Podcasts about Cana

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Jon Thompson, senior pastor of Sanctus Church, a multisite church on the east side of Toronto. Jon has served at Sanctus for 25 years and has helped lead the church through seasons of growth, renewal, revival, and cultural change. In this conversation, he shares insights from his latest book, Presence: Resilient Witness in Times of Retreat and Revival, and explores how churches can faithfully witness in an increasingly post-Christian—and even re-paganized—culture. Learn to minister in a re-paganized culture. // Jon believes Canada offers a glimpse of where many parts of the United States may be heading. Churches are increasingly engaging people with little or no Christian memory alongside Muslims, Hindus, atheists, New Agers, nominal Christians, and people shaped by contemporary cultural movements. The challenge is not simply to defend Christian truth, but to communicate the gospel thoughtfully and winsomely to radically different audiences at the same time. Open the three evangelistic doors. // Historically, love, word, and power describe three ways people encounter God. Love demonstrates God's character through hospitality and care. Word clarifies truth through preaching, apologetics, and teaching. Power reveals God's presence through experiences such as healing, deliverance, dreams, and other supernatural encounters. Jon argues that churches need all three doors open because different people encounter Jesus through different pathways. Admit your church's bias. // Most churches naturally lean toward one or two of these categories. Conservative evangelical churches often emphasize word. Other churches may prioritize love through compassion and justice, while still others focus heavily on supernatural experiences. Jon encourages leaders to honestly identify their bias and intentionally elevate the areas they tend to neglect. A healthy church needs all three working together rather than allowing one to dominate. Don't let fear quench what God is doing. // Jon tells the story of a woman who came to faith out of Hinduism after experiencing visions, spiritual conflict, and encounters with Jesus. When her church removed those elements from her baptism testimony because leaders were uncomfortable with them, she felt that an essential part of her story had been denied. Jon warns that fear, theological bias, and lack of experience can cause churches to suppress genuine ways God may be working in people's lives. Choose encounter and systems. // Jon believes churches often falsely pit spiritual encounter against organizational structure. Healthy churches need both. Leaders should build systems that support what God is doing without attempting to control it. As spiritual activity increases, churches may need to adjust volunteer processes, pastoral care systems, staff expectations, and leadership structures. The goal is not to eliminate order but to make the organization flexible enough to respond when circumstances change. Understand renewal, revival, and awakening. // Jon distinguishes between renewal, revival, and awakening. Renewal is the recovery of first love in individual believers. Revival is a sovereign move of God that He initiates and ends where sin is revealed and there’s widespread healing. Awakening happens when revival leads to widespread conversion. Leaders should not assume revival is guaranteed, but they should remain faithful and responsive whether God brings extraordinary renewal or simply calls them to steady obedience in an ordinary season. Start by refusing to resist God. // Before changing structures or launching new ministries, Jon believes leaders should begin with a simple posture: “Lord, whatever you want to do, I won't fight you.” Many pastors love God but still struggle to trust Him when ministry becomes unpredictable. Jon encourages leaders to confront their fear, relinquish control, and remain open to correction, repentance, and change. To learn more about Jon Thompson and his books, including Convergence, Perseverance, Presence, and the upcoming re-release of Deliverance, visit jonthompsonresources.com or Amazon.com. Other Conversations with Jon Thompson Reflections on Christian Ministry at the Halfway Point with Jon Thompson // February 8, 2024 What if John Stott, John Wimber, Dallas Willard & Andy Stanley Planted a Church with Jon Thompson? // March 14, 2019 Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. 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Portable Church has assembled a bundle of resources to help you leverage your growing momentum into a new location by sending a part of your congregation back to their neighborhood on Mission. This bundle of resources will give you a step-by-step plan to launch that new or next location, and a 5 minute readiness tool that will help you know your church is ready to do it! Click here to watch the free webinar “Launch a New Location in 150 Days or Less” and grab the bundle of resources for your church! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, Rich from the unSeminary Podcast. Listen, you’re going to want to lean in today for this conversation because I think this kind what you’re going to get a sneak peek on is something that’s impacting churches all over the world that’s having, I think, an interesting kind of moment and is maybe points to a bit of where God is at work. And I think could for many churches that are listening in today, give them a sense of maybe some next steps, what the kind of evolution or the development of their church, what that could look like for the future.Rich Birch — Plus, it’s one of those times where I get to talk with like a real live friend, somebody that I know from the real world, not just on the internet, which is so fun. Excited to have Jon Thompson with us. He is the senior pastor at Sanctus Church, a multi-site church in the east side of Toronto with four in-person locations plus church online. This church began in 1985 with just 40 people meeting and now averages over 2,600 weekend attendees with a plan to reach 3,600 by the end of the decade and open a sixth site in the T. Dot in Toronto in the six by 2030. Rich Birch — Jon has served at Sanctus for 25 years, starting as a youth pastor before becoming the senior pastor. He holds both a masters from Tyndale and a doctorate from Fuller. He grew up in Ecuador from missionary parents, he and his wife, Joanna, who’s incredible, have three kids. His books include Convergence, Deliverance, and Perseverance. And the brand new one that I’m excited to have him talk about today, Presence: Resilient Witness in Times of Retreat and Revival. And it’s from our friends at Zondervan Reflective.Rich Birch — Jon, welcome to the show. I am so glad that you’re here today. Welcome.Jon Thompson — Yeah great to be here. Great to be back on the podcast. Hang out with a real friend, like you said, and hi to anyone listening anywhere around the world today.Rich Birch — Yeah, this is good. I’m excited for this. For folks that haven’t maybe picked up a past episode, which you haven’t, you should go go back and find them. Jon’s been on a couple times, a few times. But give us kind of a picture of a normal Sunday at Sanctus. Who’s in the room? Give us a flavor for the church.Jon Thompson —  Yeah, so our church is located, like you said, on the east side of Toronto. And some of your viewers will know this, but lots might might not. Toronto is the most multicultural city on earth, more than London, more than, well, LA, more than New York, more than Singapore, more than Hong Kong. And so there’s between 150 and 300 heart languages spoken every single day in our amazing city, by the way, you got to come to Toronto. The food culture is unbelievable…Rich Birch — That’s true. That is true.Jon Thompson — …and unparalleled because everyone’s here. So on a Sunday morning, depending on our locations, again, because we have rural sites, urban sites, and suburban sites, which makes life interesting to say the least, but we probably got 55 plus identified nationalities. We probably I think we’re on 13 on staff right now. And so everything from someone from Hong Kong to someone who’s moved here from Pakistan. We’ve got Congolese. We’ve got Irish. I mean just fill in the blank and you’re going to discover the amazing diversity of the human race on this side of heaven. And we you know we made a decision a long time ago that we were going to fight for Revelation 7 on this side of uh the moment. Rich Birch — So good. Jon Thompson — And it’s exciting, it’s hard, it’s difficult, and it’s um and it’s worth it.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. You know, Canada is and I know we share this conviction. I know you’ve said it and I’ve said it on other podcasts when we’ve had Canadian friends on the podcast. But I think it’s really important, particularly, you know, 95 plus percent of the people listening are in the States. But I think it’s important just to to set the context. Because in a lot of ways, Canada is a few a few years ahead or behind, depending on what language you want to use, of our friends in the States. What do you mean by that? When you say that, what springs to mind?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so this is a very interesting place, right? Because Canada moved from, ah you know, Christendom worldview, to a nominal Christian worldview, to a struggling Christian worldview, to a post-Christian worldview. And now I think we’ve moved to a new place, which is not post-Christian, but repaganized.Jon Thompson — And so it’s a it’s a fascinating place. Because In our context, One moment, you’ll be talking to someone who still has Christian memory, who actually doesn’t love Jesus at all, but it’s a family thing. And it’s nominal Christianity. Jon Thompson — The next moment, you’ll still run into a Mormon telling you you’re worshiping the right and wrong Jesus. The next moment, it’s a New Ager. The next moment, it’s ah a Muslim activist. The next moment, it’s a transgender activist. The next moment, it’s someone who has no clue at all on anything.Jon Thompson — And so what’s fascinating about up here is you’ve got modern, postmodern. You’ve got conservative, you’ve got liberal. You’ve got the heart of the sexual revolution in the center center of our city. It’s one of the hubs of that globally. You’ve got every religion on earth. And you’ve got churches that are dying.Jon Thompson — I think, I don’t know of the latest stats. I still think that they’re they’re estimating one third of churches will close in the next decade in Canada, like physical ah buildings will close. And while that’s happening. And all that’s happening. You’ve got still sort of Christianity memory in certain groups, and then there are churches that are exploding. Jon Thompson — And so the the way I talk about we’re a little ahead is we are your future in some form. Because we’re facing down Jesus and how we deal with the gift of immigrants globally, but also the complication of that. We’re dealing with having to pivot the gospel to an a Muslim person, a Hindu person, a nominal Christian, and and a Mormon all in one conversation.Jon Thompson — There are Bible belts left in Canada, very small ones. But like Abbotsford, for example.Rich Birch — Little teeny tiny belts.Jon Thompson —  But but there are those places.Rich Birch — Sure. Yep.Jon Thompson — At the same time there is the post-christian thing. And the reason why I think our American friends should pay more attention to us is not because we’re we’re having a third cousin issue up here and we’re jealous. It’s because actually we reflect where you’re going. Because there are going to be sections in the United States that probably will remain nominally Christian and culturally Christian for a very long time. You know, in certain parts of Houston, for example, or maybe in sections of Kentucky or Louisiana. But then you go to New York and LA or Seattle. And here’s the point. The church has to speak to both audiences at once, which feels in contradiction. But isn’t.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Yeah and I’ve definitely seen that. I like the uh the re-paganizing language you know I’ve used the uh the pre-christian that we’ve it’s like we’ve gone kind of all the way through. And that that totally has been my experience serving here. You know I took a break. I was in the States for a number of years better part of a decade and then came back. And one of the things I’ve noticed has been this shift kind of under the current. We used to say we used to joke actually we ain’t your mama’s church. But like, you can’t make that joke anymore because like mom didn’t go to church. Grandma didn’t go to church. Like nobody in there, you know, we run into that all the time. Like that’s, you know, really common.Jon Thompson — So like literally this week. This week, my daughter is doing swimming lessons. A woman comes up to us and says, hey, I hear you’re a pastor.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson —  Really tragic thing. She says, my husband’s dying, 45 years old. And so my wife and I end up speaking to her, praying for her. And she’s like, I have never. So she’s 45 grown up Canada. She says, I’ve never owned a Bible. I’ve never read a Bible. Could I have a Bible? Jon Thompson — Now, for you listening in the Bible Belt before you dismiss this conversation and say not our fight, I just…May I do something for a moment? That might not be true because you’re surrounded by 400 churches. But every time you go online, it is your reality. So what we experience physically in Canada you digitally experience every day. And you have to be as as adaptive thoughtful, winsome, orthodox on your digital thinking as you do your physical thinking. And again, I’ll say this a little strongly. I find a lot of you aren’t.Rich Birch — Okay. We’re starting off spicy, which is great. Okay, so you’ve seen a lot of people. Part of what I love about Sanctus, friends like, I’m trying to, again, give some context. For folks that are listening in, Sanctus is known as a, you know this is a life-giving church. People, they come to Jesus here. This is the kind of place where people take steps towards faith in in Christ, which is amazing. You’ve seen a lot of that happen over the years at Sanctus—thousands of people. When you look back on some of the patterns in people’s lives, some of the, you know, the kind of themes that come back time and time again and how they arrived at that sort of decision. What are you noticing in people’s lives?Jon Thompson —  Well, like I just said about the diversity of our place, the diversity of conversions come from those places. And so like on a Sunday morning, I mean, our baptisms aren’t more epic than yours or anyone else. I mean, praise the Lord. Right.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — We’ve got we’ve got 10 year olds confessing the faith of their parents. But it won’t be unusual for literally, I mean, this just happened. So we’ll have like two or three, not babies, but children who say, you know, I want to get baptized. And the next person’s like, I grew up an atheist. I’ve encountered the living God through Christ. The next person is I’m a former witch. And I just actually want to renounce Satan in the tank. And the next person’s like, I used to be a Muslim. And now I’ve actually found out that Jesus is Lord.Jon Thompson —  So, so, that is not now an uncommon experience at any of our sites. And what is behind that is not only that the gospel is good for everyone—praise the Lord—but we worked really hard to make sure that all the doors are open evangelistically to all people. And that gets to our bias in spiritual gifts. But you know—and we’ve had this conversation many times, you and I, Rich—but there are three historic categories that Bobby Clinton invented years ago we’ve used where he divides all the gifts, love, word, and power.Jon Thompson — So love gifts demonstrate the love of God in the room. Word gifts clarify who God is, who he’s not, what he likes, what he doesn’t. Power gifts evidence his presence in the room. That’s true of gifts, but to take a farther step out, those are three doors evangelistically.Jon Thompson — And this is why this is so critical. Because we have to have all three of those doors—such as, hospitality, apologetic defense of the gospel, and miracles and deliverance—open all the time. Because these are the ways people have always come to faith in our movement for 2,000 years. Jon Thompson — Now, all three doors have to lead to the true Christ because there are fake Jesuses. And there’s lots of heresy out there. And it has to be involved in repentance and belief and evidence by baptism. Amen. But I find most churches, theologically and experientially, are comfortable with one or maybe two of those things. And as I always lecture on this, like formally, if you sit on a three-legged stool and there are three legs…Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — …and one leg is missing. You wobble on the best of days, but you usually fall down.Rich Birch — Yeah. I’d love to kind of double click on love, word, and power, these three legs of the stool. And so familiar with, some people will be familiar with that framework for gifting like you talked about, and but kind of give us a little more, you gave you kind of a quick overview of each of them from an evangelistic point of view, but kind of give me some examples or what it might look like in a church that’s opening that that door evangelistically, you know, the love, word, and power door.Jon Thompson — Yeah, and um I think we’re going to talk about this a little bit later. I mean there’s a lot behind these statements.Rich Birch — Yep. Yes.Jon Thompson —  Like almost 30 years of conversation. Rich Birch — Yes. Jon Thompson — But like this is the best way I’ll say it. I’ve seen this in my life. I’ve seen this in my kids’ life. I’ve seen this across our church for two two plus decades, almost three now. Can I tell some stories that might help?Rich Birch — Yeah of course. I love a good story.Jon Thompson — Yeah, so… yeah so like here here’s a great example guy a young adult guy is in his basement.And he’s smoking weed, high as a kite. Freaks freaks out. Okay, great.Rich Birch — Shocker.Jon Thompson — Shocker. But actually sees a demon and like panics. Calls someone at our church, a friend of his, and is like, I’m really scared. And she laughs. And she’s like, no problem. So her first thing is not. Oh you’re an idiot. Her first thing is not, oh, you’re inventing that. The first thing is not, well, of course you’re high, you’re seeing that. Her first reaction is, well, I’ve got an answer to that.Jon Thompson — She’s like, yeah, his name is Jesus. By the way, if you say his name, watch the demon leave and then come talk to us. So the guy—total pagan—does it. Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — The demon leaves. He shows up next Sunday. He’s radically converted. Didn’t used to be able to read, by the way, very well. Now reads at a PhD level and on a theology sort of thing, like radically converted. And his starting point was a power encounter.Jon Thompson — Now the person next to it, next to him in a conversation is the one listening to John Lennox at Oxford on the the lack validity and the historicity of Jesus.Jon Thompson — Or or you know, and we’re like, yeah, of course. And then the next person, we were just talking to this on staff. So one of our so SLT members (senior leadership team) was talking about his conversion story. And his conversion story is one of his relatives—I think it was his mom—was really sick in the hospital. Two nurses come in, and and are Christians, start praying over her, and basically start committing you know hospitality in the hospital, probably in a way they’re not supposed to. She’s radically saved, ends up leading her son to Christ, and the hus…Jon Thompson — And and so so here’s all I’m trying to say. We have a gift bias that everyone should know their gifts and be using them not only internally in the church, but see how they work out evangelistically, but beyond the gift thing. This for us is normal. We talk about this in our sermons. We actually take the Bible literally in the sense of what we’ve defended is what we believe. I find a lot of conservative people defend the scriptures and don’t believe the thing they’re defending.Jon Thompson — So for us, when I look at the book of Acts, I’m like, we will see people come to faith through healings and through deliverances and through visions and through dreams, as much as John Lennox or or our good new friend Wes Huff from Canada, who’s on every podcast showing up why the Bible is reliable, and also through that incredible, Hey. Can you just talk to me? I’m really sad. Jon Thompson — And what I’m begging churches to do is this this matrix gives you the ability to pivot to multiple people, but you have to have a culture that believes this, defends it, defines it.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Jon Thompson — And makes the weird normal, as we’ve said for years.Rich Birch — Yeah, okay. So you earlier you talked about how most churches are comfortable with one or maybe two, back to the three-legged stool.Jon Thompson —  Yep.Rich Birch — Unpack that a little bit. How have you seen that? Or maybe even more pointedly, how do you fight a get that against that in your own church? Because I you know I can see naturally we would all kind of lean in one way because of our giftings.Rich Birch — you know As a leader, I always see I see the world through my lens. And so the stuff that’s important to me, if I was leading, we would be we’d love all that stuff, but we might not be into the other two. So help help me understand, what does that look like? How do you fight against that at Sanctus?Jon Thompson — So I’ll step back and just say that you know this has been almost like a three-decade journey. For us, everything changed when we got serious about spiritual gifts, unpacking them and doing all of that. That’s a different podcast we’ve done. But what I will but what i will say is this… is that there are most conservative evangelical churches are word churches: Who God is, who he’s not, what he likes, what he doesn’t, the power of preaching. I’m all for it. I preach for a living. And by the way, for people who are starting to dismiss me, I’m reformed in my soteriology. And not only that, I’m an expository preacher. So you don’t get to throw me out the window too quick. Jon Thompson — So, I mean, i’m’m I’m all I’m all for that. But that is not the answer. It’s part of the answer. And so what we continually have done is when we realize that love, word and power are things that are all needed at once, we made them equally important. In staffing, in our conversations. That’s one. Jon Thompson — Two, you need to admit as a church where you’re comfortable and where you’re not. Because there’s a lot of churches, for example, that I always say it like this. You can have all the word people on earth in your church and know all truth, but you’re cold as anything and you’re not even sure if anyone’s been saved lately. Jon Thompson — I’m in all sorts of other churches where it’s love, love, social justice, and hospitality. But I’m like, but are you believing heresy? Do you even have any compass? Rich Birch — Right. Jon Thompson — And then I’m in other environments where it’s, you know, glory clouds and all this amazing spiritual stuff. But I’m like, do you even know the source of this?Jon Thompson — Where is this coming from? Rich Birch — Yeah that’s good.Jon Thompson — Just because it’s good doesn’t mean it’s from our Lord. The spirit of Antichrist and Christ are identical in action. So so what we’ve tried doing is saying, number one, we have to admit these three things are important. Number two, we have to come up with language for each one of them and affirm them. Number three, and you just did it live so I love this, you need to admit where you’re limited.Jon Thompson — So you’re like, Jon, I mean we know each other you’re like One of my strongest spiritual gifts is leadership. That’s what you said. This is the way I immediately instinctually and spiritually react. So, Rich’s responsibility, if he was the senior pastor, is then to publicly talk about why he’s actually not biased in other directions and why he needs to be, and find other people to be that voice.Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s so good.Jon Thompson — Because a lot of people want to be open to this, but since they have not experienced it, they don’t know what to do. And I’m like, right, because it’s about interdependence. It’s not just about you.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I think this is a great framework. And you know, it it explains what I can think think could be what’s missing in, you know, so many of our churches and you know we so many of us are are led by uh very gifted word-oriented gift people. Like our churches are led by those people… Jon Thompson — Right. Rich Birch — …and which is amazing… Jon Thompson — Yep. Rich Birch — …but we could miss the other two. And you know in the last year our mutual friend Jeff Brody said something and that resonates with what you were saying. He’s talked about, you know you might believe that it’s true, but is it real for you? And that has like resonated with me so so deeply. It’s similar to when you talked about you know conservatives defend what they don’t necessarily believe. And you know, does this actually work out in our lives, I think is a powerful idea.Rich Birch — Now, there was a story in your book about a young woman who left Hinduism and then joined a reformed church.Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — I thought this was a vivid example. And particularly for us on the system side, I thought, oh, this is a good way to kind of systematize this…Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — …or think about this at a systems level. Can you unpack that story?Jon Thompson — A hundred percent. And I just want to acknowledge as we keep going, I know the vast majority of your viewers or listeners are more probably on the system side executive pastor, like that type of leader, which by the way, without you, we all die. So thank you for all your service and what you do.Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah. Yep.Jon Thompson — We’re so thankful for you. But as we keep having this conversation, think this is a challenge for you to think deeply theologically, even before your systems, because what you systematize better be true. Rich Birch — That’s good.Jon Thompson — And so this is a great example of what we’re talking about. So I teach a course up here in a seminary on spiritual conflict, a very boring, non-controversial course. And so I was teaching this, I think it was two years ago now, and a young woman comes on and takes the course, and she is in tears at the end of one of the lectures. And ah and it’s all, it’s online. So so she said, can I meet?Jon Thompson — So I said, yeah. She says, look, she said, I just, I was radically saved out of Hinduism, which is incredible, and and she said soI you know I became a christian, I renounced my hinduism, and I I have no background. Either my family are Hindus or atheists and nothing in between, which even shows you the contradiction there. Her family is made up of atheists and Hindus.Rich Birch —Right.Jon Thompson — Like she is the embodiment of what we’re talking about.Rich Birch — Absolutely.Jon Thompson — And so she says, well, I’m going to find a church. She goes to a very small Reformed church locally, like a Christian Reformed, Dutch Reformed church. They’re of course excited that she’s come to faith, which is great. The average age in the church is much older. She told me, I think she’s the first adult baptism in over a decade or maybe two.Jon Thompson — So, because of course they’re covenantal, they baptize children overall. Fun. So he’s like, well, we want to hear your story. So she writes the whole story of encountering Jesus through visions and dealing with demons and Jesus setting her free. And so submits the the testimony, and the pastor edits every single encounter out of it. And this is like in the last three years in Toronto.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Jon Thompson —  This is in Toronto.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — And so she said, why have you edited this out? And he said, because I don’t fully understand this, though it’s true. My people will be afraid and I don’t want to make them afraid. And right there, she wept. And then she said to me. When I took your class, you not only affirmed everything that happened to me was true. Second of all, you gave me the theological principles and categories scripturally and historically to show that I am in the great line of succession of the church. If anyone should be defending the great line of succession of the church, it’s the Reformed kids. I mean, those reform kids.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson —  And so what I want to point out is in that story, fear and lack of experience, and theological bias ended up quenching what the Spirit wanted to do. Jon Thompson — And I just want to say to anyone listening. I’m not saying that every environment that you’ve been in has been perfect. I mean i think a lot of us have had experiences spiritually where people with right motives have done things wrong.Rich Birch — Yep, true.Jon Thompson — And we ended up getting hurt. So it’s sort of like dating. If you’ve ever dated and broken up or you married and and then and then got divorced, the amount of intensity it takes to re-engage is a lot. Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — So there’s a lot of you listening, you’re like, Jon, I don’t want this conversation because I don’t want to touch that again. And I’m like, you have to. You have to. The scriptures are chock full of this. This is the only way we’re going to do well between retreat and revival, whether you’re in an environment where everyone’s a false nominal Christian or everyone’s not a Christian at all. This has been the pattern since the beginning. And it’s the way the Spirit works. So maybe I’d encourage some of you to pray about your fear and your anger. So you can get on with the thing.Rich Birch — So good. and And I would say um this, what we’re talking about right here, that story of um you know, this this you know young Hindu woman who came to know Jesus, praise God, amazing story. And, you know, kind of God appearing in dreams and all of that. I feel like has, been or I don’t feel like, has become more normative in my church experience in the same kind of climate that that you’re in. And that was not normative 30 years ago when I started. Rich Birch — Like, you know, it is this kind of like, you know, we have a laundry list of similar conversations where it’s like, you know people are having dreams and then wandering into church you know they’re having dreams on a Tuesday you know between Monday and Tuesday night and then they’re just wandering to the church because they’re like I think that’s a church over there. And are like hey, Jesus told me to come here. And you know then we end up having you know deeper conversations and they you know their life gets transformed. Rich Birch — I don’t remember that stuff going on. That’s happening more, which makes sense, I think, in this context of you know this uh what did you call it repaganizing or you know pre-christian kind of context because, you know, the Spirit’s got to work directly. He’s got to, you know, get directly encounter people. So I think that’s, you know, interesting. Rich Birch — So the people that might be because people listening and…you want to say something?Jon Thompson — Well, I was just going to say, yes, and…Rich Birch — Yep. Good.Jon Thompson — 30 years ago, it was happening.Rich Birch — Sure.Jon Thompson — See, this is this is what we have to admit. Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — It was happening, but we weren’t open.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s true.Jon Thompson — So for a lot of you listening you’re like, well I don’t live in Toronto. I’m like, I know you don’t. But what you legitimize from your pulpit tells your people what you’re allowed to talk about.Rich Birch — Right. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So if you’re going to have a sincere conversation about love, word, and power, and how the Spirit really works evangelistically, whether you’re speaking again to a a cultural Christian or someone else, here’s the point. I guarantee you in the Bible Belt, lots of people are having dreams too.Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — They just have been told that’s weird, and we don’t talk about that.Rich Birch — Those are the kind of things we don’t talk about here. Yeah.Jon Thompson —  Right.Rich Birch — That’s good. Okay, so pivoting in a slightly different direction. One of the things that I love about Sanctus that’s, you know, if you’re kind of in the outer orbit of the church, eventually you’ll start to hear like, oh, they have a deliverance ministry over there. That’s not on the list of like, you know, men’s ministry, women’s ministry, pioneer girls, deliverance ministry that I hear like in so many churches out there. And you’ve had it for a long time. What does that actually look like? So like an average Tuesday, how does that fit into what’s going on at Sanctus?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so this is a conversation we wanted nothing to do with. Again, we were just again, you know Willow Creek, seeker-sensitive, historic church.Rich Birch — Yep.Jon Thompson — And this is like 27 years ago now where people started coming to us and they’re like, I think I have something happening in my life that is beyond psychological or biological wiring. And we were like, we are not that church that does that. That’s the weird people down the street. You know, we’ll deal with them in heaven, but you know. And the Lord wouldn’t give it up. Jon Thompson — So 27 plus years later, I think we’ve had either been involved in or helped assist globally in a thousand cases. And just for, I love how you put that. It’s just normal for us. It’s not this thing. It’s a thing. Jon Thompson — So for us, a worship team practice and, you know, a youth gathering taking place, an Alpha running and a deliverance having the same building is just normal. Because again, our bias on spiritual gifts is there’s 21 gifts, 21 directions. We need to try to make sure that all the gifts are employed in some way. And this is a certain group of gifts.Jon Thompson — So, yeah, we’ve done it for years. The whole story of that is in the book, Deliverance, which I think you and I maybe have talked about. It’s coming out again in February through Zondervan Reflective.Rich Birch — Yep. Jon Thompson — That’s the whole story. But like for us, dealing with the demonic, both in oppression issues and demonization issues and sanctification with Christians, but also evangelistically with non-Christians is just sort of normal.Rich Birch — Yeah. So good.Rich Birch — Yeah, I yeah there’s ah there’s a lot there that you I just think is kind of ah a great part of the story that God’s writing at your church, and I think can be instructive to many of us as we’re thinking about the future.Rich Birch — So let’s let’s kind of draw in the person that’s listening, maybe like an executive pastor, church of, I don’t know, 800 to a thousand, something like that. And they’re struck by this idea this like ooh maybe we are only opening one door. We’re not talking about these other these other doors. We’re not engaged in any of that.Rich Birch — Where would you suggest that they start? (Outside of actually picking up a copy of the book.) I you know I think that’s an obvious thing where we’re going to get to, but like outside of that, how would you help them think about um you know what they should be thinking about?Jon Thompson — Yeah. So just to step back a little to this question. This book conversation we’re having is about how you deal with an environment where renewal and retreat are happening in the same place. That’s very true in our social media feeds and it’s true in a lot of our cities.Jon Thompson — So I happen to know you and I happen to know your church. Because I’ve been conspiratorially involved behind the scenes at points. So your church’s own story is where all your people need to begin.Jon Thompson — And it’s this. Only when the leaders decide not to resist God will things change. And what I mean by that is not like open rebellion against God. It’s this. The lead, I just happen to know there were moments in your church’s own story where the leaders went, you know what? We’re not going to resist you anymore, Lord. What do you want to do?Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — That was it. That and that’s not, you know, like earthquake you know, feel. But it changed everything. I mean what are you starting this week? Is it this week you’re starting? 30 days of like. praying, or has that happened?Rich Birch — Well, yeah, we’ve done that already, which is amazing, and but there’s more of that coming… Jon Thompson — Yep. Right. But… Rich Birch — …like it’s there’s there’s lots of that stuff happening that wasn’t happening 10 years ago for sure.Jon Thompson — Right. The inception point, though, is when people just went like this. You know what? We’re afraid.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — We don’t understand. We prefer system over encounter. We prefer system over encounter and they’re not in competition, but both have to be there. So, Lord, what do you want to say? What do you want to do? That’s the starting point. Rich Birch — Right. Jon Thompson — Because before you work out the theology of love, word, and power and start thinking about how you, you know, witness to people from all the nations and not have a you know a vicious reaction towards them. And how you think through the, like all that.Jon Thompson — The first place is you say to the Lord, I won’t fight you. And the truth is the vast majority of us love God, but don’t trust him. And I said this on a former podcast with you. And and and lots of executive pastors, when they hear me talk, way more than this, get nervous because this starts sounding like Pandora’s box. Well, how do I systematize this? And what would be the implications?Jon Thompson — And I’m like, yeah, before any of that conversation, have you said to the Lord, whatever you want to do, I won’t I won’t fight you.Rich Birch — So good.Jon Thompson — Most pastors would say they have not prayed that. I don’t think. I also think, too, there are a series of systems that relate to what happens in an empowered encounterist church, a systemized church, and then a church going through a revival. Three very different things. And there’s there’s a set of systems.Rich Birch — You want to unpack…you want to unpack that a little bit?Jon Thompson — Yeah, sure. So I mean, there are lots of amazing churches that are commonly faithful who serve communion and preach God’s word and help the poor. And and and and those are all guaranteed places of encounter according to the scriptures. And so amazing. They’re that’s good. That’s right. That’s holy. And that’s one expression of it. Jon Thompson — When you start saying to the holy spirit not only common faithfulness but anything else you’d like to do? At that moment I have a saying, most people praying for revival aren’t praying for revival, they’re praying for a normal church on Monday, they just don’t know it.Rich Birch — That’s good.Jon Thompson — And what I mean by that is most people praying for revival are actually praying for a church where the Spirit is more present, there are more encounters, and everyone’s using their gifts and loving each other better. That’s not revival. That is actually what it’s supposed to be. So when you have a whole group of encounters taking place more than a system, there are other things you have to adjust like we’ve done. Jon Thompson — For example, you start asking your volunteers, what are your spiritual gifts? You start clarifying from the front what encounters look like. You start building house rules of how encounters are handled. It’s part of your intake process. You think about this through pastoral care. There’s no dismissing of experience. You now become an interpreter of experience 24-7.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Jon Thompson — So like there’s that. And then there’s revival. And revival is a sovereign act of God where everything falls apart, and all sin is revealed, and there’s en masse healing. And if it’s a genuine move of God that moves from renewal to revival to awakening, there’s en masse conversion.Jon Thompson — And as I share in the book, because we went through a three year experience with that, it was documented. There’s another set of organizational rules. I was meeting with a lot of leaders in England for the last three years because they are experiencing this genuinely. And I was just telling them what we went through historically. And I used the analogy for the executive pastors or the admin leaders saying, You’ve got to think about renewal and revival like being on a bike. And I said, you’re all English and you all ride bikes, so you should be fine.Jon Thompson —  And I just said, you know how there are gears on a bike? And I just said, when a move of God actually takes place, you have one set of things that are in place for that. And then when you go back to normal, you use another set. And we just said, you have to have a code word for your staff where you literally say, Monday was normal. Wednesday is now not normal, so the whole system collapses and now looks like this. And when the Spirit walks back, you go, okay. We’re going back to the other gear. Jon Thompson — That thinking is incredibly important in renewal and revival environments for sustainability of staff, for clarification of experience, and also for literal helping people not burn out. Because when God shows up, all hell and heaven break loose. And and maybe I’ll just throw this out quickly too.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson — We should never forget that a lot of people dismiss revival-like environments because a lot of things are done wrong. And that’s a horrific starting point. Actually, that’s true in all of this.Jon Thompson — So we forget that, you know, I don’t know if I said this on this pod one of this one of these episodes, but we forget that that that Moses went up the mountain. The people were looking at the physical Shekinah glory of God. And while God was present in the most magnificent of way, they still built the golden calf in real time while they’re looking at him.Rich Birch — Right.Jon Thompson — So anytime there’s a significant move of God, the devil is in the room, the flesh is in the room, and God’s in the room at the same time. If you think God’s just going to be in the room, you’re going to end up dismissing much of what he’s done.Rich Birch — That’s so good. Talk about, you kind of you breezed over this, but I think it’s an important piece of the puzzle—the connection between repentance and revival, you know, and how repentance fits into the overall picture. The reason why I asked that, I don’t know, a year ago, I was at an event where a bunch of leaders were there and there was a Gen Z leader who has been involved in some stuff that’s been going on. And led like a public confession experience with the leaders that were there. And he was challenging us around you know, basically the question was like, well, why why is why repentance? Why is that such a big deal? Rich Birch — And this leader, which I loved, you know, was like, Well, hasn’t that isn’t that always the way? Like isn’t that what isn’t that what this is about? Like aren’t we aren’t we shouldn’t repentance be a part of the transformation of Jesus in in our lives like that? How can you separate those two? And I was like, oh yeah, right. Rich Birch — But I think that that… issue could be the fear you know you’ve mentioned talked about fear a little bit could be a part of the fear that’s in many leaders lives today. Jon Thompson — Yeah. Rich Birch — It’s like man, I’m not sure I want to engage that. Unpack that. Jon Thompson — Yeah, so I’ll I’ll I’ll do it like this. The language we’ve come up with, because I always find that categories are helpful for translation and expectations. So we always talk about renewal as the recovery of first love in an individual’s life.Jon Thompson — Revival is a sovereign act of God that he initiates and he ends. Awakening is when mass conversions take place out of a revival. What you’re talking about is probably the renewal category even more than the revival. Rich Birch — That’s good. Jon Thompson — Revival people tend to mush everything together, which is never helpful.Rich Birch — Yes.Jon Thompson — And it really bothers me.Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So and I’m friends with lots of the people. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. That’s good. Jon Thompson — So I keep helping I keep saying, please, please help us. Rich Birch — Yes. Jon Thompson — So here’ here’s what I would say about you know repentance. Yes, of course, it’s always part of the thing. Of course it is. And It’s a fascinating reflection when we look at Adam and Eve. The very first thing that Adam and Eve did when they sinned is they hid. So hiddenness is the first sign of trouble. Then they tried fashioning something to cover their hiddenness. Then, of course, God comes and finds them, exposes them and gives them a better, of course, covering. Jon Thompson — Why this matters is this gets back to the love and trust thing. Lots of us are comfortable with Jesus at the wedding of Cana. Most of us are not okay with Jesus glorified at the Mount of Transfiguration. Or actually the encounter between Jesus and John in Revelation 1. Jon Thompson — And so I think a lot of times as leaders, and and let me just say this boldly too, your people will not go beyond you. You are Moses to your movement. And so I think saying to the Lord, you know, I’m open to what you would say to me, good or bad. And would you help me be in a position where I would want to repent. Jon Thompson — And I think this is okay to say. Regularly, I pray that the Holy Spirit would give me desires I don’t have. Because I don’t have lots of desires for repentance or you know. Rich Birch — Right, right. That’s good.Jon Thompson — So I think for leaders listening, whether God decides sovereignly to bring revival to your church or awakening to your area is not the starting point. That’s actually a sovereign decision. And in in the book, I talk about how I’m really concerned these days that everyone’s saying revival’s coming, revival’s coming. I’m like, actually, the Bible says revival’s not guaranteed. You have to ask if he’s decided to come. If he says, yes, you pray back the prayers, then all Heaven and hell breaks out.Jon Thompson — But if he doesn’t do that, in other words, if summer doesn’t come and you’re stuck in winter you still have to be involved in common faithfulness, including no hiddenness as a leader. And so anyone listening, I would just encourage you to trust the goodness of the God you continually tell others to trust in.Jon Thompson — I was writing a section. yesterday for a sermon I’m doing out of Mark where, you know, Martha is serving in Lazarus’s house and Mary takes the nard and smashes it on Jesus’s feet. And Judas gets really pissed off and says, how dare you do this? Jon Thompson —  And I was reflecting on how her—everyone ready, system leaders?—her uncontrolled, embarrassing, inappropriate public activity exposed his double life. And so I just want to challenge everyone that when genuine encounter starts happening, systems are not the enemy, but it will expose double lives.Rich Birch — So good, Jon, this is I feel like we could go for so long about these things. And I’m always got I got a page of notes here and other questions I’d love to ask you. But this is super helpful.Rich Birch — So the thing for folks that haven’t been tracking along, you’ve been writing a number of books.Jon Thompson — Yeah.Rich Birch — And that, you know, and they they hang together as a bit of a the thing you’re tricking people into is it’s like they think it’s one book, but really it’s like it’s like a Tolkien, more than trilogy. Kind of talk to us how these all fit together. At least that’s how I see them. I see them as like, it’s kind of one continuous conversation around the similar kind of stuff. How does Presence, this current work, fit in the context of the other stuff that you’re working on?Jon Thompson — Sure. You are right about the conspiracy. And I’ll take I’ll take the Tolkien nod.Rich Birch — Yes, I figured you’d like that.Jon Thompson — That’s very kind of you, because I don’t deserve it. I only quote him once in all my books, though. So the only once for one section.Rich Birch — Oh nice. Yes.Jon Thompson — ah Yeah, here’s how I would say it. Convergence is the is the story and the theology of how we wrestled down love, word, and power from the gift side of things. How it was implemented. How we move, basically what is the theology thing what is it what does it feel like, how do you actually build house rules around it, all the good and bad that happened with it, and then tells the story of the renewal and revival we went through, and how we survived it. So that’s book one.Jon Thompson — Book two, well, it’s not really book two anymore, but I’ll do it like this. Deliverance, which comes out in February, is a 25-plus year theological and practical experience of how we dealt with the demonic.Jon Thompson — Perseverance, book three, which is still out which will disappear soon, is all my reflections at the midway point on survivability, because you and I have talked about this before, only 30% of leaders in the Bible end well; 70% fail. The stats have not changed. So there’s a lot of the first two things involved in this. Jon Thompson — This book Presence is talking honestly about retreat and revival, talking about incarnation and why multiple models of church that feeling contradiction to each other is the point. That’s always been the point, which again, for a lot of you as admin leaders, I’d really beg you to read this, not because it’s my book. Because a lot of the battles between churches is a misunderstanding of mission. Jon Thompson — And then I talk about how love, word, and power are employed evangelistically, and then walk again through revival and how you can ask for it and what you do if He says yes or no. But the majority of the book is actually on long-term witness to a very diverse, complicated world.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good.Jon Thompson — That’s the trellis.Rich Birch — Yeah.Jon Thompson —  And the book I’m writing right now is on suffering, but we’re not there yet.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. Friends, I would strongly encourage you, you know, listen, I’ve had multiple friends, multiple teams who have just been incredibly blessed by by Jon’s work and has challenged and done the best kind of disruptive work that this kind of thinking can do. And so i would strongly endorse uh you know that you pick up copies of Presence for your team. Rich Birch — This could be a great um you know resource to work through with your leaders and ask the question all the time. So what does that mean for us? What does that mean for us? What does that mean for us? Don’t just let these be ideas in your head, but something you can really wrestle with. Rich Birch — Where do we want to send people to pick up, you know, to get copies and all that stuff. I’m assuming you can get them on Amazon, but are there other places we want to let people know about?Jon Thompson — Yeah, so Amazon, of course, is easy for all of us these days. But jonthompsonresources.com has it too. J-O-N. Jon Thompson Resources will have all of that. Like I said, Convergence is out. Presence comes out September 22nd. Deliverance is re-released in February 2027. And Perseverance is available now and will disappear and then we’ll come back…Rich Birch — It’s like the Disney vault.Jon Thompson — …sooner than later. It is like, it’s like the Disney. Yes, it is like the Disney vault.Rich Birch — That’s a throwback to the, the you know for people of a certain age, we’ll get that. And Gen Z friends will be like, what? What are you talking about? Rich Birch — Well, Jon, I just also want to just publicly honor you. You’re you’re doing a fantastic job. Like it’s been fun to watch over the years, your continued leadership and the positive impact you’ve been having and the community that you have stewarded. And you know I can’t I love when you know more people get a chance to interact with you. So thanks so much for being here on the show today. Appreciate your time with us. Thank you.Jon Thompson — Yeah, thanks for your friendship and your prayers. 

In this episode, we discuss the true meaning behind the first sign of Lord Jesus at the wedding in Cana of Galilee.

Please rate and review the podcast on Apple Podcasts or SpotifySubscribe to the podcast ________________YOU PROBABLY already know Jesus's first miracle was turning the water into wine at a wedding at Cana in Galilee.Jesus and his disciples were there along with Jesus's mother.When the hosts ran out of wine, Jesus had the servants fill 6 large pots with water and then turned this water into wine. This story is often told at weddings today as a reminder to include Christ in your marriage and in your life. But then we often forget this story, until the next wedding we go to, and don't really think about its relevance on a day-to-day basis in our lives.In this week's episode, we're going to Take a deep dive into the wedding in CanaDiscover what the real miracle was--beyond just turning the water into wineHow this story is always relevant in our lives every single dayWhat it means for Christ to turn the water into wine in your daily lifeHow Jesus sets an example of how we are to be involved in societyJesus turning the water into wine at the wedding in Cana at Galilee is a wonderful metaphor for how daily life can be transformed when we invite, allow, and acknowledge Christ in our lives.You don't have to wait for a special event like a wedding to experience Christ's presence. Every day, every moment, Christ is with you, turning the water into wine, taking the ordinary things that fill your life, and transforming them into God's glory.∞∞∞∞∞∞∞SHOW NOTES: To read a full transcript and all the Bible quotes, go to thebiblespeakstoyou.com/387Text me your questions or comments.Support the showIf you enjoy the podcast, please rate and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify__________________James Early, the Jesus Mindset Coach, is a Bible teacher, speaker, and podcaster. His focus is on getting back to the original Christianity of Jesus by embracing the mindset of Christ in daily life. Reach out today if you need a speaker or Bible workshop for your church or organization (online and in person)Subscribe to the podcast  (and get your copy of Praying with the Mindset of Jesus)       Make a donation to support the showSchedule a free one hour coaching call to see if the Jesus Mindset Coaching program is a good fit for youContact James here

Maria è presente in due episodi significativi del Vangelo di San Giovanni: all’inizio, quando esorta il figlio alla sua prima manifestazione divina pubblica, con il miracolo alle nozze di Cana, ed ora, dove il Figlio ha la sua massima manifestazione e glorificazione sotto la Croce. I significati teologici di questi episodi sono profondi; ci interessa però vedere cosa può dire ciò per il nostro oggi. Maria ci ha donato il suo Figlio nella mangiatoia di Betlemme ed ora Gesù ci dona, attraverso il discepolo Giovanni, una madre, Maria. Ella diventa, proprio nella scena della Croce, la madre di tutti i cristiani. Proprio lei, che non è fuggita nell’ora suprema della morte del Figlio, assume nel suo cuore il dolore profondo di una madre che perde il figlio; proprio lei ha ora una nuova maternità. È l’indicazione che alla Croce di Gesù noi possiamo portare i nostri dolori, le nostre sofferenze, perché il Signore le possa purificare e farle diventare strumento di salvezza per noi e per gli altri. È la speranza dei cristiani che si affidano a Maria nel momento massimo del dolore; è la speranza che guarda al di sopra e al di là delle vicende terrene, ma che si realizza su questa terra. Maria, infatti, trova una nuova casa presso l’apostolo San Giovanni; a lei è affidato un nuovo compito: l’assistenza spirituale e nella preghiera della prima comunità cristiana, che era ancora disorientata per la morte di Gesù e per tutti gli avvenimenti prodigiosi dei primi giorni. La realizzazione della promessa dello Spirito Santo nel giorno della Pentecoste, che darà nuove forze ed illuminazione spirituale ai primi cristiani, troverà la comunità raccolta in preghiera attorno alla figura di Maria. In Maria abbiamo l’esempio della carità che si manifesta nell’adempimento della volontà del Signore. All’annuncio gioioso dell’angelo della sua maternità divina, Maria risponde recandosi presso la sua parente Elisabetta per offrirle la sua assistenza materiale. Nel momento doloroso della Croce, Maria è d’aiuto alla prima comunità cristiana. Le gioie ed i dolori che la vita ci presenta sono esortazione per vivere la carità che ci indica il Signore.

Read OnlineExalting the Crucified MessiahJesus said to Nicodemus: “No one has gone up to heaven except the one who has come down from heaven, the Son of Man. And just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” John 3:13–15Today, as we celebrate the great Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, we are invited to ponder Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus, “a ruler of the Jews” (John 3:1). Nicodemus was one of the few Pharisees who believed in Jesus. In many Eastern Churches, he is honored as a saint.Nicodemus approached Jesus early in His public ministry. By that time, Jesus had called some of His Apostles, performed His first sign at the wedding in Cana, and traveled to Jerusalem for Passover, where He cleansed the Temple, declaring, “Take these out of here, and stop making my Father's house a marketplace” (John 2:16). This was the first major public confrontation between Jesus and the religious leaders, many of whom were scandalized. Nicodemus, however, was moved by grace and came to Jesus secretly by night, saying, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher who has come from God…” (John 3:2). Today's Gospel is drawn from that quiet exchange.As their conversation unfolds, Jesus turns Nicodemus' attention to a mysterious episode from Israel's history, one Nicodemus would have known well. When the Israelites sinned by speaking against God and Moses, the Lord sent serpents among them. Many of the people died. But when the people repented, God instructed Moses to mount a bronze serpent on a pole; those who looked upon it in faith were healed. Jesus reveals that this ancient sign prefigured something far greater: “Just as Moses lifted up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of Man be lifted up.”This “lifting up” lies at the heart of today's feast. The Exaltation of the Holy Cross is more than a remembrance of Christ's suffering, it is a celebration of His victory. The Cross, once an instrument of Roman execution, has become the Tree of Life. Through His self-offering, Jesus conquered sin and death, transforming a curse into a blessing.Return to Nicodemus. Having witnessed the miracle at Cana, the cleansing of the Temple, and Jesus' powerful teaching, he was clearly stirred, yet still fearful, which is why he came at night. Imagine him hearing Jesus refer to Moses and the bronze serpent, and then saying, “So must the Son of Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.”The title “Son of Man” comes from the Book of Daniel (7:13–14), in which the prophet sees the “one like a son of man” coming on the clouds of heaven to receive everlasting dominion. Jesus used this title frequently to describe Himself, linking His earthly mission with divine authority.In His encounter with Nicodemus, Jesus veils the deeper meaning. His being “lifted up” refers not to earthly power, but to His Crucifixion. Nicodemus likely didn't grasp this at the time. He may have assumed Jesus was foretelling a messianic rise to political rule, overthrowing Roman oppression. Only after the Crucifixion and Resurrection would Nicodemus—and the other disciples—begin to understand the true nature of this first revelation that the lifting up of the Son of Man was the lifting of the Cross, the source of healing, life, and eternal glory.Today, we are invited to exalt Christ's Cross in our own souls. The paradox of the Cross—that such brutal torture and death brings life—is our glory. Because of Jesus' Cross and the saving power that flowed from it, every suffering we endure, every cross we carry, and every injustice we suffer has the potential to share in the Exultation of the Holy Cross if we allow ourselves to be lifted up with Him, in confidence and rejoicing. Reflect today on the mystery Jesus first revealed in secret. Through His exaltation on the Cross, He brings salvation to all who believe, also enabling our crosses to share in His triumph. Gaze upon the Cross with faith. What once symbolized death has become our hope, our healing, and our path to eternal life.Most highly exalted Lord, though You spoke in veiled language when revealing Your “lifting up” to Nicodemus, You later spoke clearly as You offered Your life on the Cross for the salvation of the world. I pray that You and Your perfect Sacrifice may always be exalted in my heart—first through gratitude and praise, and then through imitation. Lift me up in every cross I carry, so that You may continue to be exalted through my life for the world to see.Image: The Finding of the Holy Cross, by Nicola Maria RossiSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission. Jesus, I trust in You.  

✈️ For Travel Quotes:

John 2:1–11 // Nathan MillerThis sermon details Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. When the wine ran out, Mary brought the need to Jesus, who instructed the servants to fill six stone water jars to the brim. By transforming the water into the finest wine, Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, revealing his divine glory and leading his disciples to place their trust in him. This sermon unpacks the key lessons from this passage, showing how God brings transformation and abundance to everyday life.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49661624 PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2542/responses/new26.09.13

What do you do when the wine runs out — when you've reached the point of complete emptiness, not just running low? Guest speaker Tiont Williams brings a powerful message from John 2:1-11, the wedding at Cana, speaking directly to anyone entering the last stretch of the year running on empty.

John 2:1–11 // Jacob NannieThis sermon details Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. When the wine ran out, Mary brought the need to Jesus, who instructed the servants to fill six stone water jars to the brim. By transforming the water into the finest wine, Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, revealing his divine glory and leading his disciples to place their trust in him. This sermon unpacks the key lessons from this passage, showing how God brings transformation and abundance to everyday life.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49661626 PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2553/responses/new26.09.13

John 2:1–11 // Bill GormanThis sermon details Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. When the wine ran out, Mary brought the need to Jesus, who instructed the servants to fill six stone water jars to the brim. By transforming the water into the finest wine, Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, revealing his divine glory and leading his disciples to place their trust in him. This sermon unpacks the key lessons from this passage, showing how God brings transformation and abundance to everyday life.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49661627 PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2546/responses/new26.09.13

John 2:1–11 // Paul BrandesThis sermon details Jesus turning water into wine during a wedding feast in Cana of Galilee. When the wine ran out, Mary brought the need to Jesus, who instructed the servants to fill six stone water jars to the brim. By transforming the water into the finest wine, Jesus performed his first miraculous sign, revealing his divine glory and leading his disciples to place their trust in him. This sermon unpacks the key lessons from this passage, showing how God brings transformation and abundance to everyday life.SERMON NOTES (YouVersion): https://bible.com/events/49661623 PRAYER REQUESTS: https://ccefc.ccbchurch.com/goto/forms/2574/responses/new26.09.13

“Sign 1: The Wedding at Cana”John 2:1-111 On the third day a wedding took place at Cana in Galilee. Jesus' mother was there, 2 and Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. 3 When the wine was gone, Jesus' mother said to him, “They have no more wine.”4 “Woman, why do you involve me?” Jesus replied. “My hour has not yet come.”5 His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”6 Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons.7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim.8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.”They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine. He did not realize where it had come from, though the servants who had drawn the water knew. Then he called the bridegroom aside 10 and said, “Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.”11 What Jesus did here in Cana of Galilee was the first of the signs through which he revealed his glory; and his disciples believed in him.CONNECT WITH USIf you have any questions or would like to get to know us further, head over to https://www.triumphlbc.org/connect and fill out our online connection card.ABOUT TRIUMPHTriumph wants to see the life and message of Jesus transform your heart, home, and city. To learn more visit https://www.triumphlbc.org/

Are you living as though your worth is defined by how productive, useful, or busy you are? In this message, Jessica explores the biblical truth that we were made for delight. So often, we get trapped in "task mode"—believing we can only enjoy life once all the work is done. But God invites us into something deeper: discovering that our belovedness comes before our usefulness, and that joy and rest are not rewards we have to earn, but gifts to receive. * Key Takeaways & Topics: Beloved Before Useful: How the Father spoke Jesus’ identity before any public ministry began (Matthew 3:17). Breaking the "Usefulness Trap": Why we feel guilty when resting and how to let go of productivity-driven worth. Extravagant Love & Celebration: What Jesus’ first miracle (John 2) and Mary’s anointing (John 12) teach us about celebrating without needing utility. Enjoyment vs. Consumption: Moving from a mindset of lack to lingering in gratitude and presence. Sabbath & Childlike Play: Reclaiming space to stop producing and experience wonder again. * Scripture References: Matthew 3:17 — "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Genesis 1:31 — God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. John 2:1–11 — The Wedding at Cana. John 12:1–8 — Mary anoints Jesus with costly perfume. 1 Timothy 6:17 — God richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment. Ecclesiastes 3:12–13 — Finding joy and satisfaction as the gift of God. * Question for You: What is one small way you can give yourself permission to delight and rest with the Lord this week? Share with us in the comments! Subscribe to Joyland Community for more encouraging messages, teachings, and community reflections. Follow along at our social and media outlets: https://joylandcommunity.com/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joylandlife/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5-vPe7h_wjctIQxnaUQSnQ?view_as=subscriber Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/joyland-life/id1494637858 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6gCbEDE8pgrNhHlG0WM0fo?si=6fSKeO87SoGrx2BOUveHfQ&nd=1 Zoom: https://www.zoom.us/j/3377733377 Joyland App: https://tithely.app.link/joyland (You must follow this through your phone.) Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joylandlife/ X: https://twitter.com/JoylandLife Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/joylandlife

Devocional do dia 12/09/2026 com o tema: Obediência A Bíblia afirma que a obediência a Deus é o ponto central de uma vida com sabedoria. Moisés teve muitas dificuldades com o povo que tirou do Egito. Os hebreus amavam o passado, reclamavam compulsivamente e queriam que a sua vontade prevalecesse. Ainda assim, Deus tanto amou aquele povo que preparou uma série de leis para ensiná-lo novamente a conviver em sociedade e a ter uma relação próxima com o Senhor que o separou dos demais. A terra prometida era habitada por nações que não temiam a Deus, e teriam de ser retiradas dali porque aquele lugar seria do povo de Israel. Por meio de Moisés, o Eterno reforça uma série de ordens: cuidem bem da terra e respeitem os ciclos (vs.1-7), não explorem uns aos outros (v.14) e obedeçam às minhas palavras e viverão em segurança (v.18). LEITURA BÍBLICA: Levítico 25.18 Eu sou o SENHOR, o Deus de vocês, que os tirou da terra do Egito para dar a vocês a terra de Canaã e para ser o seu Deus (Lv 25.38).See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, the ministry of Jesus begins to take on form. Jesus preached with authority, healed with compassion, and cast out demons with power. His fame begins to grow rapidly. This story is inspired by Matthew 4:13-17, Matthew 13:54-58, Luke 4:14-32, John 4:43-54. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Luke 4:21 from the King James Version.Episode 180: As Jesus was walking the streets of Cana and Galilee, an official from Capernaum came running to Jesus begging Him to heal his son. Jesus, showing both compassion and tact, tells the man his son will live. And it was so. Jesus stayed in Galilee for a while longer, then made His way to the synagogue in Capernaum. While there a man, possessed by a demon, began to make a scene, but Jesus cast the demon out and set the man free using only His words. After a few weeks of healing and teaching, Jesus came back to His hometown of Nazareth where He was met with a less-than-warm welcome.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Uniqueness of Christ Explored Through Song -- The opening study examines Matthew 14:25, where Jesus walked on the water, demonstrating His sovereign authority over creation while displaying profound human humility. -- The discussion highlights Luke 5:17-26 and the healing of the paralyzed man, illustrating that Jesus did not merely perform acts of compassion, but exercised the divine authority to forgive sins. -- The hosts explore Jesus facing temptation in the wilderness according to Luke 4:1-13, showing how He remained perfectly obedient where Adam and Israel failed. -- The program unpacks the mystery of the incarnation using 1 Timothy 2:5, emphasizing that Jesus is the one mediator between God and mankind because He possesses two distinct natures in one person. -- The teaching concludes with a review of John 2:1-11, where Jesus turned water into wine at Cana, revealing His divine glory and fulfilling His role as prophet, priest, and king combined. Scriptures for Further Study -- Matthew 14:25-27 -- Luke 5:17-26 -- Luke 4:1-13 -- Romans 3:12 -- 1 Timothy 2:5 -- John 2:1-11 -- John 1:1 -- John 1:14 -- Colossians 2:9 -- Titus 2:13 -- 2 Peter 1:1 This is episode 385. +++++++ You can find more information here: http://www.crystalseabooks.com/

Today’s Topics: Father Thomas Czeck, OFM Conv., joins Terry 1) Gospel – John 4:43-54 – At that time Jesus left [Samaria] for Galilee. For Jesus Himself testified that a prophet has no honor in his native place. When He came into Galilee, the Galileans welcomed Him, since they had seen all He had done in Jerusalem at the feast; for they themselves had gone to the feast. Then He returned to Cana in Galilee, where He had made the water wine. Now there was a royal official whose son was ill in Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had arrived in Galilee from Judea, he went to Him and asked Him to come down and heal his son, who was near death. Jesus said to him, “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will not believe.” The royal official said to him, “Sir, come down before my child dies.” Jesus said to him, “You may go; your son will live.” The man believed what Jesus said to him and left. While the man was on his way back, his slaves met him and told him that his boy would live. He asked them when he began to recover. They told him, “The fever left him yesterday, about one in the afternoon.” The father realized that just at that time Jesus had said to him, “Your son will live,” and he and his whole household came to believe. Now this was the second sign Jesus did when He came to Galilee from Judea. Bishop Sheen quote of the day 2, 3, 4) Terry and Father Thomas discuss Franciscan Spirituality and the hidden secrets of the Franciscan Order.

Send us Fan Mail"The water didn't become better water at Cana; it became wine, and that one detail exposes how small our definition of “growth” can be." We sit with John 2:6–10 and trace the movement from empty jars to brim-level fullness, not as a Bible trivia moment, but as a map for spiritual formation and real Christian transformation.We talk about kenosis from Philippians 2 as a lived posture of letting go, return after return, so God can create space in us for Agape. That leads straight into Paul's prayer in Ephesians 3:19, that we'd be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. If you've been running on a small taste of love, feeling tired, or trying to “manage” your way into maturity, we name the trap: partial filling produces partial transformation. God isn't rushing you through chronos (calendar) time, and you can't fast-forward Kairos, because God gives the increase.Then we follow Jesus' next instruction: draw some out. Fullness is not a private spiritual high; it's Agape released under the Holy Spirit's direction to where it's needed. We also face the quiet power of the hidden source at Cana, where the servants know, and the room doesn't, and why freedom from performance is part of becoming a formed vessel.If this challenges you, share it with a friend, subscribe for what's next, send us a message sharing your thoughts, and leave a review so more people can find the path from empty space to overflowing love. This podcast is a production of The Center for Biblical Coaching and Leadership. If this episode has been useful or inspiring to you in any way, please share it with someone else.  Lastly, please follow the show and write a review.If you want to go deeper on this journey, visit www.tcbcl.org to learn how we're walking this path together through biblical coaching, spiritual formation, and the ROOTED Global Movement. 

James White - John 2:1-12 - God ordained marriage as one of the very first institutions amongst men, and honored it by attending a wedding in Cana of Galilee in the Person of His Son. We will consider Jesus' relationship with His mother in this story, a vital topic when we seek to proclaim good news to those who have imbibed Rome's teachings on Mary. Next week as we finish the chapter we will look at false and true faith, and Jesus' teaching on real discipleship. "It is a high honor given to marriage, that Christ not only deigned to be present at a nuptial banquet, but honored it with his first miracle." (John Calvin)

Friends of the Rosary,Christ the Lord was challenged by the Pharisees, being asked why he didn't encourage fasting among his followers, as we read today (Luke 5:33-39). His answer, in typical Jewish style, came with another question:“Can you make the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them?”This image of the wedding feast appears frequently in the New Testament, most notably in the Cana wedding narrative.Jesus is the wedding of heaven and earth, the marriage of divinity and humanity. Christ is the bridegroom, and the Church is the bride. In him, the most intimate union is achieved between God and the world.Also, in the same passage, Jesus teaches that His presence brings something new: new wine needs fresh wineskins, inviting us to renew the container of our lives.In this regard, the Psalm calls us to trust in the Lord, commit our way to Him, and take refuge in Him.The outcome is not to seek new grace while clinging tightly to old habits and old fears.Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠September 4, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In this Bible Story, Jesus performs the first of many miracles at a wedding in Cana. By the request of his mother, Jesus blesses a wedding by turning water into wine. Although the guests are not aware of this miracle, the servants and disciples know, and awe at the humble power of Christ. They knew even more that he was the promised Messiah. This story is inspired by John 1:35-51, John 2:1-11. Go to https://www.BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is John 2:9 from the King James Version.Episode 177: As Jesus was walking by the shore of Galilee, two of John's disciples started following Him. One of these was Andrew, who quickly went to get his brother Simon. As Jesus continued on into the city, He called a man named Phillip to follow Him, and Phillip in turn went to tell his friend Nathanael about finding the Messiah. A few days later, Jesus and His followers were at a wedding in the nearby city of Cana. There, he performed the first of His signs.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the ⁠Pray.com⁠ app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd Haberkorn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John's Gospel presents us with seven signs or miracles that Jesus did, which attested to His deity. In Ch. 2, His first miracle took place at a wedding celebration in the village of Cana. Join us now as we take a deeper look into the significance of what Jesus did, and the impact that it had.

Sometimes the Gospels raise questions that feel dangerous to ask: if Jesus is fully God and fully man, how can Scripture also show Him growing, developing, responding, and acting within a specific mission? Joe Rockey brings that tension directly to Father Boniface Hicks through examples like the wedding at Cana, the Canaanite woman, the cleansing of the Temple, and Jesus' outreach beyond Israel. The result is a careful conversation about Christ's humanity, His divinity, and how God's universal plan unfolds through particular people, places, and relationships.Father explains that Jesus' mission is universal in its final purpose—He desires the salvation of the whole world—but proximate in its historical method. Jesus ministers first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, forms the apostles, fulfills the covenant, and then sends the Church outward to the Gentiles. The apostles themselves had to grow into that understanding, especially through Peter, Cornelius, the Holy Spirit, and the early Church's discernment.The conversation also turns practical: every Christian has a mission field. The whole world matters, but most of us serve the whole by loving, teaching, witnessing, and evangelizing the people directly entrusted to us—family, parish, workplace, friends, and the communities God places before us. Father's own mission field as a parish priest becomes one example of how a specific assignment participates in the broader mission of Christ.Finally, Joe and Father discuss how to read Scripture faithfully. The Gospels are not distortions of Jesus; they are true witness, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit preserves details whose full meaning becomes clearer later, like “Easter eggs” in salvation history. Jesus truly grows in His humanity, while His divine mission remains ordered by the Father from the beginning.**Key Ideas*** Jesus is fully God and fully man; His humanity truly develops without His divine mission being confused or incomplete.* Jesus' mission is universal in purpose, but historically begins with Israel and then extends through the Church to the Gentiles.* The Canaanite woman reveals faith and order: the children first, then the household pets—not rejection, but mission unfolding.* Every Christian has a mission field: not everyone all at once, but the people God actually places before us.* Scripture is written through real human authors, but the Holy Spirit is the primary author guiding the deeper unity of salvation history.**Scripture Mentioned*** Wedding at Cana* The Canaanite woman / “lost sheep of the house of Israel”* Cleansing of the Temple / courtyard of the Gentiles* Peter and Cornelius* Council of Jerusalem* The centurion / “Lord, I am not worthy”* Luke 2:51–52 — Jesus growing in wisdom and grace* Moses' staff and the hyssop branch at the Crucifixion**Links & References**None explicitly referenced with a clear official/source link in this episode.**CTA:** If this helped, please leave a review or share this episode with a friend.Questions or thoughts? Email [FatherAndJoe@gmail.com](mailto:FatherAndJoe@gmail.com).### TagsFather and Joe, Joe Rockey, Father Boniface Hicks, Jesus Christ, fully God fully man, Incarnation, humanity of Jesus, divinity of Jesus, mission of Jesus, universal salvation, Israel, Gentiles, Canaanite woman, lost sheep of Israel, wedding at Cana, Mary, do whatever he tells you, cleansing of the Temple, courtyard of the Gentiles, Peter and Cornelius, Council of Jerusalem, centurion, Lord I am not worthy, Luke 2, Jesus grew in wisdom, Holy Spirit, inspiration of Scripture, Gospel writers, salvation history, Old Testament, New Testament, Moses, Moses' staff, hyssop, covenant, chosen people, evangelization, mission field, parish mission, family mission, Catholic faith, relationship with God, relationship with others, relationship with self, discernment, Scripture study, Catholic podcast, Christology, faith questions, asking hard questions

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

Send us Fan MailEmptiness can feel like a verdict, but what if it's actually a blessing you haven't learned to read yet? We pick up the thread from Cana's six ceremonial stone jars and follow it straight into the Beatitudes, where Jesus names the “poor in spirit” as the starting place of the kingdom of heaven, not the evidence of spiritual failure.We talk about kenosis from Philippians 2:7, the Christ-centered practice of letting go, and why a life packed with noise, performance, anxiety, guilt, and self-management can't receive the water God wants to pour in. The key shift is receptive poverty: an honest, unashamed openness before God that refuses to confuse lack with condemnation. We also confront a common distortion in church culture, where emptiness gets mislabeled as shame, and we name how that keeps people stuck, angry, and unable to experience the Zoe life Jesus promises.From there we move into Jesus' teaching in Matthew 6 on worry and provision, and we practice a different kind of prayer: less grasping, more thanksgiving, deeper intimacy. We connect Cana to Exodus 30 and the washing basin as a threshold into presence, then explore how discovered emptiness through loss, illness, or unmet longing can become a spiritual awakening rather than a punishment. We close with Ephesians 3:19 and the promise of being filled to the measure of all the fullness of God, plus the startling reversal at Cana where holiness moves outward from Jesus and transforms what it touches.If you've been feeling dry, behind, or disqualified, let this be a return to presence. Subscribe, share this with someone who needs hope,  send us a message sharing your thoughts, and leave a review with what “receptive poverty” means to you now. This podcast is a production of The Center for Biblical Coaching and Leadership. If this episode has been useful or inspiring to you in any way, please share it with someone else.  Lastly, please follow the show and write a review.If you want to go deeper on this journey, visit www.tcbcl.org to learn how we're walking this path together through biblical coaching, spiritual formation, and the ROOTED Global Movement. 

What if one of the most powerful ways to share Jesus isn't through having the perfect words, but simply making room for someone?In Week 2 of It's Not What You Know It's Who You Know, Ps Rachel Baker explores how hospitality can become a powerful expression of God's love. Through Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana, we see a different kind of table—one built around invitation, relationship, listening, generosity and belonging.Jesus shows us that witnessing isn't about forcing conversations or having all the answers. We're invited to create spaces where people feel seen, valued and safe enough to be known, while trusting the Holy Spirit to work at His pace.In a world where loneliness and disconnection are increasingly common, something as simple as an invitation, a shared meal or taking the time to genuinely listen can make a profound difference.Listen and discover how making room at your table can give someone a taste of the love and generosity of Jesus.

Shaun exposes some fraud perpetrated by our neighbors to the North. PLUS, AJ Rice, President and CEO of Publius PR and host of the Dangerous Laughter podcast, tells Shaun about his new book, The Curse of the Bearded Lady: How the Trans Mafia Whacked American Sanity, debunking the junk science ran by the trans-mafia, pointing out that the Democrats are all-in on affirming mental patients, and urging the fight for sanity to take control again. Former Ohio State Representative Jonathan Dever tells Shaun about the ghost job epidemic running rampant in both blue AND red states and the lack of structural accountability to combat it. And In honor of country legend Dolly Parton, Our National Anthem.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

This week at Greenville Community Church, Pastor Michael Bayne explores Jesus' first miracle at the wedding in Cana from John 2:1-12. When the wine runs out and joy seems lost, Jesus steps in—not just to solve a problem, but to reveal something deeper about who He is and what He offers. Through Mary's trust and the servants' obedience, we see how God works powerfully behind the scenes, inviting us to respond with faith instead of control. This message challenges us to bring our real needs to Jesus and trust Him to provide new life, even when we feel empty. Do you believe? Join us as we discover the abundant grace and freedom Jesus offers to all who come to Him. Speaker: Michael Bayne Text: John 2:1-12 ESV

Drawing from John 2:10, the sermon illustrates how God consistently reserves the best blessings for His people, much like the good wine kept until last at the wedding in Cana. The preacher contrasts the shadows and promises of the Old Testament with the superior reality found in Christ, emphasizing that redemption is not merely a past event but an ongoing experience where Jesus becomes sweeter over time. Through trials and providence, believers gain a deeper appreciation for God's sovereignty and patience, allowing them to rest in His guidance even amidst life's difficulties. The message encourages Christians to anticipate future glory, where communion with Christ will be perfect and conformity to His image complete. Ultimately, the text calls for joyful expectation of both present spiritual growth and eternal fulfillment.

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

In this teaching from our "Come and See" series through the Gospel of John, we dive into John 2:1-12 and Jesus' first miracle — turning water into wine at the Wedding at Cana in Galilee. Discover why Jesus' inaugural sign wasn't a healing or an exorcism but a party trick to save a wedding from embarrassment, and what that reveals about a God of abundance, joy, and celebration. We unpack the deep symbolism behind the "third day," the six stone purification jars, the significance of Jesus' words to his mother Mary, and how this miracle points forward to the new covenant, communion, and the transformation Jesus offers each of us — turning empty lives, empty marriages, and empty hope into something new. Whether you're studying the Gospel of John, exploring the meaning of Jesus' first miracle, or looking for a fresh take on faith, abundance, and grace, this message will help you see Jesus like you've never seen him before.

Full Text of Readings Feast of Saint Bartholomew, Apostle Lectionary: 629 The Saint of the day is Saint Bartholomew Saint Bartholomew's Story In the New Testament, Saint Bartholomew is mentioned only in the lists of the apostles. Some scholars identify him with Nathanael, a man of Cana in Galilee who was summoned to Jesus by Philip. Jesus paid him a great compliment: “Here is a true Israelite. There is no duplicity in him” (John 1:47b). When Nathanael asked how Jesus knew him, Jesus said, “I saw you under the fig tree” (John 1:48b). Whatever amazing revelation this involved, it brought Nathanael to exclaim, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel” (John 1:49b). But Jesus countered with, “Do you believe because I told you that I saw you under the fig tree? You will see greater things than this” (John 1:50b). Nathanael did see greater things. He was one of those to whom Jesus appeared on the shore of the Sea of Tiberias after his resurrection (see John 21:1-14). They had been fishing all night without success. In the morning, they saw someone standing on the shore though no one knew it was Jesus. He told them to cast their net again, and they made so great a catch that they could not haul the net in. Then John cried out to Peter, “It is the Lord.” When they brought the boat to shore, they found a fire burning, with some fish laid on it and some bread. Jesus asked them to bring some of the fish they had caught, and invited them to come and eat their meal. John relates that although they knew it was Jesus, none of the apostles presumed to inquire who he was. This, John notes, was the third time Jesus appeared to the apostles. Reflection Saint Bartholomew or Nathanael? We are confronted again with the fact that we know almost nothing about most of the apostles. Yet the unknown ones were also foundation stones, the 12 pillars of the new Israel whose 12 tribes now encompass the whole earth. Their personalities were secondary—without thereby being demeaned—to their great office of bearing tradition from their firsthand experience, speaking in the name of Jesus, putting the Word Made Flesh into human words for the enlightenment of the world. Their holiness was not an introverted contemplation of their status before God. It was a gift that they had to share with others. The Good News was that all are called to the holiness of being Christ's members, by the gracious gift of God. The simple fact is that humanity is totally meaningless unless God is its total concern. Then humanity, made holy with God's own holiness, becomes the most precious creation of God.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

Poem IV from Charlotte Mason's The Saviour of the World Volume I Book III.

Send us Fan MailThe wedding at Cana is often treated like a one-time display of power, but we're convinced it's also a pattern for transformation. We pick up the Loved To Love series and bring the framework into focus: Agapetos (beloved identity), Agapeton (being formed), and Agapao (divine love flowing outward). Along the way, we name a hard truth that frees us: our belovedness is not based on a feeling, an emotion, or a “good spiritual day.”From there, we ask the question that lies beneath much of Christian growth: How does the love I have received from God actually become the love I live on a daily basis? We read John 2:1–11 and slow down over the details people skip: six stone jars, their ceremonial purpose, their emptiness, and Jesus' simple instruction to fill them to the brim. Those jars become a precise picture of spiritual formation, where God shapes a sacred vessel and removes whatever steals space from agape.We also connect Romans 12, Ephesians 1, and Philippians 2 to the practice of kenosis: worshipful surrender that creates interior spaciousness through stillness, silence, and the sacred pause. We end with a direct question for your inner life and a short breath prayer you can return to daily. If this helps you, subscribe, share the episode with a friend, send us a message sharing your thoughts, and leave a review so more people can find it. This podcast is a production of The Center for Biblical Coaching and Leadership. If this episode has been useful or inspiring to you in any way, please share it with someone else.  Lastly, please follow the show and write a review.If you want to go deeper on this journey, visit www.tcbcl.org to learn how we're walking this path together through biblical coaching, spiritual formation, and the ROOTED Global Movement. 

Rafe discusses two entries from the book "The Gospel In Dostoyevsky", a collection of entries from Dostoyevsky's works that touch on gospel themes.  The two entries were both from The Brothers Karamazov, a Russian classic.One story retells a Russian folk story of an evil woman whose only good deed in life was once giving an onion to a beggar.  The other story tells of Alyosha's dreaming vision of the Wedding Feast at Cana; in the vision he sees his recently-departed mentor at the feast who tells him that heaven is indeed a feast that constantly grows as Christ is constantly calling in more and more celebrants, sometimes even those who have only given a beggar an onion.These two stories (and many others) reveal the rich gospel underpinnings of many of Dostoyevsky's great works.#bufnagle #dostoyevsky #brotherskaramazov #onion #fokltale #beggar #heavenandhell #weddingfeastatcana #christ #waterandwine #miracles #visionsofheaven #cometothefeast *****As always, you can reach the Buf at bufnagle@bufnagle.com*****As you know, this is an independent podcast so your hosts also carry all the expenses of running this podcast.  As such, some of you have asked how you can help out.  Well, here's the answer: support us on Buy Me a Coffee:https://buymeacoffee.com/bufnagleOn this page, you can do a really nice thing like send us a couple dollars to help cover the cost of recording and hosting and microphones and research and all that.  Any little bit really helps!  Thank you in advance!!!

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

In His first miracle at Cana, Jesus turned water into wine, revealing His divine power and glory. This message reminds us that God can transform ordinary situations into extraordinary testimonies. Be encouraged to trust Jesus, remain expectant, and believe that He still performs miracles and manifests His power in our lives today. May this message strengthen your faith and inspire you to look beyond your present circumstances, knowing that when Jesus is present, transformation is possible. Watch, be blessed, and share this message with someone who needs a reminder that God is still the God of miracles.

Stop praying the problem away. It is the miracle you have been asking for, from a Christian lender who sees this every week.Every major miracle in the Bible has a problem attached to it. The problem is not the obstacle. The problem is the setup. Lazarus had to die before the resurrection. The wine had to run out before it turned into wine. The Red Sea had to be there before it could part. God does not do miracles into abundance. He does miracles into problems.I am recording this one from inside my own storm. For 18 months I have been asking God to remove the problem in my business, and it hit me this week that the problem was never in my business. It was in me. He grabbed my attention through the business because He could not grab it any other way, and the miracle He has been building is the change in my character, not the resolution of my circumstances.This episode is teaching plus testimony. I walk through the biblical pattern that miracles always follow problems, share the internal shift that took me 18 months to see, and tell two stories from the lender's seat about borrowers I watch every week trying to pray the problem away when the problem was the point.What we cover:The pattern in scripture. Every miracle in the Bible was set up by a problem. Lazarus. The wedding at Cana. The Red Sea. The feeding of the 5000. God works into insufficiency, not into abundance.My testimony. Where I am in my own storm right now. The 18 months of chasing the Joneses. The realization that the problem was never external. Why I am starting to help others through what I have already survived, including planning to lead FPU at my church.What the lender's seat sees every week. Two borrower stories. The couple who felt inadequate compared to their friends and kept refinancing to keep up. The single guy who realized the spending was the problem and used the refi to break the pattern instead of extending it. Same tool. Two completely different outcomes based on whether the person let God work IN the problem or tried to pray it away.The guardrail: The miracle may not be that God pulls you out of the problem. The miracle may be that God changes who you are while you are in it.Scriptures referenced:John 11, John 2The problem in front of you is not the punishment. It is the platform. God is not ignoring you. He is setting up something you could not have asked for because you did not know it was possible.If this episode hit you, the last episode covers the three quiet signs God is already elevating you through the problem. Subscribe so you do not miss the next one.

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

Most of life is not lived at the moment God speaks or at the moment the miracle happens. Most of life is lived **in between**.In this message from the **Finding Faith** series, Apostle Kyle Meyer explores Mary's journey from receiving God's promise through Gabriel to witnessing Jesus' first miracle at Cana. Her story shows us how to keep believing when we have heard God's Word but have not yet seen its manifestation.Delay does not mean denial. Waiting is not passive, and the process is not wasted. God uses the in-between to develop our faith and prepare us to carry what He has promised.You are not forgotten. You are not finished. The middle is not the end. Keep praying, worshiping, serving, obeying and preparing—because the best is still yet to come.

On August 5, the developers of Kenwood Commons in the South End of Albany made a presentation to the Council of Albany Neighborhood Associations. The proposal includes data and tech centers along with housing, with the goal of adding a grocery store and child care center. The developers also did a Q and A with the 100 or so attendees, which included a number of climate and energy advocates. We here from two members of No Kings Collective Albany - Bryan Paz-Hernandez and John Cutro. The developers said they will give Hudson Mohawk Magazine an interview shortly. With Mark Dunlea for HMM

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

C Constable reports from France on the high heat and smoke impact near Bordeaux. The discussion shifts to surging energy prices, with Brent crude rising 26% and European gas up 36%. Despite high energy costs, rising copper prices suggest potential industrial growth. (1)Simon Constable and Jim McTague continue with a quiz highlighting that typical data centers use 300,000 gallons of water daily, while larger ones can reach 5 million gallons. Currently, most centers are urban, but 67% of planned facilities are rural. In Lancaster County, a "tale of two data centers" emerges as one town embraces the revenue stream while another resists it due to misinformation and fear. (2)Cliff May argues for maximum pressure and coercive diplomacy to prevent the Islamic Republic of Iran from obtaining nuclear weapons. He advocates for a naval blockade, specifically targeting oil exports from Kharg Island to strangle the regime's revenue. May emphasizes that the Iranian leadership's ideology makes them likely to use nuclear weapons, necessitating a strategy to cripple the regime's power. (3)John Hardie and Bill Roggio cover the significant leadership change in Ukraine as General Drapatyi replaces General Syrskyi as commander-in-chief. Drapatyi is seen as a representative of a new, western-style generation of officers who embrace technological innovation and listen to subordinates. The transition aims to "desovietize" the military and maintain the momentum of successful drone offensives against Russian infrastructure. (4)Anatol Lieven examines how the Ukraine and Iran conflicts are merging into one global struggle following a Ukrainiandrone strike on an Iranian vessel. This escalation threatens global energy supplies of refined oil products, as Russianrefineries struggle with capacity. While Ukraine targets the Russian middle class to undermine support for the war, Lieven warns of a widening proxy war involving China, North Korea, and Iran. (5)Anatol Lieven turns to Britain's new political era under Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is described as the Labour Party's "last chance" to address a discredited government. Burnham faces immense financial pressure, particularly regarding the costs of healthcare for the elderly and dementia. To succeed, he may need to pivot from "Net Zero" policies to prioritize energy needs and seek a new mandate through an election. (6)Salvatore Vitale and Kalin Plunkett of MIT explain hierarchical merging, a process where black holes merge repeatedly to create larger "monsters." By analyzing gravitational waves from 155 binary pairs, they discovered that 14% are second-generation black holes, born from previous mergers rather than stellar collapse. These second-generation black holes are characterized by rapid spin and mass asymmetry, providing clues to how supermassive black holes form in galaxies. (7)Salvatore Vitale and Kalin Plunkett continue: to uncover the origins of the Milky Way's supermassive black hole, scientists propose building larger gravitational wave detectors scaled up by a factor of ten. These advanced observatories would allow researchers to peer further back into cosmic history, potentially detecting black holes from the very early universe. Expanding the global network to four or five detectors would help pinpoint host galaxies and detect the formation of heavy elements. (8)Arthur Herman recounts the historic 1896 meeting where Henry Ford pitched his internal combustion engine to a skeptical Thomas Edison. Edison's encouragement served as the catalyst for Ford's revolution in American transportation. This industrial transformation was further enabled by John D. Rockefeller, whose ability to lower oil prices made gasoline an economically feasible fuel for mass production. The segment also highlights George Washington's vision for a professional Continental Army. (9)Arthur Herman explains the American founders were heavily influenced by the Scottish Enlightenment, particularly the ideas of David Hume and Adam Smith regarding the pursuit of happiness. This subjective right was prioritized over property to potentially allow for the future abolition of slavery. The founding spirit extended to the Northwest Ordinance, creating communities like Marietta, Ohio, that were dedicated to education, religion, and freedom. (10)Arthur Herman characterizes Abraham Lincoln as a founder for his vision of an America without slavery and his willingness to risk the Union to fulfill the Declaration of Independence. His administration's legacy includes the Homestead Act and the Transcontinental Railroad, which expanded the "empire of liberty." Additionally, the Civil War era facilitated the rise of Andrew Carnegie, who later revolutionized the global steel industry using the Bessemerprocess. (11)Arthur Herman reframes the Gilded Age not as an era of greed, but as a period of unprecedented opportunity and connectivity driven by the railroad. James J. Hill's Great Northern Railway fostered regional prosperity and negotiated fairly with Native American tribes. Meanwhile, Thomas Edison's relentless competitiveness and "restless mind" led to the electrification of the nation and the invention of the phonograph, inspiring future generations of founders like Elon Musk. (12)Arthur Herman contrasts Woodrow Wilson's attempt to centrally manage industry during World War I, which resulted in logistical chaos and failure, with FDR's embrace of the private sector for World War II, appointing GM's Bill Knudsento lead mobilization. By relying on the incentives of the marketplace, Knudsen successfully converted American manufacturing into a massive war machine, producing more war material than the world imagined in just 18 months. (13)Arthur Herman presents Martin Luther King Jr. as a founder who refounded the American experiment by taking risks to fulfill the promise of equality. The segment explores the eternal conflict between the bold "founder mindset" and the cautious "manager instinct" that emerged in the 1950s. While managers seek stability and predictability, founders drive innovation and national greatness, preventing the American dream from becoming stagnant and stale. (14)Arthur Herman credits Vannevar Bush's "The Endless Frontier" manifesto with persuading FDR to fund basic scientific research through universities, laying the groundwork for Silicon Valley. This federal support enabled discoveries in information theory and microchip development, transforming the American economy. The evolution from massive mainframes like the IBM 360 to modern microchips illustrates the imaginative leap of founders who see opportunities where others see only current technology. (15)Arthur Herman concludes that today's founders, including Elon Musk and Donald Trump, continue the tradition of taking massive risks to fulfill bold visions. Musk's goals for SpaceX and Mars are described as a step-by-step process of industrial manufacturing and innovation. Central to this enduring success is the Patent Act of 1790, a unique constitutional protection that ensures individuals own the products of their minds, fueling 250 years of American discovery. (16)Corrections applied per the log: John Hardie (transcribed as "Hardy," segment 4) and Labour Party (UK spelling, segment 6). I also dropped the phonetic "(Chopati)" after General Drapatyi in segment 4 — that's Mykhailo Drapatyi, so the first spelling stands. One to confirm for the log: Kalin Plunkett (segments 7–8) — I couldn't verify this MIT researcher's spelling; if it's from audio, it may need checking against the MIT LIGO group roster.

Back in 2017, I sat down with Anne Wilde, one of the foremost experts on modern-day polygamy. While I like to call her the First Lady of Fundamentalism, she has lived an incredibly unique life as an Independent Fundamentalist. For 33 years, Anne lived as the secret second wife of Ogden Kraut, a prolific fundamentalist author whose 65 books she personally helped write and edit. From the secret history of Mormon schisms to her own spiritual journey, you won’t want to miss this fascinating conversation! https://youtu.be/LH2zMt27kxM Don't miss our other conversations Shannon: https://gospeltangents.com/people/shannon-flynn Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Check out a transcript of the interview on Amazon. Pick up a transcript of our conversation! Raised in the mainstream LDS Church, Anne later became an “Independent Fundamentalist” and lived for 33 years as the secret second wife of prolific fundamentalist author Ogden Kraut. This sweeping conversation covers everything from the hidden history of Mormon schisms to controversial theology and modern civil rights. Hidden History of Post-Manifesto Polygamy Many believe plural marriage ended abruptly with the LDS Church’s 1890 Manifesto, but Anne explains it was more like a sunset: “when does it get dark? It’s just gradually.” She points to an uncanonized 1886 revelation received by Church President John Taylor, which fundamentalists believe declared plural marriage an everlasting covenant that could not be changed. Consequently, polygamy continued underground and in places like Mexico and Canada. It took the 1904 Second Manifesto and the 1933 Third Manifesto—which enforced excommunication for those practicing plural marriage—to create a permanent rift between the mainstream church and fundamentalist groups. Untangling the Polygamous Sects One of Anne’s main goals is to dispel the myth that all polygamists are the same. She breaks down the diverse landscape of modern polygamy: The AUB (Apostolic United Brethren): With about 7,500 members, this group has a priesthood council and allows members more free agency in choosing their spouses. (Kody Brown of the TV show Sister Wives comes from this tradition.) FLDS (Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints): Notorious for the extreme one-man rule of Warren Jeffs, this group practices arranged marriages and strict dress codes. Anne notes that Jeffs’ oppressive control and habit of splitting up families has caused their numbers to plummet. Since he went to prison, the numbers are about 10% of what they were. Centennial Park: A breakaway group of about 2,000 members who separated from the FLDS because they wanted a priesthood council rather than a one-man dictatorship. Ervil LeBaron: Anne also discusses dangerous outliers like Ervil LeBaron, a militant polygamist who claimed his own priesthood authority and became an assassin responsible for roughly 20 deaths, including that of AUB leader Rulon Allred. Independent Fundamentalists: Anne identifies with this category—believers who adhere to early doctrines and plural marriage but choose not to affiliate with any centralized sect. Surprising Stances on Gay Marriage Despite their conservative theology, Anne reveals that many fundamentalists support the legalization of gay marriage. Viewing it through the lens of civil rights, she argues that if polygamists want the government to decriminalize their own family structures, they must grant the same free agency to the LGBTQ+ community. She also expressed deep disappointment with the LDS Church’s 2015 policy that temporarily barred the children of gay parents from being baptized, feeling it wrongly punished children. Anne Wilde’s Controversial Theology: Was Jesus a Polygamist? Anne Wilde and her late husband, Ogden Kraut, authored numerous books, including a highly popular 1969 text arguing that Jesus Christ was a polygamist. She suggests that the wedding feast at Cana was actually Christ’s own wedding, and that he was married to at least Mary, Martha, and Mary Magdalene. She also tackles difficult aspects of Doctrine and Covenants Section 132, such as the “Law of Sarah,” which ideally requires a first wife’s consent for subsequent marriages. However, Anne notes that if a first wife adamantly refuses to consent to a priesthood law, the husband is exempt from her approval and can marry anyway. Furthermore, she interprets the scriptural mentions of “concubines” not as sex slaves, but as lesser, non-covenant wives permitted by the customs of the era. Advocacy and the 2002 Olympics After living in secret for decades, Anne stepped into the public eye ahead of the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympics. Tired of seeing only bitter ex-members defining the narrative around plural marriage, Anne co-founded an advocacy group called “Principle Voices“. During the Olympics, they provided hundreds of press packets and fielded interviews with global media to offer a positive perspective on the lifestyle and to clearly distinguish themselves from the abuses of the FLDS church. Ultimately, Anne's story is a call for understanding. Whether you agree with her lifestyle or not, her experiences provide a rare, inside look at a marginalized community deeply woven into the fabric of Mormon history. Questions to ponder: 1. In what ways do the civil rights struggles of polygamists align with those of the LGBTQ+ community? 2. Why is it important to recognize the structural and cultural differences between various polygamous sects? 3. How does the “Law of Sarah” impact the balance of agency and power within a plural marriage? 4. What role does media representation play in shaping the narrative of marginalized or secretive religious communities? Don't miss our other conversations Shannon: https://gospeltangents.com/people/shannon-flynn Copyright © 2026 Gospel Tangents All Rights Reserved Check out a transcript of the interview on Amazon.

Send us Fan MailJoin us as Pastor Garid teaches through The Gospel of John, taking a deeper look at the miracle at the wedding in Cana. May the Lord richly bless your day and time of study in His word. Website | https://visioncalvarychapel.com/Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/vision_calvarychapel/Subscribe | https://www.youtube.com/user/visioncitychurchFacebook | https://www.facebook.com/visioncitychurchTwitter | https://twitter.com/visionoc#visioncalvarychapel#visionformycity#garidbeeler

In this message Pastor Dustin Stradley shares how Jesus is more than enough when we feel empty or have run out. Through the miracle at the wedding in Cana, he reminds us that true fulfillment isn't found in the things of this world but in bringing our lives to Jesus. As we trust and obey Him, He transforms our emptiness into something greater than we could imagine. Ultimately, the message points to the cross, where Jesus proved that His grace is more than enough for every need.