Podcasts about Confluence

god jesus christ stories light in the darkness confluence

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 26, 2025 34:32

From Mexico City to India, God's light shines through the darkness, and the darkness cannot overcome it — healing, restoring, and revealing hope where it seems impossible in the name of Jesus.

Cultivating True Assurance: What Jesus Teaches Us Through the Parable of the Tares

Reformed Brotherhood | Sound Doctrine, Systematic Theology, and Brotherly Love

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 24, 2025 61:13

In this profound episode of the Reformed Brotherhood, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb delve deeply into the Parable of the Tares (Matthew 13:24-30), exploring its implications for Christian assurance. Building on their previous discussion, they examine how this parable speaks to the mixed nature of the visible church, the sovereignty of Christ over His kingdom, and most significantly, the doctrine of assurance. Through careful theological reflection, the hosts unpack how true believers can find solid ground for assurance not in their own works or fruit-checking, but in the promises of Christ and the testimony of the Holy Spirit. This episode offers both encouragement for those struggling with doubts and a sobering challenge to those resting in false assurance. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Tares teaches that the visible church will be mixed until the final judgment, containing both true believers (wheat) and false professors (tares) who may appear outwardly similar. True assurance is not based primarily on good works but on the promises of Christ, the inward testimony of the Holy Spirit, and the evidences of grace in our lives. False assurance is a real danger, as many who think they belong to Christ will discover at the final judgment that they never truly knew Him. The Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18) provides a helpful framework for understanding biblical assurance as the proper possession of every Christian. Christ's role as the divine Master of the house (the world) and Lord of the angels is subtly yet powerfully affirmed in this parable, grounding our assurance in His sovereignty. Good works are the fruit of assurance, not its cause—when we are secure in our salvation, we are freed to serve Christ joyfully rather than anxiously trying to earn assurance. The final judgment will bring perfect clarity, revealing what was hidden and separating the wheat from the tares with divine precision that humans cannot achieve now. The Doctrine of Assurance: Reformed Understanding The Reformed tradition has always emphasized that believers can and should have assurance of their salvation—a conviction recovered during the Reformation in contrast to Rome's teaching. As Tony noted when reading from the Westminster Confession of Faith (Chapter 18), this assurance is "not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation." This assurance rests on three pillars: the promises of God in Scripture, the inward evidence of grace, and the testimony of the Holy Spirit witnessing with our spirit. What makes this understanding particularly comforting is that it shifts the foundation of assurance away from our performance to God's faithfulness. While self-examination has its place, the Reformed understanding recognizes that looking too intensely at our own hearts and works can lead either to despair or to false confidence. Instead, we're directed to look primarily to Christ and His finished work, finding in Him the anchor for our souls. The Problem of False Assurance One of the most sobering aspects of the Parable of the Tares is its implicit warning about false assurance. Just as the tares resemble wheat until maturity reveals their true nature, many professing Christians may outwardly appear to belong to Christ while inwardly remaining unregenerate. As Jesse observed, "The tares typically live under false assurance. They may attend church, confess belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical, it's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual." This echoes Jesus' warning in Matthew 7 that many will say to Him, "Lord, Lord," but will hear the devastating response, "I never knew you." The parable teaches us that this self-deception is not always conscious hypocrisy but often the result of spiritual blindness. As Jesse noted, referencing Romans 1, Ephesians 4, and 1 Corinthians 2, the unregenerate are "not merely ignorant, they're blinded... to the spiritual truth by nature and by Satan." This understanding should prompt humble self-examination while simultaneously driving us to depend not on our own discernment but on Christ's perfect knowledge and saving work. Memorable Quotes "Assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions." - Thomas Brooks, quoted by Jesse Schwamb "When we are confessing, repenting, seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ, then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance." - Jesse Schwamb "The sacrifice and the service that a husband performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him, that is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it." - Tony Arsenal on how good works flow from assurance rather than cause it Resources Mentioned Scripture: Matthew 13:24-30, Matthew 7:21-23, Romans 1, Ephesians 4, 1 Corinthians 2, 2 Timothy 3:5 Westminster Confession of Faith: Chapter 18 "Of Assurance of Grace and Salvation" Thomas Brooks: "Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices" YouTube Channel: My Wild Backyard Khan Academy: Educational resource recommended during "Affirmations and Denials" segment Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 466 of the Reform the Brotherhood. I'm Jesse. Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother. Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother. We're going back to the farm again. Can't stop. Won't stop. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I'm stoked. [00:01:02] Discussion on the Parable of the Tears Tony Arsenal: The last week's discussion was interesting and I think, um, it's gonna be nice to sort of round it out and talk about some things you might not think about, uh, when you first read this parable. So I'm, I'm pretty excited. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, what a tease that is. So if you're wondering what Tony's talking about, we're hanging out. In Matthew 13, we are just really enjoying these teachings of Jesus. And they are shocking and they're challenging, and they're encouraging, and they're awesome, of course. And so we're gonna be finishing out the Parable of the Tears and you need to go back and listen to the previous conversation. This, this is all set up because we have some unfinished business. We didn't talk about the eschatological implications. We have this really big this, this matza ball hanging over us. So to speak, which was the, do the TAs in this parable even know that they are tarry, that they are the TAs? And so in this parable, the disciples learn that the kingdom itself, God's kingdom, the kingdom that Jesus is enumerating and explaining and bringing into being, they are learning that it's gonna be mixed in character. So that's correcting this expectation that the kingdom would be perfectly pure and would have, would evolve righteous rule over all of the unrighteous world. And so it's a little bit shocking that Jesus says, listen, they're gonna be. Tears within the wheats that is in the world, the seed that God himself, the sun has planted and that they're gonna exist side by side for a long time. And so we, they have to wait patiently and give ourselves to building up the wheats as the sons of the kingdom and be careful in their judgment, not to harm those who are believers. We covered a lot of that last week, but left so much unsaid we couldn't even fit it in. This is gonna be jam packed, so I'm gonna stop giving the tees instead start moving us into affirmations and denials. [00:02:45] Affirmations and Denials Jesse Schwamb: It's of course that time in our conversation where we either affirm with something really like or we think is undervalued or we deny against something that we don't really like or is a little overvalued. So as I usually say to you, Tony, what have you got for us? [00:03:00] YouTube Channel Recommendation: My Wild Backyard Tony Arsenal: I am affirming a YouTube channel. Um, I, I think the algorithm goes through these cycles where it wants me to learn about bugs and things because I get Okay, like videos about bugs. And so I'm, I'm interested. There's been this, uh, channel that's been coming up on my algorithm lately called My Wild Backyard, and it, it's a guy, he's like an entomologist. He seems like a, a like a legit academic, but what he does is he basically goes through and he talks about different bugs, creepy crawlies, looks at like snakes, all that kinds of stuff. It seems like his wheelhouse is the stuff that can kill you or hurt you pretty bad. Nice. But, um, it's interesting and it's. It's good educational content. It's, you know, it's not sensationalized, it's not, uh, it's not dramatized. Um, it's very real. There's occasionally an instance where he, he's not, sometimes he will intentionally get bit or stung by an, uh, by an animal to show you what it does. So he can experience and explain what he's experiencing. And sometimes he just accidentally gets bit or stung. And so those are some of the most interesting ones. So like, for example, just looking at his, his channel, his most recent, um, his most recent video is called The most venomous Desert Creatures in the US ranked the one previous was. The world's most terrifying arachni isn't a spider. And then previous to that was what happens if a giant centipede bites you? So it's interesting stuff. If you are one of those people that likes bugs and likes creepy crawlies and things, um, this is definitely the channel for you if you're not one of those people. I actually think this probably is the channel for you too. 'cause it kind of demystifies a lot of this stuff. Um. You know, for example, he, he will commonly point out that, um, spiders don't wanna bite you and they just wanna leave you alone. And, and as long as you leave them alone, even, even something like a black widow, which people are terrified of, and I think, right, rightfully so. I mean, they can be scary. Those can be scary bites. He'll, he'll handle those, no problem. And as long as he's not like putting downward pressure on them, uh, they have no interest in biting, they really just want to get away. So even seeing that kind of stuff, I think can help demystify and, and sort of, uh, make it a little bit easier. So my Wild Backyard, he can find it on YouTube. Um, he's safe for kids. He's not, he's not cussing even. I mean, I think occasionally when he gets bit on accident, you might, you know, you might have a beep here or there, but, um, he's not, he's not regularly swearing or things like that. And he does a pretty good job of adding that stuff out. Jesse Schwamb: What a great title for that, isn't it? This, yeah. Confluence of your backyard. That space that seems domesticated is also stealing its own. Right. Wild. And there's a be Yeah. Both those things coming together. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It, it's interesting stuff and it's really good. I mean, it's really compelling videography. He does a good job of taking good photos. You'll see insects that you usually won't see, or spiders you usually won't see. Um, so yeah, it's cool. Check it out. [00:05:51] Discussion on Spiders and Creepy Crawlies Jesse Schwamb: What are you, uh, yeah, I myself would like to become more comfortable with the arachni variety. If only be, I mean, I don't know. It's, it's a weird creature, so my instinct is to be like, kill them all. And then if I can't find them and I know they're around, then we just burn everything that we own. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: They just can't sink into the ground fast enough. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. There's something about the way they move, like their, their bodies don't move the way you would anticipate them to. Right. And it freaks, it just weirds out human sensibilities, so. Right. Jesse Schwamb: They're also like, I find them to be very surprising. Often. It's not kind of a, a very like, kind of measured welcome into your life. It's like you just go to get in the shower and there's a giant spider. Yeah. Oh yeah. Although I guess that spider, he's, he or she's probably like, whoa, where'd you come from? You know, like, yeah. He's like, I was just taking a Tony Arsenal: shower. You know what's interesting? Um, I saw another video was on a different channel, um, like common jumping spiders. Yeah. Which there are like hundreds of species of common jumping spiders. Jesse Schwamb: True. Tony Arsenal: Um, but spiders and jumping spiders specifically, actually you can form almost like a pet bond with, so like the, that jumping spider that like lives in your house and sees you every day. He, he probably knows who you are and is like, comfortable with you. And they've done studies that like you can actually domesticate jumping spiders, so they're not as foreign and alien as you might think. Although they certainly do look a little bit strange and weird. And the way their bodies move is almost designed to weird out people like it just the skinness, like the way their legs skitter and move it, it just is, it's, it triggers something very primal in us to That's wild. Be weirded out by it. Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: It's wild. I love it. That's a good, a affirmation. I'm definitely gonna check that out. I, any, anything? I really want to know what the, what like the terrifying arachni is. That's not a spider. Tony Arsenal: It's a, well, it's called a camel spider, but it's not really a spider. Oh, Jesse Schwamb: I know what you're talking about. That is kind of terrifying. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. They, they actually don't have any venom. Um, yeah. Check out the video. I mean, it, it was a good video. Um, but yeah, they're freaky looking and, um, but even that, like he was handling it No problem. Yeah. Like it wasn't, it wasn't aggressive with him once Wow. Once it figured out it wasn't, he wasn't trying to hurt him and, and that it couldn't eat him. Um, it, it just sort of like hung out until he let it go. So Jesse Schwamb: yeah, just be careful if you watch it one before bed or while in bed. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Probably not right before bed. Yeah. You'll, you'll get the creepy crawlies all night. Jesse Schwamb: I love it. But there's something somewhat. Like invigorating about that isn't there? Like it's, it's kind of a natural, just like kind of holy respect for the world that God has created, that they're these features that are so different, so wild, so interesting and a little bit frightening, but in the sense that we just draw off from them because they're so different than what we are. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And you know, again, there's places you would be happy to see them, but maybe your bathtub or like shooting out, like, you know, like where you live, the jumping spiders are legit and they will just pop out on you, you know? Yeah. You're just doing your own thing and then all of a sudden they're popping out. I think part of that is just that what, what gets me is like them just, you know, like I remember in my basement here, once one popped out from a rafter and then I was holding, happened to be holding up broom. My instinct just naturally was to hit it. I hit it with the broom and it went across the room and fell on an empty box and sounded like a silver dollar had hit the box. Like it was just a massive, I mean, again, like, it's like fish stories, like it's a massive spider. It was a big spider. Yeah. But you just don't expect to, to see that kind of thing. Or maybe, maybe I should, but anything that moves in that way, and again, like centipedes, man, forget it. We have those too, like in our basement. Like the long ones. Oh yeah. Yeah. That thing will come like squiggling down the wall at you, like eye level and you just wanna run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. Tony Arsenal: Yeah, you do run up the stairs screaming like a little girl. It's not that you want to, it's that usually you do. I don't mean like you specifically, although probably you specifically. Yeah. Oh yeah. Oh yeah. There's, yeah, you just react. Well, j Jesse enough freaking out. I mean, we're getting close to Halloween, so I suppose it's appropriate, but, uh, enough of that. What are you affirming or denying today? Jesse Schwamb: Once again, without like any coordination, mine is not unlike yours. I know you and I, we talk about the world in which we live, which God has created, and this lovely command, this ammunition to take dominion over that. And one of the things I appreciate about our conversations is I think you and I often have maybe not like a novel. Kinda perspective on that, but one that I don't hear talked about often and that is this idea of taking dominion over what it is possible to know and to appropriate, and then to apply onto wisdom. [00:10:27] Affirmation: Khan Academy Jesse Schwamb: And so my information is in that realm. It's another form of taking ownership of what's in the wild of knowledge that you can possess. And again, equal parts. What an amazing time to be alive. So I'm affirming with the website, Khan Academy, which I'm sure many are familiar with. And this website offers like. Thousands of hours. Uh, and materials of free instructional videos, practice exercises, quizzes, all these like really bespoke, personalized learning modules you can create for topics like math, science, computing, economics, history, art. I think it goes like even starting at like. Elementary age all the way up into like early college can help you study for things like the SAT, the LSAT AP courses, and I was revisiting it. I have an open account with them that I keep in love and I go back to it from time to time. And I was working on some stuff where I wanted to rehearse some knowledge in like the calculus space, do some things by hand, which I haven't done. And I was just like, I'm blown away at how good this stuff is. And it's all for free. I mean, you should donate if you. You get something from this because it's a nonprofit, but the fact that there are these amazing instructional videos out there that can help us get a better understanding of either things we already know and we can rehearse the knowledge or to learn something brand new essentially for free. But somebody's done all the hard work to curate a pedagogy for you. Honestly, this is incredible. So if you haven't looked at that website in a long time or maybe ever, and you might be thinking, what, what do I really wanna learn? Lemme tell you. There's a lot of interesting stuff there and it's so approachable and it's such a good website for teaching. And if you have children in particular, even if you're looking for help, either helping them with their own coursework or maybe to have like kind of a tutor on the side, this is so good. So I can't say enough good things recently about Khan Academy 'cause it's been so helpful to me and super fun to like just sit and have your own paced study and in the private and comfort of your own home or your desk at work or wherever it is that you need to learn it. To be able to have somebody teach you some things, to do a little practice exercises, and then to go on to the world and to apply the things you've learned. Ah, it's so good. Tony Arsenal: Nice. Yeah, I've, I've never done anything with Khan Academy. I'll have to check it out. There's, um, there's some skills of needing to brush up on, uh, at work that I am probably not gonna be able to find in my normal channels, so I'll have to see if there is anything going on there. Um, but yeah, that's, that's good stuff. And it's free. Love freestyle. It's, and of course, like Jesse Schwamb: things like this are legion. So whatever it is, whatever your discipline or your field of study or work is, there's probably something out there and, uh, might, I humbly maybe encourage you to, if you use something like that and it's funded by donations, it's worth giving, I think, because again, it's just an amazing opportunity to take dominion over the knowledge that God has placed into the world and then to use it for something. I mean, I suppose even if all it is is you just wanna learn more about, like for me, I, I find like the subjects of, of math and science, like just endlessly fascinating and like the computing section I was looking at, I, I don't know much about like programming per se, but there is such a beauty. Like these underlying principles, like the, the organization of the world and the first level principles of like physics for instance, are just like baffling in the most glorious kind of way. How they all come together. So having somebody like teach you at a very like simplistic level, but allow you to grasp those concepts makes you just appreciate it leads me to doxology a lot when I see these things. So in a weird way, it ends up becoming maybe not a weird way and the right way. It becomes worship as often as I'm sitting at my desk and working through like a practice problem on like, you know, partial differential equation or, or derivatives is what I was working on today. And ah, it's just so good. I don't know, maybe I'm the only one. I, it's not be super nerdy, but you, are you ever like at your desk studying something? And it might not be like theological per se, but you just have a moment where you're overcome with some kind of worship. Do you know what I'm talking about? Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, um, this we're the nerdiest people on the planet, but let's Jesse Schwamb: do it. Um, Tony Arsenal: when I find a really fun, interesting. Uh, Excel formula and I can get it to work right. Uh, and it, and then it just like everything unlocks. Like, I feel like I've unlocked all the knowledge in the universe. Um, but yeah, I hear you like the, the Excel thing is, is interesting to me because, like, math is just the description. Like it's just the fabric of reality is just the way we describe reality. But the fact that we can do basically just take math and do all these amazing things with it, uh, in a spreadsheet is really, uh, drives me to praise. Like I said, that's super nerdy, but it is. Oh, you're speaking my language. Jesse Schwamb: I, we have never understood each other better than just this moment right now. We, we had some real talk and, uh, a real moment. Tony Arsenal: Yes. Welcome to the Reformed math cast. Jesse Schwamb: We're so glad that you're here. Tony Arsenal: Yes. We're not gonna do any one plus one plus one equals one kinds of heretical math in, up in here. Jesse Schwamb: No. Tony Arsenal: Well, Jesse, I have a feeling that, excuse me. Wow. Jesse Schwamb: We don't edit anything out. Listen, I'm choked up too. It's it, listen, love ones just so emotional. The moment Tony and I are having it. We're gonna try our best right now to pivot to go into this text, but it's, it's tough because we were just really having something, something special. You got, you got to see there. But thank you for trying to Tony Arsenal: cover for me for that big cough. Jesse Schwamb: This is like presuppositional editing. You know, we don't actually do anything in post. It's not ex anti editing. It's, it's literally presuppositional. [00:15:52] Theological Discussion on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: But to that end, we are in Matthew 13. This is the main course. This is the reason why we're here. There's lots of reasons to worship, and one of them is to come before and admire and love our God who has given us his specific revelation and this incredible teaching of his son. And that's why we're hanging out in Matthew 13. So let me read, because we have just a couple of really sentences here, this really short parable and that way it'll catch us up and then we can just launch right back into we're, we're basically like, we're already in the rocket. Like we're in the stratosphere. We're, we're taking it all the way now. So this is Matthew chapter 13. Come hang out here. It's in the 24th verse. And this is what we find written for us. This is the word of the Lord. He put another parable before them saying. The Kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field. But while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the weeds and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also, and the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds? He said to them, an enemy has done this. So the servant said to him, then, do you want us to go and gather them? But he said, no less than gathering the weeds, you root up the weed along with them. Let both grow until the harvest. And at harvest time, I will tell the reapers, gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but to gather the wheat into my barn. Tony Arsenal: That's good stuff. That's good stuff. Um, you know, we, we covered most of. I don't know, what do you wanna call it? The first order reading of the parable last week. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: On one level, the parable, uh, as Christ explains it, uh, a little bit down further in the chapter is extremely straightforward. It's almost out, it's almost an allegory. Each, each element of the parable has a, a, a figure that it's representing. And the main purpose of the story is that the world and specifically the church, um, is going to be a mixed body until the last days, until the end of time. And so there's, there's the Sons of God or the Sons of the Kingdom, uh, and then there's the sons of the evil one. And we talked a lot about how. These two figures in the parable, the, the, the weeds or the tears? Um, tears is a better word because it's a specific kind of, uh, specific kind of weed that looks very much like wheat at its immature stages. Right. And you can't actually discern the difference readily, uh, until the weed and the wheat has grown up next to each other. Um, and so, so part of the parable is that. The, the sons of the kingdom and the sons of the enemy, or the sons of the evil one, they don't look all that different in their early stages. And it's not until the sort of end culmination of their lives and the end culmination of things that they're able to be discerned and then therefore, um, the, the sons of the devil are, are reaped and they go off to their eternal judgment and the sons of the kingdom are, uh, are harvested and they go off to their eternal reward. What we wanted to talk about, and part of the reason that we split this into two episodes. Is that we sort of found ourselves spiraling or spiraling around a question about, uh, sort of about assurance, right? And false assurance, true assurance. And there is an eschatological element to this parable that I, I think we probably should at least touch on as we we go through it. Um, but I wanted to just read, um, it's been a little while since we've read the Westminster Confession on the show. So I wanted to read a little bit from the Westminster Confession. Um, this is from chapter 18, which is called of assurance of grace and salvation. This is sort of the answer to Jesse's question. Do the, do the tears know their tears or, or could they possibly think that their wheat? So this is, uh, section one of chapter eight. It says, although hypocrites and other unregenerate men may vainly deceive themselves with false hopes and carnal presuppositions or presumptions of being in favor with God in the state of salvation. Which hope of their shall perish yet such as truly believe in the Lord Jesus and love him in sincerity, endeavoring to walk in all good conscience before him may in this life be certainly assured that they are in a state of grace and may rejoice in the hope of the glory of God, which hope shall never make them ashamed. And so we, in the reform tradition at least, which is where we find ourselves in the reform tradition, um, we would affirm that people can. Deceive themselves into believing that they're in proper relation with God. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Tony Arsenal: And so it's not the case that, uh, that the weeds always know they're weeds or think they're weeds. It's not even the case. And this was part of the parable. It's not even the case that the weeds can be easily distinguished even by themselves from, uh, from the weeds. So there is this call, uh, and this is a biblical call. There's a call to seek out assurance and to lay claim to it. That I think is, is worth talking about. But it's not as straightforward as simple proposition as like, yeah, I'm confident. Like it's not just like, right, it's not just mustering up confidence. There's more to it than that. So that's what I wanted to start with, with this parable is just maybe talking through that assurance. 'cause I, I would hate for us to go through this parable. And sort of leave people with maybe you're a weed and you don't know it. 'cause that's not right. That's not the biblical picture of assurance. Um, that's the, that's the Roman Catholic picture of assurance that like, yeah, there's no such thing as assurance and people might not realize, but assurance of salvation is actually one of the, one of the primary things that was recovered particularly by the Reformed in the Reformation. Um, and so I think we, we often sort of overlook it as maybe a secondary thing. Um, but it really is a significant doctrine, a significant feature of reformed theology. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I'm glad you said that because it is a, is a clear reminder. It's a clearing call as the performers put forth that it is. Under like the purview of the Christian to be able to claim the assurance by the blood of Christ in the application of the Holy Spirit in a way that's like fully orbed and fully stopped. So you can contrast that with, and really what was coming outta Catholicism or Rome at the time. And I was just speaking with a dear brother this past week who. Grew up in the Catholic church and he was recounting how his entire religious experience, even his entire relationship, if we can call it that in a kind of colloquial sense with God, was built around this sense of deep-seated guilt and lack of true performance, such that like assurance always seemed like this really vague concept that was never really fully manifested in anything that he did. Even while the church was saying, if you do these things, if you perform this way, if you ensure that you're taking care of your immortal sins and that you're seeking confession for all the venial stuff as well, that somehow you'll be made right, or sufficiently right. But if not, don't worry about it. There's always purgatory, but there'd be some earning that you'd have to accomplish there. Everywhere along the way. He just felt beaten down. So contrasting that with what we have here. I don't believe, as you're saying, Tony, that's Jesus' intention here to somehow beat up the sheep. I, I think it is, to correct something of what's being said about the world in which we live, but it's at the same time to say that there are some that are the TAs is to say there are some that are the children of God, right? That there are some that are fully crisply, clearly identified and securely resting in that identity without any kind of nervous or anxious energy that it might fall out of that state with God that, that in fact their identity is secure. And as I've been thinking about this this week, I, I'm totally with you because I think part of this just falls, the warning here is there's a little bit of the adventures in Romans one here that's waiting for us, that I like what you said about this idea of, of self deception and maybe like a. Subpart to this question would be, are the, are the terrors always nefarious in their lack of understanding? So we might say there's some that are purposely disruptive, that the enemy himself is, is promulgating or trying to bring forward his destruction, his chaos by way of these tears. But are, are there even a subgroup or another group, uh, co-terminus group or, you know, one in the same hierarchy where there's just a lot of self deception? I, I think that's probably where I fall in terms of just trying to explain that. Yes, I think it was present here is a real quantity, a real identity where they're self-deceived. Imagining themselves to be part of God's people, yet lacking that true saving faith. And this just, I'm gonna go in a couple places where I think everybody would expect in the scriptures, if we go to like Ephesians four, they're darkened and they're understanding alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them. And one Corinthians, when Paul writes, the natural person does not accept the things of the spirit of God, and he's not able to understand them because they're spiritually discerned. And then the book that follows the God of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers. And of course then like everything in Romans one, so I bring all that up because E, even at the end, we're gonna get there, the Es, this eschatological reality when you know God is separating out the sheep and the goats. Still, we find this kind of same trope happening there. But the unregenerate, what I'm reading from this. Importantly is that the unregenerate, they're not merely ignorant, they're blinded, as we all were on point to the spiritual truth. Yeah. By nature and by Satan. That that is also his jam. He loves to blind, to lie, to kill, steal, and destroy. So thus, even if they're outwardly belonging to the church, they're outwardly belonging to the world. They're outwardly belonging to some kind of profession. They cannot perceive the reality of their lost condition apart from divine illumination. Who can, that might be stating the obvious, but I think that's like what we're getting after here. I I, I don't know if there's like any kind of like conspiracy here. It's simply that that is the natural state of affairs. So why wouldn't we expect that to be reflected again in the world and that side by side, we're gonna find that shoulder to shoulder. We are, there are the children of God, and there are those that remain blind and ignorant to the truth. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And, and you know, it, again, I, I, um, I don't know why I'm surprised. Uh, I certainly shouldn't be surprised. Um. But Matthew is like a masterful storyteller Yeah. Here, right. He's a masterful, um, editor and narrator. Um, and he's, he's put together here, of course, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Um, and, and there's some good reason to think in the text we're not gonna get too, in the nitty gritty here, there's some good reason to think in the text that Christ actually delivered these parables as a set as well. So it's not just, it's not just Matthew coating these, although it could be. Um, but it, it seems like these were all delivered probably as like a common set of parables. And the reason I say that is because when we start to look at this parable and the one we previously went through, the parable of the soils, um, or the parable of the sower. Um, what we see is the answer to your question of why do some people, you know, why are some people deceived? Well, yes, there is secondary causation. The devil deceives them. They blind themselves. They, you know, suppress the, the, the truth and right unrighteousness. But on a, on a primary causation level, um, God is the one who is identi, is, is identifying who will be the sons of the, you know, devil and the sons of the kingdom. Mm-hmm. This is another, and yet another example of election is that the, the good sower sowed good seed, and the good seed was the elect and the enemy. Although in God's sovereignty, God is the one who determines this. The enemy is the one who sows the reprobate. Right? So all, all men. Star, and this is, I, I guess I didn't really intend to go here, but this is good evidence in my mind for, um, infra laps, Arianism versus super laps. Arianism, right infra laps, arianism or sub lapse. Arianism would say that God decrees, uh, to permit the fall and then he decrees to redeem some out of the fall, right? Logically speaking, not temporally speaking. Super laps. Arianism, which is the minority. It's the smaller portion of, of the historic tradition, although modern times, I think it's a little bit louder and a little bit more vocal, but super relapses. Arianism would argue that God, um, decrees. Sort of the, the decree of election and reprobation is logically prior to the decree of the fall. And so in, in that former or in the super laps area model, the fall becomes a means by which the reprobate are justly condemned. Not, um, not the cause of their condemnation, but a way to sort of justify the fact that they will be separated from God, right? Because of their reprobate. [00:28:36] Exploring the Parable of the Wheat and the Tares Tony Arsenal: I know that there's, there's probably some super lab streams that would nuance that differently and some that are probably just screaming straw man, uh, in a coffee shop somewhere and, and people are thinking you're crazy. Um, but by and large, that's actually a rel, a relatively accepted, um, explanation of it. There are certainly potential problems with, uh, sub, sub lapse agonism as well. But in this, in this parable, what we see is the people who are, um, who are elect, are sowed into the field and the people who are reprobate are also sowed into the field. And so God saves the people who are sewed into the field that are, they elect, he saves them out of this now mixed world by waiting and allowing them to grow up next to the reprobate, um, in sort of this mixed world setting. And then he redeems them out of that. Um, and, and, and so we have to sort of remember. Although it is a pretty strict, sort of allegorical type of parable, it's still a parable. So we shouldn't, we shouldn't always draw like direct one-to-one comparisons here. It's making a theological point, but, um, but it's important for us to re remember that, that it is ultimately, it is God who determines who is the elected and who is not. But it's, it's our sin. It's the devil deceiving us. It's the secondary causes that are responsible for the sons of the devil, right? It, the, the men come to the, to the sower and say, who is done this? He says it was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: Right? Right. Tony Arsenal: He doesn't say like, well, actually I put the seed there and so, you know, I'm, I, it's not an equal distribution. He's not sowing good seed and bad seed. He sows the good seed and the devil sows the bad seed. [00:30:24] Theological Implications and Assurance Tony Arsenal: Um, and, and that's a, I think that's an important theological point to make. And as far as assurance goes. We, we can't depend on our ability to perceive or sort of like discern election in a raw sense, right? We have to observe certain kinds of realities around us. Um, and, and primarily we have to depend on the mercy and, and saving faith that God gives us. That's right. Um, you know, our, our assurance of faith does not primarily come from fruit checking. Um, we have to do that. It's important, we're commanded to do it, and it serves as an important secondary evidence. But a, a, a person who wants to find assurance. Of salvation should first and foremost look to the promises of Christ and then depend on them. Um, and, and so that's, I think all of that's kind of wrapped up into this parable. It's, it's, it's amazing to me that we're only like two parables in, and we're already, you know, we're already talking about super lapse arianism and sub lapse arianism, and it's, it's amazing. I, I love this. I'm loving this series so far, and we're barely scratching the surface. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, it's all there. I think you're right to call that out. It strikes me, like, as you were speaking, it really just hit me higher that I think you're right. Really the foundation on this, like the hidden foundation is assurance and it's that assurance which splits the groups, or at least divides them, or it gives us, again, like the distinct, kind, discrete compartments or components of each of them. So. Again, I think it's help saying, 'cause we wanna be encouraging. That's, that's our whole point here is when the Apostle Peter says, be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and choosing of you. That herein we have the scripture saying to us, time and time again, be sure of what God has done in your life. Be confident in that very thing. And so if assurance is, as we're saying, that's the argument hypothesis we're making. That's the critical thing here. [00:32:11] False Assurance and True Faith Jesse Schwamb: Then the division between the children of God and the children of the devil is false versus true assurance. So the tears, I think what we're saying here, basically they typically live under false asserts. They may attend church, confess, belief, appear righteous, yet their hearts are unregenerate. Their faith is maybe historical. It's not saving, it could be intellectual, but it's not spiritual. And of course, like just a few chapters before this, we hope those famous verses where Jesus himself drops the bomb and says, listen, many of you, he's talking to the people, the, the disciples around him, the crowds that we're gathering and thronging all about. He says, many of you're gonna say to me, Lord, Lord, do we not prophesy your name? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse Schwamb: And then I will declare to them, I never knew you depart from me. These are not people who knew they were false, they thought they belonged to Christ. Their shock on judgment day is gonna reveal this profound self-deception. And that self-deception is wrapped up in a false type of assurance, a false righteousness. So I think one of the things that we can really come to terms with and grab a hold of is the fact that when we are. Confessing, repenting seeking like our status in Christ because of Christ. Then we have confidence that we are in fact part of the children of God. When everything is stripped away from us and all we're crying out is only and completely and solely and unequivocally, Jesus Christ, then I think we have great reason to understand that we should be confident in our assurance. [00:33:38] Historical Perspectives on Assurance Jesse Schwamb: You know, I was reading this week from Thomas Brooks and did incidentally come across this, a quote, an assurance and reminded me of this passage, and here's what he writes. You know, of course he's writing in like 16 hundreds, like mid 16 hundreds. It's wild, of course, but we shouldn't be surprised that what you're about to hear sounds like it could have been written today for us. In this conversation, but, uh, he writes, assurance is the believer's arc where he sits Noah alike quiets and still in the midst of all distractions and destructions, commotions and confusions. However, most Christians live between fears and hopes and hang, as it were, between heaven and hell. Sometimes they hope that their state is good. At other times they fear that their state is bad. Now they hope that all is well and that it shall go well. Well with them forever. Then they fear that they shall perish by the hand of such corruption or by the prevalency of such and such temptation. They're like a ship and a storm tossed here and there, and. I think that he's right about that. And I think the challenge there is to get away from that. I love where it starts, where he says, what wonderful turn of phrase assurance is the believer's arc or Noah, like, you know, we're sitting and the commotion, the destructions, the commotion, the confusions of all the world. That's why to get this right, to be encouraged by this passage, to be challenged by it is so critical because we're all looking for that arc. We all want to know that God has in fact arrested us so completely that no matter what befalls us, that everything, as we talked about before, all of our, all of the world, in fact is subservient to our salvation. But that's a real thing that cannot be snatched away from us because God has ordained it and intended it, built it, created it, and brought it to pass. And so I think that's all like in this passage, it's all the thing that's being called us to. So. I, I don't want us to get like too hung up. It's a good question, I think to ask and answer like we were trying to talk about here, but you're right. If we focus too much just on the like, let's gaff for these tears. Who are they? Like let's people's, like Readers Digest in People's magazine these tears. Like who are they? Do we have a list of them? Who do we think they are? How could it be me? Is it really me? Am I, am I anxious about that? Really what we should be saying is following what Peter calls us to do that is to be all the more diligent to make certain about his calling and his choosing. So even there like our emphasis and focus, isn't it like you're saying Tony about like, let me do some fruit inventory. I got like a lot of good bananas. I got a lot of ripe pears. Like, look at the tree. This, this is good. Even there, the emphasis is to turn our eyes on Jesus, as it were, and to make certain about his work, his calling and his choosing of us. And I think when we do that, we're falling down in worship and in yielding and submission to him, rightfully acknowledging that the righteousness of Christ is the one that is always in every way alien to us and imputed. And that is what makes us sons and daughters of God, that good seed sown by Jesus himself. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. I just wanna read, I wanna um, round out a few more paragraphs here out of the Westminster confession because I do think, you know, when we even talk about assurance, we're not even always all saying the exact same thing. And I think that's important because when we talk about assurance of faith, we need to be understanding that this is the rightful, not only the rightful possession of all Christians, but it's the rightful responsibility of all Christians to seek it. So here's, here's section two of that same chapter. It says, this certainty referring to assurance. This certainty is not a bare conjectural and probable persuasion grounded upon a, a fallible hope, but an infallible assurance of faith founded upon the divine truth of the promises of salvation, the inward evidence of those graces unto which these promises are made, the testimony of the spirit of adoption, witnessing with our hearts that we are the children of God, which spirit is the earnest of our inheritance, whereby we are sealed to the day of redemption. So. One of the, the things that I think is, is important here is people read this and say the inward evidences of those graces unto which these promises are made. They read that and they think that it's referring to like good work and like spiritual renewal, but it's, it's not, it's the inward evidence of those graces unto which of the promises are made. So it's this inner, inner renewal. It's the spirit testifying to our spirit. And then, um, chapter, uh, section three here, it says. This infallible assurance doth not so belong to the essence of faith, but that a true believer may wait long and conflict with many difficulties before he be partaker of it, yet being enabled by the Spirit to know the things which are freely given of God. He may without extraordinary revelation there, right there is response to Roman Catholicism in the right use of ordinary means at attain there unto. And therefore, it is the duty of everyone to give all diligence, to make his calling and election. Sure. And thereby his heart may be enlarged in peace and in joy in the Holy Ghost, in love and thankfulness to God and in strength and cheerfulness in the duties of obedience. The proper fruits of this assurance so far is it from inclining men to looseness? Right. [00:38:53] The Role of Good Works in Assurance Tony Arsenal: So we often hear and and I, I think there are good, um, there are good reformed Christians that put. The emphasis of assurance on, or they, they put an overemphasis, in my opinion, on how good works function within our assurance. Right. They, they often will ask us to look to our good fruit as sort of, not the grounding, but as a strong evidence. But at least in terms of the confession here, the cheerfulness in the duties of obedience is the fruit of assurance. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Not Tony Arsenal: the cause or grounding of assurance. So rather than, this is what this last line says. It says so far, is it from inclining? Mental looseness assurance should drive us to obedience and fruitfulness in Christ. And so yes, it is in a certain sense an evidence because if that fruitfulness and obedience is absent from our lives, there's a good reason for us to question whether this infallible assurance is present in our lives. But the assurance is what drives us to this obedience. Um. You know, like, I think you could use the analogy of like a married couple. A married couple who is very secure in their relationship and in their, uh, love for one another and their faithfulness to each other is more likely to cheerfully serve and submit to each other and to respect each other and to sacrifice for each other than a couple that's maybe not so sure that the other person has their best interest in mind. That's or maybe isn't so sure that this thing is gonna work out. I think that's the same thing, like the sacrifice and the service that a husband, uh, performs for his wife, whom he loves and trusts and is committed to and knows that she's faithful and committed to him. That is not causing that faithfulness. It's not causing that trust and that love. It is the outcome and the outflow of it. It's good evidence that that love exists, but it's not caused by it. And assurance here is the same kind of dynamic assurance is not. We can't assure ourselves of our salvation by doing good works. No matter how many good works you do, there are lots and lots of people who are not saved and who will not be saved, who do perfectly good works in appearance. Right. They have the, the outward appearance of godliness, but lack its power. Right, right. Out of right outta Paul, writing to Timothy there. Yes. So that's, that's important for us as we continue to parse all this out, is yes, the fruit is present. Yes. The wheat is to, is discernible from the tears by its final, fruitful status. Right? It grows up to be grain, which is fruitful rather than weeds and tears, which are only good to be burned, but it is not the fruit that causes it to be wheat. It's wheat that causes the fruit to grow. If, if it wasn't wheat, it wouldn't grow fruit, not because the fruit makes it grain, but because it is in fact wheat to start with. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that's right on. So I think like by summation we're kind of saying. At least the answer to this question. You know, do the tears know that they're tears? Yes and no. Some do, some don't. I think, yes, there are some that are gonna be consciously hypocritical, willfully rejecting Christ while pretending for worldly gain. I think that's, that's certainly plain to see. And at the same time, do the tears know the tears? Sometimes? No. There's self deceived under spiritual blindness and they have some kind of false assurance. And this idea of, again, coming in repentance before God and seeking humbly to submit to him is I think one of those signs of that kind of true assurance, not a false assurance. And you already stole where I was thinking of Tony by going to Second Timothy again. Thomas Brooks in precious remedies against Saint's device is one of like the best. Books ever. I know that he's really outspoken. He loves to harp on the fact that one of Satan's most effective snares is to make men and women content with a form of godliness without its power. Yeah. And that's often what we're talking about here, I think, is that Satan loves to fish in the shallow waters a profession. And really that can happen in any kind of church or religious culture, that there is this shallowness where that loves religious appearance, prayer, knowledge fellowship, but not the Christ behind them. And so whether we're looking to somebody like Brooks or Jonathan Edwards and we're trying to parse out what are our true affections, not in a way again, that somehow leans well, I feel enough, then somehow that justifies, not inwardly, but again, definitely trying to understand our conviction for conversion tears. For repentance that. Really what we're after is not like just the blessings of Christ, but Christ himself, which I think really leads us to this eschatological perspective then to round all everything out because you know, we talked about before, there's an old phrase, it's like everywhere. A lot of people talk in heaven. Not everybody's going there. And so this idea of like, people will talk about be so great to be there and it's sometimes this, the heaven that they speak of is like absent Christ, you know, as if like, if Christ wasn't there, at least in their perspective, it still wouldn't be half bad. And so I think that does lead us to understand what is this in gathering? What is this? You know, bringing everything into the barn and burning everything else up. And like you just said, if at the beginning you cannot tell the injurious weed aside from that beautiful kernel of wheat that's coming up, but if in the end you can see what's happening in the end, then that brings us all to consummation. What does it mean in this parable? Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:44:19] Eschatological Judgment and Assurance Tony Arsenal: And, and I think this actually sort of forces us to grapple a little bit with, with another sort of persnickety feature of this parable that, that I think, I think personally sometimes gets overlooked is we are very quick to talk about this parable to be about the church. And it is. Right. And, and there's reasons to talk like that. But when Christ explains the parable, he doesn't say the field is the church. He says the field is the world. Right. And so we have to, we have to, we have to do a little bit of, um. We have to do a little bit of hermeneutics to understand that this is also speaking of the church, right? It's not as though the church is some hermetically sealed off body that the dynamics of the world and the, the weed and the tears like that, that doesn't happen in the church. But when we talk about the end of the age here, he says the son of man will send his angels and they will gather out of his kingdom. All causes of sin in all lawbreakers. Right? So, so the, the final eschatological judgment, it's all encompassing. And I dunno, maybe I'm, maybe I'm becoming a little bit post mill with this, um, the, the world is already the Kingdom of Christ. Right? Right. That's right. It, it's not, it's not just the church on earth that is the kingdom of Christ. And so when we talk about this eschatological reaping, um, what we see is, is very straightforward. There are those who are, uh, who belong to Christ, who were sown by him into the world, who were, uh, were tended by him, who were protected by him, who he intended to harvest from the very beginning, right? The good sower sows good seed into the field, and that good seed is and necessarily will be wheat. It's not as though, um, it's not as though, and again, this is one of those ways where like the parables sometimes, uh, are telling a little bit of a different story. Even though they're sharing some themes in the first parable, in the parable of the sower, he sows the same seed into the world. But the seed in that first parable is not the, is not the person receiving the seed. The seed is the one is the word of God. Yes. And so the word of God is sewn promiscuously, even to those who will be hard soil and who will be rocky soil and have thorns. The word of God is, is sewn to all of those people. Across the whole world in this parable. The seed that is the good seed that is sown is and always was going to be weed that was, or wheat, which was going to grow into fruitfulness and be gathered into the barn. Right? That was a foregone conclusion. The, the, when the sower decided to sow seed, all of that said he is the one who did that. He's the one that chose that. He's the one that will bring us to completion, right? And then also the ones that are not of his kingdom, the sons of the devil, they will also be reaped at the end. Actually we'll be reaped before the, you know, they'll be reaped and gathered and, and tossed into the furnace before the sons of the kingdom are gathered together. Jesse Schwamb: Right. Tony Arsenal: So it, again, this is a parable and even though this is Christ's explanation of the parable, I don't think that Christ was intending to give us like a strict timeline. Right. I don't think he was encouraging us to draw a chart and try to map out where this all happens in order. Um, I do think it's relevant that, that, at least in the explanation of this parable, I mentioned it last week, that, that the rap, the rapture is actually the wicked being raptured. They're the ones that are gathered and taken out of the world and cast into the fiery furnace before the, before the righteous are gathered together and, and brought into Christ Barn. Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, there's a great unmasking that's happening here in this final stage. I mean, that's critically the point. I think there's a lot of stuff we could talk about open handedly and kind of hypothesize or theorize what it means. But what is plain, I think, is that there's this unmasking, this unveiling of the reality of the light of Christ's perfect judgment. But that judgment is for both parties Here it is coming and what was hidden beneath outward religion or more, a facade is gonna be revealed with eternal clarity. That's just the reality. It is coming. So in some ways it pairs. I think at least well in this, well purposely of course in this teaching because Jesus is saying, hold on, like we talked about last time. Do this is not for you to judge. You are ill-equipped. You are not skilled enough to discern this. And therefore though, you wanna go in hot and get spicy and try to throw out all the weeds. Wait for the right time. Wait for the one like you're saying, Tony has from all of eternity past intended for it to be this way. Super intending his will over all things in the casting of the seed. And as we say, Philippians, of course, finishing that good work, which was started, he will finish. It is God's two finish again. And so he says, listen, that day is coming. There's gonna be a great unmasking. Uh, get ready for it. And the scriptures bear witness to that in so many other ways. So. There's such a journey in these like handful of verses, isn't there? I mean, it's really wild. The things that not like we come up with or we read into the text, but as we sit in it a little bit, as we just spend even a cursory amount of time letting it pour over us, that we find there's like a conviction in a weight in these things that are beyond just the story and beyond just even like the illustrations themselves. What we find is, again, it's as if Jesus himself in his brilliance, of course, through the power of the Holy Spirit, is illuminating the mind in the spirit to open up our conception, understanding of the kingdom of God by bringing it to us through his perspective in our own terms, of course, which is both our language and like the context of the world in which we live, and that simple example of farming and seed. And again, even just that there are these interest weeds that look like wheat. I went on this like rabbit hole this week and did a lot of research on like tears and Yeah, like especially people in like the Midwest United States who like know a lot more about agriculture than I do have a lot to say about this. It's not just like we shouldn't be surprised like. Isn't it incredible that like there are actually weeds out there that look like, yeah, it's a brilliance of just knowing that this teaching is so finely tuned. Like we can even just talk about that. Like the world is finely tuned. This teaching is so finely tuned to these grant theological principles that we can at one point be children and appropriate them enough and assume them into our own intellectual capacity so that we can trust in them. And yet even as like adults with like, let's say like the greatest gift of intellectual capacity, still find that we cannot get to the bottom of them because they're so deep. They draw us into these really, really grand vistas or really like extremely deep cold theological waters. And I just find. That I am in awe then of what Jesus is saying here because there's a truth for us in assurance that we ought to clinging to. And there's also like stuff that we should come back to. We shouldn't just stop it here and put it out of our minds until the next time we, we want to just be stimulated by something that's interesting or that we want to just grab somebody and shake them cage style, cage two style and say like, look at this great thing that I just learned about this, this particular parable. But instead, there's so much here for us to meditate on. And in that, I think rather than the Christian finding fear in this parable, what they should find is great comfort. We should be Noah alike sitting in the ark saying, it is well with my soul. And our reason for that is because we know God has cast a seed through his son Jesus Christ. And to be a child, a child of God is the greatest thing in all the universe. Tony Arsenal: Yeah. And I, I think that, um, transitions nicely to, uh, I'll make this point quick because we're coming up on time here. Um. [00:52:04] Christ's Divinity and Sovereignty Tony Arsenal: The other little subtle thing that Christ does here in this parable is he, he absolutely asserts his divinity and sovereignty overall creation. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Yep. Tony Arsenal: Right. It, it's almost like a throw. There's a couple little like lines that are almost throwaway lines, right in the, the first, the beginning of the parable here. Um, the parable itself, uh, he says, um, the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed into a field. And then he says, um, the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, right? And then when he interprets the parable, he says, well, the, the servants are, the field is the world, right? So he's the master of the world, and the servants are the angels. So he's the master of the angels. And then if, if there was any doubt left in your mind. Says in verse 41, the son of man will send his angels. That's right. And they will gather out of his kingdom, which is the world, all the causes of sin and all lawbreakers, and throw them into the fiery furnace. Right? So we have this, this robust picture that there is election. The the good sower sows good seed into the world, and the good seed will necessarily grow into wheat and will be preserved and protected and ultimately harvest Well, why can we have assurance that that will be the case? Well, because the master of the house is the son of man who is the Lord of the universe and the creator of all things. And his angels do his will. That's right. So, so the whole thing is all wrapped up. Why can we have assurance? Because God is a good God and Christ is a good savior, and the savior of the world is the creator of the universe, right? If any of those facts were not true. Then we couldn't have assurance. If God wasn't good, then maybe he's lying. If Christ wasn't the savior of the world or the God of the universe, the creator of the universe, then he wasn't worthy to be the one who saves. All of this is wrapped up in the parables, and this is what's so exciting about the parables. In most of the instances that we look up, especially of the sort of longer parables, these kinds of dynamics are there where it's not just a simple story making a simple point, it is making one primary point. Usually there's one primary point that a, that a parable is making. But in order to make that primary point, there's all these supporting points and supporting things that have to be the case. If the, if the good sower was not the master of the house and a, a competent, uh, a competent landowner who knew the difference between wheat and weeds, even at the early stage, right? His, his servants go and go, what happened? What's with all of these weeds? They can tell the difference somehow, Jesse Schwamb: right? Tony Arsenal: He's immediately able to go, well, this was an enemy. Jesse Schwamb: That's right. Tony Arsenal: And while they're bumbling around going, should we go rip it all up and start over? He is like, no, no, no, no. Just wait until, wait until it all grows up together. And when that happens, the Reapers will come and they'll take care of it and they'll do it in my direction, right? Because he's competent, he's the savior, he's the creator, he's the good master, he is the good sower. Um, we can be confi

god love jesus christ spotify halloween ai lord google master spirit books building kingdom christians wild holy spirit mental romans satan scripture rome corinthians ephesians kingdom of god catholic philippians sons exploring tears cultivating false honestly parable thousands affirmations sort telegram reform doctrine denial excel final thoughts teaches assurance won reformation divinity catholicism brotherhood wheat spiders holy ghost sower elementary mm grew westminster matthew 13 someday reformed in matthew imagining good works kingdom of heaven roman catholic because god confessing apostle peter christian podcast tas jonathan edwards lemme confluence deceive tares roman catholicism khan academy assurance of salvation if christ logically reader's digest spiritual discernment reapers westminster confession arianism historical perspectives second timothy faith chapter thomas brooks midwest united states tony arsenal

LFN #222 - Everything is an Offer: Understanding Natural Law with Tom Barnett

Live Free Now w/ John Bush

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 23, 2025 90:00

I first heard Tom Barnett speak at Confluence last year — and man, it hit hard. He gave a powerful talk on how everything is an offer — in law, in life, in the spiritual realm. And that we all get to choose how we respond. That message stuck with me. It was raw, empowering, and packed with real truth. I knew I had to bring him on the Live Free Now Show to share that insight with all of you. In this episode, we dive deep into Natural Law, sovereignty, and Tom's personal journey — from growing up questioning the system in Australia, to navigating courts and injustice, to healing chronic fatigue not through medicine, but through alignment with Natural Law. Tom doesn't claim to be a master. But his open mind and grounded way of teaching make him one of the most powerful messengers I've come across. He breaks down complex spiritual and legal ideas in a way that's simple, clear, and direct. We also talk about The Humble Kingdom — the platform he and his wife Summah launched in 2025 as a response to what people need most right now: clarity, healing, truth, and sovereignty. If you've ever felt trapped by systems that don't serve you… or wondered how to step fully into your power while staying grounded and free — this conversation is for you. Don't miss it. Subscribe, hit the bell, and join us for this potent episode of Live Free Now. *** Support Our Sponsors and Partners: Above Phone – Easy to Use, Hard to Track If you haven't gotten one yet, you owe it to yourself and your privacy to do so! It's more than a phone — it's your complete shield against mobile surveillance. Zero Big Tech by default Works worldwide with any SIM Secure updates through 2031 Multiple encrypted “phones” inside one device Built-in encrypted calls, texts, and apps Every Above Phone comes with a 45-min onboarding session, guides, courses, and monthly webinars. Check it out here: https://abovephone.com/livefree (Get $150 off select phones!) CrowdHealth is revolutionizing how we handle medical bills. ✅ No networks. ✅ Transparent costs. ✅ Support from a like-minded community. USE CODE LFA at checkout to get a discounted membership of $99/month for the first 3 months. https://www.joincrowdhealth.com/promo... ***

australia offer transparent barnett natural law confluence summah

Confluence | Fellowship With The Holy Spirit

spirit holy spirit fellowship confluence

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 19, 2025 46:10

The Spirit doesn't just lead us; He walks with us—inviting us into daily fellowship, holy conversation, and shared purpose.

Ep 3: Three Rivers Confluence – Steelers at Bengals

Steelers Standard (Pittsburgh Steelers)

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 16, 2025 27:29 Transcription Available

Ed Troup and Jacob Recht list their keys to victories for the Steelers on offense and defense to take down the Bengals tonight. And Ed and Jacob pick a winner for tonight's matchup.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

pittsburgh steelers bengals confluence three rivers

The Relationship Between Language Skills and Discipline Referrals (featuring Dr. Shameka Stewart)

Are they 18 yet?â„¢

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 21:13

When schools respond to “behavior problems” in students, the focus is often on the symptom, not the cause. Failing to look beyond the surface behavior does a disservice to students, which is why in this episode I share commentary and a clip from my conversation with Dr. Shameka Stewart on the school-to-confinement pipeline. Dr. Shameka Stewart is an Associate Professor of Communication Sciences and Disorders and the Juvenile Forensic Speech-Language Pathologist(r). Dr. Stewart is also a special education advocate trained by the Wright's Law training center. Dr. Stewart's clinical and scholarly work specializes in Juvenile Forensics, Law Enforcement Interaction with youth with CD, child language disorders, and augmentative and alternative communication (AAC). Her primary research focuses on the Confluence and Impact of cognitive and communication disorders on the school-to-confinement pipeline, status offenses, involvement with the criminal justice system, law enforcement interaction, and criminal recidivism in youth placed at-risk for delinquency and crime (especially Black and Brown youth from under-resourced areas). Dr. Stewart is also a clinically certified and licensed speech-language pathologist and is licensed to practice in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and multiple other states. Through her work, Dr. Stewart has created cutting edge social justice and juvenile justice specialty courses for graduate CSD students, nationally known training programs for law enforcement and legal counsel, and national and international CE workshops and training for licensed SLP clinicians, students, and families of children with special needs.Discussion points from this episode include: ✅The relationship between reading challenges and the school-to-confinement pipeline.✅Why “behavior problems” could be related to language processing, reading, or writing challenges.✅“They should know better”: Why we can't assume kids comprehend language in the school discipline handbook. If you're working with students in K-12 of any age, this episode is a must-listen. You can listen to the original interview with Dr. Stewart on the De Facto Leaders podcast here: EP 180: The relationship of literacy and language skills and involvement with the justice system (with Dr. Shameka Stewart) Link here: https://drkarendudekbrannan.com/ep-180-the-relationship-of-literacy-and-language-skills-and-involvement-with-the-justice-system-with-dr-shameka-stewart/You can connect with Dr. Stewart on her website here: www.juvforensicslp.comConnect with her on Instagram @drjuvenile_forensicslp (link here: http://drjuvenile_forensicslp/)Join her Facebook group SLPs 4 Juvenile Justice here: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1226771284165745/membersIn this episode, I mention Language Therapy Advance Foundations, my program that helps SLPs and other service providers create a system for language therapy. You can learn more about the program here: https://drkarenspeech.com/languagetherapy/ We're thrilled to be sponsored by IXL. IXL's comprehensive teaching and learning platform for math, language arts, science, and social studies is accelerating achievement in 95 of the top 100 U.S. school districts. Loved by teachers and backed by independent research from Johns Hopkins University, IXL can help you do the following and more:Simplify and streamline technologySave teachers' timeReliably meet Tier 1 standardsImprove student performance on state assessments

Top headlines to know this week

TAB News

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 15, 2025 6:45

Welcome to The Weekly, produced by TAB Media Group, which publishes The Alabama Baptist and The Baptist Paper. Each episode features news headlines read by TAB Media Group staff and volunteers. New episodes are released weekly on Wednesday mornings. Articles featured in this episode: Giving to Lottie Moon, Annie Armstrong surpasses $278 million Creating a culture of generosity in your church Confluence 2025 brings together college students across Georgia Danny Akin announces retirement plans Tony Evans talks next chapter, upcoming book and undisclosed ‘sin' TN Baptist volunteers offer aid after explosion at plant Remaining Israeli hostages released following ceasefire Celebrating the Cooperative Program with children Teaching churches to count what matters most Florida missions team travels to Chicago ‘to see, to serve' Nigerian official disputes reports of anti-Christian violence Voice of the Martyrs VP shares stories from recent trip Alabama farmers praise guest-worker wage decrease SBOM names Spencer Bell as new associate in office of evangelism, church revitalization 30 ways to honor your pastor Young Alabamian launches campus speaking tour for ‘hard conversations' Check out the Kid's Edition of The Baptist Paper! Visit TAB Media HERE Subscribe on iTunes HERE

chicago voice giving teaching alabama nigerians confluence tony evans top headlines sbom lottie moon cooperative program alabama baptist annie armstrong

EP 630: OpenAI brings Apps and Agents to ChatGPT, Google drops Gemini Enterprise, is the AI bubble here and more

Everyday AI Podcast â€“ An AI and ChatGPT Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 38:19

OpenAI debuted the future of ChatGPT with Agents and Apps. How will that impact work?

ai google microsoft chatgpt bubbles apps roi drops enterprise samsung openai gemini nvidia regulations sora genai confluence xai microsoft copilot

20VC: Atlassian CEO on Why Everything is Overvalued & Are We in an AI Bubble | Do Margins Matter & Does Defensibility Exist in an AI World | Is Per Seat Pricing Dead & The Future of Vibe Coding with Mike Cannon-Brookes

The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 63:16

Mike Cannon-Brookes is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Atlassian, the $50BN software giant behind products like Jira, Confluence, and Trello. Since founding the company in 2002, he has scaled it to over 300,000 customers globally, generating more than $5BN in annual revenue. Atlassian now employs over 10,000 people across 13 countries and is one of the most successful bootstrapped-to-IPO stories in tech history. Mike is also a leading climate investor and co-owner of several major sports teams. AGENDA: 00:00 Why Unreasonable Men Win in Startups 07:22 How to Make Co-CEOs Work 13:22 Are We in an AI Bubble? Is Everything Overvalued? 26:46 The Future of Software Development: More or Less Devs 32:53 Do Margins Matter in a World of AI 34:02 The Future of Vibe Coding… 36:35 Does Defensibility Exist in a World of AI 42:09 Is Per Seat Pricing Dead in a World of AI 49:01 The Founder Journey and Leadership 54:28 Quick Fire Round: Parenting Advice, Relationship to Money

56. The Future of Mining - Innovative Pathways to a Skilled Workforce

Discovery to Recovery

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 13, 2025 57:04

Host Anne Thompson explores the diverse and innovative methods being employed in Australia to build and retain the technical workforce in the mining industry. From attracting new talent, to supporting early career geoscientists, to training professionals from other industries - this episode might just change your perspective on what is possible.First up, Brendan Howard, General Manager for Technical Capability at Rio Tinto and a founder of the MiEX (Minerals Industry Experience) Program, addresses the mining sector's shrinking and less diverse talent pipeline. The success of MiEX, a collaborative industry-led program, highlights the value of early engagement with undergraduate students. The pilot in January 2025 drew over 500 applicants for 69 places with 90% of participants expressing intent to pursue mining careers. New conversations are underway in North America to bring this exciting opportunity to more students.Richard Lilly, the University of Adelaide presents NExUS (National Exploration Undercover School) based in South Australia, which provides hands-on experience and essential training to geoscience students, bridging the gap between academic knowledge and industry requirements. NExUS combines technical learning with professional networking, using the South Australian Drill Core Library and nearby field sites to expose students to geophysics, core logging, and exploration through cover. Lilly is now stepping down after 10 years as Director, with the hope that this successful model will continue and be expanded to other jurisdictions to better prepare geoscientists for evolving exploration challenges.Lastly, Deng Ngang Deng, from Target Mining Resources, shares his inspiring journey from South Sudan to professional geoscientist in Western Australia. Deng was involved in establishing the Pan Africa Resource Reporting Code (PARC) and an invited plenary speaker at SEG 2024 in Namibia. At home in Australia, he has developed an innovative approach to training and employing geoscientists and other technical mining workers. Initiated during the pandemic, the company continues to expand and add to their portfolio of skills they train for, successfully filling a gap in mining recruitment.Many thanks to Avo Media for production support. Theme music is Confluence by Eastwindseastwindsmusic.com

Confluence | Wild Ride with a Faithful Guide

guide holy spirit faithful wild ride confluence

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 12, 2025 39:45

Even when the waters get rough, the Holy Spirit is guiding us—not to safety, but to sanctification.

115. Hannah Levy ~ Editor-in-Chief of The Rebis, on The Devil, and Tarot as a Creative Practice

work artist devil chief witches substack tarot northern california levy wanderer confluence creatrix major arcana creative practice

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 50:24

The Devil from Tarot's Major Arcana is one of the more magnetic, complex and shadowy archetypes from the deck, and Hannah Levy thinks it is high time we tune into their compelling frequency. Hannah is a writer, and the editor-in-chief of The Rebis, is a print-only tarot themed literary journal of creative writing and art. The theme of this year's journal is The Devil, with creative contributions navigating themes of addiction, sexuality, liberation, and more. Tune in for Hannah's creative take on working with tarot, their story of upstarting a literary journal, and meditations on The Devil archetype. ❤️‍

Gemini Enterprise- así quiere Google dominar la inteligencia artificial empresarial

FLASH DIARIO de El Siglo 21 es Hoy

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 10, 2025 13:18 Transcription Available

Gemini en el trabajo: La nueva apuesta de Google para llevar la inteligencia artificial a cada escritorio Por Félix Riaño @LocutorCo Escuchar esta y otras historias del Flash Diario en Spotify. Google lanza Gemini Enterprise, una plataforma que busca transformar la forma en que las empresas usan la inteligencia artificial. Con precios desde 21 dólares al mes, promete un asistente personalizado para cada trabajador y una respuesta directa frente a Microsoft, OpenAI y Amazon. Google presentó Gemini Enterprise, su nueva plataforma de inteligencia artificial para empresas. La propuesta busca integrar todos los servicios de Google Cloud y Workspace en un solo punto de acceso: un chat empresarial donde cada persona puede crear y usar sus propios agentes de IA sin saber programar. La plataforma ya está activa en todos los países donde se venden los productos de Google Cloud y tiene clientes como Figma, Klarna, Macquarie Bank, Gordon Food Service, Virgin Voyages y Gap. Su precio empieza en 21 dólares por usuario para pequeñas empresas y 30 dólares en los planes corporativos. Gemini Enterprise es el paso más ambicioso de Google en inteligencia artificial aplicada al trabajo. No se trata de un complemento para Workspace, sino de una plataforma completa dentro de Google Cloud. Desde un solo chat, cualquier persona puede conectarse con sus datos en Google Workspace, Microsoft 365, Salesforce o SAP, y activar agentes inteligentes que responden, analizan y ejecutan tareas reales.El concepto de “agente” es clave: son pequeñas inteligencias diseñadas para hacer cosas específicas. Por ejemplo, redactar correos, analizar ventas, escribir código o resumir reuniones. Todo se coordina desde un entorno seguro con control centralizado, llamado Governance Framework, donde los responsables de TI pueden auditar y monitorear el comportamiento de cada agente.Thomas Kurian, CEO de Google Cloud, definió la plataforma como “la nueva puerta de entrada a la inteligencia artificial en el trabajo”. Y lo cierto es que el lanzamiento marca un cambio profundo: Google pasa de ofrecer herramientas dispersas, como Gemini para Gmail o Docs, a ofrecer una arquitectura completa de inteligencia artificial para toda la organización. Aquí es donde el panorama se vuelve interesante. La llegada de Gemini Enterprise no ocurre en el vacío, sino en medio de una batalla abierta entre los gigantes de la inteligencia artificial. Microsoft ya vende Copilot dentro de su suite 365. OpenAI tiene ChatGPT Enterprise, con más de cinco millones de usuarios empresariales. Y Amazon acaba de anunciar Quick Suite, su propio entorno de agentes.Cada una de estas plataformas busca convertirse en el “centro” del trabajo digital. Microsoft apuesta por su ecosistema cerrado, OpenAI por la potencia de su modelo, y Google por un enfoque abierto, conectado a más de 100 000 socios tecnológicos. El precio también forma parte de la estrategia: Gemini Enterprise cuesta 30 dólares mensuales por usuario, menos que el plan de Copilot, que ronda los 40 dólares.En este contexto, la competencia no es solo técnica: es por el control del flujo de trabajo. Si las empresas adoptan Gemini, sus datos y procesos quedarán dentro del ecosistema de Google Cloud, con integraciones directas en su infraestructura. Por eso, esta batalla por la IA en el trabajo no trata únicamente de quién tiene el modelo más avanzado, sino de quién logra convertirse en el lugar donde todo ocurre. Para Google, el reto está en convertir ese enfoque abierto en una ventaja real. Ya tiene aliados importantes. Virgin Voyages usa Gemini Enterprise para crear más de 50 agentes internos, incluido uno llamado Email Ellie, que aumentó un 28 % las ventas en julio y redujo el tiempo de producción de campañas en un 40 %. Macquarie Bank en Australia también adoptó la plataforma: el 99 % de sus empleados ya completó la capacitación en IA usando la herramienta Google Skills, y ahora desarrollan agentes que analizan documentos y mejoran la atención al cliente.Otro caso destacado es Gordon Food Service, con más de 12 000 empleados integrando Gemini Enterprise y Workspace. Sus equipos de ventas, marketing y recursos humanos ya usan agentes para automatizar informes, estudiar tendencias de consumo y crear contenidos internos. En todos los casos, el objetivo es el mismo: liberar tiempo humano para tareas creativas y estratégicas.Estos ejemplos muestran el verdadero propósito del proyecto: democratizar el uso de agentes de inteligencia artificial sin depender de programadores. Google quiere que cada trabajador tenga su propio “asistente empresarial”, entrenado con los datos de su organización y listo para colaborar en cualquier flujo de trabajo. El ecosistema de Gemini Enterprise incluye seis componentes:Los cerebros: los modelos Gemini más recientes, incluidos Gemini 2.5 Flash Image y Gemini 2.5 Pro.El taller: un entorno sin código llamado Workbench, donde se crean y coordinan agentes.La fuerza de tarea: una colección de agentes preinstalados para investigación, análisis de datos y programación.El contexto: conectores que enlazan la IA con herramientas empresariales como Jira, Teams, Box o Confluence.La gobernanza: un tablero de control con seguridad, permisos y auditorías.El ecosistema abierto: más de 100 000 socios que desarrollan y venden sus propios agentes compatibles.Además, Google lanzó el programa GEAR (Gemini Enterprise Agent Ready) para formar a un millón de desarrolladores y una nueva plataforma educativa llamada Google Skills, con tres mil cursos gratuitos sobre inteligencia artificial. En paralelo, grandes consultoras como Deloitte, PwC, Capgemini y Accenture ya integran Gemini Enterprise en sus servicios para clientes corporativos.La estrategia de Google busca combinar tecnología, formación y un mercado de agentes certificados. Cada empresa podrá comprar, vender o compartir agentes dentro del ecosistema, lo que abre paso a una nueva economía digital: la de los agentes de IA. Google está apostando fuerte con Gemini Enterprise, una plataforma diseñada para que la inteligencia artificial deje de ser un lujo y se convierta en una herramienta de trabajo cotidiana. Su enfoque abierto, su integración con sistemas de otras marcas y sus programas de aprendizaje apuntan a un futuro donde cada trabajador podrá diseñar su propio agente inteligente.Si te interesa cómo la IA está cambiando el mundo del trabajo, te invito a escuchar más historias como esta y seguir Flash Diario en Spotify. Google lanza Gemini Enterprise, su nueva IA para empresas, capaz de crear asistentes inteligentes que automatizan el trabajo en cualquier sector.

The Confluence Mailbag – Dollar Dynamics & the Future of Fed Independence (10/7/25)

Confluence Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 7, 2025 28:17 Transcription Available

In this month's Confluence Mailbag, Bill O'Grady, Advisory Director – Market Strategy, and Mark Keller, CEO/CIO, delve into the connection between US dollar weakness and the performance of international and domestic equities. They also share their outlook for recession risks, Fed independence, and Trump's call for publicly traded companies to shift to semiannual rather than quarterly reporting.Submit your question for a future episode to: mailbag@confluenceim.com.

donald trump independence dollar recession reporting fed dynamics cio equities confluence

Focus on the South: God's Call to the Spanish-Speaking World

Confluence Leadership Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 6, 2025 40:01

Host Bo Noonan is joined by Guillermo Verduzco, leader of Origen Church in Guadalajara, Mexico, and member of the Confluence apostolic team. Together they unpack the phrase “focus on the south,” a call that's leading Confluence to invest deeply in the Spanish-speaking world. Together they share stories, insight, and faith for what's to come.

mexico spanish south guadalajara confluence spanish speaking

Confluence | What's With The Two Rivers?

god spirit truth confluence two rivers

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 5, 2025 33:41

Two Rivers isn't just our name—it's our calling. We are people of Spirit and Truth, joining the flow of God's living water that restores, renews, and brings life wherever we go.

114. Libra Season part 2: The Cauldron of Connection

The Marketing Millennials

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 3, 2025 50:38

A brash and bold Aries Full Moon (on October 6th) initiates this episode of our Libra season series. Right on the heels of Mercury entering Scorpio, the New Moon draws us into the depths and complexity of our emotions, and encourages us to explore and express our truest desires. The spotlight is on interpersonal relationships, holding boundaries, and finding common ground.The season saturates as Venus gets cozy in its home sign of Libra on October 13th. Libra season closes through the portal of the Libra New Moon on October 20th with poignant healing potential. These couple of weeks increase the collective intensity, empower our intuitive abilities, fine-tune our relational dynamics, and center pleasure whenever possible. Tune in for the astrological transits and magical inspirations from October 6th through October 22nd. ⚡️MAGICAL MARKETPLACE on October 18th! Join us in Oakland for an intimate Samhain Marketplace featuring tarot & astrology, nourishing bites, intentional adornments and magical goodies. https://modernwitches.org/magical-marketplace

Santa Rosa Murders ////// A Confluence of Killers

True Crime Garage

Play Episode Listen Later Oct 1, 2025 74:20

Santa Rosa Murders ////// A Confluence of Killers Part 4 of 4 www.TrueCrimeCrime.comThe Santa Rosa Hitchhiker Murders is a series of unsolved homicides of young women that took place in the early 1970s. Many of the victims were confirmed or believed to have been hitchhiking in or around the Santa Rosa, California area. High School girls and College students were not safe. Often times the women and girls were not found until several days later. Many discovered in rural areas. If you have any information regarding these cases please submit a tip at sheriff-coldcase@sonoma-county.org or please call the Sonoma County Sheriff's cold case unit at 1-707-565-2727 Beer of the Week - Juice Drop Hazy IPA by Breckenridge BreweryGarage Grade 4 and a half bottle caps out of 5 For everything Garage True Crime go to www.TrueCrimeGarage.com We have an insider show that can be found on Patreon and Apple subscriptions. The show is called "Off The Record.” Join us if you are NASTY! There you will get dozens of episodes of Off The Record plus a couple of Bonus episodes and our first 50 shows. True Crime Garage merchandise is available on our website's store page. Plus get True Crime Garage Pod art that you can post on your socials on our Media page. Follow the show on X and Insta @TrueCrimeGarage / Follow Nic on X @TCGNIC / Follow The Captain on X @TCGCaptain Thanks for listening and thanks for telling a friend. Be good, be kind, and don't litter! Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Liz Brigham and Rick Thurmond on Confluence and Charlotte's Music Scene

Piedmont Arts Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 29, 2025

Confluence, the Carolinas' music industry conference, brings together artists, entrepreneurs, and fans for daytime panels and nightly concerts across Charlotte. Host Rachel Stewart talks with organizers Rick Thurmond and Liz Brigham about how the event supports the region's thriving independent music scene, the collaborative spirit behind its growth, and the mix of live showcases. Highlights include a keynote with Grammy president Panos Panay and performances by emerging artists you'll want to discover before they reach bigger stages.

music radio arts public grammy classical carolinas brigham music scene confluence thurmond panos panay wdav

Is a River Alive? With Robert Macfarlane

De Balie Spreekt

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 28, 2025 97:50

Whether it's the Amazon or Amstel, our language, laws, and economies still treat rivers as resources – channels to be dredged, diverted, and controlled. In his latest book, Is a river alive?, Robert Macfarlane asks whether rivers are not objects, but beings with life, agency, and rights. How would it change us to live not above the river, but alongside it?With Is a river alive?, Macfarlane writes his most political book yet. Recognizing rivers as living entities, he argues, is essential to restoring our damaged ecosystems. It calls for a radical reimagining of law, language, and land – a shift from dominion to kinship.This conversation takes place in the Dutch delta, where the Rhine, Meuse, and Scheldt meet the sea. In collaboration with the Embassy of the North Sea and the Confluence of European Water Bodies, we examine how the Rights of Nature movement could reshape Europe's laws and policies. What can the Netherlands – a country built on water – learn from this shift?In cooperation with Embassy of the North Sea and Uitgeverij Athenaeum.Zie het privacybeleid op https://art19.com/privacy en de privacyverklaring van Californië op https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Turning “Boring” Into Exciting in Marketing with Tom Orbach, Director of Growth Marketing at Wiz | Ep. 352

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 26, 2025 32:27

Think cloud security is boring? Think again. Daniel talks with Tom Orbach, Director of Growth Marketing at Wiz and creator of the Marketing Ideas newsletter. His mission? Make “boring” impossible to ignore. Tom reveals the three-step framework he's used to turn a quiet cybersecurity brand into a social-media magnet: Humor. Participation. Status. He drops real examples you can steal: a CISO Toy Store, a cybersecurity musical, even a meditation app for stressed-out security leaders. These stunts turned brand awareness into fuel for sales and made Wiz the name everyone in cloud security knows. Whether you market SaaS, finance, or any “too serious” industry, this conversation proves “boring” can be exciting if you know how to Market your brand. If you want your brand to get noticed, talked about, and remembered, this episode is for you. Atlassian is made for teams. Organize, collaborate, and manage work with a suite of tools that include Jira, Confluence, Trello, and more. To learn about how Atlassian can change the game for your team, go to https://www.atlassian.com/ Follow Tom: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomorbach/ Follow Daniel: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@themarketingmillennials/featured Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/Dmurr68 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-murray-marketing Sign up for The Marketing Millennials newsletter: www.workweek.com/brand/the-marketing-millennials Daniel is a Workweek friend, working to produce amazing podcasts. To find out more, visit: www.workweek.com

Ep 282 - BK Love Live@ Von Common Block Party - Starlight Thursdays Episode 282

Starlight Reunion Radio

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 116:25

Starlight Thursdays episode 282 Featuring a live recording of BK Love performing at the Confluence center for Van Common's block party fundraiser. It was such a blast getting Dj in that space again, reuniting with friends, meeting new people, and dancing outdoors with our beautiful community. Thanks so much to everybody who came out and supported this wonderful event and thank you Von Common for having me out! - BK Love-

dj starlight block parties confluence love live

113. Libra Season 2025 ~ Stepping Across the Equinox Threshold

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 19, 2025 47:04

The entry into Libra season is accentuated by the Autumn Equinox (Sept 22nd) inviting in opportunity to realign to your personal capacity as the light shifts. Libra is symbolized by the scales, representing an attunement to balance, equality, and a focus on interpersonal exchange. We begin Libra season with Mars entering Scorpio, shifting gears into driven and emotionally profound terrain. Perfect for initiating the season of the witch! Tune in for the astrological transits and magical inspirations from September 22nd through October 5th. Happy Equinox, magical babes! MAGICAL MARKETPLACE on October 18th! Join us in Oakland for an intimate Samhain Marketplace featuring tarot & astrology, nourishing bites, intentional adornments and magical goodies. https://modernwitches.org/magical-marketplaceTRANSITS:Week 1 — Sept 22nd to Sept 28thSept 22 — Mars enters Scorpio → 0°00′ ScorpioSept 22 — Sun enters Libra (Equinox) → 0°00′ LibraSept 23 — Sun in Libra opposite Neptune in Aries → 0°45′Sept 23 — Sun in Libra trine Uranus in Gemini → 1°19′Sept 23 — Sun in Libra trine Pluto in Aquarius → 1°27′Sept 24 — Mars in Scorpio square Pluto in Aquarius → 1°27′Week 2 — Sept 29th to Oct 5thOct 1 — Mercury in Libra square Jupiter in Cancer → 22°34′Oct 4 - Venus conjunct south node in virgo - 18°15′✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨Sign up for our Newsletter: https://modernwitches.myflodesk.com/luna Order the book ~ A Confluence of Witches: an invitation to explore the authentic intersections of magic, spirituality, personal development, and social justice:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://modernwitches.org/anthology✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨

Small & Gutsy Features TechTainment™, the Confluence of Entertainment, Technology & Law

Small & Gutsy

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 15, 2025 56:06

The conference is coming up on October 16th For more information and to purchase tickets to TechTainment™: https://www.laipla.net/techtainment-2025/ Being a professor in the age of AI — particularly generative AI — is both exciting and deeply challenging. As educators, we recognize that technology is evolving at a pace with which, even seasoned technologists struggle to keep up. Students are increasingly tempted to let AI do the thinking for them, believing they're being efficient when, in fact, they may be shortcutting the deeper learning process. Using AI tools like ChatGPT should not be about replacing critical thought or original research. It's about enhancing the learning journey, not skipping it. While these tools can assist in discovery, ideation, and even structure, they cannot substitute the human insights that come from struggle, context, collaboration, and lived experience. That's why I challenge my students to think critically: What happens when the sources AI provides don't match course materials? What if AI misses the nuances, the legal precedents, or the emerging ethics in a topic? The danger is not just in misinformation — it's in the erosion of personal accountability and intellectual depth. This exact tension — between innovation and integrity — is what makes events like TechTainment™ so necessary. The intersection of technology, entertainment, and the law is a rapidly evolving space filled with complex and often controversial issues. There are a multitude of issues at the intersection of these areas. I am going to name a few, but my guest today has knowledge and depth that will convince you not to miss the upcoming 1-day TechTainment™ event. So, here goes: 1. Intellectual Property (IP) Challenges Piracy & Copyright Infringement Digital content is frequently shared illegally through unauthorized streaming and file-sharing platforms, causing major revenue losses. AI-Generated Content Legal ownership of AI-created art, music, or video remains uncertain. If AI uses copyrighted inputs to generate new outputs, is the result derivative, transformative, or something else entirely? Remixes, Memes & Fair Use Social media culture thrives on remixing existing works. However, the boundaries of ‘fair use' are unclear, leaving creators legally vulnerable and platforms uncertain about enforcement. 2. AI and Deepfakes Fake Celebrity Content Deepfakes and voice cloning enable unauthorized, misleading, or defamatory representations of public figures—often used in fake ads, explicit content, or political misinformation. Consent & Image Rights There's a growing legal and ethical concern over the use of a person's likeness, voice, or performance without their consent, especially in AI-generated content. Legal Lag The rapid advancement of generative AI and deepfake technologies has outpaced existing laws, creating enforcement gaps and legislative uncertainty. 3. Streaming & Distribution Rights Global Licensing Issues Rights to distribute content differ by region. Streaming platforms face legal complexity in acquiring and managing these rights across jurisdictions. · Residuals & Fair Pay Creatives (writers, actors, directors) are demanding transparent compensation models for streamed content. This has led to major labor actions (e.g., 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes). · Windowing Conflicts Studios and platforms debate how long content should remain exclusive to one service before being released elsewhere — impacting revenue models and consumer access. 4. Content Moderation & Censorship Platform Liability Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch must balance free expression with moderating harmful content. Legal responsibility for user-generated content remains a contentious issue. Freedom of Speech vs. Harmful Content Legal systems struggle to balance free speech rights with the need to curb misinformation, hate speech, and online harassment. Government Regulations Laws differ by region 5. Privacy & Surveillance · Data Collection Entertainment platforms like Netflix, Spotify, and YouTube gather extensive user data (viewing habits, preferences, location, device usage). The ways this data is analyzed, monetized, or shared with third parties remain legally ambiguous and often undisclosed. · Facial Recognition & Biometrics Increasing use of biometric technologies in entertainment spaces—such as facial recognition at concerts, stadiums, and theme parks—raises major privacy concerns. There's a lack of clear legal guidelines around consent, storage, and misuse of biometric data. · Children's Privacy Platforms aimed at children must comply with strict regulations like the Children's Online Privacy Protections 6. Content Ownership in the Creator Economy Platform vs. Creator Control: Platforms like YouTube, TikTok and others often control monetization and visibility algorithms, limiting creator autonomy. Copyright Takedowns & Abuse 7. NFTs & Digital Ownership · Fraud & Scams Copyright Confusion Emerging Legal Areas to Watch Generative AI law Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality Laws Content moderation laws Digital labor rights Smart contracts & blockchain in entertainment The primary issues revolve around intellectual property rights, data privacy, platform regulation, AI ethics, and compensation for creative labor. As technology outpaces regulation, legal systems are constantly playing catch-up — often with high-stakes consequences for creators, companies, and consumers. It's about thought leadership and responsible innovation. It's about ensuring that human value — ethical reasoning, creative spark, legal foresight — isn't lost in the digital noise. Our country is at a crossroads, and events like TechTainment™ are more than just conferences — they are forums for the future. As educators, professionals, and creators, our job is not to reject AI but to ensure we don't outsource our judgment, our integrity, or our creativity. Let AI and other innovative technology be tools — but let us be the ones who drive its purpose. The conference is coming up on October 16th For more information and to purchase tickets to TechTainment™: https://www.laipla.net/techtainment-2025/ A huge thank you to Trope & Trope Law Group, protecting your IP Assets worldwide, for generously supporting this episode! For more Small & Gutsy episodes, check out our website: www.smallandgutsy.org

Ep. 97: Single-Stair Buildings and Eco-Districts with Michael Eliason (Incentives Series, pt. 1)

UCLA Housing Voice

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 10, 2025 83:25 Transcription Available

This is the first episode of our series on misaligned incentives in housing policy. Michael Eliason shares insights from his book, Building for People, on building code reforms and eco-district redevelopment projects throughout Europe.Show notes:Eliason, M. (2024). Building for People: Designing Livable, Affordable, Low-Carbon Communities. Island Press.Youtube video of Vauban, an eco-district in Freiburg, Germany.City of Paris website on the Clichy-Batignolles eco-district, with photos.Episode 59 of UCLA Housing Voice, on the Costs of Discretion with Paavo Monkkonen and Mike Manville.Google Maps view of the Confluence eco-district in Lyon, France and the neighborhood directly to the north.Episode 14 of UCLA Housing Voice, on Family-Friendly Urbanism with Louis Thomas. Check out Stephen Smith's single-stair and elevator reform tracker at the Center for Building in North America website.

112. Virgo & Eclipse Season Continue ~ Practicing Presence

Confluence Leadership Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 5, 2025 23:54

This Virgo eclipse season continues to present opportunities to practice boundary work and patience when navigating through the unknown. This episode discusses the planetary transits beginning the week of September 8th through September 21st. After the Lunar Eclipse in Pisces illuminates our blindspots, we have a Mercury Cazimi on September 13th which helps us to gain greater insight into our personal eclipse stories. This Virgo season ends with a Virgo Solar Eclipse which highlights our daily routines, and how the mundane movements of our lives are so central to the activation of our bigger picture visions. Tune in for all the astral insights and ways to navigate this uncertain eclipse weather!

55. Diamonds in Transition: Markets, Mining and the Future

Discovery to Recovery

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 3, 2025 64:16

The diamond industry has a rich and complex history, influenced by discoveries, geoscience and marketing. Join host Halley Keevil as she explores the industry's history from the onset of modern diamond mining in Kimberley, South Africa in the 1800s, to the advent of laboratory grown diamonds and new platforms for marketing. Featured guest Eira Thomas is complemented by Natasha Oviatt and Reid Mackie, who all have deep knowledge and understanding of the diamond industry. Natasha Oviatt provides her perspective as a previous glacial geology specialist with De Beers Canada, discussing recent changes in the diamond mining industry, consumer preferences and marketing strategies through time, ESG issues, past and present economic downturns, and her opinions on lab-grown diamonds and the future of the natural diamond industry. Next, Reid Mackie, VP Diamond Marketing of Mountain Province Diamonds, discusses the diamond industry from a marketing perspective. He gives his opinions on the biggest trends in the history of the diamond industry and what he thinks are the biggest trends shaping its future. He also discusses market strategies for younger generations and how lab-grown diamonds are affecting the industry, as well as the shifts we are starting to see in the natural diamond mining industry. Lastly, renowned Canadian geologist Eira Thomas, widely known as the ‘Queen of Diamonds', and previous CEO of Lucara Diamond, gives her opinions on the past, present, and future of the diamond industry. She discusses the reasons the industry is struggling at present and how lack of alignment in the supply chain drives volatility. She talks about the advent of lab-grown diamonds, the intrinsic value of natural diamonds, and the public perception of the industry. She also discusses how advances in technology, including her new rough diamond digital marketplace, Clara, are revolutionizing the diamond mining industry. Theme music is Confluence by Eastwindseastwindsmusic.com Come join us in Brisbane, Australia for SEG 2025, September 26-29th. This will be a dynamic conference with cutting edge science, new discoveries, technology and more. Opportunities for networking and learning include several workshops and field trips before and after the event, relaxed social events and of course the conference itself. See you there!

Tools for Discipleship & Leadership

Play Episode Listen Later Sep 1, 2025 21:54

Rick Hein, Elder at Jubilee Washington and Director of Training for Confluence Churches, joins Bryan Mowrey to share about fresh discipleship and training content designed to strengthen leaders across Confluence. Email Rick at heinsight@gmail.com with questions or to get connected to the resources.

director leadership training tools discipleship elder confluence

111. Ysha ~ Activist Witchcraft & the Fight for Collective Liberation

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 29, 2025 78:41

For Ysha, Activist Witch, witchcraft is a deeply political practice. Our conversation explores the radical roots of witchcraft, and our marginalized history of prosecution and resistance. Ysha has a deeply inquisitive nature and a sincere desire to make political witchcraft accessible for people curious about the craft. Please learn more about their important work Witches for Palestine, which fundraises for the mutual aid project: Cwitches for Gaza (linked below.) Listen in for insights into spiritual activism, the importance of articulating our politics, and how capitalism co-opts and corrupts witchcraft - and how we can push back. BIO: Ysha (she/they) is a Fat Queer Non-binary Autistic Immigrant Witch of Colour of Egyptian heritage, raised in Italy and now living in South Wales, UK. They have been making content at the intersection of Witchcraft and Activism since 2022 on YouTube as Activist Witch. In their day life they are the intersectionality educator at Glitter Cymru, the grassroot organisation for queer people of colour in Wales.Youtube.com/@activistwitchActivistwitch.substack.comKo-fi.com/activistwitch

How a Chief Engineering Officer Automates Customer Prep, Scheduling & Reports with AI | Ali Pourshahid of Solace

Supermanagers

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 26, 2025 41:15

In this episode of This New Way, Aydin sits down with Ali Pourshahid, Chief Engineering Officer at Solace, to explore how he's woven AI into his daily routines as a technology executive. Ali shares real demos of how he uses Solace's Agent Mesh and other AI tools to:Generate security-focused slide decks from Confluence in minutesSchedule a 12-person leadership offsite without lifting a fingerTransform messy Word reports into polished heat maps for government updatesAutomate customer support workflows across Jira, CRM, and internal systemsAli also breaks down how Solace is productizing their internal AI system, why agent-to-agent communication (A2A) is critical, and how to build a culture of experimentation with “AI champions” inside your company.This is a masterclass in how executives can stop just “keeping up” with AI—and instead lead the charge.Timestamps0:58 – What is Solace and Ali's role as Head of Engineering2:09 – Ali's daily “AI deep hour” and why he treats it like a workout3:19 – Prepping for a customer security call with AI + Confluence5:14 – Auto-generated sequence diagrams and value slides in minutes9:48 – Using Microsoft Copilot to instantly format professional slides13:35 – AI as an executive assistant: scheduling a 12-person workshop17:01 – Turning unstructured Word reports into project heat maps20:07 – Building an AI champions group and lightning talks at Solace25:05 – Solace Agent Mesh: event-driven architecture for agents29:01 – Live demo: Automating Jira support tickets with agent workflows33:33 – Scaling digital employees with orchestrator agents37:08 – Why evals are critical for testing and deploying AI agents39:05 – Ali's habit: always ask “How can I do this better with AI?”40:08 – What excites Ali most about AI in the next yearTools & Technologies Mentioned:Solace Agent Mesh – Multi-agent orchestration platform built by SolaceConfluence – Wiki where AI pulls technical details for slide prepClaude & ChatGPT – LLMs used for connecting to internal toolsMCP (Model Context Protocol) – Framework for securely connecting AI to enterprise dataMicrosoft Copilot – AI inside PowerPoint, Excel, and other Office toolsMermaid – Visualization tool for generating diagrams and heat mapsA2A Protocol (Agent-to-Agent) – Open standard for agent communication donated by GoogleSubscribe at⁠ thisnewway.com⁠ to get the step-by-step playbooks, tools, and workflows.

live head ai building turning chief prep auto scaling reports excel crm scheduling prepping powerpoint generate automate solace confluence jira a2a engineering officer

HR. 2 - Confluence of Happening

The Power Trip

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 43:27

We learn about the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame and the search is on for Marney!

confluence

HR. 2 - Confluence of Happening

The Power Trip

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 43:43

We learn about the Minnesota Hockey Hall of Fame and the search is on for Marney!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

confluence

110. Virgo Season, Eclipse Season & Spells Against Perfectionism

strategy shifts cio stablecoins confluence asset allocation small caps

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 22, 2025 61:10

Virgo Season part 1: Virgo Season begins with a dynamic New Moon (on August 22nd) which forms a square to rebellious Uranus. The transits have us tumbling into eclipse season, accessing the Virgo-Pisces polarity highlighting acts of service, perfectionism, and collective care. There's so much to unpack this Virgo season. With Virgo's analytic super powers we're invited to restructure our mundane lives to more clearly express and embody our values. Virgo season is bookended by New Moons, offering a special window for refining our spells and intentions, and practicing better energetic awareness of our capacity. Enjoy the back-to-school vibes when you can, witches!

The Confluence Mailbag – Small Caps, Stablecoins & Strategy Shifts (8/20/25)

Confluence Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 40:27 Transcription Available

In our August Mailbag, Bill O'Grady, Advisory Director – Market Strategy, and Mark Keller, CEO/CIO, examine the recent underperformance of small caps and emphasize the importance of focusing on quality companies. They review shifts in Confluence's asset allocation models amid abrupt policy changes and share key lessons learned. Bill and Mark also consider the outlook for stablecoins, the decline in publicly traded companies, and offer a quick insight on tariffs. Finally, they respond to an intriguing question on mine production and opportunities in hard assets. To submit a question for a future episode, email mailbag@confluenceim.com

54. The Bushveld - Decoding a Mega-magmatic Mineral System

Discovery to Recovery

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 20, 2025 52:45

Dive deep into a mega-magmatic mineral system — the Bushveld Complex with host Maxwell Porter. Max is joined by Professor Wolfgang Maier and Dr. Erin Thompson who share their insights on the geological setting, economic significance, and evolving scientific understanding of this world-class mineral province.Wolfgang Maier discusses the Bushveld Complex's geological framework, its importance in today's resource landscape, and the controversies surrounding models for its genesis — and how these models have shifted over time. Wolfgang Maier completed his PhD on the Bushveld at Rhodes University, South Africa in 1992. He taught igneous petrology and economic geology at the Universities of Port Elizabeth, Pretoria (South Africa), Chicoutimi (Canada), UWA (Perth, Australia) and Oulu (Finland). He is now Professor for Ore Geology at Cardiff University, UK. Wolf's research deals with petrological and geochemical processes in mafic-ultramafic igneous systems that contribute to our understanding of continental magmatism, mantle evolution, plate tectonics and the formation of magmatic ore deposits including PGE, Ni-Cu, Cr, and V-Ti-Fe deposits. Erin Thompson shares what drew her to study the northern limb, why it holds both geological and economic importance, and how magmatic architecture and mineralisation controls shape exploration strategies. She explains the once-overlooked yet powerful tool of Niggli numbers, and how geochemistry and isotope studies inform exploration and the future of the Northern Limb. Dr Erin Thompson has recently completed her PhD at the University of Leicester, which focused on constraining the magmatic controls on Ni-Cu-PGE mineralisation in the world-class Platreef deposit, northern limb of the Bushveld Complex. Her research was funded by Anglo American as part of the Northern Limb in 4D (NL4D) research consortium, which included researchers from across the UK at the University of Leicester, Cardiff University and Camborne School of Mines. She is now applying her background in magmatic processes and geochemistry in her new role as an exploration geologist.Theme music is Confluence by Eastwindseastwindsmusic.com

Exploring Google Agentspace: The 'Do Engine' for Your Business | Episode 205

Cloud N Clear

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 19, 2025 24:51

Welcome to Cloud and Clear, the SADA podcast that brings you exclusive insights and customer success stories from the cloud! In this episode, your host, Veronica Raulin, is joined by Austin Leone, SADA's Senior Manager of Organizational Change Management, to discuss Agentspace. Agentspace is Google's powerful new platform that acts like a 'do-engine,' connecting all of an organization's data from sources like SharePoint, Confluence, and ServiceNow, and allowing people to interact with it conversationally. But what does a successful deployment look like? Austin explains how SADA's robust change management methodologies go beyond standard training to ensure true user adoption. You'll learn about: The SADA Approach: How SADA is guiding customers through Agentspace implementations, from proof of value to large-scale deployments, by using custom, department-specific sessions and hands-on engagement. The Importance of a Partner: Austin highlights how SADA's experience with 18 successful Agentspace projects has led to the creation of a "prompt library" and custom training methodologies that fit specific organizational needs. Driving Adoption: Discover how SADA uses gamification, like hackathon-style events, to build excitement and generate a library of use cases specific to an organization's workflows. Security and Best Practices: Austin reassures listeners that Agentspace is built within an organization's secure Google Cloud environment, respecting existing permissions and access controls. Looking Forward: A look into the future of Agentspace, where more complex actions and workflows will automate tasks and boost efficiency. This episode offers valuable, practical advice for anyone—from executives to tech professionals—looking for inspiration on how to implement and adopt new technology in their organization successfully. Subscribe to Cloud and Clear:

director google security artificial intelligence clear cloud sr engine digital transformation senior manager advisory google cloud confluence servicenow sharepoint tech podcast google workspace organizational change management user adoption

Ep133: Enabling Better Customer Experiences with Amazon Q Index w/ PagerDuty and Zoom

AWS for Software Companies Podcast

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 18, 2025 23:10

Hear how PagerDuty and Zoom built successful AI products using Amazon Q-Index to solve real customer problems like incident response and meeting intelligence, while sharing practical lessons from their early adoption journey.Topics Include:David Gordon introduces AWS Q-Business partnerships with PagerDuty and ZoomMeet Everaldo Aguiar: PagerDuty's Applied AI leader with academia and enterprise backgroundPaul Magnaghi from Zoom brings AI platform scaling experience from SeattleQ-Business launched over a year ago as managed generative AI servicePlatform enables agentic experiences: content discovery, analysis, and process automationBuilt on AWS Bedrock with enterprise guardrails and data source integrationPartners wanted backend capabilities but preferred their own UI and modelsQ-Index provides vector database functionality for ISV partner integrationsEveraldo explains PagerDuty's evolution from traditional ML to generative AI solutionsHistorical challenges: alert fatigue, noise reduction using machine learning approachesNew gen AI opportunities: incident context, relevant data surfacing, automated postmortemsEngineering teams faced learning curve with agents and high-latency user experiencesPaul discusses Zoom's existing AI: virtual backgrounds and voice isolation technologyAI Companion strategy focused on simplicity during complex generative AI adoptionProblem identified: valuable meeting conversations disappear after Zoom calls endCustomer feedback revealed need for enterprise data integration beyond basic summariesGoal: combine unstructured conversations with structured enterprise data seamlesslyPagerDuty Advanced provides agentic AI for on-call engineers during incidentsQ-Index integration accesses internal documentation: Confluence pages, runbooks, proceduresDemo shows Slack integration pulling relevant incident response documentation automaticallyAccess control lists ensure users see only data they're authorized to accessZoom's AI companion panel enables real-time meeting questions and summariesExample use cases: decision tracking, incident analysis, action item identificationAdvice for starting: standardize practices and create internal development templatesSingle data access point reduces legal and security evaluation overheadCenter of excellence approach helps teams move quickly across product divisionsCut through generative AI buzzwords to focus on real user valueFederated AWS Bedrock architecture provides model choice and flexibility meeting customersCustomer trust alignment between Zoom conversations and AWS data handlingGetting started: PagerDuty Advance available now, Zoom AI free with paid add-onsParticipants:Everaldo Aguiar – Senior Engineering Manager, Applied AI, PagerDutyPaul Magnaghi – Head of AI & ISV Go To Market, ZoomDavid Gordon - Global Business Development, Amazon Q for Business. Amazon Web ServicesFurther Links:PagerDuty Website, LinkedIn & AWS MarketplaceZoom Website, LinkedIn & AWS MarketplaceSee how Amazon Web Services gives you the freedom to migrate, innovate, and scale your software company at https://aws.amazon.com/isv/

A Conservative Regenerative Farmer's Journey With Mollie Engelhart

Care More Be Better: Social Impact, Sustainability + Regeneration Now

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 13, 2025 72:53

Regeneration is a topic that divides people despite having good intentions at its core. But conservative regenerative farmer Mollie Engelhart does not rally on just one side of the aisle – she openly challenges dominant narratives and asks the difficult questions. She joins Corinna Bellizzi to look back on how she let go of her vegan diet to become an advocate for soil health, land stewardship, and political transformation. Delving into her personal experiences as a vegan restaurateur-turned-owner of the Sovereignty Ranch, Mollie emphasizes why saving the environment requires a strong coalition of left and right wings, stressing why such an issue must never be politicized. She also shares insights about what it takes to address the border issue, the challenges faced by undocumented communities, and how the regenerative movement must rethink how regulations are implemented.About Guest:Mollie Engelhart is the executive chef and founder of Sage Regenerative Kitchen in Los Angeles alongside her husband Elias as well as a leader in the Regenerative Agriculture movement with 200 acres at Sovereignty Ranch in the Texas Hill Country. Her mission is to produce healthy food from healthy soil for her communities. Mollie is the mother of five, a film producer, poet, and thought leader examining the connections of humanity, family, soil, food, and culture, constantly questioning “Where do we go from here?” She is passionate about health freedom, natural birth, breastfeeding, regenerative agriculture, community, and humanity's place in partnership with nature and God. As a self-proclaimed lifelong liberal, Mollie became confronted with the bureaucracy that destroyed her once thriving restaurants in Los Angeles during the pandemic. Mollie came to the conclusion that the democratic party did not center around family, God or freedom and now sees herself as a “radical centrist”. Since her revelations, Mollie has done many speaking events, giving testimony to how she became pro-life, the challenges of doing business in California, regenerative agriculture and the connection between soil and health. She regularly gets standing ovations and brings people to tears with her inspiring conversations. Mollie has been featured on podcasts, news outlets, public speaking engagements and more including; Texas State University, Epoch Times, Turning Point USA, Fox News, Bon Appetit, ABC News, NPR, Luke Storey, Max Lavine, Confluence and the Exit & Build Summit.Guest LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mollie-engelhart-497385366/Guest Website: https://www.sovereigntyranch.com/Guest Social: https://www.youtube.com/@chefmolliehttps://www.instagram.com/talktomollie/?hl=enhttps://www.facebook.com/mollie.engelhartShow Notes: Raw video00:02:51 - From Leftist Vegan Chef To Conservative Regenerative Farmer00:12:25 - Balancing Personal Evolution And Public Scrutiny00:20:46 - Forming A Coalition From Both Sides00:29:23 - Why We Should Rethink Our Regulations00:33:27 - Addressing Chemical Pollution As Soon As Possible00:41:32 - Solving Issues On Border Security And Immigration00:56:02 - Not Shying Away From Difficult Conversations01:04:44 - Future Plans For The Sovereignty Ranch01:09:47 - Why We Are Meant To Eat Of Healthy Soil01:15:35 - Episode Wrap-up And Closing WordsJOIN OUR CIRCLE. BUILD A GREENER FUTURE:

324 | Elizabeth Mynatt on Universities and the Importance of Basic Research

Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 11, 2025 73:31

It is not manifestly obvious that universities should be where most scholarly research is performed. One could imagine systems that separated out the tasks of "teaching students" and "generating new knowledge." But it turns out that combining them yields spectacular synergies, both from letting students experience cutting-edge research and from keeping researchers inspired by interacting with bright young minds. Today we talk to Elizabeth Mynatt, Dean of Computer Science at Northeastern, both about her own research in "human-centered computing," and about the bigger-picture issues of why basic research is important, and why universities are such good places to do it.Blog post with transcript: https://www.preposterousuniverse.com/podcast/2025/08/11/324-elizabeth-mynatt-on-universities-and-the-importance-of-basic-research/Support Mindscape on Patreon.Elizabeth Mynatt received a Ph.D. in computer science from the Georgia Institute of Technology. She is currently Dean of the Khoury College of Computer Sciences at Northeastern University. She is a senior investigator with Emory's Cognitive Empowerment Program and co-PI for the NSF AI-CARING Institute. She is a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. She was lead author on the National Academies report, "Information Technology Innovation: Resurgence, Confluence, and Continuing Impact."Web pageGoogle Scholar publicationsWikipediaSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

109. Angelica Merritt ~ Sacred Womb Work & Herbal Magick for Reproductive Health

artist witches sacred newsletter substack tarot wanderer magick herbal merritt reproductive health confluence creatrix microcosm publishing womb work

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 8, 2025 44:04

It's time to ground back into herbal wisdom. Enjoy this important conversation with Angela Merritt, author of Womb Witch: Herbal Magick for Reproductive Health. We discuss the importance of having an intuitive connection with our bodies, and the earth, as well as working holistically with our healing. Learn more about how to reclaim agency over your reproductive health, and the herbal practices that can support us during these troubling times. Angelica Merritt is an earth steward and author interested in awakening the wild within by exploring the human experience through the esoteric lens in her writing, workshops, and client work. Her book Womb Witch: Herbal Magick for Reproductive Health was published in March '25 with Microcosm Publishing.Follow Angelica on Substack: https://angelicamerritt.substack.com/Womb Herbs free webinar with advaya: https://advaya.life/webinars/the-womb-and-herbsShop Womb Witch: https://microcosmpublishing.com/catalog/books/59229?srsltid=AfmBOooL51NBFoTWUg63wKfkzHdHpYZGR295RDCjIgWYfV1PW1XS-Ump✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~Sign up for our Newsletter for lunar downloads and community updates: https://modernwitches.myflodesk.com/luna ~ Order the book A Confluence of Witches: an invitation to explore the authentic intersections of magic, spirituality, personal development, and social justice:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ https://modernwitches.org/anthology✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨

Ep 181: What Didn't We Talk About? Post-Confluence Roundtable with Mike Cardamone, Mark Gober, Danielle Hamilton & Alec Zeck

discover roundtable way forward enroll confluence sourced mark gober lotuswei alec zeck danielle hamilton

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 6, 2025 168:27

Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you. It's the best way to support this podcast and the movement we're building together: https://thewayfwrd.com/join Mike Cardamone, Mark Gober, Danielle Hamilton, and Alec Zeck come together for a post-Confluence roundtable to unpack what wasn't said on stage. They explore how mindset, environment, and emotional health shape our well-being—touching on food sensitivities, sleep, indigenous wisdom, and the impact of public health policies. This open conversation invites listeners to reflect on integration, resilience, and conscious living. For more details, links, timestamps and resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website: https://thewayfwrd.com/content/ The Way Forward podcast is sponsored by: New Biology Clinic: Experience individually tailored terrain-based health services with virtual consults, practitioner livestreams, movement classes, and more. The New Biology Clinic's motivation is to make you healthy and keep you that way. Visit https://NewBiologyClinic.com and enter code TheWayForward for $50 off your activation fee. Members of The Way Forward get the full activation fee waived. Become a member of The Way Forward here: https://thewayfwrd.com/membership-sign-up/ ————————— RMDY Collective: Dedicated to making homeopathy accessible with high-quality remedies and hands-on training. Discover how this holistic approach supports natural healing and empowers you to take charge of your wellness. Enroll in RMDY Academy at https://rmdyacademy.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa Explore more at RMDY Collective at https://rmdycollective.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa ————————— Paleovalley: 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Get 15% off your order at paleovalley.com/thewayforward ————————— LOTUSWEI: Flower essences are liquid infusions of wildflowers that carry the bioenergetic imprint of the plant's life force. Unlike essential oils, they have no scent but work on an energetic level to shift your state of mind and enhance well-being. Used consistently, flower essences support personal growth, balance emotions, and help you tap into your full potential—especially in times of stress and fatigue. Get 10% off with code ALEC10 at LOTUSWEI.com. The Way Forward members receive 20% off their first order and 10% off ongoing savings on every order/subscription after that—email hello@thewayfwrd.com to claim your discount.

108. LEO SEASON part 2: Aquarius Full Moon Lighting Revolutionary Fires

creator artist writer mars witches newsletter fires tarot mercury revolutionary saturn lighting wanderer season part confluence tarot readers leo season creatrix aquarius full moon

Play Episode Listen Later Aug 1, 2025 49:53

The beginning of August is punctuated with high-intensity astrology that is sure to send shockwaves through our collective and individual systems. Mars is a key player, making a combative opposition to Saturn right before the Aquarius Full Moon on August 9th. We might let out a sigh of relief when Mercury stations direct on August 11th, but there will be plenty to integrate during the Mercury shadow period. These times are intensely political, witches. We aren't shying away from bringing the mundane astrology to the forefront of this episode. With such egregious atrocities being perpetuated by authoritarian forces, we must continue to speak up and speak out. It's important to stay grounded, stay awake, and stay in your power this Leo season!✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨~✨✨✨☎️~Sign up for our Newsletter for lunar downloads and community updates: https://modernwitches.myflodesk.com/luna

Confluence of Ideas – Reviewing the Asset Allocation Rebalance: Q3 2025

Confluence Podcasts

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 28, 2025 13:27 Transcription Available

In this episode, Confluence reviews the Asset Allocation rebalance for the third quarter of 2025, featuring a brief economic analysis and insights on asset class and security selection for the firm's Asset Allocation portfolios. Joining the podcast to recap the rationale for this quarter's changes is Kaisa Stucke, analyst and chair of the Asset Allocation Committee's quarterly investment meetings.

ideas reviewing bonds commodities etf confluence asset allocation rebalance

Ep 176: Thought, Light & The Liquid Language of God with Veda Austin

discover language liquid platinum way forward enroll confluence ra optics lotuswei veda austin

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 7, 2025 164:13

To watch Veda Austin's presentation from Confluence 2025, become a platinum member of https://www.TheWayFwrd.com. Platinum members also get access to live community calls, podcast guest Q&As, as well as our new platform helping you find like-hearted community near you. Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you. It's the best way to support this podcast and the movement we're building together: https://thewayfwrd.com/join/ Veda Austin returns for a deeply moving conversation about the intelligence of water and its role in memory, healing, and consciousness. She and Alec explore the idea of water as a living language—one that reflects intention, emotion, and even spirit. From Samuel Morse's connection to raindrops to the discovery of hydroglyphs, this episode opens a portal to a deeper understanding of who we are and the world we live in. For more details, links, and resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website: https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/ep-176-thought-light-the-liquid-language-of-god-with-veda-austin/ Resources and Links Veda's Website - https://www.vedaaustin.com The Way Forward podcast is sponsored by: New Biology Clinic: Experience individually tailored terrain-based health services with virtual consults, practitioner livestreams, movement classes, and more. The New Biology Clinic's motivation is to make you healthy and keep you that way. Visit https://NewBiologyClinic.com and enter code TheWayForward for $50 off your activation fee. Members of The Way Forward get the full activation fee waived. Become a member of The Way Forward here: https://thewayfwrd.com/membership-sign-up/ ————————— RMDY Collective: Dedicated to making homeopathy accessible with high-quality remedies and hands-on training. Discover how this holistic approach supports natural healing and empowers you to take charge of your wellness. Enroll in RMDY Academy at https://rmdyacademy.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa Explore more at RMDY Collective at https://rmdycollective.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa ————————— RA Optics: Block harmful blue light during the day and at night, optimize your biology with RA Optics. Their lenses are developed with leading experts, using advanced light-filtering technology, and their handcrafted frames offer both quality and style. Check out raoptics.com/twf10 and get 10% off your order. ————————— LOTUSWEI: Flower essences are liquid infusions of wildflowers that carry the bioenergetic imprint of the plant's life force. Unlike essential oils, they have no scent but work on an energetic level to shift your state of mind and enhance well-being. Used consistently, flower essences support personal growth, balance emotions, and help you tap into your full potential—especially in times of stress and fatigue. Get 10% off with code ALEC10 at LOTUSWEI.com. The Way Forward members receive 20% off ongoing savings—email hello@thewayfwrd.com to claim your discount.

Ep 175: We Are The Way Forward: Building Coherence & Remembering Who We Are—Solocast with Alec Zeck

way forward coherence confluence solocast alec zeck

Play Episode Listen Later Jul 2, 2025 61:41

Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you. It's the best way to support this podcast and the movement we're building together: https://thewayfwrd.com/join/ Alec returns for a powerful solo episode exploring the illusion of authority, the manipulation of mass consciousness, and the deeper truth of who we are. He shares reflections from the Confluence gathering, including breakthroughs in blindfolded vision, and emphasizes the urgent need for embodied community, coherence, and real-world action. This is both a wake-up call and a roadmap for building the new paradigm—from inner sovereignty to collective resilience. For more details, links, and resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website: https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/ep-175-we-are-the-way-forward-solocast-with-alec-zeck/ Resources and Links The Way Forward Platform https://thewayfwrd.com Luminous Kids Blindfold Vision Training – https://dredithubuntu.mykajabi.com/blindfold-vision-training Veda Austin Episode https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/the-waters-of-life-with-veda-austin Eileen McKusick Episodes https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/ep-5-the-human-biofield-with-eileen-mckusick https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/tuning-the-zodiac-balancing-through-sound-with-eileen-mckusick Derrick Broze Episode https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/dont-vote-so-whats-your-solution-featuring-derrick-broze The Way Forward podcast is sponsored by: New Biology Clinic: Experience individually tailored terrain-based health services with virtual consults, practitioner livestreams, movement classes, and more. The New Biology Clinic's motivation is to make you healthy and keep you that way. Visit https://NewBiologyClinic.com and enter code TheWayForward for $50 off your activation fee. Members of The Way Forward get the full activation fee waived. Become a member of The Way Forward here: https://thewayfwrd.com/membership-sign-up/ ————————— Medicamentum Authentica: Boost energy, mental clarity, and vitality with Authentica Shilajit™, a mineral-rich supplement trusted for holistic wellness. It supports stamina, focus, hormonal balance, and detoxification while promoting long-term health. Get 10% off with code WAYFORWARD at medauthentica.com/wayforward

Ep 174: Blindfold Vision, Luminous Children & The New Way of Being with Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan

Play Episode Listen Later Jun 27, 2025 149:00

To watch Dr Edith Ubuntu Chan's presentation from Confluence 2025, become a platinum member of https://www.TheWayFwrd.com. Platinum members also get access to live community calls, podcast guest Q&As, as well as our new platform helping you find like-hearted community near you. Turn online alignment into an offline community — join us at TheWayFwrd.com to connect with like-minded people near you. It's the best way to support this podcast and the movement we're building together: https://thewayfwrd.com/join/ Alec is joined by Dr. Edith Ubuntu Chan, a holistic doctor and consciousness coach, to explore the evolving nature of human potential and the extraordinary abilities of today's children. They discuss Dr. Edith's journey from Harvard-trained mathematician to spiritual teacher, her experiences in dark room retreats, and how practices like Qigong and meditation reveal the expansive power of the heart and biofield. The conversation also dives into her work with “Luminous Kids” who demonstrate blindfold vision, and what it all means for education, parenting, and the future of consciousness. For more details, links, and resources mentioned in this episode, visit our website: https://thewayfwrd.com/podcast/ep-174-blindfold-vision-luminous-children-the-new-way-of-being-with-dr-edith-ubuntu-chan/ Resources and Links Dr. Edith's Website – https://www.DrEdithUbuntu.com Luminous Kids Blindfold Vision Training – http://Blindfold.VisionLuminous Human (Nonprofit Coming Soon) – http://LuminousHuman.org The Way Forward podcast is sponsored by: New Biology Clinic: Experience individually tailored terrain-based health services with virtual consults, practitioner livestreams, movement classes, and more. The New Biology Clinic's motivation is to make you healthy and keep you that way. Visit https://NewBiologyClinic.com and enter code TheWayForward for $50 off your activation fee. Members of The Way Forward get the full activation fee waived. Become a member of The Way Forward here: https://thewayfwrd.com/membership-sign-up/ ————————— RMDY Collective: Dedicated to making homeopathy accessible with high-quality remedies and hands-on training. Discover how this holistic approach supports natural healing and empowers you to take charge of your wellness. Explore more at RMDY Collective at https://rmdycollective.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa Enroll in RMDY Academy at https://rmdyacademy.org/?bg_ref=MKho6KZowa ————————— Paleovalley: 100% Grass-Fed Bone Broth Protein is a nutrient-dense, easy-to-digest source of collagen and essential amino acids. Sourced from grass-fed cows, this protein powder provides the building blocks for healthy joints, skin, and gut function—without fillers or artificial ingredients. Get 15% off your order at https://paleovalley.com/thewayforward

children vision discover explore harvard new way platinum way forward qigong confluence luminous sourced blindfold edith ubuntu chan

Ep 173: Telepathy, Autism & The Mind Beyond the Brain with Dr. Diane Hennacy Powell