Podcasts about branches

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Our Election in Christ (3) (audio) David Eells, 1/14/26 I'm going to continue to speak on our election in Christ and how God has chosen Israel, and who Israel is in the New Testament. In (1Co.15:22) For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. Everybody who abides in Christ is going to be made alive, so it's important for us to know what it means to be “in Christ.” Does it mean, “I accepted Jesus as my Savior”? It could be, but it might not be. Some people truly want Jesus to be their Savior. They are truly repenting and believing, while other people are merely parroting words. Did you know that the Bible says salvation and eternal life were not given to you? (Gal.3:16) Now to Abraham were the promises spoken, and to his seed. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ. The promise that God gave to Abraham was only to Abraham and Christ. And the promise of eternal life was given to Christ; it was not given to us. The gift of eternal life is in Christ. God didn't give the gift of eternal life into your hand outside of Christ. He gave that gift in Christ and only if you are abiding in Christ do you have that gift. The “once saved, always saved” believers think that they have been given a gift of eternal life which is outside of Christ, but that's not Biblical. (1Jn.5:11) And the witness is this, that God gave unto us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. The eternal life that God gave us is in Jesus. The only way you can have it is to be in Jesus because the promise wasn't to you, it was to the seed of Abraham, “as of one.” That seed is Christ. (12) He that hath the Son hath the life; he that hath not the Son of God hath not the life. Let's face it, some only have religion. Jesus said, (Joh.15:1) I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. No man is going to pluck you out of Jesus' hand; the Father is the Husbandman and He is the One Who is going to pluck up the plant. (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away.... There are people whom we have considered to be Christians who are not Christians. They may have started out with Christ, but they have not come to Him. (2) Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit, he cleanseth it, that it may bear more fruit. (3) Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you. (4) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. (5) I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing. (6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch.... He is “cast forth” from where? He is “cast forth” from being in Christ. He said, “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh it away.” If you are bearing fruit (Galatians 5:22,23; Ephesians 5:8-10), you are in Christ and have nothing to worry about. If you are not bearing fruit, it's because you are not abiding in Him. “To abide” means “to endure,” “to persist,” “to continue,” “to remain,” “to be steadfast.” To abide in Christ is to abide in His Word. It is to have ears to hear His Word (Matthew 11:15; Mark 4:9; Romans 11:8; etc.) (Joh.15:6) If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. (7) If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatsoever ye will, and it shall be done unto you. (8) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; and [so] shall ye be my disciples. It's in bearing fruit that you are proven to be a disciple. You can come into Christ, but you won't stay there if you don't bear fruit. (2Jn.9) Whosoever goeth onward and abideth not in the teaching of Christ, hath not God: he that abideth in the teaching, the same hath both the Father and the Son. The “once saved, always saved” crowd believes that after you step over the line, that's it, but Jesus said that if you don't bear fruit, you are not My disciple and you are going to be cast forth as a branch. The word translated “elect” and the word translated “chosen” are the exact same word. The Greek word eklektos is translated sometimes as “chosen” and sometimes as “elect.” It's many who are called but few who are chosen. Jesus speaks about the man who made it into the marriage feast, but didn't have on the wedding garment. (Mat.22:11) But when the king came in to behold the guests, he saw there a man who had not on a wedding-garment: (In Rev 19:8 the wedding garment was “the righteous acts of the saints”, which also represents our fruit.) (12) and he saith unto him, Friend, how camest thou in hither not having a wedding-garment? And he was speechless. (13) Then the king said to the servants, Bind him hand and foot, and cast him out into the outer darkness; there shall be the weeping and the gnashing of teeth. (14) For many are called, but few chosen. Those who are abiding in the Kingdom are the ones who are bearing fruit and are chosen, or eklektos, or “elect.” The elect are all called and once they are saved, they are always going to be saved, but “many are called.” Among the called, there are those who don't bear fruit and there are those who bear fruit. Those who bear fruit are chosen. God said in (Hos.11:1) When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt. You say, “He was talking about Jesus.” No, He was primarily talking about the children of Israel and then it was used of Jesus. He called them out of Egypt and into the wilderness, and then He tried or tested them. Some bore fruit and went into the Promised Land, and those were the elect. Those who died in the wilderness, in type, had been called, but they were not the elect; they were not chosen. (Num.32:11) Surely none of the men that came up out of Egypt, from twenty years old and upward, shall see the land which I sware unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob; because they have not wholly followed me: (12) save Caleb the son of Jephunneh the Kenizzite, and Joshua the son of Nun; because they have wholly followed the Lord. Joshua and Caleb bore fruit and were chosen. Here's a good example of this: (Rom.11:26) And so all Israel shall be saved.... Is that all of natural Israel? No, because (Rom.9:27) … If the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, it is the remnant that shall be saved. So, who is “all Israel” who is going to be saved? (Rom.11:19) Thou wilt say then, Branches were broken off, that I might be grafted in. The “branches” that were broken off are the natural Jews who would not believe. (20) Well; by their unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by thy faith. Paul is talking about the Gentiles who are standing in the vine by faith. Be not highminded, but fear: (21) for if God spared not the natural branches, neither will he spare thee. So, where is unconditional eternal security?? (22) Behold then the goodness and severity of God: toward them that fell, severity; but toward thee, God's goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off. (23) And they also, if they continue not in their unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again. In the New Testament, “all Israel” is those natural Jews who believe and those Gentiles who are grafted into the vine by their faith. All the people who were broken off for unbelief were not Israel, but all of true spiritual Israel is going to be saved. Look what Paul said about the end of the Jewish Covenant: (Rom.11:5) Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant (This is speaking of a remnant of Jews.) according to the election of grace. (6) But if it is by grace, it is no more of works: otherwise grace is no more grace. (7) What then? that which Israel seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. He said a remnant of natural Israel was elect, but Israel as a whole did not obtain grace. The called who were not the elect were hardened and the elect obtained grace because they believed. This was at the end of the Jewish Covenant. Now we are coming to the end of the mostly Gentile Covenant, and today “Israel” is the Gentile church and the few Jews; I.e., all who are “circumcised in heart.” (Rom.11:7) What then? that which the “Israel of God”(As a type of this Church) seeketh for, that he obtained not; but the election obtained it, and the rest were hardened. Is that Scriptural? Yes, because the Bible plainly says that the lukewarm are going to be spewed out of the body (Revelation 3:16) and there will be a great falling away (Revelation 12:4). Pagans can't fall away. Those people who fall away have to have been believers first, or they could not have fallen away, and the Lord is not coming until the falling away comes to purify the Church. (2Th.2:2) To the end that ye be not quickly shaken from your mind, nor yet be troubled, either by spirit, or by word, or by epistle as from us, as that the day of the Lord is just at hand; (3) let no man beguile you in any wise: for [it will not be,] except the falling away come first, and the man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition who was reprobated. The same statement can be made of the Gentile era because the elect are going to obtain grace to bear fruit and the rest are going to be hardened. The rest are going to fall away, exactly as Jesus showed in the Parable of the Sower. This should really give you the fear of the Lord. By the faith that God has given us, we are responsible to take God's grace and put it to work in our lives. We are responsible for obeying what we see in the New Testament, not in “Church.” Everybody who abides in the vine, which is Jesus, whether it's the remnant of natural Israel or whether it's the remnant of the Gentiles, is true Israel. And “all Israel” shall be saved because all true Israel is the elect, regardless of race. At the end of the Jewish Covenant, Jesus came to prove who the elect remnant was among the Jews. Jesus said, (Joh.16:21) A woman when she is in travail hath sorrow, because her hour is come: but when she is delivered of the child, she remembereth no more the anguish, for the joy that a man is born into the world. (22) And ye therefore now have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no one taketh away from you. Our personal man-child is born to us as the fruit of Christ being manifest through us to the world. All who exercise faith in the promises will bear His fruit, which looks like Him. In these days, the corporate Man-child body, in whom is the full manifestation of Jesus, is coming to prove who the first fruits elect remnant is in the Church, and the Man-child is going to use the same method that Jesus used to bring this nature to the Church. What was Jesus' method? (Mat.13:10) And the disciples came, and said unto him, Why speakest thou unto them in parables? In other words, “Why are you saying things to them that are so hard to understand?” (11) And he answered and said unto them, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it is not given. (12) For whosoever hath, to him shall be given.... “Whosoever hath” what? Well, if we go back three verses, we'll find the answer: (9) He that hath ears, let him hear. It's like when something makes perfect sense to you, but when you try to explain it to other people, somehow they just can't understand what you're saying unless they have the gift of faith. You see, Jesus' method for separating the elect from the non-elect was to preach the Word and when He preached the Word, the elect understood because they had ears. (Mat.13:12) For whosoever hath, to him shall be given (If you have ears, it's going to be given to you. Sometimes we do not hear the word of the Lord with the respect that we should have. God is speaking.), and he shall have abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that which he hath. People who don't have ears to hear are going to lose what understanding they do have. Remember what happened to the servant who was given the one talent? (Mat.25:14) For [it is] as [when] a man, going into another country, called his own servants (The Greek word there is doulous and it actually means “bondslaves.”), and delivered unto them his goods. (15) And unto one he gave five talents, to another two, to another one; to each according to his several ability; and he went on his journey… (24) And he also that had received the one talent came and said, Lord, I knew thee that thou art a hard man, reaping where thou didst not sow, and gathering where thou didst not scatter; (25) and I was afraid, and went away and hid thy talent in the earth: lo, thou hast thine own. (26) But his lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I did not scatter; (This servant had no ears; his knowledge was false. His Lord did scatter it, to him. He didn't realize that all was given to him by grace. It did not come by their works. Many think they own what they have.) (27) thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the bankers, and at my coming I should have received back mine own with interest (or fruit). The servant with the one talent didn't bring forth any fruit from what was given to him. The Lord took away the one talent from him and gave it to the servant who had the 10 talents. (Mat.25:28) Take ye away therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him that hath the ten talents. (29) For unto every one that hath (ears) shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not, even that which he hath shall be taken away. Again, a person who doesn't bear fruit is not “harkening,” which means “to hear and obey,” unto the voice of the Lord, and even what they do have is going to be taken away from them. Jesus told us, (Mat.10:34) Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. That “sword” separated the righteous from the wicked, and the wicked from their demons. That was a good thing because a little leaven leavens the whole lump (Matthew 13:33; Luke 13:21; 1 Corinthians 5:6; Galatians 5:9). (Jer.48:10) Cursed be he that doeth the work of the Lord negligently; and cursed be he that keepeth back his sword from blood. Now, there are a lot of preachers who are not going to cut anyone with the Word; it's too easy to lose tithes that way and so they aren't going to step on anyone's feet. Your sword is supposed to separate. The Word of God is sharper than any two-edged sword and it divides. (Heb.4:12) For the word of God is living, and active, and sharper than any two-edged sword, and piercing even to the dividing of soul and spirit, of both joints and marrow, and quick to discern the thoughts and intents of the heart. The Word divides the carnal from the spiritual. Jesus wasn't trying to explain things to people who didn't have ears to hear. Even if He had given it to them, as we've seen, they could not have kept it. (Luk.13:23) And one said unto him, Lord, are they few that are saved? And he said unto them, (24) Strive to enter in by the narrow door (Many pass up the narrow door of grace until it is too late.): for many, I say unto you, shall seek to enter in, and shall not be able. (25) When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, open to us; and he shall answer and say to you, I know you not whence ye are; (26) then shall ye begin to say, We did eat and drink in thy presence, and thou didst teach in our streets; (27) and he shall say, I tell you, I know not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Well, they were walking with Jesus, but they had not come to Him, just as Judas walked with Him and did miracles and signs but was an unrepentant thief until he couldn't turn back. Jesus warned us (Mat.7:21) Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven. (22) Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy by thy name, and by thy name cast out demons, and by thy name do many mighty works? (23) And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. How could they do these miracles if He didn't “know” them? It's because Jesus gave them authority to do those works (Matthew 28:18-19; Luke 9:1). You see, “knowing about” someone is not the same as “knowing” someone. “Knowing you” is like the relationship Adam had with Eve. He knew Eve. This is a personal relationship with the Lord, like a husband knows his wife. “I never knew you” is what Jesus will say about a person who was doing the work of God, but was not giving good ground to the seed. Some people think they surely must be acceptable to God because they are doing the work of God. No, you can do the work of God and yet totally fail in your personal relationship with God. Personally, someone can be a total failure in their life of obedience to God, but they can still go cast out demons and do many mighty works. It's not gifts that open the door to the Kingdom, folks, it's fruit. He said that many are going to seek to enter in, but they will not be able. When the five foolish virgins came to the marriage feast after the door was shut, they called out, (Mat.25:11) … Lord, Lord, open to us. (12) But he answered and said, Verily I say unto you, I know you not. Were they Christians? Yes, they were Christians and they did start out and seek to enter in, but they did not bear fruit. In a way, at the end of the Jewish Dispensation, the Lord was getting up to close the door, and Jesus was a part of God closing that door. Though all of those Jews, according to the Old Testament, were Covenant people, all but a remnant were rejected at that time, and God closed the door. Here we are at the end of the Gentile Covenant and the exact same thing is getting ready to happen again, which lets us know that we have to bear fruit. What's the difference between the called who don't bear fruit and the called who do bear fruit? The called who do bear fruit are the elect among the called because they abide in Christ by their faith, and therefore they receive more grace. Those who don't abide in Christ eventually lose even what grace they have. Hopefully, they will return when they receive the greater knowledge that is coming. Grace comes by faith. The only difference between those who bear fruit and those who don't bear fruit is that some walk by faith in the truth and some do not. There's no use in worrying, “Am I the elect or am I not the elect?” The only way you are going to prove that you are the elect is to walk by faith. You have that choice; everyone who is among the called has the choice to walk by faith or not to walk by faith. Why did Jesus rebuke His disciples for their unbelief? Did Jesus rebuke them because they couldn't walk by faith? Did He rebuke them because they weren't the elect? No, He rebuked them because they could walk by faith, but they were not walking by faith at that moment. He does the same with us sometimes when we are not walking by faith. But notice that they repented and He didn't remember their sins against them. (Joh.17:6) I manifested thy name unto the men whom thou gavest me out of the world: thine they were, and thou gavest them to me; and they have kept thy word. He said that they were obedient disciples. Jesus doesn't remember our sins against us, either, but He wants us to repent and walk by faith. So don't get caught up in, “Am I just called and not elect?” All you have to do is walk by faith because, if you walk by faith, you will bear fruit and you will be the elect. We are here in this wilderness to walk by faith and to prove that we are ‘Joshua and Caleb'. The Jews who convert to Christianity have no problem with predestination, calling and election because that's what they have been taught all of their lives. It's the Gentiles who have a problem with it because it's so foreign to their thinking. (Deu.7:6) For thou art a holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a people for his own possession, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. (7) The Lord did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people; for ye were the fewest of all peoples: (8) but because the Lord loveth you, and because he would keep the oath which he sware unto your fathers, hath the Lord brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. There are answers here to some theological problems if you believe that history repeats. As Jesus said, (Mat.5:18) … Till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass away from the law, till all things be accomplished. And Paul told us, (1Co.10:11) Now these things happened unto them by way of example; and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages are come. One theological problem is all the prophecies we've heard about the coming great revivals because people feel that God has failed unless He converts a large number of humanity. We can see here, if God has failed in the New Testament, He certainly did fail the Old Testament, but God wasn't going after large numbers. In fact, He picked the fewest of all peoples to be His people. He was after quality and not quantity. Some people think that God is out to convert the people of the world, yet Jesus prophesied, (Mat.7:13) Enter ye in by the narrow gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many are they that enter in thereby. (14) For narrow is the gate, and straitened the way, that leadeth unto life, and few are they that find it. Even though Jesus will “compel” many to come in, He didn't prophesy that great masses of humanity would be running into the Kingdom of Heaven over the course of time. Another theological problem for people is the classic question, “What about the heathens in deepest, darkest Africa? What is God going to do about them?” Well, we just saw that back in the days when God chose Israel and even all through the Old Testament, they were a small group of people compared to the rest of the world. If you had asked one of them that question, they would have replied, “What are you talking about? Don't you understand that God has chosen Israel?” And if you repeated your question, “Yes, but what about the heathens in the deepest, darkest Africa who have never heard about God?” They would have replied again, “Don't you understand? God has chosen Israel.” The Jews understood this. If you give people this answer today, they don't understand, but the Jews did understand because they were raised with the predestination doctrine. Now, I do have a couple of answers for this problem: one is election and the other is conscience. Let me point out that God said He was going to judge people according to their conscience, but first, I'd like to clarify something here. He's talking in this Scripture about Christians coming to God, as opposed to the Jews who were with God under the Law. And so He says, (Rom.2:15) In that they show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience bearing witness therewith, and their thoughts one with another accusing or else excusing [them]; (16) in the day when God shall judge the secrets of men, according to my gospel, by Jesus Christ. A person's conscience is either going to accuse or excuse them. We know this text is talking about Christians because they are the only ones “who show the work of the Law written in their hearts.” But the rest of the world is going to be judged according to conscience, too, and conscience won't put any of us in Heaven. Jesus said, (Mat.24:37) And as [were] the days of Noah, so shall be the coming of the Son of man. If God did the same thing He did in the days of Noah, some would find grace and the rest would find justice. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8). He was elect; he found grace and the rest found justice. God did no wrong for the rest had defiled their conscience they were born with. Remember what Jesus spoke in the Parable of the Husbandman, who went out at different hours and hired people to work in his vineyard (Matthew 20:1-16). The people who were hired last worked for only one hour, while the rest of them worked through the heat of the day. When it came time to pay the people, the husbandman called the last first and paid them a shilling and then He paid everyone else a shilling. But those who were hired first were unhappy. (Mat.20:11) And when they received it, they murmured against the householder, (12) saying, These last have spent [but] one hour, and thou hast made them equal unto us, who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat. (13) But he answered and said to one of them, Friend, I do thee no wrong: didst not thou agree with me for a shilling? (14) Take up that which is thine, and go thy way; it is my will to give unto this last, even as unto thee. (15) Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? or is thine eye evil, because I am good? That's the Lord's reasoning. God is never going to do less than justice, and in fact, God is almost always merciful. He doesn't have to be merciful, but at the least, He's always going to do justice. We've received God's grace, but we don't deserve it; it's a gift of God. When God judges, the world will receive righteous judgment (Acts 17:31), but true Christians will receive grace. Praise the Lord! So the answer to “What about the heathen in deepest, darkest Africa?” is that the heathen in Africa are going to be judged according to their conscience. Their conscience will either condemn them or excuse them. Everyone in the world has a conscience, but for some, their conscience has condemned them until it became quiet and just gave up condemning them. Their conscience finally became hardened, you see, because they rebelled against it. God has chosen the few and He's always chosen the weak among men in the next two verses. (1Co.1:25) Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men. (26) For behold your calling, brethren, that not many wise after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: So we see that God is clearly speaking of calling weak men. Then the translators, who probably didn't consider themselves weak and foolish, added things in the text over and over in the next three verses, which they italicized, showing it was not in the original text. Clearly, God is not speaking of things but MEN. So when we read them without things but with minor corrections from the Numeric Pattern, the text fits together and makes sense. (27) But God chose the foolish things of the world, that he might put to shame them that are wise; and God chose the weak things of the world, that he might put to shame the things strong; (28) and the base things of the world, and the things despised, did God choose, [yea] and them things that are not, that he might bring to nought those things that are: (29) that no flesh should glory before God. Clearly, He chose weak and the base men so no one can brag. He wants to prove His power to save. He has always chosen small and weak Israel. Even in the New Testament, spiritual Israel, those who are after the same faith as Abraham, is still the only one who is chosen. (Psa.147:19) He showeth his word unto Jacob, His statutes and his ordinances unto Israel. (20) He hath not dealt so with any nation; And as for his ordinances, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord. Not showing the nations His ordinances and statutes in the Old Testament is the equivalent of not giving someone “ears to hear” the Gospel in the New Testament. Jesus told the Jews in (Joh.6:44) No man can come to me, except the Father that sent me draw him... And (37) All that which the Father giveth me shall come unto me; and him that cometh to me I will in no wise cast out. God is not wrong by giving mercy to some and reaching out with the good news to bring them into the ark, no more than He was wrong when He brought those few into the ark in Noah's day. God is not wrong. And in many cases, God does not open the ears of people and He hardens hearts, and He hides things from “the wise and capable.” (Isa.45:15) Verily thou art a God that hidest thyself, O God of Israel, the Saviour. You may ask, “What's His method of hiding things?” Well, the devil is one. (2Co.4:3) And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled in them that perish: (4) in whom the god of this world (The devil is the god of this world because the world copies and thus worships him.) hath blinded the minds of the unbelieving, that the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should not dawn [upon them]. The devil has permission to do this. Also, (Mat.11:25) At that season Jesus answered and said, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that thou didst hide these things from the wise and understanding (This is speaking of the Pharisees, Sadducees and their students.), and didst reveal them unto babes: (26) yea, Father, for so it was well-pleasing in thy sight. (27) All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal [him]. So it pleased the Father to hide some things, and in this text, He talks about hiding them even from religious people. There truly is a supernatural blindness on people. You've probably seen it when you try very simply to share the Gospel or a revelation from God with people, but somehow they just can't see it. And you look upon them almost in awe, wondering, “Why can't they see it? It's so simple.” Of course, it's simple to you because you have a gift they don't have. You have the gift of hearing.

Episode Maxim"Purpose doesn't end when you take off the uniform—find your next mission."Episode SummaryIn this episode of The Gun Experiment, Big Keith and I sit down with retired Green Beret and motorsports competitor, Nick Merrick. After a career built on strategic thinking and resilience in Special Forces, Nick Merrick decided to channel that same drive into motorsports—founding Green Beret Racing as a way to help fellow veterans rediscover purpose through competition. We dive into his military experiences, the transition to civilian life, why competition is key to wellness, and how racing parallels operating in high-pressure environments. Plus, we explore what it means to build a supportive community for veterans beyond service and the wild story behind lifted Crown Vics racing for the Battle of the Branches.Call to ActionIf you enjoyed today's episode, hit subscribe and share it with your friends. Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify to support the show, and don't forget to follow us on Instagram, Twitter, Discord, and Spotify to stay in the loop!Show SponsorsSpecial thanks to tonight's sponsors:OnSite Firearms Training (OFT) – Top-notch instructors who keep your skills sharp. Find a class near you at OFTllcUS.Modern Gun Trade School – Turn your passion for firearms into a career with flexible, online assignments. Learn more at MGS Edu.Key TakeawaysTrust and teamwork are fundamental both in Special Forces and racing—put people in positions that let them succeed and empower them.Competitive hobbies (racing, jiu jitsu, marathons) give veterans purpose and drive, helping with the transition to civilian life.The ability to push past comfort and face adversity is what sets operators apart, but it's also what helps anyone grow.Veterans benefit from organizations that let them choose their path to wellness—competition, camaraderie, and having a mission matter.Green Beret Racing is evolving beyond motorsports, introducing the Battle of the Branches and aiming for nationwide reach across all first responder communities.Guest InformationNick MerrickFounder of Green Beret Racing, retired Army Special Forces warrant officer, and veteran outreach leader. Through Green Beret Racing, Nick creates opportunities for veterans to reclaim purpose, community, and challenge—whether it's through off-road racing, competitions, or simply having something to wake up for.Learn more: greenberetracing.orgFind Nick on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook: Green Beret RacingContact: nick@greenberetracing.orgKeywordsGreen Beret Racing, Special Forces, Nick Merrick, veteran transition, motorsports, Battle of the Branches, purpose...

This week in our Family Tree series, we talked about how real growth happens when we stay connected to Jesus, the true vine. We reflected on what it looks like to be a church that welcomes everyone, keeps Jesus at the center, and lives out His love in everyday ways through unity, generosity, and service. Let's move beyond simply showing up and instead choose to belong, participate, and invest in what God is growing among us.

Listen in as Pastor Alex continues our sermon series 'Forward' through the book of Philippians!

Today's Passage: John 15:1-5I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser.  Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.NOTES & LINKS:21 Days of Prayer & Fasting WebsiteSubscribe to the 21 Days of Prayer & Fasting NewsletterPDF Guide to Prayer & FastingAs Part of the 21 Days, we are committing to 24/7 prayer during this time. Sign up for a time slot here.

What does it mean to ABIDE in Christ? Come Bible Study WITH ME through John 15 and ask all the questions!

Someone who once attended a meditation class I taught called my work AI slop.I didn't argue. I saved it.This episode isn't a defense of artificial intelligence, and it isn't a productivity flex. It's an honest look at how I actually think and write — through handwritten chaos, half-formed ideas, panic, mysticism, coffee spills, and a process that looks nothing like efficiency.Sometimes that process includes a machine.Not to generate thoughts for me, but to reflect them back — faster, clearer, and occasionally in ways that force me to confront what I actually mean.Not magic. Just legibility. My confusion spell-checked. My chaos folded into something readable.Every tool that ever made expression easier was accused of being impure.The typewriter. The word processor. Editors. Spellcheck. This one is no different. What people often react to isn't automation — it's the removal of visible suffering. We don't trust clarity unless we can see the sweat.When I use AI, it doesn't erase my thinking. It challenges it. Sometimes it misunderstands me beautifully. Sometimes it saves me from my own over-philosophizing. Sometimes it just sits there while I fall apart mid-sentence — which, honestly, is what most good editors do.The madness is mine.The coherence is shared.And no — this isn't an AI voice.Just human emotion, divine confusion, one very judgmental cup of coffee, and a machine that politely declined to take credit.Oh and here's the link to the blog post this was inspired by : Source Code: A Standing Note on AI Use in 2025 | Zak El Fassi | Systems Engineering for the Agentic AI AgeIf this resonates and you want a quieter place to keep thinking together, you're welcome to join the community or explore more work here:

12-28-25 AM Let Some Branches Run Over the Wall by Clays Mill Baptist

Happy New Year! Listen in as Pastor Alex starts our new sermon series 'Forward' over the book of Philippians!

I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me – and I in him – bears much fruit, because apart from me you can accomplish nothing. – John 15 As January begins, Alison exhorts us to remain rooted in the Vine and gives us practical ways to connect in the New Year. After all, without the life given by the Vine, all us branches are just … sticks.

What if the biggest myth in banking is that customers don't need branches anymore? Because every time Bank of America opens a new financial center, digital sales in that market jump by 50 percent. Physical presence isn't competing with digital — it's accelerating it. Now, Bank of America is putting $750 million behind a bet the rest of the industry walked away from too soon, opening 150 new financial centers across 60 markets by 2027 at more than $5 million per location. Bold? Yes. Contradictory? Maybe. But the timing suggests something deeper: after shrinking from 6,000 branches to about 3,700, they now believe the future isn't fewer branches… it's smarter ones. These next-generation centers aren't transaction factories. They're advisory hubs staffed by 12,000 relationship bankers, designed to anchor communities and handle the conversations digital can't — at least not yet. My guest on the Banking Transformed podcast, Will Smayda, leads this transformation. He'll explain why Bank of America is expanding while others retreat and what these new financial centers reveal about how clients actually want to bank. So, here's the question we all need to wrestle with: Is this the future of the branch — or the most expensive contradiction in banking?

In this episode of Branches of Wisdom, guest host Tami Simon—founder and CEO of Sounds True—joins master shamanic healing practitioner Julie M. Kramer to explore the spiritual call to healing, which often arrives through dreams, illness, synchronicities, and life transitions. Julie, founding instructor of The Art and Practice of Shamanic Healingprofessional training, shares how to recognize this call and develop the skills needed to serve others, drawing on her decades of teaching and practice. Together they discuss core spiritual healing techniques Julie teaches—including soul retrieval, psychopomp work, compassionate depossession, and curse unraveling—and how spiritual healing can be thoughtfully integrated into a multidisciplinary approach to well-being.

In this episode, Jake interviews Dev about the Church in Nepal.Reverend Dev: President, Kathmandu Bible Institute and Research Center List of Resources ⁠CETI⁠ ⁠Circle of Concerned African Women Theologians⁠ ⁠INFEMIT⁠⁠Langham Literature⁠ ⁠World Evangelical Alliance Mission Commission⁠ Journal of Latin American TheologyLatin AmericaSamuel Escobar René and Kathy Padilla Melba MaggayAfricaKwame Bediako Tite Tiénou Emmanuel KatongoleHavila DarbarageLamin O Sanneh Marcy Embar Ediouya Harvey C. KwiyaniMiddle EastVinu Rajendran Vinoth Ramachandra Sydney Roy Tony Deik Shadia QubtiWestern VoicesChristopher J. H. Wright – The Mission of GodDavid J Bosch – Transforming Mission: Paradigm Shifts in Theology of MissionLesslie Newbigin - The Gospel in a Pluralist SocietyGraham Joseph Hill ⁠https://grahamjosephhill.com/⁠Stephen B. Bevans – The Church as a Community of Missionary Disciples

Welcome back to the podcas, as we close out this year with a special New Year's episode!--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--Every new year brings a familiar pressure: do more, be better, try harder. But on the night before His crucifixion, Jesus offered His disciples something radically different. In a moment filled with uncertainty, anxiety, and transition, He revealed the true secrets to a fruitful life—not through striving, but through connection.A Moment of TransitionJohn 15 isn't a traditional “New Year's passage,” but it may be the most important chapter for stepping into a new season. Jesus and His disciples are in the Upper Room. He has washed their feet. They've shared the Last Supper. Judas has already left. The weight of what's coming hangs heavy in the air.This moment feels like a final speech—Jesus preparing His closest followers for life without His physical presence. Twice in John 14, He tells them not to let their hearts be troubled or afraid. And yet, they clearly are.We can relate. None of us knows what awaits us in the coming year. We don't know what challenges, changes, or losses might be ahead. So how can we live without fear? Jesus answers that question in John 15.Secret #1: Think Like a Producer, Not a ConsumerJesus begins with a metaphor:John 15:1–2 (NLT) – “I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.”The disciples were likely confused. They were focused on themselves—Why are you leaving us? Why can't we go with you? But Jesus flips the perspective. He shifts the focus outward.Fruitfulness isn't about self-improvement; it's about impact.A consumer mindset asks, What do I get out of this?A producer mindset asks, What can God do through me?This changes everything—our marriages, our parenting, our work, our church involvement. Instead of seeing ourselves as victims of circumstances, we begin asking how we can bring peace, serve others, and make disciples. Jesus had just modeled this by washing His disciples' feet.A fruitful life starts when we stop making it all about us.Secret #2: Stay Connected to the VineJesus continues:John 15:4–5 (NLT) – “Remain in me, and I will remain in you… For apart from me you can do nothing.”The image is organic, not mechanical. Branches don't strive to produce fruit; they simply stay connected. This runs counter to how we're wired. We're taught to maximize effort, build better habits, and dig deeper into ourselves.But Jesus says fruit comes from abiding—learning the art of being with Him.That's harder than it sounds. Many of us are good at doing things for God, but not being with God. Remaining requires intentional...

This week on Paranormal Activity, Producer Dom takes us deep into the overgrown and the unseen, as two listeners share stories of places that shouldn't exist and maybe never did.First, Tom from Sheffield recounts a hike in the Peak District that led him to a forgotten walled garden filled with crumbling statues… statues that moved.What began as a peaceful moment turned surreal when stone figures shifted positions and pointed him toward an exit that vanished as quickly as it appeared.Then, Mark brings us into a hedge maze in Cheshire that seems to breathe with its own quiet presence.What starts as a playful wander soon twists into something much darker.Branches that ripple without wind, a face forming in the leaves, and the unsettling realization that the maze may be watching him just as closely as he's trying to escape it.Are these just tricks of the mind or are there places in nature where something older, stranger, and unseen still waits?Tune in and decide for yourself.A Create Podcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's the fourth week of advent, this week we focus on Love. Listen in as Pastor Michael continues our sermon series Miracle in the Manger.

After 100 episodes of DJ Breast Cancer, I feel compelled to share a new journey about being curious about Jesus, turning to the Word of God for guidance and sharing my experiences along the way. A new faith journey about the vine (Jesus).  Practical tips to a deeper relationship with Jesus through the Bible, Christian music and poetry.  John 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches.  If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing".  God is the gardener of our lives if we allow Jesus to be the vine.  

Learn how to cut and force early-spring branches indoors to add color and life to your home during the dead of winter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Luke Brunner, Detroit arborist and business developer in Detroit, talks about what it takes to care for trees during the wintertime, including snow and ice protection, pruning, mulching and general planting tips. In this episode we cover: Should I leave the snow and ice on my tree? (0:58)Should I treat young trees and mature trees differently in winter? (2:26)Growing trees meant for different climates (3:06)Oak and elm damage and pruning (7:02)Maple and pine damage and pruning (11:00)Do arborists work in severely cold weather? (12:36)What Luke does as a business developer at Davey (13:45)Volcano mulching (14:57)Mulching trees in winter (17:17)Luke's green giant arborvitaes (18:32)Why this job is right for Luke (21:11)Shoutout for Detroit (21:50)To find your local Davey office, check out our find a local office page to search by zip code.To learn more about winter tree care, read our blogs, Tree Care: Winter Tree Protection for Roots, Trunks and Branches, Don't Skip a Winter Tree Inspection: Why Cold Weather Reveals Hidden Tree Risks, Seasonal Tree Care Checklist: How to Keep Trees Healthy This Winter and Protecting Newly Planted Trees from Frost & Cold Winter Weather. Connect with Davey Tree on social media:Twitter: @DaveyTreeFacebook: @DaveyTreeInstagram: @daveytreeYouTube: The Davey Tree Expert CompanyLinkedIn: The Davey Tree Expert Company Connect with Doug Oster at www.dougoster.com. Have topics you'd like us to cover on the podcast? Email us at podcasts@davey.com. We want to hear from you!Click here to send Talking Trees Fan Mail!

This week, special guest Rich Jordan takes us inside a marketing challenge presented by his successful acquisition of home services businesses. Do you keep the legacy names of those businesses to preserve local trust—at the cost of running a fragmented, inefficient marketing operation? Do you take the strongest brand you own and roll it out everywhere, even if it may not translate from one community to the next? Or do you wipe the slate clean and create an entirely new brand to unify the whole operation—knowing that it means walking away from money you've already sunk into branding your biggest location? In a conversation with Shawn Busse and Jay Goltz, Rich walks through how he wrestled with those choices, why he ultimately made the call he did, and what he learned along the way. His takeaways included that there are still people who listen to radio, that an authentic story can compete with private equity, and that it is possible to find a marketing agency that will align its interests with yours.

It's the third week of Advent. Listen in as Pastor Alex continues or sermon series Miracle in the Manger. This week is the miracle of joy!

What role does joy play in the Christian's life? In this lesson, we look to John 15:11 to find an answer to this question.

Welcome back to Cthulhu Dark Ages, 'Branches of Bone'. Knut lost to madness releases the monastery bell upon his former clansmen. Rune crushed beneath rubble wrestles with mortality and seeks the help of a former rival. The call of darkness and creeping branches reach ever deeper into their bones will the remaining raiders put this evil to rest or become one with it... This is Mystery Quest, a roleplaying podcast where we play a variety of one-shot RPG's with a rolling cast of special guests. Mystery Quest Merch AVAILABLE NOW!: https://mystery-quest-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp Become a Member or Patron to get $7 off your order - that's like a free membership along with your stylish new adventuring attire! Community Discord: https://discord.gg/z2NW53APFa Check out Cthulhu Dark Ages here: https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover/ You can check out the scenario, 'Branches of Bone' here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405806/branches-of-bone-a-viking-age-cthulhu-dark-ages-scenario Podcast: https://www.pickaxe.uk/mystery-quest Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/MysteryQuest Follow the Cast: Tom: https://www.youtube.com/angorytom Joseph: @apocplayers Lydia: https://twitch.tv/squidgame Dom: @ChaoticNRB Ben:@GamesNight Editing & Sound Design: Oscar Henderson Thumbnail Art: Jack Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Podcast-Restoring IntimacyIn this episode, Megan Stockwell shares a heartfelt message on restoring intimacy with our Bridegroom, Jesus. She explains that true closeness with Him flows through surrender and forgiveness, drawing from John 15:1-11 and the imagery of the Vine and the Branches. Megan emphasizes that intimacy naturally brings seasons of pruning-times when Jesus lovingly removes what hinders fruitfulness. This refining process prepares us to bear lasting fruit, reminding us that if we desire “the more,” we must pursue real, surrendered intimacy with our Bridegroom. Blessings!Sanctioned Lovesanctionedlove.com

Sermon by Pastor Jerry Jackson**12/7/25Make sure you check out our church website: https://www.tcpottershouse.comLook us up on social media:Linktree: https://linktr.ee/thepottershousetcFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/ThePottersHouseTC/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thepottershousetc/

Senior Editor at The Dispatch, Sarah Isgur, explains how the Supreme Court could reset the balance of power between our three branches of government.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Senior Editor at The Dispatch, Sarah Isgur, explains how the Supreme Court could reset the balance of power between our three branches of government.

Presented by Julie Busteed Abiding in Jesus—remaining with him—is an active daily practice. The Apostle John writes: By this we know we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked (1 John 2:5b-6). How do you and I walk the way Jesus walked? Reading the Gospels, we see how often he withdrew to spend time alone with the Father—on a mountain, in a quiet place, away from the crowds—to pray, listen, and discern God's will. We are called to do the same. Staying connected to the vine is essential for our life. Just as branches receive a continuous flow of nutrients from the vine, we receive strength, wisdom, love, and joy from Christ. The connection is vital: severed from the vine, branches wither and cannot bear fruit. Likewise, apart from Jesus, we cannot thrive or produce lasting fruit. Jesus promises those who remain in him will bear much fruit. This fruit shows up in our character—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. It shows up in our relationships, in our work, in our ability to forgive, in our desire to serve, and in the joy and strength we receive from Christ himself. Abiding produces a life that reflects Jesus. Jesus also promises joy. Not a surface happiness that depends on circumstances, but his own joy, placed within us—a steady, settled gladness that cannot be shaken by what happens around us. But Jesus also speaks honestly about the consequences of not remaining in him. He says if anyone does not abide in him, that person is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned (John 15:6). Branches disconnected from the vine cannot produce fruit. They wither. They dry up. They lose the life and nourishment that comes only from staying connected to the vine. Jesus isn't threatening his disciples; he's warning them with love. He knows the pressures they will face. He knows how easy it is to drift, to try to live the Christian life in our own strength, to rely on our own wisdom, or to become spiritually stagnant. Apart from him, he says, you can do nothing. This is not meant to discourage us—but to draw us nearer to the source of life. Jesus wants his disciples, and us today, to understand that staying close to him is not optional for a fruitful life; it is essential.

WXPR News for 12-9-25

It's the second week of Advent! Listen in as Pastor Alex continues or sermon series Miracle in the Manger.

Attorney Todd Marquardt brings you insightful topics every Saturday morning, but he's not stopping there! Join Todd every Sunday afternoon at 4:30pm for a special bonus segment! He addresses trending and specific topics in more detail with a professional perspective. So what are you waiting for? Discover your hidden legal blind spots by listening to all the impactful Talk Law content every weekend! The mission of Talk Law Radio is to help you discover your legal issue blind spots by listening to me talk about the law on the radio. The state bar of Texas is the state agency that governs attorney law licenses. The State Bar wants attorneys to inform the public about the law but does not want us to attempt to solve your individual legal problems upon the basis of general information. Instead, contact an attorney like Todd A. Marquardt at Marquardt Law Firm, P.C. to discuss your specific facts and circumstances of your unique situation. www.TalkLawRadio.com Join Todd Marquardt every week for exciting law talk on Talk Law Radio!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

After overcoming a storm of challenges, Old Mr. Beetle practically skitters on a cloud as he makes his way, oh so merrily, to his Wednesday night story time for young bugs on the 25th branch. But when he nears his story time stage, he discovers that the end of the branch has been blocked off. The 26th branch, directly above, is dangling ominously and presents too much of a hazard to allow his story time to proceed. But even more disappointing is the fact that this new obstacle may impact something very important that is coming in three week's time. Listen in to find out whether Mr. Beetle is able to overcome yet another challenge...and come through for his dearest friend. Thank you to DECLAN for the super important reminder message at the beginning! Thank you to the many premium subscribers who supplied sound effects used in this story! Thank you to RYLEE, LUNA, LEVI, ADRIAN, OLIVIA, LINGLING, REUVY, EZRA, ELENORE, FIONA, LOLA, ARIANA, LILY, THEO, ALICE, SAGE, DAVID, JAMES, WREN, JUNI, EMERSON, CEDI, KADEN, KENNA, NELLY, CHARLI, and FIA! Unlock the full Little Stories Library and access Little Stories for Sleep--an exclusive bedtime podcast--with Little Stories Premium! Join or GIFT a subscription at http://www.littlestoriespremium.com

Welcome back to Cthulhu Dark Ages, 'Branches of Bone'. The horrific amalgamation was slain but Big Lyds is lost in a battle frenzy but as the monastery's dead monks rise wreathed in branches there's new foes to strike down. Rune & Crom may have to align in order to contain the dark force and escape these cursed halls but Knut is overcome with mania, disgusted at the Christians who have harboured such abomination in the house of their heathen god turns on the last surviving monk who's blood may hold the key to salvation. This is Mystery Quest, a roleplaying podcast where we play a variety of one-shot RPG's with a rolling cast of special guests. Mystery Quest Merch AVAILABLE NOW!: https://mystery-quest-shop.fourthwall.com/en-gbp Become a Member or Patron to get $7 off your order - that's like a free membership along with your stylish new adventuring attire! Community Discord: https://discord.gg/z2NW53APFa Check out Cthulhu Dark Ages here: https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover/ You can check out the scenario, 'Branches of Bone' here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405806/branches-of-bone-a-viking-age-cthulhu-dark-ages-scenario Podcast: https://www.pickaxe.uk/mystery-quest Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/MysteryQuest Follow the Cast: Tom: https://www.youtube.com/angorytom Joseph: @apocplayers Lydia: https://twitch.tv/squidgame Dom: @ChaoticNRB Ben:@GamesNight Editing & Sound Design: Oscar Henderson Thumbnail Art: Jack Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

US Designates Muslim Brotherhood Branches and Ideological Threat — John Batchelor, Bill Roggio, Edmund Fitton-Brown — Fitton-Brown describes the Muslim Brotherhood (Ikhwan) as a secretive, transnational organization with deliberately decentralized hierarchical structure designed to obscure leadership and maintain operational security. Fitton-Brown articulates the organization's long-term strategic objective: establishment of a global Islamic caliphatestructure superseding nation-states. Batchelor reports that the US formally designated violent Muslim Brotherhoodaffiliates operating in Lebanon, Jordan, and Egypt as terrorist organizations. Roggio notes conspicuously that Turkishand Qatari Muslim Brotherhood branches were omitted from designation, likely because those nations are viewed as strategically important US policy facilitators requiring diplomatic accommodation. 1900 ISTANBUL POST OFFICE

It's the first week of Advent! Listen in as Pastor Alex starts our new sermon series Miracle in the Manger!

Welcome back to Cthulhu Dark Ages, 'Branches of Bone'. Knut and Big lyds discover a curious magic as the petrified raiders interpret the languages spoken before them and allow communion with the last frightened monk of St Karotino. Steersman Crom and Soothsayer Rune, desperately try to find a way to leave the ill fated monastery but are met with an abominable creature borne of branch goat and chicken... This is Mystery Quest, a roleplaying podcast where we play a variety of one-shot RPG's with a rolling cast of special guests. Mystery Quest Merch AVAILABLE NOW!: https://mystery-quest-shop.fourthwall.com/ Become a Member or Patron to get $7 off your order - that's like a free membership along with your stylish new adventuring attire! Community Discord: https://discord.gg/z2NW53APFa Check out Cthulhu Dark Ages here: https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover/ You can check out the scenario, 'Branches of Bone' here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405806/branches-of-bone-a-viking-age-cthulhu-dark-ages-scenario Podcast: https://www.pickaxe.uk/mystery-quest Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/MysteryQuest Follow the Cast: Tom:  @AngoryTom  Joseph:  @apocplayers  Lydia: https://twitch.tv/squidgame Dom:  @ChaoticNRB  Ben:  @GamesNight  Editing & Sound Design: Oscar Henderson Thumbnail Art: Jack Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fluent Fiction - Dutch: Branches of Healing: Reconnecting Amidst Autumn's Embrace Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/nl/episode/2025-11-27-23-34-02-nl Story Transcript:Nl: De herfst zette de lucht goudgeel en het veldhospitaal leek te leven op het ritme van bladeren die van de bomen vielen.En: The autumn turned the sky gold-yellow, and the field hospital seemed to live to the rhythm of leaves falling from the trees.Nl: Jasper liep door de haastig ingerichte gangen waar de geur van antiseptica hem dag in, dag uit vergezelde.En: Jasper walked through the hastily arranged corridors where the smell of antiseptics accompanied him day in and day out.Nl: Elk bed vulde zich met soldaten die verzorging nodig hadden, en de lange dagen maakten zijn schouders vermoeid.En: Each bed filled with soldiers needing care, and the long days made his shoulders weary.Nl: Toch, zijn gedachten dwaalden steeds af naar een ander soort zorg—die van zijn verloren band met zijn zus, Ineke.En: Yet, his thoughts kept drifting to another kind of care—that of his lost bond with his sister, Ineke.Nl: Iedere ochtend, voor de zon haar hoogste punt bereikte, dacht hij eraan om haar te schrijven.En: Every morning, before the sun reached its highest point, he thought about writing her.Nl: Waarom zouden ruzies, zo oud als het geritsel van herfstbladeren, zijn dagen blijven verkleuren?En: Why should arguments, as old as the rustling of autumn leaves, continue to color his days?Nl: Steeds meer voelde hij de drang om zijn hart te luchten, ondanks de drukte om hem heen.En: More and more, he felt the urge to express his feelings, despite the busyness around him.Nl: In zijn vrije weekenden begon hij voorzichtig aan een brief, woorden die vriendschap en spijt mengden, zoals de kleuren van de herfst.En: In his free weekends, he tentatively began a letter, words mixing friendship and regret like the colors of the autumn.Nl: Op een koude ochtend, nadat een nieuw troep patiënten was aangekomen, besloot Jasper dat het tijd was.En: On a cold morning, after a new troop of patients had arrived, Jasper decided it was time.Nl: Hij postte de brief, zijn ziel een beetje lichter.En: He mailed the letter, his soul a bit lighter.Nl: Terwijl hij verder zorgde voor zijn patiënten, wendde zijn hoop zich tot de postbode die misschien een antwoord zou brengen.En: As he continued to care for his patients, his hope turned to the mailman who might bring a response.Nl: Dagen gingen voorbij.En: Days passed.Nl: Totdat op een regenachtige middag, tussen de krakende bladstapels bij de ingang van de tenten, een brief op het bureau belandde met een handschrift dat hij meteen herkende.En: Until on a rainy afternoon, among the crackling piles of leaves at the entrance of the tents, a letter landed on the desk with handwriting he immediately recognized.Nl: Ineke was in de stad.En: Ineke was in the city.Nl: Ze wilde hem ontmoeten.En: She wanted to meet him.Nl: De zon zakte achter de bomen toen Ineke het ziekenhuis binnenliep.En: The sun set behind the trees as Ineke walked into the hospital.Nl: Jasper wachtte op haar in het kleine cafetaria waar de geur van koffie troostend werkte.En: Jasper waited for her in the small cafeteria where the smell of coffee offered consolation.Nl: Ineke stapte binnen, hun ogen ontmoetten elkaar en voor een moment zweeg de wereld.En: Ineke entered, their eyes met, and for a moment the world went silent.Nl: De eerste woorden waren stug en onhandig, als bladeren die niet meer willen vallen.En: The first words were stiff and awkward, like leaves that no longer wanted to fall.Nl: Maar langzaam groeide er begrip.En: But slowly, understanding grew.Nl: "Ik heb je gemist," zei Ineke zacht.En: "I've missed you," Ineke said softly.Nl: En zo werd opnieuw contact gemaakt, zoals de zon die na een storm zijn stralen weer laat zien.En: And so contact was reestablished, like the sun showing its rays again after a storm.Nl: Hun ontmoeting duurde tot de avond.En: Their meeting lasted until the evening.Nl: Toen Ineke vertrok, voelde Jasper een warme gloed vanbinnen die dit keer niet van koffie kwam.En: When Ineke left, Jasper felt a warm glow inside that this time didn't come from the coffee.Nl: Hij begreep nu dat zijn patiënten niet de enigen waren die genezing konden krijgen.En: He now understood that his patients were not the only ones who could find healing.Nl: Echt herstel vond ook plaats daar buiten de ziekenhuiswanden.En: True healing also happened outside the hospital walls.Nl: Het voelde als herfst, maar ook als een nieuwe lente.En: It felt like autumn, but also like a new spring.Nl: Met Ineke weer in zijn leven, begon Jasper in te zien dat familie en liefde krachtige medicijnen waren.En: With Ineke back in his life, Jasper began to realize that family and love were powerful medicines.Nl: En met die wetenschap keerde hij terug naar de ziekenzaal, klaar om de nieuwe dag aan te gaan.En: And with that knowledge, he returned to the sick ward, ready to face the new day. Vocabulary Words:autumn: herfstgold-yellow: goudgeelfield hospital: veldhospitaalhastily: haastigantiseptics: antisepticaarranged: ingerichtetentatively: voorzichtigdrifting: dwaaldenarguments: ruziesconsole: troostendrustling: geritselconsolation: troostregret: spijtdrang: urgestiff: stugexpress: luchtenunderstanding: begripbond: bandcare: zorghandwriting: handschriftcoffee: koffiegrowing: groeidecare: verzorgingtroop: troephealing: genezingtroop: troeptent: tentward: ziekenzaalhealing: herstelcrackling: krakende

Send us a textWe celebrate bourbon heritage, wild turkey conservation, and how a surplus of aged barrels sparked the creation of Russell's Reserve. Gregg Snyder joins us to share stories of Jimmy Russell, warehouse wisdom, and why Russell's 13 and 15 hit so differently.• annual Thanksgiving special with Gregg Snyder• turkey hunting passion and NWTF conservation work• wild vs farm turkey taste and preparation• cooking methods for wild turkey including nuggets and piccata• tracking tips using footprints and droppings• path from Brown‑Forman cooperage to Wild Turkey leadership• mandate to protect tradition and avoid shortcuts• how inventory analysis led to Russell's Reserve• naming, first bottling, and early pricing strategy• bourbon vs Tennessee whiskey clarity• maturation sites including Camp Nelson and McBrayer• Russell's 13 vs 15 tasting contrasts and oxidation talk• Rare Breed blend concept and rising entry proofs• lessons from legends and blending today at Four BranchesMake sure you check us out on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, X, and TikTok, along with Apple, iHeart, and Spotify. Whether you listen or watch us, make sure you like, listen, subscribe, and leave good feedback. Also, make sure you become a member.A holiday pour tastes better with a story, and this one comes straight from the rickhouse. We welcome industry veteran Gregg Snyder to trace the line from turkey tracks and conservation fields to the barrel floors of Wild Turkey, sharing how an overlooked inventory problem lit the spark for Russell's Reserve and why protecting tradition still matters in a world of shortcuts.We start with the outdoors: the rush of a dawn gobble, how to tell a gobbler's print from a hen's, and why the wild bird's best eating is in the breast. Gregg breaks down simple, crowd-pleasing prep—crispy nuggets, teriyaki kebabs, even a bright, silky piccata—then connects that kitchen craft to the patient arc of bourbon maturation. From Brown‑Forman's cooperage to his tenure running operations at Wild Turkey, he explains the quiet rule that shaped a generation of whiskey: never change how the whiskey is made. No enzyme tricks, no shortcuts—just wood, time, and careful selection.Then we open the vault. Gregg recounts proposing a new bourbon to honor Jimmy Russell—Russell's Reserve—born from aging stock the spreadsheets wouldn't touch. We talk warehouses from Camp Nelson to McBrayer, the effect of elevation and airflow, entry proof shifts, and why Rare Breed's blend-first logic still sings. A guided tasting squares Russell's 13 against 15: caramel-vanilla richness vs oak-forward structure. If you love dessert-like depth, 13 feels like a sweet spot; if you crave tannin and cigar-box edges, 15 scratches that itch. Along the way you'll hear the kind of Jimmy Russell stories that make you smile and pour another ounce.This one blends heritage, practical tasting insights, and the warmth of a Thanksgiving table. If bourbon history, Wild Turkey lore, and smart, no‑nonsense tasting notes are your thing, you'll feel right at home. Follow and subscribe on your favorite app, share with a friend who loves Russell's or Rare Breed, and leave a quick review to help more whiskey fans find the show. What's your pick: Russell's 13 or 15—and why?Add for SOFL If You Have GohstsSupport the showhttps://www.scotchybourbonboys.com The Scotchy bourbon Boys are #3 in Feedspots Top 60 whiskey podcasts in the world https://podcast.feedspot.com/whiskey_podcasts/

Listen in as Pastor Alex continues or sermon series House Rules! This week we focus on friendship.

Vine and Branches. Speaker: Jarod Osborne

Welcome back to Cthulhu Dark Ages, 'Branches of Bone'. Askr's raiders are petrified, held by some unknown force within the crypt of this ancient monastery while Rune is left alone with the surviving monks who seem to have a little fight left in them! This is Mystery Quest, a roleplaying podcast where we play a variety of one-shot RPG's with a rolling cast of special guests. Come and hang out in our new community Discord: https://discord.gg/z2NW53APFa Check out Cthulhu Dark Ages here: https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover/ You can check out the scenario, 'Branches of Bone' here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405806/branches-of-bone-a-viking-age-cthulhu-dark-ages-scenario Podcast: https://www.pickaxe.uk/mystery-quest Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/MysteryQuest Follow the Cast: Tom: https://www.youtube.com/angorytom Joseph: @apocplayers Lydia: https://twitch.tv/squidgame Dom: @ChaoticNRB Ben:@GamesNight Editing & Sound Design: Oscar Henderson Thumbnail Art: Jack Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John 15: 1 - 11

Welcome back to Cthulhu Dark Ages, 'Branches of Bone'. Following Askr's warriors and their trail of destruction into the Monastery of St Karotino, husband and wife, Knut and Big Lyds try to communicate with the terrified monks whilst cynical steersman Crom and the wide eyed soothsayer Rune discover strange talismans in a nearby camp... This is Mystery Quest, a roleplaying podcast where we play a variety of one-shot RPG's with a rolling cast of special guests. Check out Cthulhu Dark Ages here: https://www.chaosium.com/cthulhu-dark-ages-3rd-edition-hardcover/ You can check out the scenario, 'Branches of Bone' here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/405806/branches-of-bone-a-viking-age-cthulhu-dark-ages-scenario Podcast: https://www.pickaxe.uk/mystery-quest Patreon link: https://www.patreon.com/MysteryQuest Follow the Cast: Tom: https://www.youtube.com/angorytom Simon: https://www.twitch.tv/simonhoneydew Lydia: https://twitch.tv/squidgame Harry: https://www.twitch.tv/hrry Editing & Sound Design: Oscar Henderson Thumbnail Art: Jack Bailey Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

WarRoom Battleground EP 889: Downfall To Americans As AI Rises; Branches Of US Military Funding Chinese Labs

Did you know that about half of all eye injuries happen right at home? Home activities that can injure your eyes include: Cleaning. Chemicals like bleach in household cleaning products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year. Home Improvement. Screws, nails and hand tools can launch into the air—and into your eyes. Power tools can also send wood chips or other substances flying into the air. Yard Work. Lawn mowers, trimmers and even shovels can throw dirt and debris into the air. Branches, twigs and thorns can also be dangerous. Unfortunately, only about three out of 10 people wear protective eyewear during home projects that could hurt their eyes. The good news? Simply wearing protective eyewear can reduce your risk for eye injury by 90 percent! The American Academy of Ophthalmology urges every household to have at least one pair of ANSI-approved protective eyewear.  ("ANSI-approved" means the protective eyewear is made to meet safety standards of the American National Standards Institute.) In the house Using dangerous chemicals such as oven cleaner and bleach (accidents involving common household products cause 125,000 eye injuries each year). Read the labels of chemicals and cleaners carefully, and don't mix products. Cooking foods can that can splatter hot grease or oil. Use grease shields on frying pans to protect yourself from splattering. Opening champagne bottles during a celebration. Wrap a towel or cloth around the top of the bottle while unscrewing it to "catch" the cork. Never point a champagne bottle towards another person or yourself when opening it. Drilling or hammering screws or nails into walls or hard surfaces like brick or cement. The screws or nails can fly into the air, or fragments can come off the surface. Using hot objects such as curling irons around your face. Contact with your eyes can cause serious injury. Loose rugs and railings or other hazards that could cause falls or slips. Secure rugs with a non-slip pad underneath. Check to make sure railings are secure and not loose. Put padding on sharp corners and edges if you have children or the elderly in your house. In the yard Mowing the lawn. Check the lawn or the outdoor area first for sticks, rocks or other items that can fly out from under the mower. Using a power trimmer or edger. Clipping hedges and bushes. Playing sports. In the garage or workshop Using power or hand tools. Keep your tools in good condition; damaged tools should be repaired or replaced. Working with solvents or other chemicals. Make sure that all spray nozzles are directed away from you. Doing anything that can cause fragments or dust particles to fly around in the air. Tying down equipment or loads with bungee cords. Bungee cords are a serious danger to eyes when they snap back. For all of these activities, remember that people nearby also face serious risk. Bystanders should wear eye protection too or leave the area where the chore is being done. This is particularly important for children who watch their parents do chores in and around the home. (CREDITS: American Academy of Ophthalmology)