Psalm 24 reveals the necessity of clean hands and a pure heart, while Jesus declares that the Father is seeking those who will worship Him "in spirit and truth." This teaching also confronts a serious problem within modern Christianity: worship can become religious performance while the believer's daily life remains disconnected from God. Scripture reveals that obedience itself is worship. Holiness is worship. Serving others can become worship. Thanksgiving is worship. Repentance restores true fellowship with God. Even studying Scripture to discover what pleases God becomes an expression of devotion to Him. Dr. Lake also examines Cain, Nadab and Abihu, Saul, Uzziah, and Israel's golden calf to demonstrate a sobering biblical principle: sincerity does not give humanity the authority to redefine worship. God determines how He is to be worshiped. The episode concludes with a warning that much of contemporary worship risks producing "strange fire" rather than Christlikeness—and a call for the Remnant to return to worship that transforms the worshiper and exalts God alone. IN THIS EPISODE: • Why worship is a lifestyle rather than an event • What it means to worship God in spirit and truth • The Hebrew and Greek concepts behind biblical worship • Why obedience is an act of worship • Why God requires holiness from His worshipers • The relationship between thanksgiving, praise, and worship • Why biblical study itself can become an act of devotion • How religious performance can replace genuine worship • Why worship must remain God-centered rather than man-centered • Cain, Nadab and Abihu, Saul, Uzziah, and unauthorized worship • The danger of "strange fire" in the modern Church • How true worship produces transformation and Christlikeness • Why worship and obedience are powerful components of spiritual warfare Mary Lou also discusses prayer, spiritual warfare, and the importance of recognizing that the heavens belong to Almighty God—not the powers of darkness. The episode opens with a call for believers to respond to spiritual opposition by declaring biblical truth and magnifying the Creator rather than fearing the enemy. If this teaching strengthens your walk with God, please: Subscribe to Biblical Life TV Like this video Share it with someone who desires deeper biblical worship Leave a comment telling us what God has been teaching you about worship Download the teaching notes and study these principles for yourself. Visit Kingdom Intelligence Briefing for additional teachings and resources.  https://www.kingdomintelligencebriefing.com Thank you to our faithful partners around the world who make Biblical Life TV possible. Preparing the Remnant to stand firmly upon the Word of God and fulfill His purposes in the last days. TIMELINE 00:00 – Opening: Preparing the Remnant 01:29 – Welcome to KIB Episode #543 01:55 – Mary Lou: Spiritual warfare and the August 12 heavenly events 05:00 – Declaring God as Creator over occult counterfeits 08:30 – Prayer, spiritual attacks, and recognizing enemy strategies 15:01 – A powerful testimony of thanksgiving after losing a job 16:14 – Realigning believers with biblical worship and prayer 17:20 – Concerns about digital Bibles and preserving physical copies 20:00 – True biblical worship: A lifestyle, not an event 20:45 – Psalm 24: Clean hands and a pure heart 23:00 – Worshiping God in spirit and truth 26:32 – The question every worshiper should ask: What does God want? 27:30 – Hebrew and Greek meanings of worship 30:00 – Biblical study as an expression of worship 31:30 – Isaiah 29: Lip service versus heart devotion 34:00 – Religious performance and modern worship culture 36:00 – Spirit and truth: Avoiding emotionalism and dead religion 38:23 – The Psalms as the prayer book and hymnal of God's people 39:30 – Obedience is better than sacrifice 41:19 – Why the Old Testament provides essential biblical definitions 42:18 – God desires holiness 43:15 – Cover-up culture and accountability in Christian ministry 44:45 – Worship with reverence and godly fear 46:35 – Thanksgiving as worship 48:11 – Worship, obedience, and spiritual warfare 49:11 – Worship as preparation for hearing from God 52:30 – Praise must remain God-centered 54:38 – God desires humility 55:59 – Repentance, love, justice, and mercy 57:30 – Becoming a living sacrifice 59:05 – Why Sunday worship cannot compensate for an ungodly week 1:01:00 – Good works, generosity, and worship through service 1:02:46 – Christ-centered worship 1:03:20 – Cain, Nadab and Abihu, Saul, Uzziah, and the golden calf 1:04:41 – God determines how He is worshiped 1:05:15 – True worship produces transformation 1:06:15 – Strange fire in modern Christianity 1:07:05 – Worship must honor God rather than entertain us 1:09:10 – Closing prayer: Becoming true worshipers 1:09:47 – Biblical Life TV closing HASHTAGS #BiblicalWorship #TrueWorship #StrangeFire #SpiritAndTruth #BiblicalLifeTV #KingdomIntelligenceBriefing #SpiritualWarfare #Holiness #ChristianWorship #BibleStudy #Remnant #MichaelLake

Welcome to Day 2924 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2924– “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best.” – Luke 10:38-42 Putnam Church Message – 08/02/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best.”   Last week, our message was “What About My Neighbor's Neighbor?” and we learned that we need to become the neighbor and get back to the basics: Love God, Love Neighbor, Show Mercy. Today, we continue with our thirtieth-second message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best.” Our core passage today is Luke 10:38-42, on page 1613 of your pew Bibles. At the Home of Martha and Mary 38 As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!” 41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one.[f] Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” Opening Prayer Father, we come before You today with grateful hearts, but also with honest hearts. We confess that we are often busy, distracted, worried, and upset about many things. We serve, but sometimes we serve with anxious hearts. We work, but sometimes our work pulls us away from the One we are working for. Lord Jesus, invite us again to sit at Your feet. Teach us that good things must never replace the best thing. Help us learn the difference between faithful service and frantic busyness, between loving hospitality and anxious striving, between doing for You and being with You. Holy Spirit, quiet our minds, soften our hearts, and help us hear the voice of Christ today. Amen. Introduction: Real People in Real Homes One of the endearing qualities of the Bible is its down-to-earth approach to life. The people in Scripture are not presented as plaster saints, polished statues, or untouchable heroes who never lose patience, never misunderstand, never get tired, and never say the wrong thing. They are real people. They have real homes, real families, real personalities, real frustrations, and real disagreements. Abraham gets afraid. Moses gets overwhelmed. David falls terribly. Elijah gets discouraged. Peter speaks too quickly. Thomas doubts. James and John want to call down fire. And Martha gets irritated with her sister in the kitchen. That is one reason the Bible speaks so deeply to us. It does not pretend life is neater than it is. I sometimes wonder if the people in the Bible knew their family moments would be preserved for centuries of readers around the world. If Martha and Mary had known that one brief household squabble would become one of the most famous family scenes in Christian history, they might have said, “Luke, could you please leave that part out?” But the Holy Spirit preserved this moment not to embarrass Martha or elevate Mary as though one sister is good, and the other is bad. This story is much wiser and much more gracious than that. Luke places this scene immediately after the parable of the Good Samaritan. Last week, in “What About My Neighbor's Neighbor?” we heard Jesus say, “Go and do the same.” We were reminded that mercy crosses the road. / Love sees need. / Mercy moves. / Grace sends. / That is important because we might now think, “Then Christianity is all about doing, serving, helping, feeding, bandaging, paying, visiting, giving, and going.” And yes, those things matter. / But now Luke gives us a balancing scene. /After showing us mercy in motion, Luke shows us worshipful attention. / After showing us the Samaritan crossing the road, Luke shows us Mary sitting at Jesus' feet. / After showing us love in action, Luke reminds us that action must flow from relationship. / The point of this passage is not that serving is bad and listening is good. The point is that even good service becomes disordered when it pulls us away from Jesus. Today's message title is: “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best.” And the central truth is this: Jesus does not call us away from service; He calls us to serve from the strength of being with Him. Our passage is Luke 10:38–42 in the New Living Translation. Jesus and His disciples enter a village, and Martha welcomes Him into her home. Her sister Mary sits at the Lord's feet, listening to what He teaches. Martha becomes distracted by the preparations and asks Jesus to tell Mary to help her. But Jesus answers with compassion, saying, “My Dear Martha,” and then tells her that she is worried and upset over many things, but only one thing is truly necessary. Mary has chosen what is best, and it will not be taken from her. We have four truths in our bulletin insert today to illustrate this lesson. Main Point 1: Martha Welcomed Jesus, But Busyness Pulled Her Away From Him Luke tells us that as Jesus and the disciples continued on their way, they came to a village where a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home. John's Gospel tells us that Martha, Mary, and their brother Lazarus lived in Bethany, a village near Jerusalem on the eastern slope of the Mount of Olives. Bethany was close enough for Jesus to travel into Jerusalem, yet far enough away to provide rest from the pressure of the city. This little home appears to have become a place of refuge for Jesus. In Luke 9, He set His face toward Jerusalem. He is moving toward the cross. Opposition is increasing. The road is heavy. And here, in Bethany, He is welcomed into a home. Do not miss the beauty of Martha's action. / Martha welcomed Jesus. / That was not a small thing. In the ancient Near East, hospitality was sacred. Travelers depended on the kindness of households. There were no modern hotels on every corner, no drive-through restaurants, no refrigerators full of leftovers, no grocery delivery service. To welcome guests meant real labor. Water had to be brought. Bread had to be prepared. Food had to be gathered, cooked, and served. Space had to be made. Hospitality was not merely social courtesy. It was a moral responsibility. / And Martha does it. She opens her home. She takes responsibility. She sees what needs to be done. Many of us should be thankful for Marthas. Every church needs people who notice what needs doing. Every family needs people who remember the details. Every ministry needs people who prepare, plan, cook, clean, organize, schedule, unlock doors, make coffee, set tables, print bulletins, and quietly keep things moving. Without Martha-like people, many good things would collapse. So, Martha's problem is not that she served. Her problem is that her service became a distraction. Luke says she was “distracted” by all the preparations. The word carries the idea of being pulled away, dragged in different directions. Martha is not simply busy. She is divided. Her attention is stretched thin. She is working for Jesus, but she is being pulled away from Jesus. / That can happen to us too. We can serve the Lord and slowly lose sight of the Lord. / We can work in the church and become irritated with the people in the church. / We can prepare meals, teach lessons, lead committees, visit the sick, give generously, and still grow resentful because the work has become disconnected from worship. Object Lesson: The Full Tray Imagine carrying a tray filled with cups of water. At first,...

We've made it! We are wrapping our final week in This Is the New Testament and our twelve week journey through the whole Bible. Scarlet Hiltibidal joins Raechel and Amanda to talk through the last seven books of the New Testament.Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 5 of She Reads Truth's This Is the New Testament reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our This Is the New Testament printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:Use code FAITH15 for 15% off the Faith in Practice collection at ShopSheReadsTruth.com.She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramScarlet Hiltibidal on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy

In this Episode of the Alex Marlow Show, Alex is joined by Lee Greenwood, the Country music icon. Lee opens up about his personal experiences and the inspiration behind his hit song, which has become an anthem for many Americans. He shares stories about his time in the music industry, from performing alongside Elvis to touring with the U.S.O. and supporting our troops. Lee also discusses his work with President Trump, including the time he performed at the Kennedy Center's America's 250th anniversary celebration, where he was joined by the President on stage. https://www.preborn.com/marlow See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What in life do you truly love? Perez Hilton's TikTok & Bibles. Spokane fire. "Behind Blue Eyes." Jeff Younger's son, transitioned by mother? Jesus & knowledge of the Bible.

A mix of behind-the-scenes website and server troubleshooting before moving into a wide-ranging conversation about UFO claims near the moon, a SpaceX rocket impact on the lunar surface, strange hexagonal patterns on Mars, AI replacing manual work, book digitization and rare book destruction, Canadian "hate incident" policing, and older political and media manipulation examples. Main Topics Covered 1) Website migration and AI workflow The hosts discuss moving their site to a cloud-based setup, initial downtime, and how AI tools are now capable of doing large administrative tasks like SEO audits and spreadsheet comparisons across an entire website. 2) Moon anomalies and UFO speculation The conversation turns to a reported study from Ukrainian astronomers claiming unusual objects near the moon, followed by debate over a SpaceX upper-stage impact, whether the moon "rang like a bell," and whether the timing of these events is suspicious. 3) Mars patterns and possible trace fossils The hosts look at hexagonal patterns on Mars and compare them to trace fossils on Earth, pushing back on the idea that every unusual formation is just "paradolia." 4) AI, books, and cultural memory A long segment focuses on book digitization, concerns about destroying originals after scanning, rare books, Bibles, occult texts, and the cultural value of preserving physical copies. 5) Canada's hate speech and policing debate The show shifts into Canadian politics, including police guidance on "hate-bias incidents," the expansion of non-criminal speech policing, and concerns about subjective enforcement. 6) Public sector, GDP, and the Canadian economy The hosts review statistics showing how much of Canada's economy depends on taxes, transfers, government jobs, and retirees, arguing that GDP can obscure the real productive base. 7) RFK Jr., DARPA, and AI-enabled bio risks A major discussion centers on biomedical research, gain-of-function concerns, DARPA's interest in AI-enabled bio threats, and the possibility that major AI companies now shape policy as much as governments do. 8) Historical political interference The episode closes with examples of foreign influence in elections, especially JFK-era pressure on Canadian politics, followed by broader reflections on media manipulation and political corruption.     To gain access to the second half of show and our Plus feed for audio and podcast please clink the link http://www.grimericaoutlawed.ca/support. 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I am personally familiar with flashbacks, and until I came to Christ, I did not know how to handle the torment these experiences would bring. The flashbacks from my childhood were related to the passing of my Dad when I was 10. In my teen years, I survived an attempted assault by a person I should have been able to trust. Both of those events happened before I was born again. Learning how God uses His Word to help us rescued me from years of torment. I finally found the help I needed. God's Word is a bottomless well of vital help, guidance, instruction, comfort, and correction. When it comes to flashbacks, we need all these things. This episode will give you a starter list of verses to turn to for help when you are wrestling with flashbacks of any kind. Whether your flashbacks are from grief, abuse, or some other form of trauma, God's Word is a source of healing.  Be sure to visit the Shop at Keep the Heart for books, Bible studies, beautiful Bibles, and more! NEW: Peace Beyond Panic: A Heavenly Perspective on Anxiety and Depression by Dr. John W. Vaprezsan Apply: Living What We Learn-A 31-Day Devotional by Francie Taylor FOR COUPLES: Rough Patches: Temporary Marital Tensions by Francie Taylor Vitamins for the Soul: A Study on Maintaining Spiritual Health by Kathy Ashley More Great Books at Keep the Heart Bible Studies at Keep the Heart Bibles & Gifts at Keep the Heart Support this podcast HERE Follow Keep the Heart on Instagram Like Keep the Heart on Facebook

Join us for Week 4 of This Is the New Testament! Raechel and Amanda are joined by Lydia Brownback to discuss 2 Timothy through James together. Together they ponder a simple but impactful question: Do we really believe that walking with Jesus is more rewarding than anything else? Open your Bibles with us this week! This episode corresponds to Week 4 of She Reads Truth's This Is the New Testament reading plan. You can read with the She Reads Truth community on our site, in our app, or with our This Is the New Testament printed or digital Daily Reading Guide.In this episode:She Reads Truth on Instagram & FacebookRaechel Myers on InstagramAmanda Bible Williams on InstagramLydia Brownback on Instagram*If you purchase something through our links, She Reads Truth may earn an affiliate commission.This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Magellan AI - https://docsend.com/view/5vdvbdx7cr4tikmyPodscribe - https://podscribe.com/privacy