Podcasts about Christmas

Morgan and Abby answer listener questions. Shoutouts to start, then we get into Abby's role on the show and behind the scenes of it all, if she’s participating in the singing group this holiday season, if they’ve been on a double date, and if she’s been converted into a Packers fan. Plus, the house situation latest, if she will be running a turkey trot, and the some Christmas party gift ideas. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

COUNT YOUR DAYS: From Merry to Messy Mariah Carey & Sephora CANCELED Over Tone-Deaf Christmas Ad

Weekend Edition for November 8-9, 2025 Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

Go to www.joniradio.org to check out The Sounds of Thanksgiving special! --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

Mass Effect. In this episode, we continue our reading of The Smalcald Articles, focusing on Luther's critique of the Roman Mass and all its consequences for the churches and Christian life. We discuss mimetic desire, sacrificial religion, the exclusive work of Jesus. SHOW NOTES:  The Book of Concord - Smalcald Articles https://thebookofconcord.org/smalcald-articles/part-iii/ Smalcald Articles history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smalcald_Articles The Smalcald Articles are a summary of Lutheran doctrine written by Martin Luther in 1537 for a meeting of the Schmalkaldic League, which aimed to unify Lutheran territories against Roman Catholic forces. Although they were not officially adopted at the meeting, they later became an important part of Lutheran confessional writings included in the Book of Concord. More from 1517: Support 1517 Podcast Network: https://www.1517.org/donate-podcasts 1517 Podcasts: http://www.1517.org/podcasts 1517 on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@1517org 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/channel/1517-podcast-network/id6442751370 1517 Events Schedule: https://www.1517.org/events 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education: https://academy.1517.org/   What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419916-coming-home-for-christmas  Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419312-face-to-face  Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird https://www.amazon.com/Untamed-Prayers-Devotions-Christ-Psalms/dp/1964419263  Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales https://shop.1517.org/collections/new-releases/products/9781964419039-remembering-your-baptism  Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug https://shop.1517.org/products/9781964419152-sinner-saint    More from the hosts: Donovan Riley https://www.1517.org/contributors/donavon-riley  Christopher Gillespie https://www.1517.org/contributors/christopher-gillespie   CONTACT and FOLLOW: Email mailto:BannedBooks@1517.org  Facebook https://www.facebook.com/BannedBooksPod/  Twitter https://twitter.com/bannedbooks1517   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@BannedBooks Rumble https://rumble.com/c/c-1223313  Odysee https://odysee.com/@bannedbooks:5 Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/banned-books/id1370993639  Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/2ahA20sZMpBxg9vgiRVQba  Overcast https://overcast.fm/itunes1370993639/banned-books    MORE LINKS: Tin Foil Haloes https://t.me/bannedpastors Warrior Priest Gym & Podcast https://thewarriorpriestpodcast.wordpress.com   St John's Lutheran Church (Webster, MN) - FB Live Bible Study Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/356667039608511  Gillespie's Sermons and Catechesis http://youtube.com/stjohnrandomlake  Donavon's Substack https://donavonlriley.substack.com Gillespie's Nostr https://primal.net/p/nprofile1qqszfrg80ctjdr0wy5arrseu6h9g36kqx8fanr6a6zee0n8txa7xytc627hlq   Gillespie Coffee https://gillespie.coffee   Gillespie Media https://gillespie.media  

Autumn has a way of stirring change—new rhythms, new challenges, and sometimes, new wounds. Whether you’re navigating loss, transition, or a season that feels heavier than you expected, Isaiah 41:10 offers a grounding truth: God upholds you with His righteous right hand. Even when change feels overwhelming, His presence remains steady, strong, and unchanging. Highlights Seasons shift, but God’s presence stays constant and close. Painful change—loss, transition, uncertainty—can become part of a redeemed story in God’s hands. Isaiah 41:10 reminds us that God strengthens, helps, and upholds us. God goes before us and delights in us, offering peace in the midst of upheaval. Change doesn’t get the final word—God does. Leaning into Scripture and prayer can anchor your heart during difficult transitions. His love brings the hope needed to face whatever lies ahead. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: Embracing Change This AutumnBy Vivian Bricker Bible Reading:“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” - Isaiah 41:10 Throughout the seasons, we face various changes. Depending on your own individual experiences, some seasons hold more changes than others. When I was a kid, autumn was a major season of change because it was when I started school, had to figure out my class schedules, and tried to make new friends. I remember this caused me immense anxiety. I had to switch to an entirely new school when I entered middle school, and I didn't know anyone there. My sixth-grade year held a few massive changes that ultimately brought a lot of pain into my life. Due to bullying, my mom had to take me out of public school and started homeschooling me with my sisters for the following school year. Seasons of change come and go in our lives. Maybe this autumn happens to be a big season of change for you. Changes aren’t always bad, but it’s the tough ones that seem to leave the biggest marks on our lives. Perhaps you’ve lost a loved one, walked away from a marriage, or lost a job. Bring any of these pains and set them at the foot of the cross. Allow Jesus to transform these painful changes into part of your story; one where He is changing ashes to beauty. Intersecting Faith & Life: God tells us, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10). As God says in this passage, He is with us, He will strengthen us, help us, and uphold us with His righteous right hand. Regardless of the changes that are going on this autumn, He is still with you, and He will keep your heart steady. Some changes can feel unbearable, but they can become manageable when we know the Lord is with us. God goes before us, regardless of the storm we are facing. He takes great delight in us and rejoices over us with singing (Zephaniah 3:17). This can give us the strength that we need to face what is ahead. Turn to Him today and let His love give you the hope you need. The change you are facing may feel overwhelming, but it does not get the final word. God has already defeated all things. Whether this autumn brings much change or not, we know God is with us always, to the very end of the age (Matthew 28:20). May we all lift His Name in praise and worship today. Change can be hard. What are some changes you have had to go through in previous seasons? Did these changes impart any lasting lessons? What are some ways you can be reminded of God’s love and strength this autumn? Try a daily Bible study or prayer journal that can help you stay focused on His unchanging love. Further Reading: Matthew 1:23 Romans 8:31 Psalm 23:1-6 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Today Kaycee and Rachel are live streaming about the latest holiday films including The Christmas Ring recap Follow Kaycee at https://www.instagram.com/hereforthefeels.xo/ Pick up Christmas Switch by Kate Hendrickson today (ad) https://amzn.to/3WTGWqh or go to kate-hendrickson.com To get 15% off your next gift, go to https://www.uncommongoods.com/podcast/hallmarkies for 15% off! Uncommon Goods. We're all out of the ordinary. Our Christmas podcasts are at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4f2KtBPzUE&list=PLXv4sBF3mPUDo41tHqhkjHCvedmZwLzHx For all of our interviews https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXv4sBF3mPUA_0JZ2r5fxhTRE_-RChCj Send us your feedback at feedback@hallmarkiespodcast.com or the twitter call +1 (801) 855-6407 Check out the merch store and get our #hashtag shirts! https://www.teepublic.com/stores/hallmarkies?utm_campaign=Hallmarkies&utm_medium=8581&utm_source=affiliate Please support the podcast on patreon at https://www.patreon.com/hallmarkies Follow us on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hallmarkies-podcast/id1296728288?mt=2 https://twitter.com/HallmarkiesPod on twitter @HallmarkiesPodcast on Instagram Check out our website HallmarkiesPodcast.com Follow Rachel's blog at http://rachelsreviews.net Follow Rachel on twitter twitter.com/rachel_reviews Follow Rachel's Reviews on youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/rachelsreviews Follow Rachel on facebook www.facebook.com/smilingldsgirlreviews

Today Rachel talks with actor Evan Alexander Smith Follow Evan at https://www.instagram.com/iamevansmith/ Pick up Christmas Switch by Kate Hendrickson today (ad) https://amzn.to/3WTGWqh or go to kate-hendrickson.com To get 15% off your next gift, go to https://www.uncommongoods.com/podcast/hallmarkies for 15% off! Uncommon Goods. We're all out of the ordinary. Our Christmas podcasts are at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X4f2KtBPzUE&list=PLXv4sBF3mPUDo41tHqhkjHCvedmZwLzHx For all of our interviews https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXv4sBF3mPUA_0JZ2r5fxhTRE_-RChCj Send us your feedback at feedback@hallmarkiespodcast.com or the twitter call +1 (801) 855-6407 Check out the merch store and get our #hashtag shirts! https://hallmarkies.dashery.com/ Please support the podcast on patreon at https://www.patreon.com/hallmarkies Follow us on ITunes https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/hallmarkies-podcast/id1296728288?mt=2 https://twitter.com/HallmarkiesPod on twitter @HallmarkiesPodcast on Instagram Check out our website HallmarkiesPodcast.com Follow Rachel's blog at http://rachelsreviews.net Follow Rachel on twitter twitter.com/rachel_reviews Follow Rachel's Reviews on youtube https://www.youtube.com/c/rachelsreviews Follow Rachel on facebook www.facebook.com/smilingldsgirlreviews Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After Tesla shareholders vote, Elon Musk is now worth a trillion dollars! Government shutdown rolls into day 38, but is a deal close? Too early to decorate for Christmas? President Trump comments on Nancy Pelosi as she plans her retirement. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) has a theory on what's going on with Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene's relationship with President Trump. Jeffy is enjoying his new desk from Pat Head JKCanvas! The last escaped monkey has been caught! Apple-flavored mac and cheese? Chinese nationals charged for smuggling biomaterials into the U.S. Car talk with Pat Gray! Attacks on ICE agents are up 8,000%. Weightlifting mice are the key to controlling diabetes. Meet the illegal-alien mayor. Man faints in Oval Office during ceremony. Scar seen on Trump's ear. More information about the Halloween terror plot. 00:00 Pat Gray UNLEASHED! 00:26 Car Problems 02:14 BYU Football 05:02 Elon Musk Becomes the World's First Trillionaire!!! 10:05 Federal Government Reduces Flights in America 15:53 Christmas is Already Here! 17:52 Trump on Nancy Pelosi's Retirement 18:42 Marjorie Taylor Greene Praises Nancy Pelosi 19:25 AOC Brings the Tea on MTG 23:00 Jeffy's New Desk 27:08 Caller Collin 32:36 Fat Five 42:23 Caller Grayson 43:24 Caller David 49:07 Caller Charlie 53:21 Caller Paul 56:07 Antonio Brown Update 59:05 Caller Larry 1:13:58 ICE Agents Continue to Be Attacked 1:16:29 Rats/Mice Lifting Weights 1:21:04 Caller Ron 1:22:40 Caller Mary 1:26:02 Caller Jay 1:27:09 Kansas Mayor Voted Illegally 1:29:02 White House Incident 1:31:29 President Trump's Ear 1:32:27 Halloween Arrests Update Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Using his trademark humor, Dan Seaborn challenges couples to assess the “friendship level” of their marriage and encourages them to go deeper. He explains how to overcome petty arguments by not trying to "fix" our spouse. Dan also touches on the value of taking good care of our bodies and cultivating emotional oneness by treasuring our spouse’s extended family. Receive a copy of The Necessary Nine plus a free audio download of "Revitalize Your Marriage Now: Cozy & Connected!" for your donation of any amount! Your Gift DOUBLES to Help Deliver Hope and Joy! Save 2X the marriages and families this Christmas with your life-changing gift today! Get More Episode Resources If you enjoyed listening to Focus on the Family with Jim Daly, please give us your feedback.

Brian is here to help us break down the second episode of Baked with Love: Holiday. Plus, Brian and Dan both make a 3-D Christmas tree cake!ABOUT BAKED WITH LOVE: HOLIDAY S01E02Bakers are tasked with creating a Christmas cookie wreath, but the seemingly simple assignment proves to be too much for some; a 3-D Christmas tree cake leads to a major meltdown for one family pair.AIR DATE & NETWORK FOR BAKED WITH LOVE: HOLIDAY S01E02November 3rd 2025 | Hallmark ChannelBAKED WITH LOVE: HOLIDAY SEASON 1 CAST:Gabriella & Ben, Married from OhioSteven & Marco, Married from KentuckyReanne & Sade, Twins from IllinoisJames & Karen, Siblings from CaliforniaInda & Armon, Mother & Son from VirginiaRosa & Rosanna, Mother & Daughter from New JerseySaman & Susan, Married from Washington D.CAmy & Sally, Mother & Daughter from Alabama Watch the show on Youtube - www.deckthehallmark.com/youtubeInterested in advertising on the show? Email bran@deckthehallmark.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This week on Second Helpings, MJ and Jackie are talkin' the NYC mayoral election, and the incredible New York Post cover that resulted from it, plus the subsequent wild goose chase MJ went on to find a copy for Jackie and Geoff. Jackie is wavering on her stance on Christmas decor BEFORE Thanksgiving, and comes in with an early xmas endorsement, but Mariah Carey's unthawing was sadly a Sephora ad. Jackie got taken to the premiere of the tear jerker doc "Come See Me in the Good Light."  Everyone's pleading and begging has paid off, Meghan Markle is finally coming back to the beloved screen! "All's Fair", the Kim Kardashian led Ryan Murphy legal drama, is doing just as well in the reviews as you would expect, coming from someone who blamed ChatGPT for failing law school. Staff has unleashed DunkaPoos upon the world, and then it's time to talk some DWTS, including the heart of the show.... Andy Richter. PLUS SO MUCH MORE!Want even more Page 7? Support us on Patreon! Patreon.com/Page7Podcast  Subscribe to SiriusXM Podcasts+ to listen to new episodes of Page 7 ad-free.Start a free trial now on Apple Podcasts or by visiting siriusxm.com/podcastsplus. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Today The Chicks talk about everything from a Big Pharma exec collapsing during Trump's presser in the Oval Office to Kennedy's bold plan to cut Congress's pay during a shutdown. Meanwhile, Pelosi's retirement, Rand Paul's defiance, and MTG's throwbacks bring the heat.Plus: Tucker's Fuentes backlash, Islam's spread across Texas and NYC, and Gen Z's disturbing defense of socialist Rep. Mamdani. This episode covers all the insanity — from “fat privilege” to fake ICE stories, liberal TikTok meltdowns, and a viral reporter trying to shame Sydney Sweeney.SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS TO SUPPORT OUR SHOW!Become a premium member of the Angel Guild at https://Angel.com/Chicks to stream YoungDavid today and get two free tickets to see David in theaters this Christmas.Take advantage of Prolon's limited-time offer—get 15% off sitewide plus a $40 bonus gift whenyou subscribe to their 5-Day Program at https://Prolonlife.com/CHICKSNourish your hair, skin, and nails with HealthyCell's Vibrant Hair, Skin & Nails—get 20% off your first order at https://HealthyCell.com/CHICKS with promo code CHICKS.Whatever fall throws at you, make sure you're prepared—visit https://ReadyWise.com and use codeCHICKS10 for 10% off your order today!

More dead animals—Tracie's kid's rat died on Halloween. Mariah Carey's ammual "It's Time"—which marks the end of Halloween and the beginning of the Christmas season—was sponsored by Sephora this year. Jamie Lee Curtis posted an alarming amount of photos of Sydney Sweeney in her silver titty dress. We get the giggles talking about Cheesequake, which we previously thought was a town off the Garden State Parkway, but as it turns out, it's a state park. And we finally figure out the birth and death order of the Golden Girls.To access video episodes, bonus episodes and our premium series WAWU check out our Patreon.Pot Psych merch is available at Pipe Dreams, where there is a big sale on smoking accessories.Check out potential drama and our Diamond Girls on our Instagram. ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Brian is joined by Jeremiah Jennings from The Growing Green Podcast.  Recorded live in Michigan right before Lawntrepreneur Academy Live, this crossover episode offers an unfiltered, practical conversation on running a real business, even when the weather, the work, and the numbers don't go your way. They talk about everything from rain day productivity and crew training to labor costs, leadership development, and snow prep, mixing humor with hard-earned lessons. Jeremiah shares how he uses rain days for deep team meetings and SOP creation, while Brian explains why he's investing in training spaces, VAs, and systems that create long-term results. The two also touch on the behind-the-scenes realities of hosting events like LAL, investing heavily in your company before profits appear, and balancing growth with sanity. The conversation wraps with lighthearted moments from Thanksgiving food partitions to Christmas light installs, showing the friendship and mutual respect between two leaders pushing each other to the next level. Whether you're prepping for LAL or trying to get through your own version of "rain days," this episode reminds you that success comes from discipline, preparation, and a willingness to keep showing up. (Part 1 of 2).

The Unfinished Term: How Trump Claims His NEXT Presidency The Professor's Record with David K. Clements 33.5K followers Podcasts In the midst of chaotic news cycle, Professor David Clements cuts through the noise with a weekly video and article sharing his insights.   Professor David Clements official website- https://www.theprofessorsrecord.com/   --------------------------------------------------------------------  Check out our ACU Patreon page: https://www.patreon.com/ACUPodcast   HELP ACU SPREAD THE WORD!  Please go to Apple Podcasts and give ACU a 5 star rating. Apple canceled us and now we are clawing our way back to the top. Don't let the Leftist win. Do it now! Thanks. Also Rate us on any platform you follow us on. It helps a lot. Forward this show to friends. Ways to subscribe to the American Conservative University Podcast Click here to subscribe via Apple Podcasts Click here to subscribe via RSS You can also subscribe via Stitcher FM Player Podcast Addict Tune-in Podcasts Pandora Look us up on Amazon Prime …And Many Other Podcast Aggregators and sites ACU on Twitter- https://twitter.com/AmerConU . Warning- Explicit and Violent video content.   Please help ACU by submitting your Show ideas. Email us at americanconservativeuniversity@americanconservativeuniversity.com   Endorsed Charities -------------------------------------------------------- Pre-Born! Saving babies and Souls. https://preborn.org/ OUR MISSION To glorify Jesus Christ by leading and equipping pregnancy clinics to save more babies and souls. WHAT WE DO Pre-Born! partners with life-affirming pregnancy clinics all across the nation. We are designed to strategically impact the abortion industry through the following initiatives:… -------------------------------------------------------- Help CSI Stamp Out Slavery In Sudan Join us in our effort to free over 350 slaves. Listeners to the Eric Metaxas Show will remember our annual effort to free Christians who have been enslaved for simply acknowledging Jesus Christ as their Savior. As we celebrate the birth of Christ this Christmas, join us in giving new life to brothers and sisters in Sudan who have enslaved as a result of their faith. https://csi-usa.org/metaxas   https://csi-usa.org/slavery/   Typical Aid for the Enslaved A ration of sorghum, a local nutrient-rich staple food A dairy goat A “Sack of Hope,” a survival kit containing essential items such as tarp for shelter, a cooking pan, a water canister, a mosquito net, a blanket, a handheld sickle, and fishing hooks. Release celebrations include prayer and gathering for a meal, and medical care for those in need. The CSI team provides comfort, encouragement, and a shoulder to lean on while they tell their stories and begin their new lives. Thank you for your compassion  Giving the Gift of Freedom and Hope to the Enslaved South Sudanese -------------------------------------------------------- Food For the Poor https://foodforthepoor.org/ Help us serve the poorest of the poor Food For The Poor began in 1982 in Jamaica. Today, our interdenominational Christian ministry serves the poor in primarily 17 countries throughout the Caribbean and Latin America. Thanks to our faithful donors, we are able to provide food, housing, healthcare, education, fresh water, emergency relief, micro-enterprise solutions and much more. We are proud to have fed millions of people and provided more than 15.7 billion dollars in aid. Our faith inspires us to be an organization built on compassion, and motivated by love. Our mission is to bring relief to the poorest of the poor in the countries where we serve. We strive to reflect God's unconditional love. It's a sacrificial love that embraces all people regardless of race or religion. We believe that we can show His love by serving the “least of these” on this earth as Christ challenged us to do in Matthew 25. We pray that by God's grace, and with your support, we can continue to bring relief to the suffering and hope to the hopeless.   Report on Food For the Poor by Charity Navigator https://www.charitynavigator.org/ein/592174510   -------------------------------------------------------- Disclaimer from ACU. We try to bring to our students and alumni the World's best Conservative thinkers. All views expressed belong solely to the author and not necessarily to ACU. In all issues and relations, we hope to follow the admonitions of Jesus Christ. While striving to expose, warn and contend with evil, we extend the love of God to all of his children. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 

The news to know for Friday, November 7, 2025! We'll tell you how the shutdown is now forcing widespread flight cancellations — and whether lawmakers are any closer to a deal. Also, the end of an era in Congress as one of the most powerful leaders decides to call it a career. And the cold snap stretching across a wide swath of the country starting today. Plus: the plan that could make Elon Musk the world's first trillionaire, the government's new deal for cheaper weight-loss drugs, and the classic Christmas spectacle that just returned to New York City. Those stories and even more news to know in about 10 minutes!    Join us every Mon-Fri for more daily news roundups!  See sources: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/shownotes Become an INSIDER to get AD-FREE episodes here: https://www.theNewsWorthy.com/insider Get The NewsWorthy MERCH here: https://thenewsworthy.dashery.com/ Sponsors: Go to Quince.com/newsworthy for free shipping on your order and 365-day returns. Ready to give your liver the support it deserves? Head to dosedaily.co/NEWSWORTHY or enter NEWSWORTHY to get 35% off your first subscription. To advertise on our podcast, please reach out to ad-sales@libsyn.com

Despite the rumors, Millie Bobby Brown and David Harbour reunited at a big “Stranger Things” event…. Plus, comedian Matt Rife has a Christmas gift for fans of his crowd work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today, I'm talking to Alonso Duralde, film critic, podcaster, and author of Have Yourself a Movie Little Christmas (2nd Edition).Music in this episode"Our Minds Following" — Blue Dot Sessions, via Free Music ArchiveOrder your copy today! Of Christmases Long, Long AgoConnect with Me Links to all the things https://christmaspastpodcast.com/links Email: christmaspastpodcast@gmail.com BooksOf Christmases Long, Long Ago: Surprising Traditions from Christmas Past (2025, Lyons Press and Recorded Books) It's Christmas as you've never seen it before, and it makes a great gift for all the Christmas lovers in your life. Christmas Past: The Fascinating Stories Behind Our Favorite Holiday's Traditions (2022, Lyons Press and Recorded Books)

Wanna hear the FULL Episode? Sign up for the Grad Program today! Today we have a special guest; Louis Caras, a Tactical Response Small Arms & Tactics instructor who will join us to discuss a troubling situation. Why is it in the year of Our Lord, Two-thousand and Twenty-Five, that there are still so-called experts in the world of firearms who ignore the importance of traumatic medical training and gear? We have a question from an audience member that plays right into our Tech Talk segment from EOTech Inc. What is the difference between target focus and sight focus? Also, can an optic on a handgun be beneficial while moving and shooting or is it a drawback? Student of the Gun has a new partner: Blackout Coffee and you can support the show by using the link found in the show notes. Additionally, Professor Paul has a reminder that Christmas is coming up and now is the time to order an SOTG branded coffee mug for the one that you love. During our Leadership Lesson, Paul has some suggested reading which can now be consumed via audiobook.  Have you read the Morning Mindset book yet? As usual, we have our Fighting Fitness segment. Paul gives an update regarding what we will call the Nick Orr Challenge. Do not neglect your leg strength. And, is eating protein a bad thing? Paul and Jarrad consider an OpEd that seriously questions the consumption of protein. TOPICS COVERED THIS EPISODE Huge thanks to our Partners: EOTech | Spike's Tactical 4 Universal Safety Rules +1 Poster: ShopSOTG.com [0:06:35] EOTech Talk - EOTechInc.com TOPIC: Sight Focus vs Target Focus [0:32:51] Warrior of the Week - James Yeager's "Virtues of a Warrior" TOPIC: The Ultimate Armed Citizen: Using Pistols, Rifles, and Shotguns as Fighting Tools AUDIOBOOK https://amzn.to/47S8nXw [0:38:12] SOTG Homeroom - SOTG University TOPIC: What's up with gun people continuing to ignore medical? - Special Guest; Louis Caras

Kelvin Beachum has played 14 NFL seasons with the Steelers, Jaguars, Jets and now Arizona Cardinals. He was a teammate of Matt Forte with the Jets in 2017. Chapters:- Goals coming into the NFL - (02:12)- Why the need to depend on God? - (07:10)- His "Green Monster" Chevy Tahoe car from 1996 - (10:02)- Gaining wisdom and passing it on to his kids - (12:45)- Passion for things away from football - (17:21)- Favorite Biblical story/event - (20:26)- Getting reflective and sentimental as he gets older (23:18) - Favorite story from being teammates with Matt F with the Jets (26:38) - What does his body feel like the day after a game? - (31:56) - Who is Jesus to Kelvin Beachum today? - (37:30) Special thanks to our partnership with Tyndale and their "One Year Bible for Men." Learn more by going to ⁠⁠⁠TheOneYearBible.com.⁠Special thanks to our partnership with Operation Christmas Child. Visit Samaritans Purse.org/occ to learn how to pack a shoebox or build one online and help a child in need this Christmas. Have a question? Got a guest suggestion? Want to advertise with us? Email us - jason@sportsspectrum.comWATCH all of our podcast episodes on our YouTube page:https://www.youtube.com/SportsSpectrumMagazineSign up for our Sports Spectrum Magazine and receive 15% off a 1-year subscription by using the code PODCAST15https://www.theincrease.com/products/sports-spectrum-magazine Do you know Christ personally? Click below to learn how you can commit your life to Him.https://sportsspectrum.com/gospel/

This week we're playing the ultimate Disney vacation game: Would You Rather?! From snacks and rides to fireworks and resort vibes — the impossible choices begin now! Episode Description: On this episode of Rope Drop Radio, Doug and Lauren are joined by a familiar voice… Derek is back! We kick things off by updating listeners on why Derek stepped away from the show and what he's been up to lately — then we jump straight into a Disney vacation edition of Would You Rather. We debate snacks, rides, character moments, resorts, and some emotionally dramatic vacation decisions. Play along and let us know your picks — because some of these are TOUGH. In This Episode:

In this After Hours bonus episode, Sam is joined by Buddy Jenkins and Cole Clark for a chaotic mix of stories, opinions, and questionable life confessions. From Halloween memories and the wildest things they've seen in church, to debating unbelievers, dissecting homeschool culture (including peak homeschool moments and prom takes), and roasting each other's hair phases, nothing is off-limits. They dive into hunting trip mishaps, argue about when Christmas lights should legally go up, reveal their favorite music artists and cafeteria foods, and even weigh in on Phillip Anthony Mitchell. It's unfiltered, unplanned, and way too honest—just how After Hours should be.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

This is the fall episode recorded each year at the retreat. As usual, the Scholé Sisters apologize for the decline in sound quality. They feel like it is worth it that they get to record all togheter in the same room! Today they're talking about all the nitty gritty details of book club. You're going to love this conversation! *** The Scholé Sisters fall mentorship — Feminism Detox — kicked off on Monday October 27th.  It's not too late to join! Participants are reading three books together and discussing them in a variety of ways — there are discussion threads where you write out your thoughts, Faculty of Friends gatherings where Mystie, Abby, and Brandy discuss themes and others participate in the chat, and zoom-style meetups where everyone gets a chance to chime in. The Scholé Sisters mentorships are always a rich experience. Join in by becoming a Sophie level member of the Sistership! Just go to scholesisters.com/join *** The expected release date for our upcoming book Scholé Every Day is November 25th. That's right! It's just in time for Black Friday and Christmas gifts! Get on the waiting list and receive the first chapter free right now! Just go to scholesisters.com/book! *** Click here to access today's show notes. Click here to join the FREE area of the Sistership.

Today on the Christian History Almanac, we tell the story of an underappreciated meeting between Luther and a representative from the Pope in 1535. Show Notes: Germany / Switzerland - Study Tour  Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug More from the hosts: Dan van Voorhis SHOW TRANSCRIPTS are available: https://www.1517.org/podcasts/the-christian-history-almanac CONTACT: CHA@1517.org SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts Spotify Stitcher Overcast Google Play FOLLOW US: Facebook Twitter Audio production by Christopher Gillespie (outerrimterritories.com).

We would love to pray for you! Please send us your requests here. --------This Christmas, you can shine the light of Christ into places of darkness and pain with a purchase from the Joni and Friends Christmas catalog. You are sending hope and practical care to people with disabilities, all in the name of Jesus! Thank you for listening! Your support of Joni and Friends helps make this show possible. Joni and Friends envisions a world where every person with a disability finds hope, dignity, and their place in the body of Christ. Become part of the global movement today at www.joniandfriends.org. Find more encouragement on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, and YouTube.

It's November which means Sam and Kristie are in full holiday cheer mode. How early is too early for Christmas decor? Asking for a friend. Plus, NWSL playoff memories and a wedding update!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Ep. 700: Mr. Harrison's Confessions | Chapter 14 Book talk begins at 17:02 But just when everything seems rosy, a tragic accident turns Duncombe upside down. --------------------------------------------------------------- Farley's Bookshop! Don't forget to send us your crafty videos 04:10 - Bone Tatting Bobbins 05:06 - Fichu 05:29 - Tatting Shuttle 06:47 - Heather with Pangolin Picture 07:19 - Drive around the country - Mexico Chili (Casita) 08:53 - Santa Fe 09:07 - Georgia O'Keeffe Home 12:06 - Abiquiú 14:37 - Libsyn made all premium available? Problem 15:09 - Solution 17:06 - Book Talk 17:31 - Monetary Gift 18:01 - Mr. Harrison buys flowers (Camellias) for Sopie 18:53 - Good Gaskell Humor 19:06 - We find out more about Miss Bullock 19:27 - Overly Sarcastic production 20:05 - Accidents happened, John Brownker 22:17 - More proof that humans just haven't changed 22:45 - Mister Morgan, the other doctor 22:56 - Miss Horsman 23:19 - Reminder if you're dealing with the wrist. 24:08 - Chapter 14 Started Post Chapter Notes 48:27 - Post Chapter talk begins - Mrs. Rose 49:18 - Miss Horsman and Everyone, the assumption for why might not want to do the amputation of the carpenter's arm. 50:00 - Mister Morgan took the long rounds. 51:55 - The reason why it being on February in Valentine's Day. 52:32 - What we see from Ms. Caroline is interesting. 53:23 - Mr. Harrison's not sorry. He is sorry for being caught. 53:38 - Mrs. Rose was going to Brownkers to the beach 54:25 - Heather from the future. https://bit.ly/bookmark-exchange - Bookmark exchange to celebrate Christmas 2025 Miscellaneous Don't forget to send us your crafty videos BOOK/WATCH PARTIES coming up in 2025: Last Thursday of every month, 8pm Eastern: Nov—Random Harvest (movie) Dec—Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal (book) *CraftLit's Socials* • Find everything here: https://www.linktr.ee/craftlitchannel • Join the newsletter: http://eepurl.com/2raf9 • Podcast site: http://craftlit.com • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CraftLit/ • Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/craftlit • Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/craftlit/ • TikTok podcast: https://www.tiktok.com/@craftlit • Email: heather@craftlit.com • Previous CraftLit Classics can be found here: https://bit.ly/craftlit-library-2023 *SUPPORT THE SHOW!* • CraftLit App Premium feed bit.ly/libsynpremiumcraftlit (only one tier available) • PATREON: https://patreon.com/craftlit (all tiers, below) ——Walter Harright - $5/mo for the same audio as on App ——Jane Eyre - $10/mo for even-month Book Parties ——Mina Harker - $15/mo for odd-month Watch Parties *All tiers and benefits are also available as* —*YouTube Channel Memberships* —*Ko-Fi* https://ko-fi.com/craftlit —*NEW* at CraftLit.com — Premium Memberships https://craftlit.com/membership-levels/ *IF you want to join a particular Book or Watch Patry but you don't want to join any of the above membership options*, please use PayPal.me/craftlit or CraftLit @ Venmo and include what you want to attend in the message field. Please give us at least 24 hours to get your message and add you to the attendee list. • Download the FREE CraftLit App for iOS or Android (you can call or email feedback straight from within the app) • Call 1-206-350-1642

For Jeremiah and the people he cares about, this is not a happy ending. Chad takes us by the hand through the devestation and somehow we emerge knowing that God will always hold on to us. Colin Heinrich sings "Please Resore Us". Show Notes: Support 1517 Podcast Network 1517 Podcasts 1517 on Youtube 1517 Podcast Network on Apple Podcasts 1517 Events Schedule 1517 Academy - Free Theological Education What's New from 1517: Coming Home for Christmas: 1517 Advent Devotional Face to Face: A Novel of the Reformation by Amy Mantravadi Untamed Prayers: 365 Daily Devotions on Christ in the Book of Psalms by Chad Bird Remembering Your Baptism: A 40-Day Devotional by Kathryn Morales Sinner Saint by Luke Kjolhaug More from the hosts: Chad Bird Lyrics to "Please Restore Us" Lamentations 5     Devastation and chaos  In the Darkness, our despair Saturated with all  sorrow Oh Lord please hear our prayer When noontime looks like midnight And the upside is sinking down What was hidden on the inside Is now  scattered all around   Chorus:  Oh my Lord, restore us Oh my Lord, restore us If we can't sink any lower If the song isn't over Please restore us       Our fathers  sinned and are no more Now I hear the knocking at our door There is no happy ending  to this our farewell song   Dawn is coming at your appearing The Son arises, the darkness disappearing The redeemed voices swell, in you all is well,  To sing Your glory   Only Jesus  can wake the dawn When hope is shattered, all is gone Jesus renew me Take my hand and hold on, please hold on     Chorus:  Oh my Lord, restore us Oh my Lord, restore us If we can't sink any lower If the song isn't over Please restore us

Can you really trust the story of Christmas? Is Jesus' birth just another myth or the most historically verified event in history? In this week's expert interview, Jim Ramos sits down with best-selling author and former atheist Lee Strobel (The Case for Christ) to talk about his newest book, The Case for Christmas. Together, they unpack what really happened in Bethlehem, why the Christmas story still changes lives today, and how men can lead their families to focus on Christ during the holiday season. By the end of this episode, you'll learn why the story of Jesus' birth is historically reliable and theologically profound and simple ways to point your family to Christ during the holidays Check out Lee's book! (https://tinyurl.com/case4christmas115) This episode is sponsored by MTNTOUGH Fitness Lab, a Christian-owned fitness app. Get 6 weeks free with the code ARENA30 at MTNTOUGH.com. Every man needs a locker room. Join a brotherhood of like-minded men in The Locker Room, our bi-monthly live Zoom Q&A call! We meet in the Locker Room twice a month for community, fellowship, laughter, and to help each other find biblical answers to life's difficult questions. Sharing community with t hese amazing men is one of the most enjoyable things I do. - Jim Ramos https://patreon.com/themeninthearena Get Jim Ramos' USA TODAY Bestselling book, Dialed In: Reaching Your Full Capacity as a Man of God (https://tinyurl.com/dialedinbook)

Is it too early for Christmas lights? Steve and Captain Evil dig into the unwritten rules of holiday decorating—because apparently there are rules. Plus, this week's poll: Whisky or Scotch? Drop your answer in the comments… And yes, there is a correct answer. 

Our panellists beg: please, Santa, do not bring us a Christmas election. Red, yellow and green traffic lights are outdated because a fourth colour might be added to intersections. There's a big innovation in menstrual products and thank god, it's not AI! Peanut allergies have fallen fast, yet the PB sandwich remains a schoolyard crime. Why no one's allowed to celebrateThe Great Peanut Comeback just yet. If you're too afraid to share your opinions on social media, that's okay! Fill out this listener questionnaire instead: www.cbc.ca/BecauseSurvey

Unexpected Christmas Cast Get Real: Love, Secrets, Marriage DreamsSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Unexpected Christmas Cast Get Real: Love, Secrets, Marriage Dreams & “Training” Your Partner + MoreSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

The 8am hour of Friday's Mac & Cube continued with MAXX BALL FRIDAY - Week 11 edition!! We began with Steve Robertson, who covers Mississippi State for 247 Sports, telling us how the game against Georgia will play out & what John Cohen looks for when he hires a coach; then, Cole & Greg get into Indiana vs. Penn State, Georgia vs. Mississippi State, and BYU vs. Texas Tech; later, the guys do more MAXX BALL with Texas A&M vs. Missouri; and finally, when is too early to put up your Christmas decorations? "McElroy & Cubelic In The Morning" airs 7am-10am weekdays on WJOX-94.5!!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of "Normal World," Dave Landau, 1/4 Black Garrett, and Angela open with a spirited back-and-forth over homemade meatloaf, a few birthday wishes, and upcoming tour dates before diving into their trademark mix of cultural chaos and sharp commentary. The conversation takes a global turn as they explore Japan's connection between KFC and Christmas, revealing how one American fast-food chain became a holiday tradition overseas. From there, the trio breaks down the Dodgers' World Series victory, the quirks of fandom, and the unexpected intersections of culture, history, and humor. The tone shifts when they unpack New York City's election of socialist mayor Zohran Mamdani, questioning the growing appeal of government control and what it reveals about the current political mindset. The hosts then connect the dots between post-pandemic isolation, social media dependency, and the modern struggle to form genuine relationships. As they move through topics of technology, addiction, and disconnection, they highlight the difference between virtual life and real human connection with both comedy and concern. Today's guests on "Normal World" are Derek Richards and Yoshi Obayashi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In this illuminating episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Jesse and Tony explore Jesus' parables of the mustard seed and leaven found in Matthew 13. These seemingly simple parables reveal profound truths about God's kingdom—how it begins imperceptibly, grows irresistibly, and transforms completely. The hosts delve into what these parables teach us about God's sovereign work in both our individual spiritual lives and the broader advance of His kingdom in the world. Believers can find hope in understanding that God intentionally works through what appears weak and insignificant to accomplish His purposes. This episode offers practical encouragement for Christians who may feel discouraged by the apparent smallness of their faith or ministry impact. Key Takeaways The kingdom of heaven begins in small, hidden, or seemingly insignificant ways, but grows powerfully through God's sovereign work. The mustard seed illustrates the kingdom's visible expansion (extensive growth), while the leaven highlights its internal transformative influence (intensive growth). Both parables emphasize that God's kingdom often appears to "disappear" initially but produces outsized results through His work, not our own. These parables provide encouragement for times when the church feels weak or our personal faith feels insufficient—God's power is made perfect in weakness. God's kingdom transforms both outwardly (extensive growth illustrated by the mustard seed) and inwardly (intensive growth shown by the leaven). Cultural transformation happens most effectively through ordinary Christian faithfulness rather than flashy or provocative engagement. Christians should not despise small beginnings, recognizing that faithfulness rather than visibility is the true measure of fruitfulness. Understanding Kingdom Growth: From Imperceptible to Unstoppable The parables of the mustard seed and leaven powerfully illustrate the paradoxical nature of God's kingdom. In both cases, something tiny and seemingly insignificant produces results far beyond what anyone would expect. As Tony noted in the discussion, what's critical is understanding the full comparison Jesus makes—the kingdom isn't simply like a seed or leaven in isolation, but like the entire process of planting and growth. Both parables involve something that initially "disappears" from sight (the seed buried in soil, the leaven mixed into dough) before producing its effect. This reflects the upside-down nature of God's kingdom work, where what appears weak becomes the channel of divine power. For first-century Jewish listeners expecting a triumphant, militaristic Messiah, Jesus' description of the kingdom as beginning small would have seemed offensive or disappointing. Yet this is precisely God's pattern—beginning with what appears weak to demonstrate His sovereign power. This same pattern is evident in the incarnation itself, where God's kingdom arrived not through military conquest but through a humble birth and ultimately through the cross. Finding Hope When Faith Feels Small One of the most practical applications from these parables is the encouragement they offer when we feel our faith is insufficient or when the church appears weak. As Jesse noted, "God is always working. Even when we don't feel or see that He is, He's always working." The kingdom of God advances not through human strength or visibility but through God's sovereign work. These parables remind us that spiritual growth often happens imperceptibly—like bread rising or a seed growing. We may go through seasons where our spiritual life feels dry or stagnant, yet God continues His sanctifying work. Just as a baker must be patient while bread rises, we must trust the invisible work of the Holy Spirit in our lives and in the church. When we feel discouraged by apparent lack of progress, these parables assure us that God's kingdom—both in our hearts and in the world—is advancing according to His perfect timing and plan. As Tony explained, "The fact that it feels and looks and may actually be very small does not rob it of its power...in actuality that smallness is its power." God deliberately works through weakness to display His glory, making these parables powerful reminders for believers in any era who may feel their impact is too small to matter. Memorable Quotes "We shouldn't despise small beginnings. Let's not despise whatever it is that you're doing in service to God, to your family, to your churches, especially in the proclamation of the gospel... Faithfulness and not visibility—that's the measure of fruitfulness." — Jesse Schwamb "The Kingdom of Heaven is at work not only in our midst as a corporate body, but in each of us as well. God's grace and His special providence and His spirit of sanctification, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of holiness and the one who makes us holy. He is doing that whether it feels like it or not, whether we see outward progress or not." — Tony Arsenal "What cultural transformation looks like is a man who gets married and loves his wife well, serves her and sacrifices for her, and makes a bunch of babies and brings them to church... We transform culture by being honest, having integrity, by working hard... without a lot of fanfare, without seeking a lot of accolades." — Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 468 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother, you and I have said it over and over again. One of the incredible truths that the Bible conveys about the kingdom of God is that it's inaugurated in weakness. It's hidden. It advances irresistibly by the sovereign work of God through the Word and the Spirit. It transforms both individuals and nations until Christ's reign is fully revealed in glory. And so as we're about to talk about parables today, I can't help but think if that's one of the central positions of the Bible, and I think we both say it is how would you communicate that? And here we find Jesus, the son of God, our great savior, you know where he goes. He goes, mustard seeds and yeast. So that's what we're gonna talk about today. And if you're just joining us maybe for the first time or you're jumping into this little series, which is to say, we do know tiny series, this long series on parables, you, I go back to the last episode, which is kind of a two-parter because Tony and I tried this experiment where we basically each separately recorded our own thoughts and conversation, almost an inner monologue as we digested each of those parables, both the one of the mustard seed and then the leaven sequentially and separately. And now we're coming together in this episode to kind of talk about it together and to see what we thought of the individual work and to bring it all together in this grand conversation about the kingdom of God that's inaugurated and weakness and hiddenness. [00:02:31] Affirmations and Denials Explained Jesse Schwamb: So that's this episode, but it wouldn't be a episode without a little affirming. And a little denying it seems, 22, we should this, every now and again we pause to say why we do the affirmations and denials. Why, why do we do this? What, what is this whole thing? Why are we bringing it into our little conversation every time? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. I mean, it, it, at its core, it's kind of like a recommendation or an anti recommendation segment. We take something that we like or we don't like and we spend a little bit of time talking about it. Usually it ends up taking a little bit of a theological bent just 'cause that's who we are and that's what we do. And we use the language of affirmations and denials, uh, because that's classic, like reformed confessional language. Right? If you look at something like the, um. I dunno, like the Chicago statement on Biblical and Errancy, which was primarily written by RC sprawl, um, it usually has a, a statement, uh, of doctrine in the form of things that we affirm and things that we deny. Um, or you look at someone like Turin, a lot of times in his, uh, institutes of elected theology. He'll have something like, we affirm this with the Lutherans, or we affirm that or de deny that against the papus or something like that. So it's just a, a little bit of a fun gimmick that we've added on top of this to sort of give it a little bit of its own reformed flavor, uh, onto something that's otherwise somewhat, um, Baal or, or I don't know, sort of vanilla. So we like it. It's a good chance for us to chat, kind of timestamps the episode with where we are in time. And usually, usually, like I said, we end up with something sort of theological out of it. 'cause that's, that's just the nature of us and that's, that's the way it goes. That's, and that's what happens, like when we're talking about stuff we. Like when we're together at Christmas or at the beach, like things take that theological shift because that's just who, who we are, and that's what we're thinking about. Jesse Schwamb: By the way, that sounds like a new CBS drama coming this fall. The nature of us. Tony Arsenal: The nature of us? Yeah. Or like a, like a hallmark channel. Jesse Schwamb: It does, uh, Tony Arsenal: it's like a a, I'm picturing like the, the big city girl who moves out to take a job as a journalist in like Yosemite and falls in love with the park ranger and it's called The Nature of Us. Jesse Schwamb: The nature of us Yes. Coming this fall to CBS 9:00 PM on Thursdays. Yeah. I love it. Well, this is our homage to that great theological tradition of the affirming with, or the denying against. So what do you got this week? Are you affirming with something or you denying against something? [00:04:55] No Quarters November Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming. This is a little cheeky. I'm not gonna throw too much, much, uh, too much explanation. Uh, along with it. I'm affirming something. I'm calling no quarters, November. So, you know, normally I'm very careful to use quarters. I'm very careful to make sure that I'm, I'm saving them and using them appropriately. And for the month of November, I'm just not gonna use any quarters. So there'll be no 25 cent pieces in my banking inventory for the month. Oh. So I'm, I'm making a little bit of fun. Of course. Obviously no, quarter November is a tradition that Doug Wilson does, where he just is even more of a jerk than he usually is. Um, and he, he paints it in language that, like, normally I'm very careful and I qualify everything and I have all sorts of nuance. But in November, I'm just gonna be a bull in a China shop, um, as though he's not already just a bull in a China shop 95% of the time. So I'm affirming no corridors. November maybe. No corners November. Everything should be rounded. Jesse Schwamb: That's good too. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. No, no. Quatro November. Like we don't do anything in Spanish. No fours in Spanish. I don't know. Okay. I'm just making fun of that. I'm just making fun of the whole thing. It's such a silly, dumb enterprise. There's nothing I can do except to make fun of it. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think that's fair. That's basically the response it deserves. This time, we, we brought it up for several years going, it's such a strange thing. [00:06:13] Critique of Doug Wilson's Approach Jesse Schwamb: It's hard not to see this thing as complete liberty to be sinful and then to acknowledge that. Yeah. As if somehow that gives you, reinforces that liberty that you're taking it, it's so strange. It's as if like, this is what is necessary and probably we'll get to this actually, but this is what is necessary for like the gospel or the kingdom of God to go forward is that kind of attitude at times. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I will say this, I do always look forward every year to seeing what he sets on fire. 'cause the, the videos are pretty great. I'm not gonna lie. Like the video quality is, is certainly compelling. Um, and you could say it's lit is another little punny way to get at it. Uh, I, I haven't seen it this year. I mean, that's, we're recording this on November 1st, so I'm sure that it's out. Uh, I just haven't seen it yet. But yeah, I mean, it's kind of, kind of ridiculous, uh, that anyone believes that Doug Wilson is restraining himself or engaging in lots of fine distinctions and nuance. You know, like the rest of the year and November is the time that he really like holds back, uh, or really doesn't hold back. That's, that's just a silly, it's just a silly gimmick. It's a silly, like, I dunno, it's a gimmick and it's dumb and so I'm gonna make fun of it 'cause that's what it deserves. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think that's right. You know, I was thinking recently because as you said, the counter just rolled over. And generally this time of year I end up always watching that documentary that Ligonier put together on Martin Luther, which is quite good. And I think it does, has a fair treatment of him, including the fact that he was so bombastic and that he was very caustic with his language. And I think they treat that fairly by saying, oh, that some of the same things that we admire in somebody can be some of the very same things which pull them into sinful behavior. And there's no excuse for that. And, and, and if that's true for him, then it's true for all of us, of course. And it's definitely true for Luther. So I think this idea, we need to be guarding our tongues all the time and to just make up some excuse to say, I'm not gonna do that. And in some way implying that there's some kind of hidden. Piety in that is what I think is just so disturbing. And I think most of us see through that for what exactly it is. It's clickbaits. It's this idea of trying to draw attention by being bombastic and literally setting things on fire. Like the video where he sets the boat on fire is crazy because all I can think of is like, so if you judge me, one more thing on this, Tony, 'cause I, I, when you said that, I thought about this video, the boat video implicitly, and I've thought about this a lot since then. There's a clip of him, he sets the boat on fire and it's kind of like him sitting on the boat that is engulfed in flames looking out into the sea, so, so calmly as if it's like an embodiment of that mean this is fine, everything is fine, this is fine. Right? Yeah. And all I can think of is that was great for probably like the two seconds that somebody filmed that, but guess what happened immediately after that? Somebody rescued you by putting out the fire on the boat. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: It's just like insanity to presume that, encapsulating that single moment and somehow conveying that he is a great champion, pioneer advocate of things of the gospel by essentially coming in and disrupting and being caustic and that him setting thing on fire makes everything better is a mockery, because that's not even exactly how that shoot took place. Yeah. So I, I just really struggle with that, with the perspective he is trying to bring forward. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I mean, I'm dubious whether or not there was actually any fire involved. Well, that's, I think 95% of it is probably camera magic, which is fine. Like, I don't know. That's fine. Like, I don't want Doug Wilson to burn up. That's, that wouldn't be cool either. But, um, yeah, I mean, like the fruit of the spirit is love, joy piece patience, kindness, good as gentleness, setting things on fire and being a jerk in November, apparently. And I, I just don't, I, I've never fully understood the argument. Um, and this is coming from someone who can be sarcastic and can go over the top and go too far. And, and I recognize that about myself. I've just never understood the argument that like, it's okay to be a jerk sometimes. Or, or not even just, okay. It's necessary to be a jerk sometimes. Exactly. Um, there's a difference between boldness and being a jerk. And, you know, I think, um, the people who, who know me well are gonna like fall off their chairs. I say this like, Michael Foster is actually someone who I think. Does the boldness with a little bit of an edge. I think he actually does it really well. And just like all of us, I, you know, he, he probably goes over the line, uh, on occasion. Um, and, and, but I think he does the, I'm just going to be direct and straightforward and bold. And sometimes that might offend you because sometimes the truth is offensive. Um, I think he does that well. I think where we go sideways is when we try to couch everything in sort of this offensive posture, right? Where, where even the things that shouldn't be offensive, uh, somehow need to be made offensive. It, it's just, it's dumb. It's just, um, and I'm, I'm not saying we should be nice just for the sake of being nice. I think sometimes being nice is. When I say nice, I mean like saccharin sweet, like, like overly uh, I don't know, like sappy sweets. Like we don't have to be that. And uh, there are times where it's not even appropriate to be that. Um, but that's different than just, you know, it's almost like the same error in the wrong direction, right? To be, just to be a jerk all the time. Sometimes our words and our behavior and our actions have to have a hard edge. And sometimes that's going to offend people because sometimes the truth, especially the gospel truth is offensive. Um, but when what you're known for is being a jerk and being rude and just being offensive for the sake of being offensive. Um, right. And, and I'll even say this, and this will be the last thing I say. 'cause I didn't, I, I really intend this just to be like a, a jokey joke. No quarters, November. I'm not gonna spend any quarters. Um, I don't know why I was foolish enough to think we weren't gonna get into it, but, um. When your reputation is that you are a jerk just to be a jerk. Even if that isn't true, it tells you that something is wrong with the way you're doing things. Right. Because I think there are times where, and I'll say this to be charitable, there are times where Doug Wilson says something with a little bit of an edge, and people make way too big of a deal out of it. Like they, they go over the top and try to condemn it, and they, they make everything like the worst possible offense. And sometimes, sometimes it's, it's just not. Um, and there are even times where Doug says things that are winsome and they're helpful and, um, but, but when your reputation is that you are a jerk just to be a jerk, or that you are inflammatory just to get a reaction, um, there's something wrong with your approach. And then to top it off, when you claim that for November, like you explicitly claim that identity as though that's not already kind of your shtick the rest of the year. Um, and just, it's just. Frustrating and dumb and you know, this is the guy that like, is like planting a church in DC and is like going on cnn. It's just really frustrating to see that sort of the worst that the reformed world has to offer in terms of the way we interact with people sometimes is getting the most attention. So, right. Anyway, don't, don't be a pirate. N November is still my way. I celebrate and, uh, yeah, that's, that's that. Jesse Schwamb: That's well said. Again, all things we're thinking about because we all have tendency to be that person from time to time. So I think it's important for us to be reminded that the gospel doesn't belong to us. So that means like that sharp edge, that conviction belongs to Christ, not to our personalities. So if it's tilted toward our personalities, even toward our communication style, then it means that we are acting in sin. And so it's hard for us to see that sometimes. So it does take somebody to say, whoa. Back it down a little bit there and you may need to process. Well, I'm trying to communicate and convey this particular truth. Well, again, the objective that we had before us is always to do so in love and salt and light. So I agree with you that there is a way to be forthright and direct in a way that still communicates like loving compassion and concern for somebody. And so if really what you're trying to do is the equivalent of some kinda spiritual CPR, we'll know that you, you don't have to be a jerk while you're doing it. You don't have to cause the kind of destruction that's unnecessary in the process. Even though CPR is a traumatic and you know, can be a painful event by it's necessary nature, we administer it in such a way that makes sure that we are, we have fidelity to the essential process itself, to the essential truths that's worth standing up for. Yeah, it's not a worth being a jerk. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. [00:14:37] Practical Application of Parables Tony Arsenal: Jesse, let's, let's move along. What are you affirming or denying tonight Jesse Schwamb: and now for something much lighter? So, my, my affirmation I share at the risk of it being like so narrow that maybe nobody will actually want to use this, but I actually had you in mind. Tony, I've been sitting on this one for a little while 'cause I've been testing it. And so we're, we're just gonna run like an actual quick experiment 'cause I. I'm guessing you will find this affirmation useful and will come along with me and it and might even use it, but you and I are not always like representative of all the people in the world. I say that definitely tongue in cheek. So we're a little bit nerdy. We love our podcasts and so occasionally, I don't know if this happens to you, I'm guessing it does, but I want to capture like a moment that I heard while podcast is playing on my phone. Maybe somebody says something really interesting, it's great quotes, or it's mathematical nature and I wanna go back and process it. And so generally what I do is I, I don't know, I stop it. I try to go back and listen to it real quick if I can, or maybe I can't because running, driving, all that stuff. So. When I hear something now that I want to keep, I just cry out to my phone. I have an, I have an iPhone, so I say, Siri, you could do this with Google. Take a screenshot. What happens is the phone captures an image of my podcast app with a timestamp showing of course what's being played. Then I forward this image, this is the crazy affirmation part. When it's time to be alive, I forward this image to a certain email address and I get back the text transcript of the previous 90 seconds, which I can then either look at or file into my notes. What is this email address sent it to you. Well, here's the website so you can go check it out for yourself though. Website is actually called Podcast Magic App, and there's just three easy steps there, and this will explain to you how you actually get that image back to you in the format of a transcript. And the weird thing about this is it's, it's basically free, although if you use it a lot, they ask for like a one-time donation of $20, which you know me, I love. A one time fee. So I've been using this a lot recently, which is why I've been sitting on it, but it is super helpful for those of you who are out there listening to stuff. They're like, oh, I like that. I need to get that back. And of course, like you'll never get it back. So if you can create this method that I've done where you can train your phone to take a snapshot picture of what's on the screen, then you can send it to Podcast Magic at Sublime app, and they will literally send you a transcript of the previous 90 seconds no matter what it is. Tony Arsenal: That is pretty sweet. I'll have to check that out. Um, I don't listen to as many podcasts as I used to. How dare you? I just, the I know. It's, it's crazy. Where do we even do it Feels like heresy to say that on a podcast that I'm recording. Yes. Um, Jesse Schwamb: we've lost half the audience. Yeah. Tony Arsenal: Well, yeah. Well, the other half will come next. Um, no, I, I, I just don't have as much time as I used to. I, I live closer to work than I used to and um, I'm down to, we're down to one car now, so, um, your mother is graciously giving me a ride to work. Um, 'cause she, she drives right past our house on the, the way and right past my work on the way to her work. Um, but yeah, so I guess I say that to say like, the podcast that I do listen to are the ones that I really wanna make sure I'm, I am, uh, processing and consuming and, uh, making sure that I'm kinda like locking into the content. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: So this might be helpful for that when I do hear something and I do think, like, it's hard because I use matter, which is great, and you can forward a podcast to matter and it generates a whole transcript of the entire episode, which is great. Um, but I don't often go back and, you know, a lot of times, like I'll go through my matter, uh, queue and it'll be like three weeks after I listened to a podcast episode, I be like, why did I put this in here? Right? I get that. I don't wanna listen to the entire 60 minute episode again to try to remember what that special thing was. So I just end up archiving it. So this might be a good middle ground to kind of say like, I might set, I might still send it to matter to get the whole transcript, but then I can use this service to just capture where in the transcript actually was I looking for? Um. It's interesting. I'll have to look at it too, because you can, you can send, uh, through Apple Podcast, the Apple Podcast app and through most podcast apps, I think. Right? You can send the episode with the timestamp attached to it. Yes. So I wonder if you could just send that, that link. Okay. Instead of the screenshot. Um, you know, usually I'm, I'm not. Uh, I don't usually, I'm not driving anymore, so usually when I'm listening to a podcast I have, my hands are on my phone so I could actually send it. So yeah, I'll have to check that out. That's a good recommendation. Jesse Schwamb: Again, it's kind of nuanced, but listen, loved ones, you know what you get with us, you're gonna get some, it could be equally affirmation, denial that Doug involves Doug Wilson, and then some random little thing that's gonna help you transcribe podcasts you listen to, because life is so hard that we need to be able to instantly get the last 90 seconds of something we listen to so that we can put it into our note taping at note taking app and put it into our common notebook and keep it. Yeah, there you go. Tony Arsenal: There's a lot of apps. There was actually a, a fair number of apps that came out a while ago that were, they were trying to accomplish this. Where you could, as you were listening to the podcast, in that app, you could basically say, highlight that and it would, it would highlight whatever sentence you were on. But the problem is like by the time you say highlight that you're already onto the next sentence, you now you're going back trying to do it again. And I didn't find any of that worked really seamlessly. It was a lot of extra friction. So this might be kind of a good frictionless or less friction way to do it. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I'm totally with you. [00:20:08] The Kingdom of Heaven Parables Jesse Schwamb: I mean, speaking of like things that cause friction, there's no doubt that sometimes in Jesus' teaching on the parables that he himself brings the heat, he brings a little friction in his communication. And since you and I basically did go through each of these parables, we don't have do that again on this conversation. In fact, what I'm looking forward to is kind of us coming together and coalescing our conversation about these things, the themes that we both felt that we heard and uncovered in the course of talking through them. But I think as well ending with so what? So what is some real good shoe leather style, practical application of these ideas of understanding the kingdom of God to be like this mustard seed and like this lemon. So why don't I start by just reading. Again, these couple of verses, which we're gonna take right out of Matthew chapter 13. Of course, there are parallel passages in the other gospels as well, and I'd point you to those if you wanna be well-rounded, which you should be. And so we're gonna start in verse 31 of chapter 13. It's just a handful of verse verses. Here's what Matthew writes. Jesus puts another parable before them saying The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It's the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown, it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches. He told them another parable. The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flower till it was all leavened. Alright? Yeah. So Tony, what do you think? Tony Arsenal: Uh, I mean, these are so like, straightforward. It was almost, it, it felt almost silly trying to like explain them. Yeah. One of the things that, that did strike me, that I think is worth commenting too, um, just as a, a general reminder for parables, we have to be careful to remember what the parable is saying, right? So I, I often hear, um. The smallness of the mustard seed emphasized. Mm-hmm. And I think your, your commentary, you did a good job of kind of pointing out that like there's a development in this parable like it, right? It's a progression and there's an eschatology to it, both in terms of the, the parable itself, but also it comments on the eschatology of the kingdom of heaven. But it's not just that the kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed. It's the kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sewed in his field. Right? It's that whole clause that is the, the kingdom of heaven is like likewise, the kingdom of heaven is not just like leave, it's like leave that a woman took in hidden in three measures of flour till all was leavened. So when we're looking at these parables. Or when we're looking at really any parable, it's important to make sure that we get the second half of the, the comparison, right? What are we comparing the kingdom of heaven to? You know, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a sower who sowed seeds among, you know, in three types of four types of soil. This kingdom of Heaven is like, this is like that. We don't wanna miss part of the parable because we latch on to just like the first noun, and that follows the word like, um, but I think these are great, these are great little, um, parables that in some ways are almost like, uh, compliments or ex explanations of the other parables that we're looking at too. They, they explain to us something more about what the Kingdom of Heaven is using similar kinds of analogies that help us flesh out the parables that are surrounding them. So the Kingdom of Heaven. You know, again, we always want to caution against kind of like overinterpreting, the parables, but the, the parable of the sower is talking about the seed that is sewn into the field, right? And then there's the parable of the wheat and the tears, and there's seed again. And we, we might have a tendency to sort of miss the nature of the kingdom in a certain sort of dynamic. This fleshes this out. So we might think of like the parable of the sowers, like we don't know what, what proportion is of good soil, you know, good soil versus bad. We know that there's three types of soils that are bad soils or unproductive soils and one type, but we don't know like how much of the soil is, um, like what percentage of the field is that. Similarly, like we don't know what percentage of the field was wheat and what was weeds. This is kind of reminding us that the, the kingdom of heaven is not found primarily in the, um, the expansiveness of it. Right. It's not, it's not initially going to look like much. It's going to initially start out very small. Right. And in some ways, like in both of these, it appears to disappear entirely. Right? You sow a grain of mustard seed. I don't, I've never seen a mustard seed, so, but it's very small. Obviously you sow that into the ground. You're not gonna find it again, you're not gonna come back a week later and dig up that seed and figure out where you sewed it. Um, similarly, like you put a, you put a very small amount of yeast or lemon into a three measures of flour. You're not gonna be able to go in even probably, even with a microscope. You know, I suppose if you had infinite amount of time, you could pick a every single grain of flour, but you're not gonna be able to like go find that lemon. It's not gonna be obvious to the eye anymore, or even obvious to the careful searcher anymore. So that's what the kingdom of heaven is like in both of these. It's this very small, unassuming thing that is hidden away. Uh, it is not outwardly visible. It is not outwardly magnificent. It is not outwardly even effective. It disappears for all intents and purposes. And then it does this amazing thing. And that's where I really think these, these two parables kind of find their unity is this small, unassuming thing. That seems ineffectual actually is like abundantly effectual in ways that we don't even think about and can't even comprehend. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Yeah. I would say almost it's as if it's like, well, it's certainly intentionally, but almost like offensively imperceptible. And I think that's the friction that Jesus brings with him to the original audience when he explains it this way. So again, from the top, when we said this idea that the kingdom of God is imperceptible, it's hidden, it grows, it conquers, it brings eschatological resolution. And I'm just thinking again, in the minds of the hearers, what they would've been processing. I think you're spot on. I liked your treatment of that by focusing us to the fact that there is verb and noun and they go together. We often get stuck on the nouns, but this, that verb content means that all of this, of course, is by the superintendent will of God. It's volitional. His choice is to do it this way. It is again, where the curse becomes the blessing, where it's the theology of the cross or theology of glory, where it is what is small and imp, perceptible and normal by extraordinary means becomes that which conquers all things. And so I can. Picture, at least in my mind, because I'm a person and would, would wanna understand something of the kingdom of God. And if I were in a place, a place of oppression physically and spiritually living in darkness, to have this one who claims to be Messiah come and talk about the inauguration of this kingdom. My mind, of course, would immediately go to, well, God's kingdom must be greater than any other kingdom I could see on this earth. And I see it on the earth that the sun rises. And cast light across provinces and countries and territories in a grand way. And then we have this kingdom of God, which, you know, theory, the, the sun should never set on it and the sun should never be able to shine, but on a corner of it. And it doesn't have provinces or countries, it doesn't even have continence, but it has, it encapsulates worlds. And it doesn't stretch from like shore to shore or sea to shining sea, but from sun to sun or star to star from the heavens to the earth, its extent couldn't be surveyed. Its inhabitants couldn't be numbered. Its beginning, could never be calculated because from Tard past, it had no bounds. And so I'm just thinking of all these things and then like you said, Jesus says, let me tell you what it's really like. It's like somebody throwing a tiny seed into a garden. Or it's like a woman just making bread and she puts yeast into it. These seem like not just opposites, but almost offensive, I think, in the way that they portray this kingdom that's supposed to be of great power and sovereign growth, but it comes in perceptibly and how perfect, because the one who's delivering this message is the one who comes imperceptibly, the person of Christ preaching the gospel and the hearts of believers. But that grows into a vast and global proportion, and that of course, that aligns exactly with so many things you and I have talked about in process before. These doctrines are providence and sovereign grace, that God ordains the means that is the seed and ensures the outcome, which is the tree. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I think too, um, you know, I don't, I don't know of any affinity with mustard seed in like the Old Testament law, but there's, there's a sort of a reversal of expectation here too, because although Levin is not always associated with like impurity, um, I think most Jewish listeners would immediately have a negative connotation with Levin for sure. Right? So when, when all of a sudden he's comparing the Kingdom of Heaven to leaven it, it becomes sort of this, um, the reason Levin is so pernicious and the reason that in the Old Testament law, you know, they're, they're, they're not just not making their bread with leave for the, for the Passover. They have to like sweep out their whole house. They have to empty all their stores out. They have to clear everything out. And that's not just because like. In, in, in Old Testament, sort of like metaphors, leaven does get associated with sin, right? Uh, and that gets carried on into the New Testament, but just the actual physical properties of leaven is like, if there's any little bit of it left on the shelf or even in the air, like even on your hands, it's can spoil the whole batch. It can cause the entire batch to go a different direction than you want it to. And in a certain way, like the Kingdom of Heaven is like that, right? Um. [00:30:21] The Resilience of God's Kingdom Tony Arsenal: You hear about, um, you hear about situations where it seems like the presence of God's people and the, the kingdom of God is just, it's just eradicated. And then you find out that there's actually like a small group of believers who somehow survived and then like Christianity is thriving again like 50 years later. Um, you can't just wipe out the kingdom of heaven because it is like leaven and any small remaining remnant of it is going to work its way back through the entire batch in a way that is, uh, mysterious and is somewhat unpredictable and is certainly going to surprise people who are not expecting it to be there. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. [00:31:04] Understanding Theological Concepts Jesse Schwamb: One of the things I really picked up in your treatment of that, that kind of drew me in in a special way was, you know, we think of some theological terms. We have really, I think, strong. Rubric for processing them, and especially like their multifaceted nature. So for instance, when we think about sanctification, we often talk about positional and progressive. And those are really helpful ways to understand a concept that brings us into modeling where it's finite and precise to a degree that allows us to understand it and comprehend it with a greater degree of confidence. And knowing it's many parts, because it is many parted. [00:31:36] The Parable of the Leaven Jesse Schwamb: And I was thinking as you were talking about the leaven, how the kingdom of heaven here that is inaugurated by Christ, that comes by the power of the Holy Spirit is growth and always deny that. But what you drew out for me was I think we're definitely seeing in that this idea of the intensive growth and then of course in the. Parable of the mustard seed. It's more extensive growth and they're both important. So they're in consummate harmony. It's not just like one recapitulating the other. And what that made me think about was even as you were speaking now, this really interesting difference, you know, the woman is taking this, again, talking about the verb, there's two nouns here actually. There's like the, the proper pronoun of the woman there is the act which she's doing, which she's taking the leaven and working it as it were like into the flower. I just did like a weird motion here on the camera if you're watching on uh, YouTube. Sorry about that. [00:32:28] Practical Lessons from Bread Making Jesse Schwamb: Almost like I was giving CPR, but she's working it into this meal or this flower and the working it from within outwards and that working itself like changes the whole substance from the center to the surface of this meal. Now I was thinking about this 'cause you noted something about bed bread. Bread baking in yours. And I did actually just a couple weeks ago, make some bread and the recipe I was using came with this like huge warning. Some of the recipes are like this, where when you're using some kinda lemon, most of the time we're using yeast. You have to not only be careful, of course, about how much yeast you put in because you put in too much, it's gonna blow the whole thing up. You're gonna have serious problems. You're not gonna make the bread anymore, you're gonna make a bomb, so to speak, and it's gonna be horrible. You're not gonna want to eat it. But the second thing is the order in which you add the ingredients, or in this recipe in particular, had very explicit instructions for when you're creating the dry ingredients. When you have the flour, make a little well with your finger and delicately place. All of the yeast in there so that when you bring the dough together, when you start to shape it, you do it in a particular way that from the inside out changes the whole thing so that there's a thorough mixing. Because the beauty of this intensive change is that. As you know Tony, like there's so many things right now in my kitchen that are fermenting and I talked about before, fermenting the process of leavening something is a process of complete change. It's taking something that was before and making it something very different. But of course it retains some of the essential characteristics, but at the same time is a completely different thing. And so it's through a corresponding change that man goes to whom the spirit of God communicates His grace. It's hidden in the heart and chain begin, change begins there. You know, the outward reformation is not preparing a way for inward regeneration. It's the other way around that regeneration, that reformation on the outside springs from a regeneration that's on the inside, growing out of it as a tree grows from a seed as a stream flows from the spring or as leave, comes and takes over the entire lump of dough. [00:34:26] The Power of Small Beginnings Jesse Schwamb: It's amazing. This is how God works it. We again, on the one side we see the kingdom of heaven. That is like the manifestations of his rule in rain coming, like that seed being sown and growing into this mighty tree. It brings shade. The birds come nest in it. And that may be a reference Allah to like Ezekiel or Daniel, the Gentiles themselves. There's that inclusion. And then to be paired with this lovely sense that, you know what else, anywhere else, the power of the kingdom of heaven is made. Manifest is in every heart in life of the believer. And so the Christian has way more in religion in their outer expression than they do anybody else. Because the inner person, the identity has been changed. Now you and I, you and I harp all the time on this idea that we, we don't need some kind of, you know, restoration. We need regeneration. We don't need to be reformed merely on the outside by way of behaviors or clever life hacks. We need desperately to be changed from the inside out because otherwise we. Where it's just, I don't know, draping a dead cold statue with clothing, or all we're doing is trying to create for ourselves a pew in the house of God. What we really need is to be like this bread that is fully loving, that grows and rises into this delicious offering before the world and before God. Because if you were to cut into this outwardly looking freshly baked bread and find that as soon as you got through that delicious, hard, crispy crust on the outside, that in the inside all it was, was filled with like unprocessed, raw flour, you would of course say, that's not bread. I don't know what that is. But that's not bred. What a great blessing that the promise that God gives to us is that the kingdom of God is not like that. It lies in the heart by the power of God. And if it's not there, it's not anywhere. And that though the Christian May at times exhibit, as we've talked about before, some kinda hypocrisy, they are not essentially hypocrites. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is leavening us by the power of the Holy Spirit. That gospel message is constantly per permeating that yeast through all of who we are, so that it continues to change us. So that while the natural man still remains, we are in fact a new creation in Christ. So to start with, you know, bread and or not bread to end with bread, but to start with flour and water and yeast and salts, and to be transformed and changed is the intensive power of the growth of the gospel, which is with us all our lives, until we have that beautific vision. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I think, um, you know, to kind of take a, a pivot maybe to the practical, I think this is, this is not the point of the parable necessarily 'cause the parable. I think there's a lot that these parables have to say to us about like, personal, individual growth, but they really are about the growth of the kingdom or the, the, maybe necessarily the growth of the kingdom. I think that's there too. But really like the nature of the kingdom as this sort of like, hidden, hidden thing that then grows and creates big results. [00:37:34] Encouragement in Times of Darkness Tony Arsenal: I, I think this is a, this is a parable that should encourage us. Like absolutely for sure we should look to this and, and be encouraged because. It is not the case. Um, I know there are lots of people who wanna act as though like this is the worst time anyone has ever lived in, and everything is the worst as it's ever been. It's, this is not even close to the worst time that the church has ever existed in, um, there are, it's funny, um, we'll give a little plug. Some of our listeners have started their own new show called Over Theologizing, and, um, it, it was, it was funny listening to the second episode they had, um. Pete Smith was on there and they were saying, like, they were talking about like, how do you feel about the nature of the church? And Pete was like, it's fine. Like it's great out here. Like there's lots of churches, lots good. Like I, I think that there are pockets in our, in our world, um, particularly, you know, my, my former reference is Western World and in the United States and in some senses in, in Europe, um, there are certainly pockets of places where it's very dark and very difficult to be a Christian, but by and large it's not all that challenging. Like, we're not being actively persecuted. They're not feeding us to the lions. They're not stealing our businesses. They're not, um, murdering us. You know, like I said, there are exceptions. And even in the United States, there are places where things are moving that direction. But there are also times when the church is going to feel dark and small and, and like it's failing and, and like it's, it's weak. And we can look at these parables and say, the fact that it feels and looks and may actually be very small does not rob it of its power that does not rob the kingdom of heaven of its power. It in, in actuality that smallness is its power, right? Leave is so powerful of an ingredient in bread because you need so little of it, right? Because that it, you can use such a small quantity of lemon to create such a, a huge result in bread. That's the very nature of it. And it, its efficacy is in that smallness. And you know, I think the mustard seed is probably similar in that you, you don't need to have, um. Huge reaping of, of mustard seed in order to produce the, the crop that is necessary, the trees that are necessary to, to grow that. So when we look around us and we see the kingdom of heaven feeling and maybe actually even being very small in our midst, we should still be encouraged because it doesn't take a lot of leave to make the bread rise, so to speak. And it doesn't take a lot. And, and again, like of course it's not our power that's doing it, that's where maybe sort of like the second takeaway, the baker doesn't make the bread rise by his own like force of will, right? He does it by putting in this, this agent, you know, this ingredient that works in a sort of miraculous, mysterious way. It's obviously not actually miraculous. It's a very natural process. But I think for most of history. So that was a process that probably was not well understood, right? We, we, people didn't fully understand why Bread did what it did when you used lemon. They just knew that it did. And I think that's a good takeaway for us as well, is we can't always predict how the kingdom of heaven is gonna develop or is gonna operate in our midst. Um, sometimes it's gonna work in ways that seem to make a lot of sense, otherwise it's gonna seem like it's not doing anything. Um, and then all of a sudden it does. And that's, that's kind of where we're at. Jesse Schwamb: I like that. That's what a great reminder. Again, we all often come under this theme that God is always working. Even when we don't feel or see that he is, he's always working and even we've just come again on the calendar at least to celebrate something of the Reformation and its anniversary. Uh. What again, proof positive that God's kingdom will not fail. That even in the places where I thought the gospel was lost or was darkens, even in Israel's past in history, God always brings it forward. It cannot, it will not die. [00:41:26] Faithfulness Over Visibility Jesse Schwamb: So I wanna tack onto that by way of, I think some practical encouragement for ministry or for all believers. And that is, let's not despise small beginnings. Like let's not despise whatever it is that you're doing in service to God, to your family, to your churches, especially in the proclamation of the gospel. This is from um, Zacharia chapter four, beginning of verse eight. Then the word of the Lord came to me saying, the hands of the rebel have laid the foundation of this house. His hands shall also complete it. Then you will know that the Lord of hosts has sent me to you. For whoever has despised the day of small things shall rejoice and shall see the plumb line in the hand of Zabel. So I love this encouragement that is for all Christians. That's one. Again, God is doing all the verbs like just. For one last time for everybody in the back. God does all the verbs. Yeah, and in so doing, because he is doing all the verbs, he may, but he chooses to start with small things because again, he is always showing and exemplifying his glory and he does this in these normative ways. It's a beautiful expression of how majestic and powerful he is. So let's embrace those things with be encouraged by them. The gospel may appear weak or slow in bearing fruit, yet God guarantees its eventual triumph. God guarantees that he's already stamped it. It's faithfulness and not visibility. That's the measure of fruitfulness. So if you're feeling encouraged in whatever it is that you're doing in ministry, the formal or otherwise, I would say to you. Look to that faithfulness, continue to get up and do it, continue to labor at it, continue to seek strength through the Holy Spirit, and know that the measure of his fruitfulness will come, but maybe in a future time, but it will come because this is what God does. It's God doing all the work. He's the one, he's essentially the characters needs of these parables, sowing the seed, working in lemon. Yeah. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I think, you know, like I said, the, the parables are not necessarily about individual personal growth. Um, but I, I think the principle that is here applies to that as well is I think oftentimes we feel like, um. I'll speak for myself. There are have been many times in my walk as a Christian, um, where it just feels like nothing's happening. Right? Right. Like, you just feel like it's dry and like you, you're, you know, you're, you're not like you're falling into some great sin or like you've walking away from the faith, but it just feels sort of dry and stale and like God isn't doing anything. And, um, I've only ever tried to bake bread once and it was a, it was just a terrible, terrible failure. But, um, I think one of the things that I've. I've read about people who bake bread is that there is a level of patience that has to come with it, right? Because oftentimes it seems like the bread isn't rising. It seems like the, the lemon is not doing what it's supposed to do until it does. Right? And like, if you take the bread out of the oven every couple of minutes to check and see if it's rising, it's never going to rise. It's never going to do what it's supposed to do. And, um, you know, I think that is kind of like the Christian life in microcosm too, is we, we have these spiritual disciplines that we do. We pray, we read the scriptures, we attend faithfully to the Lord's Day service. And oftentimes it doesn't feel like that's doing anything right. But it is. The Kingdom of Heaven is at work in not only in our midst as a corporate body, but the kingdom of heaven is at work in each of us as well. That's right. God's, God's grace and his, uh, special providence and his spirit of, of sanctification, the Holy Spirit is the spirit of holiness and the one who makes us holy. Um, he is doing that whether it feels like it or not, whether we see, um, outward progress or not. If the spirit dwells within us, he is necessarily making us holy and necessarily sanctifying us. Um, and and so I want us to all think about that as we, we kind of wrap up a little bit here, is we shouldn't be. I, I don't wanna say we shouldn't be discouraged, um, because it's easy to get discouraged and I don't want people to feel like I'm like, you should never be discouraged. Like sometimes the world is discouraging and it's frustrating, and it's okay to feel that, but we should be able to be encouraged by this parable. When we look at it and we remember like, this is just. This is just the parable form of Paul saying like, God glories by using the weak to demonstrate his strength. Exactly right. He, he is, his power is shown in, in using the weak and frail things of this life and this world to accomplish his purposes. And so when we are weak, when we are feeling as though we are failing as Christians, we should be able to look at this and say, well, this is what the kingdom of heaven is like. It's like a tiny mustard seed, a tiny mustard seed of faith that grows into a large tree. It's, it's like this little little spark of leave that God puts in us and it's hidden in us and it leavens the whole loaf. And that's us, right? And that's the church, that's the kingdom. It's the world. Um, God is at work and he is doing it in ways that we would not ordinarily see. Even the person who has this sort of like explosive Christian growth. That's not usually sustained. I think most people when they first come to faith, especially if they come to faith, you know, as a teenager or a young adult, um, they come to faith and they have this like explosive period of growth where they're like really passionate about it and on fire. And then that, that passion just kind of like Peters out and you kind of get into like the, the day in, day out of Christianity, um, which is not, it's not flashy. It's not sexy, it's not super exciting. It's very boring in a lot of ways, like right, it's, it's basic bread, it's basic water. It's hearing a, a person speak and it's, it's reading words on a page. But when the Holy Spirit uses those things, he uses them faithfully to finish the work that he started. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, I think that's exactly right. The spirit's work of leavening, it continues quietly, but it powerfully, yeah. And we shouldn't despise that quietness or that smallness that I think is altogether a gift of God. And again, we're talking about the one who embodies the perfect will of God, who came and condescended to his creation was like us in every eight, where every way without sin. This is the one who became, I think as Paul writes in Galatians, a curse for us. And so again, this blessedness arises out of, again, what I think is this offensive means. And if that is the model that Christ gives to us, we ourselves shouldn't despise that kinda small beginning or even despise the sacrifices we're often called to make. Or those again, I would say like offensively and auspicious kinds of beginnings. All of that is peace wise, what it means to be a follower of Jesus. And there's a beauty in that. And I would say, I want to add to what you said, Tony, 'cause I think it was right on, is this idea that's easy to be discouraged is. It doesn't require any explanation. I, I, I'm totally with you. If you were to pick up any, or go to any kind of website and just look at the headlines for their news reporting, you're going to find plenty of reasons to be discouraged and to feel melancholy. And yet at the same time when I think we, you and I talk about these things, what I'm prone to consider is what Paul writes elsewhere to the church in Corinth, where he says in two Corinthians chapter 10, we destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. Being ready to punish every disobedience when you're disobey, when you're obedience is complete. And so what I think that applies to us in this particular case is understanding that this is the promise of God. Like you're saying, you and I are saying. Discouragement happens. And yet the truth is that small inauspicious beginnings in the kingdom of heaven always result in outsized gains that God never ceases to work. That he's always with us, that he's always for us. Then we do have to take captive those thoughts that lead us into kind of a disproportionate melancholy that pull us away or distract us from this truth of God, the knowledge of God, which is that he is super intending, his sovereign will completely over every molecule in the universe because this is what the Kingdom of Heaven does. And so that gives us, I think as I said last week, hope and evangelism we're storming those gates of hell we're coming for you like because there is a triumphalism in Christ that will be manifested in the final day. It's the reformed understanding of the here but not quite yet. [00:49:57] Cultural Engagement as Christians Jesse Schwamb: And like the last place that Le that leads me to like some practical, I think application is, and I wanna be careful with this, so I'm curious for your opinion. It's cultural engagement. You know, if we're thinking about this, leave permeating this dough, this tiny seed growing to overtake the garden, then I think believers should labor to continue to bring biblical truth into every sphere. So your family, your vocation, arts, politics, everything under Christ's lordship. I think sometimes that doesn't necessarily mean that you have to be. As we've talked about the top of the show, really outspoken in a provocative kind of way. I think sometimes, again, that same quiet though, consistent work that the Holy Spirit does that's powerful in leavening us is the same thing that we can do with just our attitudes at work or our attitudes in our family, or our willingness to serve or our kind words. Of course, it does require us to preach the gospel using words. It also means that the power of the leaven is that quiet power. It doesn't jump outta the bread. It doesn't boast, but it is present. So maybe I'm saying Christians, let's be present, and leavening means to be present with the attitude and the mind of Christ. What? What do you think? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I think that's, um, I think that's right on, you know, um, it, it's not quite a parable, but Christ, Christ commands his people to be like salt and light and true. Um, and, and by saying that the kingdom of heaven is like leaven, you know, like a, a measure of leaven that was hidden away in three measures. Um, he's also commanding us to be like leaven, right? And he is commanding us to be like the, the mustard seed because that is what we are. And I think, um, we shouldn't think that we can cloister off or sequester off the kingdom of heaven from the rest of culture and create like, um, I'm not quite, uh, I'm not quite to the point where I'm, I'm a transformational in the sort of like Tim Keller sense, but I do think that. We, and I don't like this word, but I'm not sure of a better, a better way to say it, but like, we like to set up these little Christian ghettos where like we, we isolate ourselves culturally into these little subcultures and these little sort of cordoned off areas of culture. Um, where we, we actually then strive to look just like the culture that's around us, right? Right. We subsection off Christian music and although it's, you know, typically it's like a decade behind the curve in terms of what music is good, we're really just doing the same music as the rest of the world. We just baptize it with Christian language. Like, I remember my, my youth pastor in high school rewrote the song closing time to Be Quiet Time. And like that was like, that was like the most Christian thing he could do at the time, was rewrite the lyrics to a song. But like, that's, that's absolutely not what cultural transformation looks like. Right. Well, cultural transformation, and maybe I'm channeling a little bit of, of Michael Foster here, what cultural transformation looks like. Is is a man who gets married and loves his wife, well, serves her and sacrifices for her, and makes a bunch of babies and brings them to church, right? Like that's, that's cultural transformation. And in our culture, like that is a very counter-cultural way to do things. It's actually very counter-cultural. There have been times when that's not particularly countercultural and there probably will be times again where it is. And actually it seems like our broader American culture is moving away from the sort of like two kids, two kids and a dog is a, is a bygone era fantasy. And now it's like two single people living in a house together with a dog. Um, you know, and, and that's not to say that that's the only way to be, to transform culture, right? That's just one example of sort of the most mundane, natural thing is actually the way that we do it. Um. We transform culture by, um, by being honest, having integrity, yes. By, um, working hard, right? Yes. Going to work, doing your job well, uh, without a lot of fanfare, without seeking a lot of accolades, um, and just doing a good job because that's what God commands us to do when he tells us to honor our employers and to be good, faithful bond servants in the Lord. Um, that is also very, uh, that also will transform culture. Um, you know, I think we think of cultural transformation and we, I think we immediately go to, for better or worse, we go to like the Doug Wilsons of the world and we go like, that guy's engaging the culture. Well, yeah, I guess in a certain sense he is. Um, or we, or we go to. The Tim Keller's of the world where they are, they're engaging culture in a different way. But I think for most of us, for most Christians, our cultural engagement is very nor like very normal and very boring. It's living a very ordinary, quiet life. Um, you know, what does Paul say? Work quiet life. Mind your own business. Work with your hands, right? Like, don't be a busy body. Um, like that's, that's actually the way that culture is transformed. And that makes perfect sense. We will have to come back and do another episode on this sometimes, but like, that makes perfect sense. When you think about how God created Adam and what he was supposed to do to transform and cult, cultivate, right? The word cultivate and culture come from the same roots to transform and cultivate the entire world. What was he supposed to do? Plant a garden, tame the animals, right? You know, bake babies. Like, it's, it's not, um, it's not. Rocket science, it's not that difficult. And again, we are all called to different elements of that. And God providentially places us in situations and in, in life, you know, life circumstances, we're not all gonna be able to fulfill every element of that. But that's where this, that's where this becomes sort of the domain of the church, right? The church does all of these things in the culture, and I don't mean the church as institution. I mean like the people who are the church. They do all of these things in very ordinary, normal ways, and that will, that will transform the culture. Um, right. You, you show me a. And this is not, you know, by God's common grace, there are lots of really nice people out there who are more or less honest and have integrity and work hard at their jobs. So it's not as that, that's a uniquely Christian thing. But you show me a, a, a person who is known to be a Christian and works hard as honest is straightforward, is kind, is charitable, is self-sacrificial in, in all arenas of their life. Um, people will notice that and they will see it as different and they will associate it with Christianity. They will as

The crew are joined by Nick Kostos from You better you bet. he admits his wrongs with last weeks picks as well as shares his love for Christmas.

Lesley Logan and Brad Crowell mark 600 episodes with gratitude, reflection, and a fearless reminder to speak up for what you want. Lesley shares Buddha's timeless wisdom that mirrors the Be It Till You See It mindset and reads listener wins that prove progress comes from small acts of courage. Plus, she opens up about turning fear into confidence when she asks boldly—and how it led to connection, clarity, and peace.If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co. And as always, if you're enjoying the show please share it with someone who you think would enjoy it as well. It is your continued support that will help us continue to help others. Thank you so much! Never miss another show by subscribing at LesleyLogan.co/subscribe https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/#follow-subscribe-free.In this episode you will learn about:Celebrating 600 episodes with a refreshed look and gratitude to the community.How Buddha's timeless lessons align with Be It Till You See It.Wins that show how confidence builds through small, consistent steps.Asking in-laws to visit—and what fearless honesty can create.Episode References/Links:Submit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions17 Powerful Sentences by Buddha - https://www.instagram.com/p/DLVHmI3ONYk If you enjoyed this episode, make sure and give us a five star rating and leave us a review on iTunes, Podcast Addict, Podchaser or Castbox. https://lovethepodcast.com/BITYSIDEALS! DEALS! DEALS! DEALS! https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentCheck out all our Preferred Vendors & Special Deals from Clair Sparrow, Sensate, Lyfefuel BeeKeeper's Naturals, Sauna Space, HigherDose, AG1 and ToeSox https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/memberships/perks/#equipmentBe in the know with all the workshops at OPC https://workshops.onlinepilatesclasses.com/lp-workshop-waitlistBe It Till You See It Podcast Survey https://pod.lesleylogan.co/be-it-podcasts-surveyBe a part of Lesley's Pilates Mentorship https://lesleylogan.co/elevate/FREE Ditching Busy Webinar https://ditchingbusy.com/Resources:Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gLesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjogqXLnfyhS5VlU4rdzlnQProfitable Pilates https://profitablepilates.com/about/Follow Us on Social Media:Instagram https://www.instagram.com/lesley.logan/The Be It Till You See It Podcast YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-gFacebook https://www.facebook.com/llogan.pilatesLinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/lesley-logan/The OPC YouTube Channel https://www.youtube.com/@OnlinePilatesClasses Episode Transcript:Lesley Logan 0:00  It's Fuck Yeah Friday. Brad Crowell 0:01 Fuck yeah. Lesley Logan 0:02  Get ready for some wins. Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.  Lesley Logan 0:48  Oh my god, Brad. Brad Crowell 0:49  I cannot even believe this. Lesley Logan 0:50  We're 600. Brad Crowell 0:52  What?Lesley Logan 0:52  Okay, you guys, this is an FYF episode, and we were recording it. I had no idea what number that was, and so we missed it. And that's because we don't really care about being perfect, but we do care about celebrating.Brad Crowell 1:02  I love it. I'm really fired up about this. It is amazing that it's lasted as long as it has.Lesley Logan 1:06  Can you believe it? Like when we first started, I don't think we would have thought, oh, we're gonna, on our 600th episode, we'll rebrand. Brad Crowell 1:12  Yeah. Lesley Logan 1:12  But we are. Brad Crowell 1:13  We are. Lesley Logan 1:14  We have a whole new look. Have you even seen it?Brad Crowell 1:17  No, I literally haven't seen it. From recording this, I have not yet seen it. Lesley Logan 1:20  Okay, well, go take a look. Brad Crowell 1:22  I heard it's cool, though. Lesley Logan 1:22  It's really cool. I really like it. I love to hear if you really like it. And I just want to say, thank you. Brad Crowell 1:27  Yeah, thanks for listening. Lesley Logan 1:29  I mean, the celebration is kind of as big as it's like a part of you, like you're actually part of the whole celebration, because we would not be here if it wasn't for you listening to the show. Brad Crowell 1:38  You're amazing. Lesley Logan 1:39  Thanks so much. And thanks to our amazing team. All right, here's your FYF episode. Lesley Logan 1:43  Hi, Be It babe. Happy November 7th. Oh my gosh. I can't believe we're here. This is so fun. My in -aws are visiting, so like we're doing vacation and family visiting, and they've never seen our house in Vegas. So it's really, really exciting. But before we get into my wins, we have to talk about something that's inspiring, and we talk about your wins, and then we'll have a little affirmation, and we will go kick ass for the weekend, because being it till you see it is about honoring what you did do and celebrating that so it's easier for you to see things are moving forward, and not in a masculine action cup of a thing, but just like you are becoming more of the person that you want to be inside and out every single day, right? It's hard, it's hard to be it till you see it in a world like it is today. But 17 powerful sentences by Buddha that will change how you view the world. So I don't know if we'll read all 17, but I'm going to read several of them. The link is in the show notes if you want more. But, the mind is everything, what you think you become. I mean, that's so be it till you see it. The mind is everything, what you think you become. The root of suffering is attachment. And I think that's really interesting. When we are thinking about goals we want to achieve, I miss most of the goals that I have in my life, but so if I was attached to the goal, then I would have no win. But you've heard us talk about how we've like, celebrated acting as if we could win, like being the team, doing all the effort that could have had the win happen, had everything else worked out. So I agree with that one. If you deeply observe everything is your teacher. I love this one because as a Pilates instructor, it's really easy for people to talk, versus just be in observation. And they're like, oh my god, if I'm too quiet too long, then people think I'm not teaching. No. Make sure they know what you're looking at. But like, be in observation, because then their body teaches you what it needs. Three things cannot be long hidden, the sun, the moon and the truth. Oh, I want to believe that one so bad right now. If you light a lamp for somebody, it will also brighten your path. Fuck yes, I love that. Do not dwell on the past. Do not dream of the future. Concentrate the mind on the present movement. Well, that is Pilates, right there. I said I wasn't gonna read them all, but I'm just loving them all. There's no path to happiness. Happiness is the path. Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates. Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind? I mean that something we can all live by. Holding on to anger is like grasping a hot coal with the intent of throwing it at someone else. You are the one who gets burned. Change is never painful, only the resistance to change is painful. Oh, I like that being it till you see it, it's not painful. The resistance will suck. What you think you become, what you feel you attract, what you imagine you create. Oh my gosh. Well, I'll leave the rest for you. But you guys these, I mean, I might have to bring the other ones back for another day. These are so great. I might just keep them for affirmations at the end of an episode on another day. I really love sharing things. Because I hope you know, when I find these things, I save them, I'm like, I'm thinking of you, like, I'm truly thinking of you. Lesley Logan 5:06  Okay, so I got a bunch of wins that you all sent me on Instagram, so I'm gonna read some of them for you. How about it's time for your wins, and these are quickies, so let's do a few. All right, KelliePilates, I hit my goal of four to six miles walking five days in a row. Holy freaking moly, KelliePilates, four to six miles, that's a long time to walk. I do about four-ish every day, because I do two in the morning and two-ish at night. But like, it's obviously like I have a dog that makes it easier, but that's amazing. Five days in a row. What a goal. Pilateswithsarahk, completed my observation hours for my Pilates teacher training program and went to PT Pilates and a dog walk today. Do you see? Okay, okay, I love Sarah so much because she's like, today I was able to go to PT Pilates and a dog walk. Winning. Like y'all just completing the task on your schedule is a win. Okay? Okay. All right. And then this is my neighbor, tanamarieshow, I'm gonna share it because it made me laugh. So every Friday I ask you, like, what are your wins drop them below, right? And I was walking through the casino to go to the gym this morning, and so you could hear the music playing in the casino on the story. And so here it is. My win today. Is that love potion number nine was a soundtrack to your walk to the gym. She literally was singing it all day long in her head or out loud at her house. I love that so much. What a win that you could just, like, get a good song stuck in your head, and it just makes your day. So you can send your wins in to beitpod.com/questions so you could ask questions, you can share wins, and then I will shout them out. And we all need to remember our wins like it's really fun for me to go back sometimes I'm telling you wins that happened in the past, because it just wasn't time to tell you, and it's like, oh yeah, I did that. I slayed that. So my win today, okay, so the win is my in-laws are visiting, okay? And I know, like, for some people that may be like, that's a win? It's a win, okay? So the last time they visited was the weekend we got married. They, you know, when I met them, I think they had mentioned that they were going to come visit, you know. And then when we got engaged, we knew the dates that they're visiting. We got engaged in May of 2015 and then we knew they were visiting October of 2015 so when Brad and I Brad, I was gonna marry him, and we were driving home from our camp, he's like, well, when you want to marry and I was like, you think your parents will come again, and they might not know this. And so if they're listening, I'm sorry, but like, this is the truth. And he's like, I don't know. And I was like, well then, I guess we're getting married in October. So they haven't been back to visit. Now, to their defense, there was a, there was a pandemic in there, and then they had an older dog, and they had to move whatever, blah, blah, but, they had kept saying they're gonna visit. We've lived in Vegas for over five years, and they kept saying they'll visit and I wanted them to visit. I want them to see the house we live. And I want to see them more. I like them. So I am saying it's a win, because I was a dog with a bone with like, when are you coming? And Brad was doing that and together and with a little passive well, Brad said it was not passive aggressive. It was extremely aggressive. I literally on a FaceTime was like, I just don't think you like me. And then they bought a plane ticket. And so what I'm going to say is the win is, if you want something to happen, do not stop. Just keep going. And if you're not getting what you want, don't be afraid to just be plain and simple and ask, am I not getting this because you don't like me or like, what is like, I promise you, you'll get the right answer, right? You're gonna get a great answer. And if the answer was, yeah, we don't like you, well then I just save myself trips at Christmas time. Like, no big deal, you know? I mean, like, I'm sure that would hurt my feelings, but like, the reality is, there's nothing is ever as bad as you think. So, my win is my in laws are visiting, and our team knew in enough advance that Brad could take almost the entire time off with his family to be here, and I only have a little bit of work to do, so I get to be with them, so we're like, on vacation in our own home, which is like the greatest thing in the world, right? Lesley Logan 9:03  Okay, time for a little affirmation for you for the weekend. When I forgive myself, I free myself. When I forgive myself, I free myself. When I forgive myself, I free myself. Babe, what do you need to forgive yourself from? What's going on in your life that you're like just playing over and over and you're having a broken record like you should have done better. Just forgive yourself. You free yourself. Have an amazing day. Lesley Logan 9:29  That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. Brad Crowell 10:11  It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.Lesley Logan 10:16  It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.Brad Crowell 10:21  Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.Lesley Logan 10:27  Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.Brad Crowell 10:31  Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/be-it-till-you-see-it/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Mark Christopher Lee is a United Kingdom movie maker, documentarian and UFO researcher who, in his latest movie which can been seen on Amazon and Tubi, is called "The Rendlesham UFO: The UK's Roswell". In this show, Mark dives deep into the Incident that occurred around Christmas of 1980. Was it aliens? Was it American technology? The debate continues.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/spaced-out-radio--1657874/support.

Mary Had a Little Lamb by Adrian M Hurtado https://www.amazon.com/Mary-Little-Lamb-Adrian-Hurtado/dp/1647498600 The celebration of Christmas has nothing to do with a fictional character in a red suit, or flying reindeer. It is about the birth and life of Jesus Christ. He is the true reason for the season. Now you can read about His life in an illustrated and poetic form that touches on many of the important aspects of His life. Parents will want to share this story with their children and with their friends.About the author Adrian M. Hurtado was born in Berkeley, CA and raised in the East Bay area. He is a former teacher and principal, having served more than 25 years in schools in Orange County, Los Angeles County, and Santa Barbara County, California. He always enjoyed working with students and in finding ways to make learning interesting and fun. Now he seeks to carry on that delight through books that students can enjoy and their parents can enjoy reading to them and with them. Adrian also served in the Marine Corps and Air Force Reserve, retiring at the rank of Major. He and his wife, Jean, a former kindergarten teacher and his biggest encourager, have retired to the little beach town of Cayucos, CA where he is actively involved in community service.

In this explosive episode, Tara and Lee connect the dots between Washington dysfunction and real-world consequences. Fox News reports that a massive shortage of air traffic controllers could make flying over the holidays dangerous — with pilots advising Americans to skip Thanksgiving and Christmas travel entirely. The ongoing government shutdown means missed paychecks, fewer controllers, and rising chaos across the skies. As Democrats vote no for the 14th time on reopening the government, Hakeem Jeffries' spin falls flat — even CNN calls him out live. Tara highlights how the political stalemate isn't just a Beltway story: millions of Americans are facing reduced or cut-off SNAP benefits right before the holidays. The conversation heats up as Dr. Oz reveals over $1.3 billion in Medicaid funds illegally allocated to undocumented immigrants across six states, a key battle in the funding standoff between Democrats and Republicans. Tara calls it “the fight at the heart of the shutdown” — as lawmakers clash over whether America should keep offering full healthcare benefits to illegal immigrants while citizens struggle. It's a wild, grounded look at how federal dysfunction, economic pain, and media spin are colliding — and why this winter could be one of America's roughest takeoffs yet.

Politics, power, and chaos — the fight for America is closer than you think. From holiday travel nightmares to explosive political scandals and lawless court systems, Tara dives into the stories dominating national headlines. A shortage of air traffic controllers, canceled flights, and SNAP food benefit disruptions collide with Nancy Mace's legal battles, illegal immigration debates, and the ongoing fight over Medicaid funding. Add to that the unraveling of federal and state justice systems in “post-American” territories and Tara lays out how political bias, Marxist-inspired policies, and legal loopholes are reshaping the nation. This episode connects the dots on power, politics, and public impact in a way you won't hear anywhere else. Tara unpacks the chaos dominating the headlines: Holiday Travel Shutdown: A shortage of 3,000 air traffic controllers plus missed paychecks is set to cancel flights for Thanksgiving and Christmas, leaving millions stranded and SNAP benefits disrupted. Government Shutdown Politics: Democrats continue to block reopening measures while Republicans push back, highlighting conflicts over illegal immigrants receiving Medicaid. Tara discusses how $1.3 billion has allegedly been misallocated in just six states. Nancy Mace Scandal: Mace is trending globally after accusations of hacking her ex-fiancé's phone, tracking his car, and fabricating rape allegations to seize multi-million-dollar properties — a lawsuit that could reshape the South Carolina governor's race. Post-American Lawlessness: Tara explores the growing “post-American” territories where political bias dominates justice, from DC jury decisions protecting leftist offenders to the 34-count Trump indictment in New York, now facing a legal reversal due to presidential immunity. Marxist Influence Warning: From media bias to uneven law enforcement, Tara warns how political favoritism and “oppressor vs. oppressed” classifications are reshaping American justice and civil life. This episode is a hard-hitting look at how national crises, political corruption, and selective justice are colliding — leaving Americans to navigate chaos, confusion, and the future of democracy itself. Nancy Mace, South Carolina politics, Trump, government shutdown, air traffic controllers, holiday travel, SNAP benefits, illegal immigration, Medicaid controversy, political bias, lawfare, Marxist policies, post-American territories, DC justice system, New York criminal case, Tara Show, political scandal, court system corruption

Reach Out Via Text!Recorded live in Michigan right before Lawntrepreneur Academy Live, this crossover episode brings together Brian Fullerton and Jeremiah Jennings for an unfiltered, practical conversation on running a real business, even when the weather, the work, and the numbers don't go your way.They talk about everything from rain day productivity and crew training to labor costs, leadership development, and snow prep, mixing humor with hard-earned lessons. Jeremiah shares how he uses rain days for deep team meetings and SOP creation, while Brian explains why he's investing in training spaces, VAs, and systems that create long-term results.The two also touch on the behind-the-scenes realities of hosting events like LAL, investing heavily in your company before profits appear, and balancing growth with sanity. The conversation wraps with lighthearted moments from Thanksgiving food partitions to Christmas light installs, showing the friendship and mutual respect between two leaders pushing each other to the next level.Whether you're prepping for LAL or trying to get through your own version of “rain days,” this episode reminds you that success comes from discipline, preparation, and a willingness to keep showing up.Support the show 10% off LMN Software- https://lmncompany.partnerlinks.io/growinggreenpodcast Signup for our Newsletter- https://mailchi.mp/942ae158aff5/newsletter-signup Book A Consult Call-https://stan.store/GrowingGreenPodcast Lawntrepreneur Academy-https://www.lawntrepreneuracademy.com/ The Landscaping Bookkeeper-https://thelandscapingbookkeeper.com/ Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/growinggreenlandscapes/ Email-ggreenlandscapes@gmail.com Growing Green Website- https://www.growinggreenlandscapes.com/

Episode 201: Christmas in Red Lodge, Montana Looking for a holiday getaway that feels straight out of a postcard? This week on The Family Vacationer, we're taking you to Red Lodge, Montana, a small-town winter wonderland where Christmas magic comes alive. Red Lodge, once a bustling coal-mining town in the 1800s, is now best known as the gateway to the Beartooth Highway. But come December, it transforms into a festive haven filled with twinkling lights, family traditions, and a community spirit that makes the holidays unforgettable. Joining us is Sherry Weimer, director of the Red Lodge Chamber of Commerce, who shares why families should plan a Christmas trip to this hidden gem. In this episode, you'll hear about:The Red Lodge Christmas Stroll — a Hallmark-worthy tradition with parades, fire pits, caroling, and Santa's grand entrance. Family-friendly winter fun at Red Lodge Mountain, from skiing to skating in the town park.The best cozy stops for cocoa, pastries, and kid-approved treats (don't miss the monster ice cream sandwich!).How local shops and restaurants keep the holiday spirit alive with decorated windows, late-night shopping, and tasty surprises. Unique Red Lodge holiday experiences, like Santa skiing on Christmas Day.Where to stay — from historic hotels to mom-and-pop motels, B&Bs, and Airbnbs.Insider tips for planning your family's first Christmas trip to Red Lodge. If you've ever dreamed of celebrating Christmas in a storybook setting, Red Lodge might just be the perfect destination for your family. Plan your trip: redlodge.comDon't forget — we'll be circling back to our special Episode 200 in December! Plus, stay tuned for details on Rob's upcoming book, The Family Vacationer: A Parent's Guide to Meaningful Travel, coming soon.

True credibility as a Christian flows from a pure heart of love. John 13:35 reminds us that others will recognize us as disciples of Christ not by our words or actions alone, but by the love we show. When our hearts are fully surrendered to God and motivated by His glory, even skeptical eyes cannot obscure the light of Christ shining through us. Highlights A pure heart of love reflects Jesus to others, regardless of perception or criticism. True discipleship is shown through consistent, Christ-centered love (John 13:35). The enemy may try to derail good intentions, but prayer and discernment restore clarity and peace. Humility and surrender amplify God’s glory, keeping the focus on Him rather than ourselves. Loving boldly, even in the face of misunderstanding, demonstrates faithfulness and obedience. God positions our hearts to bless the right people at the right time, revealing His love through us. Credibility comes not from human approval, but from a genuine, surrendered heart aligned with God. Gift Inspiration: Crosswalk's Holiday Gift Guide Looking for a meaningful way to celebrate the season? Check out our Holiday Gift Guide—from beautifully illustrated Bibles and devotionals to novels, greeting cards, and picture books, there’s something for everyone on your list. Wrap up stories for loved ones, tuck a book into your own nightstand, and join us in celebrating the wonder of giving this Christmas! Full Transcript Below: Gaining Credibility as a Christian Through a Pure Heart of Love By Keri Eichberger Bible Reading: By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. (John 13:35) Have you ever felt like someone was questioning your intentions? In the midst of a moment or situation where you were sure your heart was pure. When your soul wanted nothing more than to serve for the good of another or others. And to bless others for the glory of God. Yet, somewhere on the other end, for some reason, that wasn’t what seemed to be perceived. It felt like someone even thought you were doing wrong, something self-focused, or something that certainly wasn’t based on a heart yielded to God’s holy will and way. I was consumed with this same sense last week. God had placed a special someone firmly on my heart a few months back. Someone who needed his blessing in a rich way, in a trying season of her life. And as my plans to help and serve became known, it suddenly seemed there were some skeptical eyes on the sidelines. And if I’m being brutally honest, it pained me deeply. I knew my heart was pure. I knew God had called me to help in this specific way. I had prayed and prayed for his discernment and guidance. For humility, and for the love of Christ to be shown and known. But nonetheless, because of the rocky response, I found myself questioning the call. Questioning my conviction and intention. And so I did all that I knew how to do. Pray, listen, follow the Lord's lead. And to love. John 13:35 says, By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. This reminds me that everyone will know we are truly followers of Christ, that we are filled with Christ, by the love that they see in us. And by the love that flows from us. When people see our love, they will see him. And I don’t know about you, but I want people to see him. So I will continue to love out loud. That is what we all should continue to do. And we should not question our love, or the intention to love, for others. If you are truly seeking the Lord. If you genuinely desire to love the way Jesus would love, and if he is laying specific calls and directions on your heart, trust him. We need not listen to what others say, or what others might think. The enemy will certainly try to confuse and derail our good intentions. The enemy will try to make you cower to bold love. Or any bold action on behalf of Jesus. While I was being bombarded by the enemy’s misleading manipulations, I took some time to reflect, to pray, and to ask God to impress the truth upon my heart. I asked him to remove any thoughts or ideas that were not of him. I asked him to help me love the people in my path. How to best give him all the credit for every act of love and blessing. How to be confident in the particular instructions of love he had just for me. And then for peace that he would work out the details and heal the fractured pieces of every heart involved. And that’s just what he did. He gave me clarity. He gave me peace. He increased my humility to even better reflect his heart. He allowed me to be a beacon of his love light. And above all, he allowed others to see him. Not me, but Jesus. It wasn’t, and isn’t, about me or any of us. It’s never about our glory. It’s always about Jesus and his glory. And so it doesn’t even matter what some may think or say. God will use your pure heart to show his to the exact people who need it. You will gain credibility and be seen rightly, with and by the right people, when you have the right heart. A pure heart that sincerely, vulnerably, and genuinely longs to point others to him, and only to him. Intersecting Faith & Life: Let’s keep loving boldly and serving big in the ways the Lord leads us. With a pure heart. Surrendered and yielded to him. Humbled and bowed down before him. Knowing that he will reveal his goodness and the purity of our hearts to the souls he intends to bless. And those people—his people—will know the truth, will know his love, will come to know him… by our pure and holy hearts of pure and holy love. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Hi friends! Happy Yap Friday!! Thank you so much for being here!! I hope you enjoy :)

Would you ever consider cloning your beloved pet if you had the chance? That's just one of the thought-provoking questions Sandy and Tricia dive into on this lively episode of The Sandy Show. Join Sandy and Tricia as they blend humor, heart, and a dash of curiosity, exploring everything from the ethics and emotions behind pet cloning—sparked by Tom Brady's decision to clone his late dog Lua—to the timeless debate: Is it ever too soon to put up Christmas decorations? The duo shares hilarious family stories, including pancake restaurant adventures and Thanksgiving memories that will make you nostalgic for big gatherings and home-cooked feasts. Tricia, a beloved co-host known for her quick wit and relatable takes on everyday life, brings her signature segment “Stories We Love,” offering insights on everything from celebrity news to the quirks of holiday traditions.Key moments include:The surprising science (and controversy) of pet cloning, with real-life examples and pop culture references.A spirited debate on holiday decorating etiquette—should Thanksgiving get its due before Christmas takes over?Heartwarming and hilarious family anecdotes, from pancake games to massive Thanksgiving feasts.Tricia's take on the latest viral stories, including AI-written apologies and record-breaking names.This episode is packed with laughter, nostalgia, and questions that will have you texting your friends for their opinions. Don't miss out on the fun—tune in and join the conversation!Call to Action If you enjoyed this episode, don't forget to subscribe to The Sandy Show, leave us a review, and share the episode with friends who love a good story and a great laugh. Your support helps us keep the fun going!