Podcasts about Blaise Pascal

French mathematician, physicist, inventor, writer and Christian philosopher

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Blaise Pascal

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Best podcasts about Blaise Pascal

Latest podcast episodes about Blaise Pascal

God se Woord VARS vir jou Vandag
Volkome Gered

God se Woord VARS vir jou Vandag

Play Episode Listen Later May 20, 2026 3:05 Transcription Available


Send us Fan MailHebreërs 7:25 Daarom kan Hy ook dié wat deur Hom na God gaan, eens en vir altyd verlos: Hy lewe vir altyd om vir hulle by God in te tree. Daar is deesdae soveel slegte nuus. Diktators, oorloë, lyding, uitbuiting, misdaad. Dis regtig lelik, nè? So, wat doen ons? Ons kyk noord en ploeter voort op ons eenvoudige manier op soek na ons klein ou kolletjie onder die son. Maar sê-nou daar is meer in die lewe as dit?Blaise Pascal was 'n briljante 17de-eeuse Franse wiskundige, fisikus en uitvinder. Hy het groot bekendheid verwerf vir baie uitvindings, veral vir die een wat Pascal se Driehoek genoem word. Ten spyte van sy akademiese sukses, het hy met innerlike onrus, siekte en 'n gevoel van geestelike leegheid geworstel. Dit het alles verander op een nag toe hy 'n kragtige ontmoeting met Jesus gehad het.Hy het dit sy "nag van vuur" genoem. Hy het daardie nag die Teenwoordigheid van die lewende God ervaar. Hy het sy belewenis van daardie aand op 'n stukkie perkament neergeskryf en in sy jas gebêre - waar dit eers agt jaar ná sy dood, op die ouderdom van 39, gevind is. Daarop was geskryf: My God, my God, waarom het ek U verlaat? Mag ek nooit weer van U geskei wees nie.Hebreërs 7:25 Daarom kan Hy ook dié wat deur Hom na God gaan, eens en vir altyd verlos: Hy lewe vir altyd om vir hulle by God in te tree.Het jy al jou nag van vuur gehad? Het jy al van aangesig tot aangesig met Jesus, wat vir jou gesterf en weer opgestaan het, gekom? Miskien nie, of miskien het jy, maar dit lyk alles so ver verwyderd van die dinge wat op hierdie oomblik aan die gang is.My vriend, vandag het ek goeie nuus vir jou. In Christus het God jou ontsettend lief. In Christus kan jy gered word. In Christus kan jy vir ewig by God wees, want Jesus leef. Hy is gereed om jou te help wanneer jy Hom vra.Doen dit vandag. Doen dit nou. Wend jou tot Jesus.Dis God se Woord. Vars ... vir jou ... vandag.Support the showEnjoying The Content?For the price of a cup of coffee each month, you can enable Christianityworks to reach 10,000+ people with a message about the love of Jesus!DONATE R50 MONTHLY

Church at the Cross
The Lord is in this Place | Genesis 28

Church at the Cross

Play Episode Listen Later May 18, 2026 42:05


Scripture: Genesis 28 "From about half-past ten in the evening until about half-past twelve, FIRE. God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers and scholars. Certitude. Certitude. Feeling. Joy. Peace. God of Jesus Christ." – Blaise Pascal, November 23, 1654. + An Encounter with God is always by the Grace of GodI am the LORD God and I will be your God…  I will include you in my deepest purposes…  I will always be with you, and I will never give up on you…  Philippians 1:6 NIV+ An Encounter with God creates the Fear of GodJeremiah 10:7 NIV Psalm 112:1 NIV Jeremiah 5:22 NIV+ An Encounter with God leads to Transformation by God John 1:49–51 NIV 

St. Andrew's Church
Tim Winkler :: The Altar of the Unknown God

St. Andrew's Church

Play Episode Listen Later May 10, 2026 22:50


Bible StudyDon't just take our word for it . . . take His! We would encourage you to spend time examining the following Scriptures that shaped this sermon: Sermon OutlineBig IdeaHumanity was made for God, and every restless longing ultimately points to Christ. The Restless Human HeartIllustrationsAugustine of Hippo — “Our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”Blaise Pascal — “All men crave happiness.”Tom Brady — “There's got to be more than this.”TruthEarthly success and pleasure cannot satisfy the soul. Paul's Burden for AthensActs 17:16Paul was “provoked” by the city's idols.Deeply distressedMoved with compassionBurdened for lost soulsApplicationChristians should respond to a lost culture with truth, compassion, and gospel engagement.III. Paul at the AreopagusActs 17:22–23“To the unknown god”Paul uses their spiritual longing as a bridge to the gospel.Key InsightHumanity senses God exists but cannot truly know Him apart from revelation. The Message of the Areopagus Sermon God Is CreatorActs 17:24Creator of all thingsLord over heaven and earthNot confined to temples God Is Self-SufficientActs 17:25Needs nothing from mankindGives life and breath to all God Is SovereignActs 17:26Rules over nations and historyHumanity shares one origin Humanity Was Made for GodActs 17:27Humanity longs for HimGod is not far away Idolatry Distorts TruthActs 17:29God cannot be reduced to idolsFalse worship blinds the heart The Gospel Demands RepentanceActs 17:30–31God commands repentanceJudgment is comingChrist's resurrection proves His authority Paul's Method: Contextualizing the GospelActs 17:28Paul quotes Greek poets to connect with his audience.DefinitionContextualizing the gospel means explaining unchanging truth in understandable ways without changing the message itself. ApplicationsFor Believers2 Corinthians 5:20“We are ambassadors for Christ.”Engage culture faithfullySpeak truth with compassionShare the gospel boldlyFor UnbelieversRepentance is:Turning from sinTurning toward God in faith and surrenderPromise of the GospelRest for the soulForgivenessJoy in ChristEternal lifeClosing TruthHumanity was made for GodIdols cannot satisfyChrist alone brings rest to the restless soulStudy QuestionsWhy do you think Augustine's quote about the restless heart still resonates today?What are some modern idols people pursue in place of God?What does it mean that Paul was “provoked” by the idols in Athens?How did Paul balance truth and compassion in engaging a pagan culture?Why is the altar “to the unknown god” so significant?What does Paul teach about the nature of God in verses 24–27?What is the difference between contextualizing the gospel and compromising the gospel?Why is repentance essential to the Christian message?How does the resurrection validate Jesus' authority?What practical ways can Christians serve as ambassadors for Christ in today's culture?Questions?Do you have a question about today's sermon? Email Tim Winkler ().

Baleine sous Gravillon - Petit Poisson deviendra Podcast
Mécaniques du vivant, saison 6 : Les constructions ingénieuses

Baleine sous Gravillon - Petit Poisson deviendra Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later May 7, 2026 1:16


Pour écouter cette série complète de Mécaniques du Vivant : https://bit.ly/France-Culture-MDV.NB : la totalité des 8 séries n'est dispo que sur l'appli Radio France.___Après la domestication, Marc Mortelmans nous embarque dans une 6ᵉ saison de la collection de podcasts "Mécaniques du vivant" et explore avec nous les constructions les plus ingénieuses du vivant, qui assurent l'alimentation, la sauvegarde et reproduction de certaines espèces.Vous allez découvrir la différence entre ces espèces qui sécrètent une partie de leur propre corps, et celles qui utilisent des matériaux extérieurs pour se bâtir un abri, un nid, un piège ou une œuvre d'art pour une partenaire. Quels sont les mécanismes qui permettent à de tout petits animaux comme les termites de bâtir des cathédrales climatisées, sans plan ni vision d'ensemble, sans architecte en chef ? Comment certaines de ces espèces, comme le castor, surnommées "ingénieures", créent des oasis de vie et de diversité simplement en existant ?Aux côtés de Bruno Corbara, maître de conférences à l'université Blaise-Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand où il enseigne l'éthologie et l'écologie comportementale, Marc Mortelmans nous raconte les processus de construction des habitats des espèces les plus ingénieuses.___

Leben ist mehr
Ein Hoch auf das Leben

Leben ist mehr

Play Episode Listen Later May 4, 2026 4:36


Auch nach fast 22 Jahren ist mir noch das Gefühl präsent, wie ich zum ersten Mal unseren kleinen Sohn gesehen habe. Plötzlich verschaffte sich ein eigenständiges Geschöpf Gehör. In der Theorie hätte ich das zwar schon vorher beschreiben können, aber es zu erleben, veränderte meine Sicht auf den unendlichen Wert des Lebens.Der kleine Körper des Menschen ist gemessen am Universum nur ein winziges Stäubchen. Einerseits leicht zerbrechlich, sind wir andererseits etwas Großartiges. Blaise Pascal, ein führender Denker im 17. Jahrhundert, formulierte in seinen Pensées (= Gedanken) viele Erkenntnisse zum Menschsein, mit denen er seinen persönlichen Glauben an Jesus Christus begründete. Im vierten Artikel (Allgemeine Erkenntnis des Menschen) argumentiert er:Der Mensch ist nur ein sehr schwaches Schilfrohr der Natur, aber es ist ein denkendes Schilfrohr. Das ganze Universum braucht sich nicht zu waffnen, ihn zu zermalmen. Etwas Dampf, ein Tropfen Wasser genügt, ihn zu töten. Aber wenn das Universum ihn zermalmt, ist der Mensch doch viel edler als das, was ihn tötet, denn er weiß, dass er stirbt. Welchen Vorzug das Universum auch vor ihm hat, es weiß nichts davon.Leben ist also nicht nur auf unsere biologische Existenz beschränkt. Wir sind nach dem Bild Gott geschaffen und besitzen deshalb auch ein geistiges Leben. Wir haben Selbstbewusstsein und sind mit einem moralischen Kompass ausgestattet. Wir können über das Leben, unsere Herkunft und unsere Ziele nachdenken. Außerdem existiert Leben nur in Beziehung und Gesellschaft, in Bewegung und im Wechselspiel. Diese große Würde gibt Gott, der Schöpfer, seinen »kleinen Rohrstäben«! Wir sind kein Unfall oder Zufall, sondern eine große Kostbarkeit, die einen Beschützer, Leiter und Helfer braucht.Winfried ElterDiese und viele weitere Andachten online lesenWeitere Informationen zu »Leben ist mehr« erhalten Sie unter www.lebenistmehr.de

Wakker worden met Janneke van der Meulen
Alle ellende van de mens komt voort uit het onvermogen om stil te zitten. Stephanie Simons neemt je mee de bergen in voor diepe rust en inzichten

Wakker worden met Janneke van der Meulen

Play Episode Listen Later May 1, 2026 76:43


13 mei Brabant 24-28 juni 2026 Dolomieten  Check: https://stephaniesimons.plugandpay.com/full-circle  Blaise Pascal schreef het al in 1654: "Tout le malheur des hommes vient d'une seule chose, qui est de ne savoir pas demeurer en repos dans une chambre." Alle ellende van de mens komt voort uit het onvermogen om stil te zitten. Maar in Nederland, door de rat race, de druk van de hypotheek en de torenhoge kosten zijn we noodgedwongen een soort van human doing geworden. Sommigen zeggen dat we genetisch geprogrammeerd zijn om te werken, te gehoorzamen, te produceren. Of dat nu de Anunnaki waren of gewoon het kapitalisme, het resultaat is hetzelfde: een opgefokt volkje dat vooral DOET en zelden nog in stilte ÍS. Niet zo lang geleden opende ik een blog met de zin: de meeste mensen krijgen nog liever een stroomschok dan dat ze 15 minuten met zichzelf in een stille kamer moeten zitten. Niet zelf verzonnen. Dat bleek uit onderzoek. Terwijl het goud ligt bij durven te lummelen. Waarom? Als je niets doet, activeert je brein een heel specifiek netwerk: het Default Mode Network (DMN). Dit is het netwerk dat aanspringt bij dagdromen, nadenken over jezelf en het verwerken van ervaringen. Onderzoek toont aan dat het DMN cruciaal is voor: Zelfreflectie. Wie ben ik, wat wil ik echt? Creatieve inzichten. De "aha-momenten" die komen als je níét focust. Toekomstprojectie. Je voorstellen hoe je leven eruit zou kunnen zien. Maar we leven in een wereld van constante prikkels, constante social media, constante to-do lijsten en constante stress. En daardoor onderdrukken we collectief, constant, het DMN. Resultaat: je brein komt nooit toe aan zijn diepste werk. Je ZIJN ook niet. Gevolg: mensen hebben op hun sterfbed spijt dat ze niet vaker hebben gedaan wat ze nou écht wilden. In the heat of the moment merk je dat niet zo, want drukte is een van de meest sociaal geaccepteerde vormen van het vermijden van ongemakkelijke emoties. Wie druk is, hoeft niet te voelen. Daarom zijn we zo bizar bang voor stilte. Daarom hebben we nooit tijd om zonder telefoon in de natuur te zijn. Wat onwijs zonde is. Ga roeien, zou ik zeggen.

Talkingbird
Blaise Pascal: Addressing the Cultured Despisers of Religion — Graham Tomlin

Talkingbird

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 29, 2026 38:00


A talk from the 2026 Mockingbird Conference in NYC, Wow to the Deadness: Wonder for the Weary. April 25, 2026. Property of Mockingbird Ministries, all rights reserved (www.mbird.com).

Outside Ourselves
Blaise Pascal: Faith, the Self, and Our Modern World with Graham Tomlin

Outside Ourselves

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 14, 2026 47:33


Graham Tomlin joins Kelsi to discuss the influence and faith of 17th-century polymath, Blaise Pascal, based on Tomlin's most recent book, "Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World." The two discuss his similarities and differences with Martin Luther, his views of 17th-century French society (and how this culture offers many lessons for our modern world), and his contributions to Christian apologetics. Graham is the editor-in-Chief of Seen & Unseen, and a former Bishop of Kensington. He is a regular contributor to national publications and has written many books and articles, both academic and more popular. He founded the Centre for Cultural Witness, home to Seen & Unseen, in 2023. He taught theology within Oxford University for many years before founding St. Mellitus College.Show Notes:⁠⁠⁠Support 1517 Podcast Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 on Youtube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Events Schedule⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠1517 Academy - Free Theological Education⁠⁠⁠More from Kelsi:⁠⁠⁠Kelsi Klembara⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Kelsi on Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Kelsi's Substack⁠⁠⁠Subscribe to the Show:⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Youtube⁠⁠⁠More from Graham: Order Blaise Pascal:The Man Who Made the Modern WorldSeen & UnseenGraham's Substack

Choses à Savoir
Pourquoi l'expression "Le cœur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît point" n'a rien à voir avec l'amour ?

Choses à Savoir

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 12, 2026 2:07


On l'utilise souvent pour parler d'amour, pour justifier un choix irrationnel ou une passion incompréhensible. Pourtant, la célèbre formule « Le cœur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît point » ne parle pas du tout de sentiments amoureux. Et c'est même presque l'inverse.Cette phrase vient des Pensées de Blaise Pascal, philosophe et mathématicien du XVIIe siècle. Chez lui, le mot “cœur” ne désigne pas l'émotion romantique, mais une forme de connaissance intuitive, profonde, presque spirituelle. Pascal distingue deux façons d'accéder à la vérité : la raison, qui passe par le raisonnement logique et les preuves, et le cœur, qui relève de l'intuition immédiate.Quand il écrit cette phrase, Pascal parle en réalité de la foi. Pour lui, l'existence de Dieu ne peut pas être démontrée de manière strictement rationnelle. Elle se “sent”, elle se saisit par une conviction intérieure. Le cœur, dans ce contexte, est donc un organe de connaissance, pas un siège d'émotions amoureuses.C'est là toute la subtilité — et toute la confusion moderne. Nous lisons aujourd'hui le mot “cœur” avec notre sens contemporain, chargé d'affect et de romantisme. Mais au XVIIe siècle, le terme renvoie davantage à l'intuition, à une forme d'évidence intérieure qui échappe à la démonstration scientifique.D'ailleurs, la phrase elle-même est construite de manière très précise. Pascal joue sur une figure de style appelée diaphore, ou plus précisément une antanaclase : le mot “raison” apparaît deux fois, mais avec deux sens différents. D'un côté, “les raisons du cœur” désignent des motifs, des justifications internes. De l'autre, “la raison” renvoie à la faculté logique, rationnelle. Autrement dit, il oppose deux formes de “raisonner” : l'une intuitive, l'autre analytique.Ce glissement de sens explique pourquoi la citation a été détournée. Elle est devenue une formule pratique pour excuser des décisions émotionnelles, notamment en amour. Mais chez Pascal, il ne s'agit pas de dire que l'amour échappe à la logique. Il s'agit de dire que certaines vérités fondamentales — comme la foi — ne relèvent pas de la démonstration rationnelle.En résumé, cette phrase ne célèbre pas l'irrationalité des sentiments. Elle propose une réflexion beaucoup plus profonde : il existe des formes de connaissance que la logique ne peut pas atteindre. Et c'est précisément dans cet espace, entre raison et intuition, que Pascal place l'expérience religieuse.Autrement dit, si le cœur a ses raisons… ce n'est pas pour aimer, mais pour croire. Hébergé par Acast. Visitez acast.com/privacy pour plus d'informations.

Les chemins de la philosophie
Pascal : grandeur et misère : Le moi existe-t-il ?

Les chemins de la philosophie

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 58:11


durée : 00:58:11 - Avec philosophie - par : Géraldine Mosna-Savoye, Nassim El Kabli - Le "moi" est-il une réalité stable ou une illusion ? Dans ses "Pensées", Blaise Pascal remet en question l'existence d'un moi véritable : il échappe à toute saisie claire. Entre apparence, amour-propre et instabilité, il invite à douter de ce que nous croyons être notre identité. - réalisation : Nicolas Berger - invités : Laurence Devillairs Philosophe; Hélène Michon Agrégée de lettres, maître de conférences à l'université de Tours, elle enseigne la littérature du XVIIe siècle.

Skravleklassen
Endetiden

Skravleklassen

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 7, 2026 80:56


I denne episoden får Anders og Sturla besøk av hipsterpresten Benjamin, en prest som bryter med de fleste fordommer om hvordan en teolog skal se ut og snakke. Med utgangspunkt i Benjamins ferske forberedelser til palmesøndag, graver vi oss ned i de store spørsmålene: Er vi i apokalypsen nå? Vi diskuterer Johannes’ åpenbaring, Trump, Netanyahu og "dyrets merke" – er det staffasje eller alvor? Pascals veddemål 2.0: Sturla bringer den franske matematikeren Blaise Pascal til bordet. Er troen en helgardering for evigheten, eller en "commitment device" som gjør oss til bedre mennesker her og nå? Jesus som antirasist og provokatør: Vi ser nærmere på fortellingene om kvinnen ved brønnen og den besatte Legion. Var Jesus egentlig en strategisk kommunikatør som brukte lignelser for å unngå å bli "låst" i fremtidige ideologier? Demonutdrivelse vs. psykiatri: Fra Evangeliesenterets lavkirkelige praksis til Vatikanets sjefseksorsist – kan konseptet om "Satan" fungere som en nyttig psykologisk lynavleder i konflikter? Høydepunkter i episoden: [00:01:00] Teologi møter Oxford: Vi introduserer dagens gjest, en mann som kombinerer akademisk tyngde fra Oxford med en stil som minner mer om en hockeystjerne enn en tradisjonell prest. [00:03:00] Er vi i apokalypsen nå? Om Johannes’ åpenbaring, Trump, Netanyahu og "dyrets merke". Er endetidstegnene bare staffasje, eller ser vi lidelsen i verden på en ny måte i dag? [00:09:00] Apologetikkens fallgruver: Sturla deler sine erfaringer fra Evangeliesenteret og skepsisen til de som prøver å "bevise" Gud gjennom intellektuell krigføring mot ateister som Sam Harris. [00:11:30] Pascals veddemål: En dypdykk i Blaise Pascals filosofi. Er troen en helgardering for evigheten, eller en "commitment device" som tvinger oss til å leve bedre liv her og nå? [00:27:00] Hva ville Jesus gjort? Vi diskuterer Israel-Palestina-konflikten og hvordan den jødisk-kristne endetidsvisjonen ofte blir misbrukt politisk. [00:30:30] Jesus som strategisk kommunikatør: Hvorfor snakket Jesus i lignelser? Var det en bevisst strategi for å unngå at ordene hans ble "låst" til kjipe ideologier som fascisme og nazisme? [00:42:30] Kvinnen ved brønnen og mannshistorien: Hvordan mannlige prester i 2000 år har stemplet en bibelsk kvinne som prostituert uten belegg, og hvordan moderne forskning endrer narrativet. [00:46:30] Demonutdrivelse på lukket avdeling: Historien om Legion og grisene. Er onde ånder en realitet, eller en 2000 år gammel metafor for psykose og utenforskap? [00:58:30] Satan som lynavleder: Kan det å eksternalisere skyld til "Satan" faktisk ha en positiv psykologisk effekt i personkonflikter og rusomsorg? [01:08:30] Oppgjøret med gutteklubben: Benjamin utfordrer vertene på deres møte med kvinnelige gjester og kirkens mørke historie med overgrep. Trenger vi en ny samtale om mannskultur og ansvar? "Hjertet har en forstand som forstanden ikke forstår." – En samtale for deg med skrøpelig kjød og en (forhåpentligvis) villig ånd.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Les chemins de la philosophie
Pascal : grandeur et misère 1/1 : Le cœur, plus fort que la raison

Les chemins de la philosophie

Play Episode Listen Later Apr 6, 2026 59:13


durée : 00:59:13 - Avec philosophie - par : Géraldine Mosna-Savoye, Nassim El Kabli - “Le cœur a ses raisons que la raison ne connaît point”. L'adage est célèbre, il est de Blaise Pascal. Mais que nous dit vraiment le philosophe du XVIIème siècle du rôle du cœur et de celui de la raison ? Sont-ils incompatibles ? - réalisation : Nicolas Berger - invités : Pierre Guenancia Professeur émérite de philosophie spécialisé en histoire de la philosophie moderne à l'université de Bourgogne

CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS
He is Good | The Death of Jesus | Mark 15:16-47 | Coleton Segars

CHRIST COMMUNITY CHURCH MEMPHIS

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 30, 2026 43:53


The Death of Jesus Coleton begins by grounding this moment in something deeply human: watching someone die changes you. He shares the memory of watching his grandfather pass away—the sights, the sounds, the emotions—and how it stayed with him. That kind of moment doesn't fade; it marks you. That's exactly what happens to the Roman centurion in this passage. He watches Jesus die, and it changes everything. For the first time in the Gospel account, a human being—an unlikely one at that—declares: “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39) Up to this point, only God Himself has called Jesus His Son. Now a hardened Roman soldier sees it—and worships. Coleton's main idea: we are meant to be marked by the death of Jesus in the same way. And to help us see that, he draws out three realities revealed in Jesus' death. 1. God is Demonstrating His Love for Us What We See in the Text Coleton points to verses 16–32, where Jesus is: Mocked Beaten Spit on Lied about Crucified Insulted even while dying And who is doing this? Religious leaders (hypocrites) Soldiers (abusers) Criminals (rebels) Bystanders (mockers) His own executioners These are the people Jesus is dying for. “Christ died for the ungodly… While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:6–8) “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one's life for one's friends.” (John 15:13) Coleton's Main Point This is not just Jesus being loving—this is God demonstrating His love. God is showing, in the clearest possible way, what He feels about sinners—not after they clean themselves up, but while they are still broken, rebellious, and undeserving. Application You do not have to earn God's love. His love is not based on your behavior—it cannot be, or the cross makes no sense. He already loves you at your worst. Coleton presses into a common lie: We often believe God doesn't really love us. He traces this lie through Scripture: Genesis – The serpent convinces Adam and Eve that God is holding out on them. Numbers – Israel believes God is trying to harm them, not bless them. The Rich Young Ruler – He walks away from Jesus, not trusting His love. In every case, distrusting God's love leads to missing life. Key Insight The cross is meant to be a permanent marker in your life: God loves you this much. So when God leads, commands, or corrects—it is always coming from love, not control or cruelty. 2. God is Being Incredibly Merciful to Us What We See in the Text (vv. 33–37) Darkness covers the land Jesus cries out: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus breathes His last These are not random მოვლენ—they are loaded with meaning. Coleton Connects This to the Bigger Story Exile from God's Presence In Genesis, sin leads to exile. Here, Jesus experiences that exile: “Why have you forsaken me?” Judgment Through Darkness In Exodus, darkness was a plague of judgment. Now darkness falls again—this time as Jesus bears judgment. The Bronze Serpent (Numbers 21:6–9) People sinned → were bitten → dying God said: Look at the symbol of judgment lifted up, and live Jesus connects this to Himself: “Just as Moses lifted up the snake… so the Son of Man must be lifted up…” (John 3:14–18) Coleton's Main Point Jesus is taking the full judgment and punishment for sin. Not part of it. Not most of it. All of it. Application Most Christians say: “Jesus died for my sins.” But Coleton challenges: we don't live like we believe that. We still think: “God is punishing me for that mistake.” “This bad thing happened because I sinned.” “I'm not sure God will forgive me this time.” But Coleton makes it clear: God already punished sin—fully—in Jesus. There is nothing left for you to pay. Quotes to Drive This Home “He lives for this… When you come to Christ for mercy… you are going with the flow of His deepest wishes.” — Dane Ortlund “I am a sinner… but my Savior has died for all my sins… His blood is sufficient.” — (Martin Luther, paraphrased) Key Insight Jesus is not reluctant to forgive you. He is eager. He went to the cross for this exact purpose. Coming to Him for forgiveness isn't bothering Him—it's receiving what He paid for. 3. God is Inviting Us Back Into His Presence What We See in the Text (vv. 37–38) “The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom.” What This Means That curtain represented separation: In Genesis, humanity is shut out of Eden In the Temple, God's presence is restricted behind a veil Only the high priest could enter—once a year But now? God tears the curtain Himself. “This was God's way of saying… the way is now open to approach Me.” — Timothy Keller Coleton's Main Point Through Jesus' death, God is inviting us back into His presence. The barrier is gone. The separation is over. The relationship is restored. Why This Matters Coleton explains: what we're really looking for in life is God Himself. He uses Blaise Pascal's insight: “All men seek happiness… but the infinite abyss can only be filled by God Himself.” We chase: Success Relationships Comfort Pleasure But none of it satisfies—because we were made for God's presence. Key Insight The torn curtain is God saying: “Everything you've been searching for is found in Me.” Conclusion: What Will You Do With This? Coleton brings it home with three diagnostic questions: Do you struggle to believe God truly loves you? Do you doubt that He could fully forgive you? Are you still trying to find life apart from Him? The cross answers all three: You are deeply loved You are fully forgiven You are invited in Now the question is: Will you receive it? Discipleship Group Questions Why do you think it's so hard for people (including yourself) to truly believe that God loves them? In what ways do you still act like you have to “pay” for your sin instead of trusting that Jesus already did? Which of the three truths (God's love, God's mercy, God's invitation) do you struggle to live in the most—and why? How does the image of the curtain being torn change the way you think about approaching God? What would it practically look like this week to “live marked” by the death of Jesus? Culture of Gospel Share this with someone in your life who doesn't know Jesus At the cross, Jesus willingly took the punishment we deserve and offered us the love we've been searching for our whole lives—proving that God isn't against us, but closer than we ever imagined.  

Sermons - Mill City Church

Group Guide Use this guide to help your group discussion as you meet this week. TranscriptGood morning. Good morning. My name is Mike. I'm an elder in training here. Today is Palm Sunday. So we're taking a break from first and Second Samuel, the series we've been doing there. And we're going to be in the Gospel According to John. This is the Sunday before Easter, and this is the time we commemorate Jesus entry into Jerusalem. Palm Sunday marks the beginning of the final week of Jesus life. Most of the Gospel accounts actually move pretty quickly from his entry into Jerusalem up to his death on the cross. But John is different. In the Gospel of John, the first 11 chapters are about Jesus life leading up to his final week on the earth. The next eight chapters are about his final week of life leading up to his death. So John really slows way down to capture some intimate moments in the life of Jesus. In fact, chapters 13 through 17 are all an account of his last night with his disciples. And so try to put yourself in that moment where you as a disciple, you've left behind your profession, you've left behind your possessions, and you've been living your daily life now with Jesus for several years. And things are starting to shift. Things are getting a little bit emotional, things are getting a little bit intense. And you can feel a sort of heaviness almost in the air. And that's what we're jumping into today. We're stepping into Jesus final conversation with his disciples before the cross. And Jesus knows he's going to die. And what we're going to read is what he chooses to communicate to his closest followers before his death. We're going to pick up today in John chapter 14. This is on page 525 in your blue Bibles. I would encourage you to follow or follow along there. If you, if you don't have a Bible, you can use that. We're going to begin in verse one. But before we do, I am going to pray because I need help. Father, we come before you now as your children, excited to hear from you and from your word. And I stand up here as a desperate man, but I know that you're the God of desperate people. Please help me this morning to forget myself and to teach people about you. In Jesus name, Amen. I'm going to pick up in verse one of chapter 14, follow along with me.> Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me.> In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?> And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.> And you know the way to where I am going.> Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"> Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.> If you had known me, you would have known my Father also. From now on you do know him and have seen him." (John 14:1–7, ESV)All right. He starts out by saying, let not your hearts be troubled. That is to say, don't worry. Don't let your heart be anxious. Well, why is he telling them not to worry? In the context of this passage, if you go back to chapter 13, he actually says some really heavy things to them, things that would really shake them. Chapter 13 and verse 21, he tells them that one of them is going to betray him. In verse 33, he tells them he's leaving, and they can't follow, at least not immediately. And in verse 38, he looks at Peter and says, you're going to deny me? Now? Imagine being in that room. Imagine sort of going along together, business as usual. And then one night, you sit down for dinner, and all of that comes out. Oh, think of it like us having family meeting, right? We're singing, we're playing games. We're having a great time together, thinking about all the things that God has done. We're there to celebrate togetherness. And Chet hops up and says, we're planning a church. Mike and Isaac are going, and some of you need to go. And it's like whiplash. Oh, no. We were here for togetherness. And so in some sense, I think there's a feeling in this room where he's telling them all these things that they're going to do or that they're going to be without him. And I think there's a heavy, heavy weight on their shoulders. I think their thoughts are racing, their minds are racing. They're thinking things like betrayal, you're going to leave. Peter is going to just cast you aside, huh? And I think the intensity kind of rings through. And I think if we were sort of in that moment, too, and someone was telling us that's what we'd experience, we would feel that weight as well.So Jesus knows that when hearing this, the disciples would just naturally be anxious. And he says, don't worry. How? Believe in God, believe also in me. And there's two things I think we learned from his response here. One is that Jesus actually contrasts fear with belief. Why because often our anxiety is rooted in untruths, in misunderstandings, in disordered thinking. And how you deal with fear and anxiety is you reorient your mind to what is true. But it's not enough to just reorient your mind to anything. It actually has to be something that's true. Matthew Henry, in his commentary on John, says, the joy of faith is the best remedy against the griefs of sense. So that joy, the joy that comes with faith in God, stands in direct opposition to the pain of our existence. And no matter what life you've lived, you either have experienced or will experience the pain that comes with being human or on this earth. Maybe it shows itself for you in sickness or maybe in toil, maybe in labor, maybe in fractured relationships. Or maybe, like the disciples, it's the impending loss of someone you deeply care about, or the fact that, like Peter, you're about to do something awful to another person, a person that you love, no matter what it is, that makes you anxious. Jesus says, believe in God, believe also in Me. And that's what separates Christianity from the other religions. It's not believe in yourself. It's not buckle down and get through it. It's not serve God better so he'll bless you more. It's believe in God, believe be in relationship with him, and throughout a lifetime of knowing him, be slowly changed to be more like Jesus. There is hope for the anxious heart. There is hope for those dealing with trials, and it's coming from the relationship with Christ.The second thing that we see here is when he says, believe in God, believe also in me, is that he's linking himself with. With God. And this is actually some foreshadowing of what he's going to say later on. But, guys, this is serious. And I think if you've been around the church maybe for a while, you're probably so used to hearing things like this, you know, yes, Jesus is God, that you may not really flinch when you hear it. However, this was an absurd and outlandish statement. How would the Jewish men who are sitting there with him feel? It would be almost to them, like someone saying, well, I played quarterback in high school, so I should be considered alongside Tom Brady. I acted in a middle school play, so I'm expecting an invitation to this year's Oscars. Or maybe me just walking up here and saying, well, hey, we're going to go plant a church. And those of you coming with me, you don't have to worry because I'll do all the work for us. I'll Guide us. I'll lead us. Put your trust in me. I have got this. I think that some of you, even knowing that those are illustrations, would probably recoil a little bit inside at someone getting up there and doing something like that. Just know that if that was something you're a little bit sensitive to, the Jews would be way more sensitive to something like this. They were extremely sensitive to blasphemy, which is claiming to be God, and rightfully so. This was actually, in their. In their law, punishable by death. So him saying, believe in God and believe in me is saying that he is God. And that's a big deal that is included here for us by John because he says later in his book that he is writing so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in believing you may have life in his name. So John wants to communicate to us that Jesus is God. And he records this claim that Jesus himself makes when he says, believe in God, believe also in Me. And can I tell you actually how great of a thing that is? Because if a church planter or a spiritual leader or a political leader or whoever gets up and tries to act like he is on par with God, run away from that person, he will only let you down. But Jesus, God the Son, perfect in all his attributes, will never. For whoever believes in him will not be disappointed. And to those of you in this room who hold positions of spiritual leadership, pastors, group leaders, church planners, Baptist convention workers, kid city teachers, Sunday school teachers, right people follow you as you follow Christ. Do not lose sight of him on this journey. So Jesus is saying, don't be afraid of the things to come. Instead, believe in God and believe in Me.Let's pick up in verse two.> In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you?> And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also.> And you know the way to where I am going. (John 14:2–4, ESV)So remember, this ties back to chapter 13, where he's telling them he's going away. The disciples love Jesus and they're concerned because they don't know where he'll be. And he tells them that he'll be in heaven. Now, he doesn't say that to them directly. The metaphor he uses is a house with many rooms. He says, in my Father's house there are many rooms. And this is a beautiful thing to believe that in the Father's house, Heaven, there is room for every disciple. And of course, this is encouraging to the disciples that he is speaking with, but it's also encouraging to the disciples that are reading this in 2026 that the father has room for all of his children. And some of you are excited about that because, you know, it kind of just sounds great. But for some of you, it's probably a little bit different because maybe here on earth, someone did not have room for you. Maybe schoolmates or neighbors, or maybe your actual family. But here, Jesus makes a promise that rests on the gracious love of God, and that is that for his disciples, for his children, there is always room. You'll hear some version of this in the world today, but they'll tell you that you have to group up with people who are like you, who can relate to you, who accept you. But in the Father's house, all of us who believe in Jesus are grouped together and we're all equal. Equal in being undeserving. But because of Jesus, there is room for us all. And we talk like this here. Sometimes we say things like, well, we're going to multiply. We're going to multiply groups to make more room for people. Even though there's some sadness, right, that comes with leaving behind the people that we grow to love. There's excitement in being able to welcome people into the family. But there is going to come a day where we will be in the Father's house, and there is space for all of his children there. And Jesus says, that's where I'm going. And the reason I'm going is to prepare that place, and one day you're going to come and be with me there. And then he says, okay, you know the way to where I am going.Thomas responds in verse five, Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way? So Jesus is talking about heaven, and they don't really seem to get it. And Thomas speaks up and says, well, we don't know where you're going, so how can we get there? And if you're sitting there with them and you didn't realize he was talking about heaven, well, you might be wondering the same thing. I don't know. Maybe they were thinking geographically. Is he going up to Samaria? Is he going back to Galilee? Are we supposed to take 20 or 26? Is it faster to go over the dam? I don't know. It depends on the time of day. It depends on the day of the week, and it depends on the month of the year. And the disciples don't often follow exactly what Jesus is trying to communicate. But Jesus answers him. He answers him.> Thomas said to him, "Lord, we do not know where you are going. How can we know the way?"> Jesus said to him, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me." (John 14:5–6, ESV)So Thomas asks them, how can we know the way? And Jesus says, I am the way, the truth and the life. And this is a classic interaction of God and man, where man is so locked into his own world. What he knows, what he can see, what he can perceive, what he can touch, taste, what he can feel. And Jesus responds from his perspective, his supernatural perspective, by saying that he is the way. If you want to go to the Father's house, you don't have to go north and then turn at the right spot. You go through him, through Jesus. In other passages of scripture, like First Timothy, we read that there is one God and there is one mediator between God and men. The man Christ Jesus, who gave himself a ransom for all. Jesus is the way to God. And this is turning the minds of men upside down, that they would need to get access to God not by a certain task that they perform, but by a relationship with Jesus. But he's not just the way, he's also the truth.> And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:14, ESV)> Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17, ESV)The Word is truth. Jesus is the Word made flesh. Jesus is the truth. He's truth right in front of them. But truth about what reality? That in six days God created the world. And on the seventh, he looked over it and said that it was good. He's the truth about humanity, that they were perfect and how they were created and their desire to elevate themselves to the level of creator. God corrupted them, introduced sin, and brought on them a curse called death. He's the truth about eternity, that those in sin are destined to be forever separated from God. He's the truth about hope. That one day, through the line of David, a suffering servant would become king and reign in peace and righteousness. He is the way. He is the truth. He is the life.> For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16, ESV)> Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die." (John 11:25–26, ESV)Believing in Jesus is life. He is the way, the truth, and the life. And each of those on their own is incredible, but they do almost connect in some way. If he's the way to God, he must be true. God does not lie. If he is the way to God, he must be the life, because God does not die. And God, it must be true, because he does not lie. And if you see him, you've seen the Father. And so he claims to be both equal with the Father and the only way to access the Father.After hearing all of that, Philip has a request.> Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us."> Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?> Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works.> Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves." (John 14:8–11, ESV)All right, so hereafter, hearing Thomas question, Philip sort of exclaims, show us the Father and it will be enough for us. We just need to see the Father with our eyes and we will be good. And Jesus rebukes him and he challenges him, asking, how can you say, to show us the Father? Don't you believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? And I think this is another thing where if you grow up around the church or in Christianity, you might be tempted to read it and say, boy, how could Philip be so dumb? I mean, this is so clear, right? And, you know, maybe we would have picked up on this, right? Maybe, maybe not. But the problem here is actually not about hearing or comprehension. And it's not that Philip just needs to get his ears checked or practice his social skills and do some reflective listening exercises. The problem is deeper than that. And it's actually in some way similar to the problem with Thomas's question. It puts too much reliance on the natural and it misses the supernatural. And this is actually deep within all of us, that idea that if we could just see it with our eyes, and it would be so much easier to believe that if God could just tell Us the next step, to take what job, to accept, where to live. It would be so much better for us. And we do what Philip does. We say, do that Lord, and oh, it'll be enough. We won't have any more doubts, we won't have any more struggles. We won't worry. We'll believe anything God says and do anything he wants us to, as long as he just shows us what we need to see. It is that easy. But that is not the system that he has created. He has created man to take what he says in faith, not always being able to prove things. And if you're wondering why he would do it that way, consider this. Consider the ability to know all things and to see all possible ways forward. And how everything on this earth connects together is such a powerful and and weighty thing that there is only one being in the universe who can handle it, and it is not you. If you do not have to exercise faith in God, but could see everything played out, it probably would go one of two ways. One is it might just overwhelm you to the point where you would be crippled because some of you have a hard time choosing what soap to buy when you walk down the aisle in Walmart and see 100 different soaps. The other is it would cause you to rely on yourself, on what you've experienced, on what you've seen, instead of your relationship with Christ. And some of you already struggle with that. You rely on your human experience, on the jobs you've worked or the events you've hosted. And if you and Philip could just see God, that would be enough for you. And how does Jesus respond to that? Have I been with you so long and you still don't know me? Right back to the relationship to knowing Jesus is knowing the Father, that the more you get to know him, the more you realize you don't have to see anything. And that your heart and mind are guarded by his love, not your ability to anticipate all outcomes or understand all the workings of the world. And that out of that heart that's deeply connected in relationship with Christ, you can say that> Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. (Psalm 23:4, ESV, partial)We must reject the temptation to believe that seeing with our eyes is better than knowing through relationship with Christ. Today I want you to understand that knowing Jesus means knowing God the Father, and that he is the way and the truth and the life.So what does that mean for us? How do we live in light of a truth like this? Well, Jesus is the way. He is our access to the Father. And if you've seen him, you've seen the Father. That means that we can be in true relationship with God. Terrific. That's really neat. No, this is the God who spoke the universe into existence. There is no more satisfying relationship than this. Not a best friend that you can laugh with, not. Not a spouse that you can confide in, not a child who you can nurture. No relationship can compare to this. Jesus is the truth. He is the absolute truth. He is true reality. And what he says and how he lives are the standard for how we should view the world. Jesus is the life. He. He is the victor over death. He has overcome this world. Do we need any of this, really? Well, the world would say no. There was an opinion piece written in the Washington Post in 2023 entitled, America doesn't need more God, it needs more atheists. Now, of course, I did not read it because it was behind a paywall. But that line of thinking is not new. In the 1880s, philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche famously wrote that God is dead, meaning that God, religion, and morality are no longer the foundations of society, but instead science and the reasoning of men reign supreme. So do we really need God? We've got the human spirit. We've got ingenuity. But what some call our greatest strength is actually, in fact, our deepest weakness. Because what did the serpent say to Eve when she wasn't supposed to eat of the fruit?> But the serpent said to the woman, "You will not surely die. For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil." (Genesis 3:4–5, ESV)And she bought it and they ate the fruit because they didn't need a way to God. They would just be God. And sin and death entered the world. And humanity has been falling victim to that same exact desire for centuries. Do we really need the truth? If I say, go ahead and speak your truth, you can probably think of tons of times you've seen a phrase like that on the television or on the Internet. And what do people mean by that? What does that actually mean? It means I feel so strongly about this so much that it is reality whether you agree or not. Is that okay? Is it okay to determine what you think is reality? Can we function without objective right or wrong? Well, the answer probably always just depends on what kind of day you're having. Is that how we actually want to exist? Do we need life? Or maybe better phrased, is there any fear in death? The famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking said, I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken down computers. That is a fairy story from people afraid of the dark. And so if that is true, then why would we need any offer of life? If death is just the end of consciousness and we simply cease, then what really is the big deal? So what do you think? Are you satisfied with all of that? Are you satisfied with the idea that we don't need to access God because we can just be our own God and therefore we can determine what is true for ourselves and then we die and it's just nothingness? Or does something sear hot within your soul? Does something deep within you recoil at the idea of man, makes his own destiny? Does something cry out alongside the philosopher Blaise Pascal, who said that there is an infinite abyss within man that can only be filled with an infinite God? Guys,> The heavens declare the glory of God, and the sky above proclaims his handiwork. (Psalm 19:1, ESV)and he says,> I am the LORD, and there is no other. (Isaiah 45:5, ESV, partial)He is real. We are his creation. We need Him. And we're separated from him by our sin, by our insistence that we got this, that we can be in charge, that we can determine the truth. And this intrinsic rebellion causes our separation from Him. And that separation from him, what it really is, is the weight of the world on your shoulders. It's the deepest unrest you've ever experienced. It's total darkness. It's absolute silence. And that's us without him, without any hope. Until one night a few thousand years ago, a child was born. And that night God the Son entered humanity. And he grows up and he lives a perfect life, which we could never do. And he starts saying stuff like, I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life. And no one comes to God except through me. And I and the Father are one. And he is the only one who could ever actually make those claims. And they want to kill him for it, and he lets them. And he goes willingly to a death on a cross where God crushes him and makes Jesus the one who never sinned to be sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. And if we repent of our sins and put faith in this Christ, this absolute truth, we have a way to God and we have eternal life. Jesus is the way and the truth and the life. And when you know him, you know the Father and there is room for you because he guarantees it.And so Christian, if you know Jesus and you know he's the way to God, does your life reflect it. Perhaps you want to believe what he's saying, but deep down you're just a little bit skeptical, like what he is offering is too good to be true and you rather fall back on what you can do, what you can earn, and how many friends you have. If so, repent. Rest in his work do you ever take the relationship for granted? You pray when there's danger, but when things are good, it doesn't really matter to you that you have access to God. If that is you, repent of your self sufficiency and talk to him in prayer. Listen to him through His Word. Enjoy what it means to really know God. To the one today who feels downcast from broken relationship and loss, remember that there is room for you in the Father's house. The band is going to come back up. My hope today is that if you know him, you will respond to this in praise and worship to Jesus because He has reconciled you to God. And that will go into this week with our Good Friday remembrance and our celebration of the Resurrection next Sunday. Absolutely in awe of Jesus. And if you don't know him, please, please take one of those blue Bibles home and read the Gospel of John. You can know him and you can have a relationship with him and nothing will ever change your life like that.Let's pray together. Father, we thank you for Jesus coming to this earth to be the way, to be the truth, to be the life. And we thank you that we have access to you through his sacrifice. We give glory to you in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Daily Fire with John Lee Dumas
Blaise Pascal shares some Daily Fire

Daily Fire with John Lee Dumas

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 27, 2026 1:24


All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone - Blaise Pascal Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

The Renaissance Podcast
Bishop Graham Tomlin & Dr Belle Tindall-Riley - The Night of Fire: Spiritual Experience & the Creative Life

The Renaissance Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 26, 2026 64:16


Join Bishop Graham Tomlin & Dr Belle Tindall-Riley at Renaissance London 2025 as they unpack Blaise Pascal's ‘night of fire' - the night that changed the way he interacted with the world around him. So, with Pascal as a case-study, we'll be asking - what is the link between the Holy Spirit and creativity? Does spiritual experience fuel a radical and creative life?For more information about Renaissance, head to https://renaissancemovement.org/ ✨

The Cosmic Skeptic Podcast
#149 Blaise Pascal: Philosopher, Mathematician, Genius - Graham Tomlin

The Cosmic Skeptic Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2026 94:28


Get Huel today with this exclusive offer for New Customers of 15% OFF with code alexoconnor at https://huel.com/alexoconnor (Minimum $50 purchase).For early, ad-free access to videos, and to support the channel, subscribe to my Substack.Graham Tomlin is a British theologian, author and former Church of England bishop.LINKS:Get Graham's book, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern WorldGraham's organisation, Seen and Unseen TIMESTAMPS:00:00 - Can Blaise Pascal Be Categorised?03:05 - Who Was Blaise Pascal?11:12 - Pascal's First Conversion17:19 - Pascal's “Night of Fire”21:59 - Did Pascal Reject Reason?31:45 - Pascal's War With Descartes42:31 - Did Pascal Invent the Bus?45:42 - The Heart Has Its Reasons, Of Which Reason Knows Nothing50:03 - How Pascal Invented Probability Theory52:29 - Pascal's Wager1:15:35 - The Pensées1:18:30 - Pascal's “Two Minds”1:22:39 - The Importance of Boredom1:26:58 - Why Should Atheists Read Pascal?1:31:34 - What Would Graham Ask Pascal?

7 milliards de voisins
Réussir son orientation : conseils aux jeunes lycéens

7 milliards de voisins

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2026 48:30


C'est une étape importante du parcours scolaire. Le parcours d'orientation, le choix d'une filière qui mènera à un métier peut s'avérer très stressant pour les jeunes lycéens.  Selon une enquête récente de Diploméo en France, 4 lycéens sur 10 regrettent d'avoir écouté leurs parents pour leur orientation. Ainsi près d'un étudiant sur 5, choisit désormais de se réorienter après sa première année d'étude plus récente. Outre la pression parentale, la multitude de formations, le manque de connaissance sur les métiers, la crainte de ne pas trouver d'emplois complexifient le choix des lycéens. Dans ce contexte, comment aider les jeunes à construire leur parcours d'orientation ? Vers qui peuvent-ils se tourner ? Comment faire de ce choix une étape pour mieux se connaître ?   Emission à l'occasion de la semaine de la presse à l'école qui se déroule du 23 au 28 mars 2026  Avec : • Aniela Vé Kouakou, fondatrice de Agiloya Afrique, cabinet de conseils en Ressources Humaines et Recrutement, basé à Abidjan. Guidance Counselor au sein du lycée français Blaise Pascal. • Valérie Wasson, cofondatrice d'Eurêka Study, franchise de consultants en orientation scolaire qui accompagnent les lycéens et étudiants dans leur choix d'études en France et à l'étranger.  Avec Thomas, Mathilde, Fatou, Manasrie et Foumilayo, 5 élèves du lycée Blaise Pascal à Abidjan et Patrick, enseignant de français à Kananga en République Démocratique du Congo Merci à Marie-Krystel Assemian, responsable technique du studio de radio du lycée Blaise Pascal à Abidjan. En début d'émission, l'école autour du monde avec Cécile Debarge, correspondante de RFI en Italie, sur la multiplication ces derniers mois des attaques contre l'école italienne, en majorité de la part de syndicats étudiants d'extrême-droite.     Programmation musicale : ► Pièce manquante - Myra feat Ichon ► Wrong Things - Danitsa, Jarreau Vandal 

7 milliards de voisins
Réussir son orientation : conseils aux jeunes lycéens

7 milliards de voisins

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 25, 2026 48:30


C'est une étape importante du parcours scolaire. Le parcours d'orientation, le choix d'une filière qui mènera à un métier peut s'avérer très stressant pour les jeunes lycéens.  Selon une enquête récente de Diploméo en France, 4 lycéens sur 10 regrettent d'avoir écouté leurs parents pour leur orientation. Ainsi près d'un étudiant sur 5, choisit désormais de se réorienter après sa première année d'étude plus récente. Outre la pression parentale, la multitude de formations, le manque de connaissance sur les métiers, la crainte de ne pas trouver d'emplois complexifient le choix des lycéens. Dans ce contexte, comment aider les jeunes à construire leur parcours d'orientation ? Vers qui peuvent-ils se tourner ? Comment faire de ce choix une étape pour mieux se connaître ?   Emission à l'occasion de la semaine de la presse à l'école qui se déroule du 23 au 28 mars 2026  Avec : • Aniela Vé Kouakou, fondatrice de Agiloya Afrique, cabinet de conseils en Ressources Humaines et Recrutement, basé à Abidjan. Guidance Counselor au sein du lycée français Blaise Pascal. • Valérie Wasson, cofondatrice d'Eurêka Study, franchise de consultants en orientation scolaire qui accompagnent les lycéens et étudiants dans leur choix d'études en France et à l'étranger.  Avec Thomas, Mathilde, Fatou, Manasrie et Foumilayo, 5 élèves du lycée Blaise Pascal à Abidjan et Patrick, enseignant de français à Kananga en République Démocratique du Congo Merci à Marie-Krystel Assemian, responsable technique du studio de radio du lycée Blaise Pascal à Abidjan. En début d'émission, l'école autour du monde avec Cécile Debarge, correspondante de RFI en Italie, sur la multiplication ces derniers mois des attaques contre l'école italienne, en majorité de la part de syndicats étudiants d'extrême-droite.   Programmation musicale : ► Pièce manquante - Myra feat Ichon ► Wrong Things - Danitsa, Jarreau Vandal 

Context with Brad Harris
The Invention of Uncertainty: How Probability Led to Artificial Intelligence

Context with Brad Harris

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 12, 2026 29:53


Where did probability come from? In this episode, Brad Harris explores how the invention of probability reshaped humanity's relationship with uncertainty—and why artificial intelligence (AI) ultimately runs on the same mathematics of prediction. For most of human history, the future was not something people tried to calculate. It was fate, providence, or the will of the gods. Then in the summer of 1654, two French mathematicians—Blaise Pascal and Pierre de Fermat—began exchanging letters about a gambling problem. From that correspondence emerged one of the most powerful ideas in human history: probability. Once uncertainty could be quantified, the consequences were enormous. Insurance markets became possible. Medical treatments could be tested through clinical trials. Governments began measuring populations statistically. Engineers could calculate risk and safety margins. Modern science itself increasingly relied on statistical reasoning. But the story doesn't end there. Today, the same probabilistic thinking underlies the most powerful technology ever created: artificial intelligence. Large language models like ChatGPT are fundamentally prediction engines—systems trained to calculate what words are most likely to come next. From ancient gambling games to modern AI, this episode explores how the invention of probability transformed the modern world—and why we are now living inside the most powerful prediction machines ever built. If you like Context with Brad Harris, you can help keep the show going and access bonus episodes through Patreon or by subscribing through Apple Podcasts or Spotify.  Find Brad Harris on X @bradcoleharris

Teach Different
“All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” - Teach Different with Blaise Pascal

Teach Different

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 11, 2026 40:00


This week's episode explores the impact of social media and technology on youth mental health, attention span, and human connection. Through a deep dive into a quote by French philosopher Blaise Pascal and insights from guests, Jarvis, Tr33, and Bully, we examine how being alone and digital connectivity shape our lives.Chapters:00:00 - The Value of Solitude and Reflection09:20 - Exploring Solutions for Humanity09:53 - The Impact of Social Media on Youth12:18 - The Dual Nature of Technology15:43 - Attention Span and Connection18:46 - AI's Role in Human Interaction20:19 - The Counterclaim: Is Connection Always Good?31:53 - Defining True Aloneness35:44 - The Creator's Perspective on TechnologyImage Source: Gérard Edelinck, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons 

Chasing Leviathan
Why Read Pascal Today? | Dr. Yuval Avnur

Chasing Leviathan

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 10, 2026 57:12


In this episode of Chasing Leviathan, host PJ Wehry sits down with Dr. Yuval Avnur, Professor of Philosophy and Director of the Humanities Institute at Scripps College. They dive into Dr. Avnur's new book, Why Read Pascal Today?, and explore why Blaise Pascal remains one of the most vital voices in the philosophy of religion.Dr. Avnur challenges the traditional understanding of Pascal's Wager. Rather than a cold, calculated bet designed to force belief, Avnur explains that Pascal viewed human nature fundamentally as a "heart with a belief-forming mechanism attached to it."Together, PJ and Dr. Avnur discuss:Pascal's Augustinian roots and his skepticism toward "pure reason"Why the condition of our hearts dictates the evidence we are willing to seeThe "crisis of desire": Why endless distraction leaves us unsatisfiedWhat does a 17th-century philosopher have to say about our modern lives? Dr. Avnur breaks down why we can have every comfort at our fingertips yet remain entirely empty, and how a "Pascalian" approach can help us engage with one another more humanely—seeking to understand the heart rather than just winning the argument.Make sure to check out Avnur's book: Why Read Pascal Today?

Radiožurnál
Zápisník zahraničních zpravodajů: Vulkán, kde se psala věda. Puy de Dôme láká turisty a připomíná slavný experiment Blaise Pascala

Radiožurnál

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 3:32


Okolí francouzského města Clermont-Ferrand připomíná České středohoří. A samotné město se pyšní slavným rodákem. Je tomu už víc než 400 let, co se tam narodil fyzik Blaise Pascal. Mnoho pokusů prováděl v okolní přírodě i na jedné z tamních sopek. A právě na ni se vyšplhala naše spolupracovnice ve Francii Marie Sýkorová, i když povětrnostní podmínky nebyly ideální.

Zápisník zahraničních zpravodajů
Vulkán, kde se psala věda. Puy de Dôme láká turisty a připomíná slavný experiment Blaise Pascala

Zápisník zahraničních zpravodajů

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 6, 2026 4:07


Okolí francouzského města Clermont-Ferrand připomíná České středohoří. A samotné město se pyšní slavným rodákem. Je tomu už víc než 400 let, co se tam narodil fyzik Blaise Pascal. Mnoho pokusů prováděl v okolní přírodě i na jedné z tamních sopek. A právě na ni se vyšplhala naše spolupracovnice ve Francii Marie Sýkorová, i když povětrnostní podmínky nebyly ideální.Všechny díly podcastu Zápisník zahraničních zpravodajů můžete pohodlně poslouchat v mobilní aplikaci mujRozhlas pro Android a iOS nebo na webu mujRozhlas.cz.

Youth Culture Today with Walt Mueller
Your Kids Hunger for God

Youth Culture Today with Walt Mueller

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 5, 2026 1:00


Blaise Pascal described a universal hole in the soul as a Godshaped vacuum. Alister McGrath describes Pascal's model as “a God-shaped emptiness within us, which only God can fill. We may try to fill it in other ways and with other things. Yet one of the few certainties of life is that nothing in this world satisfies our longing for something that is ultimately beyond this world.” Teenagers are no different from anyone else. Their great need is to have this God-shaped emptiness filled by God. If you listen and look closely, you'll see and hear that their music, films, social media, and very lives are crying out for spiritual wholeness. Over the years I've had the privilege of working with thousands of teenagers. I can't remember a single one who didn't exhibit this thirst for God. Each of us can look directly into the eyes of the teenagers we know and love and be certain this is their reality, too. Even when they don't recognize it as such, we can rest in the assurance their hunger is for heaven. 

Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights
1505 - Blindboxification, with Josh Luber, Part 1

Dr. James Beckett: Sports Card Insights

Play Episode Listen Later Mar 4, 2026 16:26


Dr. Beckett hosts a conversation with Josh Luber about Luber's long “BlindBoxification” white paper (136 pages) and the broader trend of blind-box style products in sports cards and beyond. Luber discusses the paper as a conversation-starter and potentially a living document, with ideas for a V2, a book-form revision, or a limited podcast series; he also shares research learnings from other industries, including examples like brands attempting blind boxes and the problems it created. They  reference Blaise Pascal's quote about the pleasure of the hunt and ties it to collecting and uncertainty, then challenges and expands Luber's “hits vs filler” framework into four categories: truly collectible cards (TCCs) not meant to be sold, hits meant to be sold as currency, filler with attributes, and low-value “zeroes,” with discussion of when grading matters across those categories. They debate older collectors and set-building, with Beckett pushing back on calling it an “impossible dream” for vintage set completion while agreeing modern products like 2023 Prizm make traditional set collecting impossible and may accelerate the end of sets. They also explore digital repacks and expected value, transparency, buybacks, and why repack models are spreading because anyone can build them without owning rights. Beckett raises concerns that if repack buyback transactions become tracked by pricing tools, repeated circulation could create a downward pricing spiral, and the episode ends with both acknowledging how buyback percentages could lead to a “race to the bottom.”   00:50 Why Blindboxification Matters 01:38 A Living Document and V2 Plans 03:31 Pascal and the Thrill of the Hunt 05:05 Hits, Filler, and Four Categories 09:00 Set Building and Grumpy Collectors 11:26 Digital Repacks and Expected Value 13:09 Hybrid Repacks and Industry Moves 14:12 Transparency and the Race Down  

DOING LIFE: Daily Devotions For Finding Peace in Stressful Times
February 28 Doing Life: Pascal's Wager (Don't skip Feb 29 Even if no Leap Year)

DOING LIFE: Daily Devotions For Finding Peace in Stressful Times

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 28, 2026 5:00


"If there is a God He is infinitely incomprehensible....." (Blaise Pascal)

Grand bien vous fasse !
Notre rapport au jeu avec le philosophe Pascal

Grand bien vous fasse !

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 27, 2026 4:10


durée : 00:04:10 - Les punchlines de la philo - par : Thibaut de Saint-Maurice - Laurence Devillairs convoque Blaise Pascal et sa notion de divertissement, pour éclairer notre rapport au jeu. Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations
Because Truth Matters, Reality Matters–Hank Hanegraaff on A Commitment to Reality

Hank Unplugged: Essential Christian Conversations

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 1:44 Transcription Available


Hank Hanegraaff brings an important announcement about a brand-new initiative at the Christian Research Institute: a new podcast titled A Commitment to Reality, hosted by his son, Dave Hanegraaff. This podcast is not only timely but extraordinarily relevant. Why? Because we live in an era of “reality rot.” To paraphrase Blaise Pascal, we live in an age in which truth is so obscure and falsehood so established that, apart from “a commitment to reality,” you simply cannot know it.  Our new podcast is a powerful complement to CRI's other podcasts and publications, extending our ministry and mission to a whole new generation of change agents.  Please subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube for full episodes and clips, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. You can also help spread the word by rating, reviewing, and telling others about A Commitment to Reality.  And remember: Because truth matters, reality matters. That's why we must remain committed to reality.      

The Best of the Bible Answer Man Broadcast
Because Truth Matters, Reality Matters–Hank Hanegraaff on A Commitment to Reality

The Best of the Bible Answer Man Broadcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 24, 2026 1:44 Transcription Available


Hank Hanegraaff brings an important announcement about a brand-new initiative at the Christian Research Institute: a new podcast titled A Commitment to Reality, hosted by his son, Dave Hanegraaff.This podcast is not only timely but extraordinarily relevant. Why? Because we live in an era of “reality rot.” To paraphrase Blaise Pascal, we live in an age in which truth is so obscure and falsehood so established that, apart from “a commitment to reality,” you simply cannot know it.Our new podcast is a powerful complement to CRI's other podcasts and publications, extending our ministry and mission to a whole new generation of change agents.Please subscribe to A Commitment to Reality on YouTube for full episodes and clips, and follow wherever you get your podcasts. You can also help spread the word by rating, reviewing, and telling others about A Commitment to Reality.  And remember: Because truth matters, reality matters. That's why we must remain committed to reality.  

Christ Redeemer Church » Sermons
Judging the Self-Appointed Judge

Christ Redeemer Church » Sermons

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 22, 2026 39:41


QUOTES FOR REFLECTION “Before you call the snail a weakling, tie your house to your back and carry it around for a week.”~Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀, Nigerian novelist “Before pointing fingers make sure your hands are clean.”~Bob Marley (1945-1981), Jamaican singer and songwriter “People get addicted to feeling offended all the time because it gives them a high; being self-righteous and morally superior feels good.”~Mark Manson, author and blogger “We judge people in areas where we're vulnerable to shame, especially picking folks who are doing worse than we're doing. If I feel good about my parenting, I have no interest in judging other people's choices. If I feel good about my body, I don't go around making fun of other people's weight or appearance. We're hard on each other because we're using each other as a launching pad out of our own perceived deficiency.”~Brené Brown, academic, podcaster, and writer “We judge ourselves by our intentions. And others by their actions.”~Stephen Covey (1932-2012), educator, author, businessman “There are only two kinds of men: the righteous who think they are sinners and the sinners who think they are righteous.”~Blaise Pascal (1623-1662), French mathematician and philosopher, in his Pensées (534) “Nothing can damn a man but his own righteousness; nothing can save him but the righteousness of Christ.” “The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.”~Charles Spurgeon (1834-1892), famed London preacher “Self-justification and judging others go together, as justification by grace and serving others go together.”~Dietrich Bonhoeffer (1906-1945), pastor-theologian executed for his opposition to the NazisSERMON PASSAGERomans 2:1-16 (ESV)Romans 1 16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.” 18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. 19 For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. 20 For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse…. 28 And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a debased mind to do what ought not to be done. 29 They were filled with all manner of unrighteousness, evil, covetousness, malice. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, maliciousness. They are gossips, 30 slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, 31 foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. 32 Though they know God's righteous decree that those who practice such things deserve to die, they not only do them but give approval to those who practice them.Romans 2 1 Therefore you have no excuse, O man, every one of you who judges. For in passing judgment on another you condemn yourself, because you, the judge, practice the very same things. 2 We know that the judgment of God rightly falls on those who practice such things. 3 Do you suppose, O man—you who judge those who practice such things and yet do them yourself—that you will escape the judgment of God? 4 Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God's kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? 5 But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed. 6 He will render to each one according to his works: 7 to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life; 8 but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury. 9 There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, 10 but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. 11 For God shows no partiality.12 For all who have sinned without the law will also perish without the law, and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by the law. 13 For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified. 14 For when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do what the law requires, they are a law to themselves, even though they do not have the law. 15 They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts, while their conscience also bears witness, and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them 16 on that day when, according to my gospel, God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.

Baleine sous Gravillon (BSG)
Mécaniques du vivant, saison 6 : Les constructions ingénieuses

Baleine sous Gravillon (BSG)

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 21, 2026 1:16


Pour écouter cette série complète de Mécaniques du Vivant : https://bit.ly/France-Culture-MDV.NB : la totalité des 8 séries n'est dispo que sur l'appli Radio France.___Après la domestication, Marc Mortelmans nous embarque dans une 6ᵉ saison de la collection de podcasts "Mécaniques du vivant" et explore avec nous les constructions les plus ingénieuses du vivant, qui assurent l'alimentation, la sauvegarde et reproduction de certaines espèces.Vous allez découvrir la différence entre ces espèces qui sécrètent une partie de leur propre corps, et celles qui utilisent des matériaux extérieurs pour se bâtir un abri, un nid, un piège ou une œuvre d'art pour une partenaire. Quels sont les mécanismes qui permettent à de tout petits animaux comme les termites de bâtir des cathédrales climatisées, sans plan ni vision d'ensemble, sans architecte en chef ? Comment certaines de ces espèces, comme le castor, surnommées "ingénieures", créent des oasis de vie et de diversité simplement en existant ?Aux côtés de Bruno Corbara, maître de conférences à l'université Blaise-Pascal de Clermont-Ferrand où il enseigne l'éthologie et l'écologie comportementale, Marc Mortelmans nous raconte les processus de construction des habitats des espèces les plus ingénieuses.___

Cloud Streaks
93. Is there such thing as being born smart or dumb? Mentioning Paul Graham, Naval, Jo Boaler & more.

Cloud Streaks

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 19, 2026 63:40


Not smart or dumb, but novice => competent => proficient => expert => master. Pascal's Wager, formulated by 17th-century philosopher Blaise Pascal, is a pragmatic argument for belief in God, suggesting that wagering on God's existence is the only rational choice. Because the potential reward (heaven/infinite gain) is infinite and the loss (if God does not exist) is finite, it is better to live as if God exists. Plato's "noble lie" (gennaion pseudos) is a foundational myth proposed in The Republic to create social cohesion, unity, and acceptance of hierarchical roles within his ideal state. It convinces citizens that their societal positions—rulers (gold), warriors (silver), or producers (bronze)—are determined by birth, fostering loyalty to the city. Related Blog: https://cloudstreaks.substack.com/p/value-added-intelligence-1-quantity

Talking Theology
What can we learn from Blaise Pascal?

Talking Theology

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 18, 2026 49:45


What can we learn from the life and work of the 17th Century French polymath Blaise Pascal? In what sense did he "make the modern world"? And what does he have to teach us about how to relate science and religion, faith and reason in the 21st Century.In this episode Revd Dr Nick Moore, Warden of Cranmer Hall, speaks to Rt Revd Dr Graham Tomlin, the former Bishop of Kensington and Editor of Seen and Unseen, about his new book Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World, which was released in 2025.

Crosswalk.com Devotional
God Is All We Need

Crosswalk.com Devotional

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 15, 2026 6:44 Transcription Available


Around Valentine’s Day, the world celebrates romantic love—but it can’t satisfy our deepest hearts. 1 John 4:19 reminds us that true love begins with God: “We love because He first loved us.” When we make romantic relationships the ultimate priority, we risk putting God on the back burner. The Bible calls us to love God above all else, cultivating a heart that reflects His love first—because only then can we truly love others. Intersecting Faith & Life What is your focus this Valentine’s Day—God’s love or romantic pursuit? How can you cultivate your love for God first, so that all other relationships are strengthened? Take time today to ask God to center your heart on Him, letting His love overflow into your interactions with others. Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! This episode is sponsored by Trinity Debt Management. If you are struggling with debt call Trinity today. Trinity's counselors have the knowledge and resources to make a difference. Our intention is to help people become debt-free, and most importantly, remain debt-free for keeps!" If your debt has you down, we should talk. Call us at 1-800-793-8548 | https://trinitycredit.org TrinityCredit – Call us at 1-800-793-8548. Whether we're helping people pay off their unsecured debt or offering assistance to those behind in their mortgage payments. https://trinitycredit.org Full Transcript Below: God Is All We Need By Alexis A. Goring Bible Reading:“And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.” - Philippians 4:19 (NIV) Earlier this year, I saw an illustration on Instagram of two women shopping in a store. One woman had overloaded her shopping cart with everything from cosmetics to jewelry. These were in the form of large, white boxes with the labels of worldly possessions on each box. She was looking at a woman walking beside her, carrying just one medium-sized box in her hands and walking with ease. The label on the box only had three letters that said, “God.” The woman with all the boxes in her cart labeled with words that symbolized every material possession we can chase after in this life on Earth, asked the other woman, “Is that all you need?” The woman smiled sweetly and said simply, “Yes.” This illustration reminded me of a real-life story that happened to me many years ago. A ministry leader at a church I attended gave everyone there a free, new Bible and told us to give it away to someone who needs it. I kept the Bible in my car and prayed for the perfect opportunity to share it with someone. One day, God answered my prayer as I sat in the driver’s seat of my car at a stoplight. I noticed a woman dressed in plain clothes who was standing on the median in the road by the stoplight, begging for money. I didn’t have any cash to give her, but I remembered I had a Bible. What better gift? So, I rolled down my window and waved until she saw me and walked over to my car. When I gave the Bible to her, she flipped through the pages with a wide smile, then looked at me and said with great enthusiasm, “If we have Jesus, we have everything! If we don’t have Jesus, we have nothing!” I said, “Amen!” Then drove away because the traffic light had turned green. Years later, I reflected on that memory and the truth of her simple yet profound statement. This caused me to reflect on my personal values and outlook on life. What was I chasing after? Worldly wealth so I could afford all my material needs, stability in the workforce with a job that’s fulfilling and purposeful, relationships, friendships…the list goes on. This reminds me of a quote I saw online that said something like, “If we chase Jesus as much as we chase people, then maybe He would give us people we don’t need to chase.” I found the same to be true when it comes to seeking Jesus Christ instead of worldly desires. The Bible says in Matthew 6:33 (NLT), “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.” I’m learning to apply this verse to my daily living. It’s important to not just read the Bible and study it but to apply the advice written within it. When it comes to seeking God and His Kingdom first, I am doing that by starting my day with Him in Bible study and prayer, then continuing the conversation with God as I move through my day. You don’t have to pray to Him out loud. You can whisper a prayer or stay silent as you converse with God privately in your head. You don’t have to literally pray every second, 24/7, 365, but the point is for us to involve God in our day and make time for Him, just like we would for a best friend or family member whom we love. The older I become, the more I see how true it is that when we have Jesus, we have everything we need, but without Him, we have nothing. Think about it: There are people who have great financial wealth but are dying on the inside. They need a Savior because no amount of money can save you. There are popular people who are influential and famous yet feel empty because they’ve found that fame can never satisfy this deep hunger in their souls. Whether they know it or not, only Jesus Christ can quench their thirst and satisfy their hunger. While he was living on Earth, Blaise Pascal said, “There is a God-shaped vacuum in the heart of every man, which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God the Creator, made known through Jesus Christ.” As we go through this new year and the rest of our lives, let’s seek God first before everything and everyone else, then experience how He completes us. Before you go, please listen to these four songs for reflection: Song of Reflection #1: “You’re All I Need” by Hezekiah Walker. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #2: “God Is” by Rev. James Cleveland. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #3: “First Things First” by Consumed by Fire. Listen to it HERE. Song of Reflection #4: “You’ll Never Thirst” by Anointed. Listen to it HERE. Intersecting Faith & Life: How does it feel to know God is all you need? Further Reading: Psalm 16:5Psalm 20:6-72 Peter 1:32 Corinthians 9:8Jeremiah 17:7-8 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Happiness Podcast
#574 Better Bored Than Sorry: Why We Create Chaos to Escape Quiet

Happiness Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 13, 2026 14:27


The French philosopher Blaise Pascal once famously said, 'All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone.' We often treat boredom as a minor annoyance, but modern psychology tells us it is actually a powerful drive that can push us toward addiction, unnecessary drama, and destructive risks just to feel alive. In this episode, we will explore why your brain hates the quiet, and how to turn that restless energy into creativity instead of chaos. New Episode of the Happiness Podcast with Dr. Robert Puff, Ph.D.

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks
AI market jitters, post-truth reality, data, and safeguarding what makes us human

Bare Knuckles and Brass Tacks

Play Episode Listen Later Feb 9, 2026 38:01


This week we're taking stock of conversation trends to let it rip on AI market jitters and what happens when the math stops math-ing.We start with the numbers that have investors nervy: Amazon's $200 billion capex projection for 2026, and the uncomfortable reality of building an entire economy on depreciating GPU infrastructure with a three-year shelf life. Why the dot-com bubble comparison are incomplete, and questioning what happens when billions flow into overwhelming into transformer model architecture while research into others starves.Then we shift from market corrections to attention economics, unpacking how AI tools promise productivity while actually training us to outsource thinking itself. The cost is both financial and experiential. When was the last time you sat alone without reaching for your phone? Can you still read sentences that run four lines long?The episode lands on an uncomfortable question about who gets to have unmediated experiences anymore, and whether we're living our own lives or just consuming other people's.Mentioned: Ed Zitron 's “Better Offline” podcast Derek Thompson's Plain English podcast interview with Paul Kedrosky on market conditions and signs of a bubble Stephen Colbert on “truthiness” Enshittification, coined by Cory Doctorow MIT on the philosophical puzzle of AI Netflix's main competition is sleep Point of view: Gen Z will remember more of other people's memories than their own Blaise Pascal writing about attention in 1670

Les chemins de la philosophie
Comment supporter son supérieur hiérarchique ? La solution de Blaise Pascal

Les chemins de la philosophie

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 29, 2026 3:44


durée : 00:03:44 - Le Fil philo - Il a tort, vous avez raison, mais c'est lui le chef. Comment rester digne sans conflit ni hypocrisie ? Blaise Pascal propose une solution subversive pour obéir à votre supérieur.e hiérarchique - sans renoncer à votre liberté intérieure. - réalisation : Margot Page

Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast
Episode 184: Mondays at The Overhead Wire - The Oldest Transit with Kate Gasparro

Talking Headways: A Streetsblog Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 27, 2026 49:10


This week on Mondays at The Overhead Wire we're joined by Kate Gasparro, host of the Building Better Cities podcast! We talk about the first transit system invented by mathematician Blaise Pascal, whether design is making the housing shortage worse, LA Metro's new Care Based Services Division, and whether Chicago should have taken back it's parking meters from private equity.  Below are the items we discussed in greater detail: The first transit system - France Today LA Metro's new Care Based Services Division - Los Angeles Sentinel Ugly buildings and the design shortage - Vox Mayor Johnson won't try to buy back parking meters - Chicago Tribune Denmark's red lights - Daily Galaxy | Frank Markowitz and Leni Schwendinger's Lighting Episode 379 Puppies and Butterflies  Star Wars Maul Trailer The Pitt is an example of "Competancy Porn" - Washington Post Many thanks to Bob Nanna for our music. +++ Get the show ad free on Patreon! Find out about our newsletter and archive on YouTube! Follow us on Bluesky, Threads, Instagram, YouTube, Flickr, Substack ... @theoverheadwire Follow us on Mastadon theoverheadwire@sfba.social Support the show on Patreon http://patreon.com/theoverheadwire Buy books on our Bookshop.org Affiliate site!  And get our Cars are Cholesterol shirt at Tee-Public! And everything else at http://theoverheadwire.com

Grand bien vous fasse !
L'homme est un roseau pensant

Grand bien vous fasse !

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 23, 2026 4:15


durée : 00:04:15 - Les punchlines de la philo - par : Thibaut de Saint-Maurice - Ce matin Thibaut de Saint Maurice a choisi la pensée 347 de Blaise Pascal, dans lequel on trouve cette idée : "L'homme est un roseau pensant." Vous aimez ce podcast ? Pour écouter tous les autres épisodes sans limite, rendez-vous sur Radio France.

Our Daily Bread Podcast | Our Daily Bread

Blaise Pascal famously said there’s an “infinite abyss” inside us that only an infinite God can fill. “You have made us for yourself, O Lord,” Augustine prayed, “and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” As David put it, like thirsty people in the desert, our whole being “longs” for God (Psalm 63:1). Surprisingly, however, it isn’t only humans that experience longing. God does too. While the infinite God of the universe needs nothing outside Himself to be fulfilled, the Bible says He “longs” to have us back when we stray (James 4:4-5), and repeatedly says He wants a people to call His own (Exodus 6:7; Hebrews 8:10). For thousands of years this longing has fueled God’s missionary endeavors: sending prophets to win back His straying people and ultimately sending His Son to find His lost sheep (Isaiah 30:18; Luke 19:10). The good news is that in the end, this longing will be fulfilled: “They will be his people, and God Himself will be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3). God and human beings will dwell together (v. 2). Humans long for God and no substitute will satisfy. God longs for humans and no substitute will do. So no wonder there’s rejoicing in heaven when one sinner repents (Luke 15:7). When we run to God’s open arms, everyone is fulfilled.

The Living Philosophy
#9 Layman Pascal - Metashamanic Nietzsche

The Living Philosophy

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2026 58:31


Layman Pascal is a Canadian "feral philosopher" and host of The Integral Stage podcast who has become a central connector and theorist in the overlapping worlds of metamodernism, integral theory, and Game B. His signature contributions—the Metaphysics of Adjacency, the Integration Surplus Model of spirituality, and Metashamanics—offer a sophisticated yet playful bridge between abstract philosophy and embodied transformation. Known for his capacity to hold complexity with humour, Pascal brings both philosophical rigour and playful irreverence to questions of meaning-making in an age of metacrisis.____________In this conversation, we talk Nietzsche, metashamanism, and the ontology and epistemology of entities.We delve into the role of personal experience in shaping philosophical thought, and the implications of neurodiversity in understanding shamanic practices. The dialogue also touches on the nature of imagination, creativity, and the unpredictability of inspiration, exploring our different approaches to life from the moist pragmatism to dry scholarism. ____________

Transfigured
Martin Luther King Jr was a Unitarian

Transfigured

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 19, 2026 50:10


This video explores the theology, philosophy, and Christology of Martin Luther King Jr. I argue that he is best understood as a moderate American Unitarian.I mention Martin Luther King Jr., Martin Luther, Michael King Sr. (Martin Luther King Sr.), Schleiermacher, Paul of Samosata, William Ellery Channing, Paul Tillich, Henry Nelson Wieman, Coretta Scott King, David Hume, Immanuel Kant, Søren Kierkegaard, Friedrich Nietzsche, Karl Jaspers, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre, Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Walter Rauschenbusch, Mahatma Gandhi, Saint Augustine, Saint Anselm, Blaise Pascal, Os Guinness, Keith Ward, Desmond Tutu, Francis Collins, Christopher Hitchens, and more.

Sanctuary SF
The Most Punk Rock Thing You Can Do is Have Joy

Sanctuary SF

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 18, 2026 55:12


As the year begins, God is bringing clarity that produces boldness and speed. Guest speaker Travis Aicklen explores the theology of joy, challenging the idea that spiritual life and sensory pleasure are incompatible. Drawing from the life of Blaise Pascal and the teachings of the Apostle Paul, we learn that joy is not just a command to "snap out of it," but a fruit we must cultivate like a farmer—removing barriers like bitterness and anxiety to make room for the "oil of gladness."Main Text: 1 Thessalonians 5:16–22

Daily Fire with John Lee Dumas
Blaise Pascal shares some DAILY FIRE

Daily Fire with John Lee Dumas

Play Episode Listen Later Jan 2, 2026 1:30


All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone. - Blaise Pascal Check out John Lee Dumas' award winning Podcast Entrepreneurs on Fire on your favorite podcast directory. For world class free courses and resources to help you on your Entrepreneurial journey visit EOFire.com

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps
HoP 483 Between Infinity and the Void: Blaise Pascal

History of Philosophy Without Any Gaps

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 28, 2025 20:13


Blaise Pascal was a pioneering scientist and deeply spiritual religious thinker; what united these two sides of his thought?

The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style
416: How to Find Peace — The Joy and Necessity of Solitude

The Simple Sophisticate - Intelligent Living Paired with Signature Style

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 17, 2025 64:38


"The moment being alone stops bothering you, your whole life levels up." —Uriel Maksumov With the holidays upon us, I have come to discover an unexpected gift of enjoying my own company during this time of year - the realization of what I most enjoy about the holidays. And here's the catch: when it is chosen, it is liberating. It's clarifying, and as the quote above acknowledges, it is life-elevating. This doesn't mean we are alone 24 hours a day, or even live alone. What solitude, regularly savored, gives us is the life we say we want, but either haven't yet realized or haven't yet trusted to be dependable in what it gives us. As we'll talk about further along in our post today, part of the reason those of us who already do enjoy our solitude, however much or little we have, may doubt the nourishment is because our culture doesn't value it or speak about it in as praising terms as it does social activities and living situations. Words are powerful. Propaganda, persuasive marketing, it all involves words, and how we speak about what is valued, when heard often enough, will influence our trust in what is possible, what we are willing to be brave enough to explore, even with all of the unknowns. "Solitude, which is one of the most agreeable sensations of the natural man, and it is one of the most painful and alarming sensations of the civilised man." ― William J. Dawson, The Quest of the Simple Life The value of solitude, regularly experienced, has the capacity to bring peace not only into our lives but also, consequently, expand more widely into a community of peaceful people. And what better time of year to talk about peace on earth, non? How can we bring about more peace? By finding true peace within ourselves. Where do we find what we have so far been unable to locate to experience this peace - in the companionship of ourselves. No, I am not saying you have to be single, but you can be. No, I am not saying you have to spend all day, all week alone, but you can. As you will discover below, the amount of solitude is as unique as each individual. The key lies in the ingredients of the solitude we partake in. Let's take a look at how to embrace solitude, what we gain from it, and how to change the narrative around solitude in our culture. "All of humanity's problems stem from man's inability to sit quietly in a room alone." —Blaise Pascal, a seventeenth-century French mathematician, inventor and philosopher Find the Show Notes for episode #416 on The Simply Luxurious Life blog - https://thesimplyluxuriouslife.com/podcast416 

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture
How to Read Blaise Pascal: Grace, Modern Longing, and Wagering with Fire / Graham Tomlin

For the Life of the World / Yale Center for Faith & Culture

Play Episode Listen Later Dec 3, 2025 55:07


“Our longings are much more powerful than our logic, and our desires are stronger than our reason.” (Graham Tomlin on the thought of Blaise Pascal)The Rt. Rev. Dr. Graham Tomlin (St. Mellitus College, the Centre for Cultural Witness) joins Evan Rosa for a sweeping exploration of Blaise Pascal—the 17th-century mathematician, scientist, philosopher, and theologian whose insights into human nature remain strikingly relevant. Tomlin traces Pascal's life of brilliance and illness, his tension between scientific acclaim and radical devotion, and his deep engagement with Descartes, Montaigne, and Augustine. The conversation moves through Pascal's analysis of self-deception, his critique of rationalism and skepticism, the transformative Night of Fire, his compassion for the poor, and the wager's misunderstood meaning. Tomlin presents Pascal as a thinker who speaks directly to our distracted age, revealing a humanity marked by greatness, misery, and a desperate longing only grace can satisfy.Episode Highlights“Our longings are much more powerful than our logic, and our desires are stronger than our reason.”“The greatness and the refuse of the universe—that's what we are. We're the greatest thing and also the worst thing.”“If everybody knew what everybody else said about them, there would not be four friends left in the world.”“Only grace can begin to turn that self-oriented nature around and implant in us a desire for God.”“The reason you cannot believe is not because of your reason; it's because of your passions.”Show NotesGraham Tomlin introduces the Night of Fire and Pascal's meditation on “the greatness of the human soul”Evan Rosa frames Pascal as a figure of mystery, mechanics, faith, and modern technological influence.Tomlin contrasts Pascal with Descartes and Montaigne—rationalism vs. skepticism—locating Pascal between their poles.Pascal's awareness of distraction, competition, and “all men naturally hate each other” surfaces early as a key anthropological insight.Evan notes Nietzsche's striking admiration: “his blood runs through my veins.”Tomlin elaborates on Pascal's lifelong tension between scientific achievement and spiritual devotion.The story of the servant discovering the hidden Night of Fire parchment in Pascal's coat lining is recounted.Tomlin reads the core text: “Joy, joy, joy, tears of joy… Let me never be separated from him.”Pascal's distinction: “God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, not of the philosophers.”Discussion of Jansenism, Augustinian anthropology, and the gravity of human fallenness.Tomlin sets the philosophical context: Pascal as a counter to both rationalist optimism and skeptical relativism.Pascal's core tension—grandeur and misery—is presented as the interpretive key to human nature.Quote emerges: “the greatness and the refuse of the universe—that's what we are.”Tomlin describes Pascal's political skepticism and the idea that politics offers only “rules for a madhouse.”Pascal's diagnosis of self-deception: “If everybody knew what everybody else said about them, there would not be four friends left in the world.”Evan raises questions about social hope; Tomlin answers with Pascal's belief that only grace can break self-love.They explore Pascal's critique of distraction and the famous line: “the sole cause of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.”Tomlin ties this to contemporary digital distraction—“weapons of mass distraction”.The conversation turns to the wager, reframed not as coercion but exposure: unbelief is driven by passions more than reasons.Closing reflections highlight the apologetic project of the Pensées, Pascal's brilliance, and his ongoing relevance.Helpful Links and ReferencesSpecial thanks to the Center for Christian Witness and Seen and Unseen https://www.seenandunseen.com/Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World, by Graham Tomlin https://www.hachette.co.uk/titles/graham-tomlin/blaise-pascal/9781399807661/Pensées, by Blaise Pascal https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/18269Provincial Letters, by Blaise Pascal https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/2407Why Being Yourself Is a Bad Idea, by Graham Tomlinhttps://www.amazon.com/Why-Being-Yourself-Bad-Idea/dp/0281087097Montaigne's Essays https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3600Descartes' Meditations on First Philosophy https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/23306Augustine's Confessions https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/3296About Graham TomlinGraham Tomlin is a British theologian, writer, and church leader. He is the former Bishop of Kensington (2015-2022) in the Church of England and now serves as Director of the Centre for Cultural Witness and President of St Mellitus College in London. He is widely known for connecting theology with cultural life and public imagination. Tomlin is the author of several books, including Looking Through the Cross, The Widening Circle, and Why Being Yourself Is a Bad Idea: And Other Countercultural Notions. His latest book is an intellectual and spiritual biography, Blaise Pascal: The Man Who Made the Modern World.Production NotesThis episode was made possible in part by the generous support of the Tyndale House FoundationThis podcast featured Graham TomlinProduction Assistance by Emily Brookfield and Alexa RollowEdited and Produced by Evan RosaHosted by Evan RosaA production of the Yale Center for Faith & Culture at Yale Divinity School https://faith.yale.edu/aboutSupport For the Life of the World by giving to the Yale Center for Faith & Culture: https://faith.yale.edu/give

Karl and Crew Mornings
Discovering the Traps of Inauthentic Faith with Jed Coppenger and Holiday Planning with Cindi Ferrini

Karl and Crew Mornings

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 24, 2025 50:31 Transcription Available


Today, on Karl and Crew, we kicked off our new weekly theme, "Good News." We discussed the influence of counterfeit gospels in our culture with guest Jed Coppenger. He is the lead pastor of First Baptist Church in Cumming, Georgia. Jed is also a speaker and author. We highlighted his book, "Fake Christianity: 10 Traps of an Inauthentic Faith. We also talked about holiday planning with Cindi Ferrini. She founded Creative Management. Cindi is also a marriage coach, speaker, and author, including the book, "Tis the Season: The Agape Family Holiday Organizer". You can listen to the highlights of today's program on the Karl and Crew Showcast. If you're looking to listen to a particular segment from the show, look at the following time stamps: Blaise Pascal the puppy [00:23] Dr. Jed Coppenger [19:40] The Gospel [33:44] Cindi Ferrini [41:18] Karl and Crew airs live weekday mornings from 5-9 a.m. Central Time. Click this link for ways to listen in your area! https://www.moodyradio.org/ways-to-listen/Donate to Moody Radio: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/morningshowSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Truth Unites
Pascal's Wager Is the Answer You're Looking For

Truth Unites

Play Episode Listen Later Nov 13, 2025 26:33


Gavin Ortlund explains why Blaise Pascal's wager still matters today, and why even a little openness to God might be the most important decision you ever make.Truth Unites (https://truthunites.org) exists to promote gospel assurance through theological depth. Gavin Ortlund (PhD, Fuller Theological Seminary) is President of Truth Unites, Visiting Professor of Historical Theology at Phoenix Seminary, and Theologian-in-Residence at Immanuel Nashville.SUPPORT:Tax Deductible Support: https://truthunites.org/donate/Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/truthunitesFOLLOW:Website: https://truthunites.org/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/truth.unites/X: https://x.com/gavinortlundFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/TruthUnitesPage/