Podcasts about Christians

Sujo John: Surviving 9/11, Finding Purpose, and Living the Gospel Out LoudIn this week's Team Never Quit Podcast, Marcus and Melanie meet with Sujo John, who, on the morning of September 11, 2001, went to work on the 81st floor of Tower 1 of the World Trade Center carrying a question that had been weighing heavily on his heart: What is my purpose?Just months earlier, Sujo and his wife, Mary, had moved from India to begin a new life in America. They were expecting their first child, building successful careers, and seemingly living the American dream. Sujo worked in the North Tower of the World Trade Center, while Mary worked on the 71st floor of the South Tower.Yet despite everything going well, Sujo felt an unmistakable emptiness. He believed God had a greater calling on his life but had no idea what that calling would look like.At 8:05 a.m. on September 11, Sujo sent an email to a friend at church describing his search for meaning and purpose.Less than an hour later, everything changed.American Airlines Flight 11 slammed into the North Tower. Sujo's office filled with smoke, fire, shattered debris, and chaos. As terrified employees searched for a way out, Sujo began the long descent down the stairwell, surrounded by hundreds of people trying to escape—and firefighters and police officers heading in the opposite direction toward the devastation. All the while, Sujo could think of only one person: Mary. He had no way of knowing whether she was alive.After escaping Tower 1, Sujo began making his way toward Tower 2 to find her. Then the unimaginable happened. The South Tower collapsed. Standing near the base of the building, Sujo found himself surrounded by people as the massive structure came crashing down around them. In those terrifying moments, he began praying and felt compelled to tell the people nearby to call on the name of Jesus.Soon, voices around him were crying out, "Jesus!" When the dust settled, Sujo found himself buried in several feet of white soot and broken glass—but alive. Through the darkness and debris, he encountered a man lying face down who had a flashlight. Sujo encouraged him to get up and keep moving. When the man stood, Sujo noticed the letters FBI on his jacket.Together, the two men held hands and walked through the near-zero visibility until they spotted the flashing lights of an ambulance and eventually found their way to safety.But Sujo still didn't know whether Mary had survived. Then his phone rang. It was Mary.In an extraordinary turn of events, her train had arrived at the World Trade Center subway station just minutes after the first plane struck. She had never made it inside Tower 2. Both had survived.Standing together later that day and looking back at the smoking ruins of the buildings where they had worked, Sujo and Mary realized that the promises they had separately made to God during those terrifying hours would define the rest of their lives.They would dedicate themselves completely to Him.From Survival to CallingSeptember 11 became the defining turning point in Sujo John's life.What began that morning as a search for purpose became a calling to share the Gospel around the world. Sujo and Mary devoted their lives to ministry, sharing their testimony in churches throughout America and internationally.Their ministry also developed a deep commitment to helping people who are often overlooked and forgotten, including women and girls rescued from the sex industry in India through the House of Rahab.For Sujo, surviving 9/11 was never simply about being given another day to live. It was about being given another opportunity to live with purpose.And his message to Christians today is challenging:The Gospel was never intended to remain inside church walls.Believers are called to make their faith visible—to serve their communities, invest in the next generation, and become the hands and feet of Jesus to the people around them.In This EpisodeSujo shares the extraordinary story of escaping the World Trade Center on September 11, the desperate search for his wife, the prayers that rose from the rubble, and the miraculous phone call revealing that Mary was alive.He also discusses the deeper story behind that day—his lifelong questions about suffering, his search for purpose, and the calling that emerged from one of the darkest moments in American history.This conversation is ultimately about more than survival. It's about purpose. It's about faith when life stops making sense. And it's about what happens when someone decides that the life they've been given will be spent serving something greater than themselves.Support Sujo:-  IG:  https://www.instagram.com/sujojohnofficial?igsi=MW5ibmVidGJkd3N0Zg==Sujo John - https://sujojohn.com/YouCanFreeUs - https://youcanfreeus.org/ I Am Second Story - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CryxwzBuldcSupport TNQ  - IG: team_neverquit , marcusluttrell , melanieluttrell , huntero13  -  https://www.patreon.com/teamneverquitSponsors:  - Navyfederal.org     - Dripdrop.com/TNQ- vinted.com/TNQ - davidprotein.com/TNQ- quo.com/TNQ  - mengotomars.com [Team Never Quit]  - bubsnaturals.com [Promo code TNQ]  - mizzenandmain.com   [Promo code: TNQ20]   - masterclass.com/TNQ  - ShopMando.com [Promo code: TNQ]  - Tractorsupply.com/hometownheroes  - meetfabiric.com/TNQ  - Prizepicks (TNQ)   - armslist.com/TNQ   -  PXGapparel.com/TNQ  - bruntworkwear.com/TNQ   - shipsticks.com/TNQ   - stopboxusa.com {TNQ}   - Tonal.com [TNQ]  - greenlight.com/TNQ  - drinkAG1.com/TNQ  - Hims.com/TNQ

Fred Hammond is one of the biggest names in Gospel music, with 15 Grammy awards, and a career that spans over 40 years, from playing bass in The Winans to more recently his Tiny Desk Concert. His songs are loved by Christians around the world, and gospel fan and radio presenter Swarzy Shire wants to learn more about the man behind the music and how his faith has kept inspiring that music. Fred has faced ups and downs publicly from his divorce and the impact that has had on his family, to his physical suffering with multiple knee operations and a fall from stage just two years ago. He shares with Swarzy how his faith and music have helped him overcome the painful periods in his life.

In this week's episode, Donald Trump asks for a little of that rendering unto Caesar he's heard so much about, Girl Scouts of America gets some blowback about their islamic "badges for hajjes" program, and we'll read about JD Vance's fucking Mamaw for you.---To make a per episode donation at Patreon.com, click here: http://www.patreon.com/ScathingAtheistTo buy our book, click here: https://www.amazon.com/Outbreak-Crisis-Religion-Ruined-Pandemic/dp/B08L2HSVS8/If you see a news story you think we might be interested in, you can send it here: scathingnews@gmail.comTo check out our sister show, The Skepticrat, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/the-skepticratTo check out our sister show's hot friend, God Awful Movies, click here: https://audioboom.com/channel/god-awful-moviesTo check out our half-sister show, Citation Needed, click here: http://citationpod.com/To check out our sister show's sister show, D and D minus, click here: https://danddminus.libsyn.com/Report instances of harassment or abuse connected to this show to the Creator Accountability Network here: https://creatoraccountabilitynetwork.org/---Headlines:New Orleans Catholic abuse settlement is a farce: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/28/new-orleans-catholic-church-sex-abuse-settlementTrump Implies Bible Endorses Donating to Him As an Act of Faith:https://meidasnews.com/news/trump-implies-bible-endorses-donating-to-him-as-an-act-of-faithNew Jersey didn't ban prayer outside abortion clinics, but Christians are lying about it anyway: https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/new-jersey-didnt-ban-prayer-outsideRight-wing influencers invented a Girl Scouts “Islamization” scandal: https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/right-wing-influencers-invented-a---This Week in Misogyny:Ex-Deputy convicted of SA is now a cop chaplain: https://apnews.com/article/convicted-san-diego-exdeputy-police-chaplain-54eab67555be35d0f67532fe24f48e02

How do you know if God is calling you into ministry? Ray, E.Z., Mark, and Oscar, along with John Harris, explore the weight of handling God's Word and the distinction between being called to serve and being called to vocational ministry. The guys begin by challenging the sacredsecular divide, reminding listeners that faithfulness is not limited to pastors, missionaries, or employees of Christian organizations. Every believer is called to glorify God in the work already before them. Rather than waiting for a title or position, Christians should begin by faithfully serving where God has placed them and allow any future ministry role to grow out of that obedience.The conversation then turns to how a calling often becomes evident through faithful service. The guys share that their paths into ministry began with preaching, discipling, evangelizing, and serving long before a formal position came along. A desire for ministry should be accompanied by a genuine love for God's people, a burden for the lost, and gifts already being exercised within the local church. They encourage listeners to start small and seek counsel from mature believers. A calling should first be tested locally, where character, service, and spiritual fruit can be seen.From there, the guys address both the dangers and rewards of ministry. Pride, money, and the desire for recognition can easily distort a person's motives. At the same time, opposition and hardship are unavoidable for those who faithfully serve Christ. Ministry is service, not a platform, and those who pursue it should expect their faith to be tested. Yet few privileges are greater than preaching God's Word, building up His people, and proclaiming the gospel. The guys encourage those considering ministry to remain rooted in a local church, depend deeply on prayer, and honestly examine whether the burden to serve Christ endures even when the work is difficult and unseen. Finally, the conversation offers a framework for discerning vocational ministry through calling, capacity, competency, character, and affirmation from the local church. Giftedness alone is not enough if spiritual fruit and godly character do not grow alongside it. The guys warn against rushing into ministry for identity, reminding listeners that their identity is already secure in Christ. Whether or not a formal position ever comes, believers can continue serving God in their homes, churches, neighborhoods, and workplaces. Faithfulness in small things is never insignificant, and true ministry begins long before anyone receives a title.Send us Fan MailThanks for listening! If you've been helped by this podcast, we'd be grateful if you'd consider subscribing, sharing, and leaving us a comment and 5-star rating! Visit the Living Waters website to learn more and to access helpful resources!You can find helpful counseling resources at biblicalcounseling.com.Check out The Evidence Study Bible and the Basic Training Course.You can connect with us at podcast@livingwaters.com. We're thankful for your input!Learn more about the hosts of this podcast.Ray ComfortEmeal (“E.Z.”) ZwayneMark SpenceOscar Navarro

Jen Wilkin, JT English, and Kyle Worley discuss the doctrine of hell. Questions Covered in This Episode: Is hell part of the good news? What is hell? What does the Bible have to say about hell? What do you lose if you lose this doctrine? Do you preach hellfire and brimstone sermons? Who does it benefit? For Christians for sanctification or unbelievers for conversion? How is hell part of the good news in sanctification? What is the purpose of preaching hell to unbelievers? What is the traditional doctrine of hell? Is this an essential doctrine? Helpful Definitions: Hell: Forever conscious torment Resources Mentioned in this Episode: Matthew 25, Luke 16:19–31, Genesis 3, Matthew 13:36-43, Matthew 11, Romans 1-2, Romans 9:3, Hebrews “Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God” by Jonathan Edwards “Cur Deus Homo: Why the God-Man?” by Anselm of Canterbury “The Cross of Christ” by John Stott Deep Discipleship Program Follow Us:Twitter | Instagram | Facebook | WebsiteSupport Training the Church and Become a Patron:patreon.com/trainingthechurchYou can now receive your first seminary class for FREE from Midwestern Seminary after completing Lifeway's Deep Discipleship curriculum, featuring JT, Jen and Kyle. Learn more at mbts.edu/deepdiscipleship.To learn more about our sponsors please visit our sponsor page.Editing and support by The Good Podcast Co. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Miracles, Heartbreak, and the Fight Against Human Trafficking   Nearly 50 million people remain trapped in modern slavery—but International Justice Mission founder Gary Haugen believes it could end in our lifetime. He joins host Curtis Chang to explore how IJM fights human trafficking by transforming broken justice systems, where God is amid horrific evil and patient prayer, and how Christians can stop watching from the sidelines and join the fight.   02:23 - The Evolution of IJM's Strategy of Strengthening Local Justice Systems 08:30 - US Complicity in Global Slavery 13:48 - The Impact of Unpredictable US Government Action  18:24 - Is Their a Contradiction in Evangelical Support? 24:23 - The Role of Miracles in Fighting Evil 28:56 - Waiting For Prayers to Be Answered  33:51 - The Dangers of Christian Hero Worship 45:26 - A Call to Action Against Modern Day Slavery   To give to Good Faith: https://goodfaith.org/donate   Mentioned in This Episode: Gary Haugen's biography IJM's work fighting trafficking and slavery IJM's response to the State Department funding pause U.S. State Department Trafficking in Persons Report Global Estimates of Modern Slavery Child trafficking and forced labor on Ghana's Lake Volta Good Faith episode 224: Francis Collins and Kristine Torjesen   Scriptures: Matthew 5:16 (ESV) Matthew 25:14–30 (ESV)   International Justice Mission: Get involved with IJM Pray with IJM Support IJM's advocacy work IJM resources for churches   Follow Us: Good Faith on Instagram Good Faith on X (formerly Twitter) Good Faith on Facebook   The Good Faith Podcast is a production of a 501(c)(3) nonpartisan organization that does not engage in any political campaign activity to support or oppose any candidate for public office. Any views and opinions expressed by any guests on this program are solely those of the individuals and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of Good Faith.  

IT'S HERE! Pre-Order the 4th installment of the Ashtown Burial Series at ashtownburials.com.In this episode, Nancy Wilson considers how Christians must continually put on humility, replacing pride, complaint, and self-interest with kindness, patience, forgiveness, and concern for others.  Find more from Nancy and others on Canon+: https://canonplus.com/tabs/none/pages/nancy-wilson 

In this episode of Pray the Word on 2 Kings 2:11, David Platt calls us to live today like Jesus might return to bring us home at any moment.Explore more content from Radical.

In this episode, we welcome Josh Howerton back to the show. He is the Senior Pastor of Lakepointe Church in Dallas, TX and the host of the Live Free podcast. In this interview, we discuss why he was recently summoned to The White House by J.D. Vance, how Christians can keep James Talarico from becoming a United States Senator, the crisis of discernment in our culture, Christians needing to learn how to feed themselves the Word of God, the impact of Candace Owens, how Satan would try to take him out, and much more. Let's get into it… Episode notes and links HERE. Donate to support our mission of equipping men to push back darkness. Check out our SHOP. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this episode of the Podcast for Cultural Reformation, Dr. Joe Boot is joined by Dr. Stephen Lloyd and Paul Garner of Biblical Creation Trust to discuss the importance of biblical creation for understanding the Christian faith and the gospel. They explore the relationship between creation and redemption, the historical Adam, the origin and meaning of death, and the challenges posed by theistic evolution. They also consider how abandoning a biblical doctrine of creation can affect the church’s understanding of Scripture and the coherence of the biblical story. The conversation then turns to the wider implications of creation for Christian engagement with contemporary culture, including questions of human identity, gender, sexuality, artificial intelligence, and the nature of scientific knowledge. Joe, Stephen, and Paul discuss the need for Christians to recover a confident and intellectually rigorous engagement with science, developing positive models of creation that take both biblical revelation and the evidence of the natural world seriously. At the heart of the discussion is the conviction that creation is not merely the backdrop to redemption, but a foundational part of the Christian worldview and the gospel itself.

The Pope is calling Christians around the world toward Jerusalem in 2033. Yes! That is 7 years from now!   But what if that gathering eventually becomes the stage for something Irvin Baxter warned about for decades? A Temple. A world religious leader. A political leader AND the event Jesus called the Abomination of Desolation. This could be nothing. Or it could be a setup worth watching very closely. Let's talk about it! 🇺🇸: Only 88 Collections Remain. Discover God's providential hand throughout America's history and what Scripture reveals about America's role in Bible prophecy.: https://store.endtime.com/products/the-wings-of-a-great-eagle-pre-order-collection  ⭐️: True Gold Republic: Get The Endtime Show special on precious metals at https://www.endtimegold.com 🚰: Sentry H2O: You prepare for everything else. Why not your water? Use code ENDTIME for 10% OFF at https://www.sentryh2o.com/endtime 📱: It's never been easier to understand. Stream Only Source Network and access exclusive content: https://watch.osn.tv/browse 📚: Check out Jerusalem Prophecy College Online for less than $60 per course: https://jerusalemprophecycollege.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many Christians feel it—but don't know how to name it. Their faith isn't gone, but it's not as strong as it once was. Convictions feel harder to hold. Cultural pressure feels harder to resist. And slowly, belief begins to drift. Pastor Aaron Graham shares from his book, "Unshakable Faith: How to Stand Firm in a Culture of Lies." Aaron mentions "The Screwtape Letters" by C.S. Lewis Check out Susie's podcast God Impressions on Apple, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts! Faith Radio podcasts are made possible by your support. Give now: click here  

On today's Bible Answer Man broadcast (09/03/26), Hank shares on the practices of Old Testament copyists and the reliability of the transmission of the sacred text.Hank also answers the following questions:How do I counter the Mormon doctrine that Jesus is the spirit brother of Lucifer? Terri - El Paso, TX (6:04)Is the King James Version the only reliable translation? Andy - BC (15:12)Christians use the Bible as a reference for their faith, but where do the Mormons get their reference? Lance - AR (17:15)Can you explain the difference between giving and sacrifices in the Old Testament compared to the New Testament? John - St. Louis, MO (21:05)Is it okay for churches to have youth groups or age-segregated ministry? Ryan (23:36)

Welcome to Day 2941 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain and today is Day 2941 – Theology Thursday – Not a Binary Choice: Recovering the Full Picture of the Atonement Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2941 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2941 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons are available on his website, theologyinfive.com.  Not a Binary Choice: Recovering the Full Picture of the Atonement. Many believers raised in traditional evangelical settings were taught a single dominant explanation of the cross, usually Penal Substitutionary Atonement. It became the framework through which sin, salvation, prayer, and even God's character were understood. When people later encounter Christus Victor or other historic atonement models, the shift can feel disorienting, like choosing between competing versions of Christianity. But the Bible never asks us to make that choice. It presents the atonement as a multifaceted work that cannot be confined to a single model. The problem was never that PSA existed. The problem was that it became the whole story. The first segment is: The Bible Uses Many Images for a Reason. The New Testament describes the work of Christ through several metaphors. It uses sacrificial language, legal language, military imagery, temple imagery, ransom themes, and the language of liberation and deliverance. Each of these highlights a different aspect of one unified event. The atonement is too large and too complex to be captured by a single metaphor. When one model becomes dominant, the others are pushed to the margins, even though the biblical writers freely used all of them. Christus Victor does not contradict sacrificial or substitutionary language. It restores the cosmic dimension of the cross that was central to the early church. Christ defeats the powers that enslaved humanity, breaks the dominion of death, and disarms the hostile spiritual beings that opposed God's creation. The second segment is: How the Early Church Understood the Cross. For the earliest generations of Christians, the cross was first and foremost a victory. Their world was steeped in the reality of hostile spiritual powers, cosmic rulers, and the rebellion of the nations. When they spoke of the atonement, they spoke primarily of liberation, triumph, and the overthrow of death. This is the framework behind Paul's language about principalities, rulers, and the powers of darkness. It is the worldview behind Hebrews and the imagery of Revelation. Christus Victor was not a novel theory. It was the assumed backdrop of the biblical authors and the earliest church. The later Western emphasis on legal atonement did not replace this view, but it did overshadow it. Recovering it brings believers back into the thought world of the first and second-century church. The Third segment is: Why It Is Not a Binary Choice. Some assume that embracing Christus Victor requires rejecting PSA, or that acknowledging courtroom imagery requires minimizing the victory theme. This creates a false choice. The early church held multiple models without difficulty. They saw each as a window into the same event. They understood that sin is both guilt and bondage, and that the cross addresses both realities. When believers rediscover a neglected dimension of the atonement, they are not abandoning the faith they grew up with. They are recovering the fuller biblical picture. The fourth segment is: Why PSA Became Dominant in the Western Church. The rise of PSA dominance was historical rather than biblical. During the Reformation, the legal metaphors of scripture resonated deeply with a culture shaped by law courts, civic reform, and disputes with medieval abuses. Protestants emphasized the forensic side of the cross because it addressed the controversies of their era. Over time, this legal framework became the default lens for many Western Christians. But its dominance was shaped by history, not theological necessity. Recognizing this frees believers to receive the other biblical images without feeling that they are abandoning their tradition. The sixth segment is: Substitution Still Matters. Shifting emphasis does not mean losing substitution. Christ stands in our place. He gives Himself for His people. In Christus Victor, substitution takes on a different focus. Christ acts on behalf of humanity to defeat the powers we could not defeat and to break a curse we could not break. It is still substitution, but it is framed within liberation rather than divine retribution. The question is not whether substitution is biblical. The question is how the Bible applies it within the larger story of rebellion, bondage, and redemption. The seventh segment is: How This Shift Changes Faith and Prayer. For many believers, the shift begins with a new understanding of God's posture toward them. PSA can subtly create the impression that God accepts believers only after His wrath has been satisfied. Christus Victor reorients that picture. God has always been for His people. The cross is not the moment God becomes loving. It is the moment God defeats the forces that held humanity captive and demonstrates His commitment to restoring His creation. Prayer also takes on a different character. Instead of approaching God as a judge whose anger has been appeased, believers speak with a King who has already won and who invites them to share in His authority. Spiritual conflict becomes clearer. The New Testament's emphasis on hostile powers, principalities, and the dominion of death gains renewed weight. Faith becomes participation in the ongoing victory of Christ rather than a purely legal transaction. The eighth segment is: The Divine Council and the Cosmic Victory of Christ. A fuller understanding of the atonement also illuminates the Divine Council worldview woven through scripture. The cross is the moment when the hostile elohim who rebelled were judged, disarmed, and stripped of their authority over the nations. The rebellion of Genesis 6, the division of the nations in Deuteronomy 32, and the judgment of the gods in Psalm 82 form the backdrop to the work of Christ. Christus Victor situates the cross within this cosmic story and makes sense of the biblical claim that Christ triumphed openly over the rulers of this age. The ninth segment is: Salvation Has Always Been About Loyalty to Yahweh. Understanding the atonement also requires recovering a central biblical truth. From Genesis to Revelation, salvation is about covenant loyalty to Yahweh. Sin matters because it is an act of disloyalty. It aligns humanity with rival powers and hostile elohim who seek to rule the nations. Scripture consistently describes redemption as turning, returning, or giving allegiance to the one true God. The legal dimension of sin explains the guilt that must be forgiven, but guilt is not the center of the story. The deeper issue is misplaced loyalty. Humanity's rebellion in Eden, the cosmic rebellion of the sons of God, and the division of the nations all revolve around people drifting toward other rulers. The cross addresses this at the root. Christ breaks the power of those hostile beings, removes the guilt of disloyalty, and restores people to the God they were created to serve. The tenth segment is: A Biblical Example: David's Loyalty. David provides a clear example of the centrality of loyalty. Scripture never hides his sins. They were serious, and they carried real consequences. Yet he is consistently described as a man after God's own heart. The reason is not moral flawlessness, but unwavering allegiance. David never gave himself to another god. Even in failure, he returned to Yahweh, recognizing that sin was disloyalty rather than mere moral error. Psalm 51 shows that his repentance was a restoration of covenant faithfulness. This distinguishes David from Saul and Solomon, whose compromises involved divided allegiance, not isolated moral lapses. His life demonstrates that loyalty to Yahweh has always been the heart of salvation. The eleventh segment is: How This Deepens Daily Discipleship. A broader view of the atonement changes how believers understand temptation, suffering, and mission. Followers of Christ are not simply forgiven people waiting for heaven. They are participants in the restoration of creation. The powers have been defeated, but not yet removed. Believers live in the...

Have you ever wondered if God really hears the prayers of His people when the world seems to be falling apart? Or how the strange imagery of Revelation 8 would have been understood by the first Christians who knew the Old Testament Scriptures? On this week's episode of Real Talk Christian Podcast, Chris Fuller walks through Revelation 8, exploring the seven trumpets, the prayers of the saints, and the powerful connections to the Exodus, the prophets, and the Day of the Lord. Grab your favorite hot beverage and join us as we dive in.   //Resources Used In This Episode// Revelation 8, Revelation 5, Revelation 6, Revelation 7, Revelation 4, Revelation 8:1, Habakkuk 2:20, Zephaniah 1:7, Revelation 8:2, Luke 1:19, Matthew 18:10, 1 Kings 22:19, Isaiah 6, Exodus 19:16, Joshua 6:20, Joel 2:1, Revelation 8:3–5, Psalm 141:2, Luke 1:10, Revelation 6:9–10, Ezekiel 10, Ezekiel 1, Psalm 18, Mark 1:14–15, Colossians 2:15, Revelation 8:6, Revelation 8:7, Exodus 9:23–25, Exodus 7:14–25, Exodus 7:20–21, Joel 2, Genesis 1, Romans 8:19–22, Ezekiel 38–39, Revelation 8:8–9, Jeremiah 51:24–25, Exodus 7, Daniel 7, Revelation 18, Revelation 8:10–11, Revelation 1:20, Jeremiah 9:15, Jeremiah 23:15, Exodus 15:22–25, Revelation 8:12, Isaiah 13:9–10, Joel 2:10, Matthew 24:29, Exodus 10, Ezekiel 32:7–8, Joel 3:15, Amos 8:9, Revelation 8:13, Deuteronomy 28:49, Hosea 8:1, Isaiah 5:8, Isaiah 5:11, Isaiah 10:1, Matthew 23:13, Matthew 23:14, Matthew 23:15, Matthew 23:16, Matthew 23:23, Matthew 23:25, Matthew 23:27, Matthew 23:29   //Other Episode You Might Enjoy// https://realtalkchristianpodcast.com/episodes/298-revelation-6-the-opening-of-the-seals/ https://realtalkchristianpodcast.com/episodes/297-revelation-the-lamb-and-the-scroll/ https://realtalkchristianpodcast.com/episodes/296-revelation-7-hearts-of-7-churches/ https://realtalkchristianpodcast.com/episodes/295-revelation-think-again/ https://realtalkchristianpodcast.com/episodes/142impending-evil-how-do-we-handle-the-last-days-a-look-at-2-timothy-31-5-part-1/   // Helpful Links // https://www.youtube.com/@realtalkchristianpodcast The Christian Standard Bible: https://csbible.com Lifeway Christian Resources: www.lifeway.com Got Questions?: www.gotquestions.org Dwell Bible App: https://dwellapp.io Cross Formed Kids from Ryan Coatney: https://www.crossformedkids.com RTC Quick Links: https://linktr.ee/realtalkchristianpodcast RTC Online: www.realtalkchristianpodcast.com Twin Valley Coffee:  https://www.coffeehelpingmissions.com Revive festival : Music Festival | En Gedi Music Fest | Leonidas, MI (myrevivefest.com) Let Them Live: https://letthemlive.org South Side Baptist Church - https://www.southsidesbc.org/ Hope Coffee - https://hopecoffee.com/ Isaiah 6 Ministry - https://linktr.ee/isaiahsix?utm_source=qr_code

In this episode, Dru Johnson continues a challenging conversation about Israel, Palestine, Gaza, Hamas, Zionism, and Christian Zionism with Bruce N. Fisk and Daniel Bannoura. The discussion examines competing narratives about the history of Israel and Palestine and asks how Christians should think about the ongoing conflict.Fisk and Bannoura critique what they describe as the dominant Israeli and Christian Zionist narratives, particularly their treatment of Palestinian history, the Nakba, the occupation, and Palestinian claims to national identity and self-determination. They also explore how Zionism has developed historically and discuss different forms of Jewish nationalism, including political, cultural, and binational approaches.The conversation then turns to Gaza and Hamas, including questions surrounding violence, collective punishment, international law, and the use of terms such as genocide and apartheid. Bannoura offers a theological and historical analysis of Hamas, acknowledging the problems with its early rhetoric while emphasizing the importance of understanding the political conditions and experiences that contributed to its rise.Finally, Fisk discusses the book Being Christian After the Desolation of Gaza and its call for Christians to move beyond simplistic binaries and engage more seriously with questions of peace, justice, Palestinian rights, Israel, and Christian theology.Dr Bannoura and Dr. Fisk are responding to this episode: https://thebiblicalmind.org/podcast/israel-palestine-conflict-more-complicated-than-you-think/Buy the book here:https://wipfandstock.com/9798385254859/being-christian-after-the-desolation-of-gaza/ We are listener supported. Give to the cause here: https://hebraicthought.org/giveFor more articles: https://thebiblicalmind.org/Social Links:Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HebraicThoughtInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/hebraicthoughtThreads: https://www.threads.net/hebraicthoughtX: https://www.twitter.com/HebraicThoughtBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/hebraicthought.orgChapters:00:00 Introduction and episode overview01:12 Bruce Fisk summarizes the Israeli narrative03:36 Discussion of Gaza and international law05:01 Reflections on narratives and historical perspectives07:16 Orientalist discourse and Palestinian history09:38 The Nakba and Palestinian identity11:00 Zionism, land, and international law12:28 Critique of Zionist narratives and bias15:10 Zionism, transfer, and ethnic cleansing17:45 International law, UN resolutions, and legal issues19:02 Netanyahu's Zionism and security focus20:53 Israeli security fears and victimhood22:21 The book project and its goals37:26 Hamas, resistance, and evolution50:36 The development of Hamas and its political stance55:42 Militancy, resistance, and historical parallels01:00:23 The Christian critique of Israel and Palestine01:02:10 The future of a Jewish state and democratic solutionsSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

It's Thursday, September 3rd, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Iranian Muslim leaders killed 33 Christian ministers recently Iranian authorities have killed at least 33 Christian ministers in the past few months. The pastors were serving with Iran Alive Ministries, a Texas-based organization that supports house churches in the country. Authorities also arrested 131 Christians associated with the organization. Some of them are now on death row.  Despite this persecution, the ministry reports 5,849 Muslims have converted to Christianity this year. Iran Alive founder Hormoz Shariat  told the Baptist Press, “Christian prisoners consider prison as their place of ministry and they are leading many people to Christ.” The Apostle Paul was also a witness in prison. Acts 16:25 says, “But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them.” Iran-American War reaches sixth month The war between Iran and the United States continued into its six month last week. The United States carried out strikes on Iran's southern coast on Tuesday. Iran fired on U.S. bases in the region. It's the biggest exchange between the two countries since July, according to Reuters.  Despite ongoing conflict, oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz have rebounded to about two-thirds of pre-war levels.  Christian convert from Iran received asylum in Canada A Christian convert from Iran recently received asylum in Canada after being deported from the U.S. Twenty-seven-year old Artemis Ghasemzadeh entered America in 2024. If returned to Iran, she would face extreme persecution. International Christian Concern noted, “Refugees fleeing religious persecution have traditionally been granted asylum on American soil, but they faced more stringent border and refugee laws under the Trump administration. Ghasemzadeh pursued asylum in Canada after lawyers advised her that the United States was unlikely to allow her to return.”  Litigation over the Abortion Kill Pill delated until after midterms Litigation in the U.S. over the abortion kill pill is being delayed until after the midterm elections in November.  The case began last December. Florida and Texas challenged the original approval of the abortion drug mifepristone in 2000 by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.  However, a federal judge paused the lawsuit on Sunday until at least December 1. If successful, the lawsuit would make the abortion drug unavailable in all states. Florida removing all Flock cameras Florida is removing all Flock cameras from state roads. Flock cameras automatically read license plates and capture vehicle data for law enforcement, neighborhoods, and businesses. The Florida Department of Transportation recently revoked permits for license plate readers, including Flock cameras along highways. The cameras are the subject of privacy concerns across the nation, especially alleged misuse of the cameras by police officers.  Listen to comments from Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis. DESANTIS: “I'm all about having law enforcement have tools to be able to hold criminals accountable. I think that's important that we do that. No one's been stronger on law enforcement than me. But I don't want to have this become a surveillance state.” American church attendance up Churches are seeing more people attend worship services in recent years. A new survey from Lifeway Research found 54 percent of U.S. Protestant pastors report a growing church. Thirty-percent report a plateaued church. And 16 percent report a declining church.  Scott McConnell, executive director of Lifeway Research, noted, “Given the trajectory of many churches before COVID, we expected to see more pastors reporting declines in attendance. However, we continue to see a majority of pastors saying their attendance is higher than two years ago.” Archeological proof that Christ's tomb in garden And finally, recent archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem support biblical accounts. Francesca Stasolla is an archaeology professor at the Sapienza University of Rome. Last year, she led an excavation focused on the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem. The site is believed to be the location of Jesus' crucifixion and the empty tomb. The area was used as a stone quarry before Roman occupation. Later it was used for agriculture and tombs. The archeological effort discovered ancient seeds and pollen there. Stasolla told Fox News Digital that the pollen and seeds date to “between the use of the quarry and the Roman age, when the area had a funerary use”, meaning it was used for burying the dead. This aligns with the New Testament. John 19:41 says, “Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Thursday, September 3rd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com.  Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Christians are citizens of heaven yet remain in the world. In this sermon on Ephesians 2:4 titled “But God…,” Dr. Martyn Lloyd Jones shares that the two powerful words that make this a reality are “but God.” Without God's action in this world, there would be no hope for the future. Life, as Dr. Lloyd-Jones reminds, cannot be understood unless one views it in light of God. How can this done? He suggests that expository preaching teaches what God says in His word. To be lights in this world, Christians are not simply to strive to solve social issues and wars, but to remind people of the true and only hope: salvation in Christ Jesus. That hope is not to be placed in governments, people, programs or systems, but in the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and His saving work on the cross. In addition, Dr. Lloyd-Jones preaches the importance of not simply preaching morality and its benefits. Christians are not to preach at people to be civil. They are to share the gospel and beg people to repent as only then will they change. Christians can look forward to going to their true home in heaven. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/603/29?v=20251111

Filmmaker Matthew Thayer joins Alex McFarland to discuss "Can You Hear Me Now?", a powerful documentary exploring the life, prophetic voice, and tragic assassination of Charlie Kirk. Discover how God is using Charlie's legacy to awaken Gen Z and why Christians must boldly stand for truth.Subscribe to our newsletter: https://www.truthandliberty.net/subscribe  Donate here: https://www.truthandliberty.net/donate  

Where you bank may seem like a purely practical decision. We often compare interest rates, fees, convenience, and technology—and those things matter. But for Christians, banking can also be viewed through the larger lens of stewardship. Every financial decision gives us an opportunity to consider how faithfully we are managing the resources God has entrusted to us. Aaron Caid, Chief Marketing Officer at AdelFi Christian Banking, joined the show today to discuss financial discipleship, the role of Christian financial institutions, and how everyday banking decisions can support work that advances the gospel. Banking as an Act of Stewardship Biblical stewardship begins with recognizing that everything ultimately belongs to God. The money we earn, save, spend, borrow, and give has been entrusted to us to manage wisely. That perspective can shape even routine financial decisions. “For Christians, our financial decisions are an act of stewardship,” Aaron says. Whether a family is preparing for the future, a church is expanding its outreach, or a ministry is developing its budget, finances touch nearly every area of life. For a Christian financial institution such as AdelFi, that means providing practical banking tools while keeping biblical stewardship at the center of its mission. Families still need checking accounts, savings tools, loans, and credit cards. Churches and ministries still need financing and cash-management solutions. But those services can be offered with an understanding of the faith and mission behind them. Greater Capacity to Serve The strength of a financial institution matters because it affects its ability to serve its members. For families, that may mean access to resources for managing everyday expenses, building savings, and borrowing wisely. For churches and ministries, it can mean working with financial professionals who understand the unique challenges of ministry—including cash flow, property needs, growth, and long-term planning. One example came during the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic. Calvary Chapel South Orange County had been holding services outdoors in an outlet mall parking lot while Southern California churches faced restrictions on indoor gatherings. During that period, the congregation grew significantly and eventually became larger than its previous indoor space could accommodate. The church needed a new facility. AdelFi helped provide financing that enabled the congregation to purchase a larger property. While the transaction involved a loan, its impact went beyond dollars and cents. A larger building gave the growing church a place to gather, build relationships, worship, and continue growing together. It shows how financial resources can serve a larger purpose when deployed thoughtfully. What Is Financial Discipleship? Christian stewardship isn't ultimately about accumulating as much money as possible. Financial discipleship is about becoming increasingly faithful in the way we handle what God provides. That includes cultivating wisdom, contentment, generosity, and faithfulness. Jesus makes the connection between our finances and our spiritual lives clear in Matthew 6. He teaches that we cannot serve both God and money and reminds us, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). Our financial habits can either reinforce or compete with the priorities we profess. Practically, financial discipleship may look remarkably ordinary. It can mean following a realistic spending plan, saving for future needs, avoiding unnecessary debt, practicing generosity, and making decisions based on biblical convictions rather than simply following cultural expectations. These habits aren't ends in themselves. They help us put money in its proper place—as a tool entrusted to us rather than a master that controls us. Can Where You Bank Make a Difference? Stewardship can also raise another question: What happens to our money after we deposit it? Financial institutions use deposits to support lending and other financial activity. That means Christians may want to consider not only the products a bank offers but also the purposes their financial institution helps support. At AdelFi, members' deposits help provide resources to serve Christian families, churches, and ministries. According to Aaron, AdelFi has funded more than $1 billion in ministry real estate loans, helping churches and ministries acquire or improve facilities while pursuing financially responsible solutions. The organization also offers products designed to connect everyday financial activity with generosity. Its Cash Rewards Visa®, for example, allows members to earn cash back, while AdelFi also gives to Christian ministries and missions when members use their cards. None of this means choosing a Christian financial institution is required for faithful stewardship. Christians can honor God through many different financial arrangements. But it reminds us that stewardship invites us to think intentionally about all our financial choices—including where we bank. Bringing Faith Into Everyday Financial Decisions Faithful stewardship isn't limited to the offering plate or the major financial decisions we make a few times in life. It reaches into the ordinary. How we budget. How we borrow. How we save. How we spend. And even where we choose to keep our money can reflect what we value. The goal isn't simply to make every financial decision appear “Christian.” It's to recognize that every dollar belongs to God and then prayerfully ask how we can manage His resources with wisdom, generosity, and faithfulness. When our financial choices are shaped by that perspective, even something as routine as choosing a bank can become another opportunity to align our money with our faith. To learn more about AdelFi Christian Banking and its Cash Rewards Visa®, visit FaithFi.com/Banking. Apply by December 31 to earn a $200 bonus, plus 1.5% cash back on every purchase and other benefits. With every swipe, AdelFi also gives to Christian charities. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: My husband and sister both passed away, and I received life insurance benefits from each. From a biblical perspective, should I tithe on those proceeds? Our younger daughter needs help with a down payment on property where she hopes to build a home. We'd like to help, but we still have a mortgage, only a few months of cash reserves, older vehicles, and several recent major expenses. Would helping her be wise, or would it put our own finances at too much risk? I'm retired, legally blind, and currently rent a home for $500 a month. The VA has approved grants to modify it for my needs, but my daughter thinks I should buy land and put a prefab home on it so I can build equity. Considering the added costs of ownership, would I be better off continuing to rent or buying a home? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) AdelFi Christian Banking FaithFi Field Guide: How Much Money is Enough? Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Timothy 4:9-22 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss being a lifelong learner like Paul who wanted the books even when he knew he was about to die.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26687The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Sam Hamstra, Lead Pastor of Anthem Church, a fast-growing, multi-ethnic and multi-generational church serving Northwest Indiana and Chicagoland. Anthem became an independent church in March 2020—the same week the world shut down—and has since grown to multiple locations and thousands of people. In this conversation, Sam shares how clarity around mission, values, discipleship, and vision has helped Anthem develop a distinct ministry culture and sustain healthy growth. Does your church know exactly who it is and how it does ministry? Are your leaders aligned around a shared playbook—or are you borrowing someone else's model without adapting it to your context? Sam offers practical lessons on creating organizational clarity that shapes everything from calendars to leadership development. Move from imitation to innovation. // Sam is quick to acknowledge how much Anthem learned from churches and networks that came before them. But even before Anthem launched, he began recognizing that another church's model could not simply be copied and pasted into Northwest Indiana. The local culture, demographics, ministry environment, and people were different. Healthy leaders learn from others while also doing the harder work of discerning what God is uniquely calling their church to become. Clarity takes courage. // Copying an established model feels safe because leaders can see evidence that it works somewhere else. Developing your own approach requires greater faith because the outcome is less predictable. Sam believes churches must have the courage to move into that uncertainty. Rather than endlessly chasing the next successful strategy, leaders should prayerfully identify the unique blueprint God has given their church and commit to it. Define your “way.” // Inspired by Patrick Lencioni's The Advantage, Sam and his leadership team spent roughly nine months working through five foundational questions: Why do we exist? How do we behave? What do we do? How do we live? Where are we going? Their answers eventually became what they call “The Anthem Way”—a framework that brings clarity to mission, values, discipleship, spiritual formation, and long-term vision. Mission and vision are not the same thing. // Anthem's mission is to lead people to know Christ and make Him known. That mission remains constant because it flows from the Great Commission. Vision answers a different question: where is God taking this particular church? Separating those ideas has helped Anthem distinguish between the timeless calling of the church and the specific future they believe God is leading them toward. Let your discipleship pathway drive the calendar. // One of the biggest benefits of clarity has been simplifying Anthem's yearly ministry calendar. Instead of allowing every ministry to bring new ideas and events to the table, leaders evaluate opportunities through their defined discipleship pathway. The result is greater focus and consistency. Sam says their annual rhythm has remained largely the same for years, helping both staff and attenders understand what comes next. Boring can be a strength. // Churches often feel pressure to constantly create something new, but Sam has learned that repetition can be one of the greatest drivers of health. Anthem maintains a weekly prayer gathering, predictable discipleship rhythms, and recurring ministry events rather than continually reinventing the calendar. The goal is not novelty. It is consistency around the few things the church believes matter most. Create intentional invite moments. // Anthem builds four major invite opportunities into its annual rhythm: Easter, a Summer Kickoff, Homecoming, and Christmas. These predictable moments give the congregation specific opportunities to invite friends and family. Sam has seen the church grow following these events because people know when the church is intentionally creating space for them to bring someone who may not normally attend. Values have to become behaviors. // Anthem's core values include “We Love People,” “We Choose Joy,” and “We Bleed Passion.” But Sam emphasizes that values only matter when people can see them lived out. Loving people means creating a culture where people can belong before they behave. Choosing joy means approaching ministry with gratitude rather than obligation. Bleeding passion means refusing to settle for the status quo and remaining willing to change as God leads. Use clarity to protect multisite culture. // As Anthem expands to additional locations, the Anthem Way provides clear boundaries for what must remain consistent. Sam is not claiming Anthem's approach is the only way to do church, but he does believe it is important for every one of their locations to understand and embody Anthem's distinct way of doing ministry. That documented clarity gives leaders freedom while protecting the culture across campuses. Check out Anthem Church’s About page to see how their story, mission, values, and discipleship pathway fit together. You can also follow @SamHamstra and @ThisIsAnthemChurch on Instagram. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Really looking forward to today’s conversation. This is a funny one because literally yesterday I was talking to a church in a coaching call. We were talking about this exact issue that we’re going to unpack today. They’re wrestling with these things. I know that this is going to help you. So you’ve tuned in for a great conversation today with Sam Hamstra. Super excited to have him. He and his wife, Taylor, they founded Anthem Church in March 2020 with a vision and heart to lead people to know Christ and make them know known. Rich Birch — Over the past few years they have seen this mission become a reality, continues to grow. It’s a multi-ethnic, multi-generational family made up of thousands of people from all walks of life in Northwestern Indiana, Chicagoland, and beyond. It’s one of the fastest growing churches in the country. So honored that you’re with us today, Sam. Welcome.Sam Hamstra — Rich, so honored to be with you. This is a full circle moment for me. I’ve been following you for quite some time. So super honored to be on your on your show.Rich Birch — Oh, come on. That’s I’m glad you’re here. We, we’ve got a lot to learn from you today. So March, 2020, it’s one of those dates that sticks in all of our brains. Cause like, we all know, what were you doing? March 15th, 2020. We all can say exactly what we’re, where we were. That’s a wild month to, to launch.Rich Birch — It’s funny because I keep bumping into people who are telling a similar story. They’re like, we started during the pandemic, right at the beginning, right after that sort of thing. Give us a picture today and kind of from that moment all the way on to today, kind of bring the story, bring us, tell us a little bit about Anthem. Give us a flavor of the church.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so we currently today we’re headquartered in Hammond, Indiana, which when we say Indiana, different people have different thoughts. But we’re we’re actually butting up to Chicago.Rich Birch — Yep.Sam Hamstra — Joking around right now, we’re going to be the future home of the Chicago Bears soon.Rich Birch — Nice.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. But um yeah, so we’re headquartered in Hammond. Our second location is in Merrillville, Indiana, about 30 minutes from here. So currently um our family’s grown to about 2,500 people in English. And we also have a Spanish service as well. And God’s done a phenomenal work over a six-year time frame.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so we did launch in March of 2020. Our first Sunday was the same Sunday the world shut down.Rich Birch — Wow.Sam Hamstra — And so the third week of March was our first service on the internet.Rich Birch — Dude, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — That’s incredible.Sam Hamstra — Yes. So in God’s divine plan, kind of underneath our origin story, we we were actually a part of a church in Tinley Park, Illinois. We were a location of that church called Christian Life Center.Sam Hamstra — And our senior pastor and I, Pastor Jerry McQuay, we had been having an ongoing conversation about him making us independent, which is a whole long story. And he decided to really lean into what he believed God was doing in our lives and in this region and made us independent in God’s divine plan. That started in March of 2020. Rich Birch — Wow.Sam Hamstra — And so we transitioned from being a multi part of a multi site church a location up to being independent in March. And yeah, we started with nothing. We didn’t have any cameras, didn’t have anything. I called our media guy and said, do you have anything at your house? And he brought it. Yeah.Rich Birch — What gear you got in your basement? Yeah, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah and he he brought a camera from his house. And yeah, that’s how we started. One continuous shot streaming online. And that was the start of Anthem Church in March of 2020.Rich Birch — Wow. Yeah, that’s amazing.Sam Hamstra — So God’s done a great work.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. That’s incredible. That’s cool to hear and fun to see where it’s come, you know, since then. When you look back on that experience, you know, a lot of what you’re trying to define in those early days of a church, you’re trying to bring clarity to like, what is our approach? And part of what we do is you know, we there’s ah there’s, I think, some good copying and pasting. You’re like, hey, here’s the way they do it over here. Maybe we could try a little bit that. But then eventually you start kind of coming up with your own way. You kind of birth your own a approach, playbook, you might call it. Rich Birch — When did you start to feel… ah the kind of transition from, hey, I just want to do it like in this case, either CLC or another church over there. And you started to realize, hey, there’s something unique here at Anthem. And we got to try to define some of that. Talk us through maybe from um a timeline point of view or from a revelation point of view, like, oh, this is kind of things I started to see. Talk us through what that looked like.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so about two years before we launched Anthem, God started to really kind of do a work in our heart just on unique DNA. And we were coming out of like heavily influenced by ARC, Church of the Highlands, and learned so much from there.Sam Hamstra — And we’re seeing just how like clarity really was so important on where we’re going.Sam Hamstra — And so we were coming in there and I just was really praying and seeking the Lord on, okay, this is great. But in our context here, there’s some some differences, there’s some nuances.Sam Hamstra — This is, um we’re over here. what What does this look like here? And so really took the foundation of that and started looking at what does this look like? So when we started Anthem, it was with the thought of, we really want to lean into this unique blueprint of how God designed us and what God has called us to here. Sam Hamstra — So it really started from the jump from from day one. And so but it was a couple years ahead of time to say, OK, this is great. Let’s let’s use this. Let’s we’ve been imitating. Let’s imitate now move to a little bit of innovation and what the Lord would have for us.Rich Birch — Yeah, and there’s obviously there’s like an art and science to that, right? There’s like the, the yeah, insert whatever church, Church of the Highlands is fantastic. They’re doing a great thing, but you’re not Birmingham, Alabama. And you know and so there’s cultural differences, there’s community differences, there’s different resources and all that. That’s like the kind of science-y part of it. Rich Birch — But then there’s the art part of it, which is a little bit more… like intuitives, it’s like vibes, that kind of thing. How did you discern, okay, what are those things that we should be thinking about that are different that you start, or maybe things you started to see, evidence you started to see like, oh, maybe this isn’t working, just importing. Was there evidence of that that you saw?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so like, and it was like small things, you know, just on approach to Sunday service. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — You know, like, hey, this is open door, we don’t do this on Sunday. And we had just been starting to see like pretty early on, we’re we’re reaching lost people through like a hard approach to the gospel.Sam Hamstra — And it was just like, it wasn’t really seeker sensitive. Rich Birch — Sure.Sam Hamstra — It wasn’t, not saying they are, but just, it was just a little bit different in in our context where people were coming from. On the multi-ethnic side, it was just some approaches being super intentional with sounds, sights, all of that in in our context. And so, and even on the discipleship model, you know, groups, what kind of groups are we doing? How are we setting these up?Sam Hamstra — And so it was definitely like these nuances in the different categories, I would say, of discipleship that we started to pay attention to. That that was really the start, I think, of innovating what we have now.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. Why do you think so many of us just reach for someone else’s model rather than doing the longer, harder, deeper, like it’s more annoying work to try to define you know our own thing and and then ultimately to document it which we’re going to get to here. what What did you actually do to kind of try to codify that? But why do you think we avoid that as leaders?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so I think on one end, what’s established, you can see that the model works. And so um there’s great success you’re seeing. I mean, it’s working everywhere. And so I think it’s safe. And so deep down, it’s like this is established. I see it work. And so I can kind of press play on this. And and I know to a level that this this works. Sam Hamstra — And so it takes courage to do something that you haven’t seen before. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And deep, deep down, i think in our hearts, to me, that’s probably foundational thing. It’s like, man, I haven’t really seen this so his is going to require some courage, require some faith to press into the unknown.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Sam Hamstra — And so I do think that unknown word leads to some different decisions sometimes.Rich Birch — Well, and your church is an interesting um example just because it’s grown so quickly. I, you know, even in the… the lead up to it, I was thinking about, you know, the word, the term church plant.Rich Birch — Like, I don’t know when that term, you know, I was talking with a church that had been around for 30 years and they’re a big church. They’re like 20,000 people. And they, the lead pastor was like, well, we still think of ourselves as a church plant. And I’m like, yeah, I don’t at some point you stop being a church plant and just be, you start being a church. Rich Birch — And I think actually this is one of those, one of those differentiations is when you start saying, okay, like we’re going to, we believe that kind of God’s called us to this unique thing. There’s something in there. You built something that I think you call the Anthem Way. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — Walk us through what that is. How does it function? What is the Anthem Way? Help us understand that.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so this was actually birthed in an odd place. I was reading “The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni,…Rich Birch — Yeah. Sam Hamstra — …and he was talking about organizational health, and one of the keys is clarity. Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — And I had I have kind of, I’m somewhat of a mutt in church in my upbringing. Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — So I’ve been in a lot of different environments and seen to a lot of different things. And so it was really just kind of like looking like, how can we just be crystal clear on who we are, where we’re going and different things. And so I read that book and in that book, he actually laid out these questions that he was like kind of pointing to every successful organization needs to answer.Sam Hamstra — And Iwas kind of seeing that with some of the stuff I’ve been hearing. And I’m like, and there’s a couple of missing pieces for me that he pointed to that I thought was so important in church world that I would actually point to that have been some of the biggest things I think that have been what I would call probably the secret sauce of what we’ve seen as far as clarity. Sam Hamstra — Just the separation of something simple, but the difference between mission and vision, you know, why we exist compared to where we’re going. And so, yeah, I read that book and in there he laid out questions that you need to answer. I took that to our leadership team and we wrestled with these probably for about nine months. Sam Hamstra — I’m just going back and forth on wording, how we say things. question by question in five different questions. We answered those and we gave it a name called the Anthem Way. And so that was the foundation, but I want to give credit where credit is due. It came through the book, The Advantage by Patrick Lencioni. Yeah.Rich Birch — Yeah, no, that’s great. That’s fantastic. And I, you know, one of the things I love that you’ve hit on here is I’ve talked in other contexts that our vision, well, this is the problem with with vision, mission stuff is it’s like, first you have to have a conversation. How do you define vision? How do you define mission?Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — But the big thing that we’re called to, the big idea, it comes from Jesus, right? We’re supposed to reach people and grow them up in in in relationship with him. All churches should have that as their core. That is at the core of what we do. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — But getting clear on how we do that, you know, these other questions I’m assuming has helped give you a bit of a more of an edge, something that’s a little bit different. Do you want to rattle through the five questions… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …and maybe some high level, I know we can’t get into all the detail, but kind of high level how you’ve answered it. And then the follow-up I’m going ask you is, which are those couple that have given you what you think are the biggest distinctives around Anthem… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Okay. Rich Birch — …that kind of that that kind of, um you know, that provide that edge that’s a little different, you think.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. So five questions and I’ll rattle them off quick. But so first one is why do we exist? Mission – the mission question, um which you just said it, I 100% agree, you know, every church really is called to the same thing. Let’s make disciples who make disciples, the Great Commission is still our first priority.Sam Hamstra — And so the way we say that is to lead people to know Christ and make them known. That was something we just prayed into language. We want to share language that people could really rally around. Sam Hamstra — Next question is how do we behave? The values question. We wanted to boil down in our culture those not aspirational values like truly who we are. So we boil those down to three things and wrestle with the language a lot. We wanted them actionable, but we choose joy. We love people and we believe passion. Sam Hamstra — And those all have disclaimers and really feed into our culture of what we call multi-everything. We love people from all walks of life, belong before you behave, and all that falls in there.Sam Hamstra — What do we do? Patrick Lencioni was talking about how that’s really your your business definition, so to speak, not for external use, but internal. We answered that with, we provide defined discipleship pathway.Sam Hamstra — It’s what we do day in and day out. It’s why we wake up in the morning. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel. We’re not a country club. We’re not here to make money, we’re a church and and this is this is how we do, like what we do to ah to reach our why.Sam Hamstra — How we live is the spiritual question for us. We wanna make disciples. So we wanted to be able to weigh spiritually what a disciple is. And so we looked at Acts 2:42, which we felt like was a really good, definition of these handles on a disciple. And so we have five kind of disclaimers on what we want to see in our people at our church. And we offer resources on those, but from daily devotion to prayer to we share our Jesus story. How do you testify? How do we share? How do we make Christ known?Sam Hamstra — And then the last one is where are we going, which is the vision question. And we’ve we’re wrestling with the timing right now. We currently have a 10 year vision statement, which is just kind of pointers on like, this is where we believe God is taking us as a people.Sam Hamstra — And so those five questions are give us the framework for what we call the Anthem Way. What I’ve seen, as basic as it sounds and in our context. And I don’t know if this resonates with anybody. One of the most frustrating meetings I had in church context was the yearly calendar meeting.Rich Birch — Yeah, so true.Sam Hamstra — And I just felt like everybody was coming every year with their own ideas. Some of them had to do with our mission, some didn’t. And these are just in past experiences. And so it just felt like everybody was trying to, and some, you know, just different reasons, good, bad, indifferent.Sam Hamstra — And what what gave me great clarity was to look at our defined discipleship pathway and say, this is how we create our calendar. And um that’s been one thing that has simplified everything for us.Sam Hamstra — So every year in the last six years, our our yearly calendar flow has been the same. And our people are starting to understand it. The next steps fall within it when we even, you know, baptisms, we’re doing it this time. And So that’s been one thing is basically that sounds like what do we do?Rich Birch — No, no, that’s good. I like it.Sam Hamstra — I found a lot of confusion on that in the past, on like, how do we do groups? How do we have services? To define everything within that in the discipleship pathway, to me has been life-giving, not only for us as a team, but as as our church as well.Rich Birch — Yeah. Pull that apart a little bit more. I think, because I think this is where we fall down on this type of work is, you know, and, and I know it’s none of the people that are listening in, but there are churches that like, they do a retreat and we’re like, we’re going away. We’re going we’re reading Lencioni. We’re going to define the five questions. We even make a snappy poster and we put it up on the wall. And then we go back to business as usual. It’s the same thing we’ve always done. But you’ve been able to make the connection there, particularly with the calendar.Rich Birch — Maybe talk us through, give us some examples of how this work is shaping, how you’re actually defining, you know, how you operate as a church.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so one example I would say is prayer. I had somebody call me and I like to think our prayer culture is strong. And they said, how did you get your prayer culture strong? And I said, well, this is really mind blowing. We have a weekly prayer meeting.Rich Birch — Right. Right.Sam Hamstra — And so because of that, and and still as the lead pastor still today, I take responsibility for leading that because I believe it’s it’s a high value for the church. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — So it’s on the calendar. We you know And we’re not adding to it. It’s just 6 p.m. to 7 every Thursday. And we support it, which I think is the secondary layer behind that because it’s important. Now we have staff support. We have worship team support. We’re, we’re like staying very focused, on a few things rather than getting broad and going to a retreat and saying, this is a silver bullet. I don’t think there, I think the whole thing is a silver bullet, the whole pathway.Rich Birch — Right. Sure.Sam Hamstra — And so we always say, you know, I took this from somebody, but, you know, we want to be Ruth’s Chris, not Ponderosa. We want a one page menu and we really want to just do that.Rich Birch — Yep.Sam Hamstra — And it might even get boring. And we we’re trying to learn that boring is good.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Boring stuff grows churches. I love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — One of those five is sharing Jesus. Every disciple has one mission, to make Christ known. We don’t keep the gospel to ourselves. We share it through our words, our actions, our lives, wherever we go. We carry the hope of Jesus to a world that needs him.Rich Birch — Unpack some ways that that value drives behavior at the church, that actually drives calendaring and and you know what you’re talking about, that sort of thing.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so deep, you know, we always want to empower everybody to be inviters and not just share. I think the key word in that is share your Jesus story. You know, we have to be people who understand how to share a testimony outside the four walls with it, you know, with a pretty quick invite to be like, hey, come be part of this community if you don’t have a community.Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And so that is really through calendaring. We that’s really probably intrinsically baked into what we’re doing. So anytime I bring a guest to church, I’m saying it from the pulpit. And this is my friend. They’re here. I invited celebrating those through baptisms.Sam Hamstra — We let people testify of so you’re hearing stories of that. And then really resourcing people to make Christ known by sharing their story, teaching them how to do that.Sam Hamstra — So In the context of the calendar, um you know I took this from your playbook, sir, so thank you. We wanted to create four big events in our flywheel… Rich Birch — Yep. Love it. Sam Hamstra — …that are big invite events, that these are the moments where you need to bring 10 people. Rich Birch — Right. Sam Hamstra — We have found in our calendar since day one that we are seeing people respond to that and our church grows after every single time we do a big event. Rich Birch — That’s great.Sam Hamstra — And so we’re we’re doing four quarterly things.Rich Birch — Are those are those four the same every year? Are they, are they, yeah.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, yes.Rich Birch — So what are they? What are those four? If you don’t want me asking.Sam Hamstra — So, you know, Easter, of course… Rich Birch — Yep. Sam Hamstra — …summer kickoff was something we just created… Rich Birch — Yeah, great. Sam Hamstra — …to start the first Sunday of June. We rented a football field and we just say, bring everybody. We don’t… Rich Birch — That’s great. Sam Hamstra — …in our culture here, this is one thing, like, we’re like, we don’t shrink in the summer. This is a great time to grow.Rich Birch — Keep going forward. Yep. Love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. And then we created something years ago called Homecoming, just, you know, it was really show up Sunday, invite day. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yep. Sam Hamstra — And then Christmas. Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — So those are our four homecomings in November on the calendar. It just kind of flows quarterly for us that way.Rich Birch — That’s great. I love it. Well, I love what we’ve seen in fastest growing church in the country, friends that are listening in, is, you know, lots of churches will get, they have two big days, Christmas and Easter. But what we see is the behavior that you’re doing, which is you kind of end up having to make up a couple other days where you’re kind of injecting energy. We’re recording this in the summertime. You know, lots of churches have pulled a page out of Life Church’s book around At the Movies. And they, at the movies is one of their biggest attended days of the year on the the front end of that.Rich Birch — It’s just made up. There’s no reason for you to come the first week of August… Sam Hamstra — Yeah, absolutely. Rich Birch — …but they’ve decided, hey, we’re going to do that. That’s great. So we’re going to link to your about page where a lot of this is on that that page.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — On the how our core values, how we behave: We love people. We bleed passion. We choose joy. There’s some unique stuff in there. So talk me through. We love people, I think could be universally true of lots of churches… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …but I’m not sure that every church would say we bleed passion. We choose joy. Talk me through those as how those are kind of a unique thing that is helping you define what it means to be Anthem.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so you know on the love people thing, is you do hear that a lot. And I found there’s a difference between hearing it than living it out. And in religious environments sometimes, you know, I think we all pray we wanna reach the lost until you reach the lost. Rich Birch — True.Sam Hamstra — And our first service, our first Easter Sunday here, we only had one door into our auditorium. And I still remember we had the whole back of the auditorium smelled like weed.Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Okay. Love it.Sam Hamstra — And it was like this tense moment, you know, like of like, okay, this is what we pray for.Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — And kind of diving deep into that. So we really own that language within that of we belong before we behave. And so we’re, you know, you can come from all walks of life and we believe Jesus died for all people. So we love all people.Sam Hamstra — And then the we choose joy…Rich Birch — I love that. Before we move on, the thing I love about that… Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — …that you’re calling out, that I do think is a nuance that we miss in too many churches, which is oftentimes we say we want to reach people. But what that comes with is messy pastoral care, hard conversations, stuff that doesn’t make sense, and long nights. Like, it’s just hard. Rich Birch — And, um you know, if you’re, it’s easy to reach Christians from the other church across town. It’s hard to reach people who don’t normally journey in this stuff.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — And I love I love that story, even of your opening weekend with the the smell of weed in the back of the room.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — I love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Definitely messy.Rich Birch — That’s great. Yes, yes, love it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. You know, the “We choose joy” has just been, um i think one of the greatest testimonies we had was from somebody that just, it was their first time guest. So like, man, everybody feels like they’re the same here. Everybody’s so happy. And we just wanted to build in just this, we believe that, you know, joy should be a badge that every believer wears. It’s just been, you know, you go into the different environments and some people just, it seems like a chore to be alive.Sam Hamstra — And so we just wanted to drive in. This is a privilege to be part of what God is doing in the earth in this hour, even if it doesn’t look perfect. Rich Birch — That’s great. Sam Hamstra — And then with “We bleed passion”, um that’s really our way to say here, you know, if you’re looking for a place that’s content with status quo, you’re probably not going to like it here. We’re always going to be changing. We’re always going to be moving. We’re always going to be shifting. We always want to go with where the Lord is leading. And so we’re a sending church. Don’t get comfortable. There’s always going to be more services. There’s always going to be new churches. Sam Hamstra — So we tried to to really get that in the DNA from the front side.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love it.Rich Birch — I love that “we choose joy”. When I was at Liquid Church, are one of our three in this in this coupling was “Church is fun”. And you know the way we would talk about that is we would say, you know we we we say good news or we say gospel. We’re like, we should be gospel people or we should be good news people. Rich Birch — But what that actually means, how that actually should work itself out in our culture is when people interact with us, those people are a lot of fun to be around. Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Rich Birch — Because they’re redeemed people who have figured out, man, we’re following a God who loves us dearly. So what that should actually like, I love the way you’ve said it, we choose joy. Joy should be the natural outcome of our churches… Sam Hamstra — Yes. Rich Birch — …which is, again, that should not be rocket science, but it’s amazing how much that is a cultural difference or can be a huge cultural difference in many churches.Sam Hamstra — Yes. 100%. Yep.Rich Birch — That’s cool. So um you’ve been using this really throughout your how you develop leaders, how you onboard people, how you, you know, how do you come back to this time and time again? What are you using? How are you using these tools in your leadership development, in your raising up of volunteers, that sort of thing?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, so foundationally, I got to give credit where credit is due once again on this. I heard University of Kentucky’s baseball coach say this about culture, and it was like the best thing I’ve ever heard. He totally transformed his program, and he said it was culture at at the root of it. He said culture is every day. Culture is what you accept, and culture is what you reinforce.Rich Birch — It’s good.Sam Hamstra — And so we try to keep that in front of us as much as we can. It’s you know not something we just say we want to lead the way every day. So within these three, we actually just came out with 10 leadership values that all fit within those three…Rich Birch — Oh, that’s cool.Sam Hamstra — …that give a little more language to our leadership, like, you know, we love people, so we park in back. And so really speaking to the culture of, you know, we put other people first, we serve. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s good.Sam Hamstra — And so, you know, we try to outdo each other. You know, I park about a half mile away from church on Sundays. We don’t we don’t do pastor parking, you know, or anything like that. umAnd so just, it’s every day.Rich Birch — Yes.Sam Hamstra — We do a value at every single one of our pre-service huddles on Sunday. So we’re taking those three values every Sunday, one, here’s what we’re doing.Sam Hamstra — And then Leadership Pipeline, we implemented this two years ago and we’re teaching our Anthem way across the board to a new set of leaders three times a year. And so we really zone in on culture a lot. We’ve just realized people coming from a lot of different places and what makes our culture, our culture are these distinctives. And so we’re teaching those and then really trying to walk them out. And the best testimony we’ve been hearing is people say, yeah, we see that in the leadership of the church. So that’s been really cool to hear.Rich Birch — That’s really cool. I love it. And friends, this just reminds me of the like such a foundational thing we’ve all got to get right and work on and then repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat, repeat.Rich Birch — We’ve got to keep on top of this language and and just come back to it time and time again. So you’re multi-site, you’re you’re going to launch more campuses down the road. Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — How does this tie into that conversation around, you know, there can be in you know, some multi-site churches, there’s like this tension of uniformity, you know, versus autonomy. And like, how how does that how does how does your thinking work out with the Anthem Way in multiple locations?Sam Hamstra — Yeah. So I want to preface this with I’m new, so I am figuring this out in real time. Rich Birch — Sure. Yeah, yeah, yeah.Sam Hamstra — I’m coming from from being a campus pastor to now being in the position I’m in. We’re two years into our first ah plant location campus. So and we’ve seen it be successful.Sam Hamstra — But what we’ve agreed on is we are going to be uniform in the Anthem Way. So we’re choosing uniformity and everything that falls within that box of the Anthem Way. Um, and so that has been like the running lanes for us to define what we’re doing, how we’re doing it, the way we talk, the way we move, our style of church, um, and all of that. So that’s been, you know, we’ve been really struggling with, with, with what you just said, that uniformity versus unity versus, you know, autonomy. Sam Hamstra — And so, the Anthem Way is to become our framework on how we’re starting locations. And we feel like as long as everybody’s in sync with all, and it and it entails a lot, right? I mean, how we do church, our approach to a lot of things.Sam Hamstra — And so that’s been that’s been our overarching theme is we want to be uniform in this. Rich Birch — yeah that’s good. Sam Hamstra — And so that’s what we’ve been trying to make sure it’s documented, ready to go.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Yeah, that’s an interesting, that’s like a, we could have a whole other half an hour just on on on that issue.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — But one of the things we have seen over the long arc of the multi-site movement is churches that are choosing clarity and um and more, yeah, an understanding of, in your case, what is Anthem and how do we do what we do, those churches are the churches that, from my perspective, and not just statistically, are actually benefiting more from the multi-site movement. Rich Birch — The churches where they’re like, hey, let’s spend a lot of time. It can actually be the worst model because it’s like, we have a lot of people thinking about all the different ways you could potentially do church. As opposed to saying, no, no, like this is the way we’re not, we’re not saying this is the best way. We’re just saying it’s our way. We’re not saying that this is the only way to do it.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — We’re just saying this is the way we do it. And, um and we’re okay with that. We’re settled on on that as an issue.Sam Hamstra — Yeah. That’s good. That’s good.Rich Birch — That’s interesting. Is there anything that changed or that has changed as you, I realize you’ve influenced ben to this from the beginning, but like, has there been anything that has kind of changed as you got clearer on the Anthem Way over the over the years? You know, something you cut or improved or, you know, is there anything that jumps to mind on that front?Sam Hamstra — Yeah, we’re would I might use the word refined rather than changed. Rich Birch — Sure. Yep, that’s good. Sam Hamstra — I was just talking to our discipleship director this morning just on, you know, is there is there a small group model? So like our three kind of handles in our discipleship pathway are know Christ, grow in Christ, and and make Christ known.Sam Hamstra — And, you know, our small group model isn’t working. We added what we call the Mosaic School of Ministry, which is is another thing in Grow. And we’ve actually seen way more interest and success in that. And so, you know, we have a way higher percentage right now going through what we call a School of Ministry, which is classes and and discipleship then we’re getting in small groups. Sam Hamstra — And so we’ve been just kind of wrestling with that a little bit. Like, is that culture, is it good, is it bad? And so I think those those refining moments have have really changed. We started off, though, I feel soft saying this, but it worked in our context. But we would start every year with 21 days of prayer and fasting in the beginning. And do 21 days again in the fall.Rich Birch — Love it.Sam Hamstra — We’ve actually gone down to seven days to start the year. There’s seven days in the fall. We just feel like we’re seeing actually better results with more people getting involved just with those minor tweaks, just to say this…Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Sam Hamstra — …his is we’re we’re seeing bigger impact there. Rich Birch — Sure. Sam Hamstra — But so I think those refining things have been really good.Rich Birch — Has there been any of that refining that has come not from you, but from a member of your team? Like, has anyone called you out or called the church out on like, hey, like on prayer or on any of these where, you know, like when that’s happened in my life, I kind of like that. Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — I’m like, oh, well, that’s a pleasant thing that just happened there, even though it feels weird to be the person being called out.Sam Hamstra — Yeah.Rich Birch — Have you had any experiences like that?Sam Hamstra — Yeah. Yes. I’m laughing because, yeah, I’ve had quite a few. I could point to the one with prayer fasting. Rich Birch — Yes. So somebody on our team was like, hey, pastor, you know that there’s really no a place in the Bible where there’s a three week corporate fast. Rich Birch — Sure. Sam Hamstra — Yeah like where the whole church is coming together for three weeks and I’m like well I got a challenge, I’m gonna look. And I’m like sure enough you know, I’m maybe somebody could find it, but it was like these times and seasons where people come together for specific things of like, oh man you’re right. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, love it. Sam Hamstra — So and so that was like one of those um yeah it’s it’s definitely happened quite quite a bit and so which I love that too and so it’s been such a blessing of solid team that feels free to speak when when they need to.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s great. Well, this has been a good conversation, just as we’re kind of coming to land. If you think about a church out there that feels like okay they’ve listened to this and they’re like okay, we maybe they’ve opened up your website. And they’re like, hey, we’re not as clear on this that as we could be, we need to get much clearer on that.Rich Birch — What’s kind of one first step that you would encourage people to take? What would be kind of the best first step towards getting clarity on this front?Sam Hamstra — Write the vision, make it plain so that he that reads it may run.Rich Birch — Dude, I love it. And with that, we end the episode. That’s fantastic. No, that’s great. Unpack that a little bit.Sam Hamstra — Um, you know, I for so much of my life, I was always looking to be so unique and so different. Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And I felt like I just needed the next best thing. And it was wasn’t until I just locked into this is what the Lord has for us. And it might sound like somebody else it might look and that’s OK, but this going to be very unique to us. And this is what we’re doing. And just to be very clear on that and then just this is for me, but I get bored so easily. And to just, just not get bored and just keep doing the same thing in the same direction day after day.Rich Birch — Right.Sam Hamstra — And in that that flywheel, to use your words, it does work. And just to see that go and to to get very clear and and simple and and let people know where you’re going and just keep saying the same thing over and over is so life-giving.Rich Birch — That’s so good. So good.Rich Birch — Well, I really appreciate you being here today. If we want to send people anywhere online to track with you or to track with the church, where do we want to send them?Sam Hamstra — So first name, last name would be all my personal stuff. So @samhamstra, last name H-A-M-S-T-R-A.Sam Hamstra — And all church stuff is weareanthemchurch.com. And then weareanthemchurch on social as well.Rich Birch — Love it. So good. Appreciate that, Sam. Thanks so much for being here. Honored that you take some time to be with us today.Sam Hamstra — Yeah, thanks so much, Rich, my honor.

The jury in the Lindsay Clancy remains deadlocked. Allie explains the possible verdicts available to the jury and presents three concise reasons why Clancy should be convicted of the willful murder of her children. If the jury is unable to decide on a verdict, the judge will declare a mistrial and the prosecutors will decide whether to retry the case. Many women, both liberal and conservative, have sided with Clancy. Allie warns against losing sight of the actual victims in this case and challenges them to think about how they would react if the victims had been their own children. Justice should never be rooted in compassion but in truth. Empathy-based justice is not justice at all. Every piece of evidence and information in the case should be viewed in light of the undisputed fact that Lindsay Clancy murdered her three kids. Even in the midst of this darkness and confusion, Allie reminds Christians that God's plan of redemption is going off without a hitch; he is completely sovereign, even over something as awful as this. Allie concludes the episode by looking at “Oreo gate” — the viral social media mom drama concerning Oreos in school lunches — and whether it is even real. Do you have a question for Allie? Leave a voicemail at 844-755-5252 Share the Arrows 2026 is on October 10 in Dallas, Texas! Tickets are on sale now at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://sharethearrows.com⁠⁠⁠ Share the Arrows is sponsored by: A'del Natural Cosmetics: AdelNaturalCosmetics.com Range Leather: RangeLeather.com/ALLIE We Heart Nutrition: WeHeartNutrition.com Buy Allie's book "Toxic Empathy: How Progressives Exploit Christian Compassion": ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.toxicempathy.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Time Codes 00:00 - Opening 04:56 - Closing Arguments & Verdict Updates 12:44 - A Closer Look at the Jury and the Punishment Options 27:22 - Reason #1 She Should Be Found Guilty: Mental Illness Is Not the Same as Legal Insanity 39:09 - Reason #2 She Should Be Found Guilty: The Evidence Shows She Planned the Murders 50:49 - Reason #3 She Should Be Found Guilty: She Was Only Diagnosed with Psychosis After the Murders 1:02:07 - Tyler Robinson Trial Reminder 1:03:07 - Oreogate – Today's Sponsors: Seven Weeks Coffee | Experience the best coffee while supporting the pro-life movement with Seven Weeks Coffee; use code ALLIE at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.sevenweekscoffee.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to get up to 25% off your first order, plus your free gift! We Heart Nutrition | Check out We Heart Nutrition at ⁠⁠⁠WeHeartNutrition.com⁠⁠⁠ and use the code ALLIE for 20% off. Take charge of your health expenses and be part of a community. Join CrowdHealth to get started today for $99 a month for your first three months using code ALLIE at joincrowdhealth.com. Fellowship Home Loans | Start with a free consultation at FellowshipHomeLoans.com/Allie and receive a $500 credit at closing. NetSuite | If your revenues are at least seven figures and you want to try NetSuite Next for free, go to NetSuite.AI/ALLIE. Episodes You May Like: Ep 1388 | I Was Wrong About Lindsay Clancy. Why I've Changed My Mind https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1388-i-was-wrong-about-lindsay-clancy-why-ive-changed/id1359249098?i=1000786103933 Ep 1386 | Did Patrick Clancy Do It? Fact-Checking Lindsay Clancy's Defenders https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1386-did-patrick-clancy-do-it-fact-checking-lindsay/id1359249098?i=1000784406133 Ep 1380 | Lindsay Clancy Trial: Psychotic Victim or Ruthless Murderer? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/ep-1380-lindsay-clancy-trial-psychotic-victim-or-ruthless/id1359249098?i=1000780109968 --- ► Buy Allie's book "You're Not Enough (& That's Okay): Escaping the Toxic Culture of Self-Love": https://alliebethstuckey.com/book ► Subscribe to the podcast: iTunes: https://apple.co/2UVssnP Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2FwkXxj ► Connect with Allie on social media: https://twitter.com/conservmillen https://www.instagram.com/alliebstuckey/ https://facebook.com/allieBlazeTV/ ► "Relatable" merchandise — use promo code ALLIE10 for a discount: https://shop.blazemedia.com/collections/allie-stuckey

When we consider what it means to be “close to God,” it's likely we think of the religious as near to him and non-churchgoers as far away. But Paul tells us that no matter how close we seem, we are all equally estranged from God until we call Christ our Savior. As the Book of Ephesians points out, the real question of whether we are Christians or not is not how good we are or how often we pray. The real question is: have we been brought near by the blood of Christ? Let's look at how 1) those far from God tend to avoid him, 2) how those near to him do the same in different ways, and 3) how the blood of Christ reconciles both with the Lord. This sermon was preached by Dr. Timothy Keller at Redeemer Presbyterian Church on February 28, 1993. Series: Salvation From the Outside In. Scripture: Ephesians 2:11-18. Today's podcast is brought to you by Gospel in Life, the site for all sermons, books, study guides and resources from Timothy Keller and Redeemer Presbyterian Church. If you've enjoyed listening to this podcast and would like to support the ongoing efforts of this ministry, you can do so by visiting https://gospelinlife.com/give and making a one-time or recurring donation.

Why are the Christians who profess right doctrine about God often the most opposed to social justice in his name? That contradiction is at the heart of Charlie Dates' new book. He talks with Skye about how separating justice and righteousness is damaging both white evangelicalism and young black activists. Also this week: Reflections on the wisdom of Dolly Parton, why religious tolerance isn't enough to heal America's divisions, and the difficulty of being an introvert within evangelicalism.   Holy Post Plus: Ad-Free Version of this Episode: https://holypost.substack.com/p/728db798-3a84-4359-9d16-b6c8429205b1 0:00 - Show Starts 0:44 - Theme Song 1:23 - Sponsor - BetterHelp - This episode is sponsored by BetterHelp. Give online therapy a try at https://www.betterhelp.com/HOLYPOST and get 10% off your first month! 2:21 - Sponsor - The Esau McCaulley Podcast -  https://pod.link/1770229436 3:43 - Dolly Parton's Legacy 27:07 -  Sponsor - Sundays Dog Food - Get 40% off your first order of Sundays. Go to https://www.SundaysForDogs.com/HOLYPOST or use code HOLYPOST at checkout. 28:12 - Sponsor - Tyndale - The Life Application Study Bible is here to give you resources to help you understand why scripture matters and how it applies today! Check it out now at: https://www.tyndale.com/sites/lasb/?utm_campaign=Bibles%20-%20NLT%20Life%20Applicati[…]ource=Holy%20Post%20Podcast&utm_medium=Microsite%20Nov%202025 29:30 - When do We Become the Person We Ought to Be? 43:06 - Covenantal Pluralism 52:38 - Interview 1:02:57 - White Evangelical Blindness 1:09:17 - MLK50 1:15:00 - Waning Interest in Justice 1:22:00 - Fearing God vs. People 1:28:22 - End Credits Links Mentioned in News Segment: Morality, reflection, and age: https://www.graphsaboutreligion.com/p/when-do-we-become-the-person-we-ought   Covenantal Pluralism: The Geopolitics of Interfaith Religious Freedom by Iqbal Akhtar: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-032-31479-6   Other Resources: What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness?: Reclaiming the Intersection of Protest and Prayer by Charlie Dates: https://amzn.to/4zPhVym   Holy Post website: https://www.holypost.com/   Holy Post Plus: www.holypost.com/plus   Holy Post Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/holypost   Holy Post Merch Store: https://www.holypost.com/shop   The Holy Post is supported by our listeners. We may earn affiliate commissions through links listed here. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.  

It's Witness Wednesday at Georgia Tech! Could you explain the gospel if someone put you on the spot? Todd talks with Christian students, tackles tough abortion questions, and challenges an atheist who thinks good people go to heaven. Segment 1 • A Christian physics student sees evidence of a Creator everywhere—but can he clearly explain the gospel? • Why understanding our sin is essential to understanding the love of Christ. Segment 2 • Todd gives a group of Christian students 60 seconds to convince him to become a Christian. • Is telling someone “God loves you” enough—or are we leaving out the very reason Jesus had to die? Segment 3 • Is abortion ever justified because of rape, incest, disability, or difficult circumstances? • Todd brings the debate back to one fundamental question: What is the unborn child? Segment 4 • An atheist thinks Christianity is about being good enough to get into heaven. Is that actually the gospel? • Todd challenges his claim to being a “good person” before explaining why salvation isn't something we can earn. ___ Thanks for listening! Wretched Radio would not be possible without the financial support of our Gospel Partners. If you would like to support Wretched Radio we would be extremely grateful. VISIT https://fortisinstitute.org/donate/ If you are already a Gospel Partner we couldn't be more thankful for you if we tried!

Imagine a small town in rural Tennessee — a town square, a yellow brick courthouse, a family-owned restaurant, a café, and beautiful sunrises and sunsets across the Appalachian foothills.Now, imagine a group of far-right real estate developers — backed by Silicon Valley venture capital and with powerful ties to Washington — move into town. They have a vision to build a new kind of community and turn it into a haven for like-minded white Christians.That's what's happening in Gainesboro, Tennessee. And it's part of a growing movement by some far-right Christian nationalists to relocate to red states and turn small towns into white enclaves. Locals in Gainesboro are alarmed. They call it a “takeover.” And they are pushing back. That's the story of “Our Town,” a new Bloomberg investigative podcast series. We sit down with its hosts to talk about this takeover in Tennessee.Find more of our programs online. Listen to 1A sponsor-free by signing up for 1A+ at plus.npr.org/the1a.See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for sponsorship and to manage your podcast sponsorship preferences.NPR Privacy Policy

Even people have never set foot in a church have probably heard of “baptism” and know that it's something…well…Christian. But what exactly IS baptism? Why do Christians do it? How do they do it? Who get baptized? And why don't Christians all think the same thing about baptism? Why has it been so divisive and such a hot-button issue over time? Join Dan for this week's episode as he untangles this familiar, but still baffling, practice. SUPPORT US: www.axismundi.us www.irmce.org - our supporting nonprofit Books :

In this episode of Pray the Word on 2 Kings 1:3, David Platt reminds us to seek God first when we face difficult decisions.Explore more content from Radical.

How can we be confident that our faith will endure to the end? Today, R.C. Sproul teaches that our perseverance as Christians rests not in our own strength but in the ongoing intercession of Christ on our behalf. Read the transcript: https://ligonier.org/podcasts/ultimately-with-rc-sproul/christs-work-of-intercession/ Study Reformed theology with a free resource bundle from Ligonier Ministries: https://grow.ligonier.org/ A donor-supported outreach of Ligonier Ministries. Donate: https://donate.ligonier.org/ Explore all of our podcasts: https://www.ligonier.org/podcasts

Join us as Dr. Michael Rydelnik answers your questions on how Christians should view modern day Israel and the Jewish people. Why is antisemitism working its way into the Church? Why is ‘replacement theology’ not substantiated by Scripture? What is an unconditional covenant? Hear the answers to these questions and more on today’s broadcast.Become a Parshall Partner: http://moodyradio.org/donateto/inthemarket/partnersSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Why is healthcare so broken and what does the Catholic faith have to say about it? Gomer and Dave wrap up their series on healthcare by exploring what happens when we lose sight of the human person. With a focus on suffering, human flourishing, financial incentives, and bureaucracy, Gomer and Dave explore why Catholics are needed in healthcare and in every profession. What would it look like to approach our work, and the people we serve, through a truly Catholic vision? We want to hear from you! Email us at eksb@ascensionpress.com with your questions/comments Don't forget to text “EKSB” to 33-777 to get the shownotes right to your inbox! You can also find the full shownotes at www.ascensionpress.com/EveryKneeShallBow

What happens when Christians separate righteousness from justice? ⁠Watch this conversation on YouTube . In American Christianity, questions of personal morality and public justice are often treated as though they belong in different categories. Christians may speak confidently about some moral issues while dismissing others as distractions from the gospel or as politics the church should avoid. Charlie Dates' new book, What Hath Justice to Do with Righteousness?, challenges that distinction. Scripture, he argues, doesn't allow Christians to choose between personal holiness and concern for the people and communities around them. On this episode, Russell and Charlie explore what that divide has done to the American church and why, in Charlie's words, American Christianity can become “more American than Christian.” They discuss what the prophet Amos has to say to comfortable churches, why pastors can be tempted to avoid difficult subjects, and what Christian courage looks like when speaking the truth comes with a cost.  Dates has no easy optimism about where American Christianity is headed, in fact, he says he has a “healthy cynicism". But, he does have hope that, as he says, is needed “when the evidence is against you.” Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Did Constantine change the church's day of worship from Saturday to Sunday? Pastor Adriel Sanchez addresses this theory that has long been stated online, demonstrating that the Christian practice has been to gather for worship on Sunday, the Lord's Day, since the first century. DOWNLOAD IS GOD FAIR? A classic essay from the late J.I. Packer on whether God is really fair. FOLLOW US YouTube | Instagram | X/Twitter | Facebook | Newsletter WHO WE ARE Sola Media serves today's global church by producing resources for reformation grounded in the historic Christian faith. For over thirty-five years, Sola has walked alongside Christians in their faith, pointing away from novelty and ourselves, and toward Christ and his gospel as proclaimed in the Scriptures, articulated in the ancient Christian Creeds, and summarized in the confessions of the Protestant Reformation. Learn more: https://solamedia.org/

Jacob Coyne joins me this week with the credibility of someone who has lived on both sides of that gap. He built a platform of more than a million followers and a suicide prevention movement that has reached a generation, and then received a warning that reordered his life: you cannot build a house on a rocket ship. We talk about the commercialization of Christianity and the strange market for spiritual performance, about how discernment is formed in slow and hidden places rather than loud ones, and about the sobering warning Jesus gives in Matthew 7—that a person can do impressive things in His name and still hear, "I never knew you." This is not a conversation about someone else's hypocrisy. It is about yours and mine. Guest Bio Jacob Coyne is a preacher, content creator, and the founder of Stay Here, a faith-based suicide prevention movement that has trained and equipped a generation, reaching people through a social media following of more than 1.4 million. He is the author of the new book The Secret Life of Christians: How to Live Authentically, Especially When No One Is Watching, which grew out of his own reckoning with platform, performance, and the cost of building a name. He lives with his wife, Mariah, and their daughters in East Tennessee, where much of this conversation about the hidden life was hard-won. Show Partner SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The Tenpenny Files – Dr. J.B. Hixson examines how artificial intelligence, surveillance networks, religious pluralism and emerging technologies may fit biblical prophecy and future global control. He warns that Christians should recognize rapidly developing systems, remain spiritually prepared and resist fear as cultural and technological changes accelerate worldwide today...

What can St. Lawrence teach Catholics about suffering, courage, peace, and Christian joy?In 258 AD, during the persecution of Christians in Rome, St. Lawrence knew that martyrdom could be waiting for him. When the authorities demanded the treasures of the Church, Lawrence famously presented them with the poor. And when he was eventually condemned to a brutal death on the gridiron, tradition remembers him responding with extraordinary courage—and even humor.But the lesson of St. Lawrence goes far beyond one famous line.Christian joy is not pretending that suffering doesn't hurt. It isn't optimism, comfort, or having everything go according to plan. It is possessing something that circumstances cannot touch.Your plans can collapse.You can lose money.People can turn against you.Your career can disappear.Your health can fail.Your reputation can be taken from you.Even your life will eventually be taken.But Christ cannot be taken from you.That changes everything.In this episode, we look at St. Lawrence and the Christian understanding of joy as a form of defiance against despair. We also consider the courage of persecuted Catholics and the remarkable story of St. Eustace as reminders that suffering does not get the final word.Three lessons stand out:1. Stop asking circumstances for permission to have peace.2. Learn to laugh at what frightens you.3. Remember what cannot be taken from you.

Send us Fan MailWhat happens when a culture loses its grip on objective reality? On this episode of Strong By Design, Coach Chris Wilson welcomes back Dr. Frank Turek for his fifth appearance on the podcast to discuss his provocative new book, The War on Reality. You can preorder the book at the link below!Frank is a Christian apologist, author, speaker, and founder of CrossExamined.org, and he has spent decades defending the truth claims of Christianity using reason, evidence, and logic. In this conversation, Frank explains why he believes the battle we're facing today goes much deeper than politics or cultural disagreement. It is ultimately a battle over truth, reality, human identity, morality, family, information, and even our understanding of what it means to be human. Chris and Frank explore what happens when subjective feelings begin to outrank objective facts, whether technology and artificial intelligence have made it harder to know what is true, and whether a free society can survive without a shared understanding of reality. They also discuss the role Christians have played in this cultural moment, why defending truth requires more than simply knowing what you believe, and how we can equip the next generation to think critically in a world increasingly confused about truth. If you've ever wondered why the cultural battles of our day seem to go far deeper than politics, this conversation with Dr. Frank Turek will give you plenty to think about. Time Stamps00:00 – Why “your truth” can't define reality00:49 – Welcome to the Strong by Design podcast!01:12 – Join Coach Chris along with our special guest Frank Turek02:48 – The tragic loss of Charlie Kirk05:00 – Why is culture changing?07:01 – Can 'feelings' change biological reality?09:28 – How postmodernism changes the way we see truth12:35 – How modernism led to postmodernism15:00 – Are Christians partly responsible for cultural decline?17:28 – What socialism gets wrong about human nature20:07 – Why work and incentives matter22:55 – Can we really customize reality?24:25 – Finding peace through grief and loss28:44 – Why rebellion is a deeper problem than death31:09 – What history says about culture and civilization33:07 – What the numbers reveal about America37:08 – How language changes the way we see reality39:00 – Can AI be trusted to tell the truth?41:11 – What happens when students use AI to cheat?43:19 – How can we know God exists?45:37 – Get a closer look at The War on Reality (pre-order!)48:55 – Share, rate & review the Strong by Design podcast!  Get the book – The War on Reality:https://thewaronreality.com/ Frank's past episodes:Ep 65 Stealing from GodEp 186 Is the 'Cancel Culture' Loving or Unloving and How Do We Respond?Ep 238 Hollywood Heroes - How Your Favorite Movies Reveal GodEp 310 Correct, Not Politically Correct Connect with Frank:Instagram Connect with Chris:InstagramSupport the showConnect w/ Critical Bench: YoutubeFacebookInstagramCriticalBench.comCriticalNutritionLabs.comStrongByDesignPodcast.com

Sometimes the best conversations happen when you least expect them.   In this episode, I'm taking the podcast downtown and having conversations with people I've never met before - about faith, doubt, prayer, church, and what it looks like to follow Jesus in everyday life.   One conversation especially stuck with me. I met Sky, who grew up around Christianity but has wrestled with what she sees and hears from Christians today. We talked honestly about politics, spiritual questions, church hurt, creativity, and what she thinks about Jesus.   We also talk about something I know a lot of us wrestle with: How do you actually talk about your faith with people who don't go to church? I share some simple ways to start those conversations through praying for opportunities, asking questions, sharing your story, inviting someone along, and most importantly, letting the way we live point people toward Jesus.   Because following Jesus isn't about having all the right answers or forcing a conversation. Sometimes it starts with simply being willing to sit down, listen, and love someone well.   Thanks to our amazing partners on this episode:    First Interstate Bank has a mission to help people and their money work better together. They do this by ensuring clients can manage their money conveniently wherever they are while also providing the friendly service. They have over 300 locations throughout 14 states! For more information and to find a location near you, visit https://www.firstinterstatebank.com/   Vern Eide Motorcars is a growing employee-owned company that offers sales, service, and financing of automotive, motorcycle, and power sports lines, including Acura, Ford, Chevy, GMC, Honda, Hyundai and Mitsubishi brands. Whether you live locally or across the country, visit https://www.verneide.com/   Subscribe to Life Between Sundays on YouTube and watch the full episode: youtube.com/@adamaweber  Sign up for The Crew: https://www.adamweber.com/thecrew  

On this episode of Countdown to Eternity, Pastors James and Tom discuss the growing obsession with Rapture predictions, “high watch” seasons, and the distractions that are pulling Christians away from what Jesus actually told us to do while we wait for His return. The signs are real, the hour is late, and Jesus is coming, but the question is whether He will find us watching from the sidelines or faithfully building, serving, redeeming the time, and doing the work He has placed in front of us. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1479/29?v=20251111

Be sure to visit cultureproof.net Please consider supporting the Culture Proof Podcast. We aim to bring engaging content that will challenge and equip Christians to live according to the Straight Edge of Scripture. All gifts are tax deductible. Our Address is: S.E. Ministries PO Box 1269 Saltillo MS, 38866   Episode sponsors: BJUPress Homeschool We Heart Nutrition – Go to weheartnutrition.com/cultureproof for 20% 0ff Culture Proof Listeners  THANKS!   Culture Proof Podcast Theme song "Believers" courtesy of Path of Revelation    

It's Wednesday, September 2nd, A.D. 2026. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard on 140 radio stations and at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Jonathan Clark Another state in India passed anti-conversion law India's state of Maharashtra became the 13th in the country to enact an “anti-conversion” law last week. It's the country's second-most populous state. This has prompted thousands of churches in the area to have worshippers sign a form. The form simply says the person is attending freely and not under coercion.  India's “anti-conversion” laws are often used to target Christians. Hindu nationalists have attacked churches in Maharashtra 11 times in the last six months. India is ranked 12th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of the most dangerous places to be a Christian.  In John 15:18-19, Jesus said, “If the world hates you, you know that it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Send a polite, 4-sentence note to Vinay Kwatra, the Indian Ambassador to America, asking that he urge his government not to pass these anti-conversion laws which target Christians. Address it to the Embassy of India, 2107 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20008. You'll find the correct spelling of the ambassador's name and the address in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Australia's new assisted suicide law ABC News Australia reports Australia's Northern Territory passed a bill legalizing assisted suicide last week. The territory was the first in the world to legalize voluntary euthanasia in the 1990s. Australia's federal government overturned the law within a couple years. But in 2022, the government reversed its decision, allowing the territory to legalize assisted suicide once again.  Now, all states and territories in Australia allow for this form of killing. Over 7,200 people have died this way in the country since 2019. Trump's Venezuelan oil deal gives access to 65 billion barrels The Trump administration announced a major oil deal with Venezuela on Friday.  The deal would give the United States access to 17 oil fields in Venezuela with proven reserves of 65 billion barrels of oil. That's about 20 percent of the country's reserves. By comparison, the U.S. has 46 billion barrels of proven oil reserves.  President Donald Trump hopes the deal will lower gas prices for Americans. However, analysts suggest that the deal will not relieve prices in the short-term.  Homeland Security investigates voter fraud in 9 states CNN reports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is investigating voter fraud in nine states ahead of the midterm elections in November. These states include California, Connecticut, Georgia, Missouri, Nevada, New York, Pennsylvania, Washington, and Wisconsin. The Trump administration is pushing for states to phase out certain electronic voting systems and move to paper ballots. The administration has threatened to withhold significant homeland security funds from states that do not adopt such election changes.  ICE arrested 51,000 immigration arrests in July U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement made 51,000 immigration arrests in July. That's up from 43,000 arrests in June. Both months set records for the agency.  Nearly 20,000 of July's arrests were in Texas and Florida. Both states have been very cooperative with the Trump administration's mass deportation efforts.  Gallup poll: Americans supportive of marriage if couple has kids A new Gallup poll found that more Americans are supportive of marriage when children are involved. Thirty-nine percent of U.S. adults say it is very important for a couple to be legally married if they have a child together. That's up from 29 percent in 2020. However, it's down from 49 percent in 2006. Gallup noted, “Weekly church attendees show one of the largest increases since 2020 in the belief that couples, who have a child together, should be married, up 24 points, from 41% to 65%.” Bible societies distributed 148 million Scriptures in 2025 And finally, the United Bible Societies distributed over 148 million printed Scriptures in 2025.  The top countries for Bible distribution last year were Brazil, China, India, Nigeria, and the Philippines.  Rev. Dirk Gevers, Secretary General of the United Bibles Societies, said, “While printed Scriptures continue to reach hundreds of millions of people each year, digital engagement is growing, opening new opportunities to connect with the Bible through mobile devices and online platforms.” This year is the organization's 80th anniversary. Since 1946, the Bible society has distributed 25 billion Scriptures, including 1.1 billion complete Bibles.  Malachi 1:11 says, “From the rising of the sun, even to its going down, My name shall be great among the Gentiles; in every place incense shall be offered to My name, and a pure offering; for My name shall be great among the nations.” Close And that's The Worldview on this Wednesday, September 2nd, in the year of our Lord 2026. Subscribe for free by Spotify, Amazon Music, or by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Plus, you can get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Stewardship is an act of worship, an expression of faith, and a discipline for spiritual growth. In this series, The Stewardship Principles of Jesus, Pastor Chappell shows us how to steward the resources God has entrusted in our care. Many Christians find it difficult to practice generosity. Today, we invite you to journey with Jesus through Scripture to see the reasons for giving, the discipline of giving, and the motivation of giving.

https://wels2.blob.core.windows.net/daily-devotions/20260902dev.mp3 Listen to Devotion Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. Romans 8:23 Groan With Hope The Bible calls the blessings we receive as Christians (for example, the peace of forgiveness) the “firstfruits.” The full harvest is coming. We have not experienced all the blessings that God promised. Therefore, we still battle temptations and fight our sinful nature. We still feel the aches of aging bodies. Because sin has left its mark on us, we groan. But the Christian’s groan is different. The world hopes things might get better. The Christian groans with certainty. We know things will get better. Our groaning is not the cry of someone abandoned by God. It is the longing of a child waiting to go home. The apostle Paul says we wait for “the redemption of our bodies.” What a wonderful promise! God is not interested only in saving our souls. Jesus redeemed the whole person. The same body that grows tired and eventually dies will be raised in glory. On the Last Day, Christ will transform our lowly bodies to be like his glorious body. No disease. No disability. No pain. No death. Only perfect life in the presence of our Savior. How can we be so sure? Because Jesus has already walked this path. He groaned under the weight of our sin. He endured the agony of the cross. His body was laid in a grave. But on the third day, he rose. His resurrection is God’s guarantee that ours is coming. His resurrection was the firstfruit of others to come. Until then, we do not pretend life is easy. We bring our griefs, disappointments, and fears to our Savior. We groan and pray fervently. And we wait eagerly, knowing that every day brings us one step closer to the moment when our groans are drowned out by the song of victory that God’s children will one day sing forever. Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for making me your child through faith in Jesus. When I grow weary under the burdens of this life, strengthen my hope as I wait for the resurrection of my body and the joy of living forever in your presence. Through Jesus Christ, my risen Savior. Amen. Daily Devotions is brought to you by WELS. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc. ™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Morning Offering, September 2, 2026 is brought to you by The Catholic Company https://bit.ly/4iE2piNWhat does childlike faith actually mean? Father Brad reflects on why Christians cannot build up the Church through their own strength but must learn to rely completely on God's grace.Every morning, join Father Brad as he begins the day with prayer and reflection. In a few short minutes, Father Brad guides you in prayer, shares a brief reflection grounding your day in the Church's rhythm of feast days and liturgy, and provides you with the encouragement necessary to go forward with peace and strength. Disclaimer: The ads shown before, during, or after this video have no affiliation with Morning Offering and are controlled by YouTubeLet us do as the saints urge and begin our days in prayer together so as a community of believers we may join the Psalmist in saying, “In the morning, Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly.” (Psalm 5:3-4)________________

The Chosen has become one of the most popular Christian television series in the world, praised by many for making Jesus and the Gospel feel more relatable. But does making the Bible more relatable come at the cost of biblical accuracy?In this episode of What's the World Coming To?, Pastor Ken Ortize takes a critical look at The Chosen and raises concerns about its extensive use of invented dialogue, fictional backstories, altered timelines, and extra-biblical material.When Scripture is silent, how much creative license should we take? Can a dramatized version of Jesus begin to shape our understanding of Him more than the biblical text itself?Pastor Ken explains why he believes Christians should approach biblical entertainment carefully and why, when it comes to knowing Jesus, the book is still better than the movie.www.wtwcomingto.com 

2 Timothy 4:6-8 (ESV)Andrew, Isack, and Edwin discuss what it means to love the appearing of Jesus Christ.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here.    Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org.    Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here.   Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26676The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/ 

What does it mean to live faithfully as a Christian in a culture that no longer shares a Christian understanding of reality? In this lecture at Westminster Theological Seminary, Dutch art historian and Christian thinker Hans Rookmaaker explores the relationship between Christianity and culture, moving from art, music, wealth, and the church to deeper questions of knowledge, certainty, and the Christian's starting point for understanding the world. Rookmaaker challenges the illusion of neutral scholarship and argues that while every human interpretation is finite and shaped by its presuppositions, Christians nevertheless stand within a real, created world whose ultimate certainty is God himself. Along the way, he considers what this means for preaching, cultural engagement, and even the ordinary choices Christians make about music, art, money, and beauty. The result is a characteristically wide-ranging argument that Christianity concerns not merely a religious corner of our existence, but the whole of human life before God. If you enjoy this episode, you can access tons of content just like this at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wm.wts.edu⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. If you would like to join us in our mission to train specialists in the bible to proclaim the whole counsel of God for Christ and his global church, visit ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠wts.edu/donate⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Thanks for listening!

In this episode of the Deeper Podcast, Darren and Mo launch into 1 Thessalonians and explore one of its dominant themes: the return of Jesus Christ. Why does Paul emphasize Christ's return so often, and why does the modern American church seem to talk about it so little? We'll break down the major views of the end times, separate biblical certainty from speculation, and discuss how the promise of Christ's return should shape the way Christians live with hope, holiness, urgency, and purpose today.

Can Christians drink wine? Is alcohol inherently sinful? And if the Bible speaks openly about wine, why has drinking become such a controversial topic in parts of the American church? In this episode of The Wine CEO Podcast, I sit down with Pastor Randy Frazee for a thoughtful conversation about the spiritual significance of wine and alcohol in Scripture. We discuss what the Bible actually says about drinking, the difference between alcohol and drunkenness, how Prohibition helped shape American church culture, and why faithful Christians can come to different convictions on this issue. Whether you enjoy a glass of wine or choose not to drink at all, this conversation offers fascinating historical and biblical context for a topic the church has debated for generations. Watch this interview on YouTube: https://youtu.be/GeXbyfjubUc ------ Subscribe to my newsletter on my website for a free guide to food and wine pairing! thewinceo.com  ------ Today's Guest: Pastor Randy Frazee: https://www.randyfrazee.com/ New Book on Wine: https://www.randyfrazee.com/wine-in-the-word https://www.instagram.com/randyfrazee https://www.instagram.com/giselakreglinger/ #TheWineCEO #Christianity #Bible #Wine #ChristianLiving #Faith #BiblicalTruth #ChristianPodcast #AlcoholAndFaith #RandyFrazee