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⁠Noella Williams⁠ is a Brooklyn-based freelance culture writer whose writing has appeared in Marie Claire, Teen Vogue, the Washington Post, Vox and elsewhere. Noella's reporting ranges from Black culture to queer identity to intersectional veganism, internet culture, and more. She describes herself as a "journalist, vegan foodie, pokemon trainer, dj, and abolitionist." One of her most recent pieces, for Vox, was "⁠I'm a Black vegan. Why don't you see more of us?⁠" In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the most important questions: “what's real?”, “who matters?” and "how can we make a better world?" Sentientism answers those questions with "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. 00:00 Clips! 00:57 Welcome - ⁠Noella's Vox article⁠ - ⁠Marina Bolotnikova episode⁠ - ⁠Sentientism merch & mug⁠ :) 03:40 Noella's Intro - Florida to New York - 5 year vegan "a big part of my life... a huge lifestyle change... how veganism has changed me... also been reflected in my writing" - Writing on Black / Queer culture, music, politics, food, home & lifestyle, video games, veganism "whatever interests me" - Birdwatching and catching Pokemon :) 06:10 What's Real? - Growing up in the Florida Bible Belt - Black Baptist Church on Sundays and Wednesdays - Christian school from kindergarten to 8th grade - "Huge involvement in church... school... choir... everything had it's basis in Christianity" - Both parents religious "they're both Caribbeans" - "I am not religious any more" - Agnostic since a year after graduating high school "that also coincided with me going vegan and realising I was queer" - Christianity: "It was what I knew and breathed and slept with... that was everything I knew as a kid" - "I started questioning things more at high school... perhaps middle school" - Being asked to sign a very strict pledge at school: "No secular music... drugs... alcohol... this is kind of wild" - "The misogyny in biblical texts was on my mind a lot... religious figures like a pastor... use the bible as a text to justify... a wife submitting to a husband" - "The homophobia eventually came along... a lot of biblical stuff is very 'man and woman'" - "Things were written by different prophets and... I can't generalise the Bible as a whole but... there's a little bit of irony here... how different these things being said are..." - "Maybe this isn't something I should use to guide my life let alone my moral compass" - "My father has a rule that... as long as I was in his house I have to go to church Wednesdays/Sundays" 24:00 What Matters? 31:40 Who Matters? 50:49 A Better Future? 01:18:05 Follow Noella - ⁠NoellaWilliams.com⁠ - ⁠Noella's Vox Article⁠ - ⁠Noella's Links on Campsite⁠ - ⁠@yonoella⁠ - ⁠Noella on Insta⁠ And more... full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠"I'm a Sentientist" wall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ via ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠this simple form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Everyone, Sentientist or not, is welcome in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠groups⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The biggest so far is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here on FaceBook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Come join us there!

Prayer defines Christianity (It's the clear identification mark of a saved life) By: Pastor George Lehman   “True prayer is a way of life, not just for use in cases of emergency. Make it a habit, and when the need arises you will be in practice”  - Billy Graham   Two boys were on their way back from Sunday School, talking about prayer they had learned.  One boy said, “I'm not sure my mommy prays”.  The other said, “My mom prays every night, because when she puts me to bed, I hear her say ‘thank you Lord”. When saying his prayers one night, a little boy was heard to say, “Please God, make Paris the capital of Turkey”.  After repeating it several times, his mother asked why it was so important to him?  He said, “Because that's what I wrote in my Geography exam”.   “There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual conversation with God.”                                                                      - Brother Lawrence 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (Amp) - Be unceasing in prayer The reason why we need to be unceasing in prayer is: Prayer has infinite power.  And for this reason Satan tries everything to prevent us from praying.  He knows that we are not a real danger when we work and accomplish a great deal – even if it is for the Kingdom of God.  But when we pray much, we invade Satan's dominion and rob him of his captives.  There is nothing Satan dreads so much as our prayers. “Prayer is a shield to the soul, a sacrifice to God, and an affliction for Satan.”  - Bunyan   “Need we wonder at the lack of power in our prayer when there is such reluctance to make the needful sacrifice in waiting upon God?”   - Andrew Murray James 5:16b (Amp) - The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].   2 Corinthians 5:21 (Amp) – For our sake He made Christ [virtually] to be sin Who knew no sin, so that in and through Him we might become [endued with, viewed as being in, and examples of] the righteousness of God [what we ought to be, approved and acceptable and in right relationship with Him, by His goodness]. Prayer is a matchless opportunity, for through prayer we can change everything - ourselves, problems, circumstance and people. Prayer can go where we can't! What an unspeakable grace to be allowed to deal with God in prayer for the blessing and supply of the needs of others.  It is indeed worth living for to know that God will use me as an Intercessor. Out of compassion in action flow these 3 functions of intercession: The action of intervening on behalf of another. Matthew 9:36 – When Jesus saw the crowds, He was moved with compassion. #1  Intercession is serving. It's making oneself available. Jesus our chief intercessor said: Mark 10:44-45 (Amp) - 44And whoever wants to be first must be slave of all.  45For even the Son of man did not come to be served, but to serve, and give His life as a ransom for many.   Serve [Greek] in Mark 10:45 is ‘doulos' meaning “in bondage by choice”. You cannot pray effectively for others if you don't have the servant heart of Jesus Christ. Prayer is striking the winning blow.  Service is gathering up the results. When last did you choose to place yourself in bondage to stand in the gap for others? #2 Intercession is fighting. It's being involved in battle. Ephesians 6:18 (Amp) - Pray at all times (on every occasion, in every season) in the Spirit with all (manner of) prayer and entreaty.  To that end keep alert and watch with strong purpose and perseverance, interceding in behalf of all the saints (God's consecrated people). Dr. Luke the disciple describes the intensity of Jesus' battle in prayer: Luke 22:44 (Amp) - And being in agony*, He prayed all the more earnestly and intently, and His sweat became like great clots of blood dropping down upon the ground. *Agony [Greek]:  A place of contest; a battlefield. When we intercede for others we are engaging in battle on their behalf.  Interestingly, their victory brings blessing to us too! Job 42:10 (Amp) – And the Lord turned the captivity of Job and restored his fortunes, when he prayed for his friends; also, the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before. What a greater joy is it not to see God change the circumstances of someone whom you have been praying for!! The enemy is running wild because we are not interceding for those in need.   #3 Intercession is weeping. It's brokenness before God.  Psalm 126:5 “They who sow in tears shall reap in joy and singing. “Tears are water to spiritual seeds we plant in prayer”. The result will be a bountiful harvest from our brokenness. When last did you pray for someone that you shed tears for them? Child of God, God counts on you to take your place before His throne as an INTERCESSOR. Let us ARISE and be conscious of our Holy calling. Take our place and commit to be a prayer warrior for God's Kingdom. In closing: It is not just saying prayers that gets the results BUT it is spending time with father God: - Learning His wisdom; - Drawing on His strength; - Being filled with His anointing; - And living in His love that brings results to our prayers.

“He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities” - This a beautiful, cornerstone verse of Christianity – It paints a portrait of God's mercy – He doesn't give us the punishment that we deserve for our sins, He doesn't give us the payment we deserve for our iniquities. Ephesians 2:4 says that God is rich in mercy. God shows how merciful He is by saving anyone at all from their sins, because none of us deserve to be saved. John MacArthur wrote, "Is God unfair in not choosing to save everyone? 'Fair' would send everyone to hell. You don't want fair, you want mercy." The cross of Jesus Christ is all about God's mercy. It answers one of the ultimate questions of faith – How can a holy God be reconciled to unholy people – to sinners like you and me? At the cross, we see a God of justice – punishing sin – and we see a God of mercy – pouring out the punishment for eons of sin not on the sinners themselves – but on His Son. When we look at the cross we see Jesus bearing the sentence, bearing the weight of the punishment that sinners like you and I deserve.

Welcome to The Master's Voice End Times Prophecy Blog: (Hear the words of the Lord). https://the-masters-voice.com Today's word: Prophecy of how America made her enemies. No war starts suddenly, no matter how it may seem. First comes disagreements, then tensions, then conflict, then ENEMIES. Brief recap of the USA's fighting style and how other nations perceive her, and why none of this will be good for her in the years ahead. "Many nations have not forgotten" is the general tone of this prophetic word. How can we prepare for these things? By coming to God closer as FRIENDS FIRST, to love Him and learn how to be part of His eternal family. If you aren't born again yet, find out more. Visit this page of my blog to learn about Christianity- (It's not what you think!): https://the-masters-voice.com/basics/ The full prophecy in this video can be found here: https://the-masters-voice.com/2019/08/17/war-august-17-2019/ HEAR THE WORDS OF THE LORD. Follow this channel for updates. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: If you'd like to support this ministry it's appreciated. Kindly use Paypal or contact me at mastersvoice@mail.com. If using Paypal send gift ONLY as 'Friends & Family' not 'Goods and Services'. This is a freewill offering, I am not a seller. Thank you and God bless. Paypal ------- mastersvoice@mail.com SUPPORT & SUBSCRIBE TO MY OTHER CHANNELS: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@themastersvoiceprophecyblog YOUTUBE (Spanish channel: "La Voz del Señor"): https://youtube.com/channel/UCeLTWSGwNTVMdXQV6oryQXg RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/themastersvoice BRIGHTEON: https://brighteon.com/channels/themastersvoice BITCHUTE: https://bitchute.com/channel/themastersvoice

Welcome to The Master's Voice End Times Prophecy Blog: (Hear the words of the Lord). https://the-masters-voice.com Today's word: Prophecy of secret conspirators in America. What is "the unseen hand"? It's usually a term used in market economics to (poorly) explain why markets move the way they do, but in these videos it means 'a hand controlling why America moves the way she does'. People with no love for the nation working behind the scenes to weaken it, pull it down, and hand it over to war. Also exhortation about salvation and why the Lord leaves the choice to us- discussion of morality, right and wrong vs good and evil. God can't choose eternal life for you, each one must choose for himself. After your choice in life comes God's choice "after life", so know that "fair is fair." Thanks for watching! Visit this page of my blog to learn about Christianity- (It's not what you think!): https://the-masters-voice.com/basics/ The full prophecy in this video can be found here: https://the-masters-voice.com/2019/10/27/assignation-october-25-2019/ HEAR THE WORDS OF THE LORD. Follow this channel for updates. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: If you'd like to support this ministry it's appreciated. Kindly use Paypal or contact me at mastersvoice@mail.com. If using Paypal send gift ONLY as 'Friends & Family' not 'Goods and Services'. This is a freewill offering, I am not a seller. Thank you and God bless. Paypal ------- mastersvoice@mail.com SUPPORT & SUBSCRIBE TO MY OTHER CHANNELS: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@themastersvoiceprophecyblog YOUTUBE (Spanish channel: "La Voz del Señor"): https://youtube.com/channel/UCeLTWSGwNTVMdXQV6oryQXg RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/themastersvoice BRIGHTEON: https://brighteon.com/channels/themastersvoice BITCHUTE: https://bitchute.com/channel/themastersvoice

Welcome to The Master's Voice End Times Prophecy Blog: (Hear the words of the Lord). https://the-masters-voice.com Today's word: Prophecy of an unseen hand working to collapse America. Who are they? People, societies and organizations hidden in darkness- even their public faces aren't really who they seem. Dream showing how women of power (and connected to power) are actively plotting to take the USA down; vision of how rampant sin has become in America. How does a great nation fall? By sedition, by evil workers who make careful plans to destroy her. The USA will be squeezed by inside and outside forces until she is too weak to fight her enemies. No war starts suddenly- no matter how it may seem- therefore let us pray earnestly about these things. God is waiting to hear our voices raised in repentance and intercession now. Visit this page of my blog to learn about Christianity- (It's not what you think!): https://the-masters-voice.com/basics/ The full prophecy in this video can be found here: https://the-masters-voice.com/2020/09/02/sedition-the-fall-july-30-2020/ HEAR THE WORDS OF THE LORD. Follow this channel for updates. PLEASE READ CAREFULLY: If you'd like to support this ministry it's appreciated. Kindly use Paypal or contact me at mastersvoice@mail.com. If using Paypal send gift ONLY as 'Friends & Family' not 'Goods and Services'. This is a freewill offering, I am not a seller. Thank you and God bless. Paypal ------- mastersvoice@mail.com SUPPORT & SUBSCRIBE TO MY OTHER CHANNELS: YOUTUBE: https://youtube.com/@themastersvoiceprophecyblog YOUTUBE (Spanish channel: "La Voz del Señor"): https://youtube.com/channel/UCeLTWSGwNTVMdXQV6oryQXg RUMBLE: https://rumble.com/c/themastersvoice BRIGHTEON: https://brighteon.com/channels/themastersvoice BITCHUTE: https://bitchute.com/channel/themastersvoice

Erin is the Deputy Director of Investigations at Animal Outlook, a national animal-advocacy nonprofit organisation. Erin was an undercover investigator for two years. She left the field after her last investigation at the Dick Van Dam Dairy in California, where she saw cruelty, abuse & suffering every day. Through her new position with Animal Outlook, Erin works closely with investigators, providing support & resources. In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the two most important questions: “what's real?” & “what matters?” Sentientism is "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is here on YouTube. We discuss: 00:00 Welcome 01:38 Erin's Intro - Undercover farm & fishery investigations & Animal Outlook 02:46 What's Real? - Growing up very religious... - Church every Sunday, Biblical moral standards - The Golden Rule "Do unto others..." - "There was a point in my life where I started to question... there always seemed to be some exclusions... some conditions" - "'Others' encompassed everyone... human, animals, children, everyone regardless of sexuality, background, identification..." - No longer Christian, now non-religious... "someone who just wants to make the world a better place for everyone in it" - "As I got older I started questioning things more" - Very religious mother "faith based" who still encouraged questions - Religious belief: "That's great for them... as long as no one is being hurt" - Questioning both the facts & ethics of Christianity - "It really came to a head for me... [I] managed to fall into almost every marginalised community" LGBTQ+, race... - "I fell into so many of those categories that potentially might be excluded from salvation" - The supernatural, luck, agnosticism? - "I never rule anything out" humility 18:25 What Matters? - [Golden Rule] "the way I would like the world to function" - "...my own trauma & hardship & suffering" - Compassion for it's own sake or because god commands? 23:30 Who Matters? - "I've always had this connection with animals" - As a child "I did not see a lot of kindness", often conditional compassion - With non-human animals: "There are no conditions to receive affection from them"... "Those were the purest connections I could make" - Making friends with a scary-sounding neighbourhood dog "I just felt a wet nose & breathing" - Saving a stray dog & drowning kittens - Watching an animal farming documentary at ~13-14 yrs old "I immediately felt horrified" - "I could feel that contradiction... why am I eating this?" ...and much more. Full show notes at Sentientism.info. Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at Sentientism.info. Join our "I'm a Sentientist" wall via this simple form. Everyone, Sentientist or not, is welcome in our groups. The biggest so far is here on FaceBook. Come join us there! Thanks Graham.

False teaching in Christianity It has been described as "a willful falling away from, or rebellion against, Christianity. ... Deceptions: Christians encountered various heresies and false teachings spread by false teachers and prophets that threatened to seduce them away from their pure devotion to Christ. As much as we want to live in the world where everybody is free to express themselves its not always the case when it comes to Christians. You have to be politically correct if you want your words to be accepted. In this podcast episode with Ann Livingston and David we went deep inside the technic of false teaching in Christianity. You can follow Anne on social media http://www.annelivingstoncoaching.com/annethenomad/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/phonchrist/message

Sermon Manuscript Our scripture text this morning is from Acts 13 and it's about Easter. If you are joining us for the first time this morning, we've been studying the book of Acts for the last few months. Acts comes right after the four books about Jesus life – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John. Acts is the history of what happens after Jesus is resurrected. In God's providence, this is our next passage. So rather than looking at one of the resurrection accounts of Jesus from Matthew, Mark, Luke or John, we'll focus on Acts. Next Easter we'll come back to one of them.The reason we've been studying Acts is because it's the history of the early church. And as a church plant, it's helped us as we've sought to establish ourselves as a faithful church.We've learned a few things so far: • First, God's call for His church – His word, prayer, worship, and fellowship – those are the things he's called his church to be about. And each of those should be Gospel centered. • Second, we've learned that the Gospel is the good news of salvation in Jesus – and it's for everyone. It doesn't matter who you are or where you are from – Salvation in Christ is an offer for all.• Third, Jesus, who is now ascended to heaven, works through His Spirit on earth – the Holy Spirit. That work is to establish his church to the ends of the earth.• Fourth, faithful churches are called to Gospel missions and ministry. Just a couple weeks ago, we saw how the church in Antioch was a model of a faithful church.There are other things in Acts, such as real persecution and amazing conversions. I hope that is helpful background.Well, here we are in Acts 13 … continuing our reading from verse 26 – page 1095Back in the Old Testament when the Scriptures were found – Ezra had the people stand for the reading of the Word – in Reverence of it. Because it is the Word of the living God. So, I invite you to stand for the reading of the sermon text.Acts 13:26-42INTRODUCTIONWould you imagine for a moment – living in Asia Minor – which is modern day Turkey. Imagine you lived in the days of Acts and you attended the local Jewish synagogue. You were faithful. Sought to live by God's law … you worked hard. You went to the weekly sabbath services. Every week, the law and the prophets from the Old Testament were read. But deep down you were unsettled. The Scriptures talked about salvation and a promised one…. But it had been hundreds of years since God spoke to his people – and this promised savior hadn't come. Had God forgotten his people?The more you heard the Scriptures… the greater the burden in your soul. What did it all mean? What was it pointing to? …and why hadn't God fulfilled these promises? Some days… the tears came… as you wrestled through the meaning of it all.Maybe you don't have to imagine the burden. Maybe you grew up in a church… but it's not really your thing anymore. Nonetheless something draws you to attend a church every Easter. Or maybe the burden and pain of the pandemic or the conflict around us all has weighed on your soul. And you are searching for answers. Now, look down to verse 42. The apostle Paul had just finished speaking. Well after he spoke, “the people begged that these things might be told them the next Sabbath.” Do you sense their excitement and anticipation? Whatever the apostle Paul said to them – they wanted more. All the burdens and questions and uncertainty – were being addressed here in these words.And whether this is your first time in a church, or whether you come every so often, or whether you've been to church hundreds of times – These words are for you. These are words of life… my goal is for you to get as excited about the Scriptures as they were.Let's go back 2000 years ago. The apostle Paul and Barnabas (two of the Christin leaders) were taking the message of Christ to these people for the first time. They arrived in Pisidia, in Asia minor – it's maybe 300 miles southeast of modern day Istanbul.And on the Jewish sabbath day they entered the local synagogue. As was their custom, the law and the prophets are read – we see that in verse 15. After that, Paul and Barnabas were invited to speak. That was a common practice – Paul would have expected it.The people probably thought he was going to give some of the usual commentary on the law and prophets. But rather, what Paul said was life transformational. He absolutely talked about the law and the prophets… but he spoke about their fulfillment. He walked them through how all of the Scriptures, like the prophecies and law, have been fulfilled in Christ. And it was like the light bulbs started turning on. God's Spirit was opening the eyes of their hearts to see and know the hope for which they had been yearning.If you look in your bulletin, there's a short outline at the bottom of the second page. It's a summary of Paul's sermon here:• First, Behold the Resurrection Promise – in the first part, Paul walked them through their history, showing them how the things that happened and spoken were fulfilled in Christ. He focused on the resurrection.• Second, Believe in the Resurrected Savior – Paul was not telling these things just so they would intellectually agree. No – he called them to believe in this Savior.• And third, Beware of the Resurrection Warning – Paul didn't just leave them with a call to believe, no he warned them of unbelief. Part of receiving hope in Christ involves heeding the warning. And let me say, each of the sermons or speeches we've worked through in Acts… each has been so rich and deep in different ways. Each has unveiled the truth of God's word and the Gospel. Like Peter's sermon when the Holy Spirit was given. Or Stephen's sermon right before he was stoned to death. Or Peter's message to Cornelius and his family. And here, Paul was so tuned in to those to whom he was speaking. He opened up the Old Testament Scriptures to his Jewish audience… and he brought to life how Christ fulfilled them and their need for Jesus. In a few weeks we'll see a very different kind of sermon as Paul spoke to the philosophers in Athens.Behold the Resurrection PromiseNow, you may be tempted to just skip over the first part of Paul's sermon. Even if you haven't been to church in a while, you may think. “Oh, I read the Bible stories. I remember about Egypt and I remember the stories about God's people . And king David? Of course, he's the one who defeated Goliath. Oh, and the prophets. Yep, that too”But what Paul was telling them is this: it all was God's plan. It was all moving toward a grand purpose. It's all intentional… all connected AND it has all now been fulfilled.Quickly look at verses 17 to 23 – the subject and actor of almost each sentence is God.• Verse 17 – The God of this people chose our fathers.• Later in the same verse… He led them out.• Verse 18 – he put up with them.• Verse 19, 20 and 21 – he gave them their land… then he gave them judges… then he gave them Saul. Whom it says he then removed.• In verses 22 and 23 – He raised up David to be their king… and then then it says… and this is the climax: “Of this man's offspring God has brought to Israel a Savior, Jesus, as he promised.”Do you see what he was saying… all of their history had a purpose. It was all, from the very beginning moving toward a goal. • Their slavery in Egypt and being saved… it pointed forward to the Savior. • God establishing king David, it ultimately pointed forward to a greater king. With all the failures and limitations of David – there was a greater King – King Jesus who was perfect and holy. Kids – Have you ever done one of those connect the dots things? You have a sheet with a bunch of dots on it. And each dot has a number next to it. You start with number 1 and you draw a line to number 2. Then you go to number 3 until you've connected all of them. Before you connected the dots… it just looked like a bunch of dots. But when you are done, you can see there's a picture that formed. I think the coolest ones have color code in each shape. When you are done connecting the dots. You take your crayons and color the shapes as it tells you. And you end up with a really cool picture.Well, guess what – that's what the apostle Paul was doing here – he was connecting the Old Testament dots. And the result is a picture of a crown – king Jesus, a cross – Jesus dying on the cross, and an empty tomb – Easter! Jesus being raised from the grave.You see, Paul was showing them that all of their history was moving toward Jesus. God had numbered each dot.That takes us up to verse 26. And here, there's a big change in the subject and verbs.So first, God chose, God led, God gave, God raised up, God brought.And we get to verse 26 and following and it changes to “they didn't recognize him” …then they were the ones condemning him. Then they asked Pilate to execute Jesus. They carried it out. They took him down from the cross. They laid him in the tomb.Do you see that change in subject? It's all about how the people rejected and killed Jesus. And there's a great irony in it all. Look at verse 27 “For those who live in Jerusalem and their rulers, because they did not recognize him nor understand the utterances of the prophets, which are read every Sabbath, fulfilled them by condemning him” In other words, when the Jews in Jerusalem rejected of Jesus, which led to his death on the cross… their rejection was the very thing that fulfilled the prophecies. Their condemnation of Jesus led to salvation. Paul noted that they even read the Scriptures every sabbath… it contained the very promises and prophecies which foretold Jesus… yet they didn't recognize him. And they did all these things against him – and the irony is, their actions against him fulfilled the promises.But, as it says in verse 30… this is the key –– But God raised him from the dead! We're back to God – through the resurrection God the Father fulfilled in Jesus, all the promises of salvation.That's the good news, verse 32. It says, “what God promised to the fathers, this he has fulfilled to us their children by raising Jesus.”Behold the resurrection promise! You see, the resurrection of Christ is the lynchpin of salvation. Without it, everything falls apart. But the Easter promise has been fulfilled.In the next few verses, Paul confirmed that everything that had taken place was by the hand of God. • Paul quoted Psalm 2 “you are my son” Showing that Jesus is God in the flesh.• and then Psalm 16 “the holy one did not see corruption” Jesus is greater than David. David and Jesus died, but Jesus was resurrected. • Paul also quoted Isaiah chapter 55 “The sure blessings of David” The resurrection blessings are “sure” they are confirmed and true.God accomplished everything that he set out to accomplish – and the resurrection sealed the deal. Paul wanted them to see it and know it. To behold the resurrection promise – It has all been fulfilled. And through it… salvation and hope... grace and peace for them.Believe in the Resurrected SaviorNow, you may be thinking – “wait, wait, wait! ok, I can see how the Old Testament promises were fulfilled. And even that the resurrection confirmed it all… But why? why does this all matter? Why did Jesus have to come? How does his death and resurrection accomplish salvation?”Well, those are critical questions… and that's what Paul addresses next. Verses 38 and 39. “through this man [that is, Jesus] forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you, and by him everyone who believes is freed from everything from which you could not be freed by the law of Moses.”Everything that God had planned… everything that came to pass as Jesus was crucified and then resurrected… was to free us. The use of the word free here is in a sense of being vindicated. At one time being imprisoned, being enslaved – but being released and acquitted. Sometimes we use the word justified. Some of your Bibles may even have that as an alternate translation. The law of Moses only enslaves but the forgiveness of Christ frees. Some of you have heard me give this analogy before – but I think it very helpful. Think of the God's law like a mirror. One of the purposes of his law is to show us our need for Christ. The law, meaning God's commands in the Bible – like the 10 commandments - you shall do this, you shall not to that.Let's say you've been working in your yard all day… and you're sweaty and dirty. And you go in and you look in the mirror, and you see just how filthy you are. Well, the mirror is like God law, it's showing that you are dirty. Now, what if you try and clean your face with the mirror. Well, that's not going to work – you're just going to get the mirror dirty and spread the dirt around. So the law can't clean you – no it reveals your need to be cleaned. But you need soap and water. That's verse 38 – the forgiveness of sins through Jesus. Sin meaning our failure to live up to God's law… that includes the things we do that break God's commands… and the things we don't do that God calls us to do. Our sin includes our unbelief, too. We are constantly breaking God's commands. We're dirty. And we need to be cleansed. We desperately need God's forgiveness.And God offers forgiveness through Christ! Jesus is the perfect holy reflection of God's law. Perfectly righteous. He can offer forgiveness because of who he is, the Holy God himself, and what he has done This is the intersection of what Paul has said up to this point. Through Jesus death and resurrection – God has offered us forgiveness. Jesus bore the consequence of sin for us on the cross. He gave us His righteousness. And to overcome the penalty and prove who he is and what he accomplished – God raised him up.And the wonderful, glorious thing is this: all it takes for you is to seek his forgiveness and believe. That's the beginning of verse 39. “Everyone who believes is freed.” Believe in the resurrected savior. Believe that he can and that he has forgiven – Believe by faith in him as your savior. Give your life to him. You can't hide from God… you can't work your way into his good favor… you can't be good enough… going to church doesn't save… no, nothing that you do saves. Jesus alone saves. A few years ago I was participating in a Christianity Explored class – the basics of Christianity. We were looking at what the Scriptures say about salvation. And I'll never forget, there was a young mom in the class – she was from Chile where there's a large roman catholic influence. And as we read through different passages, as we talked about faith and grace… and how our good works can't save us. Rather, Jesus does through faith in him. I witnessed God bring her to believe the Gospel. “you mean… salvation is not about doing these things, or going to a priest, or trying not to sin?” …her eyes teared up. “because I can't do it.” God in Christ has… he's done it for us. Forgiven us – freed us. And his call for you is to believe by faith. It was like this great burden had been lifted from her shoulders. What a blessing to see her believe and then watch her grow in her new faith. Believe in the Resurrected Savior.Beware of the Resurrection WarningAnd our third point: Beware of the Resurrection Warning. This Gospel message includes a warning… a warning of unbelief. It wasn't lost on Paul that many would reject the message. He himself had once hated the Christian message - rejected Christ. He saw it as an attack on the Jewish religion. Before Paul was literally stopped in his tracks, he was persecuting Christians and dragging them to prison for their belief.Not only that, God's people in the Old Testament had at many times turned away from Him. The prophets forewarned about the rejection of the Messiah. And Paul warned them. Verse 40 – “beware” that what the prophets have said will not be you. And Paul quoted the prophet Habakkuk – that scoffers would not believe. A scoffer is someone who doesn't just reject something but someone who mocks it and ridicules it. And the consequence is clear, verse 41. They will “perish.”Friends, the Gospel message includes God's hatred toward sin and punishment for it. The Bible is clear about it. But so often today, Christians want to remove God's wrath from the Gospel message.Theologian H Richard Niebuhr of the mid- 20th century… He wrote of the impact of not including God's anger as part of the Gospel. He said, “A God without wrath, brought men without sin, into a kingdom without judgment, through a Christ without a cross.” You see, when we strip away God's judgment for sin, we take away the very purpose of the cross. And if I could add to Niebuhr's statement, we also remove the power of the resurrection.I'm calling this last point Beware of the Resurrection Warning… because the heart of the warning is this: there's no middle ground. The Scriptures are clear that when Christ returns… everyone will be resurrected, physically resurrected. Those in Christ to eternal glory in his presence and those without Christ to eternal damnation.But this is where God's grace in Christ shines. “Everyone who believes,” it says, is freed from that which could not free you. The offer of the Gospel is free… and it brings freedom. It brings reconciliation with God, for those who believe…ConclusionAs we conclude… The wonder and amazement of Paul's sermon is how it's all grounded in reality and history. God entered into his world which he created to redeem it. It's his work all throughout, his plan. • He freed his people from slavery in Egypt which points to freedom from sin. • He raised up David which speaks of an even greater David• He spoke through the prophets about the promised One, the Messiah… and it all happened to prepare the way for Christ – who would bring salvation. And speaking of reality and history – in Jesus, God became flesh and blood, he lived, he died, was buried – but God raised him up. This is one of the unique aspects of Christianity – It's not just some spiritual thing out there detach from life and death and experience – no, to believe in Christ is to believe in a God who exists, who intercedes, who became one of us. Who really died and was really raised. On the one hand, this is what Paul was showing them.And on the other hand – Paul was revealing to them that everything that happened to Jesus had a purpose. There's a spiritual purpose to Jesus' life and death and resurrection. That we are bound by the law – slaves to it because of sin. But through the work of Christ on the cross, God provides forgiveness... freedom and grace to those who believe by faith. And the resurrection is the key to it all – Jesus conquering death – giving new life and eternal hope.As Paul is unpacking all of this… for his audience, the dots are being connected– everything that they had been reading each sabbath now is seen in the light of Christ. It's no wonder they begged for Paul and Barnabas to come back at the next Sabbath, and no wonder that many would come to believe.If you are hearing some of this for the first time today – and God is stirring your soul. And you've never put your faith in Christ – the offer to believe is for you. Or if you are not there yet… but what you are hearing from God's Word is compelling. Either way, as the people in Pisidia yearned to know more… please join us next Sunday and the next Sunday – and hear more of God's Word and of Jesus… the hope and salvation in him – for God has raised him up and in doing so fulfilled all his promises.

Coffee. Dad jokes. And this: Does your Christianity define your values...or do you USE values to define your Christianity? It’s not your normal Bible talk! CORE VALUES WORKSHEETWatch this episode on YouTube!!!Follow us on Facebook.Be sure to share us with your followers and give likes and feedback. We appreciate it much!Website: www.thethinkingcup.comEmail us:ben@thethinkingcup.commike@thethinkingcup.com CREDITS:The Thinking Cup Podcast Main Theme Created by Dominic OrianOther Music downloaded with license from Podcast MusicTracks Used:Introduction - “Hand in Hand” by Geoff RiggsSegment Ends - "Game Changer" from 5AlarmMusic.comDad Jokes - "On the Lash" from Strip SoundsA Word from the Bible - "Nonstop Conflict" from Strike AudioBackground - “Safety in Numbers” by Morris YoungThe Last Word Background - “Shared Memories SMO36” from Stock MusicCredits - "Welcome to My Lair" - William Joseph Kilpatrick©2020 

Subscribe today for access to bonus episodes, exclusive content, and invitations to future livestreams! www.patreon.com/boysbiblestudy Can the concept of time travel even exist in Christianity? It allows mortals to control destiny and basically act like God. Seems inherently heretical, but that doesn't stop Christian creators from churning these things out. This is the third time travel film we've watched for our show, the other two being Assassin 33 A.D. and Time Changer. A Path in Time is also probably one of the best overall films we've seen so far. While not as shocking as the most infamous Christian films, its use of classic tropes (an atheist crying in the rain) combined with bizarre twists (a secret city under Antarctica) makes this film an exemplar of the genre. View our full episode list and subscribe to any of our public feeds: http://boysbiblestudy.com Follow us on Instagram: http://instagram.com/boysbiblestudy Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/boysbiblestudy

What is a defining characteristic for Christianity- It is love. Jesus said by love for each other all men would know His true disciples. In a world full of hate, the love of Christ for believers and in believers must be displayed.

What is the core of Christianity? It is the gospel. Yet we too often forsake good news and fall to the most fundamental human problem: sin. We should bear the punishment for the sin in us, yet Jesus fights for us, Jesus pays and He bears what we couldn’t bear.

Detective and apologist J. Warner Wallace hosts this episode of the Cross Examined Official Podcast. During this episode he discusses the following topics: How Media Consumption Threatens the Future of Christianity (It’s Not What You Think). Why Young Ex-Christians Are Ex-Christians, According to the Latest Research. Three Reasons Why All Americans Should Want Their Politicians […] The post The Clash of Christianity and Culture appeared first on Cross Examined - Christian Apologetic Ministry | Frank Turek | Christian Apologetics | Christian Apologetics Speakers.

What is real Christianity? It's a life changed by the love of God Sanctuary Family Worship Center Pastor Heath Harris January 2019

The post Christianity: It’s the Real Thing appeared first on University Church of Christ.

I have this weird experience almost daily where I experience something that isn't part of my memory. Similar to nostalgia, this experience deals with the past and is maybe even nostalgia in part, but it is more like experiencing the world through the eyes of a child or coming into contact with something out of folklore or mythology. I find it difficult to explain it myself. Join me​ this week on How to Write Good as I talk about how art has the power to make us experience something that seems to go beyond this mundane world. You can check out the Psychology Today article I mentioned here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201203/whats-so-nice-about-nostalgia)Read more about being half-asleep here: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/04/deciphering-hypnagogia/478941/)Here is a video you can watch about C.S. Lewis' conversion to Christianity (It isn't exactly what I say, but I think it is essentially the same thing.):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS3thuSHUYgAs always, check out my website: www.danielpoppie.com

Pastor Phil opens this new series with a strong message. "What is Christianity? It is not based on the actions of other Christians. It is not based on the Bible. Christianity is based on an event. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. That's it. Jesus + nothing = Christianity."

I have this weird experience almost daily where I experience something that isn't part of my memory. Similar to nostalgia, this experience deals with the past and is maybe even nostalgia in part, but it is more like experiencing the world through the eyes of a child or coming into contact with something out of folklore or mythology. I find it difficult to explain it myself. Join me​ this week on How to Write Good as I talk about how art has the power to make us experience something that seems to go beyond this mundane world. You can check out the Psychology Today article I mentioned here:https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/fulfillment-any-age/201203/whats-so-nice-about-nostalgia)Read more about being half-asleep here: https://www.theatlantic.com/science/archive/2016/04/deciphering-hypnagogia/478941/)Here is a video you can watch about C.S. Lewis' conversion to Christianity (It isn't exactly what I say, but I think it is essentially the same thing.):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZS3thuSHUYgAs always, check out my website: www.danielpoppie.com

Surve Interview at KE 2018 SXSW in Austin, TX!Exclusive interview with your hosts Dre Coop!!! and Shemaiah Reedhttps://www.instagram.com/yungovaseer/https://www.instagram.com/shemaiahreed/https://www.yahkiks.com/About Yah KiksAs a believer of the almighty king, our walk of life is more than just going to church or confessing that we are believers. Here we have preachers, singers, rappers, even praise dancers, spreading the message, when it comes to Christianity It can come in all types of different expressions, but Its never been done by something as simple as a sneaker. See verbally its important, but we also must remember that physically, its important as well, its a way of life, its not just by what we say or speak in our faith, but also by what we do in our works. You ask where did the name come from? Yahshua proposed transliteration of the original Hebrew or Aramaic name of Jesus commonly used in that time. The spelling Yahshua (יהושע) is found in Hebrew texts transliterated as Yothe He Waw Shin Ayin. The Name Yahshua is just such a compound Name. It is a combination of Yahweh’s Name in a personal name (YAH: yod-heh) and SHUA (shin-ayin), which means salvation. Here at Yahshau KiKs we love God, we love fashion, there are many believers in this world who loves God and loves fashion also. Why not create our own brand behind a name that shall reign forever. You ask why would we design a sneaker with the name Yahshua! Haha why not? When it comes to any sneaker deal or shoe deal, it comes when one dominates something good or bad right. Jordan dominated the game of basketball was every persons idol, especially poor kids dreaming of making it out the neighborhood by playing sports! could have built chances in the community but instead built prisons, Kanye dominated country singers on stage at award shows (worst era in award history) and he got a shoe! Like seriously? I mean come on man! Yahshua!!YHWH, YAHWEH a.k.a Jesus!! dominated the world conquered death and rose in 3 Days.I would say that's unbeatable, Anyway! we have some nice clothing to go with our new kicks new school, old school, high end to just a regular T-shirt. If you are a believer of the most high & love to rep the name "JESUS" Yahshua KiKs we are for the believers, we live for change, and we Stand on our Faith.​You can find more on us!by liking our Facebook page @YahKiKsyou can also follow us on siteslike Twitter @YahKiKs & on our IG @YahKiKshttps://twitter.com/TheRealSurveHear this podcast on Googleplay, TuneinRadio, iTunes, Spreaker, Youtube, and iHeartradioPodcast weekly broadcast location:Rockafellas Barber Shop (Owner: Rico Rodriguez)1733 Babcock Rd. San Antonio, TX 78229Sponsors:I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by River City Donuts San Ant1723 Babock Rd. San Antonio, TX 78229I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by Bay Bay McClinton of All Sports Speed and Conditioninghttp://www.allsportsfitness.net/All Sports Speed and Conditioning is the top sports performance training gyms in San Antonio, and has produce many collegiate and professional athletes since opening. All Sports was founded in 1997 by Bremond “Bay Bay” McClinton. All Sports is based out of the beautiful city of San Antonio, TX. Having accomplished his own career in professional sports; starting a company like All Sports was a natural transition for him. Bay Bay is a native of San Antonio, TX. His 100 meter dash in High School at Roosevelt High in San Antonio was not broken until recently. In college Bay Bay played opposite the great future hall of famer, Darrell Green. He went on to sign a professional career with the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys and played 7 years in the European Leagues before returning to his home town to finish his career “San Antonio Texans”. In 2006, his company, All Sports administered the strength and conditioning program for the East vs West Shriners’s college senior bowl. In 2008-09, All Sports administered the strength and conditioning program for the Division II college Senior Cactus Bowl All Star game in Kingsville. Today All Sports Speed and Conditioning continues to train athletes to elevate their athletic performance to the next level in all sports.I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by D.W. Brooks Funeral Home2950 E. Houston St.San Antonio, TX 78202Email: info@dwbrooksfh.comPhone: 210-223-2045Website: dwbrooksfuneralhome.comI Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by Overflowcafe.com Does your website need more traffic? Well visit Overflowcafe.com today! They make websites popular and over 41,000 people use their service to gain more customers. They are winning at business. What about you? Visit Overflowcafe.com Shemaiah is a proud supporter of beyondbeanie.comFor every item purchased we help a child in need. Rock a beyond beanie. Change a life.Use Shemaiah's code for a 25% discount = REED25

Surve Interview at KE 2018 SXSW in Austin, TX!Exclusive interview with your hosts Dre Coop!!! and Shemaiah Reedhttps://www.instagram.com/yungovaseer/https://www.instagram.com/shemaiahreed/https://www.yahkiks.com/About Yah KiksAs a believer of the almighty king, our walk of life is more than just going to church or confessing that we are believers. Here we have preachers, singers, rappers, even praise dancers, spreading the message, when it comes to Christianity It can come in all types of different expressions, but Its never been done by something as simple as a sneaker. See verbally its important, but we also must remember that physically, its important as well, its a way of life, its not just by what we say or speak in our faith, but also by what we do in our works. You ask where did the name come from? Yahshua proposed transliteration of the original Hebrew or Aramaic name of Jesus commonly used in that time. The spelling Yahshua (יהושע) is found in Hebrew texts transliterated as Yothe He Waw Shin Ayin. The Name Yahshua is just such a compound Name. It is a combination of Yahweh’s Name in a personal name (YAH: yod-heh) and SHUA (shin-ayin), which means salvation. Here at Yahshau KiKs we love God, we love fashion, there are many believers in this world who loves God and loves fashion also. Why not create our own brand behind a name that shall reign forever. You ask why would we design a sneaker with the name Yahshua! Haha why not? When it comes to any sneaker deal or shoe deal, it comes when one dominates something good or bad right. Jordan dominated the game of basketball was every persons idol, especially poor kids dreaming of making it out the neighborhood by playing sports! could have built chances in the community but instead built prisons, Kanye dominated country singers on stage at award shows (worst era in award history) and he got a shoe! Like seriously? I mean come on man! Yahshua!!YHWH, YAHWEH a.k.a Jesus!! dominated the world conquered death and rose in 3 Days.I would say that's unbeatable, Anyway! we have some nice clothing to go with our new kicks new school, old school, high end to just a regular T-shirt. If you are a believer of the most high & love to rep the name "JESUS" Yahshua KiKs we are for the believers, we live for change, and we Stand on our Faith.​You can find more on us!by liking our Facebook page @YahKiKsyou can also follow us on siteslike Twitter @YahKiKs & on our IG @YahKiKshttps://twitter.com/TheRealSurveHear this podcast on Googleplay, TuneinRadio, iTunes, Spreaker, Youtube, and iHeartradioPodcast weekly broadcast location:Rockafellas Barber Shop (Owner: Rico Rodriguez)1733 Babcock Rd. San Antonio, TX 78229Sponsors:I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by River City Donuts San Ant1723 Babock Rd. San Antonio, TX 78229I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by Bay Bay McClinton of All Sports Speed and Conditioninghttp://www.allsportsfitness.net/All Sports Speed and Conditioning is the top sports performance training gyms in San Antonio, and has produce many collegiate and professional athletes since opening. All Sports was founded in 1997 by Bremond “Bay Bay” McClinton. All Sports is based out of the beautiful city of San Antonio, TX. Having accomplished his own career in professional sports; starting a company like All Sports was a natural transition for him. Bay Bay is a native of San Antonio, TX. His 100 meter dash in High School at Roosevelt High in San Antonio was not broken until recently. In college Bay Bay played opposite the great future hall of famer, Darrell Green. He went on to sign a professional career with the Houston Oilers, Dallas Cowboys and played 7 years in the European Leagues before returning to his home town to finish his career “San Antonio Texans”. In 2006, his company, All Sports administered the strength and conditioning program for the East vs West Shriners’s college senior bowl. In 2008-09, All Sports administered the strength and conditioning program for the Division II college Senior Cactus Bowl All Star game in Kingsville. Today All Sports Speed and Conditioning continues to train athletes to elevate their athletic performance to the next level in all sports.I Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by D.W. Brooks Funeral Home2950 E. Houston St.San Antonio, TX 78202Email: info@dwbrooksfh.comPhone: 210-223-2045Website: dwbrooksfuneralhome.comI Am Refocused Podcast Sponsored by Overflowcafe.com Does your website need more traffic? Well visit Overflowcafe.com today! They make websites popular and over 41,000 people use their service to gain more customers. They are winning at business. What about you? Visit Overflowcafe.com Shemaiah is a proud supporter of beyondbeanie.comFor every item purchased we help a child in need. Rock a beyond beanie. Change a life.Use Shemaiah's code for a 25% discount = REED25

What is Christianity? It is hard to determine what is Christianity and what it means to be a Christian because there are so many ideas and disagreements about the subject. Listen to this sermon to get a Biblical understanding of what is Christianity.

Brad Sullivan Proper 11, Year B July 19, 2015 Saint Mark's Episcopal Church, Bay City, TX Ephesians 2:11-22 Mark 6:30-34, 53-56 The people in Jesus’ day flocked to him. They went running around a lake to reach him, and thronged to him in the marketplace. He called them sheep without a shepherd, and we saw last week what their shepherds were like. Herod had an innocent man killed so he would look powerful in front of his friends. The Pharisees and other religious leaders demanded perfection regarding religious practice, but they didn’t help regular people connect to God while living their normal, everyday lives. People flocked to Jesus and fought to be near him. Why are so many not flocking to Jesus now? Folks don’t seem to be getting healed of physical infirmities like they once were. Physical healing is not needed as badly as it once was, we have doctors for much of that healing. We still need healing from Jesus, however, healing from depression, disconnection, over-stretched lives, unending pull of the next thing. Perhaps people don’t flock to Jesus nowadays because they aren’t sheep without a shepherd, but sheep with too many shepherds. For some, money and defining success and self worth through money is their shepherd. Some find leisure activities to be their shepherd, with such a strong need to unwind and relax. Self improvement can be a shepherd, “be your best self now.” There are a huge variety of activities which promise the world to those who participate. A lot of them offer good morals and to build good character. In popular Christianity the church offers a kind of one and done baptism. Once you’re baptized, you’re kinda done. You get to go to heaven, so you don’t need to worry about anything else. What else then, does the church offer in popular Christianity? It offers good morals and good character. We’ll, if folks think they can get that playing soccer, then what’s the point of church? We have too many shepherds, and we’ve ended up with a lot of people who have forgotten the point of our life together in the church. If all it is, is good morals and character, then people can get that elsewhere from all the other shepherds. These activities needn’t be in competition with the church, but it is a struggle. It is a struggle to come to Jesus. It is hard to break the hold of our other shepherds. We have commitments which we don’t want to break. We don’t want to break our word. It’s tough. We also have our baptismal covenant, the commitment we made to live together as disciples of Jesus, to raise each other up, to teach our children to follow Jesus, to live as disciples of Jesus, to raise each other up, to teach and follow the ways of Jesus, our ways as Episcopalians, to be here for worship and Eucharist. Many of the other activities and things we follow (other shepherds) are good things in and of themselves. They seem like armor protecting us from boredom, disconnection, getting into trouble, allowing us to unwind, enjoy life, etc. Many, when they end up excluding our communal faith and connection to God, however, become swords which leave us even more exhausted. Our other shepherds, the armor we carry, become swords which harm us. ARMOR AND SWORD AVAILABLE ON SNAKES & ARROWS Music: Geddy Lee and Alex Lifeson Lyrics: Neil Peart The snakes and arrows a child is heir to, Are enough to leave a thousand cuts We build our defenses, a place of safety, And leave the darker places unexplored Sometimes the fortress is too strong Or the love is too weak What should have been our armor Becomes a sharp and angry sword Our better natures seek elevation, A refuge for the coming night No one gets to their heaven without a fight We hold beliefs as a consolation, A way to take us out of ourselves Meditation, or medication, A comfort, or a promised reward Sometimes that spirit is too strong Or the flesh is too weak Sometimes the need is just too great For the solace we seek The suit of shining armor Becomes a keen and bloody sword No one gets to their heaven without a fight, A refuge for the coming night A future of eternal light. No one gets to their heaven without a fight Confused alarms of struggle and flight, Blood is drained of color By the flashes of artillery light. No one gets to their heaven without a fight The battle flags are flown At the feet of a god unknown No one gets to their heaven without a fight. Sometimes the damage is too great. Or the will is too weak What should have been our armor Becomes a sharp and burning sword If we want to keep this life we have, then we have to fight for it. Mostly, we need to fight within ourselves to not to be pulled by the voices of the many shepherds around us, and listen to the voice of Jesus, our one true shepherd. As we heard from Paul’s letter to the Ephesians: you are citizens with the saints and also members of the household of God, built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the cornerstone. In him the whole structure is joined together and grows into a holy temple in the Lord; in whom you also are built together spiritually into a dwelling place for God. (from Ephesians 2:11-22) We are the Body of Christ. We are connected to God and each other through Jesus. We have God’s very eternal life abiding among and within us. It is given as a gift, and yet we must fight to keep it. We don’t fight others. The fight is within ourselves, a war within us, as Paul says, between our spirit and our flesh, and we have many shepherds often clamoring for our attention. We want to keep our life in Jesus. We want to follow our one true shepherd, and we want to keep, strengthen, and grow our life together in Jesus, and we can’t do so without a fight. Amen.

NT Pod 41 asks "Was Paul the Founder of Christianity?" It is nine and a half minutes long. NT Pod 41: Was Paul the Founder of Christianity? (mp3) NT Pod 41: Was Paul the Founder of Christianity? (mp3) (Alternative location) Key texts: Romans 15.19, Galatians 1.11-12, Galatians 1.18-19, Galatians 2.1-10, Galatians 2.11-14, 1 Corinthians 15.1-5, Acts 11.26.Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page. Thanks to Ram2000, Me and You, for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

NT Pod 41 asks "Was Paul the Founder of Christianity?" It is nine and a half minutes long. NT Pod 41: Was Paul the Founder of Christianity? (mp3) NT Pod 41: Was Paul the Founder of Christianity? (mp3) (Alternative location) Key texts: Romans 15.19, Galatians 1.11-12, Galatians 1.18-19, Galatians 2.1-10, Galatians 2.11-14, 1 Corinthians 15.1-5, Acts 11.26.Feel free to leave your feedback below or on Twitter or on our Facebook page. Thanks to Ram2000, Me and You, for the opening theme, released under a Creative Commons agreement.

2007-11-11-1830 Pastor Loran Livingston talks this evening November 11th, 2007 in the 6:30 evening service about his recent trip to Jerusalem.Scripture Ref: John 4:21-24Topic: Jesus the SonNotes:- Jerusalem is not a city of peace, wasn't when Jesus was crucified- God's wants us to have a simple child-like relationship with Him- Man tries to organize God, adds unbiblical requirements- Religion to control economies, start wars, murder (Islam, Christianity)- It’s not about a place, but about Jesus Christ- The true way of Roman Crucifixion- Traditional American view of scriptures often inaccurate- People trying to make connection with the Almighty though holy sites, candles, symbols