Podcasts about Captives

In EVN Report's news roundup for the week of January 16: Azerbaijan releases four Armenian captives held in Baku; Armenia and the United States agree on implementation framework for TRIPP; two Armenians confirmed dead amid ongoing protests in Iran and more.

Steve McElhiney, partner at Captives and ART Solutions, divulges both the rising popularity, as well as some of the misconceptions, of the use of captive insurance in agriculture, in this 26-minute episode of The Edge of Risk Podcast by IRMI. Hear Mr. McElhiney's thoughts on how parametric insurance and captive insurance can go hand in hand.

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, In bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded January 4th, 2026 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Genesis 9-11; Luke 4 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we journey through scripture together, drawing closer to the heart of God. In today's episode, host Hunter invites us into the fourth day of the new year's reading plan, reminding us that the pages of the Bible point us to the living Word—Jesus, who brings life and abundance. We dive into Genesis chapters 9 through 11, exploring God's covenant with Noah, the beginnings of nations after the flood, and the story of the Tower of Babel. Our reading continues in Luke 4, where Jesus, filled with the Spirit, faces temptation in the wilderness and launches His ministry with a message of hope for everyone—inside and outside the expected boundaries. As Hunter reflects on these scriptures, we are challenged to open our hearts wider, recognizing that God's love and grace reach beyond the borders we set. Today is an invitation to see God's favor poured out on the unexpected, to pray for all people, and to participate in the healing, freedom, and joy that Jesus proclaims. Let's step forward together, grounded in the assurance that we are deeply loved—no doubt about it. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He's outside the bounds and borders of where we expect him to be. He is present with those that we think are disqualified from his care, his healing and his love. They're from places like Zarephath in Sidon, or from the land of Syria, gentile lands, borderlands among people that are our enemies, people that we think are enemies of God, people we think are headed for destruction. And yet here's Jesus preaching His first sermon in a church service and proclaiming that God is with them too. That God's favor, His healing, his mercy, his grace is with those people too. This made no sense to his listeners. It offended their religious sensibilities to the core. So much so that Luke tells us that they tried to kill him afterwards. But Jesus will not be stopped. He will not be silenced, and his message will continue to be proclaimed. Jesus comes to show us that God is not a tribal deity. No, he is the God of all tribes. He is the God of all the earth. And his love for the world and its people is reaching into places that our religious minds and our offended minds say are outside the bounds of God's grace. So let's beware of drawing borders around God's love and his grace. Let's look carefully at how Jesus begins His ministry here in his very first sermon. And let us understand well what the Spirit of God is saying to his people. The good News is for the poor. Captives are released, the blind are seeing, the oppressed are set free. And the time of the Lord's favor has come. And Jesus says that that favor has come to everyone, inside and outside of whatever borders we have constructed. And that is good news for all of us. And the prayer of my own heart today is that I will participate with him in seeing and proclaiming and experiencing the favor and love of God in my own life and in the lives of all people. That's the prayer that I have for my own soul. That's the prayer that I have for my family, for my wife and my daughters and my son. And that's the prayer that I have for you. May it be so.   TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose  through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen.   Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen.   And now Lord,  make me an instrument of your peace.  Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon.  Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope.  Where there is darkness, light.  And where there is sadness,  Joy.  Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love.  For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life.  Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ.  Amen.  OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Amazon ‘Fiction': Part 1 The adventure begins. Based on a post by Farmer Jill, in 3 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Steamy Stories. It all started with one woman's desire to prove that Amazons existed. Yes, that's right those legendary female warriors. Her name was Sylvia Riesling, the heiress to the Riesling billions. She was completely obsessed with the Amazons. Sylvia had commissioned a big international conference on the Amazons in Frankfurt Germany. I, Nelson James, was the keynote speaker. I am a professor of Anthropology at an Ivy League university. I was nothing special, just another academic in an obscure field toiling away to feed my wife and three sons. My area of interest was the Amazon River basin and the primitive people still living there. Sure, I had heard rumors of Amazon's, but never really was that interested until that blockbuster movie Amazon World came out. Sheer genius it was, a story of how the legendary women warriors got fed up with the patriarchal world and emerged from their self-seclusion to overthrow it. Plenty of women wanted to see it because it had a good plot, of course the defeat of all the male governments. (This was a movie so there were zero female world governments at the time to overthrow) and the lead actresses were all A-list. Men went with their wives and girlfriends because of all the Amazon warriors in their skimpy battledress were former Playboy bunnies or cheerleaders. Another attraction for many was the first-rate special effects. Let's face it action movies with babes sell. I heard about the movie when it started production and knew what I had to do. I was in the running for a full professorship, and this could be my way in. I knew my obscure area of study would have a brief time in the limelight and I had to take full advantage. Immediately I researched an academic paper on the Amazons. It would be published in the usual dull Anthropology Journal. That would provide me with the material to write an article in regular English for the New York Times and any other media outlet that wanted to pick it up. This would get me promoted. One theologian of the nineteenth century proffered a hypothetical from the biblical text of Genesis. He cited a Garden of Eden, but separated from the ‘civilized world' by a global flood. A flood caused by a traumatic shift of the polar rotation, causing seasons, a depletion of hydro shielding of the atmosphere, and a resulting penetration increase in ultraviolet radiation. The major plates of the earth radically broke apart, causing a large ocean between the South American and African plates. The theologian believes it plausible that the Garden of Eden is the Amazon and Ecuadorian South Pacific region. He cites the Galapagos irregularities and species of Tortoises that have perhaps 3 times the lifespan of humans. Could all life forms excel greater, and live longer; in the ‘garden region'? Then the theologian sites the Nephilim giants, offspring of when spirit beings mating with human women. The text of Genesis 6: 4; 4 The Nephilim giants were on the earth in those days, and also afterward; when the spirit beings went to the human women. They seduced the women and had children by them. The offspring became powerful. They were the heroes of old, men of renown human folklore. The biblical references are several, but European civilizations have not seen evidence in many centuries, thus the idea has been discredited as superstition.  The theologian speculates that these mythical Amazons are perhaps superior in body and mind, and irreverent to the creator's order. The original Spirit beings designed to set up a civilization where women perverted the creator's order, and made human males into slaves of women. Whereas in other civilizations the offspring men conquered and terrified the world, in the Amazon regions, their superior intellect and science was used to alter genetics in favor of the females. The offspring females were genetically capable of longer life, superior intellect, and godlike in physical attributes. Male offspring, however; were genetically cursed to the limitations of all other humankind. Academia condemned the theologian's speculations, and it was not allowed to be taught at any credible university. Only bible colleges even entertained it as plausible.  For my academic career's sake, I went with the consensus theories of the leading universities and published a secular research. I called it Amazons: Fact or Fiction. The Times was interested, and I retained the syndication rights after they had the first exclusive release. In order to write the paper though, I had to get access to the journal of Francois Canard. He was the famous 19th century explorer whose journal documented his discovery of the Amazons. Unfortunately, no one believed Francois at the time, and they declared him mad and institutionalized him. He was known to the Amazon crowd as Bizarre Canard. His family detested that name, and what happened to him. They were always trying to rehabilitate his name and this movie, Amazon World, would bring his name to the forefront. I contacted the family and flew to France to meet with the heir, Jean Paul Canard. I promised to set the record straight on Francois. They would have right to reject anything I wrote before publication, and I would give them a portion of any profits I made, to pay legal fees to have the official record changed. ln exchange, I would have full access to his journal and any other records the family held. For some reason, Jean Paul felt I was trustworthy and agreed to my offer. The movie came out and broke records on its first weekend. My article came out on the Saturday of that weekend and on Monday was reprinted and reposted all around the world. The university loved the publicity, and I was given the full professorship. Moreover, the syndication money was greatly appreciated by my wife Connie. She was great at making our money stretch, but it always was tight. This is where Sylvia came in. With all the hype about the Amazons, she held her conference. Since I was acknowledged as a "world renowned Amazon "expert" I was selected keynote speaker. No expense was spared. Sylvia even paid for Connie and the boys to accompany me. We made a holiday of it and Sylvia had one of her staff tour guide us around Germany for a week. It wasn't all altruistic though. She wanted me to go to the Amazon River basin on an expedition she was funding. Again, no expense would be spared, in the quest to prove the existence of the Amazons. However, there was a problem with me going on the expedition. I had promised Connie no more trips to the Amazon until the boys were through their teen years. Connie had not complained about my previous trips when they were younger; when I was building my career but now she now she wanted my help at home. I had the professorship, so I was pretty secure, and I liked staying home. I loved Connie and being a father. Sylvia was tenacious however, at our first meal together before the conference she had mentioned the expedition and my role in it. I had explained that I had made a promise to Connie but would be glad to help with the preparations. Connie was very happy with my response and showed me her appreciation that night. Sylvia however was relentless, and by the end of our trip in Germany Connie had not only released me from my promise but was encouraging me to go! That conversation would replay over and over again in my mind, over the next year. I suspect it haunted Connie as well. Connie had it all figured out, "Nelson I know you made a promise to me, and you keep your promises. You are a great husband and father; I love being married to you. You are a great provider, working hard to give us what we need, and more. Sylvia has offered you an amazing sum to go on this expedition, This is your reward for all your years of hard work. If it is successful you will receive an even larger bonus. This would make us set for life. Sylvia thinks you will be gone a month, maybe two at the outside. I will be fine for that long; both of our parents will help. I really think you should go." I would have stuck to my promise but also I did want to go, it would cement my reputation and place at the university. The money was a stupid amount, one million dollars. I did also want to stay with my family. I could stay home and still milk my expert status at the same time. Yet Connie was pushing me to go so I agreed. Sylvia had no time to waste, a group was assembled and outfitted in a month. The leader of the expedition would be Lori Becker a self-made millionaire. She came from the wrong side of the tracks and had never failed at anything she had tried. Of course, our leader had to be a woman so she could speak on equal terms with the Amazons we hopefully would meet. Francois had mentioned this in his journal. His expedition included some women, and he made one of them the "leader," since the Amazons would not speak to him. Then there was the two security women, Alesha Murray, and Estelle Rodrigues. They were former special forces and from what I could see, the two women were the real deal. There were plenty of primitive locals, robber barons, and other assorted bad guys in the Amazon River basin so we needed protection. Again, women warriors made sense for the obvious reasons. Then there was Paulo and Mateus and their river boat. They would provide the grunt labor for the group as well as run the boat. They both were very handy and knew parts of the river. They also knew many of the main characters, among the legitimate and illegitimate goings on in this part of the basin. Finally, there was me, the expert advisor, and hopefully with the help of Bizarre Canard's journal the navigator. From my previous experience, this was a good size group for an Amazon river exploration. Small enough to be effective, but not too big to be unwieldy and attract too much unwanted attention from anyone. The three women and I would fly into Iquitos and meet up with Mateus and Paulo. We then would head down the river toward Ecuador, as outlined by Canard in his journal. The first few days were uneventful but soon enough we had left the vestiges of civilization behind. We kept a sharp eye out for the indigenous peoples, and others who didn't like outsiders on their turf. It was a beautiful part of creation, with so many vibrant colors and exotic plants and animals. We continued down the river and had the feeling that we were being watched. This increased with every mile. Estelle was convinced attack was imminent. Alesha not so much, the attack was coming but not yet. We were almost into the mountains, and she was sure it would occur then. There was no doubt in anyone's mind however, that we were being watched and that the watchers had changed. Originally it had been the indigenous who were watching us. They were great at camouflage and concealment, but the high-tech gadgets of Estelle and Alesha could pick out their heat signatures among other things. Now someone else was watching us. The high-tech equipment couldn't pick them up and neither could the naked eye. These people were masters of the hunt. Yet Alesha and Estelle were convinced we were still being watched. When we entered the mountains the river increased in speed but decreased in depth and width. We knew that we would soon have to leave the boat and move forward on foot. Then we saw the arch mentioned in Bizarre Cunard's journal. Everyone was excited that we seemed to be on the right path. Soon after that we stopped for the night at what we thought was a secure location. It was a sand bar with the river on one side and sheer mountain walls on the other side. While we set up camp, Estelle was on guard duty, and she was sharp noticing the stranger first. The person was dressed in a wet suit complete with a mask and carried what looked like a bow in their hand. The person had seemingly appeared out of nowhere, but must have come out of the river. Estelle ordered the person to stop moving and identify themselves. It was at this moment I knew that the expedition had succeeded, but would we live to tell the tale? The stranger spoke, "It is you who should not move; any movement will be met with deadly force. You shall identify yourselves and your purpose here immediately." I could not place the voice. It clearly was translated by a machine. I couldn't see the face of the person who had spoken, but I was sure that the translation did not convey the menace of the threat implied. Estelle started to raise her gun, but an arrow flashed out of nowhere and Estelle went down. After a moment to process what just happened, Lori Becker spoke for us, "We have come in peace; we are on an expedition to find the legendary Amazon warriors." Captives The person in the wet suit did not reply immediately. The silence was painful, Estelle was bleeding out from the arrow in her chest. It looked like it had pierced her heart, and she wasn't moving. I think all of us were holding our breaths waiting for a reply. Then we were stunned when it came. "You have found what you are looking for. Now listen very closely, any deviation from these instructions will result in your death." I hoped everyone else took that to heart, after Estelle I certainly did. As she spoke, a door opened up in the sheer mountain. She continued, "Very slowly you will strip naked, then you will enter the mountain, taking nothing with you." Soon enough the five of us were naked and travelling on foot through a mountain tunnel. I never looked back to see if we were being followed by the person in the wet suit. I did hear the door close. I could see light ahead of us and we all just walked toward the light. Once we reached it we could see a valley before us. There also was a woman warrior standing in front of us. She had on a breast plate of some kind of metal, forearm guards and a skirt that also looked like armor. There were sandals on her feet. There was some kind of sword on her hip. She did not look very welcoming. "Stop, look down and you will see some amulets. Put them on, they will allow us to communicate." We picked them up and put them around our necks, Lori was quick to try her's out. "I am Lori Becker, leader of this expedition." Lori's speech was cut off at the knees, "Silence, you are nothing until we decide what you are! Anyone who speaks again without being asked, will die. Follow me." The woman was not wearing an amulet but had raised her left arm to speak into her arm guard. We would learn later that these vambraces were a highly sophisticated smart phone, supercomputer, and weapons system, all in one. She then turned and started walking. Now we had lesson number two, and while processing that we followed her. Loud and clear, do what they say without question and remain silent. After an hour of walking, we entered farmland. There were men working in the fields. The men had on loincloths and sandals, nothing else. No one looked at us and our guide did not speak to anyone. Then we approached a village with a wall around it. There was a guard at an opening in the wall. She was dressed identically to our guide. They nodded a greeting to one another, and we moved into the village. She led us to a nondescript building that look like it was made of some kind of spray concrete. There was what looked like a toilet and sink in one corner. The floor was some kind of flexible material. There were two windows in addition to the opening. There was nothing else in the room. I estimated that it measured about 20 by 30. She stopped in the center of the room and looked us over. "You will remain here until you are summoned." Then she left. As she went through the opening a door materialized. We all looked at one another. Mateus was the first to speak. "I guess we found your Amazons, Nelson. Not a very friendly bunch." Paulo snorted at that and went to use the toilet. Alesha slowly circled the room seemingly taking in every detail. She looked out the windows but touched nothing. Lori put on a brave face and addressed us, "I'm not sure what we are facing here, however they seem to be a people of violence and few words. We just have to hang on and see what happens, eventually they will have to let us speak to them and explain ourselves." I wasn't so sure about that, but I had nothing to add so after also using the toilet I just lay down on the floor to rest. The others did the same and were soon lost in our own thoughts about the predicament we were in. We were surprised when the opening appeared, and two men came in carrying trays of food. They put them down inside the opening and left. No one dared speak to them and they said nary a word. The food was good and once we had eaten, and the sun had gone down outside. I did my Tia Chi forms. This was something I did every day. My parents had met through Tia Chi and all of us kids had grown up doing it. It certainly helped me stay calm and focused. As well it kept me in shape and flexible. Then I went to sleep. Paulo and Mateus sat together speaking in Portuguese before they also went to sleep. Alesha did some stretches and then also went to sleep. Lori just sat there looking forlorn. She had always been in control and now she was lost for what to do. I hoped she would get some rest. I awoke as the sun came through the windows. Alesha, Mateus, and Paulo were already awake. Lori looked like she hadn't moved an inch or slept a wink since last night. We didn't have to wait long for our warrior from the previous day to arrive. She strode into the room, "Follow me." Definitely a people of few words. We followed her to another building made of the same materials. Once inside it was obvious it was a medical building. We were led to a room with two large men and one woman in a lab coat. The men had on the same type of loincloths as the men we saw working in the fields yesterday. The two men advanced on Mateus and grabbed his right arm. The woman then took a blood sample. I immediately just raised my right arm as the men grabbed Paulo. Alesha and Lori did the same as me and the men didn't touch us as our samples were collected. The woman then took the five samples and left. The men also left. We were afraid to move but we didn't have long to wait, and our "doctor" reappeared with the men. The men were pushing a bed that looked like an operating table. They picked up Paulo and strapped him to the table. The doctor sprayed something on his groin. She then used a scapple to cut open his scrotum and remove his testicles. Paulo screamed through the entire process. I suspected that the spray was for healing and to avoid infection. These women seemed to enjoy inflicting pain. Once Paulo was a eunuch she sprayed the incision with something else. The wound never bled and appeared closed, healed even. Paulo was then released from the table. He collapsed to the floor, covered in sweat. Mateus and I also were sweating. Who was next? I didn't see any way to escape this and neither did he, we were stuck awaiting our fate. Mateus was next. It went exactly the same except Mateus tried not to cry out. That didn't make the operation any less brutal and Mateus passed out from the pain. Then it was my turn, and I was forced onto the table. The doctor did something different this time. She sprayed where my incision was for my vasectomy. After our third boy was born Connie and I decided we were done having kids and I had the snip. Well, the doctor proceeded to reverse that operation. I didn't know for sure but that's what it seemed like to me. It hurt like hell, and I also tried not to cry out. After she had finished the operation she sprayed the area she worked on. Then she produced a needle and injected it into my leg. That hurt like hell too. Then she was done, and I was removed from the table. Our guide then took us back to our prison. When we arrived, there was another meal awaiting us. Once we had finished eating, two men appeared to take away the dishes and they gave me what was obviously a sample jar. It was bigger than the one I had been given after my vasectomy. It was pretty obvious they wanted a sample. We had been naked around one another for a day now, and their was no privacy in the room. We were not allowed to speak so the four of them wordlessly turned their backs on me so I could produce the sample. I wondered if I could get it up but as soon as I touched my penis it became hard. It seemed harder then it ever had been, I figured it was just because I hadn't had sex for the last 2 weeks. When I ejaculated into the jar I filled it up. Wow, I never had cum so much in my life. I found out much later the injection I was given was a fast-acting, long-lasting sexual stimulant. It meant I would get hard fast the first and subsequent times as required. I also would produce much more sperm than normal. It even contained fertility drugs to facilitate impregnation. These Amazons sure had some advanced medical technology! The men left and within what seemed like an hour our guide was back. She ordered us to follow her. We ended up in the middle of the village. I immediately recognized the set up. It was prepared for a slave auction. There was a raised platform in the center of the open space with a woman warrior standing on it. There were many other women dressed identically, arriving from the rest of the village. Soon the five of us were all beside the platform waiting as the last of the women warriors arrived. I figured that all the Amazons, a few hundred in the village, were now present. Mateus was prodded onto the platform and the Amazon already on it spoke, "Fresh from the outside, we have a laborer. It is gifted with old mechanical technology knowledge and a strong body. Unsuitable for breeding but useful for service." I guess my blood sample showed I was suitable as a breeder and Mateus and Paulo's were not. I learned late that they like men who had had vasectomy's. As long as there were no hereditary issues the men who'd been snipped made good proven breeders and with their advanced technology it was easy to reverse the operation. Then the bidding began. Soon enough Mateus was bought by one of the Amazon's in the square. The auctioneer then pointed her right arm at Mateus and a laser came out of the vambrace to brand him on the right butt cheek. Mateus was given to his new owner, and Paulo was moved onto the platform. "Also fresh from the outside, another similar type for service. This one is younger but otherwise the same." Paulo was sold, branded, and given to his new owner. Clearly these Amazons were into object lessons. The auctioneer then left the platform, and two men placed a throne on it. What I could only image was the leader of the Amazon's then sat on the throne. She was dressed the same as the others except while the other's armor was silver her's was gold. The two men then used hoes to make a circle in front of the platform. Once they were done the leader addressed Alesha and Lori. "I am queen Zenoba and now we shall see if you two things are warrior women or not." Lori was then prodded into the circle. From the other side of the circle came one of the Amazons. She had removed her breastplate and was now bare chested. Seeing her proud firm breasts had me immediately hard. It was pretty clear to me that Lori was expected to fight this woman to see if she was suitable Amazon material. I wasn't sure how this would go. Lori was a strong confident woman, but I was unsure about her fitness level or of her fighting skills. The woman advance on Lori and threw a fake punch, followed by a leg sweep. Lori went down hard. I heard some of the other Amazon's in the crowd say "one." Lori got up slowly and I think it had now dawned on her that she was in the fight of her life or more aptly the fight for her life. Lori tried to assume a fighting stance. The Amazon advanced on her again going in for a grapple. I wanted to shout out for her not to engage, but we were told to be silent. Lori engaged in the grapple. They locked hands and the Amazon soon had Lori on her knees grimacing in pain and then kicked her square in the chest, knocking her back. I heard the "twos" from the crowd and silently prayed Lori would do better. The Amazon advance again, Lori tried to rush her, and the Amazon side stepped and grabbed Lori's arm. Lori cried out as the Amazon applied pressure. As more pressure was applied Lori started to beg for mercy. The queen then spoke, "Enough." The Amazon immediately let go of Lori's arm and Lori collapsed to the ground. Her shoulder was probably dislocated, and Lori was moaning in pain. A knife was then handed to the Amazon fighter who grabbed Lori by the hair, pulled her head back exposing her neck and slit her throat. More lessons for us. Fight hard to win and don't show pain. The two men dragged the body out of the circle. It now was Alesha's turn. A new Amazon entered the circle also bare chested. Alesha let the Amazon get close and when she tried a feint with a fake punch Alesha stepped into it. She caught the Amazon's fist with her left arm and then brought up her right knee slamming it into the Amazon's thigh. Alesha followed up with a brutal kidney punch. Alesha then let go of the arm and the Amazon went down on one knee. Her eyes narrowed and her face flushed. Alesha had embarrassed her, and hate emanated off of the Amazon. Alesha stepped back and said "one." This caused the crowd to murmur and the Amazon to charge forward at Alesha. Alesha turned to present a smaller target, but the Amazon jumped at her. Alesha was not expecting that move and the Amazon had amazing agility. She flew into Alesha's chest knocking her back. Alesha knew she was going down on her back and reached out for the Amazon's hair. As they hit the ground Alesha pulled the Amazon's hair as hard as she could. She followed up with a punch to the throat as the Amazon pulled her head back. Alesha then rolled away and stood up. Her chest and back was hurting from the landing but the Amazon was in worse shape. Rubbing her throat the Amazon was now so enraged when Alesha said "two" she launched herself again at Alesha. They grappled briefly but Alesha's special forces training was superior to the Amazon's skills and Alesha now had the Amazon in an arm bar. Alesha did not hold back and felt the arm dislocate before looking at the queen. Alesha then applied more pressure to the point of almost breaking the Amazon's arm. "Enough." Alesha let go of the Amazon as the queen spoke. The Amazon had never cried out or even moaned and never fell to the ground either. She stood up and faced her Queen lowering herself to a kneeling position. I thought for sure she was getting her throat slit. However, I was wrong, as I would learn these Amazons respected effort and the ability to tolerate pain. The Queen left her in that position for what seemed an eternity. The defeated Amazon was clearly in pain and discomfort but tried her best not to show it. "Rise Reyana, you fought a warrior and lost. Yet you never gave up or showed weakness. The warrior you fought is clearly a skilled fighter, and now our sister. Learn from her and your loss." Then the queen looked at Alesha who had assumed the same position as the woman she had defeated. "What is your name noble warrior?" "My name is Alesha; how may I be of service?" Although you had to be quick to see it a ghost of a smile appeared on the Queen's face. Clearly Alesha had impressed her. The Queen regarded Alesha as if seeing her for the first time. "Alesha, you have earned the right to be one of us, the Amazons of Fire Valley, do you pledged undying allegiance to your Queen?" Alesha was no dummy. She was quickly figuring out how to survive here. "Yes my Queen, I pledge my undying allegiance to the Queen of the Amazon's of Fire Valley." Then rise my new warrior, go with Reyana, and learn our ways. Then the Queen got up and left the platform. The crowd dispersed, leaving me and my original guide. She gave me a searing look. I was getting the hang of these people too and I did not flinch. I just looked back at her with the blandest look I could muster. After a minute or two she smirked at me, "I'm sure you can find your own way back to your accommodations." I'm sure this was another test, and I wanted to live so I walked the most direct route back to my prison. No one paid any attention to me. As I stared straight ahead I tried to also take in what was happening around the village. Basically, I saw a few men working at various tasks. I also saw a few Amazons, but they were doing nothing of significance. Everything was clean and tidy. When I entered my prison I noticed in the middle of the room was now an operating room table just like back in the medical building. It was complete with plenty of restraints. I could by now begin to guess what it was for. Yet there was no sense in worrying about it and instead I went through my Tai Chi forms. Lunch was brought to me by two large men and once I was done eating they pointed at the table. I climbed onto it laying on my back. They secured me in what I learned was called the Amazon position. I had my knees bent and pulled into my chest. One of them then jabbed me with a needle, another injection. My thoughts went to Connie and the boys. In particular I reflected on Connie and my conversation about joining this expedition. I wonder if Connie would still want me to go if she had of known I would become a sperm donor to a bunch of Amazons. Clearly, they were going to breed themselves on this table. The two men left and one of the Amazons entered my prison. She deftly stripped off her armor and clothing. She looked amazing, if you like athletic women. Firm perky tits and long-toned legs. Her vulva had a trim patch of hair on it that did nothing to hide the fact she was aroused. My arousal was also evident as my cock was hard as granite and she wasted little time impaling herself on it. She then used me for her satisfaction. She must have cum twice before I unloaded into her womb. She then go off and dressed. A few minutes after she left another Amazon entered the room. The exact same thing happened. For the next month or so I would be used by about 100 of these Amazon women. I'm pretty sure it was about one third of the total who lived in the village that took their turn. Obviously, they couldn't all get pregnant, some had to be able to defend the tribe. Neither Alesha nor the Queen came and used me. The routine was the same every day. The two men would arrive with breakfast, when I was done they then secured me to the table and gave me the injection. Amazons would come and go riding me until I came into their wombs. Some were pretty rough about it; none were even remotely loving. I learned later that they came as they entered their fertile times. With the fertility drugs and increased amount of sperm, the odds of pregnancy increased dramatically. If what I learned later was true I impregnated between two thirds and three forths of the Amazons who used me. I wonder what my sons would think of the fact that they would soon have 60 to 75 siblings, mostly girls. Apparently, they had mostly figured how to effect the gender outcome too, but it didn't always work. I knew the day's breeding was over when the men would reappear and release me from the table. They would also bring me another meal. The rest of the time was my own, but I couldn't leave the prison. The door appeared and disappeared for the male servants and the Amazons but not me. I would do my Tai Chi forms and sleep. Then came the day when I was taken out of my prison and brought back to the central square. The Queen was sitting on her throne on the platform, all of the other Amazons were standing around another circle before her. I was placed in the circle. One of the Amazons entered the circle from the other side. She was bare chested but otherwise dressed just like the warriors Alesha and Lori had fought. I was still naked. I had not worn any clothes since the day I was captured. It was pretty clear that I was going to have to fight for my continued existence. I had served my purpose, and I figured this was a test, for what I didn't really know. I was certain however I needed to win to avoid dying. I also knew I was at a serious disadvantage, not only were my balls exposed and vulnerable, but I had received my injection that day and my cock was hard. The Amazon warrior before me I definitely remembered from when she used me. She had been rough, biting, and scratching me. After I had cum in her she had spit in my face. This was not going to be easy. I remembered Alesha's words to me back while we were still free. "Tai Chi is nice, but it has become a sport with rules and traditions. Fights are real but they are not do or die. If you ever get in a fight in this jungle, no rules, no etiquette, fight to win. Do whatever it takes to win. And most of all, all this goes double if you are up against a woman." The Amazon warrior began to advance on me, and I adopted the ready position. She had a look of arrogance about her, I wondered if she ever lost? She advanced on me, and we traded blows. The Tai Chi helped me put up a great defense. I was mostly on the defensive and tried to see if I could get an opening at some point. I also had to protect my vulnerabilities. After a few minutes of sparing, she slightly lost her footing and that was all I needed. I swept her legs out from under her, and she completely lost her balance, but she didn't land hard. She was fit and flexible and recovered in a crouch. I moved back hoping to hear the word "one." It was music to my ears when I heard it from the crowd. Obviously, my opponent was infuriated and charged at me, we traded blows again and it was all I could do to keep her blocked. I made a mistake, and she moved in at that point to grab my balls but luckily I was sweating so hard she couldn't quite get a grip. It gave me an opening to knee her in the crotch. I hit her as hard as possible, and it stunned her. I followed up with a couple of jabs to her breasts. This caused her to lower her defenses for just a moment at this and I punched her hard in the head. She staggered back and I took two formal steps back praying to hear a "two." I almost smiled when I heard it from the crowd. I also heard the murmurs of the crowd; it encouraged me as much as it further enraged my opponent. She pressed in for the attack and she was relentless. I decided to stop trading blows and get mobile moving away from her. Around the circle, we went, her looking for an opening and me trying to survive. Then I made a mistake, I moved too close to the edge of the circle. One of the Amazons in the crowd gave me a shove towards my opponent. She bared her teeth in delight and moved to crush me. I did the only thing I could think of, I used my momentum to drop and roll. The Amazon dodged out of the way and then leapt to pin me on the ground. As I rolled I grabbed a handful of dirt and threw it into her face, hoping to hit her eyes. It worked, and while she was distracted I was able to jump back to my feet. She recovered with almost unbelievable speed and moved in to grab me. I used the opportunity to ram my forehead into her nose. Blood sprayed everywhere as her nose shattered. Yet there was no time to lose, I took her to the ground in a full nelson and pressed my knee into her back. It was an uncomfortable position for me, but it was brutal for her. She tried to get out of it, but I increased the pressure, I fully intended to keep going until I incapacitated her or killed her but then the Queen stopped the match. "Enough." I immediately let go and moved away from the Amazon who struggled to her feet. She then moved in front of the platform and knelt before the queen. I moved into the same position behind and to the right of the Amazon. I guessed that it was the right thing to do but wasn't sure. The Queen made us wait and sweat just like after Alesha's fight. "Deianira, you lost to a man, you have failed your name (Deianira means man destroyer) and your Queen. You are no longer one of us." The Amazon called Deianira was then pulled to her feet by two of the Amazons. Her clothing was stripped from her, and she was led away. I would learn later that she was then banished from the tribe. Expelled from the valley naked and vulnerable likely to die. That left me wondering what was going to happen to me. The Queen let me wait some more before ordering that I be taken to her room. I guess I earned the right to breed the Queen, but it was not quite that easy. Lucky for me the two male slaves that took me to her quarters risked the rath of the Amazons to warn me. In a whisper the one on the left said, "Thank you for beating Deianira, she was evil to us all. To survive mating with the Queen you must fight." Great, out of the frying pan and into the fire! The Queen's bed chamber of all things had a bed in it. Crazy that. After sleeping on the floor for a month a bed would be nice, but something told me that if I survived there would be no sleeping in this bed. There would be no snuggles and a second round in the morning either. I almost laughed out loud at my predicament. Then I remembered my conversation back in Germany with Connie. I wondered if this was the reward that Connie was thinking about when she encouraged me to leave? All thoughts left my mind as the Queen entered the room. She was naked and clearly in amazing shape. Below her proud firm breasts was a six pack any body builder would envy. She had toned thighs and walked with the grace of a panther. The slaves said I had to fight; this woman was going to tear me in half! I wondered if it was like honeybees, the Queen mates with you and then kills you. Oh well I thought at least I will try to give a good showing. The Queen advanced on me, and I assumed the ready position. Again, I was at a disadvantage. My cock was rock hard and my balls were unprotected. I decided to gamble on a move she probably wasn't expecting. It looked like she wanted to grapple so I stepped in, put my arms around her and pulled her face toward mine. She might not have been expecting it, but she reacted like lightning. Instantly her two arms shot up and broke my hold on her head, her knee came up to hit me in the balls. I was anticipating this and twisted my waist to take the blow on my thigh while darting my face forward to give her a kiss. She was clearly surprised by my move and allowed the kiss but at the same time wrapped her arms around me and flung me onto the bed. I rolled to my knees as she dove after me. We grappled and soon she had me pinned to the bed. I could not believe how strong she was. Without releasing my hands that were held by her own she maneuvered herself onto my cock and began to ride me. I did not resist and waited for my chance. As her first orgasm hit her I quickly broke her grip on me and rolled her onto her back. I grabbed her throat with both hands and began pounding into her as my cock had not slipped out during my roll. She hit the side of my head with a right and then the other side with a left. It hurt like hell, and I feared a concussion, but I held on tighter. She then pushed her two hands between my arms and literally ripped them from her throat. I once again could not believe her strength. She then rolled me back over onto my back and grabbed my nipples as she impaled herself on me. The pain was intense, but I quickly reached in and grabbed her nipples. I literally tried to rip them off her tits as I could feel the blood start to flow from her nails digging into the flesh on my chest. As all of this was happening she continued to slam herself down on my cock. It was a battle of wills and as I also drew blood from one breast I could feel my climax building. The Queen increased the amount of force she was using, and it felt like I was going to black out from the pain. I fought the darkness and reached deep down for my own renewed strength and her other nipple started to bleed. At this point we were sweating and grunting. Then she had an orgasm with the force of a tsunami! The Queen's vagina clamped down on my cock as she came and this in turn cause me to erupt. I never knew I was into pain but the orgasm that hit me took my breath away. It seemed to have the same effect on her. We both relaxed our grips on each other's nipples as we rode out the orgasmic ecstasy. I seized the opportunity to pull her down for another kiss. I bit her lip and then snaked my tongue into her mouth. She sent her tongue to meet mine and wrestle it into submission. I used the kiss as a distraction to once again roll her over, so I was on top. My cock was still hard as diamonds, so I slammed it back into her. I had never felt a vagina like hers and the sensations were incredible. However, I was so wrapped up in the moment that I started to lose focus on the fight. She seized the opportunity to then roll me back onto my back and pinned me into the Amazon position. She then rode me hard through two more of her own climaxes before I came again filling her womb. At this point I was exhausted but I knew it wasn't over, so I rolled out from under her and got off the bed. I then went down on one knee and bowed my head. I didn't know what to expect next but what I didn't expect at all was that the Queen would laugh. "Go back to your accommodation worthless man I am done with you." I had survived. I didn't know why she laughed until much later when one of the Amazons explained it to me. Only women were required to assume the position of submission before the Queen. By definition men were only servants so submission was assumed. She had laughed at my attempt to be a woman. I made it back to my prison and found a meal waiting. I ate and then did my forms. I couldn't help but wonder what would happen next. I had finished my meal and was reflecting on two things. Firstly, the immense pain in my chest from Queen Zenoba abusing my nipples. I hoped she was feeling the same discomfort, but I imagine she had some magic spray available to her. It was probably already all healed. Secondly, I was wondering what they were going to do with me. I had been forced to breed about a third of the woman warriors and the Queen. Was I going to be made a eunuch and sold to one of the women, or something else? No sense worrying about it. To take my mind off of the pain I did my Tai Chi forms. My previous instructors might not have been happy with my performance in my fight with Deianeira, but I didn't care. I had won and I thanked my parents for getting me into Tai Chi. Certainly the flexibility and balance had served me well. Obviously, my style had been more Tai Chi/brawler but thanks to Alesha's advice it had won me victory. That was the important part and there was no way I was going to forget it. This made me think about Alesha and the fact I had not seen her since she had won her fight and become an Amazon warrior herself. Then my prison door opened, and a man entered, I assumed to take away the supper dishes. He was there for that, but he also had a can of spray magic and aimed it at my bloody nipples and sore chest. By the time he had gathered up the dishes and left the wounds were healed and the pain was gone. Amazing stuff! The sun had gone down, and I was tired out from the day's exertions, so I lay down and went to sleep. I was awakened early by a man with my breakfast. When I was done one of the Amazons I had not met yet entered my prison. She ordered me to follow her. She led me to the opening in the wall around the village. At the opening we met another Amazon who had what looked like a lap top bag with her. She fell in behind me and the three of us walked down the trail that I figured was to the west. At first we passed farms but soon we left them and the village behind. We walked all day through the rainforest and then we stopped for the night. I was given some travel food. It looked like the rations you get in the army. Yet it was the perfect temperature and tasted delicious. No one had said anything all day. It was no different after our meal. One of the Amazons was clearly on sentry duty and the other one lay down to rest. I followed suit and soon was asleep. It was a quite night and in the morning was shaken awake by one of the Amazons. After another meal and my injection, we were back on the trail. Judging from the sun it was about noon when we apparently reached our destination. It was a large open field carved out of the rainforest. It seemed about the same size as a football field. We were on one of the long ends and there was a post in the ground that they tied me too. I was tied only around my waist with my hands and feet free. Diagonally across from me on the other side was a similar post. Minutes after I was secured, 3 people emerged from the forest on the other side. 2 were clearly Amazons, the only difference in attire from the Amazons with me was a blazing sun on their breastplates. The other person was a man, naked like me and soon tied to the post. One of the Amazons then walked 10 paces from the post to the right and stopped. The other one started walking to toward me. My two Amazon's did the same thing. One walked 10 paces from the post to the left and stopped. The other walked toward the naked man. The Amazons walking toward the tied men had the small bags with them. Once the Amazon with the blazing sun arrived in front of me she produced a needle from the bag and took a blood sample. She then opened the bag up revealing some kind of machine. The blood sample needle was inserted into the side, and she injected the blood into the machine. I could not see any screen or light to show a result, but after a moment she stood up and handed me a sample jar. It was all becoming clear to me what was going on. If I passed the medical tests I was to be traded for the other guy undergoing the same tests. This was a simple swapping of bulls or studs. The injection served it's purpose because I became instantly hard when I touched my cock. I then filled the container. The Amazon took the container and poured the contents into another opening in the machine. After a moment she drew a knife from her belt and turned to face the other side of the field. The Amazon on the other side of the field finished what I assumed was the same process with the other man. She also drew a knife and faced us. At this point, both of the Amazons turned and cut the bindings of the man on the pole in front of them. I didn't need to be told what to do I just followed the blazing sun Amazon back across the field. We met at almost exactly the halfway point of the field, but no greetings were shared. This was obviously a highly ritualized process that I had not read about in Canard's journal. In Canard's journal there had been only one group or tribe of Amazons occupying four valleys. Something definitely had changed. I suspected the four valleys now were occupied by competing factions. This didn't mean Canard was wrong, Canard had been here over 150 years before, it just meant things had changed. So far Canard had been accurate about the arch by the river, as well as the dress of the Amazons we had met. Canard also had reported on the sophistication of the Amazon's technology and that clearly was still true. To be continued in part 2. Based on a post by Farmer Jill, in 3 parts, for Literotica.

If you'd like your question answered on next month's episode, call/text 469-213-6381 and leave us a voicemail/text.Each month on Last Month In Healthcare, producer Nathaniel joins me to discuss the previous month's podcasts, headlines, and listener-submitted questions.This month, we're doing something a little different to close out 2025. Instead of just looking back at December, we are ranking the biggest healthcare stories of the entire year on a Tier List, from "Not Impactful" to "Super Impactful." We cover everything from the FTC suing the Big 3 PBMs and the J&J fiduciary lawsuit dismissal to the "bloodbath" of 2026 renewals and the explosion of GLP-1 usage.Plus, we debut a new "Explain Like I'm 5" segment where I break down complex concepts like Reference-Based Pricing, Captives, and Stop-Loss using simple analogies involving candy shops and dirt bikes. Finally, we answer a listener question about building confidence as a young professional in the industry.Chapters:0:00 - Intro: Last Year in Healthcare0:51 - Tier List19:05 - Explaining Insurance To A 5-year-old24:24 - Ask Spencer Anything

If you'd like your question answered on next month's episode, call/text 469-213-6381 and leave us a voicemail/text.Each month on Last Month In Healthcare, producer Nathaniel joins me to discuss the previous month's podcasts, headlines, and listener-submitted questions.This month, we're doing something a little different to close out 2025. Instead of just looking back at December, we are ranking the biggest healthcare stories of the entire year on a Tier List, from "Not Impactful" to "Super Impactful." We cover everything from the FTC suing the Big 3 PBMs and the J&J fiduciary lawsuit dismissal to the "bloodbath" of 2026 renewals and the explosion of GLP-1 usage.Plus, we debut a new "Explain Like I'm 5" segment where I break down complex concepts like Reference-Based Pricing, Captives, and Stop-Loss using simple analogies involving candy shops and dirt bikes. Finally, we answer a listener question about building confidence as a young professional in the industry.Chapters:0:00 - Intro: Last Year in Healthcare0:51 - Tier List19:05 - Explaining Insurance To A 5-year-old24:24 - Ask Spencer Anything

Key takeaways from this study God's laws were always intended as a blueprint for human dignity, justice and release from oppression, laying the groundwork for true freedom. Heaven's agenda is not simply legalistic rule-keeping, but the transformation of individuals and societies toward compassion and liberty. By making freedom the end goal for slaves — especially Israelite slaves — God modeled a system intended to end cycles of generational bondage. The Torah's pathway for Gentiles to join Israel is Heaven's open door for all nations to enter spiritual freedom. Biblical laws set higher standards for humane treatment, signaling Heaven's desire that all people, regardless of status, can be liberated. Prophetic interventions (like Jeremiah 34) show that God rewards societies that extend liberty, but withdraws his favor when they renege, underscoring that freedom is dear to God's heart. The arrival of Yeshua the Messiah (Jesus the Christ) is the culmination of Heaven’s freedom goal: the offer of spiritual freedom and redemption to every nation, tribe and tongue. God is deeply responsive to repentance, faith and action — always ready to set captives free, both physically and spiritually. The ultimate intention of Heaven is for all people to know freedom — not merely by law, but through relationship, faith, and loving community. The journey from slavery to sonship is the story of God's heart for humanity: that every nation would experience deliverance and restoration through His mercy and truth. It's tempting to skip the difficult parts of the Bible, like the ordinances of slavery in Exodus (שְׁמוֹת Shemot). Here, we don't dodge them. We face them head-on, recognizing that Scripture's laws were in response to brutal ancient societies but also express the heart of a redeeming God Who works through history, not around it. The תּוֹרָה Torah (“instruction,” “teaching”) is not just a book of do's and don'ts. It's an unfolding revelation — God giving His people not only laws (מִצְווֹת mitzvot) but the principles and spirit behind them. Today we’re seeking those principles, to “rightly divide the word of truth” (2Timothy 2:15), so we can discern what God is up to in these difficult passages. The big picture: Law, mercy and becoming a distinct people to do something Let's remember, Israel was called to be a “kingdom of priests and a holy nation” (גּוֹי קָדוֹשׁ goy kadosh; Exodus 19:6) — not to mimic Egypt or Babylon but to model God's justice and compassion. We're not supposed to copy distorted theologies or twisted histories, like those that fueled the Spanish Inquisition (tragically insisting on forced conversions and outlawing Torah practice). Instead, “placing the ordinances before them” (Exodus 21:1) challenged Israel to treat every person — citizen, foreigner or even slave — with more dignity, fairness, and hope for freedom than the surrounding world expected. We're still being called to do the same. When we read these laws, our immediate reaction is often that they—and the culture in which they were given—seem strange, even very strange, to us. Human nature does not change, and people who desire to exercise absolute power over others will always find excuses to do so. As believers, we have an obligation to advocate for the freedom and fair treatment of those who are enslaved. Laws about slavery: An honest look The structure of biblical servitude Exodus 21–22 doesn't ignore slavery. It regulates and humanizes it within a radically unfree world. In Hebrew, the word is עֶבֶד eved (“servant” or “slave”). Slavery in ancient Israel could arise from debt, crime or poverty. But the Torah takes that bitter reality and bends it toward compassion and eventual liberty. Israelite slaves (עֶבֶד עִבְרִי eved Ivri): They were set free after six years of service. “In the seventh year he shall go out as a free man without payment” (Exodus 21:2 NASB 1995). Gentile slaves (עֶבֶד מִן־הַגּוֹיִם eved min ha-goyim): Non-Israelite slaves served longer, but the law provided avenues for dignity and even conversion and inclusion. The key was always freedom (חֵרוּת cherut, ἐλευθερία eleutheria). “God encourages us to not just say, ‘Well, there's the law.' Rather, He teaches us the principle behind the law — so we can apply it, even as times change.” Responsibilities and restoration Torah insisted that masters provide for their servants and their families. “If his master gives him a wife, and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall belong to her master, and he shall go out alone” (Exodus 21:4 NASB 1995). But here's the twist: upon release, Israelites were to be given resources (Deuteronomy 15:13-14). Slaves could, with what they received, “buy” freedom for their wives and children — a path to holistic release. The gentile's path to inclusion An incredible provision: any Gentile (גּוֹי goy, plural גּוֹיִים goyim) who embraced the God of Israel became “as a native of the land” (Leviticus 19:34). The Torah's inclusive heart was always beating — the servant wasn't forever defined by their starting point; they could become part of the family of God. The moment he says, “I am not going to be Gentile anymore, I'm going to follow the God of Israel,” he's now a sojourner among Israel (Exodus 12:48-49; Numbers 15:15). The reality is that throughout most of the Ancient Near East, there were few legal avenues for slaves to gain freedom, whereas in Israel there were legal mechanisms that allowed slaves to become free. The Torah's laws, which may appear inequitable at first glance, were in fact more merciful to slaves than the laws common throughout the Ancient Near East. Discipline and ethics: Justice with limits The Torah sought to curb human power, even in discipline. Masters were prohibited from using lethal force against slaves: “But if the slave survives a day or two, no vengeance shall be taken; for he is his property. If, however, the slave lives only a day or two after being beaten … he shall surely be punished.” Exodus 21:20-21 paraphrase Jewish tradition explains: discipline could only use non-lethal tools—not rocks (אֶבֶן ehven, “stone”) or clubs (מַקֵּל makel, “rod”) liable to cause death. If a slave was permanently injured (e.g., lost an eye or tooth), that servant went free (Exodus 21:26-27). This is the Torah's חֶסֶד khesed/chesed (“mercy”), limiting what was culturally normal — even while working within a broken world. Consequences of injustice In parallel passage Jeremiah 34, King צִדְקִיָּהוּ Tzidkiyahu (Zedekiah) decreed liberty for Israelite slaves, an “Emancipation Proclamation” in obedience to Torah. For a moment, Heaven's pleasure was evident — the Babylonian army withdrew. “…Proclaim liberty to them, that every man should set free his male servant and every man his female servant — a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman — so that no one should keep them, an Israelite his brother, in bondage.” Jeremiah 34:9-10 paraphrase But when the people reneged — re-enslaving those liberated — God pronounced judgment, equating their act to kidnapping (חָטַף khataf/chataph), a capital offense (Exodus 21:16): “… I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hand of their enemies … and burn it with fire ….” Jeremiah 34:21-22 NASB 1995 The prophetic message? Justice and mercy aren't just ideals. They're the very conditions for God's protection and blessing. Freedom is non-negotiable. Even kings are not above God's law. Faith, works and living out God's heart Apostle יַעֲקֹב Ya'akov (James) famously wrote about faith in Heaven that doesn’t bring life to the world: “For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” Our discussion reinforced that belief and action are inseparable. Kings, like Zedekiah, couldn't just declare good intentions. They had to enforce righteousness — for themselves and their society. Faith (אֱמוּנָה emunah) doesn't just reside in the mind. It must change how we respond to suffering, injustice, or even ancient laws — pushing us to build communities where no one stays in bondage. Messiah: The fulfillment of freedom and inclusion The whole of Scripture is a story arc bending toward Messiah — יֵשׁוּעַ Yeshua (“salvation”). The Torah's complex social instructions longed for something greater: spiritual and ultimately physical redemption for all. Yeshua quoted one of Heaven’s key reformer prophets when He announced His mission: “The Spirit of the LORD is upon Me, because He anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor. He has sent Me to proclaim release [ἄφεσις aphesis, “release/freedom”] to the captives, and recovery of sight to the blind, to set free those who are oppressed.” Luke 4:18 NASB 1995; Isaiah 61:1 And Apostle Paul (formerly, Sha'ul) wrote: It was for freedom (ἐλευθερία eleutheria) that Messiah set us free; therefore keep standing firm…. Galatians 5:1 NASB 1995 Messiah is the answer to both the physical and deepest spiritual oppression. He is the One who brings both Jew and Gentile, slave and free, into “the glorious liberty of the children of God” (Romans 8:21 NASB 1995). Principles behind the Law: Applying God's heart today Laws without principles can become cold and lifeless. God wants us to know why He commands as much as what He commands. The Torah teaches us to understand the “spirit” (רוּחַ ruach) behind the mitzvot. Yeshua taught (Matt 22:34-40: Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-37) that the three-fold loving the LORD (mind/emotions, life, wealth/resources; Deuteronomy 6:4-5) and loving others as oneself (Leviticus 19:18). When faced with a new or difficult situation, it is the principle of freedom, justice, khesed (mercy) and shalom (contentment) that should guide us. If we understand Heaven’s principle, then we can apply it in a positive way and affect a whole lot of people, including ourselves and the outcome we live through. Repentance, intercession and God's compassion A thread through Scripture is Heaven’s willingness and eagerness to listen, to show mercy and to change a decree in response to repentance (תְּשׁוּבָה teshuvah, μετάνοια metanoia, “return/repentance”) and prayer. Whether we look at Moses interceding after the Golden Calf (Exodus 32), or Abraham negotiating for Sodom (Genesis 18), or Jeremiah weeping for his people, we see a God who invites dialogue and delights to show mercy: So the LORD changed His mind about the harm which He said He would do to His people. Exodus 32:14 NASB 1995 Our relationship with God is rooted in covenant (בְּרִית berit), not unalterable fate. We can plead for mercy, intervene for others, and participate with God in the work of redemption. From Egypt to Messiah: A journey of increasing inclusion The arc of Scripture is toward ever-greater inclusion and freedom, not less. The Torah began by regulating and humanizing ancient social norms. The prophets called the people to deeper justice and loyal-kindness: “To do justly, to love mercy (חֶסֶד chesed), and to walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8). And in Messiah, the doors are thrown open wide: “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28 NASB 1995). God's heart, from start to finish, is to proclaim liberty (דְּרוֹר deror, “release/freedom”) to the captives and recovery for all. Proclaiming freedom to the nations The disturbing reality of slavery in the Bible is not the last word. God's commandments, even where they accommodated ancient realities, were always subversive — pushing toward a world of inclusion, compassion, and release for all peoples. We are called, in Messiah, to “let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like an ever-flowing stream” (Amos 5:24 NASB 1995). So let's be a people who oppose bondage wherever we see it — physical, spiritual, social — and who open the doors to any who wish to become sons and daughters of the Most High. May we, as those native to Israel and those grafted into her who have found freedom in Messiah, be quick to share that hope: “If the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed” (John 8:36 NASB 1995). Shalom and blessings as you seek and extend God's liberating love to every nation (גּוֹי goy) and every neighbor. May the God Who brought Israel out of מִצְרָיִם Mitzrayim (Egypt) continue to bring all His children into freedom and shalom. The post Set the captives free: The Bible's real message on slavery & redemption (Exodus 21–22; Jeremiah 34) appeared first on Hallel Fellowship.

Might a popular understanding of Paul's words in Romans 7:14-25 contribute to a learned helplessness with respect to sin in the lives of many Christians? New Testament scholar Dr. Joseph Dodson believes the answer is yes and explains why in his book Conquerors Not Captives: Reframing Romans 7 for the Christian Life. In this episode, he joins Dr. Keith Plummer to discuss his take on this much-contested passage.

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Joseph A. Milan, Ph.D., about the core philosophy or mindset for risk managers, the definition of acceptable risk, and how acceptable risk changes, depending on the organization's culture, strategy, or industry. Joseph shares his view on common mistakes and how biases can lead to gut decisions that are the least effective solutions. Justin and Joseph discuss Joseph's upcoming two-day virtual seminar, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making", on March 4th and 5th, and how participants should prepare for it. Finally, Joseph shares closing thoughts for those in one-person risk departments. Listen for thoughts on how to keep the gut reaction out of decision-making.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest is Joseph Milan, Ph.D. You know him from the RIMS CRMP Insights Series. [:40] As one of our virtual instructors, he's here to discuss his own risk philosophies ahead of the RIMS Virtual Workshop on March 4th and 5th. He'll be leading "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making". But first… [:54] RIMS-CRMP and Some Exam Prep Courses. The next virtual prep course will be held on January 14th and 15th, 2026. These are virtual courses. Links to these courses can be found through the Certification page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [1:12] RIMS Virtual Workshops are coming up. On January 21st and 22nd, Chris Hansen returns to deliver the course, "Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US". [1:26] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes. [1:38] RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:48] The RIMS-CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is hosted by the famous James Lam. This is a live virtual program that helps elevate your expertise and career in ERM. [2:00] You can enroll now for the next cohort, which will be held over 12 weeks from January to March of 2026. Registration closes on January 5th. Or Spring ahead and register for the cohort that will be held from April to June, 2026. Registration closes on April 6th. [2:20] Links to registration and enrollment are in this episode's show notes. [2:25] On with the show! Today, we will discuss facilitating risk-based decision-making with our friend Joseph Milan, Ph.D. He is the Principal at J.A. Milan & Associates and is also an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado. [2:43] He is a RIMS CRMP Commissioner. You get a lot of his insights from the RIMS CRMP Insights Series. A link is in this episode's show notes. In this dialog, we will get a preview of his upcoming workshop, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making", on March 4th and 5th. [3:02] But we're really going to get into Joe's risk philosophies, which are the sorts of things the RIMScast audience can use as they develop their careers and as they move into higher positions, ascend the corporate ladder, or become a department of one. [3:20] Interview! I've known him for years, and I'm so glad to finally be saying… [3:22] Joseph Milan, welcome to RIMScast! [3:41] Justin notes that he and Joseph have recorded so many things through the years, but not RIMScast. Joseph says it's great to be back with Justin, and on this medium, and he looks forward to sharing more information with Justin and all the RIMS members. [4:21] Joseph shares his RIMS history. It started in the olden times of 2005 when he got involved in a committee Carol Fox set up, called at the time the ERM Development Committee, now known as the RIMS Strategic and Enterprise Risk Management Council. [4:46] Then Joseph started helping with curriculum development and in-person professional development, before COVID. [4:58] After COVID, Joseph has been involved not only in delivering seminars but, as a commission member for the RIMS-CRMP, helped develop that curriculum and governance structure. Joseph has been involved with RIMS in different ways over the years. [5:12] There's a good chance that someone listening to this podcast will think, Hey, I know that guy! I recognize that voice! [5:26] Joseph is an Adjunct Professor at the University of Colorado, Denver. He's been active in the Risk Consulting Space since 2008, doing projects that range from simple commercial insurance placements to complex ERM implementations. He brings a unique perspective. [6:02] Joseph teaches at the University of Colorado Business School. He helped develop a course on Enterprise Risk Management. ERM is truly becoming a mature discipline. Joseph thinks RIMS is establishing a global presence for ERM. Justin credits Joseph, in part, for that. [7:05] When Justin saw that Joseph was going to host a two-day workshop, March 5th and 6th, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making", he said, Let's get Joe on the show and end 2025 with a great interview with him. [7:38] Joseph says the course is, in many ways, the pinnacle of risk management as a discipline. If we think about the domains and components of the RIMS-CRMP, the fifth domain within the CRMP is about supporting risk-based decision-making. [8:06] This is a two-day seminar that takes a deep dive into that space. Joseph says it's the most fun, advanced, and interactive. It's the task that requires the best blend between the technical and the so-called soft skills. It's really exciting. Joseph is looking forward to it. [8:28] Joseph hopes a lot of the audience listening to this podcast will take enough of an interest to spend the 14 or 15 hours — it seems like a lot, but it goes fast! There are breaks. [8:52] When Joseph leads a course, he takes questions live. His approach is dynamic and flexible in terms of making sure that people get what they expect from the seminar. [9:05] Joseph says crunching numbers is super important. The assumption for this seminar is that these are advanced practitioners who can do number crunching or hire somebody to do it. The number crunching is important because it sets the foundation for control limits. [9:23] Number crunching sets the foundation for being able to answer questions about risk philosophy. [9:34] Core philosophy is risk philosophy. Risk philosophy comes from definitions of risk appetite and risk tolerance, and being able to operationalize those definitions in simple statements, in plain language, tied to the control limits that come from the number crunching. [10:00] With a good amount of work, within any organization, a risk professional and a team of people dedicated to risk and ERM should be able to put those definitions into action. [10:31] In the context of an advanced risk management or ERM seminar, when we talk about risk, it's always also about opportunity. [10:46] The simplest definition of acceptable risk is that which fits within the risk philosophy of the organization, within risk appetite and risk tolerance, and supports the organization in terms of its pursuit of objectives. [11:04] It's almost always about higher profitability, more money in for-profit companies. Non-profit companies describe it differently. Maybe it's focusing on providing more service, which is a proxy for getting more money. [11:19] It's about remaining a going concern and achieving goals. That's the simple definition: fitting within risk appetite and risk tolerance. [11:52] Joseph says it's constantly about finding balance. It's not just about the most influential senior leader, the risk leader, or the ERM leader. [12:05] It's also about the risk owners within the organization and how they fit into the strategic direction of the organization: growth vs. stability. Maybe it's an organization in distress and is focusing on retrenchment and building up a balance sheet to be able to redirect itself. [12:27] It's in that space that a lot of times, there is an unintentional lack of organizational risk competency. That can contribute to not just conflict, but also misunderstandings about what's acceptable, in terms of taking on risk in pursuit of objectives. [12:49] Communication is something we focus on in the seminar "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" quite a bit. [12:58] It is in the soft space of actively listening and identifying triggers in terms of perception of risk that have a huge impact on the decisions that an organization takes in risk and opportunity. It is challenging and time-consuming, but done correctly, it's super worthwhile! [13:27] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate with them. Booth sales are open now! [13:49] General registration and speaker registration are also open right now! Marketplace and Hospitality badges will be available starting on March 3rd. Links are in this episode's show notes. [14:04] Let's Return to Our Interview with Joseph Milan! [14:14] Joseph Milan will be hosting a workshop, "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making", on March 4th and 5th. Registration closes March 3rd. Justin says there is nobody better than Joseph to host this RIMS workshop. Joseph has a wide range of experience. [15:14] A risk practitioner may focus more on the traditional space, insurance. Joseph says ERM will not supersede traditional risk management. [16:06] A common mistake is that risk practitioners tend to get distracted by what they think are big numbers, but which pale in comparison to the big picture on the balance sheet. [16:36] A good solution to that mistake is to find influential people in the organization who are plugged into financial planning, analysis, and budgeting, with a long connection to the organization, to help put things in perspective and answer questions about acceptable risk. [17:09] Does it fit within the organization's risk appetite and tolerance? Answering those questions quantitatively can be fairly easy in terms of doing analysis and providing conclusions about expected total losses, frequency, and severity. [17:33] The more important question is, is that acceptable, and does it fit within what executive leadership expects in terms of the stability of the financial performance of the company? [17:44] The mistake is in overemphasizing or overestimating the importance of certain quantitative components of a risk program that oftentimes might not be that important. Conversely, there might be something much less visible that needs more attention. [18:12] You have to know your audience, and you need to know what their emotions are, what motivates them, and what might trigger them. It's a bad idea to follow your gut, but it happens all the time. One of the main reasons it happens is because of emotion. [18:44] If you see weird, irrational things happening, often, it ties back to a personal experience that the President, CEO, or CFO had many years ago. You might have an operator who went through Hurricane Katrina and is super sensitive to that type of hazard risk. [19:11] Justin shares the impact Hurricane Sandy had on his home and on his parents' home, which was destroyed. The flooding gutted the area. Looking back, Justin will always have NatCat insurance. Justin is still traumatized by it. [19:53] Joseph emphasizes communication and knowing your audience. An organization may want to do ERM or take its insurance program to the next level. Some spaces trigger reactions and emotions. [20:31] It takes time to figure out an unwritten organizational culture. [21:18] Strategy impacts the perception of risk, what's acceptable in terms of risk, and what the upper and lower control limits are. Where does strategy come from? Joseph says strategy comes from vision, mission, and execution. [21:42] Strategy comes from various places. It could be external market forces. It could be the result of a merger or an acquisition, or a series of mergers and acquisitions. The executive leadership team may have to look around and ask themselves, Who are we? What are we doing? [22:08] The first company that hired Justin, in 20 years, has been acquired twice, and people who had been lifers are being shown the door. [22:46] Joseph says, In M&A, there is a huge impact on morale. Without a clear communication plan, backed up by action, things can get inefficient and expensive very quickly. [23:17] A Final Break! The Spencer Educational Foundation's goal to help build a talent pipeline of risk management and insurance professionals is achieved, in part, by its collaboration with risk management and insurance educators across the U.S. and Canada. [23:36] Spencer awards undergraduate, graduate, Ph.D., and Pre-Instructor of Practice Scholarships to students enrolled at an accredited college or university in the U.S. and Canada, and physically studying in either location. No remote coursework eligibility from other locations. [23:53] Including part-time, graduate scholarships to risk management and insurance professionals continuing their education. [23:58] Since 1980, Spencer has invested more than $11.1 million in the scholarship program with awards to over 1,700 students. More than 85% of Spencer's scholarship recipients remain in the industry to this day. [24:15] They've got undergraduate scholarships, full-time Master's scholarships, part-time Master's scholarships, pre-dissertation Ph.D. candidates, doctoral candidates, and pre-instructor of practice scholarships all open now. The application deadline is January 31st, 2026. [24:36] Visit SpencerEd.org/scholarships. You'll find the different application buttons. See the link in this episode's show notes for more information, giving you some extra homework to do over the holiday break, if you are taking a holiday break!. [24:53] Let's Return to the Conclusion of My Interview with Joseph Milan! [25:01] Justin had Jim Swanke as a guest on International Podcast Day, from the University of Wisconsin, Madison's Wisconsin School of Business. He mentioned he has a real passion for being an educator for risk management students. [25:25] Jim Swanke encourages students to lean into technology and AI as a proofreader and a time-saving tool, to help go through contracts, claims, and things like that. That was on the captive insurance side. [25:50] Justin asks Joseph for his take on AI. Joseph encourages students to go all in on it. It's the future. It is not going away. [26:04] Joseph's clients are asking him about AI because they're looking for opportunities to increase efficiency. Is there a way we can reduce the time it takes to do "fill in the blank"? [26:17] When you look at the top risk management information systems, the first and second place, Origami and Riskonnect, are spending a lot of time and money looking for any opportunity to leverage AI to make the broader risk management process more efficient. [26:42] Joseph gives the example of analytics. It takes a couple of seconds to do a multiple linear regression analysis. The hard part is collecting the data to support the analysis. If you can leverage AI to collect, clean, and organize data, that is something you should do, with caution. [27:09] We know that large language models tend to occasionally hallucinate. To have a non-sentient black box to have a hallucination as it's cleaning your data for analysis is a little bit of a scary thing. Fortunately, we humans are still around to check these machines. [27:33] Joseph says the shortest answer is that AI is not going away. It needs to be embraced carefully. The process fundamentals that we have been thinking about, doing, and teaching about for years are the same. They will not change. [28:03] Joseph will be leading the "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" virtual workshop for RIMS on March 4th and 5th. It's a two-day course with six or more hours each day. [28:32] Joseph says it's a seminar that focuses on the advanced implementation of risk solutions. We will not be doing calculations, analytics, or analysis. [28:50] We're assuming that everyone is showing up with a deep and broad understanding of not only definitions of potential risk and opportunity, but also a solid foundation in the analytical space. [29:02] This is more about thinking about how bias influences individual, group, and social perceptions and recommendations, in terms of risk. [29:17] Participants should bring an open mind and an understanding of the importance of soft skills in the space of supporting risk-based decisions. [29:31] Some of the listeners may already have read this book, but Joseph recommends it again, Thinking, Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman. It is the foundation for the seminar. [29:43] Joseph says, the book takes a deep dive into the "caveman" forces that influence intuitive, gut-reaction decisions, and how gut reactions can be a very unhelpful approach for the systematic, slower decisions that need to be made regarding complex risk. [30:09] Joseph recommends reading the book. He says it will provide you with a much better foundation for the seminar, and it's a book you will keep going back to throughout your career. [30:23] Justin says, It's been such a pleasure to see you again. I've got links to the RIMS-CRMP Insights Series that you did for us. There is plenty of Joseph Milan content here on RIMS.org. [30:50] Joseph's last words for listeners: The first message is to be committed to the hard work that goes into cleaning, organizing, and setting the stage. It's part of being a good risk manager. [31:52] Beyond that, a lot of what we talk about in the ERM space has to do with leveraging existing resources and breaking down silos. Find influential, knowledgeable people in your organization who can help with different cultural components and a lot of the tactical things. [32:14] They might be able to help you find shortcuts as you take on different implementations and initiatives within the risk space within your company. [32:30] Justin says, I look forward to seeing you again, in 2026, virtually, and/or in person. Thank you so much for all your time and for being so generous with your knowledge. [32:46] Special thanks again to Joseph Milan for joining us here on RIMScast. His virtual workshop is "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making". Enrollment closes on March 3rd for the two-day course, which will be held on March 4th and 5th. A link is in this episode's show notes. [33:07] Joseph will also lead the Pre-RISKWORLD two-day workshop, "Captives as an Alternate Risk Financing Technique," on-site in Philadelphia on May 2nd and 3rd, 2026. We will provide a registration link when it's available. Mark your calendar and learn from one of the best! [33:28] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [33:56] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [34:13] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [34:30] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [34:46] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [35:00] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [35:11] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: "Facilitating Risk-Based Decision Making" | Virtual Workshop | March 4‒5, 2026 RIMS-CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | Jan‒March 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) | Insights Series Featuring Joe Milan! RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for exhibitors, members, and non-members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS Now Spencer Educational Foundation Scholarships | Submission Deadline Jan. 31, 2026 RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP Exam PrepJanuary 14‒15, 2026, 9:00 am‒4:00 pm EST, Virtual Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops "Managing Worker Compensation, Employer's Liability and Employment Practices in the US" | Jan. 21‒22, 2026   Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars   Related RIMScast Episodes: "James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO" "The Evolving Role of the Risk Analyst" "Presilience and Cognitive Biases with Dr. Gav Schneider and Shreen Williams" "Risk Rotation with Lori Flaherty and Bill Coller of Paychex" "Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model® RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Joseph A. Milan, Ph.D.   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

This week, Rob continued our Still Near series by reminding us that Jesus came to set the captives free. Though many are still held by the weight of sin, true freedom is found in the truth of who Jesus is. When we invite Him into our hearts and choose to worship Him, we step into the freedom only He can give.

Jeremiah and Babylon   https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give Register for the Estuary/Cleanup Weekend https://lscrc.elvanto.net/form/94f5e542-facc-4764-9883-442f982df447 Paul Vander Klay clips channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCX0jIcadtoxELSwehCh5QTg https://www.meetup.com/sacramento-estuary/ My Substack https://paulvanderklay.substack.com/ Bridges of meaning https://discord.gg/mQGdwNca Estuary Hub Link https://www.estuaryhub.com/ There is a video version of this podcast on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/paulvanderklay To listen to this on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/paul-vanderklays-podcast/id1394314333  If you need the RSS feed for your podcast player https://paulvanderklay.podbean.com/feed/  All Amazon links here are part of the Amazon Affiliate Program. Amazon pays me a small commission at no additional cost to you if you buy through one of the product links here. This is is one (free to you) way to support my videos.  https://paypal.me/paulvanderklay Blockchain backup on Lbry https://odysee.com/@paulvanderklay https://www.patreon.com/paulvanderklay Paul's Church Content at Living Stones Channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCh7bdktIALZ9Nq41oVCvW-A To support Paul's work by supporting his church give here. https://tithe.ly/give?c=2160640 https://www.livingstonescrc.com/give

Fireside Devotionals with Russ Ep291 - Captured Captives

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." What if the organizations so many celebrate as symbols of unity, legacy, and purpose… are actually part of something much deeper—something unseen? In this revelatory message, Pavielle Bee exposes how Satan has weaponized deception to make spiritual bondage appear beautiful and allegiance to darkness look like empowerment. Using Scripture and insights, I uncover a strategy the enemy has been perfecting for generations—a war waged in plain sight, disguised as community, culture, and pride. This teaching explores: ✅ How spiritual warfare operates through deception and agreement ✅ The hidden power of vows, oaths, and rituals many overlook ✅ Why some believers unknowingly defend what's actually opposing God ✅ How to recognize when you're part of something that looks godly but isn't ✅ The path to true freedom and spiritual clarity "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." — Sun Tzu The question is… what if that war has already reached you?   NEXT STEP TO DISCOVERING GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE 

Welcome to RIMScast. Your host is Justin Smulison, Business Content Manager at RIMS, the Risk and Insurance Management Society.   In this episode, Justin interviews Sadig Hajiyev, SOCAR Türkiye, Risk & Compliance Group Director, about SOCAR Turkiye and winning the RIMS ERM Global Award of Distinction. Sadig speaks of their ERM transformation that shifted SOCAR Türkiye from a compliance-oriented approach to an integrated, strategy-driven system, and a pivotal change. Sadig explains how they keep the ERM cohesive for business leaders, enabling decision-making. Sadig comments on external shocks that pressure-tested the program, showing the organization's true resilience and how it adapted its ERM approach. He speaks of one innovation with the biggest measurable impact. Justin and Sadig discuss SOCAR Türkiye's maturity jumping from a level-3 "repeatable" program to a level-5 "leading practice" in just a few years, supported by both the RIMS RMM and internal surveys, and how they are sustaining that momentum, having reached the top tier. Listen for words of wisdom and encouragement for risk practitioners.   Key Takeaways: [:01] About RIMS and RIMScast. [:17] About this episode of RIMScast. Our guest today is Sadig Hajiyev. He is the Risk & Compliance Group Director for SOCAR Türkiye, and he was one of two recipients of the RIMS Global ERM Award of Distinction. [:47] We will talk about the unique characteristics of his ERM Program and his unique risk philosophies. But first… [:55] The next RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM will be held on December 3rd and 4th. The next RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA will be held on December 4th and 5th. These are virtual courses. [1:12] Links to these courses can be found through the Certifications page of RIMS.org and through this episode's show notes. [1:19] RIMS Virtual Workshops! "Managing Data for ERM" will be led again by Pat Saporito. That session will start on December 11th. Registration closes on December 10th. RIMS members always enjoy deep discounts on the virtual workshops. [1:38] The full schedule of virtual workshops can be found on the RIMS.org/education and RIMS.org/education/online-learning pages. A link is also in this episode's notes. [1:50] The RIMS CRO Certificate Program in Advanced Enterprise Risk Management is hosted by the famous James Lam. This is a live, virtual program that helps elevate your expertise and career in ERM. [2:02] You can enroll now for the next cohort, which will be held over 12 weeks from January through March of 2026. Registration closes on January 5th. Or Spring ahead, and register for the cohort that will be held from April through June of 2026. Registration closes on April 6th. [2:22] Links to registration and enrollment are in this episode's show notes. [2:27] This episode was recorded at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025. We've covered a lot of ERM ground in the last few episodes, and for those who want to catch up, I've included a link to the RIMS ERM Special Digital Edition of Risk Management magazine in this episode's notes. [2:50] RIMScast ERM coverage is linked as well. Enhance your ERM knowledge with RIMS. [2:56] On with the show! This special episode was recorded live from Seattle at the RIMS ERM Conference 2025. [3:05] It was one of the best-attended ERM Conferences in RIMS history, with hundreds of ERM practitioners and students from around the world connecting, learning, and celebrating. [3:17] In RIMS tradition, we awarded the RIMS Global ERM Awards of Distinction. This year, there were two winners, one of which was SOCAR Türkiye, a pioneering energy company based in Turkey. The company's ERM program wowed our judges. [3:34] Accepting the award is Sadig Hajiyev. He is the Risk & Compliance Group Director. As you will hear, he took the ERM Program to the next level. Since we were in person, it was the perfect time to sit down and speak with him after receiving his award. [3:49] We're going to learn all about the program and Sadig's unique risk philosophies. Let's get to it! [3:53] Interview! Sadig Hajiyev, welcome to RIMScast! [4:18] Sadig says winning the award is a great feeling! Knowing someone here understands the value of the ERM Program and appreciates it is great! He shared photos and his reflections with his organization and got many congratulations, even though it was almost midnight in Turkey! [5:09] Saig explains that SOCAR is a global company, based in Azerbaijan, with more than 100K people working in Turkey. They have refineries and petrochemical facilities working together. They are also in the energy trading business. They have terminals. [5:34] They have multiple sectors, including fiber optic cables. They are doing so much in Turkey. SOCAR Türkiye is the biggest single-point investment in the history of Turkey, worth around $20 billion U.S. [6:01] Sadig's department is 15 people, including compliance professionals. They have a resource pool of experts and allocate teams as needed. [6:16] In 2022, SOCAR Türkiye shifted from a compliance-oriented approach to an integrated, strategy-driven system. [6:29] SOCAR Türkiye does international business. It is highly dependent on international trade regulations, especially trade sanction regulations. Being compliant is not sufficient for SOCAR Türkiye. Sadig says sanction regulations are very dynamic, and you should be adaptive to them. [6:57] Sadig says adaptation should be risk-based. At that time, SOCAR Türkiye started to implement risk-based compliance studies and approaches to make healthier decisions. They understood that it was the right decision. [7:21] SOCAR Türkiye has a modular ERM framework that spans Scenario Analysis, Risk and Control Self-Assessments (RCSAs), Regulatory Attestation Cycles, the ISO 22301, and the Resilience Maturity Model. [7:42] Justin asks how Sadig keeps them cohesive and digestible so that his leaders in SOCAR know that ERM is enabling decision-making. Sadig says it's not easy. They all met the needs that came up. [8:14] The risk leader needs to understand the context of the company. Being very close to the first line, Sadig does not believe there is value in going to the C-Suite and asking what they expect of risk management. They have no idea. [8:33] Sadig says it's more important to have a smooth discussion with them. At that point, the skill of the risk manager comes in to understand the context there and find out what would work best for this need. By that, you are supporting the company's decision-making. [9:05] Sadig is a boxer. He keeps telling his team that risk management shouldn't be very friendly. Conversations shouldn't be easy or enjoyable. Discussions should be disruptive. Sadig risk is the department asking, if zombies are coming and invading our vault, what will happen? [9:47] Risk leaders are the ones at the table to trigger those discussions and have the tough conversations. At that time, a leader's personality and personal brand are important. Managers should understand you are not doing it just to disrupt. [10:08] You are doing it for the company's sake, to make the decision-makers consider all the aspects, risks, threats, and opportunities. [10:43] SOCAR Türkiye faced significant external shocks in the last couple of years: security incidents, sanctions, and energy price volatility that pressure tested the ERM Program, but the company demonstrated resilience. [11:11] Each of these incidents had its own dynamics that made the ERM Program learn or find a way to adapt. [11:29] Turkey is a country with a very diverse range of uncertainties: political, economic, and geographical. The oil and gas sector is under pressure from international regulations, the climate, and more. There are so many issues going around. [11:51] Facing real-time instances can be disruptive and impactful on daily business. The most important thing is the ability to adapt. It's the top management's job to adapt. Risk management is about the future. If something happens, risk management is there to support. [12:23] Quick Break! RISKWORLD 2026 will be held from May 3rd through the 6th in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. RISKWORLD attracts more than 10,000 risk professionals from across the globe. It's time to Connect, Cultivate, and Collaborate wth them. Booth sales are open now! [12:45] Registration is open for RIMS members now, as well. General registration and speaker registration will open on December 3rd. [12:53] Links are in this episode's show notes, and this year, when you purchase one Full-Conference Pass by December 2nd, you can add a second Full-Conference Pass at 50% off, through December 31st. [13:07] When an eligible member selects a Full-Conference Pass while registering online, a Promo Code will be generated on the Review step of the registration form. [13:05] This code will also be included in the Confirmation Email. It may be shared with a second eligible member from the same company or same email domain, and receive that 50% discount. Bring a colleague for 50% off. This is available to organizational and individual RIMS members. [13:32] Links are in this episode's show notes. [13:35] Let's Return to My Interview with 2025 RIMS ERM Global Award of Distinction Winner Sadig Hajiyev! [13:46] Justin speaks of SOCAR Türkiye's impressive innovations, dynamic risk appetite metrics tied to EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation, and Amortization), an AI Geopolitical Scenario Engine, and a Resilience Scorecard linked to Capital Allocation. [14:10] Justin says he thinks all of this helped drive SOCAR Türkiye's nomination to the winning category. Justin asks which one brought the biggest measurable impact. [14:20] For the biggest financial result, Sadig says it was the assumption studies SOCAR Türkiye implemented to its financial projection. Sadig believes risk managers look at a range of values. [14:50] Sadig says, like quantum physics, it's not one or zero. It can be one or zero in different contexts and times. The assumption studies proved that, in context, for a set point of time, a long-term financial projection is useless. Sadig focuses on short-term targets and planning. [15:21] Sadig says short-term planning is annual to less than five years. Sadig believes the assumption studies had a measurable financial impact. [15:34] Justin notes that SOCAR Türkiye's Maturity jumped from a Level 3 Repeatable Program to a Level 5 Leading Practice in just a few years, supported by the RIMS Risk Maturity Model and internal surveys. [15:53] Justin asks what cultural or leadership behaviors Sadig believes were essential to achieving that Level 5 performance. Sadig says it is prioritization. They have a well-developed metric to model, mostly inspired by the RIMS Maturity Model, with tailored components added. [16:29] Sadig says SOCAR Türkiye conducts a biannual Maturity Survey with its target audience, the risk champions, decision-makers, and C-Suite. [16:41] The SOCAR Türkiye ERM Program defined its Maturity Model with the participation of an external auditor. They were missing the implementation of the GRC Platform, the digitalization of the whole system, strategy embedding, and risk-based budgeting. [17:04] The ERM Program prepared a roadmap to link up with the GRC Platform, implemented the roadmap, and defined the latest state as a fixed level. [17:27] Having achieved the top tier, the ERM Program is still chasing new things to do. Now, they are focusing first on incident management and second on captives. [17:46] For incidents, it's easy to collect information based on the declaration, but Sadig is dreaming about eliminating the human factor from incident recording to have a very objective and transparent information base. [18:03] The ERM Program has already worked on it to link the incident information to the risk assessment. This can automate the risk assessment based on the incident results or impacts. [18:18] The next step is finding how to monetize the maturity level of risk management. This idea brought SOCAR Türkiye to implement captives. [18:37] SOCAR Türkiye has a tremendous amount of budget allocated to insurance. They can rely on, to a certain threshold, the ability to manage risks in a controlled environment, in the effort to optimize their insurance program and budget. Captives are the future. [19:07] Justin comments that the RIMS 2025 Risk Manager of the Year is the Captive Manager for her organization, Hyatt. The trend is that a lot of people are going toward captives to self-insure. It can be a revenue generator. [19:27] Sadig adds that the move to captives is not just to put risk management in more of a position of strategy or as a budget supporter. It's because of the risk environment. There are new risks emerging and evolving. [19:46] Sadig believes these new risks will be uninsurable in the near future because of AI and new cyber risks. The insurance sector is not able to adapt quickly enough to create a pool to insure the risk all around the world. The responsibility will stay with companies and captives. [20:31] Sadig's final words on the value of ERM: Risk managers in the company are the only people who take the future in a systematic way. The future is always important, never urgent, but when it comes, it's already here. [20:49] The board and the C-Suite rely on risk managers to be able to have better insight before the future comes. [21:03] Justin says teşekkürler (thanks)! It's been a real pleasure to meet you, and congratulations again! [21:11] Special thanks again to Sadig Hajiyev for joining us here on RIMScast. This episode was produced live on-site at the RIMS ERM Conference in Seattle. Our coverage of the RIMS ERM Conference will continue in the next installment of RIMScast with two interviews in one episode! [21:28] Be sure to visit the RIMS LinkedIn page for all sorts of photos, videos, and coverage of this fantastic event! We had a great time, and we look forward to seeing you next year in Washington, D.C., for the RIMS ERM Conference 2026. [21:44] Plug Time! You can sponsor a RIMScast episode for this, our weekly show, or a dedicated episode. Links to sponsored episodes are in the show notes. [22:13] RIMScast has a global audience of risk and insurance professionals, legal professionals, students, business leaders, C-Suite executives, and more. Let's collaborate and help you reach them! Contact pd@rims.org for more information. [22:31] Become a RIMS member and get access to the tools, thought leadership, and network you need to succeed. Visit RIMS.org/membership or email membershipdept@RIMS.org for more information. [22:48] Risk Knowledge is the RIMS searchable content library that provides relevant information for today's risk professionals. Materials include RIMS executive reports, survey findings, contributed articles, industry research, benchmarking data, and more. [23:05] For the best reporting on the profession of risk management, read Risk Management Magazine at RMMagazine.com. It is written and published by the best minds in risk management. [23:19] Justin Smulison is the Business Content Manager at RIMS. Please remember to subscribe to RIMScast on your favorite podcasting app. You can email us at Content@RIMS.org. [23:31] Practice good risk management, stay safe, and thank you again for your continuous support!   Links: RIMS-CRO Certificate Program In Advanced Enterprise Risk Management | Jan‒March 2026 Cohort | Led by James Lam RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy | RIMS Legislative Summit SAVE THE DATE — March 18‒19, 2026 RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISKWORLD 2026 Registration — Open for Members! Reserve your booth at RISKWORLD 2026! The Strategic and Enterprise Risk Center RIMS Diversity Equity Inclusion Council RIMS Risk Management magazine | Contribute RIMS ERM Special Edition 2025 RIMS Now SOCAR Türkiye Upcoming RIMS Webinars: RIMS.org/Webinars   Upcoming RIMS-CRMP Prep Virtual Workshops: RIMS-CRMP-FED Exam Prep with AFERM Virtual Workshop — December 3‒4 RIMS-CRMP Exam Prep with PARIMA — December 4‒5, 2025 Full RIMS-CRMP Prep Course Schedule "Leveraging Data and Analytics for Continuous Risk Management (Part I)" | Dec 4. See the full calendar of RIMS Virtual Workshops RIMS-CRMP Prep Workshops   Related RIMScast Episodes: "Risk Rotation with Lori Flaherty and Bill Coller of Paychex" "Energizing ERM with Kellee Ann Richards-St. Clair" "AI and the Future of Risk with Dan Chuparkoff" (RIMS ERM Conference Keynote) "Talking ERM: From Geopolitical Whiplash to Leadership Buy-In" with Chrystina Howard of Hub "Shawn Punancy of Delta Flies High With ERM" "Tom Brandt on Growing Your Career and Organization with ERM" "James Lam on ERM, Strategy, and the Modern CRO" "Risk Quantification Through Value-Based Frameworks"   Sponsored RIMScast Episodes: "Secondary Perils, Major Risks: The New Face of Weather-Related Challenges" | Sponsored by AXA XL (New!) "The ART of Risk: Rethinking Risk Through Insight, Design, and Innovation" | Sponsored by Alliant "Mastering ERM: Leveraging Internal and External Risk Factors" | Sponsored by Diligent "Cyberrisk: Preparing Beyond 2025" | Sponsored by Alliant "The New Reality of Risk Engineering: From Code Compliance to Resilience" | Sponsored by AXA XL "Change Management: AI's Role in Loss Control and Property Insurance" | Sponsored by Global Risk Consultants, a TÜV SÜD Company "Demystifying Multinational Fronting Insurance Programs" | Sponsored by Zurich "Understanding Third-Party Litigation Funding" | Sponsored by Zurich "What Risk Managers Can Learn From School Shootings" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Simplifying the Challenges of OSHA Recordkeeping" | Sponsored by Medcor "How Insurance Builds Resilience Against An Active Assailant Attack" | Sponsored by Merrill Herzog "Third-Party and Cyber Risk Management Tips" | Sponsored by Alliant   RIMS Publications, Content, and Links: RIMS Membership — Whether you are a new member or need to transition, be a part of the global risk management community! RIMS Virtual Workshops On-Demand Webinars RIMS-Certified Risk Management Professional (RIMS-CRMP) RISK PAC | RIMS Advocacy RIMS Strategic & Enterprise Risk Center RIMS-CRMP Stories — Featuring RIMS President Kristen Peed!   RIMS Events, Education, and Services: RIMS Risk Maturity Model®   Sponsor RIMScast: Contact sales@rims.org or pd@rims.org for more information.   Want to Learn More? Keep up with the podcast on RIMS.org, and listen on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.   Have a question or suggestion? Email: Content@rims.org.   Join the Conversation! Follow @RIMSorg on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.   About our guest: Sadig Hajiyev, Risk & Compliance Group Director, SOCAR Türkiye   Production and engineering provided by Podfly.  

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded November 16th, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Slavery has been a ubiquitous practice throughout much of world history–and the Muslim world was no exception. Slave soldiers, concubines, and eunuchs can be found throughout Muslim writings—which, as Justin Marozzi points out in his book Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World (Pegasus Books, 2025), ends up giving us a selective and narrow view of who slaves were, and what they did. Justin tries to dive into this history–sometimes very patchy history–to figure out the full extent of slavery in the Muslim world, from the very start of Muslim society, through the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary Pirates, to abolition and the final decision by Mauritania to abolish slavery in 1981. Justin Marozzi is a former Financial Times and Economist foreign correspondent. He is also the author of several books, including Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood (Allen Lane: 2014) and Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped the Modern World (Pegasus Books: 2020). You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Captives and Companions. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Slavery has been a ubiquitous practice throughout much of world history–and the Muslim world was no exception. Slave soldiers, concubines, and eunuchs can be found throughout Muslim writings—which, as Justin Marozzi points out in his book Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World (Pegasus Books, 2025), ends up giving us a selective and narrow view of who slaves were, and what they did. Justin tries to dive into this history–sometimes very patchy history–to figure out the full extent of slavery in the Muslim world, from the very start of Muslim society, through the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary Pirates, to abolition and the final decision by Mauritania to abolish slavery in 1981. Justin Marozzi is a former Financial Times and Economist foreign correspondent. He is also the author of several books, including Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood (Allen Lane: 2014) and Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped the Modern World (Pegasus Books: 2020). You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Captives and Companions. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Slavery has been a ubiquitous practice throughout much of world history–and the Muslim world was no exception. Slave soldiers, concubines, and eunuchs can be found throughout Muslim writings—which, as Justin Marozzi points out in his book Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World (Pegasus Books, 2025), ends up giving us a selective and narrow view of who slaves were, and what they did. Justin tries to dive into this history–sometimes very patchy history–to figure out the full extent of slavery in the Muslim world, from the very start of Muslim society, through the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary Pirates, to abolition and the final decision by Mauritania to abolish slavery in 1981. Justin Marozzi is a former Financial Times and Economist foreign correspondent. He is also the author of several books, including Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood (Allen Lane: 2014) and Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped the Modern World (Pegasus Books: 2020). You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Captives and Companions. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Slavery has been a ubiquitous practice throughout much of world history–and the Muslim world was no exception. Slave soldiers, concubines, and eunuchs can be found throughout Muslim writings—which, as Justin Marozzi points out in his book Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World (Pegasus Books, 2025), ends up giving us a selective and narrow view of who slaves were, and what they did. Justin tries to dive into this history–sometimes very patchy history–to figure out the full extent of slavery in the Muslim world, from the very start of Muslim society, through the Ottoman Empire and the Barbary Pirates, to abolition and the final decision by Mauritania to abolish slavery in 1981. Justin Marozzi is a former Financial Times and Economist foreign correspondent. He is also the author of several books, including Baghdad: City of Peace, City of Blood (Allen Lane: 2014) and Islamic Empires: The Cities that Shaped the Modern World (Pegasus Books: 2020). You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of Captives and Companions. Follow on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

What Jesus did on the cross is the key to setting you free from captivity to sin.

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded November 9th, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Series: The Gospel of Mark Speaker: Drew Zuehlke Hope Community Church - Columbia Heights Discussion Guide For more resources or to learn more about Hope Heights, visit hopecc.com/heights.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded November 2nd, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Pastor Nicoletti discusses “Rules for Captives,” again from Deuteronomy 21:10-14.

first one was taken down.

We finish up this insane book. The last part is wild and hilarious.

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way Sermon recorded October 26th, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Pastor Nicoletti returns to Deuteronomy to talk about “The Bible’s Vision for Human Sexuality” from Deuteronomy 21:10-14.

It was an historic day in Israel, a day of euphoria and celebration, that these Christian friends got to experience in person. All the living hostages were released by Hamas and returned to Israel from which they were kidnapped two years ago. The bodies of 28 remaining hostages, most of whom were killed in captivity, are starting to be released. But Hamas is still standing, threatening Israelis and Gazans. 2000 terrorists are being released, 250 of whom are serving one to as many as dozens of life sentences. The victims and family members of these terrorists are scarred. Israelis know that 82% of previous terrorists released have gone back to terror. At the same time, President Trump arrived in Israel and pledged his support and optimism for Israel's future and the region on the whole. Live this experience through their eyes and ears. PLEASE DONATE TO THE GENESIS 123 FOUNDATION ISRAEL EMERGENCY FUND AT WWW.GENESIS123.CO To join us making special events like this possible, please give generously at https://genesis123foundation.revv.co/soldierssocialwelfareGet information about how you can join FOOTSTEPS at https://genesis123.co/footsteps/For information about and how to register for Root & Branch, please go to www.RootandBranchIsrael.comConnect with the Genesis 123 Foundation at www.Genesis123.co and learn how you can host Shabbat in your community.FB - www.facebook.com/Genesis123Foundation Twitter - @Genesis123FIG - Genesis_123_FoundationFind out how you can be part of Run for Zion and bless Israel with every step at www.RunforZion.com.

We continue our ride to crazy town and learn how to get rid of demons and more demon sex.

Your daily news in under three minutes. At Al Jazeera Podcasts, we want to hear from you, our listeners. So, please head to https://www.aljazeera.com/survey and tell us your thoughts about this show and other Al Jazeera podcasts. It only takes a few minutes! Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

✅ Speak Better English With Me https://brentspeak.as.me/ Use code Fall15 for 15% off.

OHHHHH boy, welcome to spooky season with our yearly satanic panic reading series. This year we go through Dr Rebecca Brown - He Came To Set The Captives Free which is FULL of monster fucking.

Headlines for October 14, 2025; “Recognize Palestine”: Israeli Knesset Member Ofer Cassif on Protesting Trump, Netanyahu Speeches; Free Dr. Abu Safiya: Calls Grow for Israel to Release Imprisoned Gaza Healthcare Workers; Will Gaza Ceasefire Last? Trump’s Plan “Short on Details” Beyond Release of Captives; Juan González on Chicago’s Grassroots Movement to Protect Immigrants from ICE

Headlines for October 14, 2025; “Recognize Palestine”: Israeli Knesset Member Ofer Cassif on Protesting Trump, Netanyahu Speeches; Free Dr. Abu Safiya: Calls Grow for Israel to Release Imprisoned Gaza Healthcare Workers; Will Gaza Ceasefire Last? Trump’s Plan “Short on Details” Beyond Release of Captives; Juan González on Chicago’s Grassroots Movement to Protect Immigrants from ICE

It’s a deal that was long awaited, but will it bring peace? The exchange of Palestinians and Israelis marked the strongest sign yet that a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas is holding. With world leaders at a summit in Egypt’s Sharm el-Sheikh on Monday, the stakes are high – and the path ahead is still uncertain. The Take is nominated for the Signal Awards in the Best Daily Podcast category. While we wait for the judges' decisions, you can help us win the listeners' vote. Vote for The Take for Best Daily Podcast. In this episode: Haggai Matar (@Ha_Matar), +972 Executive Director Episode credits: This episode was produced by Marcos Bartolomé and Haleema Shah, with Amy Walters, Tamara Khandaker, Fatima Shafiq, Farhan Rafid, and our guest host, Kevin Hirten. It was edited by Alexandra Locke. Our sound designer is Alex Roldan. Our video editors are Hisham Abu Salah and Mohannad Al-Melhem. Alexandra Locke is the Take’s executive producer. Ney Alvarez is Al Jazeera’s head of audio. Connect with us: @AJEPodcasts on X, Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube

"The biggest shift was the consolidation that happened with the insurance carriers themselves. From 25 or more carriers to just four national carriers." - John RutledgeHow did health insurance get so broken? My guest this week, 40-year industry veteran John Rutledge of Marsh McLennan Agency, joins the show to walk us through the last 40 years of decisions that led us to the consolidated, expensive, and frustrating market we have today.John explains how the market went from over 25 competing carriers to just four national players. We discuss how the rise of carrier-owned PPOs squeezed out competition, and how the ACA later standardized coverage, locking employers into the "Buca box" with painfully limited options.But this isn't just a history lesson. We also discuss the solution that has emerged from the ashes of the old system: the explosion of self-funding and alternative risk models like captives that empower employers to finally break free.Tune in for a masterclass on how health insurance was broken, and more importantly, how we can start to fix it.Chapters:(00:00:00) How Health Insurance Was Broken Over The Last 40 Years (00:05:01) Why Self-Funding Has Exploded Since the ACA (00:09:58) How We Went From 25+ Carriers to Just 4 (00:12:56) The "Buca Box": Trapped with No Options (00:31:04) The Rise of Captives as an Alternative (00:40:31) Why Engaged Employers Win in a Captive (01:00:56) A Call to Action for Employers & AdvisorsKey Links for Social:@SelfFunded on YouTube for video versions of the podcast and much more - https://www.youtube.com/@SelfFundedListen/watch on Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/1TjmrMrkIj0qSmlwAIevKA?si=068a389925474f02Listen on Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/self-funded-with-spencer/id1566182286Follow Spencer on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/spencer-smith-self-funded/Follow Spencer on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/selffundedwithspencer/

Clement Manyathela speaks with the listeners about the Palestinian captives that Israel released and the ongoing Parliamentary ad hoc committee that is investigating allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The Clement Manyathela Show is broadcast on 702, a Johannesburg based talk radio station, weekdays from 09:00 to 12:00 (SA Time). Clement Manyathela starts his show each weekday on 702 at 9 am taking your calls and voice notes on his Open Line. In the second hour of his show, he unpacks, explains, and makes sense of the news of the day. Clement has several features in his third hour from 11 am that provide you with information to help and guide you through your daily life. As your morning friend, he tackles the serious as well as the light-hearted, on your behalf. Thank you for listening to a podcast from The Clement Manyathela Show. Listen live on Primedia+ weekdays from 09:00 and 12:00 (SA Time) to The Clement Manyathela Show broadcast on 702 https://buff.ly/gk3y0Kj For more from the show go to https://buff.ly/XijPLtJ or find all the catch-up podcasts here https://buff.ly/p0gWuPE Subscribe to the 702 Daily and Weekly Newsletters https://buff.ly/v5mfetc Follow us on social media: 702 on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TalkRadio702 702 on TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@talkradio702 702 on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/talkradio702/ 702 on X: https://x.com/Radio702 702 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@radio702 See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded October 12th, 2025 Dax Gibson Pastor of Life Groups, Outreach, & Newcomers Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

In this episode, the Mayor sits down with industry veteran Jeff Kleid  a 30-year insurance innovator, MGA, and carrier leader  to talk about the business of hard-to-place risks, the truth about captives, and how brokers can turn complex accounts into profitable opportunities.From selling insurance on the internet in the ‘90s to building niche programs for cannabis, film, and trucking, Jeff shares real-world lessons about taking chances, trusting data, and transforming the way independent agents think about risk.In this episode, we discuss:The evolution from retail broker to MGA and carrierWhy most agents misunderstand captives (and how to use them right)Building programs for high-risk industries like towing and hempHow to niche down without boxing yourself inThe role of AI in underwriting and program innovationKey Takeaways:Don't fear the hard-to-place — that's where opportunity lives.Captives aren't restrictive; they empower growth and control.Niche success is built on relationships and risk awareness.AI is a tool, not a replacement — human insight still wins the day.Connect with Jeff Kleid:LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jeffkleidEmail: jdkleid@eliterisk.comWebsite: eliterisk.comSpecial Thanks to Our Sponsors:

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded October 5th, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

Justin Marozzi is a historian and journalist who has spent most of his professional life living and working in the Muslim world. His latest book is Captives and Companions: A History of Slavery and the Slave Trade in the Islamic World. In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Justin Marozzi discuss different conceptions of slavery and manumission globally, what we can learn from enslaved people's stories, and modern slavery. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: leonora.barclay@persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland and Leonora Barclay. Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google X: @Yascha_Mounk & @JoinPersuasion YouTube: Yascha Mounk, Persuasion LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Exodus: Setting Captives Free In captivity, in bondage, God makes a way   Sermon recorded September 28th, 2025 Caleb Click Lead Pastor Oak Mountain Presbyterian Church Birmingham, AL

The expeditions had begun. Quraysh's caravans - loaded with the wealth stripped from the Muslims in Makkah - became the new target. The first expeditions passed without major confrontation, but each one edged closer to the inevitable clash. Then came Nakhlah. A sealed letter. A mission meant only to observe. Twelve men who suddenly found themselves standing at a crossroads: strike the caravan now and risk spilling blood in the sacred month, or let it pass and lose the chance forever. One arrow was loosed. A man fell. Captives were taken. The first spoils of war were in Muslim hands. What followed shook everything. Accusations, anger, and uncertainty filled Madinah. Even the Muslims themselves were unsure of what had just happened - until revelation from Allah ﷻ descended, clarifying the truth and turning the tide. In this episode, Ustadh Abdulrahman Hassan explores: - The Prophet's ﷺ earliest expeditions and why only the Muhajirun participated in them. - The Nakhlah raid and its far-reaching consequences. - A tender moment that gave ‘Ali رضي الله عنه the name Abu Turab, and a chilling prophecy about his fate. - Lessons from deviation, and why the chains of scholarship protect the Ummah. A single decision at Nakhlah pushed the Muslims closer to what Quraysh had long feared: open battle. Sign up now to AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Academy: https://www.amauacademy.com/ AMAU Junior: https://amaujunior.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/amauofficial/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/AMAU Telegram: https://t.me/amauofficial YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/AMAUofficial Twitter: https://twitter.com/AMAUofficial iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/al-madrasatu-al-umariyyah/id1524526782 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/08NJC1pIA0maaF6aKqZL4N Get in Touch: https://amau.org/getintouch BarakAllahu feekum. #AMAU #seerah #prophetmuhammad #islamiclectures #islamicknowledge