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Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: "What's the Bible all about? God remembers his promises." Part 2Scripture: Genesis 8:1-9:17Luke 17:20-33; Hebrews 11:7-10The Bible is all about God's story. Here, Noah's story is a snapshot of the Bible's grand narrative—a holy God seeking to redeem, restore, and renew fallen creation by a merciful covenant through Jesus Christ.God remembers his promises to his people.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONStories of the brave, acts big and small, sacrifice and service are what we remember today. Like the story of Vietnam War hero JimmyG. Stewart, an Army staff sergeant from West Columbia, West Virginia - one of the 58,000 Americans who lost their lives in combat during the conflict. When five fellow Soldiers of his six-man squad were wounded near An Khe in May 1966, Stewart held his position to protect his men, crawling through heavy fire to retrieve ammunition from his comrades and tossing back enemy-thrown grenades. When reinforcements arrived, 23-year-old Stewart continued to fight and was eventually killed while holding his position. The wounded he gave his life to protect were recovered and evacuated. A year later, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor. This year marks 50 years since the last combat troops left South Vietnam.I share this story for a few reasons relevant to today.Our veterans are potential stories like this. They willingly choose to put themselves in harms way for the sake of defending others from tyranny. On Memorial Day we remember those like Jimmy G. Stewart here for giving his life in the line of duty because he went above and beyond the call of duty to love others with his whole life. What a picture of Christ. We honor our veterans as they put themselves in a position to do that for others.They fight of an imperfect nation that is founded on principles gleaned in part from scripture that empowers her citizens to live differently in all of life. We remember these who have fallen and these who serve our country in this way, we see in Genesis 8:1 that God remembers his promises to Noah meaning he is moved to act mercifully on behalf of sinful people in this world.We will see how precious human life is to the Lord. Stewart saw it as worthy of his own which is at least in part why he was willing to sacrifice his own. At least twice in scripture, Rachel and Hannah, saw barren women be remembered by God and given a child, the desire of their heart. God sees you in your pain even if that pain is of your own making. He remembers and this moves him to act mercifully and redemptively. Redemption of sinful people is at the forefront of his loving acts.The thief on the cross calls on Jesus to remember him when they cross over. Jesus remembers him and says today you will be with me in paradise. This is a great picture of what God remembering looks like.His acts on our behalf are in light of our needs...our greatest needs. Needs that only He can satisfy.CONTEXTIn the wake of God's flood of judgment is a new, redemptive creation. God judged sin and humanity and creation had to deal with the consequences. God takes sin seriously. Sin has consequences. And Noah believed that God's word is trustworthy. So he believed and acted accordingly building an ark to save his family from God's flood of holy judgment. And that ark saved his family and a remnant of the animal kingdom. Now we see God's judgment swing to his faithful covenant with Noah and creation. He is starting over. He is giving humanity a second chance.SERMON Outline modified from BethancourtI. GOD IS HOLY AND JUST. HE MUST PUNISH SIN. Noah and God's judgment (6:1-22) LAST WEEKA. The purpose of God's judgment (6:1-7)B. The patience of God's judgment (6:8-16)C. The promise of God's judgment (6:17-22)II. GOD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS LOVE MAKES A WAY BACK. Noah and God's rescue (7:1-8:19)A. God rescues us from the penalty of his judgment (7:1-16)B. God rescues us from the power of his judgment (7:17-24)C. God rescues us from the presence of his judgment (8:1-19) THIS WEEKIII. GOD IS SOVEREIGN CREATOR REDEEMING US THROUGH HIS SON'S COVENANT OF LOVE. Noah and God's covenant (8:20-9:29) THIS WEEKA. The Lord and the covenant with creation (8:20-22)B. The Lord and the covenant with Noah (9:1-11)C. The Lord and the sign of the covenant (9:12-17)D. The Lord and the lineage of the covenant (9:18-29)Big ideas in this passage today:Hinge point in the story: Gen 8:1 "God remembered Noah..."Up to this point, the flood story has been one of judgment. From 8:1 on it's a story of redemption."God had not forgotten Noah and his family. To 'remember' in the Bible is not merely to recall to mind; it is to express concern for someone, to act with loving care for him. When God remembers his people, he does so 'with favor' (Neh 5:19; 13:31)." -NIV Study Bible, 1985"When Genesis 8:1 says, “God remembered Noah,” it doesn't mean that God had forgotten Noah and then recalled him suddenly. In the Bible, the phrase “God remembered” is often used to signify that God is about to act on His promises or fulfill His covenant.In this case, God's “remembering” Noah signifies His care and commitment to Noah and all creation, especially after the long, intense flood. This “remembrance” marks the beginning of the floodwaters receding, as God brings about a new stage in His plan for humanity and the earth. Here, God is staying true to His covenant with Noah by preserving him, his family, and the animals through the flood...it means that God is intervening in a meaningful, faithful way to fulfill His promises or enact His plans. So in Genesis 8:1, “God remembered Noah” signifies divine care and the beginning of restoration after judgment." -ChatGPT"Throughout the Bible, when God “remembers” someone, it signifies His attention, compassion, and faithfulness, often resulting in His direct intervention. Here are some key examples: 1. Abraham and Lot (Genesis 19:29): When God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah, He “remembered Abraham” and spared Lot. God's covenant relationship with Abraham led to His merciful action in delivering Lot from the judgment on the cities. 2. Rachel (Genesis 30:22): After a long period of barrenness, “God remembered Rachel; he listened to her and enabled her to conceive.” God's remembrance here signifies His compassion and care for Rachel, ultimately fulfilling her longing for a child. 3. Israel in Egypt (Exodus 2:24): When the Israelites were suffering under slavery, “God heard their groaning, and he remembered his covenant with Abraham, with Isaac, and with Jacob.” This remembrance prompts God to act by raising up Moses and setting in motion the liberation of His people from Egypt. 4. Hannah (1 Samuel 1:19): After Hannah prayed earnestly for a son, “the Lord remembered her,” and she conceived and gave birth to Samuel. God's remembering here shows His response to Hannah's heartfelt prayer and His intervention in her life. 5. God's Promise to Israel (Psalm 105:8): The psalmist declares that God “remembers his covenant forever, the promise he made, for a thousand generations.” This indicates God's unwavering commitment to His promises and His ongoing relationship with His people. 6. The Thief on the Cross (Luke 23:42-43): Although the word “remember” is used differently here, the thief's request, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom,” appeals to Jesus' mercy and faithfulness. Jesus' reply assures him of eternal life, demonstrating the compassion inherent in divine “remembrance.”In each case, God's “remembering” is more than mere recollection—it signals His intention to act faithfully and mercifully on behalf of His people, often in response to their need or in fulfillment of His covenant promises." -ChatGPTPerhaps we should ask Jesus to remember us as well...The flood story reveals four main characteristics of God. God is... 1. Holy and Just: God judges human wickedness, showing His intolerance for sin. 2. Gracious and Merciful: He offers time for repentance and preserves Noah's family. 3. Faithful to keep his Promises: God promises to sustain creation, never to destroy it by flood again. 4. Sovereign Creator: He controls nature, demonstrating His power to both judge and restore.These qualities reveal a God who is just, merciful, faithful, and sovereign, committed to both righteousness and renewal.Said another way...The story of Noah and the flood reflects the broader story of God in the Bible by capturing key themes of Creator-God, sovereignly creating a good world where humanity sins/falls and reaps judgment. Despite this, merciful God makes a way for wicked humanity to find redemption and restoration through the covenant relationship with Creator-God through Christ Jesus, our Savior.CONCLUSIONWhat do I want them to know?God sees, remembers, and keeps his promise of mercy.The story of God in macro and how our story fits in micro. God judges sin but remember mercy.Why? Because his character is holy love.What do I want them to do?Show and tell their story in the context of God's story. Remember that God sees, remembers and keeps his promise of mercy.Why? This is how we rescue people close to us but far from God.How?By learning this macro story, seeing our story within that context, and then sharing that story with others where we live, work, learn and play.Bottom line: Noah's story is a snapshot of the Bible's grand narrative—a holy God seeking to redeem, restore, and renew fallen creation by a merciful covenant through Jesus Christ. God sees and remembers his promise of mercy.At the end of the day, my question to you is this: "Are you in the boat?" Is your life protected from God's holy wrath? Have you entered through the only door to salvation? His name is Jesus. Cf. John 14:6Jesus spoke of Noah as well:“Once, on being asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, “The coming of the kingdom of God is not something that can be observed, nor will people say, ‘Here it is,' or ‘There it is,' because the kingdom of God is in your midst.” Then he said to his disciples, “The time is coming when you will long to see one of the days of the Son of Man, but you will not see it. People will tell you, ‘There he is!' or ‘Here he is!' Do not go running off after them. For the Son of Man in his day will be like the lightning, which flashes and lights up the sky from one end to the other. But first he must suffer many things and be rejected by this generation. “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so also will it be in the days of the Son of Man. People were eating, drinking, marrying and being given in marriage up to the day Noah entered the ark. Then the flood came and destroyed them all. “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all. “It will be just like this on the day the Son of Man is revealed.”‭‭Luke‬ ‭17‬:‭20‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬Peter puts it all in perspective in his first sermon:““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬InvitationHow do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.Lord's Supper, 1 Cor 11:23-26 is good passage.Also, say something like, "Christ has died, Christ is risen, Christ will come again." (past, present, and future)PrayNOTESMy early notes:Genesis 8:1a "God remembered Noah..."God "remembering" is the cue for God about to act redemptively i.e. He's about to rescue; mercy and grace are enroute. God acts with his covenant in mind because God is faithful and God is merciful.At this point, God's story pivots from his holy, justified wrath and judgment to his extravagent mercy and redemption offered to his people by grace through faith.His rememberance leads to merciful action on God's part. From destruction or de-creation to renewal or re-creation. Applications that might follow from this:Rest in God's "remembering." God "remembering" is God acting on your behalf in a redemptive, life-changing way. It's renewal replacing wrath. (8:1)Wait patiently for God's timing. (8:6-12) Noah waited patiently for God to speak before he disembarked from the ark.Worship God today. (8:20) Noah's first act after disembarking was to worship God. Worship is our response to God's remembering. He is always worthy whether we act like it or not.Nurture a culture of life. (8:21-22) God is the creator and sustainer of life. He treasures all life. He calls us to as well. Animal life, but more importantly, human life. All life is precious--human life is sacred. So sacred, you forfeit yours when you take someone else's. We're called to lead the charge on protecting life and that includes nurturing a culture that values life above all else. Respect and Protect Life. (9:1-7) Valuing life includes protecting those who cannot protect themselves (unborn, children, disabled, elderly, dying).Live securely and confidently in the covenant relationship we enjoy in Christ. (9:8-11) A marriage rooted in God's covenant relationship with us will give us confidence and security to love when tempted to fear.Remember and rest in God's promises. (9:12-17)God will remember his covenant with us. He'll remind us that he remembers through his bow in the sky that he is faithful and keeps his promises.These rest on the fact that God remembers; he acts on behalf of his people with compassion, mercy, and faithfulness. He grows our confident assurance in his trustworthiness when we are tempted to forget.Where is Noah's ark today?"The location of Noah's ark remains one of the great mysteries, as no definitive archaeological evidence has been found to confirm its location. According to Genesis 8:4, the ark came to rest “on the mountains of Ararat,” traditionally associated with the region of Mount Ararat in modern-day Turkey. This has led many explorers and archaeologists over the centuries to search that area, but no conclusive evidence has been found.There have been several claims of sightings and discoveries on or near Mount Ararat, including photographs and wooden structures reportedly found at high altitudes. However, these claims have not been substantiated with enough verifiable evidence, and most remain controversial or unconfirmed.In the end, whether or not the ark will ever be found is uncertain. Some believe that the wood may have been repurposed by Noah's descendants after the flood or that it has simply deteriorated over time. Others suggest that, if it exists, God may allow it to remain hidden as an enduring element of faith rather than empirical evidence.For many, the ark serves more as a theological symbol of God's salvation and judgment, rather than something that needs to be found physically to affirm the biblical account." -ChatGPTIt could also be in western Armenia or even northwestern Iran as those are close to Mt. Ararat in Turkey.Summary"You're absolutely correct. Genesis 8:1 is indeed the hinge point in the flood narrative, marking the transition from judgment to salvation, from divine wrath to mercy. The phrase “God remembered Noah” encapsulates the shift from destruction to renewal and signals that God's redemptive plan is at work. Given this centrality, all application points could indeed flow from or relate to this theme of God's remembrance. Here's a revised approach:1. Rest in God's Faithfulness and Care (8:1) • Application: God's “remembering” Noah reminds us that, even when we feel forgotten or isolated, God is actively mindful of us and our needs. His faithfulness is unwavering, especially during seasons of hardship. This calls us to trust that God's timing is perfect and that He is present and working, even when we can't see it.2. Wait Patiently for God's Timing (8:6-12) • Application: Because God “remembers” us, we can wait with hope, just as Noah waited for the waters to recede. Waiting isn't passive but an active faith in God's provision and guidance. Instead of rushing ahead, we're called to trust God's process, knowing He will bring us through in His timing.3. Respond to God's Faithfulness with Worship (8:20) • Application: When Noah leaves the ark, his first act is to worship through sacrifice. This is a fitting response to God's faithfulness in remembering him and his family. When we recognize God's merciful intervention in our lives, we are called to respond with gratitude, worship, and dedication to Him.4. Trust in God's Commitment to Life (8:21-22) • Application: God's promise never to curse the ground again is a direct result of His remembering Noah and His commitment to sustaining creation. We can trust that God values and sustains life. This invites us to live in hope, knowing that God's sustaining power is over creation and our lives, even in a broken world.5. Respect and Protect Life (9:1-7) • Application: Because God “remembers” and values humanity, He commands respect for life and emphasizes human dignity. We are called to value life as sacred, reflecting God's heart for His creation. This includes protecting others, acting justly, and honoring the image of God in each person.6. Live in Covenant Relationship with God (9:8-11) • Application: The covenant with Noah flows from God's remembrance and commitment to humanity and all creatures. God's remembrance invites us to respond in covenant faithfulness, living in relationship with Him, and being stewards of His world.7. Remember God's Promises (9:12-17) • Application: The rainbow is a visible reminder of God's covenant and faithfulness to remember His promises. Just as God remembers us, we are called to remember Him and His promises. By clinging to His faithfulness, we strengthen our faith and are reminded of God's enduring mercy and love in our lives.By centering the applications around God's remembrance, we underscore the passage's message of God's mercy, faithfulness, and the invitation for us to respond in trust, gratitude, and covenantal living. This “remembrance” becomes the anchor for our faith and actions in every part of life." -ChatGPTKey Themes • New Beginnings: Noah and his family represent a fresh start for humanity, meant to live in obedience to God and care for creation. • God's Mercy: Despite humanity's failings, God commits to sustain creation and gives humans renewed responsibility. • Divine Justice and Human Dignity: God's instruction against murder underscores the sanctity of life made in His image. • The Covenant: The rainbow as a sign of the covenant is a powerful reminder of God's promise and His ongoing relationship with humanity.Genesis 8-9:17 highlights God's mercy, the sanctity of life, and the importance of the covenant. It also sets the foundation for a worldview that values life and trusts in God's promises, even amidst a broken world.Good summary:"The story of the flood in Genesis (chapters 6–9) tells us much about God's character, values, and the way He engages with humanity. Here are some of the primary ways it reveals who God is:1. God's Justice and Holiness • The flood is a response to human corruption and violence. Genesis 6:5-6 says that God saw the great wickedness on earth and was “grieved” in His heart. God's decision to judge humanity with the flood shows His intolerance of sin and injustice. His holiness requires a world that aligns with His goodness, and the flood was a response to the pervasive moral decay of Noah's time.2. God's Patience and Long-Suffering • While the decision to flood the earth is swift in the biblical account, the story implies that God waited patiently while humanity had a chance to change. Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), and his 120 years building the ark can be seen as a period when God gave people a chance to repent. This patience reveals God's mercy, even in His judgment.3. God's Mercy and Covenant Faithfulness • God's decision to save Noah and his family highlights His mercy and commitment to His creation. Although humanity deserved judgment, God chose a path that preserved life. He instructed Noah to bring animals onto the ark, ensuring the survival of all living things. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17), promising never to destroy the earth with water again. The rainbow serves as a symbol of His covenant, highlighting His faithfulness to humanity despite their shortcomings.4. God's Sovereignty and Power Over Creation • The flood narrative shows God's absolute power over creation. He commands the waters to rise and fall, demonstrating His control over the natural world. The floodwaters are a reversal of the order He established at creation, where He separated waters to form dry land. By re-establishing the earth post-flood, God reaffirms His sovereignty as Creator, showing He can both judge and restore.5. God's Desire for a Righteous People • God chooses Noah, “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time” (Genesis 6:9), and establishes a covenant with him, revealing His desire for a people who walk in righteousness. God's plan for Noah's descendants is one of blessing, hoping they would embody a restored relationship with Him and reflect His justice and goodness on earth.6. God's Grace and Renewal of Creation • After the flood, God gives Noah a mandate similar to Adam's: to “be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). This echoes the original creation mandate, suggesting that God's intention for humanity and creation remains one of growth, flourishing, and harmony. He desires to partner with humanity in caring for and filling the earth with goodness.7. God as a Covenant Maker • The covenant with Noah is foundational, setting a pattern for the covenants God will establish later with Abraham, Moses, and David, and ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The Noahic covenant emphasizes God's promise to preserve creation, foreshadowing the redemptive plan that would unfold over time.In summary, the flood story tells the story of God as a holy and just Judge, yet also as a patient, merciful, and covenant-keeping Creator. It illustrates His commitment to renewal and restoration even in the face of human failure. Through judgment and mercy, God's desire for a faithful, righteous humanity and His love for creation shine through. This story is foundational, pointing forward to God's ongoing work to redeem and renew the world."-ChatGPTThe PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESOUTLINESN/AQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: "What's the Bible all about?" Part 1Scripture: Genesis 6:9-7:24Genesis 8:1a; Matt 24:36-44; Hebrews 11:7-10The Bible is all about God's story. Here, Noah's story is a snapshot of the Bible's grand narrative—a holy God seeking to redeem, restore, and renew fallen creation by a merciful covenant through Jesus Christ. We also see that God's word is trustworthy. Are you on the boat?INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONOur church deployed a third team to FL this past week for disaster relief in New Port Richey. (Show pics and video)As they recover from hurricane Helene, the folks in western NC probably feel like they've experienced a flood of biblical proportions. But, in fact, they only got a small fraction of what the world experienced in the Noahic flood. How many of each animal did Moses put on the ark? The answer is none because Noah is the one that put the animals on the ark actually, God did. Kind of a silly joke, but in fact, Moses is writing Genesis telling the story of Noah in Genesis six through nine.Let's say you're having lunch with somebody and they ask you the question what is the Bible all about your answer could be basically telling them the story of Noah and the arc because in this story, we see the character of God on display and we see the purpose for which God has Done in creation and a way that explains the macro story of God.CONTEXTSpiraling from the fall into more and more evil, the Way of Cain is dominating the world stage while the Way of Seth is a mere remnant of people. They don't have much of God's word to live on. They don't have the ways of God spelled out to them. They are in need of light in the darkness.But they do have a prophecy. A word from the Lord. (Gen 3:15) A light to hang hope on.After seeing the Way of Cain summarized in Cain's evil genealogy, it's followed by the Way of Seth and his genealogy. Adam and Eve are still alive and watching this unfold with I can't imagine how much guilt and anguish over what they've done. The only thing keeping them alive and sane is the hope in the few words of God in Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers (Jesus); he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal (at the cross)."At the beginning of Seth's genealogy, we see God reminding us of how he created us--in his image. We were created God-like. Nothing in all of creation is more like God than humanity. Now we're in a state of dreadful depravity. We're born sinners who are capable of incredibly evil attitudes, words and actions. And we don't have to look far to see not only the truth of that but that we're heading downhill towards a level of evil equal to that just prior to the Flood. But this reminder--that we're created in his image--is there to give us hope. Hope that the Way of Seth--the Way of Jesus--can and will deliver many from sin and death, shame and guilt, hell itself.The whole thing here about the sons of God, daughters of men, and the Nephilim is simply there to show us how bad things had gotten in the world. To show us that “The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.” (Genesis‬ ‭6‬:‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬) To show us that things were so bad that God grieved and regretted that he'd created humanity in the first place. As a result, God would wipe out all of creation (except for the ones following the Way of Seth) and re-create the world.SERMON Outline modified from BethancourtI. GOD IS HOLY AND JUST. HE MUST PUNISH SIN. Noah and God's judgment (6:1-22) THIS WEEKA. The purpose of God's judgment (6:1-7)B. The patience of God's judgment (6:8-16)C. The promise of God's judgment (6:17-22)II. GOD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL. HIS LOVE MAKES A WAY BACK. Noah and God's rescue (7:1-8:19)A. God rescues us from the penalty of his judgment (7:1-16)B. God rescues us from the power of his judgment (7:17-24)C. God rescues us from the presence of his judgment (8:1-19)III. GOD IS SOVEREIGN CREATOR REDEEMING US THROUGH HIS SON'S COVENANT OF LOVE. Noah and God's covenant (8:20-9:29) NEXT WEEKA. The Lord and the covenant with creation (8:20-22)B. The Lord and the covenant with Noah (9:1-11)C. The Lord and the sign of the covenant (9:12-17)D. The Lord and the lineage of the covenant (9:18-29)These are my main points today:The flood story reveals four main characteristics of God. God is... 1. Holy and Just: God judges human wickedness, showing His intolerance for sin. 2. Gracious and Merciful: He offers time for repentance and preserves Noah's family. 3. Faithful to keep his Promises: God promises to sustain creation, never to destroy it by flood again. 4. Sovereign Creator: He controls nature, demonstrating His power to both judge and restore.These qualities reveal a God who is just, merciful, faithful, and sovereign, committed to both righteousness and renewal.Said another way...The story of Noah and the flood reflects the broader story of God in the Bible by capturing key themes of Creator-God, sovereignly creating a good world where humanity sins/falls and reaps judgment. Despite this, merciful God makes a way for wicked humanity to find redemption and restoration through the covenant relationship with Creator-God through Christ Jesus, our Savior.CONCLUSIONWhat do I want them to know?The story of God in macro and how our story fits in micro. Why?Because this is our mission: to show and tell the story of God through our story.What do I want them to do?Show and tell their story in the context of God's story.Why? Because this is why we're still here. This is how we rescue people close to us but far from God.How?By learning this macro story, seeing our story within that context, and then sharing that story with others where we live, work, learn and play.Bottom line: Noah's story is a snapshot of the Bible's grand narrative—a holy God seeking to redeem, restore, and renew fallen creation by a merciful covenant through Jesus Christ. We also see that God's word is trustworthy. Are you on the boat?At the end of the day, my question to you is this: "Are you in the boat?" Is your life protected from God's holy wrath? Have you entered through the only door to salvation? His name is Jesus.““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬InvitationHow do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESGood summary:"The story of the flood in Genesis (chapters 6–9) tells us much about God's character, values, and the way He engages with humanity. Here are some of the primary ways it reveals who God is:1. God's Justice and Holiness • The flood is a response to human corruption and violence. Genesis 6:5-6 says that God saw the great wickedness on earth and was “grieved” in His heart. God's decision to judge humanity with the flood shows His intolerance of sin and injustice. His holiness requires a world that aligns with His goodness, and the flood was a response to the pervasive moral decay of Noah's time.2. God's Patience and Long-Suffering • While the decision to flood the earth is swift in the biblical account, the story implies that God waited patiently while humanity had a chance to change. Noah was “a preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), and his 120 years building the ark can be seen as a period when God gave people a chance to repent. This patience reveals God's mercy, even in His judgment.3. God's Mercy and Covenant Faithfulness • God's decision to save Noah and his family highlights His mercy and commitment to His creation. Although humanity deserved judgment, God chose a path that preserved life. He instructed Noah to bring animals onto the ark, ensuring the survival of all living things. After the flood, God made a covenant with Noah (Genesis 9:8-17), promising never to destroy the earth with water again. The rainbow serves as a symbol of His covenant, highlighting His faithfulness to humanity despite their shortcomings.4. God's Sovereignty and Power Over Creation • The flood narrative shows God's absolute power over creation. He commands the waters to rise and fall, demonstrating His control over the natural world. The floodwaters are a reversal of the order He established at creation, where He separated waters to form dry land. By re-establishing the earth post-flood, God reaffirms His sovereignty as Creator, showing He can both judge and restore.5. God's Desire for a Righteous People • God chooses Noah, “a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time” (Genesis 6:9), and establishes a covenant with him, revealing His desire for a people who walk in righteousness. God's plan for Noah's descendants is one of blessing, hoping they would embody a restored relationship with Him and reflect His justice and goodness on earth.6. God's Grace and Renewal of Creation • After the flood, God gives Noah a mandate similar to Adam's: to “be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth” (Genesis 9:1). This echoes the original creation mandate, suggesting that God's intention for humanity and creation remains one of growth, flourishing, and harmony. He desires to partner with humanity in caring for and filling the earth with goodness.7. God as a Covenant Maker • The covenant with Noah is foundational, setting a pattern for the covenants God will establish later with Abraham, Moses, and David, and ultimately fulfilled in Christ. The Noahic covenant emphasizes God's promise to preserve creation, foreshadowing the redemptive plan that would unfold over time.In summary, the flood story tells the story of God as a holy and just Judge, yet also as a patient, merciful, and covenant-keeping Creator. It illustrates His commitment to renewal and restoration even in the face of human failure. Through judgment and mercy, God's desire for a faithful, righteous humanity and His love for creation shine through. This story is foundational, pointing forward to God's ongoing work to redeem and renew the world."-ChatGPTThe PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESOUTLINESN/AQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

It's almost Halloween! This week we converse on Mountain Dew flavors, class officers, Asian Ladybugs, and of course, the aforementioned tennis shenanigans with this week's special guest, Olivia Clines!!!

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: "Are you calling on the name of the Lord?"Scripture: Genesis 6:1-8 & 4:26Gen 4:19-26; 5:1-2Bottom line: The Way of Seth (and Jesus) is to walk with him. We walk with him by calling on and seeking him by grace through faith each day.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDMy opening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONIn the Lord of the Rings (LOTR) epic tale, there are two opposing forces at work--the way of Sauron who wants to enslave all of middle earth and the way of freedom that is very generically portrayed as some Providential power of good. This is not unlike many epic tales of good versus evil. This flows from the early pages of Genesis where we see it displayed as the way of Cain (evil) and the way of Seth (good, hope, prophecy).Genesis 3-5 is not unlike the new Amazon Prime series called the Rings of Power (ROP) which serves as the prequel to the LOTR epic. The ROP sets the stage for the tremendous evil storm coming in and through Sauron which is where the LOTR begins.Throughout the story (LOTR), the main characters Frodo, Gandalf and Aragorn all seem to have this unified belief that Providence (my word, not Tolkien's) is at work on their behalf (or that they are working on Providence's behalf), though Tolkien works with super subtly to avoid anything close to an allegory. The true story of Noah and the Ark and the flood (which we'll begin next week) is being set up even now. The tremendous wickedness across the planet at the time of Genesis 6 is unprecedented. And like in the LOTR series, there will be those who seek to rearrange their entire lives around seeking the favor of God, pleasing God, and seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness.What does it mean to "Call on the name of the Lord?"I think it's a posture of humility rooted in the conviction that we need God more than air. A conviction that causes us to arrange/rearrange our lives around his priorities. This is what we see the characters in LOTR do. This is what I see scripture repeatedly calling us to do. It's more than praying, though it is praying. It is earnestly seeking his word, his ways, his will and his wisdom with the intention of putting it into practice daily. It is surrendering your life to the One who saved yours.Are you calling on the name of the Lord daily?Are you seeking first his kingdom and his righteousness daily?Are you finding favor with the Lord daily?Are you pleasing God by believing that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him?Are you surrendering all to Him today?CONTEXTSpiraling from the fall into more and more evil, the Way of Cain is dominating the world stage while they Way of Seth is a mere remnant of people. They don't have much of God's word to live on. They don't have the ways of God spelled out to them. They are in need of lights in the darkness.But they do have a prophecy. A word from the Lord. (Gen 3:15)After seeing the Way of Cain summarized in Cain's evil genealogy, it's followed by the Way of Seth and his genealogy. Adam and Eve are still alive and watching this unfold with I can't imagine how much guilt and anguish over what they've done. The only thing keeping them alive and sane is the hope in the few words of God in Genesis 3:15, "And I will put enmity between you (Satan) and the woman, and between your offspring and hers (Jesus); he will crush your head, and you will strike his heal (at the cross)."At the beginning of Seth's genealogy, as Chris mentioned last week, we see God reminding us of how he created us--in his image. We were created God-like. Nothing in all of creation is more like God than humans. Now we're in a state of dreadful depravity. We're born sinners who are capable of incredibly evil attitudes, words and actions. And we don't have to look far to see not only the truth of that but that we're heading downhill towards a level of evil equal to that just prior to the Flood. But this reminder--that we're created in his image--is there to remind us and give us hope. Hope that the Way of Seth--the Way of Jesus--can and will deliver many from sin and death, shame and guilt, hell itself.The whole thing here about the sons of God, daughters of men, and the Nephilim is simply there to show us how bad things had gotten in the world. To show us that things were so bad that God grieved and regretted that he'd created humanity in the first place. As a result, God would wipe out all of creation (except for the ones following the Way of Seth) and re-create the world.SERMON Q. What do I want them to know?A. 1. The utter wickedness all over the earth; how bad we were and areThe consequences of sin are real badThe judgment of God on our sinfulness is holy and justThe depravity of humanity is on full display hereIt's setting the table for God's flood of judgment...and mercyQ. Why do I want them to know it?A. Because it's God's story being written by and through those of us with the humility, faith and courage to live it out. It's a costly journey. Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. 1. Call on the name of the Lord (Gen 4:26)Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness (Matt 6:33)Live to please him by grace through faith (Heb 11:6)Enjoy the Lord's favor (Gen 6:8)Follow Jesus (Luke 9:23)Ask yourself these questions:Do I understand the world and epic I'm in?Do I believe God has called me into this story? His-story? History?Do you not see the hand of God working in your life to this end? The end of an unlikely hope that will come through humble, courageous, hopeful men and women, boys and girls, who have hope in their Creator's epic story called life?Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. Because this is the Pearl of Great Price. This is the Treasure Hidden in a Field. He is worthy of everything in my life. My whole life. Luke 9:23Q. How can they begin to do this?A. Call on the Lrod daily to show you the way.4:26 "At that time, people began to call on the name of the Lord."God is light, life and love. (1 John)Remember who and whose you are in Christ. If you follow Jesus Christ, like follow him words, ways and works, then you'll remember...We're a son/daughter of Adam --born sinners in need of a SaviorBut, we're also a redeemed, forgiven son/daughter of Jesus Christ (the Way of Seth)We're created God-like from birth (in his image) (Gen 1:26-28; 5:1)We're created on purpose for a purpose (Gen 1:26-28; 5:2)Depraved, yes.Unredeemable, no!Unforgivable, no!Being created in God's image means we're more like God than anything else in the universe! Ex. I can't preach this message to any other creature on earth and move them to act like God calls us to. Only people can be inspired by God's word. We have to decide: Do I believe that? Will I act on that belief?Don't look to people to be your heroes. They are not your hope. Jesus is your Hero capital H. He calls us to live heroically (sacrificially) for his glory-not ours.Find favor in God's eyes by walking with God. (Gen 5:21-24; Micah 6:8)CONCLUSIONAre you calling on the name of the Lord each day? Are you seeking first...really seeking first...his kingdom and his righteousness? Are you rearranging your life around his priorities and perspective? This is all just pre-k for the rest of eternity. Do you get that?Examine your life right now. As we soberly remember the price that was paid by Jesus Christ when he died in our place for our sin to free us, he reminds us that he passes the baton to us to share this good news that forgiveness is available to all, though not automatic. If we don't tell them, who will? If we don't live this out, do we really believe it?Bottom line: The Way of Seth (and Jesus) is to walk with him. We walk with him by calling on and seeking him by grace through faith each day.““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬InvitationHow do we respond? Answer 2 questions:Take out a card or piece of paper right now. Write down the answer to these questions: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESThe PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESOUTLINESN/AQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: "What does 'Raising Cain' & sibling rivalry have in common?"Scripture: Genesis 4:1-16Jude 11, Hebrews 11:4, Micah 6:7-8, James 1:14-15, Matt 5:21-26, Matt 18:21-22Bottom line: The way of Cain leads to sin, death and hell. The way of Able leads to grace, mercy and life. INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESOUTLINESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER DISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDOpening prayer: Lord God, help us grow to be and do like Jesus, while abiding in him, and leading others to do the same. INTRODUCTIONCanesOne of our sons-in-law lives in Charlotte. When he comes to visit, he tries to work in a visit to the chicken finger restaurant called Raisin' Canes. Apparently, they don't have any in Charlotte yet.:-)Where did the restaurant name "Raisin' Canes" come from?Raising Cane's, the popular chicken finger restaurant chain, was named after the founder Todd Graves' dog, a yellow Labrador named “Raising Cane.” When Graves was starting the restaurant in the mid-1990s, his initial plan to name the place something different was met with the suggestion from a friend to name it after his dog. Graves embraced the idea, and the dog became the namesake and mascot for the chain.- ChatGPTExpressionWhere does the expression come from?The expression “raising Cain” refers to causing trouble, making a scene, or behaving in a rowdy or disruptive manner. It comes from the biblical story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, where Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, kills his brother Abel out of jealousy. Because of this violent act, Cain became associated with sinful or rebellious behavior.When someone is said to be “raising Cain,” it implies that they are acting in a wild, reckless, or disruptive way, much like the connotations of Cain's rebelliousness in the Bible. The phrase became popular in the 19th century and has been used colloquially ever since.- ChatGPTThis is also the origin of sibling rivalry. CONTEXTAdam and Eve are exiled and banished from the garden of Eden. They are living east of the garden and several generations have passed. Cain and Abel are the only sons of Adam and Eve. They likely continue to have daughters as well as Cain and Abel's sons and daughters. The tribe is growing. There are two kinds of people in these clans and tribes. Those who follow the way of Cain and those who follow the way of Abel.Another practice that has developed some is that of offering sacrifices to the Lord. The way Cain and Abel do this becomes a moment of revelation for us even today.SERMON Q. What do I want them to know?A. There are basically 2 ways to live: the way of Cain and the way of Abel.Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Because we will live one way or the other. There are consequences to following the way of Cain.Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. Reject the way of Cain and follow the way of Abel. Follow Abel as he follows the Lord.Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. So that you will find the favor and blessing of the Lord in your life.Q. How can they begin to do this?A. Turn from your ways (ways of Cain) to the Lord (ways of Abel) asking for him to show you the way to that hope found only in Jesus Christ. Tell others how they can also find this hope.CONCLUSIONTalk about sibling rivalry? My brother and I are 3.25 years apart (I'm the older). No other siblings either. You might say we had a rivalry going on--especially when no one else was around. I can specifically recall several times when I thought, "I hate him and I want to kill him!" Now that might sound funny to you because you can relate to that emotion due to your own sibling rivalry. I'm glad you can relate but let me sober you a little. We're all capable of murder. In Matthew 5:21-22, Jesus makes it clear that when we hate someone it's the same in God's eyes as if we murdered them. It's the idea that in our rage we're ready to murder them--we just lack the opportunity to do so without getting caught.Why do I share this? Because we all naturally go the way of Cain.God's grace is that we don't have to if we go Abel's way. Bottom line: The way of Cain leads to sin, death and hell. The way of Able leads to grace, mercy and life. ““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:InvitationWhat is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESThe expression “raising Cain” refers to causing trouble, making a scene, or behaving in a rowdy or disruptive manner. It comes from the biblical story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4, where Cain, the firstborn son of Adam and Eve, kills his brother Abel out of jealousy. Because of this violent act, Cain became associated with sinful or rebellious behavior.When someone is said to be “raising Cain,” it implies that they are acting in a wild, reckless, or disruptive way, much like the connotations of Cain's rebelliousness in the Bible. The phrase became popular in the 19th century and has been used colloquially ever since.-ChatGPT 10.06.24Raising Cane's, the popular chicken finger restaurant chain, was named after the founder Todd Graves' dog, a yellow Labrador named “Raising Cane.” When Graves was starting the restaurant in the mid-1990s, his initial plan to name the place something different was met with the suggestion from a friend to name it after his dog. Graves embraced the idea, and the dog became the namesake and mascot for the chain.There have actually been multiple “Raising Cane” dogs over the years. The first Raising Cane (Cane I) was the original dog the chain was named after, and subsequent Labradors have carried on the name as the brand grew. It's a fun, personal touch to the restaurant's identity!- ChatGPT 10.06.24The PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESOUTLINESN/AQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: "How is there judgment and hope?"Scripture: Genesis 3:15-24Romans 5:15-19; Numbers 21:4-9Bottom line: Even in the face of God's curses and judgment of humanity, there is hope for us in King Jesus.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDINTRODUCTIONHurricane Helene wreaked havoc on our state and nation this past week. We want to pause and pray right now for those who are still dealing with that aftermath.Why do we have hurricanes anyway? And earthquakes, meteorites, tsunamis, floods, droughts, and pandemics? We have them because of The Fall.CONTEXTAdam and Eve have been created and married. They are in a blissful garden of existence where they have all that they need and their Creator, the Lord God, spends time walking and talking with them everyday. They have no relational distress with God or each other or creation. They are experiencing perfect peace and joy. And yet they find themselves capable of being tempted to forget that God is good and doubt his trustworthiness.They give into the temptation to doubt God's goodness and trustworthiness and disobey God's single, clear command. They fall from grace and we have the first--the original--sin. This sin has far reaching consequences too including Hurricane Helene.SERMON Q. What do I want them to know?A. Sin has consequences including God's judgment. But it does sometimes come with God's grace too.Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Because we should remember that there's always hope in Christ Jesus.Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. Embrace the judgment but lean into the grace and point others to it.Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. So we don't despair and give up when we're tempted to.Q. How can they begin to do this?A. Turn from your ways to the Lord asking for him to show you the way to that hope found only in Jesus Christ. Tell others how they can also find this hope.NOTE the chiasm here in vv. 11-19:Sin of Adam (9-11)Sin of Eve (12)Sin of Serpent (13)Judgment of Serpent (14-15) But also the hope of his defeat prophesied (protoevangelion = first gospel)Judgment of Eve (16)Judgment of Adam (17-19)What's at the focal point is: Sin, death and Satan will be defeated by Eve's offspring. Why not Adam's? Because her offspring is Jesus and he was born of a virgin, not of Adam or his seed.`CONCLUSIONBottom line: Even in the face of God's curse and judgment of humanity, there is hope in King Jesus.““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:InvitationWhat is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESSynonyms for enmitynoun a world free from enmity between nations and races:HOSTILITY, animosity, antagonism, friction, antipathy, animus, opposition, dissension, rivalry, feud, conflict, discord, contention;My first question:I have a question about Adam and Eve in the Bible. I am seminary trained so talk to me as if I have some knowledge about the Bible. My question is why did God remove Adam and Eve from the garden?"God's removal of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:22-24 is primarily to prevent them from accessing the Tree of Life after their disobedience. After Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they gained the knowledge of good and evil, which was not meant for them. Their newfound awareness brought sin and separation from God into the world.Genesis 3:22 states, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—" God immediately expels them from Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life and thus living eternally in their fallen state.So, the expulsion from Eden serves a dual purpose:1. As a consequence of their disobedience (i.e., sin), they are removed from the place of God's direct presence and blessing.2. It is also an act of mercy, ensuring they do not live forever in a corrupted state.In a theological sense, this introduces the concept of death as a limitation, but also as part of God's redemptive plan, allowing for eventual resurrection and redemption rather than eternal life in a fallen condition." -ChatGPTMy second question: But if Adam and eve stay in the garden and eat from the tree of life and while there repent and believe, would they still live forever in a corrupted state? I seems to me that they would be forgiven?"That's an interesting theological question, and you're right to focus on the dynamic tension between the Tree of Life, repentance, and the consequences of sin.Here's the key theological consideration: **repentance and belief** are indeed central to forgiveness in the biblical narrative, but there's more to the situation in Genesis than just forgiveness. The Garden of Eden is not simply about access to eternal life but also about the state in which that life would be lived. 1. **The Nature of the Tree of Life and Eternal Life**: In Genesis 3:22, God's concern is not just about forgiveness but about the state in which humanity would live eternally. The Tree of Life represents the ability to live forever, but in the context of the narrative, eternal life in a corrupted state would be a disaster. Imagine living forever with the ongoing effects of sin—physical, emotional, and spiritual decay. Even if Adam and Eve repented and believed, they would still be living in a world now subject to the curse of sin (pain, toil, suffering, and eventual death as outlined in Genesis 3:16-19). So the problem isn't just moral guilt but the entire reality of living in a world where sin has entered. God's removal of them from the garden was not simply about preventing eternal life—it was about preventing eternal life **in a corrupted world**. Repentance alone doesn't reverse the cosmic consequences of sin. The entire creation needed restoration (Romans 8:20-22).2. **The Larger Redemptive Plan**: While forgiveness is essential, so is the **plan of redemption** that goes beyond forgiveness to full restoration. For instance, the ultimate goal of the biblical narrative isn't just the forgiveness of individual sins, but the **renewal of all creation**. This is why Christ's work includes not just forgiveness but also the promise of **resurrection** and **new creation** (Revelation 21-22). Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Life after sinning might grant them eternal life, but not in the transformed, glorified state God intends for His people.3. **Why Death is Necessary**: In God's redemptive plan, death became a necessary part of undoing the effects of sin. God allowed death to enter the world not merely as punishment but also as part of the plan that ultimately leads to resurrection. Paul speaks of death as the last enemy to be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26), but through Christ, death becomes the gateway to new life. Had Adam and Eve eaten from the Tree of Life while in their fallen state, they might have bypassed death, but they would have missed out on the full restoration that comes through death and resurrection.4. **The Typology of Christ and the Tree of Life**: Theologically, Christ is often seen as the fulfillment of the Tree of Life. In the new creation, those who believe in Him will once again have access to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14). This shows that eternal life comes not just through forgiveness but through transformation. Christ doesn't just forgive; He renews all things, including the body and the entire creation. Adam and Eve, even if they had repented and believed in the garden, would still need this fuller redemptive work to be fully restored to God's ultimate intention for humanity.In summary, even if Adam and Eve had repented and believed, staying in the garden and eating from the Tree of Life would have meant eternal life in a fallen state. Forgiveness alone would not have solved the problem of the corruption of their nature and the curse on creation. God's plan required not just forgiveness but the eventual defeat of death and the renewal of all creation, something that could only be achieved through Christ's redemptive work. The removal from Eden, then, can be seen as a merciful act, preserving them for a future, greater restoration." -ChatGPTFrom Wilmington's Bible Handbook:It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)The FallCainSons of God marrying daughters of manThe FloodTower of BabelThey all follow this 4-fold pattern:Sin: the sin is describedSpeech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sinGrace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sinPunishment: God punishes the sinPatriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3.Notes from Bible Project Videos1-11 God and the world12:3 Hinge verse12-50 God and Abraham's family"Blessing" is a key word hereChoice: Tree of knowledge of good and evilTrust God's definition of good and evil, orSeize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves?Serpent (against God) tells a different story. He lies when he tells them that if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will be like God. Because they already are like God (made in his image).The PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?OUTLINESOUTLINE (GENESIS 3:1-24) by H. WillmingtonThis section describes the corruption of all things.I. THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM (3:1-24)A. Adam's disobedience (3:1-6)1. The treachery (3:1-5)a. Satan begins by casting doubt on God's Word (3:1-3): "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"b. Satan concludes by denying God's Word (3:4-5): "'You won't die!' The serpent hissed...'You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.'"2. The tragedy (3:6): Both Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree.B. Adam's deceit (3:7-8): He attempts to cover his nakedness by making clothes from fig leaves. He then hides among the trees.C. Adam's despair (3:9-11): He acknowledges his fear and nakedness before God.D. Adam's defense (3:12-19): Adam blames Eve, but Eve blames the serpent.E. Adam's discipline (3:14-19): God sets up his divine court in Eden and imposes the following sentences:1. Upon the serpent (3:14-15): to be the most cursed of all creatures and to crawl on its belly, eating dust. Also, his head will be crushed by the offspring of the woman.2. Upon the woman (3:16): to suffer pain in childbirth and to be ruled by her husband.3. Upon the man (3:17-19): to endure wearisome labor as he grows food from unproductive soil and to eventually die physically.4. Upon nature (3:18): to be infested with thorns and this-tles.F. Adam's deliverance (3:15, 20-21)1. The promise (3:15): Someday a Savior will defeat Satan, the serpent!2. The provision (3:20-21): After Adam names his wife Eve, God clothes both of them with animal skins.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: “What's wrong with our world?"Scripture: Genesis 3:8-16Romans 5:15-19Bottom line: Our world was broken by our sin but will be fully restored by Jesus Christ. Hope follows heartbreak.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDINTRODUCTIONIn his book The Genesis Factor, David Helms says that Genesis answers many of life's questions. He says or implies that Genesis 3 answers at least 3 questions:Is God really good? If God is good, why are there boundaries? (God's character)Can you trust God's word no matter what? (The Bible)What's the matter with us? (Humanity) What's wrong with the world?Ask yourself this question: How would I feel if I did something that I knew God told me not to do that infected or cursed each and every one of my children, grandchildren and beyond? How would I feel? What would I do? This is what Adam and Eve had to live with. And did so for nearly a millennium.When we ask the question, what's wrong with our world, the snarky answer could be, "Adam and Eve screwed it up. Now we're cursed." And that would be true. But it's time that we realize that we can't pass the buck. We must take responsibility for our own thoughts, behaviors, attitudes and beliefs.Our world is broken because of sin. Their sin, yes. But our sin too.But there's hope. And it is found in none other than the Lord Jesus Christ as prophesied in Genesis 3.There's hope after the heartbreak.And, as for Adam and Eve, it's because of this hope that I'd like to think that they believed God and repented. "What's wrong with the world today?"David Helms writes,"Put differently, which view makes better sense of the world in which we live —the voice of Genesis, or the voice of Peter Fromm? Is humanity basically good? Or has moral corruption touched us all? Many years ago a famous correspondence in the London Times wrestled with these very issues. The editors of the newspaper asked individuals to respond to the question, "What is wrong with the world today?" The best letter of all was also the shortest. It read,Dear Sir,I am,Yours faithfully,G. K. ChestertonReader, do you believe that? If asked, "What is wrong with the world," would your response be, "I am?" You see, before you make a judgment on the rest of humanity, you must come to terms with the nature of yourself: Who are you, really?" -David HelmsCONTEXTAdam and Eve have been created and married. They are in a blissful garden of existence where they have all that they need and their Creator, the Lord God, spends time walking and talking with them everyday. They have no relational distress with God or each other or creation. They are experiencing perfect peace and joy. And yet they find themselves capable of being tempted to forget that God is good and doubt his trustworthiness.SERMON Q. What do I want them to know?A. Two things:Our world is broken because of our sin. Our world has hope because of God's mercy.Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Two reasons:Because it makes sense of why things are so broken, andBecause it shows we don't have to give in to despair. Hope can follow heartbreak.Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. Two things:Rest in the hope that comes through the woman's offspring (Jesus Christ), andShare this good news with our broken world where you live, work, learn and play.Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. Because this is what you do with good news--you share it!Q. How can they begin to do this?A. Several ways:Train to remain (abide) in Christ daily.Train to remain in your mission field ready to prayer, care and share his love.Prayer-Care-Share where we live, work, learn and play:Pray for your neighbors (where you live, work, learn and play),Care for them as you become aware of their needs, and Share with them why you cared for them when the opportunity comes up.NOTE the chiasm here in vv. 11-19:Sin of Adam (9-11)Sin of Eve (12)Sin of Serpent (13)Judgment of Serpent (14-15)Judgment of Eve (16)Judgment of Adam (17-19)What's at the focal point is: Sin, death and Satan will be defeated by Eve's offspring. Why not Adam's? Because her offspring is Jesus and he was born of a virgin, not of Adam or his seed.`CONCLUSIONBottom line: Our world was broken by sin but will be fully restored by Jesus Christ. Hope follows heartbreak.““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:InvitationWhat is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESG.K. Chesterton (1874–1936) was an English writer, philosopher, lay theologian, and literary critic known for his wit, paradoxes, and diverse body of work. He wrote in many genres, including essays, fiction, poetry, and journalism, and was a prominent Christian apologist. Chesterton is perhaps best known for his *Father Brown* detective stories and his book *Orthodoxy*, which defends Christian faith as rational and joyful.A devout Christian, Chesterton converted to Roman Catholicism in 1922, and his faith heavily influenced much of his later writing. He critiqued secularism, materialism, and modernism, often engaging with prominent thinkers like George Bernard Shaw and H.G. Wells in public debates.His style was marked by humor, irony, and a love for paradox, as he often used apparent contradictions to reveal deeper truths. His works continue to influence Christian thought and apologetics today.My first question:I have a question about Adam and Eve in the Bible. I am seminary trained so talk to me as if I have some knowledge about the Bible. My question is why did God remove Adam and Eve from the garden?"God's removal of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden in Genesis 3:22-24 is primarily to prevent them from accessing the Tree of Life after their disobedience. After Adam and Eve ate from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, they gained the knowledge of good and evil, which was not meant for them. Their newfound awareness brought sin and separation from God into the world.Genesis 3:22 states, "Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—" God immediately expels them from Eden to prevent them from eating from the Tree of Life and thus living eternally in their fallen state.So, the expulsion from Eden serves a dual purpose:1. As a consequence of their disobedience (i.e., sin), they are removed from the place of God's direct presence and blessing.2. It is also an act of mercy, ensuring they do not live forever in a corrupted state.In a theological sense, this introduces the concept of death as a limitation, but also as part of God's redemptive plan, allowing for eventual resurrection and redemption rather than eternal life in a fallen condition." -ChatGPTMy second question: But if Adam and eve stay in the garden and eat from the tree of life and while there repent and believe, would they still live forever in a corrupted state? I seems to me that they would be forgiven?"That's an interesting theological question, and you're right to focus on the dynamic tension between the Tree of Life, repentance, and the consequences of sin.Here's the key theological consideration: **repentance and belief** are indeed central to forgiveness in the biblical narrative, but there's more to the situation in Genesis than just forgiveness. The Garden of Eden is not simply about access to eternal life but also about the state in which that life would be lived. 1. **The Nature of the Tree of Life and Eternal Life**: In Genesis 3:22, God's concern is not just about forgiveness but about the state in which humanity would live eternally. The Tree of Life represents the ability to live forever, but in the context of the narrative, eternal life in a corrupted state would be a disaster. Imagine living forever with the ongoing effects of sin—physical, emotional, and spiritual decay. Even if Adam and Eve repented and believed, they would still be living in a world now subject to the curse of sin (pain, toil, suffering, and eventual death as outlined in Genesis 3:16-19). So the problem isn't just moral guilt but the entire reality of living in a world where sin has entered. God's removal of them from the garden was not simply about preventing eternal life—it was about preventing eternal life **in a corrupted world**. Repentance alone doesn't reverse the cosmic consequences of sin. The entire creation needed restoration (Romans 8:20-22).2. **The Larger Redemptive Plan**: While forgiveness is essential, so is the **plan of redemption** that goes beyond forgiveness to full restoration. For instance, the ultimate goal of the biblical narrative isn't just the forgiveness of individual sins, but the **renewal of all creation**. This is why Christ's work includes not just forgiveness but also the promise of **resurrection** and **new creation** (Revelation 21-22). Adam and Eve eating from the Tree of Life after sinning might grant them eternal life, but not in the transformed, glorified state God intends for His people.3. **Why Death is Necessary**: In God's redemptive plan, death became a necessary part of undoing the effects of sin. God allowed death to enter the world not merely as punishment but also as part of the plan that ultimately leads to resurrection. Paul speaks of death as the last enemy to be defeated (1 Corinthians 15:26), but through Christ, death becomes the gateway to new life. Had Adam and Eve eaten from the Tree of Life while in their fallen state, they might have bypassed death, but they would have missed out on the full restoration that comes through death and resurrection.4. **The Typology of Christ and the Tree of Life**: Theologically, Christ is often seen as the fulfillment of the Tree of Life. In the new creation, those who believe in Him will once again have access to the Tree of Life (Revelation 22:14). This shows that eternal life comes not just through forgiveness but through transformation. Christ doesn't just forgive; He renews all things, including the body and the entire creation. Adam and Eve, even if they had repented and believed in the garden, would still need this fuller redemptive work to be fully restored to God's ultimate intention for humanity.In summary, even if Adam and Eve had repented and believed, staying in the garden and eating from the Tree of Life would have meant eternal life in a fallen state. Forgiveness alone would not have solved the problem of the corruption of their nature and the curse on creation. God's plan required not just forgiveness but the eventual defeat of death and the renewal of all creation, something that could only be achieved through Christ's redemptive work. The removal from Eden, then, can be seen as a merciful act, preserving them for a future, greater restoration." -ChatGPTFrom Wilmington's Bible Handbook:It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)The FallCainSons of God marrying daughters of manThe FloodTower of BabelThey all follow this 4-fold pattern:Sin: the sin is describedSpeech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sinGrace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sinPunishment: God punishes the sinPatriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3.Notes from Bible Project Videos1-11 God and the world12:3 Hinge verse12-50 God and Abraham's family"Blessing" is a key word hereChoice: Tree of knowledge of good and evilTrust God's definition of good and evil, orSeize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves?Serpent (against God) tells a different story. He lies when he tells them that if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will be like God. Because they already are like God (made in his image).The PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625Hamilton puts it this way:"God acts and speaks; man rebels; God punishes; God protects and reconciles." P. 201GOD ACTS & SPEAKS MAN REBELS GOD PUNISHES GOD PROTECTS & RECONCILESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?God is present with his people. He was in the garden with A & E. He was with Israel when he lived as Jesus of Nazareth. He's with his people today in us as Holy Spirit.God is omniscient (all knowing/seeing/hearing).God is holy which means he's just.What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?He walks and talks with his people who know and trust him.He is fully aware of all that's going on in our world and in our minds.He punishes his kids when they disobey. He pours out his wrath on those who sin but don't repent and turn back to him.Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)I am his son in the Lord. I get to be with my father and learn from him and be known by him.I am known by him inside out.I am forgiven because even though I sinned and deserve God's wrath, he made a way for me to be forgiven. He did this by sending Jesus Christ to die in my place for my sins on the cross. I am forgiven because I believe that. However, if I haven't repented of my sin then I'm not forgiven yet. I am hell bound. I am heading where people who don't want to be with God go.What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)I get to be his son and to enjoy all the benefits of being his son forever.I get to be known and loved.I get to live forgiven, beloved and intentionally sharing this good news with others. But if I don't believe, I live in misery doomed to be separated from my Creator forever. How do I do it?Rest in my identity as his son and serve others selflessly.Spend time with God listening and talking.I believe and receive his forgiveness through Jesus Christ. I readily forgive others by grace through faith.OUTLINESOUTLINE (GENESIS 3:1-24) by H. WillmingtonThis section describes the corruption of all things.I. THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM (3:1-24)A. Adam's disobedience (3:1-6)1. The treachery (3:1-5)a. Satan begins by casting doubt on God's Word (3:1-3): "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"b. Satan concludes by denying God's Word (3:4-5): "'You won't die!' The serpent hissed...'You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.'"2. The tragedy (3:6): Both Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree.B. Adam's deceit (3:7-8): He attempts to cover his nakedness by making clothes from fig leaves. He then hides among the trees.C. Adam's despair (3:9-11): He acknowledges his fear and nakedness before God.D. Adam's defense (3:12-19): Adam blames Eve, but Eve blames the serpent.E. Adam's discipline (3:14-19): God sets up his divine court in Eden and imposes the following sentences:1. Upon the serpent (3:14-15): to be the most cursed of all creatures and to crawl on its belly, eating dust. Also, his head will be crushed by the offspring of the woman.2. Upon the woman (3:16): to suffer pain in childbirth and to be ruled by her husband.3. Upon the man (3:17-19): to endure wearisome labor as he grows food from unproductive soil and to eventually die physically.4. Upon nature (3:18): to be infested with thorns and this-tles.F. Adam's deliverance (3:15, 20-21)1. The promise (3:15): Someday a Savior will defeat Satan, the serpent!2. The provision (3:20-21): After Adam names his wife Eve, God clothes both of them with animal skins.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: “What's the matter with us?"Scripture: Genesis 3:1-7; Matthew 4:1-10Bottom line: When we forget or doubt that God is good and his word is trustworthy, we will give in to temptation and sin against our Creator.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDINTRODUCTION[Holding an apple while I talk]In his book The Genesis Factor, David Helms says that Genesis answers many of life's questions. He says or implies that Genesis 3 deals with at least 3 questions:Is God really good? If God is good, why are there boundaries? (God's character)Can you trust God's word no matter what? (The Bible)What's the matter with us? (Humanity)Who do you trust more than anyone in the world?Now, imagine that that person is now also the most powerful person in America.They can do anything they want to. They are powerful and you trust them.Now, imagine you're with them and they say to you, "I have a gift for you." They hand you what looks like a credit card. They tell you this card gives you unlimited access to every source of food in America. Restaurants, grocery stores, food trucks, farms...you name it...for free. This card also gives you access to any and every university, professor, expert, library or bookstore in America. Any source of wisdom you seek you have unlimited access to for free. Pretty amazing, huh?They add that there's also a restaurant where you can find food that increases your health and extends your life. This super-restaurant is always open and you have unlimited access to it as well.Now, they have one restriction. You cannot eat at the only 5 Star restaurant in town. The one in the middle of town. Let's say you drive by it every day too. This restaurant also has a supercomputer with the best AI on the planet. It has access to all knowledge in our world--good and evil. But if you order from there, if you partake from there, you will die. So you enjoy the unlimited access you have to food, knowledge and wisdom all over town. But one day you notice the 5 Star restaurant you're restricted from eating at. You notice that the parking lot is full, though. You find yourself walking over. You can see people enjoying their food but not dying. So you walk in and the host welcomes you in. You ask why aren't people dying from the food? He answers, "Oh that's just to keep you from gaining the same power that your friend now has. You won't die if you eat this food or partake of this AI bar." Forgetting what your trusted friend or family said, you find the host's words more believable the more he talks. You smell the food and see the expressions on everyone's faces. They all look like they're enjoying everything. You look around to see who's looking and then you go in and get a plate...and you eat. What just happened?You gave in to the temptation to ignore the one restriction you had from your most trusted person who gave you unlimited access to everything else. And you died. CONTEXTAdam and Eve have been created and married. They are in a blissful garden of existence where they have all that they need and their Creator, the Lord God, spends time walking and talking with them everyday. They have no relational distress with God or each other or creation. They are experiencing perfect peace and joy. And yet they find themselves capable of being tempted to forget that God is good and doubt his trustworthiness.SERMON OUTLINE (GENESIS 3:1-24) by H. WillmingtonThis section describes the corruption of all things. In other words, it answers the question:What's the matter with us?I. THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM (3:1-24)A. Adam's disobedience (3:1-6)1. The treachery (3:1-5)a. Satan begins by casting doubt on God's Word (3:1-3): "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"b. Satan concludes by denying God's Word (3:4-5): "'You won't die!' The serpent hissed...'You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.'"2. The tragedy (3:6): Both Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree.B. Adam's deceit (3:7-8): He attempts to cover his nakedness by making clothes from fig leaves. He then hides among the trees.C. Adam's despair (3:9-11): He acknowledges his fear and nakedness before God.D. Adam's defense (3:12-19): Adam blames Eve, but Eve blames the serpent.E. Adam's discipline (3:14-19): God sets up his divine court in Eden and imposes the following sentences:1. Upon the serpent (3:14-15): to be the most cursed of all creatures and to crawl on its belly, eating dust. Also, his head will be crushed by the offspring of the woman.2. Upon the woman (3:16): to suffer pain in childbirth and to be ruled by her husband.3. Upon the man (3:17-19): to endure wearisome labor as he grows food from unproductive soil and to eventually die physically.4. Upon nature (3:18): to be infested with thorns and this-tles.F. Adam's deliverance (3:15, 20-21)1. The promise (3:15): Someday a Savior will defeat Satan, the serpent!2. The provision (3:20-21): After Adam names his wife Eve, God clothes both of them with animal skins.CONCLUSIONBottom line: When we forget or doubt that God is good and his word is trustworthy, we will give in to temptation and sin against our Creator.Read Matthew 4:1-10 and see how Jesus resisted temptation. Three times he is tempted and three times he responds with scripture. He remembers that God's word is true and authoritative and that the Father is good. We must immerse ourselves in scripture with people and on our own getting a good grip on the Bible so that we'll not sin against God.Ps 119:11 "I've hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." -DavidSinning against God leads to death.When we die spiritually, it's because we have been infected. We've been infected by a spiritual virus that can only be cured by a blood transfusion that uses Christ's shed blood at the cross. This blood coupled with our belief that it saves is what saves us from sin and death, shame and guilt, and hell itself."But God demonstrates his love in this, that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." -Romans 5:8There's hope even in Genesis 3“And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.””‭‭Genesis‬ ‭3‬:‭15‬ ‭NIV‬‬““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬How do we respond? Answer 2 questions:InvitationWhat is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTES"Who are we really? Genesis 2 replies:We are divine dust.We are to live under divine rule.We are divinely created for relationship."- David Helms, p. 59"What Is God's Mission?What is God's mission in the world? If we, as Christians, are supposed to love God and obey him, it would certainly help if we knew what he was up to. Fortunately, God has given us the Bible, a book that tells us exactly what he is up to!If we are going to understand God's mission, the first thing we have to understand is that the Bible is not primarily a storehouse of random facts about God or Israel or the world.Nor is it primarily a collection of rules. Instead, it is primarily a fascinating and powerful story about God. This story is told in four acts:1. Creation: The first act is Creation. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth" (Gen. 1:1).God created the world and everything in it, and he called it "very good" (1:31). God loved and enjoyed what he had created!At the pinnacle of his creation are a man and woman. They were different from the rest of his creation because he created them in his image and likeness(1:26-28). Unlike the animals, they could be entrusted with managing the world God created (1:28), making families (1:28), and working to enhance the garden(2:15). Also, unlike the animals, they were moral and spiritual beings who were instructed not to eat of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. A good way to summarize the uniqueness of human beings is to say that they are spiritual, moral, social, and cultural beings who were supposed to use the totality of their lives to please God. And at the time of creation, they did please God. In fact, everything in the garden was just the way it was supposed to be.Adam and Eve had a right relationship with God, with each other, and with the rest of the world.2. The Fall: The second act is the Fall. Just after God created the world, the Bible's story takes a dark turn.Adam and Eve decided to rebel against their Creator (3:1-7). Instead of loving him supremely and obeying him completely, they disobeyed him and sought to take his place on the throne of the world and the throne of their lives. They believed the lie of Satan that they could become gods. In response to their sin, God cast them out from the garden of Eden.Being cast out from the garden of Eden represented the fact that things were no longer the way they were supposed to be. Adam and Eve no longer had a right relationship with God, with each other, or with God's world. Each of us, just like Adam and Eve, has sinned against God. Each of us, like Adam and Eve, experiences broken relationships with God, with oth-ers, and with the world around us. Our lives are characterized not only by God's goodness but by sin and its consequences. Even as we experience the beauty and goodness of life in God's creation, we also experience the ugliness and badness of sin and its consequences.3. Redemption: The third act is Redemption. Immediately after Adam and Eve sinned, God promised to send a Redeemer, a Savior, to save them from their sins (3:15).This promise represents our first "peek" at the gospel.Throughout the Bible, God continues to reveal more and more about who this Redeemer would be until, finally, in the Gospels, we learn that he is Jesus!Jesus—fully God in all of who he is-came to earth and took on full humanity. He was fully man and fully God. He lived a perfect life, but was crucified at the hands of sinful humans. When he died on the cross, was buried, and rose again, he was making atonement for our sins and providing salvation for the world. On the cross, he took the guilt for our sins upon his shoulders so that he could suffer the condemnation that we should suffer. When he rose from the dead, he rose as a victor, having paid fully for our sins and secured the future salvation of the world." -Bruce Ashford, I Am Going, pp. 4-5From Wilmington's Bible Handbook:It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)The FallCainSons of God marrying daughters of manThe FloodTower of BabelThey all follow this 4-fold pattern:Sin: the sin is describedSpeech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sinGrace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sinPunishment: God punishes the sinPatriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3.Truths to noteGod existed and exists eternallyGod exists in plural unity as the Holy TrinityGod was in the beginningGod was before anything existed in our universe and the universe itselfGod created everything that exists in the universe and the universe itselfGod creates something from nothing Latin ex nihiloAn atheist scientist came to God and said, “We've figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don't. Get your own dirt!”God creates with words. He spoke creation into existence. His words still have power.God creates purposefully for his glory and our good.God starts with light to display his creation and provide an essential ingredient for life.God only creates things that are good. Together it was all very good and will be again.God is a God of order and moves from chaos to order. Elohim (gods) intensifies God's divine majesty, when used as a noun. When used as a verb, it's singular for there is only one true God.God created all things. "Heavens and earth"God created an "open" universe, not a "closed" one where he never interactsNotes from Bible Project Videos1-11 God and the world12:3 Hinge verse12-50 God and Abraham's family"Blessing" is a key word hereChoice: Tree of knowledge of good and evilTrust God's definition of good and evil, orSeize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves?Serpent (against God) tells a different story. He lies when he tells them that if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will be like God. Because they already are like God (made in his image).The PatternSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Let's ask some summary sermon questions:Q. What do I want them to know?A. Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. Q. How can they begin to do this?A. OUTLINESOUTLINE (GENESIS 3:1-24) by H. WillmingtonThis section describes the corruption of all things.I. THE TRANSGRESSION OF ADAM (3:1-24)A. Adam's disobedience (3:1-6)1. The treachery (3:1-5)a. Satan begins by casting doubt on God's Word (3:1-3): "Did God really say you must not eat any of the fruit in the garden?"b. Satan concludes by denying God's Word (3:4-5): "'You won't die!' The serpent hissed...'You will become just like God, knowing everything, both good and evil.'"2. The tragedy (3:6): Both Eve and Adam disobey God and eat of the forbidden tree.B. Adam's deceit (3:7-8): He attempts to cover his nakedness by making clothes from fig leaves. He then hides among the trees.C. Adam's despair (3:9-11): He acknowledges his fear and nakedness before God.D. Adam's defense (3:12-19): Adam blames Eve, but Eve blames the serpent.E. Adam's discipline (3:14-19): God sets up his divine court in Eden and imposes the following sentences:1. Upon the serpent (3:14-15): to be the most cursed of all creatures and to crawl on its belly, eating dust. Also, his head will be crushed by the offspring of the woman.2. Upon the woman (3:16): to suffer pain in childbirth and to be ruled by her husband.3. Upon the man (3:17-19): to endure wearisome labor as he grows food from unproductive soil and to eventually die physically.4. Upon nature (3:18): to be infested with thorns and this-tles.F. Adam's deliverance (3:15, 20-21)1. The promise (3:15): Someday a Savior will defeat Satan, the serpent!2. The provision (3:20-21): After Adam names his wife Eve, God clothes both of them with animal skins.DISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: “Why did God rest on Day 7?"Scripture: Genesis 2:1-3 NIVHebrews 3:7-4:11Exodus 20:8-11Phil 2:12-13Romans 8:28Bottom line: God rested on day 7 to establish for us a rhythm and posture of rest that comes by grace through faith in Christ alone.INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDINTRODUCTIONWhy did God rest on day 7?I may not know why but I do know this: He didn't rest because he was tired. God is omnipotent or all powerful. He never needs to sleep or rest. He has infinite energy and power. He has no needs including rest.Graham's newsletterWhen I was very young, I thought I was adopted. I was very insecure at that age and jealous of my younger brother's attention from parents and strangers. He had red hair with a freckles and was "so cute" (unlike the skinny kid with glasses and buck teeth). I was convinced I looked nothing like my parents (which was true at the time).But, I was definitely treated like a son. I was treated as a member of the family like everyone else. I had privileges and responsibilities. I got to eat and sleep in doors while doing my part with the chores.Ultimately, I got over my adoption fears because, even if I had been adopted, I was convinced that I was part of the family. You didn't have to convince me because I was dearly loved, protected and provided for. I was disciplined and educated. I was lavished with gifts and encouragement. I was blessed simply because I was a son in the family.Said another way, when I realized I was a son in the family, I never tried to earn that position or role. I was a son. I learned (eventually) to rest in who I was. A son of Roe and Ruth. Brother to Kent. A Gabriel through and through. In a word, I learned to REST in my identity.Just typing that out fills my eyes with tears of gratitude to God. Rest.Let's look at Genesis and ask ourselves 2 questions as we do:God, what are you saying to me today?God, what do you want me to do about what you're saying to me today?CONTEXTRemember our analogy comparing Genesis 1 and 2? Place-mat map Vs. Rand-McNalley AtlasSERMON I. Primeval history (1-11)--God and the worldA. God finished creating (forming and filling) the heavens and the earth. It was very good.B. God rested or ceased/stopped his creative work on day 7Not because he was tiredBecause he was finishedVery good--no evil, suffering, or deathComplete not lacking anythingTo give us an example of how to restThrough a rhythmThrough a postureC. God established the sabbath rest as law for the new nation of Israel. This established rest as a rhythm to be observed.D. God points to the ultimate sabbath rest by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.Hebrews 3:7-4:11 we see the connection to salvation by faith in Jesus Christ. This established rest as a posture. From Willmington:"3:7-19 "Don't let this happen to you." Though God led Israel out of Egypt, their constant rebellion caused him to swear that they "will never enter my place of rest," meaning that the generation that began the journey would not see Canaan (see exposition on Num. 14:10-38 and on Josh. 1:12-18).We should be careful, and remind each other daily, not to harden our hearts and miss God's eternal Sabbath rest (see exposition on 4:1-11).4:1-11 Enter his rest today! God's offer of rest began far before the days of Moses (4:4), and the offer is still good today (4:1, 9-11; see Matt. 11:28). We need only accept it through faith (4:2-3, 9-10). Even the rest achieved by those who entered Canaan under Joshua was only temporary, as seen by the psalmist's reference, years later, to God's rest as something yet to come (see 3:15; 4:3, 8; Ps. 95:6-11). The word rest occurs repeatedly throughout 3:11-4:11:Lack of faith kept Israel from God's rest (3:11, 18; 4:11).Lack of faith will keep Christians from God's rest (4:1).Faith will give us God's rest, which involves our "finding rest" from our "labors," by which we may have tried to earn salvation (4:9-10).II. Patriarchal history (12-50)--God and Abraham's familyCONCLUSIONGraham's newsletter (missionaries to East Asia we've been supporting for many years)"Prayer & Update for our family:In our last newsletter, I mentioned being in the clinical training portion of my counseling degree program. I have been working as a student/intern counselor in a clinical practice since January and will continue through August.In all sincerity, these past five months have probably been the busiest our family ever has been, with hardly any margin whatsoever.We knew this season was going to be a tough one. The clinical experience l am gaining has been incredible and invaluable. But it feels like every minute of every day is spoken for and allocated for a specific purpose. I'm behind in almost every area of life.Living this way has made me treasure the Sabbath each week. As best we can, we do a little straightening late Saturday afternoon to help give the house a sabbath rest. I give my computer a sabbath rest by shutting it down (all the way down) around dusk on Saturday. When I pray for the kids that evening we express thankfulness that we can rest and don't have to work or go to school on Sunday. We ourselves try to cease from the striving, performing, accomplishing (and hurrying) that characterize the other six days of the week.Some weeks have not been pretty, but we're making it one step forward at a time... and now that June is here, this harried season will come to a close in just a few more months. It doesn't mean we're out of the woods quite yet, but hopefully we'll be through the hardest part of the journey. All this hard work means l've been able to stay on track to graduate May 2025, less than a year away!"Bottom line: God rested on day 7 to establish for us rest as a rhythm and a posture. These both come when we trust and follow the Lord in all of life.Applications:Rest as a rhythm.Rest as a posture.Invitation““Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”” -Jesus in Matthew‬ ‭11‬:‭28‬-‭30‬ ‭NIV‬‬Bottom line: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESFrom Wilmington's Bible Handbook:"What does 1:1 Say to those who interpret reality apart from a personal, infinite God?• To the atheist it says that Creation was the work of God.• To the polytheist it says there is only one God.• To the pantheist it says that God is apart from and independent of his creation.• To the evolutionist it says that the universe was created and did not evolve.• To the materialist it says that matter is not eternal but was itself created.• To the existentialist it says creation has a purpose." P. 4It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)The FallCainSons of God marrying daughters of manThe FloodTower of BabelThey all follow this 4-fold pattern:Sin: the sin is describedSpeech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sinGrace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sinPunishment: God punishes the sinPatriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3."There's only one way fallen humanity can be saved--the Genesis way--by faith. There has never been another way." -HughesWho wrote Genesis? According the Old and New Testaments, Moses c. 15th century BC. Jesus confirms this, with the exception of Genesis. The religious leaders of Jesus' day credited Moses with writing it (Luke 20:28) and early Jewish writers viewed Moses as the author of all 5 books. During his years in the Egyptian royal family, Moses could have become a skilled writer and historian as the Egyptians were quite advanced and he'd have had access to top tutors. He was, after all, a prince of Egypt.Moses would have been an eye-witness and contemporary to all that happened and was recorded in Exodus-Deuteronomy. However, not so for Genesis. So how did he write this?God gave it all to him. Passed down orally.Passed down in writing. Any of these would make Moses an editor or compiler of ancient history from Adam to his day around after he led Israel out of Egypt in and through the wilderness enroute to the Promise Land.Abraham c. 2,000 BCEnd of Genesis c. 1,800 BCExodus c. 1,500 BC (1.440s) after 400 years in EgyptTruths to noteGod existed and exists eternallyGod exists in plural unity as the Holy TrinityGod was in the beginningGod was before anything existed in our universe and the universe itselfGod created everything that exists in the universe and the universe itselfGod creates something from nothing Latin ex nihiloAn atheist scientist came to God and said, “We've figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don't. Get your own dirt!”God creates with words. He spoke creation into existence. His words still have power.God creates purposefully for his glory and our good.God starts with light to display his creation and provide an essential ingredient for life.God only creates things that are good. Together it was all very good and will be again.God is a God of order and moves from chaos to order. Elohim (gods) intensifies God's divine majesty, when used as a noun. When used as a verb, it's singular for there is only one true God.God created all things. "Heavens and earth"God created an "open" universe, not a "closed" one where he never interactsNotes from Bible Project Videos1-11 God and the world12:3 Hinge verse12-50 God and Abraham's familyDisorder --> OrderAdam = humanHumanity created to:Reflect God's character (image)Represent God's rule (reign)Harness creation's potential and create beauty and order"Blessing" is a key word hereChoice: Tree of knowledge of good and evilTrust God's definition of good and evil, orSeize autonomy and define good and evil for themselves?Serpent (against God) tells a different story. He lies when he tells them that if they eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil that they will be like God. Because they already are like God (made in his image).Heavens and earth aka skies and landFormless and empty aka wild and wasteDeep abyss = dark, chaotic oceanDays 1-3 God splits apart and forms this disordered waste into 3 ordered realms:Realm: Time. God splits darkness and light on Day 1.Realm: Sky & Seas. God splits the waters into water canopy or clouds (or both) and sea on Day 2.Realm: Land. God brings land out of water and includes vegetation on it on Day 3.Days 4-6 God Day 4 brings lights--sun, moon and stars to reflect his light in space.Day 5 brings creations to fill the sky and seaDay 6 brings land animals and humanity to fill the land. First poem in the Bible (1:27) celebrates God's creation where he completed the skies, land and inhabitants. God completes and rests and dwells in this sacred space he treats as a temple. The world or at least the garden of Eden is his temple.Notes from BethencourtOutline for Genesis 1-2:3Main idea: "God establishes his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. He designs creation to reflect his glory and goodness as humanity takes leadership over it."Some of his introductory thoughts...Main character of Genesis and the Bible is God himself. It reveals his goodness and his glorious purpose and person.The goodness of God includes both the physical and the spiritual.Genesis demonstrates God's authority over creation. Genesis demonstrates God's creativity in creation too.Age of the earth approaches can be diverse without Christians breaking fellowship over. That said, 3 non-negotiables are central to Christian doctrine of creation:1- "Sound doctrine must recognize the VIRGIN BIRTH of creation, acknowledging that God creates ex nihilism. Before he speaks the universe into being, there is nothing in existence other than God."2- "Such a doctrine must affirm the VIRTUOUS BIRTH of creation, that is, the goodness of all creation before the fall. Genesis 1 repeatedly declares that what God makes is 'good.'"3- "Sound doctrine must affirm the VERIFIED 'BIRTH' of a historical, literal Adam. As Jesus affirms in the Gospels, there is one man, created by God, from whom the entire human race descends (see Acts 17:26 where Paul makes this statement to the Athenians)."Moses is the writer and editor while God is the author.Moses gives us a summary overview of how it all came to being. "Most 'creation' narratives from the ancient Near East assumed the universe itself had always existed." In fact, until relatively recently, our own scientists believed this until they discovered the "Big Bang" based on infrared light readings and such.Outline for Genesis 1-2:3 (Bethancourt)Main idea: "God establishes his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. He designs creation to reflect his glory and goodness as humanity takes leadership over it."IV. God FINISHES the Created Kingdom (2:1-3)A. God finishes with his own rest.B. The climax of the creation story is rest.C. Creation is completed and lacks nothing. God accomplishes what he sets out to do.D. RestGod celebrates his completion of creation by resting in it, blessing it, and declaring it holy. It is his temple.After the Fall, Jesus rebuilds the temple through his death, burial and resurrection ultimately restoring all things in the new heavens and the new earth.Genesis 2 beings by declaring creation completed. In other words, God looks at his creation and says, "It is finished." Jesus echoes these words on the cross just before he dies.E. The Sabbath (though the word doesn't appear in Genesis 1 or 2) establishes a patternThe sabbath (meaning cease or stop) is CREATED as God rests on the 7th dayCORRUPTED by sin in our human rebellionCOMMANDED for Israel as part of the law to observe weeklyCONFIRMED in Jesus' life as he honors it as the Lord of the sabbathCOMPLETED in Jesus' resurrection as he, per Heb 4, becomes our sabbath restCONVERTED in the early church as Christians move it to Sunday as a nod to the resurrection and to distinguish themselves from JudaismCULMINATED in the new creation as we experience eternal sabbath rest in Jesus ChristSee D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Let's ask some summary sermon questions:Q. What do I want them to know?A. Q. Why do I want them to know it?A. Q. What do I want them to do about it?A. Q. Why do I want them to do it?A. Q. How can they begin to do this?A. OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Series: Chaos to CovenantTitle: “How did the universe begin?" Part 2Scripture: Genesis 1:3-31 NIV Bottom line: "God established his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. He designs creation to reflect his glory and goodness as humanity takes leadership over it." -Bethancourt."Genesis 1 is doing way more than telling us how everything was made. Genesis 1 is designed to show us that God's purpose is to share creation with his images o so they can rest and rule it with him forever. And that purpose is what the rest of the Biblical drama is all about." -Tim Macke, The Bible Project INTRODUCTIONCONTEXTSERMON OUTLINECONCLUSIONNOTESQUESTIONS TO CONSIDER OUTLINESDISCUSSION QUESTIONSMAIN REFERENCES USEDINTRODUCTIONLego TableI was riding through my in-laws neighborhood and I felt a nudge to turn and go out a different way than usual. Now, I have a confession. I am a bit of a dumpster diver. I like to find treasures on the side of the road. And it was a Saturday. The day when people clean out their garage and put things on the side of the road. So I'm driving along looking for treasure and get that nudge to turn and go a different way. I felt a distinct impression that God was nudging me. So I turned, not that I always do. I often ignore those nudges, unfortunately. You never know what's on the other end and it's often not convenient. So I'm driving and I see Lego green in the side of the road. I have four grandkids and we love Legos and I had been talking to Anita about getting a Lego table. I'd decided that they were too big and too expensive. So what do I find on the side of the road? I small, free Lego table. It's used, and has some scrapes, sure. But it's study and complete. I share this to remind us that God is always speaking. Not just when we sit for a sermon or read the Bible. He is always speaking. "The heavens declare the glory of God." (Psalm 19) Are we listening? And, when we hear, are we obeying? This is what we're about at Grace. Hearing from God and doing what he says. We show our love for God when we obey his commands (and respond to his nudges in faith).Let's look at Genesis and ask ourselves 2 questions as we do:God, what are you saying to me today?God, what do you want me to do about what you're saying to me today?CONTEXTLast week we began with God forming the universe from nothing. God is the main character and point of creation. He creates for his glory and our good. He first began forming our universe by inserting his presence and perspective. Today we'll see how he framed creation, filled creation and then next week how he finished creating.Genesis (beginning) is a book of beginnings. It's primeval history (universal world history) of the world (universe) made up of 5 stories with the same structure. (1-11)The FallCainSons of God marrying daughters of manThe FloodTower of BabelThey all follow this 4-fold pattern/cycle:Sin: the sin is describedSpeech: There is a speech by God announcing the penalty for the sinGrace: God brings grace to the situation to ease the misery due to sinPunishment: God punishes the sinPatriarchal history (12-50) or the history of Israel's founding fathers. It continues to reveal the many graces of God based on the gracious promise God made to and through Abraham in Genesis 12:3."There's only one way fallen humanity can be saved--the Genesis way--by faith. There has never been another way." -HughesWho wrote Genesis? According the Old and New Testaments, by and large it was written down by Moses with help from oral and written sources protected and provided by the Spirit of God c. 15th century BC. Jesus confirms this.SERMON I. Primeval history (1-11)--God and the worldII. Patriarchal history (12-50)--God and Abraham's familyOutline & notes for (based largely on Bethancourt)Main idea: "God establishes his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. He designs creation to reflect his glory and goodness as humanity takes leadership over it."Some of his introductory thoughts...Main character of Genesis and the Bible is God himself. It reveals his goodness and his glorious purpose and person.The goodness of God includes both the physical and the spiritual.Genesis demonstrates God's authority over creation. Genesis demonstrates God's creativity in creation too.Age of the earth approaches can be diverse without Christians breaking fellowship over. That said, 3 non-negotiables are central to Christian doctrine of creation:1- "Sound doctrine must recognize the VIRGIN BIRTH of creation, acknowledging that God creates ex nihilio. Before he speaks the universe into being, there is nothing in existence other than God."2- "Such a doctrine must affirm the VIRTUOUS BIRTH of creation, that is, the goodness of all creation before the fall. Genesis 1 repeatedly declares that what God makes is 'good.'" (7X)3- "Sound doctrine must affirm the VERIFIED 'BIRTH' of a historical, literal Adam. As Jesus affirms in the Gospels, there is one man, created by God, from whom the entire human race descends (see Acts 17:26 where Paul makes this statement to the Athenians)."Moses is the writer and editor while God is the author.Moses gives us a summary overview of how it all came to existence. "Most 'creation' narratives from the ancient Near East assumed the universe itself had always existed." In fact, until relatively recently, our own scientists believed this until they discovered the "Big Bang" based on infrared light readings and such. now most acknowledge that the universe is expanding from a point in time when it began (somehow).I. God FORMS the Created Kingdom (1:1-2)Not sage or myth like other Near Eastern versions of creation. It is history. It "reveals that God forms the created kingdom with his purpose and his presence.""In the beginning" often causes us to wonder how long ago. But it is there to remind us that God was actually there and active 'in the beginning.'"How should we think about Genesis and the age of the earth? Several points should be emphasized consenting the age of the earth:"First, God is the Creator, and the creation exists solely because of the creative work God began 'in the beginning.'""Second, the Bible offers no precise timelines concerning the age of the earth...Genesis clearly affirms that everything that exists only does so because of God's creative act.""Third, any interpretation of Genesis that rejects God's role as the Creator, or Adam and Eve as literal, historical human beings, is in conflict with the Bible's teaching.""Finally, ...Christians may reach different conclusions about the earth's age while still enjoying fellowship."Genesis 1:2 speaks of the "Spirit of God" hovering over the waters. The Spirit brings order out of chaos (here and throughout the Bible)."When Gabriel tells Mary that the Spirit of the Lord will overshadow her" this is another time when he brings order into our universe. He launches a "new creation" through Jesus at that time. When Jesus is baptized, the Spirit descends on him like a dove while in the waters. The Spirit raises Jesus from the dead, bringing him back to life."After God forms the created kingdom, he frames it with light, with limits, and with land." P. 9II. God FRAMES the Created Kingdom (1:3-13)A. The first day of--"God frames the kingdom with light."God's words bring something from nothing. We see this throughout the 6 days of creation.God creates light on day 1 separating it from darkness and giving the names day and night. Interestingly, he hasn't created sun, moon and stars yet so this seems premature. But God is making a point here. He's saying that he's the source of light and doesn't even need the stars to light our universe. This powerfully spoke to the other nations who worshipped the sun, moon, and stars in Moses' day (and ours) showing that God is sovereign over all light.This theme of the kingdoms of light and darkness carries over throughout scripture.B. The second day of creation--"God frames the kingdom with limits."Theme of water is introduced. We take water for granted with our endless supply of clean water. They saw water asA blessing--drinkable, washing, watering fieldsA danger--floods that drown people, famine caused by flooded fields, sea monsters, storms at sea, dying of thirstGod separates waters from the sky.New creation, new heaven, new earth--river of endless, life-giving water (Rev 22:1)C. The third day of creation--"God frames the kingdom with land."God divides the land from the waters he just divided from the sky. This created earth/land, seas and vegetation. 2 sources of fear in ancient culture: sea and land:"Anxiety about the sea was related to protection.""Anxiety about the land was related to provision."God's role in creating the seas reshapes our understanding of baptism too:New believers are baptized when they are plunged into the waters representing judgment (watery grave; wages of sin is death)And brought through and out of that watery grave raised to walk a new life with him--as a symbol of God's victory of sin and death.Vegetation holds a privileged place throughout the scripturesThe garden of Eden was full of treesNoah's arkMoses' staffArk of the CovenantThe coming MessiahA rootA branchA stumpA shootA vineA crossIII. God FILLS the Created Kingdom (1:14-31) A. The fourth day of creation--God fills the kingdom with life.God creates vegetation on the third day before creating the sun to once again show that he alone is the giver and sustainer of life. This would speak to the nations who had fertility cults/idols/gods."The creation story was intended to shatter the allure of the false gods of Israel, and it should do the same for us today." B. The fifth day of creationGod doesn't actually need 6 days to create the universe. God is using a process to show the glory of his creation. Creation is more than a place for animals and humanity to live. It's his temple! Where God lives with his creation where Eden was the holy of holies. God creates the universe and then fills it with his presence. C. The sixth day of --capstone of creationGod declares all of his creation good (1:25). And that's before he creates humanity. Creation with humanity is "very good."Humanity becomes his capstone as the creates them in the image of God. Trinitarian overtones:We see the unity or oneness of God "he" "his"We see the unity and community of God "us" "our"IDENTITY: "Being sinners is a secondary truth. Being created in the image of God is a primary truth." -Deb Hirsch; Find the imago dei and let God deal with the sin.ILLUSTRATION: When we look at an ultrasound, we're always looking to see which parent the child looks like. It's innate. And as humanity, we also look like our Creator. Each of us, in a sense, looks like our Heavenly Father. In contrast to the animals, we're designed to reflect who God is and what he's like.Paul calls Jesus the "image of the invisible God." (Colossians 1:15-17)"Jesus is both the architect and the blueprint for what it means to be made in the image of God."Not only are we to image our creator, we're to rule, subdue, be fruitful and multiply, and to lead over all creation on God's behalf.Adam and Eve reject this in disobeying God's command.IV. God FINISHES the Created Kingdom (2:1-3)A. God finishes with his own rest.B. The climax of the creation story is rest.C. Creation is completed and lacks nothing. God accomplishes what he sets out to do. And yet day 7 continues.D. RestGod celebrates his completion of creation by resting in it, blessing it, and declaring it holy. It is his temple.After the Fall, Jesus rebuilds the temple through his death, burial and resurrection ultimately restoring all things in the new heavens and the new earth.Genesis 2 beings by declaring creation completed. In other words, God looks at his creation and says, "It is finished." CONCLUSIONBottom line: God established his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. God designed creation to reflect his glory and goodness while humanity takes on leadership over creation on his behalf.Remember the Lego table. Are you listening to God speak? What is he saying to you? Do you love God? Do you realize that we express and prove our love and trust for him when we obey? And we show our distrust of him when we delay obedience, obey partially or disobey? Invitation““Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.” When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off—for all whom the Lord our God will call.”” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭36‬-‭39‬ ‭NIV‬‬Bottom line: What is God saying to me right now?What am I going to do about it? Write this down on a sheet of paper. What I hear you saying, Lord, is ___________________.[my name] is going to believe/do __________________________________________________ as a result.Finally, share this with your Home or Mission group this week when you gather as a testimony about what God is doing in your life. You don't have to get too specific to give him praise.PrayNOTESSabbath/RestHebrews 3:15-4:11 Graham's newsletter about rest.Truths to noteGod existed and exists eternallyGod exists in plural unity as the Holy TrinityGod was in the beginningGod was before anything existed in our universe and the universe itselfGod created everything that exists in the universe and the universe itselfGod creates something from nothing Latin ex nihiloAn atheist scientist came to God and said, “We've figured out how to make a man without you.” God said, “OK, let me see you do it.” So the atheist bent down to the ground and scooped up a handful. But God stopped him and said, “Oh, no you don't. Get your own dirt!”God creates with words. He spoke creation into existence. His words still have power.God creates purposefully for his glory and our good.God starts with light to display his creation and provide an essential ingredient for life.God only creates things that are good. Together it was all very good and will be again.God is a God of order and moves from chaos to order. Elohim (gods) intensifies God's divine majesty, when used as a noun. When used as a verb, it's singular for there is only one true God.God created all things. "Heavens and earth"God created an "open" universe, not a "closed" one where he never interactsNotes from Bible Project Videos1-11 God and the world12:3 Hinge verse12-50 God and Abraham's familyDisorder --> OrderAdam = humanHumanity created to:Reflect God's character (image)Represent God's rule (reign)Harness creation's potential and create beauty and order"Blessing" is a key word hereHeavens and earth aka skies and landFormless and empty aka wild and wasteDeep abyss = dark, chaotic oceanDays 1-3 God splits apart and forms this disordered waste into 3 ordered realms:Realm: Time. God splits darkness and light on Day 1.Realm: Sky & Seas. God splits the waters into water canopy or clouds (or both) and sea on Day 2.Realm: Land. God brings land out of water and includes vegetation on it on Day 3.Days 4-6 God Day 4 brings lights--sun, moon and stars to reflect his light in space.Day 5 brings creations to fill the sky and seaDay 6 brings land animals and humanity to fill the land. First poem in the Bible (1:27) celebrates God's creation where he completed the skies, land and inhabitants. God completes and rests and dwells in this sacred space he treats as a temple. The world or at least the garden of Eden is his temple.Notes from BethencourtOutline for Genesis 1-2:3Main idea: "God establishes his kingdom by speaking the universe into existence. He designs creation to reflect his glory and goodness as humanity takes leadership over it."Some of his introductory thoughts...Main character of Genesis and the Bible is God himself. It reveals his goodness and his glorious purpose and person.The goodness of God includes both the physical and the spiritual.Genesis demonstrates God's authority over creation. Genesis demonstrates God's creativity in creation too.Age of the earth approaches can be diverse without Christians breaking fellowship over. That said, 3 non-negotiables are central to Christian doctrine of creation:1- "Sound doctrine must recognize the VIRGIN BIRTH of creation, acknowledging that God creates ex nihilism. Before he speaks the universe into being, there is nothing in existence other than God."2- "Such a doctrine must affirm the VIRTUOUS BIRTH of creation, that is, the goodness of all creation before the fall. Genesis 1 repeatedly declares that what God makes is 'good.'"3- "Sound doctrine must affirm the VERIFIED 'BIRTH' of a historical, literal Adam. As Jesus affirms in the Gospels, there is one man, created by God, from whom the entire human race descends (see Acts 17:26 where Paul makes this statement to the Athenians)."Moses is the writer and editor while God is the author.Moses gives us a summary overview of how it all came to being. "Most 'creation' narratives from the ancient Near East assumed the universe itself had always existed." In fact, until relatively recently, our own scientists believed this until they discovered the "Big Bang" based on infrared light readings and such.See D. J. A. Clines, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, No. 38 (1976), pp. 487, 488. Clines explains that Gerhard Von Rad initially observed a pattern of sin, mitigation, and punishment. Then Claus Westermann discerned another element, that of divine speech. Though he did not include it in the pattern, Clines does. Thus the following chart:I. II. III. IV. SINSPEECHGRACEPUNISHMENTFALL3:63:14-193:213:22-24CAIN4:84:10-124:154:16SONS OF GOD6:26:36:8, 18ff7:6-24FLOOD6:5, 11f6:7, 13-216:8, 18ff11:8BABEL11:411:6f10:1-3211:8Preach the Word, Genesis, Kent Hughes, chapter 1, note 3, p. 625QUESTIONS TO CONSIDERWho is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I get to do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?OUTLINESSee aboveDISCUSSION QUESTIONSDiscovery Bible Study process: https://www.dbsguide.org/Read the passage together.Retell the story in your own words.Discovery the storyWhat does this story tell me about God?What does this story tell me about people?If this is really true, what should I do?What is God saying to you right now? (Write this down)What are you going to do about it? (Write this down)Who am I going to tell about this?Find our sermons, podcasts, discussion questions and notes at https://www.gracetoday.net/podcastAlternate Discussion Questions (by Jeff Vanderstelt): Based on this passage:Who is God?What has he done/is he doing/is he going to do?Who am I? (In light of 1 & 2)What do I do? (In light of who I am)How do I do it?Final Questions (Write this down)What is God saying to you right now? What are you going to do about it?MAIN REFERENCES USED“Genesis,” by R. Kent Hughes, Preaching the Word Commentary, Edited by Kent HughesExalting Jesus in Genesis, by BethancourtThe Genesis Record, by Henry MorrisThe Genesis Factor, by David Helms & Jon Dennis“Look at the Book” by John Piper (LATB)“The Bible Knowledge Commentary” by Walvoord, Zuck (BKC)“The Bible Exposition Commentary” by Warren Wiersbe (BEC)Outline Bible, D Willmington (OB)Willmington's Bible Handbook, D Willmington (WBH)NIV Study Bible (NIVSB) https://www.biblica.com/resources/scholar-notes/niv-study-bible/Chronological Life Application Study Bible (NLT)ESV Study Bible (ESVSB) https://www.esv.orgThe Bible Project https://bibleproject.com“The Bible in One Year 2023 with Nicky Gumbel” bible reading plan on YouVersion app (BIOY)Claude.ai

Ben is dying of pneumonia so this week we had to go with a bonus episode from the old patreon vault. I'm not sure if this is something that inspires you to donate money to the patreon but this is what we do over there. We release episodes of books nobody asked for (the books, not the episodes).Support the Show.Discord - https://discord.gg/6BaNRtcP8CThreads - https://www.threads.net/@wordsaboutbookspodcastInstagram - https://www.instagram.com/wordsaboutbookspodcastBlog - https://blog.wordsaboutbooks.ninja/Buy the Books - https://bookshop.org/shop/wabpod

How can training to be a professional opera singer translate into the legal operations profession? How do you build a career in legal ops without any formal training? And what role should technology play–if any–in a strong legal ops program?Cory Clines, Legal Operations Manager at Campari Group, was able to transfer valuable lessons from his life as a conservatory-trained opera singer into his fifteen-year-long career in legal ops, like the importance of collaboration and the need for a shared vision among teams. In his current role and at former companies like Advance Publications and Lloyd's, Cory was able to leverage his love of technology into managerial roles that revolutionized legal processes with efficiency-maximizing software.Listen as Cory discusses how to develop strong relationships with tech vendors, building legal ops teams from scratch, earning the trust of your GC, the best ways to run an RFP, and more.Read detailed summary: https://www.spotdraft.com/podcast/episode-45Topics:Introduction: 0:00Training as an opera singer: 4:01Considering skill transfer from opera to legal operations: 12:12Moving forward by earning the trust of your GC: 14:46Deciding to leverage technology in legal ops: 16:34Running RFPs from an in-house perspective: 18:59Identifying new opportunities to advance your legal ops career: 22:05Advice to legal ops professionals who feel pigeonholed in one aspect of the role: 24:27Considering how curiosity affects your work: 27:23Questioning the need for tech expertise as a legal operations manager: 28:47Looking back at tech implementations that went wrong: 31:20Building a legal ops team from scratch at Campari: 38:14Using tech to drive legal ops process: 41:15Book recommendations: 46:01What you wish you had known when you started in legal ops: 47:58Connect with us:Cory Clines - https://www.linkedin.com/in/corywilliamclines/Tyler Finn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tylerhfinnSpotDraft - https://www.linkedin.com/company/spotdraftSpotDraft is a leading CLM platform that solves your end-to-end contract management issues. Visit https://www.spotdraft.com to learn more.

In this episode, we discuss breaking up complex research projects into phases. This is a great way to make progress on a research question that might otherwise seem daunting. We'll talk about how to identify the mother of Elsie, a woman born in 1820, as an example of how to set up phases for research. We'll also discuss how to determine which phases are necessary and how to write research objectives. We wrap it up with a discussion of Diana's Clemsy Cline project phases. The Clemsy Cline project sought to identify the father of Mary "Clemsey" Cline. Clemsy was born about 1817 in Alabama and died after 1880 in Wise County, Texas. She married William Henderson Weatherford in about 1839 in Arkansas. Phase 1 of the project focused on finding a candidate for Clemsy's father. Diana analyzed census records from 1850, 1860, and 1880 and concluded that she was most likely born between 1817 and 1820 in Alabama. Her father would have been born before 1800 in Virginia. The researchers also found that Clemsy was associated with a number of people in Arkansas, including Jacob Cline, Mahala Cline, and John Cline. These individuals were all living in the same area at the time that Clemsy was born, and they may have been able to provide some clues about her father's identity. Phase 2 of the project focused on exploring the land patents of Clemsy Cline's FANs. Diana identified three Cline individuals who patented land in Izard County, Arkansas, between 1838 and 1850: John C. Cline, Mahala Cline, and John Cline. Diana believes that these land patents may provide some clues about the father of Clemsy Cline. Phase 3 of the Clemsy Cline project is currently ongoing andseeks to test the hypothesis that John C. Cline was the biological father of Clemsy Cline. Using DNA evidence and documentary research, Diana has found a cluster of Clines in a network graph. This cluster includes descendants of Mahala Cline Shockley and descendants of John C. Cline through his 1850 census family with probable second wife, Milky Cline. Links Genealogy and DNA Research in Phases - https://familylocket.com/genealogy-and-dna-research-in-phases/ RLP 273: Brick Wall Ancestor: Clemsy (Cline) Weatherford - https://familylocket.com/rlp-273-brick-wall-ancestor-clemsy-cline-weatherford/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code “FamilyLocket” at checkout.  Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product/airtable-research-logs-for-genealogy-quick-reference/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series 2024 - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-webinar-series-2024/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Top 20 Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/

In this episode, we discuss breaking up complex research projects into phases. This is a great way to make progress on a research question that might otherwise seem daunting. We'll talk about how to identify the mother of Elsie, a woman born in 1820, as an example of how to set up phases for research. We'll also discuss how to determine which phases are necessary and how to write research objectives. We wrap it up with a discussion of Diana's Clemsy Cline project phases. The Clemsy Cline project sought to identify the father of Mary "Clemsey" Cline. Clemsy was born about 1817 in Alabama and died after 1880 in Wise County, Texas. She married William Henderson Weatherford in about 1839 in Arkansas. Phase 1 of the project focused on finding a candidate for Clemsy's father. Diana analyzed census records from 1850, 1860, and 1880 and concluded that she was most likely born between 1817 and 1820 in Alabama. Her father would have been born before 1800 in Virginia. The researchers also found that Clemsy was associated with a number of people in Arkansas, including Jacob Cline, Mahala Cline, and John Cline. These individuals were all living in the same area at the time that Clemsy was born, and they may have been able to provide some clues about her father's identity. Phase 2 of the project focused on exploring the land patents of Clemsy Cline's FANs. Diana identified three Cline individuals who patented land in Izard County, Arkansas, between 1838 and 1850: John C. Cline, Mahala Cline, and John Cline. Diana believes that these land patents may provide some clues about the father of Clemsy Cline. Phase 3 of the Clemsy Cline project is currently ongoing andseeks to test the hypothesis that John C. Cline was the biological father of Clemsy Cline. Using DNA evidence and documentary research, Diana has found a cluster of Clines in a network graph. This cluster includes descendants of Mahala Cline Shockley and descendants of John C. Cline through his 1850 census family with probable second wife, Milky Cline. Links Genealogy and DNA Research in Phases - https://familylocket.com/genealogy-and-dna-research-in-phases/ RLP 273: Brick Wall Ancestor: Clemsy (Cline) Weatherford - https://familylocket.com/rlp-273-brick-wall-ancestor-clemsy-cline-weatherford/ Sponsor – Newspapers.com For listeners of this podcast, Newspapers.com is offering new subscribers 20% off a Publisher Extra subscription so you can start exploring today. Just use the code “FamilyLocket” at checkout.  Research Like a Pro Resources Airtable Universe - Nicole's Airtable Templates - https://www.airtable.com/universe/creator/usrsBSDhwHyLNnP4O/nicole-dyer Airtable Research Logs Quick Reference - by Nicole Dyer - https://familylocket.com/product/airtable-research-logs-for-genealogy-quick-reference/ Research Like a Pro: A Genealogist's Guide book by Diana Elder with Nicole Dyer on Amazon.com - https://amzn.to/2x0ku3d 14-Day Research Like a Pro Challenge Workbook - digital - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-digital-only/ and spiral bound - https://familylocket.com/product/14-day-research-like-a-pro-challenge-workbook-spiral-bound/ Research Like a Pro Webinar Series 2024 - monthly case study webinars including documentary evidence and many with DNA evidence - https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-webinar-series-2024/ Research Like a Pro eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-e-course/ RLP Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-study-group/ Research Like a Pro with DNA Resources Research Like a Pro with DNA: A Genealogist's Guide to Finding and Confirming Ancestors with DNA Evidence book by Diana Elder, Nicole Dyer, and Robin Wirthlin - https://amzn.to/3gn0hKx Research Like a Pro with DNA eCourse - independent study course -  https://familylocket.com/product/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-ecourse/ RLP with DNA Study Group - upcoming group and email notification list - https://familylocket.com/services/research-like-a-pro-with-dna-study-group/ Thank you Thanks for listening! We hope that you will share your thoughts about our podcast and help us out by doing the following: Write a review on iTunes or Apple Podcasts. If you leave a review, we will read it on the podcast and answer any questions that you bring up in your review. Thank you! Leave a comment in the comment or question in the comment section below. Share the episode on Twitter, Facebook, or Pinterest. Subscribe on iTunes, Stitcher, Google Podcasts, or your favorite podcast app. Sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications of new episodes - https://familylocket.com/sign-up/ Check out this list of genealogy podcasts from Feedspot: Top 20 Genealogy Podcasts - https://blog.feedspot.com/genealogy_podcasts/

Pilot Weigh thy anchor, by adamant rode Oh how adversity prompts such ode Trepidation sighed We have begun to sail at the tide Awake, you sleeper the tempest formed Intransigent child, why so concerned Fury drives relentless waves Turbulences' treacherous soak, risk craves Conducted lightning strikes the blue The amateur's intimidation isn't new Helm in hand, steers the ship And by relief, there is no tip Triumph pilot, sin's standards cease Captain's directive conquers with peace The vast expanse assures boundless phases Yeshua alone is worthy of all praises Lydia Moffitt I AM THE OUTSHINING JESUS THE QUINTESSENCE Hebrews 1:3 Who, being the outshining of his glory, the true image of his substance, supporting all things by the word of his power, having given himself as an offering making clean from sins, took his seat at the right hand of God in heaven Job 11:7-10 “Can you discover the essence of God? Can you find out the perfection of the Almighty? The abstract תַּכְלִית (takhlit) from כָּלָה (kalah, “to be complete; to be perfect”) may mean the end or limit of something, perhaps to perfection. So the NIV has “can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” The LXX has: “have you come to the end of that which the Almighty has made?” COSMIC It is higher than the heavens – what can you do? The Hebrew says “heights of heaven, what can you do?” A. B. Davidson suggested this was an exclamation and should be left that way. But most commentators will repoint גָּבְהֵי שָׁמַיִם (govhe shamayim, “heights of heaven”) to גְּבֹהָה מִשָּׁמַיִם (gevohah mishamayim, “higher than the heavens”) to match the parallel expression. The LXX may have rearranged the text: “heaven is high.” QUANTUM It is deeper than Sheol – what can you know? Or “deeper than hell.” The word “Sheol” always poses problems for translation. Here because it is the opposite of heaven in this merism, “hell” would be a legitimate translation. It refers to the realm of the dead—the grave and beyond. The language is excessive, but the point is that God's wisdom is immeasurable—and Job is powerless before it. MEASUREMENT BY TIER Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. CONFINEMENT BY QUARANTINE If he comes by The verb יַחֲלֹף (yakhalof) is literally “passes by/through” (NIV “comes along” in the sense of “if it should so happen”). Many accept the emendation to יַחְתֹּף (yakhtof, “he seizes,” cf. Gordis, Driver), but there is not much support for these. and confines you The verb is the Hiphil of סָגַר (sagar, “to close; to shut”) and so here in this context it probably means something like “to shut in; to confine.” But this is a difficult meaning, and the sentence is cryptic. E. Dhorme (Job, 162) thinks this word and the next have to be antithetical, and so he suggests from a meaning “to keep confined” the idea of keeping a matter secret; and with the next verb, “to convene an assembly,” he offers “to divulge it.” CONVENE A COURT FOR EXPOSURE and convenes a court, then who can prevent him? The denominative Hiphil of קָהָל (qahal, “an assembly”) has the idea of “to convene an assembly.” In this context there would be the legal sense of convening a court, i.e., calling Job to account (D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 255). See E. Ullendorff, “The Meaning of QHLT,” VT 12 (1962): 215; he defines the verb also as “argue, rebuke.” JESUS Colossians 1:19 For God was pleased to have all his essence dwell in the Son CHRIST Colossians 2:9-11 For in him all the essence of deity lives in bodily form, and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. In him you also were circumcised – not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. INGRESSIVE OR CONSTATIVE? Glorification | The Final Frontier Going Boldly Where The Last Man has Gone Before! Decrease time over target:  PayPal or Venmo @clastronaut Cash App $clastronaut

I AM THE OUTSHINING JESUS THE QUINTESSENCE The abstract תַּכְלִית (takhlit) from כָּלָה (kalah, “to be complete; to be perfect”) may mean the end or limit of something, perhaps to perfection. So the NIV has “can you probe the limits of the Almighty?” The LXX has: “have you come to the end of that which the Almighty has made?” COSMIC It is higher than the heavens – what can you do? The Hebrew says “heights of heaven, what can you do?” A. B. Davidson suggested this was an exclamation and should be left that way. But most commentators will repoint גָּבְהֵי שָׁמַיִם (govhe shamayim, “heights of heaven”) to גְּבֹהָה מִשָּׁמַיִם (gevohah mishamayim, “higher than the heavens”) to match the parallel expression. The LXX may have rearranged the text: “heaven is high.” QUANTUM It is deeper than Sheol – what can you know? Or “deeper than hell.” The word “Sheol” always poses problems for translation. Here because it is the opposite of heaven in this merism, “hell” would be a legitimate translation. It refers to the realm of the dead—the grave and beyond. The language is excessive, but the point is that God's wisdom is immeasurable—and Job is powerless before it. MEASUREMENT BY TIER Its measure is longer than the earth, and broader than the sea. CONFINEMENT BY QUARANTINE If he comes by The verb יַחֲלֹף (yakhalof) is literally “passes by/through” (NIV “comes along” in the sense of “if it should so happen”). Many accept the emendation to יַחְתֹּף (yakhtof, “he seizes,” cf. Gordis, Driver), but there is not much support for these. and confines you The verb is the Hiphil of סָגַר (sagar, “to close; to shut”) and so here in this context it probably means something like “to shut in; to confine.” But this is a difficult meaning, and the sentence is cryptic. E. Dhorme (Job, 162) thinks this word and the next have to be antithetical, and so he suggests from a meaning “to keep confined” the idea of keeping a matter secret; and with the next verb, “to convene an assembly,” he offers “to divulge it.” CONVENE A COURT FOR EXPOSURE and convenes a court, then who can prevent him? The denominative Hiphil of קָהָל (qahal, “an assembly”) has the idea of “to convene an assembly.” In this context there would be the legal sense of convening a court, i.e., calling Job to account (D. J. A. Clines, Job [WBC], 255). See E. Ullendorff, “The Meaning of QHLT,” VT 12 (1962): 215; he defines the verb also as “argue, rebuke.” INGRESSIVE OR CONSTATIVE The aorist verb κατοικῆσαι (katoikēsai) could be taken as an ingressive, in which case it refers to the incarnation and may be translated as “begin to dwell, to take up residence.” It is perhaps better, though, to take it as a constative aorist and simply a reference to the fact that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ. This is a permanent dwelling, though, not a temporary one, as the present tense in 2:9 makes clear. What does that mean in normal English? Simply that a verb in the aorist tense describes an action without analyzing it further. When John 3:16 says God loved the world, the aorist tense merely reports what God did. It doesn't tell us when he started or when he finished (or whether he ever stopped). It reports the bare fact. You might compare it to the way I would describe a piece of fruit: “This is an orange.” That's about all I can tell from an outside view. But if I peeled the orange and pulled the sections apart, I could tell you more. I might be able to tell whether it was starting to get moldy, and make a guess about how long it had been sitting in the refrigerator. It's in this way that the aorist tense gives an “outside,” unanalyzed view of an action. It happened, and that's all you can prove on the basis of the aorist tense.

Guest speaker, Pastor Paul Clines from Houston Trinity United Methodist Church in Houston, TX shares a message about the importance of the gospel of Jesus. Connect with us at www.zionchurch.live.

Christopher Bell held off NASCAR Cup Series points leader Chase Elliott to win on Sunday in New Hampshire. With six races to go in the playoff chase, Rod Mullins helps us get a feel for where things stand at the cut line.

"If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal." 1 Corinthians 13:1 Pastor Paul Cline challenges us to make love the defining quality of every believer. Connect with us at www.zionchurch.live.

Gregory M. Clines' book Jain Rāmāyaṇa Narratives: Moral Vision and Literary Innovation (Routledge, 2022) traces how and why Jain authors at different points in history rewrote the story of Rāma and situates these texts within larger frameworks of South Asian religious history and literature. Clines' book is a valuable contribution to the fields of Jain studies and religion and literature in premodern South Asia. It is available open access here.  Raj Balkaran is a scholar, online educator, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Gregory M. Clines' book Jain Rāmāyaṇa Narratives: Moral Vision and Literary Innovation (Routledge, 2022) traces how and why Jain authors at different points in history rewrote the story of Rāma and situates these texts within larger frameworks of South Asian religious history and literature. Clines' book is a valuable contribution to the fields of Jain studies and religion and literature in premodern South Asia. It is available open access here.  Raj Balkaran is a scholar, online educator, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literary-studies

Gregory M. Clines' book Jain Rāmāyaṇa Narratives: Moral Vision and Literary Innovation (Routledge, 2022) traces how and why Jain authors at different points in history rewrote the story of Rāma and situates these texts within larger frameworks of South Asian religious history and literature. Clines' book is a valuable contribution to the fields of Jain studies and religion and literature in premodern South Asia. It is available open access here.  Raj Balkaran is a scholar, online educator, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/intellectual-history

Gregory M. Clines' book Jain Rāmāyaṇa Narratives: Moral Vision and Literary Innovation (Routledge, 2022) traces how and why Jain authors at different points in history rewrote the story of Rāma and situates these texts within larger frameworks of South Asian religious history and literature. Clines' book is a valuable contribution to the fields of Jain studies and religion and literature in premodern South Asia. It is available open access here.  Raj Balkaran is a scholar, online educator, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Gregory M. Clines' book Jain Rāmāyaṇa Narratives: Moral Vision and Literary Innovation (Routledge, 2022) traces how and why Jain authors at different points in history rewrote the story of Rāma and situates these texts within larger frameworks of South Asian religious history and literature. Clines' book is a valuable contribution to the fields of Jain studies and religion and literature in premodern South Asia. It is available open access here.  Raj Balkaran is a scholar, online educator, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

This week we discuss 14 by Peter Clines. Ben attempts his first podcast ever without the assistance of caffeine. Nate struggles to imagine what it would be like to live in an apartment building filled with people who like and respect him.Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/WABPod)

Jacob Valk breaks down the latest NFL and NHL news and eulogizes Gene Clines!

Season-4, episode 10 of “ZENPod”, featuring Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO - “Anchal”, a non-profit social enterprise. https://anchalproject.org Colleen was named was named one of Public Interest Design's Top Global 100 designers. Colleen was also awarded the NABWO Humanitarian award. Colleen used design thinking to create innovative solutions for tackling social inequalities and reform traditional textile manufacturing practices. “Spirituality for me is about Love and Belief that there is a bigger world outside of me and I really need to contribute to that and that's my purpose for being here”, says Colleen Clines, in her conversation with Venkatesh Mahadevan. “We felt compelled to take the project beyond the classroom with the conviction that our design training, in collaboration with local leadership, could address seemingly intractable social and environmental systems. The women we met became our sisters, sisters we had to fight for.” - Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO of Anchal “We both had linear projections for our careers. Then I saw that we could have more impact than I ever anticipated as a young woman. So I jumped onboard and we decided to make a go of it!” - Maggie Clines, COO & Creative Director Colleen values how design can become the tool for sustainable solutions to gender inequality, social injustice, and environmental degradation. She combines this passion as a social entrepreneur and impact designer through her work at Anchal. A Louisville native with a Bachelor of Landscape Architecture from the University of Kentucky, Colleen earned her Master of Landscape Architecture degree from the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD). During her time in graduate school, she initiated the founding of Anchal alongside her sister Maggie after a trip to India. Anchal is based on the philosophy that we can create positive change in the world through collaboration in design. We are a team of designers, storytellers, activists, and dreamers. With backgrounds in design, sisters Colleen and Maggie Clines lead the organization by placing design and collaboration at the center of Anchal's practice. It all started in a design studio. Colleen Clines was taking a graduate seminar at the Rhode Island School of Design that took her on a trip to India in 2009. Through local leadership, Colleen was introduced to the exploitive world of the commercial sex trade and the lack of opportunity for women in the community. It was in this moment she was inspired to design more than beautiful landscapes, she was determined to collaborate with the NGO using design. Colleen leads the overall strategic and operational planning for Anchal's programs, partnerships, expansion, and execution of its mission. In 2013, she was named one of Public Interest Design's Top Global 100 designers. She was awarded Sacred Heart Academy's Heart Award in 2015 and Presentation Academy's Tower award in 2014. Most recently Colleen was named to Louisville Business First's 2016 Forty under 40 List, and awarded the 2017 NAWBO Humanitarian Award. Colleen has shared Anchal's mission and design thinking model as a keynote speaker at gatherings including the Fair Trade Federation National Conference, NY NOW, the Ali Center's Daughters of Greatness Series, Creative Mornings Louisville and Alt Summit. “ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life's pursuit.

Curtain raiser - Season-4, episode 10 of “ZENPod”, featuring Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO - “Anchal”, a non-profit social enterprise. https://anchalproject.org Colleen was named was named one of Public Interest Design's Top Global 100 designers. Colleen was also awarded the NABWO Humanitarian award. Colleen used design thinking to create innovative solutions for tackling social inequalities and reform traditional textile manufacturing practices. “We felt compelled to take the project beyond the classroom with the conviction that our design training, in collaboration with local leadership, could address seemingly intractable social and environmental systems. The women we met became our sisters, sisters we had to fight for.” - Colleen Clines, Co-Founder & CEO of Anchal “ZENPod” is a Podcast series that features trailblazers from different walks of life, with a purpose to build an empowered eco-system where learnings and experiences from these enlightened professionals, will be available within “arms reach of desire” for those who aspire to scale higher and wish to contribute, in their life's pursuit.

In this episode of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Colleen and Maggie Clines, the Co-founder and Creative Director of Anchal. Anchal is an innovative nonprofit creating sustainable jobs for women through fashion and empowering them to a life beyond the sex trade.With backgrounds in design, sisters Colleen and Maggie Clines lead Anchal by placing design at the center of the brands everyday practice. It all started in a design studio. Colleen Clines was taking a graduate seminar at the Rhode Island School of Design that took her on a trip to India in 2009, a trip that changed the trajectory of her life forever. While in India, Colleen was introduced to the exploitive world of the commercial sex trade and the extreme lack of opportunity for women in the community. It was in this moment she was inspired to design more than beautiful landscapes, she was determined to create positive social and environmental change using design.While Colleen was scheming ways to collaborate with the amazing women she'd met in India, her sister Maggie was in college working on socially conscious architecture projects -- discovering creative ways to repurpose a retired uranium facility. Maggie and Colleen would trade stories on their design experiences and wonder how they could unite their passions.After returning home, Colleen and her classmates raised $400 by selling handmade notebooks and notecards. They used the funds to purchase a sewing machine, sewing instruction, materials and a stipend for the first collective of artisans.In 2010, Anchal officially became a 501(c)3 non-profit and we expanded the project by partnering with Vatsalya, an NGO in Ajmer, India. In 2012, Maggie joined her sister to co-lead Anchal and stitch by stitch, a global sisterhood started to grow.   Today, Anchal has trained and employed over 500 women and is an internationally recognized brand known for award-winning designs and handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces that empower exploited women living in India and Kentucky.Listen to more Causeartist podcasts here.Check out:ImpactInvestor.io - Discover impact investors from around the world.Podcast Made with TransistorPodcast cover design Made with CanvaBuild amazing web platforms with Webflow

This Podcast is not about why we are passionate about being Realtors but rather, what our life passions are in spite of our career in real estate. Listen in as Realtor & Business Coach Michael G. Davis dives into the life of special guest Realtor, Chanta Clines If interested in sharing with us your life passions outside of being a Realtor, spend time answering the Realtor/Life Podcast Guest Information Card questions @ http://bit.ly/realtorlifepodcast so you can be considered as a guest. We will use this information to bring your story to life if selected. The more detailed you are in your responses the more magical your story will become!

Selten gab es um eine junge Debütantin einen solchen Hype wie um die damals 27-jährige Emma Cline, als sie 2016 mit „The Girls“ ihren ersten Roman vorlegte. Entsprechend groß sind nun die Erwartungen an Clines zweites Werk, ein Sammlung von Short Storys, von denen die meisten bereits in namhaften Magazinen wie „The New Yorker“ oder „The Paris Review“ erschienen sind. Eine Rezension von Oliver Pfohlmann.

Ken and Bina Cline enjoy hiking and travel immensely. They searched for a retirement location to serve as a launchpad for travel to other parts of Europe and beyond. They landed in Tavira, a fishing town with a year-round comfortable climate in a southern region of Portugal known as the Algarve. It is no wonder that Tavira has become a popular retirement destination for Americans and even more so for Europeans. The couple consider themselves “global nomads” — living mostly outside the U.S. — since 2015.  Learn more about Tavira on episode 26 of Retire There with Gil and Gene.Ken has authored three travel books:Sauntering to Santiago:  Camino de Santiago for Slow Walkers (2019), which is about a 200-mile walk which Ken and Bina undertook in 2018 from Porto, Portugal, to Santiago de Compostela, Spain. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07RHQX2PX/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i0 Tracking the Queen of Sheba: A Travel Memoir of Yemen (2016), tells of Ken's adventures accompanying an archaeological expedition to the wilds of eastern Yemen in 1984. https://www.amazon.com/Tracking-Queen-Sheba-Travel-Memoir/dp/0997941510/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Village on the Nile: A Travel Memoir of Upper Egypt (2017), describes Ken's  experiences living in an Egyptian village in 1983. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B076QKM1T2/ref=dbs_a_def_rwt_bibl_vppi_i1Bina blogs of the couple's adventures in “Two Clines Traveling” at https://twoclinestraveling.wordpress.com.For people beginning research on Portugal as a place to live, the Clines recommend  juliedawnfox.com as a good place to start. Julie is an English expat who has lived many years in Portugal and provides excellent information for expats and casual travelers alike.A go-to source for Americans wishing to seek residency in Portugal is a Facebook page called “Americans & FriendsPT.” https://www.facebook.com/groups/americansandfriendsPT/ The Clines consider this a “gold mine” of information about applying for a residency visa and other important documents. They used it extensively in working through all the paperwork required. The Clines suggest that once someone has definitely committed to Portugal, they also might consider Amy Kraushaar's expacity.com. This is a fee-based site that features webinars about living in Portugal and navigating the ins and outs of buying a house, dealing with paying taxes, using the healthcare system, best places to live, and more. 

Updated to be clear this was an AF that totally fooled everyone. You all believed I had a source in the publishing industry. Hahaha you fools! I can't even read or write!Today we have a special episode just for you. Nate is kind of a big deal in the editing world and he got his hands on a few select pages of a Dune re-write that they're doing RIGHT NOW. You heard that right. A Dune re-write. As in the first Dune book by Frank Herbert being re-written! Ben thinks maybe someone is just messing with Nate but nobody listens to Ben anyway. Listen for yourself and you can be the judge. Just remember: you heard it here first folks!Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/WABPod)

When Cassie heard of the ministry called Healing Hearts, she knew she had to share about this ministry with all of you. Today, Cassie is sitting down with one of the Healing Hearts leaders, Carol Clines, who shares about her painful past of sexual abuse that in turn lead her down a heartbreaking path that involved two abortions. If we have learned anything in these episodes, it's that God can use everything, creating such beauty from something so painful. This is how God worked in Carol's life and today she is eager to share his handiwork with all of us!

Link to bioRxiv paper: http://biorxiv.org/cgi/content/short/2020.09.05.284109v1?rss=1 Authors: Martin, B. T., Chafin, T. K., Douglas, M. R., Douglas, M. E. Abstract: Patterns of multi-locus differentiation (i.e., genomic clines) often extend broadly across hybrid zones and their quantification can help diagnose how species boundaries are shaped by adaptive processes, both intrinsic and extrinsic. In this sense, the transitioning of loci across admixed individuals can be contrasted as a function of the genome-wide trend, in turn allowing an expansion of clinal theory across a much wider array of biodiversity. However, computational tools that serve to interpret and consequently visualize 'genomic clines' are limited. Here, we introduce the CLINEPLOTR R-package for visualizing genomic clines and detecting outlier loci using output generated by two popular software packages, BGC and INTROGRESS. CLINEPLOTR bundles both input generation (i.e, filtering datasets and creating specialized file formats) and output processing (e.g., MCMC thinning and burn-in) with functions that directly facilitate interpretation and hypothesis testing. Tools are also provided for post-hoc analyses that interface with external packages such as ENMEVAL and RIDEOGRAM. Our package increases the reproducibility and accessibility of genomic cline methods, thus allowing an expanded user base and promoting these methods as mechanisms to address diverse evolutionary questions in both model and non-model organisms. Copy rights belong to original authors. Visit the link for more info

South Dakota CIO Jeff Clines began his job in Pierre this past April, right in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic outbreak -- and even in to the new fiscal year COVID response is front and center. He gave me an update on where things are headed.

Nearly a quarter of employees at Veterans Affairs say they've experienced sexual harassment at work in recent years. The Government Accountability Office finds VJeff.Clines@state.sd.usA's anti-harassment policies are confusing, and that its reporting structure creates too many conflicts of interest. VA says it's making changes. It's updating policies and training , and rearranging leadership. But it may take as many as four years to make some of these changes. No one's thrilled with that timeline. For more the Federal Drive spoke with Federal News Network's Nicole Ogrysko.

After our series on The Fold, Nate was unable to leave well enough alone and dove deep into the bibliography of Peter Clines. Perhaps a little too deep. Join Ben as he tries to cure Nate of this all-consuming obsession. Support the show (https://www.buymeacoffee.com/WABPod)

The post Design for Development: How to Apply Design-Thinking to Your Social Good Business with Colleen Clines of Anchal Project | Episode #55 appeared first on Rank & File Magazine.

Sometimes you find your mission and then other times the mission finds you. Meet Colleen Clines of Anchal.  Colleen is a Louisville local with a global reach through her non-profit social enterprise.  Anchal provides textile products to fund the mission and by doing so giving jobs to women that have been domestically abused or apart of the sex trade institution in India.  Currently Anchal employs over 150 women through their fair trade textile sales.  Colleen set out on this journey over 10 years ago as a student in landscape architecture, through her studies she was able to journey to India where she stumbled upon a red light district. As she learned more about this systemic problem, she was called to do more.  With a strong desire to do more, she returned to Rhode Island, raised $400 and the rest is history.  Through the last ten years, Anchal has had some amazing collaboration but nothing beats the impact of helping women break the sex abuse cycle.  Listen in as Colleen explains how she is committed to growing Anchal, and how each purchase is powerful.  https://anchalproject.org/ https://polarisproject.org/human-trafficking Louisville Locals:  Achalwill be hosting a trunk show Nov. 14th from 10am-8pm at White Hall, 3110 Lexington Road          

A conversation with John Kirlin from Wyoming's The Dead Swede Hundo gravel cycling event. The Dead Swede Website The Dead Swede Instagram Automated Transcript (please excuse the typos). John, welcome to the show. Thanks for having me. Awesome. I'm excited to learn about the dead Swede hundo. It definitely, I think captures my imagination as the most clever race name I've heard of in recent memory. But first let's start off by telling us where you're located and how you got into creating the event in the first place. Great. So yeah, located in, shared in Wyoming and kinda started looking around that, just the terrain. There are not a lot of folks that live in Wyoming. There are about half a million people in the entire state, but we're the 10th largest land mass in the United States. So we've got a lot of great terrain and a lot of big mountains and a lot of great gravel. And so riding gravel is just kind of an obvious choice for us out here. I moved to Sheridan from Casper, Wyoming and started just looking over the maps and just kinda seeing what roads were available, ride and started going into a local bike shop sharing bicycle company and chatting with who's now my business partner in the race. Jordan with Duke and looking at, you know, what the gravel scene lawns out here who's riding what, what's, what's big, what's Epic, how can I, what's a a hundred mile a loop that I could maybe sync up and everything started pointing towards the big horn mountains and cause we, we had the beauty of the big horn mountains that are just right in our backyard. And so it just started looking at potential ways we could loop up a a hundred mile loop and started looking on the map and everything drew me to kind of this grow that's kind of famous around here called red grade road. And it's just basically an old Jeep road almost that just goes straight up the mountain. You climb about three, 4,000 feet in a matter of seven miles. So it, it gets up and going, but we just started thinking, well maybe I'll put together a ride, maybe a group ride. And then I said, well, if I'm going to just formalize this thing and make it a real thing, how about we just put on an event and see if we can get some people more than just a handful of locals. The cheaper we can get some other people from around the state and the region to come out. And we at first year anticipated about 50 riders. We had about 150 show up for our first event and we just had our third year this year in June and that 580 riders show up. That's great. When you, when you moved to Sheridan, John, were you already writing a drop bar gravel bike or did you come from a mountain bike or road background? Yeah, I was riding a drop bar, gravel bike or cyclocross bike really. I'd actually yet to switch to a real specific gravel geometry. I'm currently on a, you know, a five year old specialized crops. Then just kind of retrofitted it. And I came from ride racing side cross and I raised mountain bikes and rode in college and I actually grew up as a cross country skier. And so that's where my real racing background came from. Great. And then you, you had mentioned, and I'm sure in people's imagination, the state of Wyoming, it just sort of screams that it probably has a lot of gravel roads. And you alluded to that. For those of us who haven't been to Wyoming, or at least in my case I've been through, but I haven't peddled in Wyoming at all. You know, what, what, what is the terrain and what are the roads like? I mean we have just all sorts of different regions over here. Anything from kind of where we're at on the Eastern side of the state is more high grassland. And so like Sheridan for example, is kind of rolling Hills with ranches and farm land and the kind of the open grassy lands. And then we've bought up to the big horn mountains. And so then we get into more like 9,000 vertical feet and mountain roads to track single track and rough feel, us forest service type riding. And then the opposite side, the Western side of the mountain is kinda high desert basin that is very similar to like the Fruita and grand junction area and Moab area. And so there's Wyoming really has a whole lot of different regions and it's kind of fun. So it sounds like there's a combination of, of roads, dirt roads, which would be automobile accessible to S to stuff that cars couldn't get over and it's just for off road bikes and, and offered vehicles presumably. Yes. Access to that terrain. How did that kind of shape what type of event you wanted to put together? Yeah, so I, I just looked at, as we were talking more and more about an event, we wanted to do something that would start and finish in town versus just somewhere out in the boonies. My wife actually helped me realize the value in that. She says, you know, it's, it's great for the racer out there, but what about the spouse that not raising, what are they going to do? And so we, we kinda cater to that and the families. And so having it start and finish in town and providing them with where to lodge, what are the fun things to do in town while you're significant others out suffering for 10 hours. So at the time I was working at one of the breweries, black dude brewing company in town. And so we partnered with them saying, well, let's just start and finish at the brewery. What's better than finishing arrived in finishing at a brewery? And that worked great for the first two years. But as this last year, we grew in size, the, the street out in front of the brewery was just not adequate for what our raisers wanted and sides. And after riding for, you know, 10 hours in the sun, then trying to stand around on hot black pavement, we've decided to move it to our city park in town, which was just, you know, half a mile away from the brewery. Okay. Yeah, I think it's, you know, it's one of those great opportunities that is unique to gravel that you can start in town and it's easy enough with these bicycles to, you know, cover five or 10 miles to get out of town and get into the wilderness. And then all of a sudden, as your wife astutely noted, and as the event has progressed over the last couple of years, you end up with this great economic opportunity for the community, a great opportunity to showcase the small town or if their city that you live in. And I think you see that time and time again with gravel races around the country, that they're really just creating these great weekend events that even the towns, folk who aren't interested in cycling can appreciate that. It just brings some, some energy and economic vitalization to the community over the weekend. Absolutely. I mean, that's a big part of it. And even just myself as a writer, I anymore more, I like to just go, well, there's a new place and they've gotten any bet and I plan my vacation and my, my weekend around that event. Like, yeah, we'll go hang out with some friends, meet some new people and do some riding, check out the country and its place that we normally wouldn't probably see if we were just driving through. Yeah, that's right. Know you said something, something I loved over email. To me that said, I love throwing challenges at riders, giving them a glimmer of hope with some recovery sections and then throwing more at them again. Can you tell us how that plays out over the long course for the, for the dead Swede? Absolutely. So some people might say I'm a bit of a masochist and I'm climbing that, but I also love to descend and when mapping out the course, I really looked at where are going to be a good challenges and if I've got a really big long climb, what's my recovery all look like afterwards and where can I really capitalize on getting recovery? And so as riders go out the course, they'll get few miles of pavement, then they start the, hit the gravel and do some rolling Hills and break up into their groups. And then they hit this, the base of the mountains and they climb and climb and climb and climb up just this steep road. And a lot of people end up walking it because you're going about three miles an hour climbing this thing. There's sections of it that are of, you know, 16 to 22 degree angle our percent. But in the middle of one of these climbs, we had a little section of single track. And so I thought, you know, that'd be a fun way to break it up. So they're still gonna get the elevation but get a little bit more distance, aunts and single track. And so they do about a mile seeing the track in the middle of this climb and kind of mentally it's a reprieve there before they then hit the steep grades of the red grade road. And then once you get up on top, that's where the, the views really open up and you can see into what's cloud peak wilderness and these 13,000 foot peaks with snow on top of them still as you ride through the forest. And we've got some punchy rolly Hills in there, but then do some loops and get some descents. And then I, okay, it feels fun. And then I'll throw just a big gut punch of a, a hike, a bike section in the middle after crossing the stream. And we kinda have a sign that I always like to put out on the course. Kind of to poke fun at my riders, give them a little bit of sarcasm. But the sign I say, can we still be friends? [Inaudible] Then I'll put it in various, I'll put in a different section each year. Just cause it is one of those where you think you're done climbing and then you realize it's a, it's a false summit and you turn and you got another thousand vertical feet to go and it just kind of deflates your balloon right there. Yeah. And so I, I asked them, can we still be friends? And, and I'll always have writers that come in that after the finish they're like, well, I saw that sign and I really wanted to punch you. My answer was no at the moment. Yes, absolutely. But yeah, I really like to strategically place our, our Clines and technical sections if it's going to be super rough and technical, then afterwards put it, you know, section and on just buff gravel or even a little section of pavement in there if the course allows it. And as the course remained consistent over the three years or have you made changes? Every year for the long course has been different because of the timing of our race. It snow conditions are a big factor. We had the first, the actual inception of the course was supposed to be a 100 mile loop and that then rolled through the, the entire forest and came back down. But as we got closer and closer, I realized we're not going to be able to get through this section as snow. It goes up too high and there's about a five mile section that doesn't get plowed or maintained and that would've just been a five miles off hike a bike through postholing snow. And I just didn't want to put our riders through that, Which is funny as a coastal person because your events in June, the idea to think that you're, you know, you're going to be tapped out because of the snow line in June is pretty funny from my perspective. Yeah. Because yeah, we're, we're up high in the high elevation mountains. So there it's, it's funny, last year we had a late, we had a late and wet spring and snow fall and so we had to do a reroute of our course last year. We weren't even able to go all the way up top and we actually ended up doing kind of two loops of our lower course last year, which made for some really fast times. But yeah, just the snow is, is a factor for us. Yeah. I got to imagine it makes the stream crossings a little chilly as well. Absolutely. And so we don't have many of them, but there where you do cross, it's, you're, you're going through glacier melt. I like what you've described with the course because I think it's, for me, when a course becomes just a battle of attrition along fire roads, it becomes less interesting. And I think less apropos for where I want to see gravel go. I, you know, I want cyclists always to be challenged across the full range of disciplines. They're not only Watson horsepower, but handling skills you name it. I think that that makes a great event that it sounds like you've pieced together a day that depending on the conditions, not depending on the conditions, it's always going to be a day that the rider remembers. Absolutely. That's what I like with cycling is just going out and getting a little bit of everything. And I come from just, you know, not just a road background or not just a mountain background or gravel background, but I really kind of want to do them all in one ride. And so that's kind of the idea behind this course is to bring people that come from multiple backgrounds and they're going to feel comfortable and confident in sections and they're going to feel, you know, vulnerable and uncomfortable in other sections. But that's the best part of the cycling is that when you get into that vulnerability stage and it only makes you a better rider when you get through it. Yeah. And I think that it makes it really interesting when you're riding with others and you see their skillsets versus yours in different areas. And it gives you an opportunity if you're more technically inclined to kind of catch up on those single tracks sections a while the, you know, the people with the great engines are climbing away from you on the fire roads. Absolutely. I mean we definitely see that in our results. We have people that they just, they know they're not a climber and so they hang out for a little while in the back. But then what we do is after that climb, they do Wally pop up top and then they come back and descend all that road. And so some of these good climbers that unite not be a great descenders or they might blow up, they might not have the legs to get through the rest of the course because they spent it on the climb. Yeah, yeah. Have you seen other events start to crop up in your region? Yeah, we have. It's been, so there was for a little while, we kind of pieced together this Wyoming gravels series and there's a erasing Casper that we always kind of hit. And that's in the central part of the state. It's the rattlesnake rally and they've got 120 mile as their long course and then like a 60 mile in a 30 mile as well. Here's a ride out of Lander, the WYO one 31, which hits a big section of gravel and that's a, that's a lot more self supported of a ride and, but they've got a big 131 mile course one over in Gillette right next to the black Hills. And then the black Hills has a big following the folks that do the Dakota Fibo, which is a big mountain bike race over there and Spearfish Perry Jua is the ratio organizer over there. He puts on the gold rush and it's a 200 miles through big group. And so it's starting to pop up all over the region. And we actually reached out to some folks on the other side of the mountain and did our inaugural or we call the bad medicine ride this September and partnered with some people over there and kind of the same thing, one of those mixed bag rides where you're, you're gonna climb a lot and it's like the long course is a, a 96 mile loop with 10,000, 200 vertical feet in elevation. And the probably the best bike for that would be like the salsa cut throat or you know, something with a big dual inch drop bar, mountain bike almost just because of some of the, the technicality up top. But then there's also a 17 mile paved descent through this Canyon. So one of those rides where no one bike is the best. But yeah, there's, it's, it's been interesting watching the gravel, seeing rural out here because it's just, it is a great way to get off the pavement and when we don't have roads that are paved all that well anyways, and a lot of vehicle traffic going 70 miles an hour next year, it's not that fun. But, and so a lot of people I know are selling the road bikes and just kinda the gravel bike or they just picked up their first $500 entry level hard tail and looking for something to ride. And so they're not a technical writer, so is a huge appeal to them. Yeah, no, it's, I mean, as you've described Wyoming and at my own personal experience there, I mean you've got, I think you've got a great training ground for all levels of gravel. Like you said, you can have a basic bike with 30 to see tires and ride miles and miles and miles of just gravel roads that undulate for, for long distances. And then you can start layering in some of the double track and ultimately the single track and then combine these crazy adventures like you were talking to the other side of the mountain. It really does sound like an ideal area for gravel riding. Absolutely. We love it over here and all of our rides we put on are just, they're meant to be super encouraging. I, I joke about the masochism but I also I like to make sure that we have support out there and so that anyone can really come out and feel safe and comfortable with it and just kind of take some of that, that level of risk and the unknown out of there. So like all of our rides will like, between the dead suite as well as the bad medicine, we'll put an aid station approximately every 10 miles that'll have food, nutrition, minimal bikes support like at pump and some patch kit if someone runs it, just to allow that little bit level of comfort for these people that they just bought their first bike and they're, they're looking for something to do and they're loving it. And signing up for 120 miles. Self-Supported just doesn't sound that fun to them yet. And you've, you've you've done three different routes at this point, right? For the different distances? Yeah. It's for the, for the dead sweet. For the, the a hundred miler. We've done three different routes and we have what we plan on being our, our standard route. But it has to, if weather's on our side, we'll continue that standard group. Otherwise we did come up with a, a good alternative to lap course down-low. Great. And then I can't let you go without understanding. Where did the dead Swede name come from? So it's funny, there's a campground not bond off of what was originally going to be the, the main loop called the dead sweet camp ground. And so when I moved to the area and I saw it on a map, I was like, what is this all about? And there's, there's three grave sites right there at this campground and it used to be up on top of the big horns. They had a big logging operation and logging camps and this tie flume. And so they would send these railroad ties down a, you know, a 30 mile handbill water slide down the mountain into town for the railroad and kind of legend Hagit is this for men. And a couple of other guys are doing some mining for and gold panning and silver and just trying to find some minerals and get rich. And apparently maybe they found it and between the three of them they got a quarrel and guilt each other over this. And so yeah, this kind of that, that true Western mystery of the high mountain panhandler. Yeah. Fascinating story. Well, John, thanks for telling us a little bit more about the event and sharing about the region over there in Wyoming. The event is in June of 2020, is that right? Correct. And June six of 2020 it falls same day as dirty Kanza and that is one of those things that we couldn't get around just cause of all the other events in our region. But you know, if you don't get into dirty Kanza come see us at our event. Yeah, it sounds good. I will put a the link to the dead sweet Hondo website in the show notes and post about it on social media so people can start thinking about it for their 2020 calendar. Absolutely. Right on. Well, thanks John. I appreciate the time. Yeah, thanks for having me.

See Full Show Notes here: https://growensemble.com/colleen-maggie-clines-anchal/ Colleen Clines traveled to India as part of her Design for Development class while getting her graduate degree in landscape architecture at the Rhode Island School of Design. Her only project prompt was to work with textiles with a community in need. While there, she connected with an NGO in the red-light district in Calcutta that provided working opportunities for women who were forced into the commercial sex trade and/or were survivors of domestic violence. This inspired her to want to contribute resources, which led to the founding of Anchal Project.  In 2011, Colleen brought her sister, Maggie into the business, as she had just graduated with a degree in architecture. Now, Colleen is CEO, while Maggie is Vice President and Creative Director. Over the course of nine years, Anchal has grown into a nonprofit that utilizes design to foster change and make an incredible social impact. Anchal now employs over 150 artisans in both India and the Clines’ hometown of Louisville, Kentucky to design and manufacture original handmade bedding, decor, scarves, bags, and more. In this episode, the Clines discuss the founding of Anchal, how Colleen tricked Maggie into joining the business, how the nonprofit has evolved, and the further impact they are looking to have as they continue to grow.

In Episode 28 of the Disruptors for Good podcast, I speak with Colleen and Maggie Clines, the Co-founder and Creative Director of Anchal. Anchal is an innovative nonprofit creating sustainable jobs for women through fashion and empowering them to a life beyond the sex trade.

Let's visit the clines! The halocline, thermocline and pycnocline are set up barriers or layers within the ocean and play key roles in global ocean circulation. No marine science education is complete without understanding the clines. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/saltyscience/support

"By the end of his term, 138 Reagan administration officials had been convicted, had been indicted, or had been the subject of official investigations for official misconduct and/or criminal violations.  In terms of number of officials involved, the record of his administration was the worst ever."   first, public office definitions specify corruption as deviation from legal and public duty norms for the purposes of private gain. Second, market system definitions define corruption as part of the rational utility maximizing behavior of public officials. Third, public interest definitions view corruption as the betrayal of some broad "public interest        from p. 184,Sleep-Walking Through History: America in the Reagan Years, by Haynes  Johnson, (1991, Doubleday), During his time as president, he presided over significant scandals and debacles.   The Iran Contra Affair Department of housing and urban development grant rigging Lobbying Scandals EPA scandal Debategate Wedtech  Operation Ill wind The Big Sleep The savings and loans crisis The Nuclear War Scare! Iran–Contra affair[edit] Main article: Iran–Contra affair   The lasting memory I have of this research are just a few of reagan’s words- “I don’t recall that” or “Sorry, i can’t recall” “The common ingredients of the Iran and Contra policies were secrecy, deception, and disdain for the law...the United States simultaneously pursued two contradictory foreign policies — a public one and a secret one” (Report of the Congressional Committees Investigating the IranContra Affair)(3) The most well-known and politically damaging of the scandals came to light in November 1986, when Ronald Reagan conceded that the United States had sold weapons to the Islamic Republic of Iran, as part of a largely unsuccessful effort to secure the release of six U.S. citizens being held hostage in Lebanon. It was also disclosed that some of the money from the arms deal with Iran had been covertly and illegally funneled into a fund to aid the right-wing Contras counter-revolutionary groups seeking to overthrow the socialist Sandinista government of Nicaragua. The Iran–Contra affair, as it became known, did serious damage to the Reagan presidency. The investigations were effectively halted when President George H. W. Bush (Reagan's vice president) pardoned Secretary of Defense Caspar Weinberger before his trial began.[2] Caspar Weinberger, United States Secretary of Defense, was pardoned before trial produced by George H. W. Bush Elliott Abrams agreed to cooperate with investigators and in return was allowed to plead guilty to two misdemeanor charges instead of facing possible felony indictments. He was sentenced to two years probation and one hundred hours of community service. He was also pardoned by Bush on December 24, 1992 along with five other former Reagan Administration officials who had been implicated in connection with Iran–Contra.[3] National Security Adviser Robert C. McFarlane, pleaded guilty to four misdemeanors and was sentenced to two years probation and 200 hours of community service and was ordered to pay a $20,000 fine.[3] He was also pardoned by Bush. Alan D. Fiers was the Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's Central American Task Force. He pleaded guilty in 1991 to two counts of withholding information from Congress and was sentenced to one year of probation and one hundred hours of community service. He was also pardoned by Bush.[3][4] Richard R. Miller – Partner with Oliver North in IBC, an Office of Public Diplomacy front group, convicted of conspiracy to defraud the United States.[3][5] Clair George was Chief of the Central Intelligence Agency's Division of Covert Operations under President Reagan. George was convicted of lying to two congressional committees in 1986. He was pardoned by Bush.[3][4][6] Richard Secord was indicted on nine felony counts of lying to Congress and pleaded guilty to a felony charge of lying to Congress.[3][7] Thomas G. Clines was convicted of --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/seth-michels66/support

In part 1 (0-24:15), Tim and Jon discuss the book of Ecclesiastes. This book can most easily be described as a portrait of “foolish Solomon,” who looks back at his accomplishments as failure and hevel. Tim points out that the start of the book begins by creating a “Solomon-like” persona. Ecclesiastes 1:1 “The words of the preacher son of David, king in Jerusalem...” (NASB, ESV, KJV) “The words of the teacher, son of David, king in Jerusalem...” (NIV, NRSV) However, there is a translation problem: This word does not mean “teacher” in the original Hebrew. Hebrew noun (קהלת (qoheleth, from the verb qahal (קהל ,(meaning “to assemble, convene.” The Hebrew word is Qoheleth—the one who holds or convenes an assembly, i.e. the “leader of the assembly” (Heb. qahal). So this word is best understood as an assembler or convener. The word is also used in 1 Kings 8:1, “Then Solomon assembled the elders of Israel and all the heads of the tribes... to bring up the ark of the covenant of the Lord from the city of David, which is Zion. All the men of Israel assembled themselves to King Solomon at the feast.” Tim’s point is that there are multiple leaders who assemble or convene Israel in the Bible. Who holds assemblies in Israel’s story? • Moses (Exod 35:1; Lev 8:1-3) • David (1 Chron 13:5; 15:3; 28:1) • Solomon (1 Kings 8:1; 2 Chron 5:2-3) • Rehoboam (Solomon’s son, 1 Kings 12:21; 2 Chron 11:1) • Asa (2 Chron 15:9-10) • Jehoshaphat (2 Chron 20:3-5) • Hezekiah (2 Chron 30:12-13) Tim cites scholar Jennie Barbour for additional clarification: “The name Qoheleth ‘the one who convenes the assembly’ is a label with royal associations— after Moses, only kings summon all-Israelite assemblies, and those associations take in more kings than just Solomon. Qoheleth’s name casts him as a royal archetype, not an ‘everyman’ so much as an ‘everyking.’” (Jenny Barbour, The Story of Israel in the Book of Qoheleth, p. 25-26) Any generation of Jerusalem’s kings could be called “son of David,” and the author tips his hat in Ecclesiastes 2:9, “I increased more than all who preceded me in Jerusalem.” (And the only person who reigned before him in Jerusalem was his father David.) Tim explains that the jaded king-author of Ecclesiastes brings a realism in light of Genesis 3, framing the world as life “under the sun,” or life outside of Eden. This king is realizing the curse of Genesis 3: painful toil and dust to dust. Tim further points out that Ecclesiastes offers a Solomon-like profile of the wealthy sons of David, who discovered that riches, honor, power, and women do not bring the life of Eden. Further, while many people assume that the descriptions solely describe the life of Solomon, Tim points out that they also map very closely onto the life of Hezekiah. Take a look at these two passages: Ecclesiastes 2:4-8 I made great my works: I built houses for myself, I planted vineyards for myself; I made gardens and parks for myself and I planted in them all kinds of fruit trees; I made ponds of water for myself from which to irrigate a forest of growing trees. I bought male and female slaves and I had homeborn slaves. Also I possessed flocks and herds more abundant than all who preceded me in Jerusalem. Also, I collected for myself silver and gold and the treasure of kings and provinces. I provided for myself male and female singers and the pleasures of men—many concubines. Hezekiah in 2 Chronicles 32:27-30 Now Hezekiah had immense riches and honor; and he made for himself treasuries for silver, gold, precious stones, spices, shields and all kinds of valuable articles, collection-houses also for the produce of grain, wine and oil, pens for all kinds of cattle and sheepfolds for the flocks. He made cities for himself and acquired flocks and herds in abundance, for God had given him very great wealth. It was Hezekiah who stopped the upper outlet of the waters of Gihon and directed them to the west side of the city of David. And Hezekiah prospered in all his works. Tim cites Jennie Barbour again: “In all of these ways [building projects, riches, royal treasuries, pools, singers] the royal boast in Eccles. 2:4-10 displays a king’s achievements in terms that show an author of the Second Temple period reading an interpreting the earlier stories of Israel’s kings...the writer has pulled together texts and motifs from Israel’s histories...to show that the paradigm king, Solomon, set the mould that was continually replicated through the rest of Israel’s monarchy down to the exile.” (Jennie Barbour, The Story of Israel in the Book of Qoheleth, 23-24) In part 2 (24:15- 31:45), Jon asks how the narrative frame of Ecclesiastes being about all of Israel’s kings—not just about Solomon—affects someone’s reading? Tim says he thinks it makes the story more universal. All rulers and all humans struggle with the same things that Solomon and other rulers have felt throughout history. In part 3 (31:45-50:15), Tim and Jon turn their attention to the book of Job. Tim notes that he’s recently learned of some new and fascinating layers to the book. Tim notes that Job is positioned as a new type of Adam. He actually is portrayed as being righteous and upright. So he’s an ideal wise person who has prospered during his life. Tim focuses on the beginning and end of the book. Specifically the ending of the book, Tim finds new insights to ponder. Tim notes that Job is portrayed as the righteous sufferer. Everything that has happened to him is unfair. Then Tim dives into Job 42:7-10: “And it came about after Yahweh had spoken these words to Job, and Yahweh said to Eliphaz the Temanite, “My anger is kindled against you and against your two friends, because you have not spoken of Me what is right as My servant Job has. “And now, take for yourselves seven bulls and seven rams, and go to My servant Job, and offer up a burnt offering for yourselves, and My servant Job will pray for you. For I will lift up his face so that I may not commit an outrage with you, because you have not spoken of Me what is right, as My servant Job has.” So Eliphaz the Temanite and Bildad the Shuhite and Zophar the Naamathite went and they did as Yahweh told them; and the Lord lifted the face of Job. And Yahweh restored the fortunes of Job while he prayed on behalf of his companions, and Yahweh added to everything that belonged to Job, two-fold.” The operative phrase Tim focuses on is “while he prayed.” Tim says this is a better translation of the original Hebrew phrase. Tim notes that it’s as if Job’s righteous suffering has uniquely positioned him to intercede on behalf of his friends to God. In part 4, (50:15-60:00) Tim shares a few quotes from scholar David Clines regarding Job’s intercession in 42:10. “[W]e must remember that Job has not yet been restored when the friends bring their request to him for his prayer. He is presumably still on the ash-heap. He has no inkling that Yahweh intends to reverse his fortunes. All he knows is that he is still suffering at Yahweh’s hand, and, if it is difficult for the friends to acknowledge the divine judgment against them, it must be no less difficult for Job to accept this second-hand instruction to offer prayer for people he must be totally disenchanted with; he certainly owes them nothing... Is this yet another ‘test’ that Job must undergo before he is restored? “The wording of Job 42:10 makes it seem as if Job’s restoration is dependent on his prayer on their behalf, as if his last trial of all will be to take his stand on the side of his ‘torturer- comforters.’ It is true that this prayer is the first selfless act that Job has performed since his misfortunes overtook him—not that we much begrudge him the self-centeredness that has dominated his speech throughout the book. Perhaps his renewed orientation to the needs of others is the first sign that he has abandoned his inward-looking mourning and is ready to accept consolation. In any case, in the very act of offering his prayer on the friends’ behalf his own restoration is said to take effect: the Hebrew says, “Yahweh restored the fortunes of Job while he was praying for his friends” (not, as most versions, “when (or after) he had prayed for his friends”).” David J. A. Clines, Job 38–42, vol. 18B, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011), 1235. Tim notes that the point of the story of Job is that he suffers unfairly, but the righteous sufferer is someone that God elevates to a place of authority, someone who God listens to when they intercede for others. In part 5 (60:00-end), Tim and Jon briefly recap the series as a whole. Thank you to all our supporters! Send us your questions for our Wisdom Q+R! You can email your audio question to info@jointhebibleproject.com. Show Produced by: Dan Gummel, Tim Mackie Show music: Defender Instrumental by Tents Sunshine by Seneca B Surf Report by Cloudchord Soul Food Horns levitating by intention_ In Your Heart by Distant.Io Show Resources: Jennie Barbour, The Story of Israel in the Book of Qoheleth. David J. A. Clines, Job 38–42, vol. 18B, Word Biblical Commentary (Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, 2011). The Bible Project video: How to Read the Wisdom Books of the Bible (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJgt1vRkPbI) Powered and distributed by Simplecast.

In this episode we go back to the beginning to kick off the history of race and science and to show that race is NOT an ancient concept. First to ancient Egypt that played such a large role in the development of 19th century ideas on race, then on to ancient Greece and Biblical traditions to try to get a picture of what some of the ancients might have contributed to the race concept. Here are some resources for this topic: Mid-nineteenth century polygenist Samuel Morton on the ancient Egyptians: Morton, Samuel George. “Crania Aegyptiaca or Observations on Egyptian Ethnography, Derived from Anatomy, History, and the Monuments.” Transactions of the American Philosophical Society 9, no. 1 (1846): 93-159. Early 20th century ideas about the antiquity of race: Haddon, Alfred Cort, and Alison Hingston Quiggin. History of anthropology. G.P. Putnam’s Sons, The Knickerbocker Press, 1910. Early 21st century “racial realists” making the case for ancient and “natural” racial categories: Sarich, Vincent, and Frank Miele. Race: The reality of human differences. Westview Press, 2005. Analysis of ancient Egyptian skulls: Brace, C. Loring, David P. Tracer, Lucia Allen Yaroch, John Robb, Kari Brandt, and A. Russell Nelson. “Clines and clusters versus “race:” a test in ancient Egypt and the case of a death on the Nile.” American Journal of Physical Anthropology 36, no. S17 (1993): 1-31. Analysis of Egyptian genes: Schuenemann, Verena J., Alexander Peltzer, Beatrix Welte, W. Paul van Pelt, Martyna Molak, Chuan-Chao Wang, Anja Furtwängler et al. “Ancient Egyptian mummy genomes suggest an increase of Sub-Saharan African ancestry in post-Roman periods.” Nature communications 8 (2017): 15694. Seti I’s tomb: http://www.touregypt.net/featurestories/seti1t.htm The “Book of Gates” with its “hours” panels (including the race one): http://www.realhistoryww.com/world_history/ancient/Misc/Data/Book_of_Gates.htm The original early-20th century book on Seti I’s tomb by the archaeologist E. A. W. Budge: http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/sacred/book_gates.pdf The Hippocratic “On Airs, Waters, and Places”: http://classics.mit.edu/Hippocrates/airwatpl.html

“Our mission is to change people's lives by providing the best nutrition, best weight management education, and best products in the world.”Vince and Tawnya Cline have set lofty goals for themselves, and for the hundreds of people they coach both in person and online.The Clines have been together for more than 15 years, and went through their own transformational journey as a couple.Vince Cline, a former college baseball player, says he was walking on the beach in Hawaii when it hit him hard – he needed to lose weight.  He tried various fad diets but nothing worked.  That is until someone gave him a program that focused on metabolism.  “Fortunately I met a lady who did something easy for me…. she said follow this and you'll get results.  I lost 12 pounds in two weeks and that's when I started on this journey.”Cline realized if a nutrition program focused on metabolism worked so well for him, it would work for others.  He began to recreate the program, first for his father and then his father-n-law, and both lost a significant amount of weight.  Tawnya Cline, who didn't have a weight issue herself, but wanted to become healthier and have more energy, also began following this nutrition program.   The two were so successful that they made nutrition their life's work, opening up a company called NutritionHead2Toe.   http://vtcline.wellnesscoachpro.com/active Based in Scottsdale, Arizona, the couple continued to branch out coaching people both in person and online.At the core of everything they teach is how to follow a simple eating plan that will boost your metabolism and give you peak life performance.On this 32 minute episode of Transformation Tuesday, we talk about how to boost metabolism by following three main rules: (1) Eat within 30 minutes of waking up(2) Drink half your bodyweight in water every single day   (3) Eat more frequent, smaller mealsThe Clines tell us about foods that will help boost your metabolism as well as the ones you should avoid at all costs.  They also talk about how their lives have radically improved since transforming what and when they eat. “I was on such high levels of prednisone … and I had IBS which was really embarrassing,” Vince Cline says.  “Nobody was holding my hand, I just made a decision that it was something I had to do.”Changing his nutrition, Cline says, allowed him to discontinue all medications, and he explains it cured his irritable bowel syndrome.  For Tawnya Cline, changing her nutrition (first by cutting out cheese, which she used to love), helped her skin to clear up and gave her a massive amount of energy.  The Clines say they have serious concerns about the overall lack of health and well being in our country, and that childhood obesity is at an all time high.  For their part, they are working to make change by inspiring people to take small steps that lead to big results.  “Focus on getting one percent better every day,” Vince Cline says. “It's progress not perfection.” The post How To Transform Your Metabolism appeared first on Inspired Media 360 TV - Inform | Inspire | Engage.

In this episode, I am excited to have Marcus Shute, Jr. on to talk about staying true to yourself and what makes you unique as a lawyer, as compared to the "rubber-stamped" version of what a lawyer should look like. Shute is a sports and entertainment attorney at the Shute Law Office in Nashville, TN. He enjoys leveraging his first-hand experiences and acquired knowledge of the law to shape the legacy of his clients, and his passion for providing legal services for the sports and entertainment industries stems from his love of playing sports and musical instruments.   Topics Covered What obstacles he has faced based solely on his appearance, and instances where he has been pressured to alter his appearance or conform. How owning who you are can turn some people off to you, but will help bring you closer to your tribe of those that will be drawn to you. Choosing to enjoy the work you do and shaping your practice in a way that gives you a sense of contentment. How recent tragedies inspired him to overcome some of the intrinsic prejudices his looks can garner in a courtroom and add criminal law to his practice. Learn more and connect with Marcus at: Website Twitter     Questions? Comments? Email Jeena! hello@jeenacho.com. You can also connect with Jeena on Twitter: @Jeena_Cho For more information, visit: jeenacho.com Order The Anxious Lawyer book — Available in hardcover, Kindle and Audible Find Your Ease: Retreat for Lawyers I'm creating a retreat that will provide a perfect gift of relaxation and rejuvenation with an intimate group of lawyers. Interested? Please complete this form: https://jeena3.typeform.com/to/VXfIXq MINDFUL PAUSE: Bite-Sized Practices for Cultivating More Joy and Focus 31-day program. Spend just 6 minutes every day to practice mindfulness and meditation. Decrease stress/anxiety, increase focus and concentration. Interested? http://jeenacho.com/mindful-pause/ Transcript Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:00:01] Inclusion for me began with being able to have a dialogue with somebody and being open with them. And so I use my hair sometimes as a way to start the conversation, to say well let's just challenge these norms that you believe are required to be successful. Intro: [00:00:18] Welcome to The Resilient Lawyer podcast. In this podcast, we have meaningful, in-depth conversations with lawyers, entrepreneurs, and change agents. We offer tools and strategies for creating a more joyful and satisfying life. And now your host, Jeena Cho. Jeena Cho: [00:00:42] Hello my friends, thanks for being with me today for another episode of the Resilient Lawyer Podcast. I am excited to have Marcus Shute, Jr. on to talk about staying true to yourself and what makes you unique as a lawyer, as compared to the “rubber-stamped” version of what a lawyer should look like. Shute is a sports and entertainment attorney at the Shute Law Office in Nashville, TN. He enjoys leveraging his first-hand experiences and acquired knowledge of the law to shape the legacy of his clients, and his passion for providing legal services for the sports and entertainment industries stems from his love of playing sports and musical instruments. In this episode, we're going to chat about staying true to yourself and perhaps not looking like the rubber stamp version of what a lawyer should look like. I think you'll really enjoy this episode. Before we get into the interview, if you haven't listened to my last bonus episode go back and check it out. I shared a 6 minute guided meditation practice to help you let go of stress and anxiety. It's a preview for my new course, Mindful Pause. So often I hear lawyers say that they know they should practice mindfulness, but they just don't have the time. And I always tell lawyers, just start with six minutes or .1 hour. Of all the hours that you dedicate to your clients, work, and others, don't you deserve to have at least .1 hour to yourself? Mindful Pause is designed for lawyers like you, to fit into your hectic schedule. Think of it like taking your daily vitamins to boost your well-being. Head on over to JeenaCho.com to learn more, or check it out in the show notes. And with that, here's Marcus. Marcus, welcome to the show. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:02:25] Thank you for having me, I'm very excited to be here. Jeena Cho: [00:02:28] So let's just start by having you give us a 30-second introduction of who you are and what you do. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:02:35] So as you did say, my name is Marcus Shute, Jr. I am a sports and entertainment attorney here in Nashville Tennessee. I'm made of Nashville you know, went to high school here. Moved to Georgia for a brief minute and came back for undergrad and opened up my law practice as soon as I passed the bar. Jeena Cho: [00:02:53] Wow that is a big jump in anxiety. I'm kind of attracted media and want me to chat with you. Is that you all sort of built a brand around you know who you are and especially how you look. So maybe for the listeners out there that, of course, can't speak. Can you just started to describe you know what you look like and what you know your client might see when they come in for their first client interview Jeena Cho: [00:03:50] So you know I certainly remember when I was in law school there was and I went to law school back in the 2000s and there was sort of a lot of talk about you know confirming that you want to look like a lawyer or you want to dress the part. And you know I know that I certainly spent a lot of time sort of trying to look the part I was an assistant state attorney immediately after graduating from law school. And you know when I start and put on a suit and especially because I had to sort of be in the courtroom all the time and I didn't want to be mistaken for you know a court reporter or a Korean language interpreter. So I'm curious you know like Did you ever feel like you felt the pressure to conform you know to cut off your dreads or to cover up your tattoos. Of course, she can't really do much about the color of your skin or your height. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:04:41] Right you're right. Yes. So I did. And actually, it started you know back when I was an undergrad so I was an undergrad in the 2000s and I had a teacher a professor you know say to me that hey if you plan on pursuing your career in law that you're probably going to have to cut your hair. Most law firms won't accept you. And at the time I was a student athlete so I was hoping that I would go pro but it didn't work out that way. So I was still adamant in opposition about why I don't think that I should have to make that change of who I am to fit in or to still practice law. So and also again in law school. I also was told by some teachers there that I should consider changing my hairstyle to fit in to make sure that I'd be able to advance forward in different law firms. So those are things I face. And like you going into courtrooms wanting to make sure that I look the part of an attorney was something I was conscious of because I didn't want my clients you know my potential client in the future to be impacted by somebody presuming that you know I'm not an attorney because I look like I could be a defendant. Jeena Cho: [00:06:00] Right. Well I mean well I guess to back up a little bit. So at what point were you like I am not cutting off my tights and I'm not going to try to look like the rubber stamp fashion of what a billion looks like. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:06:15] I would say in my undergraduate years is kind of when I got that foundation. Now OK this is kind of who I am like most people when they're going through undergrad. You know you're away from your parents is your first time being on your own. So you are learning a lot about yourself. And you know I learned a lot about my history and it was something that is so important for me personally and also it also started conversations so for me you know when we talk about inclusion and I know we'll probably talk about that later but it's inclusion for me began with being able to have a dialogue with somebody being open worker and so I use my hair sometimes as a way to start the conversation to say well let's challenge these norms that you believe are required to be successful. I would say definitely no undergrad. Jeena Cho: [00:08:36] And I think you know do you think the reverse is also how some people are going to look at you look at your Web site and be like Yup he's not only my lawyer. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:08:45] Absolutely. I mean so I mentioned I taught high school so I taught Spanish in government when I taught there. And so you can imagine you know young African-American boys and girls that see somebody who looks like them. They can talk like them but they can also speak another language. And I think that's the same thing that applies to my law practice. When I recruit players or musicians or writers or I go to a writers workshop and my kind of blend in and almost look like I could be one of them and then when I say hey I'm an attorney. Let's talk about you know what you're doing as they do some research and like you said to go to my website and almost immediately feel like they're drawn to me because they can relate to me instantly. Jeena Cho: [00:11:58] You know. Yeah. And especially as lawyers you know there is so much pressure to look the part of a lawyer and that you know and to have a certain type of job and strange type of prestige and you know just on and on and often that's like the end ingredient or unhappiness you know like you. And you can kind of get on that treadmill of just checking all the boxes. But then someplace you look up and you're like wow I'm really unhappy and I think that unhappiness that this content comes from being completely out of touch with yourself you know. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:12:36] So true. So true. Like you know when you are taking the boxes like where I have to do this or I have to drive this type of car I had to practice this type of way where I had to have my office set up this type away and you start running trying to achieve all those goals that you think our goals. And then once you do that you will go back and say wow I'm on the field and that's another thing that you know makes it makes it easier for me to do what I do because I want to enjoy what I do. I wanted to be a passion and I want to feel like I'm just going in punching the clock. I want to you know look forward to every day when I'm getting up to go to work. This is what I'm choosing to do and I enjoy it. Jeena Cho: [00:13:14] So yeah will say more about that about choosing to enjoy the work that you do on shaping your practice in a way that gives you that sense of contentment. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:13:26] So it would help to give a little context of why I chose sports entertainment. I've worked for Fortune 500 companies before been a store manager. And you know I've worked for other companies and help you know reach their goals and metrics and indeed will perform well. But you know I was frustrated because I felt like I was in the field and it didn't bring me joy. It was like oh I did I did something well. I don't feel good about you know what I did. So when I started to look at what area of law I wanted to practice or you know being an attorney period I wanted it to be something that I enjoy doing where there wouldn't be a time where I look up to say I'm frustrated. I'm angry with what I'm doing because if pay if I am then that means I need to refocus on what it is that I chose to do because it's all up to me. [00:14:19] And that's part of the reason why I opted to start my own practice and the law firm as opposed to going to join a big law firm. Although I interviewed I knew that I would be working you know 50 60 hours a week. At the direction of my superiors, whatever case came to the door that you would be my job for the time being. And I learned that if I could find a way to choose the things that I enjoy and it relates to my law practice then it won't feel like work I'll just be challenging myself to be a better version of myself to learn more about certain areas of law and those things have been very helpful. You know it helps keep you away from that thing. We were just talking about checking out those boxes because I'm not looking for accolades because it's my personal enjoyment it's not you know I need a B.A. you know top layer 100 in this area practice because that's not what drives me you know. Jeena Cho: [00:15:20] Yeah. And I always find those warrants are so strange because it's like you pay for it. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:15:29] Right now. Jeena Cho: [00:15:32] Like you're like that and whatever and superstar lawyer and we want you to pass. And in fact, it's like now. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:15:39] Right. Or they give you a tour you go pay a hundred bucks to get Lycett or 250 for this nice little placard 30 50 for a little mini there. And it's like it's you know ego. I don't know how you go. Someone once told me ego means edging God out. And you know just not thinking and the idea that you know it's bigger than you. So what I do is intentional so having my hair like it is having my tattoos like they are is intentional because it's bigger than me it's for those that come behind me so that the obstacles that I face they won't have to. Jeena Cho: [00:16:14] Yeah. Talk a little bit about some of the obstacles that do face because of you know your locks. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:16:21] Yeah. So one particular incident that has kind of been my driving point in WA opened up my practice to criminal law. When I was in law school I interned with a law office and went to court. And when the recess was about to happen the attorney that I was practicing under wanted me to aim once to introduce me to the judge. And so she got the judge's attention and said you know this is Mr. shooty is pregnant under Rule 7 with our office. And the response from the judge in open court was oh I thought that was your client. And it was very disheartening because I had been there all morning had spoken to her on some other Clines cases and so, of course, there were people in the courtroom. So immediately I felt ashamed because of her perception of me and for the beginning of my practice, I didn't do a lot of criminal work because I always would assume that everybody would have her same perception. And so it wasn't until she knows some of the tragedies like Michael Brown Eric Garner happened. I felt inspired to get involved in the criminal justice system and with a law degree what better way than to defend those that are innocent. And so that that would really launch me into it. Now you know I have a very successful you know area of law practice in criminal defense and a lot of that goes to. To me, I think that it helps to change the perception of police officers that I have to question in cross-examination when looking at somebody that normally in their line of work they only are arrested. And now they're having to look at this same type of description that they normally get as an attorney that questions them. So those are some things I'd definitely say some of those obstacles. You know sometimes when I go to different courthouses they don't know that I don't frequent ally sometimes security guards may ask me for my bar card different things like that. But you know just kind of comes with the territory. I've accepted that I will say some of those obstacles. And for me, it's about how I go how I am able to overcome them because I know that someone is always watching and the way that I know proceed through dealing with those obstacles will help somebody else. Jeena Cho: [00:18:44] Yeah. So how do you deal with that? You know how do you deal with watching you know five white Villiers just get way Theriault and then you come up and he's like can I use your marker and I'm presuming you're in a suit like you're in a court and walked it. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:19:00] Absolutely yeah absolutely. Jeena Cho: [00:19:02] How do you deal with that. You said when you say you know I've learned how to overcome those obstacles like what does it look like. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:19:10] So you know the thing to be learned is you can say a lot of things untrue and it's about how you say. So there are some signs where we say speak the truth in love or you know even if you can joke about it a little bit and not take it to heart that they haven't been exposed to a lot of different cultures. For me I was exposed a lot of different cultures and growing up I went to magnet schools and so I learned Spanish at a young age because I was just interested in the culture and because of that, it taught me to respect people that were different from me. Everybody doesn't have that same upbringing. So when you know the security guard say Can I see your bar card as you know out may laugh at him and say Did you forget to ask. You know the other guys are there. And then they may smile sheepishly or something like that and or I may say this new policy that we're doing now. Do we ask everyone you know and if not they try to do it in a way that makes them feel comfortable to wear it? [00:20:18] They will want to respond because then by me asking them that openly question it. It challenges them to give me an answer and they don't want to say oh because you're the black guy because you know you know so you know. But even then a month and then once I do show them your car they never forget me. So that's true and that's why I've learned you know because there were times where I and I have to be honest I'm very transparent. There are times where I didn't respond as well where I would respond with anger and frustration. And I had to learn that that's not the best way for me to handle it. Because what could happen to me. And then too it's a teachable moment for them. So give them the opportunity to learn. Jeena Cho: [00:21:03] Yeah. How do you deal with that, when you're in the courtroom and a juror mistakes you for the defendant? Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:21:10] You know that that was the only time that has happened that I have not had it happened before. I think that now for it at least and most of the courts that are practically in the middle Tennessee area. I've met a lot of the clerks and there are some judges that I haven't been in front of him and some just for good that I have been there from them before there one judge or particular that introduces himself to me every time I mean it's more that I go maybe every two or three months and he's always like Well welcome to the core of this issue in his car just kind of puts her head down like I know I know. [00:21:45] Like we e-mail a lot. So you know sometimes it happens and you know because they're in the position that they're here. You know I always will defer to give them that grace because again at the end of the day I'm advocating for someone else and I have to always keep that in mind. And I want to keep their interest you know at the top of my list. And so you there if there is if it is a time where they say something they do something now wait till the case is concluded and then I'll go speak to the judge in chambers. Jeena Cho: [00:22:18] What do you say when you go into chambers. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:22:21] So I'll just ask. You know I got out asked Mike like the one, in particular, that doesn't remember me when we go back to our side. Now I know I don't come here a lot but you know you would think they would be looking at me. You remember me at all the others that come up here and most of the time with their state they laughed like them and said oh you know I just want you know some you know something and I wasn't paying attention. I was looking at the next case or you know and then we just talk about you know other things I use that as an opportunity to advocate for things that I think to change in the law and get their perspective. So sometimes by their mistakes gives me insight and you know gives me a little bit more information that I otherwise may not have got. Had they not made the blunder. Jeena Cho: [00:23:07] Yeah and I think how you handle those moments. It's tricky. It's hard. I mean I you know I've never been mistaken for a defendant probably examination female and you know we don't fit that stereotype. But I have been mistaken for you know whatever various Asian language interpreter or-or you know the paralegal and you know I think those type of experiences can really like wear you down if you're not careful about it. You know you internalize that and not have these conversations with my white male lawyer colleagues and know like what's a big deal. You know you brush it off and I'm like but you don't understand what walking into a place and people assume things about you just based on your look how that can just get really you know it just wears sign you and I had to say you know I can either allow this to really impact me or-or I can choose a different response. But it's not you know it's not always easy and sometimes I feel really frustrated by those sort of like what's the big deal. You I just laugh it off like but that doesn't happen to you when you when have you ever been mistaken for the defendant or the language you know the language interpreter or that you know the paralegal. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:24:32] Right yeah. So I'm a male. And so I've never been in the position of a woman before. And so I have two daughters and now that I have daughters and of course with you know the need to move and leave things in a different perspective than I would before I had children and a daughter specifically because I have three younger sisters and even still some of my perspectives was a male privilege perspective. And a lot of times like even hearing you talk about her you know white male colleagues when they say just brush it off or this or just there. [00:25:04] I've seen myself do that too when or if a woman tells me something and says You know I feel this way about you know how that may interact with me and I would say wow I never would have considered that because I'm a male. So I don't know what it's like to be in your position. And so it is sometimes when I hear like I hear somebody or special specifically you know white male white male colleagues I believe that because of how I live they feel comfortable with asking me questions about things that they may be looking at from a lens that's not respectful of everybody else's experience. And so I use that as an opportunity to try to tell them why we're here is why it's so exhausting. Because when you get waved through I get stopped and I get one did not have to take my bill call and I it slows down my day and not only that you get to look like this great guy. Turun just as waved through and this guy's got to take off his clothes pretty much to get to security. And so it's the perception of who's the attorney that you want to deal with. Right. The guy has waved through the looks like he is buddy buddy with everybody or the guy that didn't treat like he's trying to get on the airplane to get into the court. And so I definitely can appreciate that the sentiment that you feel about when they tell you to get away with this dog is ok it's not a big deal. And so for me, I did try to keep my try to be respectful for other people's experiences because I don't know what it's like to be in someone else's shoes. And I think that oftentimes that that value is held by those who are in the minority. It's really all about those that are in the majority. Jeena Cho: [00:26:47] So yeah I think that you know is a person of color and it teaches you to be empathetic. I think if you're sort of in that super majority and you are always sort of given all of these privileges that is something I choose it like not I mean like I've you know I've had these conversations with my colleague and they're just like sometimes I'll get like this like this like disbelief like I really just can't believe it that happens to you all the time. Like butter. Yes. Because I think we all kind of have this assumption that the way that we experience the world is how everybody else experiences the world right. And you know and I often feel like this is sort of what happens when we talk about you know like police misconduct is like well I've never had a negative interaction with the police. I just like the right here. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:27:45] That's what's so true. And in that we're in Nassau we're having it is where the devices on that specific subject because there are people that feel like certain areas of national or over the police. And you know they feel threatened when the police are around there other people they feel like well that's you know who is come to for help or who I go to for help and I take my child with right along. So it's so different you know to have those different perspectives and that's why I always encourage people to just you know try to take a look from their perception her position to see what it's like from their perspective because you never know what it's like for someone else. And when you genuinely take the time to understand you know what they've been dealing with and you may change your mind. Like I say I tell my friends like I don't. I don't get on Facebook to say what my priest my position is on one where or another because I think most times people use their platform to read. Jeena Cho: [00:28:46] Like reinforcing bullies. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:28:48] Yes. Yes exactly. Exactly that's it. That's what it's for. Because you want them to like it and agree with you to make you feel better about it but you really don't want to engage in a dialogue to help you learn something that you know maybe differ in the way that you've been taught. So but I think that you know that those are having those conversations are helpful to try to shift the world's perception. Jeena Cho: [00:29:12] Yeah. So Marcus, for the listeners out there that want to check you out or want to learn more about you, where's the best place for them to do that? Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:29:25] So the best place is on my website, that'll be shutelaw.com. Jeena Cho: [00:29:36] So Marcus before I let you go, one final question for you. The name of this podcast is called The Resilient Lawyer, what does it mean to be a resilient lawyer to you? Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:29:53] So to me to be a resilient lawyer to someone that knows who they are. And still, allow that to dictate how they move in their life and in their practice of law when they face challenges and obstacles in the field that there may be feeling defeated to revisit those values again. What brought you to their place to want to be inspired to move forward as you do? So that's what a resilient lawyer would be to me. Jeena Cho: [00:30:22] Marcus, thank you so much for sharing your time with me today. Marcus Shute, Jr.: [00:30:26] Jeena, thank you so much for having me. I enjoyed it. Closing: [00:30:34] Thanks for joining us on The Resilient Lawyer podcast. If you've enjoyed the show, please tell a friend. It's really the best way to grow the show. To leave us a review on iTunes, search for The Resilient Lawyer and give us your honest feedback. It goes a long way to help with our visibility when you do that, so we really appreciate it. As always, we'd love to hear from you. E-mail us at smile@theanxiouslawyer.com. Thanks and look forward to seeing you next week.

In this episode, you can hear the American writer Emma Cline talking with the Norwegian writer and editor Mattis Øybø. The conversation took place on April 26th, 2017.   Emma Clines acclaimed debut novel The Girls struck a nerve in 2016 when it was published in the US. It has been praised by Richard Ford, Jennifer Egan and Lena Dunham – and embraced by readers and critics world wide. The novel takes us back to California 1969, to a young girl’s quite ordinary and dull life in a small place, and describes in a beautiful language how her life suddenly develops into something totally different, after she meets the girls. Inspired by the Charles Manson murders, Clines novel asks what forces can make regular teen girls into brutal murderers. Cline circles in on this question from the perspective of the girls themselves. Writer and editor Mattis Øybø has also written about a charismatic sect, and the road into the extreme in his highly praised novel Ingen er alene/Nobody is alone.   Lithouse is a podcast from the House of Literature in Oslo, presenting adapted versions of lectures and conversations featuring international writers and thinkers. Music by Apothek.

I denne episoden kan du høre den amerikanske forfatteren Emma Cline i samtale med forfatter og forlagsredaktør Mattis Øybø. Samtalen fant sted på Litteraturhuset 26. april 2017.   Emma Clines feirede debutroman The Girls traff helt klart en nerve da den ble utgitt i USA i 2016. Den har blitt framsnakket av Richard Ford, Jennifer Egan og Lena Dunham, og omfavnet av både lesere og kritikere verden over. Romanen tar oss med tilbake til California i 1969, til ei ung jentes ordinære liv i en sløv småby, og skildrer i et drømmende språk rikt på metaforer hvordan livet hennes plutselig tar en ny vending, idet hun blir kjent med de spesielle jentene. Charles Manson-drapene har vært en tydelig inspirasjon for Clines roman, som reiser spørsmål om hvilke krefter som kan drive vanlige tenåringsjenter til å bli bestialske mordere. Cline nærmer seg dette spørsmålet fra jentenes eget perspektiv. Forfatter og forlagsredaktør Mattis Øybø har selv skrevet om en karismatisk sekt og veien inn i det ekstreme i romanen Ingen er alene. Samtalen foregår på engelsk.   Litteraturhusets podkast presenterer bearbeidede versjoner av samtaler og foredrag i regi av Stiftelsen Litteraturhuset. Musikk av Apothek. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Every year, birders look forward to the check-list supplement from the American Ornithological Society (formerly the American Ornithologist's Union), and this year is no exception. In fact, 2017 offers a bounty of potential splits for your armchair ticks, as well as some very compelling lumps. In this episode, Nate Swick breaks down some of those taxonomic decision with Nick Block, professor of Biology at Stonehill College and member of the ABA's Recording Standards and Ethics Committee, talking Yellow-rumped Warblers, redpolls, willets and more! And Greg Neise and Ted Floyd return with guest and gull expert Amar Ayyash to talk about one of the most fascinating proposals in this year's batch, the lump of Thayer's and Iceland Gulls. Clines and hybrid swarms are on the agenda! Subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, and Google Play, and please leave a review if you are so inclined! It definitely helps people find us.

Op-Ed columnist Andrew Rosenthal leads a discussion with Charles Blow, Francis X. Clines and Terry Tang.

In this episode we discuss David Cline's Failure of the Flood: https://www.academia.edu/2337671/The_Failure_of_the_Flood God is Open, a blog on Open Theism: https://godisopen.com/ Podcast RSS Feed: http://feeds.soundcloud.com/users/soundcloud:users:56085845/sounds.rss God is Open book: https://www.amazon.com/God-Open-Examining-Biblical-Authors/dp/1544141424

Great Read: 14 by Peter Clines. A sad state of affairs. Things are rough in Danville. Fact or Crap: One a piece for both of us this week. Mail Bag: One from Earl: July 2016 was Earth's hottest month on record. Environmentalism? Second hand smoke? STOP CONTACTING THOSE PEOPLE!!! The Rest of the Show: Is it time for a viable 3rd party presidential candidate? Gary Johnson? Jill Stein? Evan McMullin?  

The American Civil War and World War II?  Just add zombies!  This time around, Brother D takes a look at the movies Exit Humanity (dir. John Geddes) and War of the Dead (dir. Marko Mäkilaakso).  The Crypticon coverage continues with mini-interviews with authors Eloise J. Knapp, Peter Clines, and Scott M. Baker, and actress Danielle Harris.  Kim tosses in her thoughts on Knapp's The Undead Situation and Gareth Wood's The Rise, and Miss Bren joins D to talk about their experience at Van Con before diving into the Feedback Discussion.  (Special thanks to Between the Eyes for the opening and closing song!)BRAIN TRAINING (LEARNING TO EAT) - BETWEEN THE EYES (00:00)INTRO (02:37)ZOMBIE BEAT (04:31)ELOISE J. KNAPP (22:30)THE UNDEAD SITUATION & THE RISE (26:19)EXIT HUMANITY (28:45)PETER CLINES (42:51)DANIELLE HARRIS (52:00)WAR OF THE DEAD (55:08)SCOTT M. BAKER (1:09:26)FEEDBACK (1:13:42)FACE THE DEAD - BETWEEN THE EYES (1:40:16)Mail Order Zombie Facebook Group - http://tinyurl.com/facebookmozMail Order Zombie Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/mailorderzombieEmail us at MailOrderZombie@gmail.com or call us at 206-202-2505!Between the Eyes - http://soundcloud.com/samho-dreamtasty face by mc chris - http://mcchris.bandcamp.com/BrickArms - http://brickarms.com/default.aspxEloise J. Knapp - http://www.eloisejknapp.com/Peter Clines - http://www.facebook.com/PeterClinesScott M. Baker - http://scottmbakerauthor.blogspot.com/Among Friends - http://www.facebook.com/AmongFriendsMovieHollywood Reporter on World War Z - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/brad-pitt-world-war-z-production-nightmare-336422Clive Barker to rewrite Zombies vs. Gladiators - http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/zombies-gladiators-clive-barker-amazon-333066AMC The Walking Dead marathon in July - http://tvline.com/2012/05/31/walking-dead-marathon-emma-stone-icarly/Robert Kirkman’s Hyundai zombie survival machine - http://www.marketwatch.com/story/the-walking-dead-creatorwriter-robert-kirkman-transforms-hyundai-elantra-coupe-into-zombie-survival-machine-2012-06-15Melbourne IRL Zombie Game - http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/zombie-apocalypse-comes-to-melbourne-20120611-205gg.html(Various production music produced by Kevin MacLeod.)