Podcasts about Cornelius

10:15 And the voice spake unto him again the second time, What God hath cleansed, that call not thou common. 10:16 This was done thrice: and the vessel was received up again into heaven. 10:17 Now while Peter doubted in himself what this vision which he had seen should mean, behold, the men which were sent from Cornelius had made enquiry for Simon's house, and stood before the gate, 10:18 And called, and asked whether Simon, which was surnamed Peter, were lodged there. 10:19 While Peter thought on the vision, the Spirit said unto him, Behold, three men seek thee. 10:20 Arise therefore, and get thee down, and go with them, doubting nothing: for I have sent them.

By Matthew Fenchel - This message will look at the wisdom and sovereignty of God within the Church, His work in the world, and with us individually. We will look at three narratives: the defense of Stephen, the calling of Cornelius, and ordeal of Job.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma. Cornelius, Pope, Martyr, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr Obligatory Memorial First Reading: First Corinthians 12: 31 – 13: 13 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 33: 2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22 Alleluia: John 6: 63c, 68c Gospel: Luke 7: 31-35   Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com Encounter Christ in Scripture and share Him with others. Join us at stpaulcenter.com/memberships

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St. Cornelius, Pope, Martyr and St. Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr (Memorial)

Friends of the Rosary,Today, September 16, when we honor, as saints of the day, Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, and both, Martyrs, we read in the Gospel of Luke (7:31–35) how the Lord noted that the people of his generation criticize him as "a friend of tax collectors and sinners." 
"For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,
and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.'
The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,
‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,
a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'
But wisdom is vindicated by all her children."But Jesus came as God to bring the light of divine presence and love into our fallen and dysfunctional world full of sin. He went to the poor, the disabled, the marginalized, the forgotten, those crippled by sin.As Bishop Barron explains, "He came to bring the ordo of God into a disordered world. He came as the keynote to tune up a cacophonous universe. And thus the proponents of disorder and the producers of the cacophony sought to destroy him.""The Church is the mystical body of Jesus, the living organism that makes present Christ's mind and will in the world. It is his love made flesh throughout the ages, his hands and feet and eyes and heart. We are all, through baptism, members of that body."Ave Maria!Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠September 16, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

Patience=slow to anger

Fr. Steve's Homily from September 16, 2026

"Jesus draws near to hearts, especially in those highs and lows." Will you let Him teach you to recognize what moves your heart—and receive the Church as a home of mercy?

You redeemed us by your blood.

September 16th, 2026:  Ss Cornelius & Cyprian - Friends & Martyrs;  Ss Cornelius & Cyprian - Are You Prepared for Death?;  Ss Cornelius & Cyprian - The Persecution of the 3rd Century;  Truth & Charity - Healing a Fractured Nation

Wednesday of the 24th Week in Ordinary Time Memorial of Saints Cornelius and Cyprian; Cornelius became pope in 251; he fought against the Novatian schismatics and with the help of Cyprian was able to enforce his authority; he was driven into exile by the Emperor Gallus, and died in 253; Cyprian was born of pagan parents in Carthage in 210; he was converted, ordained, and subsequently made bishop of that city in the year 249; he guided the Church through difficult times; in the persecution of Valerian, he was exiled, and then martyred in 258 Office of Readings and Morning Prayer for 9/16/26 Gospel: Luke 7:31-35

ROSARY - GLORIOUS MYSTERIES today.  DIVINE MERCY CHAPLET for Wednesday.

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Wednesday of the Twenty-fourth Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma. Cornelius, Pope, Martyr, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyr Obligatory Memorial First Reading: First Corinthians 12: 31 – 13: 13 Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 33: 2-3, 4-5, 12 and 22 Alleluia: John 6: 63c, 68c Gospel: Luke 7: 31-35   Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com Encounter Christ in Scripture and share Him with others. Join us at stpaulcenter.com/memberships

Today, let us ask ourselves: Is my heart open to Jesus? Am I willing to listen when he speaks through the Gospel, through my parents and teachers, and through someone who needs my help?

9 And when you shall hear of wars and seditions, be not terrified: these things must first come to pass; but the end is not yet presently.Cum autem audieritis praelia et seditiones, nolite terreri : oportet primum haec fieri, sed nondum statim finis. 10 Then he said to them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.Tunc dicebat illis : Surget gens contra gentem, et regnum adversus regnum. 11 And there shall be great earthquakes in divers places, and pestilences, and famines, and terrors from heaven; and there shall be great signs.Et terraemotus magni erunt per loca, et pestilentiae, et fames, terroresque de caelo, et signa magna erunt. 12 But before all these things, they will lay their hands upon you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues and into prisons, dragging you before kings and governors, for my name's sake.Sed ante haec omnia injicient vobis manus suas, et persequentur tradentes in synagogas et custodias, trahentes ad reges et praesides propter nomen meum : 13 And it shall happen unto you for a testimony.continget autem vobis in testimonium. 14 Lay it up therefore into your hearts, not to meditate before how you shall answer:Ponite ergo in cordibus vestris non praemeditari quemadmodum respondeatis : 15 For I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to resist and gainsay.ego enim dabo vobis os et sapientiam, cui non poterunt resistere et contradicere omnes adversarii vestri. 16 And you shall be betrayed by your parents and brethren, and kinsmen and friends; and some of you they will put to death.Trademini autem a parentibus, et fratribus, et cognatis, et amicis, et morte afficient ex vobis : 17 And you shall be hated by all men for my name's sake.et eritis odio omnibus propter nomen meum : 18 But a hair of your head shall not perish.et capillus de capite vestro non peribit. 19 In your patience you shall possess your souls.In patientia vestra possidebitis animas vestras.St Cornelius was the successor of St Fabian. He was a Pope and Mrtyr. He was one of the greatest Popes of the third century. He was beheaded in 253 A.D.St Cyprian was a barrister and later a Bishop of Carthage and Primate of Africa. He wrote works which are among the greatest documents of the Catholic Church. He suffered martyrdom in 258 A.D.

Pray Vespers, Evening Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Cyprian, Bishop and MartyrPsalm 116Canticle: Revelation 4Reading: 1 Peter 4Intercessions: We praise you, O Lord.St. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

Pray Lauds, Morning Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Cyprian, Bishop and MartyrPsalm 63Canticle: Daniel 3Psalm 149Reading: 2 Corinthians 1Intercessions: You redeemed us by your blood.St. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

Pray Compline, Night Prayer from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Cyprian, Bishop and MartyrLord God, be my refuge and my strengthSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

Luke 7:31-35Jesus said to the crowds:“To what shall I compare the people of this generation?What are they like?They are like children who sit in the marketplace and call to one another,‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance.We sang a dirge, but you did not weep.'For John the Baptist came neither eating food nor drinking wine,and you said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.'The Son of Man came eating and drinking and you said,‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard,a friend of tax collectors and sinners.'But wisdom is vindicated by all her children.” 

Martyrs of the Third Century 

Full Text of Readings Memorial of Saints Cornelius, Pope, and Cyprian, Bishop, Martyrs Lectionary: 445 The Saint of the day is Saint Cornelius Saint Cornelius' Story There was no pope for 14 months after the martyrdom of Saint Fabian because of the intensity of the persecution of the Church. During the interval, the Church was governed by a college of priests. Saint Cyprian, a friend of Cornelius, writes that Cornelius was elected pope “by the judgment of God and of Christ, by the testimony of most of the clergy, by the vote of the people, with the consent of aged priests and of good men.” The greatest problem of Saint Cornelius's two-year term as pope had to do with the Sacrament of Penance and centered on the readmission of Christians who had denied their faith during the time of persecution. Two extremes were finally both condemned. Cyprian, primate of North Africa, appealed to the pope to confirm his stand that the relapsed could be reconciled only by the decision of the bishop. In Rome, however, Saint Cornelius met with the opposite view. After his election, a priest named Novatian (one of those who had governed the Church) had himself consecrated a rival bishop of Rome—one of the first antipopes. He denied that the Church had any power to reconcile not only the apostates, but also those guilty of murder, adultery, fornication, or second marriage! Cornelius had the support of most of the Church (especially of Cyprian of Africa) in condemning Novatianism, though the sect persisted for several centuries. Saint Cornelius held a synod at Rome in 251 and ordered the “relapsed” to be restored to the Church with the usual “medicines of repentance.” The friendship of Cornelius and Cyprian was strained for a time when one of Cyprian's rivals made accusations about him. But the problem was cleared up. A document from Cornelius shows the extent of organization in the Church of Rome in the mid-third century: 46 priests, seven deacons, seven subdeacons. It is estimated that the number of Christians totaled about 50,000. He died as a result of the hardships of his exile in what is now Civitavecchia. Reflection It seems fairly true to say that almost every possible false doctrine has been proposed at some time or other in the history of the Church. The third century saw the resolution of a problem we scarcely consider—the penance to be done before reconciliation with the Church after mortal sin. Men like Cornelius and Cyprian were God's instruments in helping the Church find a prudent path between extremes of rigorism and laxity. They are part of the Church's ever-living stream of tradition, ensuring the continuance of what was begun by Christ, and evaluating new experiences through the wisdom and experience of those who have gone before.Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

1 Corinthians 12:31-13:13 (Faith, hope, and love abide; but the greatest is love.) 2 Corinthians 4:7-15 ·(He who raised the Lord Jesus will raise us also with Jesus and bring us with you into his presence.)

Pray the Office of Readings from the Liturgy of the Hours, also known as the Divine Office, for Memorial of Sts. Cornelius, Pope and Martyr and Cyprian, Bishop and MartyrPsalm 2Psalm 33Reading 1: Romans 8Reading 2: From a letter by St. Cyprian, bishop and martyrSt. Helena Ministries is a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit. Your donations may be tax-deductibleSupport us at: sthelenaministries.com/supportPresentation of the Liturgy of the Hours (Divine Office) from The Liturgy of the Hours (Four Volumes) © 1975, International Commission on English in the Liturgy Corporation. The texts of Biblical readings are reproduced from the New American Bible © 1975

Delivered by Nicole Orlincallysta Yacob and Michelle Jordyn Limanta from Saint Peter's School Kelapa Gading, Jakarta Utara, in the Archdiocese of Jakarta, Indonesia. 1 Corinthians 12: 31 - 13: 13; Rs psalm 33: 2-5.12.22; Luke 7: 31-35.DON'T ENJOY INDIFFERENCE The theme for our meditation today is: Don't EnjoyIndifference. The term "indifference" which is common in ourconversations indicate lack of attention, ignorance, or carelessness, that ispart of our natural human weakness. If we are indifferent to our relatives orfriends, for sure this will make them angry or offended. The Lord will also bedisappointed if His people are indifferent of Him. Jesus himself sent by the Father to be the Savior ofthe world, faced the indifference of those around Him. He considered them as ageneration that was indifferent and ignorant. They simply fooled themselvesbecause of their stupidity. The long-promised Messiah who already came and waspresent in their midst, yet they were blind in their hearts, minds and eyes.Therefore, they could not hear him and they rejected Him. They were likechildren who were in joyful moment to play music, but people around were not happyin joining the singing and dancing. They were like children who were mourningand in sadness, but the people around them did not feel sad with them. Indifference is an attitude that shows no response orno sympathy. When you are not being responded to, it is like you are facing astone or a wall. This really hurts you more painful than when you receive anegative answer or response. The answers such as "no" or "sorryI have no time to answer you", are enough for you to understand they arethe negative answers. But if there is no certainty because people areindifferent or having no attention of you, this is precisely an attitude thatis so cruel and it's very contrary to faith. It is true to say that faith really needs response.However Jesus did not find this in those who met and heard Him. He was verydisappointed and He strongly criticized them. This same attitude exists alsowithin our Church and in the relationships between the believers. People areoften indifferent, uncare or insensitive to the advices, suggestions, input orcritics for improvement. This will lead them to repeat the same habits andmistakes that they have been struggling to overcome. If people ignore and donot care about God's Word and His commandments, they will be far from God'sblessings and mercy. Indifference is really against love. When the Lordsays that He is present in the little, poor and sick ones, love demands thatthey should be given care or attention. However, if His followers are ignorantand indifferent, they actually hurt God and insult their neighbors as well. Todaywe are reminded not to be indifferent or careless. Let'spray. In the name of the Father ... O Lord Jesus, make us people who alwayscare and ready to take part in the improvement and development of our lives asYour beloved people. Our Father who art in heaven ... In the name of the Father...

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/luke/7?31

It’s easy to divide people into categories, decide who belongs and keep those who are different from us at a distance. But through Acts 10, God challenges us to see people differently. Acts 10 tells the story of Cornelius, a Gentile seeking God, and Peter, a Jewish follower of Jesus learning that God’s table is bigger than he imagined. Peter thought he knew who was clean and unclean, who belonged and who didn’t. But God shows him that the gospel is bigger than the categories he had created. What begins with distance ends with fellowship, as the Holy Spirit falls on people Peter never expected to welcome. Sometimes God isn’t asking us to change what we believe. He’s asking us to change how we love. Nobody is too far gone. Nobody is beyond the reach of redemption. Nobody is disqualified from grace.

Ihre Geschichte reicht von den Schützengräben Europas bis zur Front in der Ukraine: Afrikanische Soldaten kämpfen seit Jahrzehnten für fremde Mächte. Versprechen von Geld und Aufstieg treffen dabei oft auf eine deutlich härtere Realität. Wüllenkemper, Cornelius www.deutschlandfunkkultur.de, Zeitfragen. Feature

This is the Cornelius who received St Peter into his household in Caesarea (Acts ch.10). He was then instructed in the Faith and baptised by St Peter, though he had been a pagan and a Gentile: a great turning point in the growth of the Church, for before this time many (including St Peter) had believed that the Church was meant only for the Jews. Tradition holds that St Cornelius later became a bishop and died a martyr.

No Favouritism Acts 10:23-48 by William Klock Last Sunday we looked at the first half of the story of Peter and Cornelius in Acts 10.  Peter had gone down to the coast to visit the little Christian communities that were popping up there, and while he was there he had a vision.  He was hungry and waiting for his lunch and he fell asleep.  And he saw this great linen cloth, like a sail, coming down from heaven full of every animal he could imagine.  “What this?” he thought.  And the Lord spoke and told him, “Kill and eat.”  “But Lord, some of these animals are unclean.  They're animals you forbade us from eating.  I've never deliberately broken your law.  I can't start now!”  And the Lord responded, “Don't be prejudiced, Peter.  Don't call something unclean that I have made clean.”  Three times this was repeated.  And Peter, confused, was just trying to figure out what it meant when there was knock at the door.  There were three Romans there.  And they explained that their master, A Roman centurion named Cornelius, had been visited by the God of Israel in a vision and was told to send his people to go down to Joppa to fetch Peter and bring him back to Caesarea to talk with him. So it starts to click for Peter.  It wasn't really about food.  It was about people.  Jews didn't mix with gentiles.  They were unclean.  They didn't live according to God's law.  They worshipped idols.  You didn't go into their houses.  You didn't eat with them.  But Peter understood the vision now—or at least got the gist of it: It was God's way of telling him to go with these Romans to meet Cornelius. And Luke explained: Cornelius was a God-fearer.  He was one of those gentiles, one of those people from the pagan world, who had seen something in the people of Israel.  He'd heard the stories about their God.  And he was drawn to them.  In the world of brutality and moral filth he'd come from, he saw purity and holiness in Israel.  In contrast to the distant, fickle, and immoral gods he'd know, the God of Israel stood out as radically different.  Cornelius couldn't actually become a Jew and live by torah.  He'd lose his job and probably everyone he knew, but he drew near—as close as he could.  He had his face pressed against the glass, longing for the people, the community, the family, and the God he saw inside.  Even if he couldn't get in there, he somehow found hope just in being as close as he could get—again, think of him pressing his face against the glass, longing to get inside. So Peter did the unthinkable: he invited these three Romans in, shared his lunch with them, and put then up for the night.  Now, continuing with 10:23 [page 1092 in the pew Bibles], Luke goes on and tells us. “The next day he got up and went with them.  Some of the brothers from Joppa went with him.  They reached Caesarea the following day.  Cornelius had summoned his relatives and close friends and was waiting for him.  When Peter came in, Cornelius went to meet him.  He fell down at his feet and worshipped him.  “Get up!” said Peter, lifting him up. “I'm just a man, too.” So they talked together, and Peter came in and found lots of people assembled. The temple came to Cornelius.  The thing he'd been longing for.  The place he wanted to go, to be in the presence of God, not any of his Roman gods, but the real God, the God of Israel who had made his glory known in history, it came new to Cornelius.  Brothers and Sisters, do you realise what we are.  What we are when we go out into the world.  What we are when we meet people out there?  We're God's temple.  A people purified by Jesus and made fit to be God's dwelling place.  A people filled with his presence because he's poured his Spirit into us.  Brothers and Sisters, when Peter met Cornelius, Cornelius recognised the presence of God somehow—in him, with him—he recognised it the way people who went to the temple recognised God's presence there.  Cornelius recognised or sensed or saw that in Peter.  And you and I, we should be the same.  Maybe it helped that Cornelius was in tune with this.  It was his desire to meet the one, true, living God.  He'd had his face pressed against the glass for so long, was so wanting to be in that presence, that he was especially ready to know it.  But there should be something in us that the people we encounter see or sense or know the way Cornelius recognised the presence of the living God in Peter.  He was meeting the living temple of God and that is what the world should see in the church, in us.  This would be good to reflect on.  Ask yourself what people recognise in you.  Is it God's presence or is it maybe worry or pride or anger.  Do they find the fruit of the Spirit or the fruit of the works of the flesh?  Do they see the glory of God in you? And so Cornelius did what came naturally.  He bowed down and started worshipping.  Cornelius' response raises the question: Does a pagan see enough of the Holy Spirit in us that he might just bow down and try to worship?  I can imagine how shocked Peter would be.  Jews knew better, but it was the natural response to encountering God's presence.  So Peter pulled him up and set him straight and he got them up to speed on what had happened to him:  Verse 29: “You must know,” he said to them, “that it is unseemly for a Jewish man to mix with or visit a foreigner.  But God showed me that I should call nobody ‘common' or ‘unclean.'  So I came when I was asked, and raised no objections.  Do tell me, then, the reason why you sent for me.” And now it's Cornelius's turn to get Peter up to speed on what this is all about.  Luke writes, “Cornelius gave him the answer. “Four days ago,” he said, “I was praying in my house at around this time, about three o'clock, and suddenly a man stood beside me in shining clothes.  ‘Cornelius,' he said, ‘your prayer has been heard, and your almsgiving has been remembered by God.  So send someone to Joppa and call Simon, who is called Peter; he is staying in the house of Simon the tanner, beside the sea.'  So I sent for you at once, and you have been kind enough to come.  So now we are all here, in God's presence, to listen to everything which the Lord has told you to say.” I would think that Peter and Cornelius' men would talk on the journey and Peter would figure out that this is no ordinary Roman centurion.  But Cornelius makes it clear here: he's someone who respects the God of Israel and it's the God of Israel who has spoken to him.  Luke then says in verse 34 that Peter opened his mouth and began to speak. I think it might better to translate that as, “Peter took a deep breath and began.”  Because things are starting to get clearer for him, but this isn't easy.  He's starting to wrap his head around what God is doing here, and he's realising that it's a total game changer.  He's about to say something that he probably never thought he'd ever say.  “It's become clear to me,” he said, “that God really does show no favouritism.  No, in every nation, people who fear him and do what is right are acceptable to him.” Now, we need to pause here, because as modern people—I talked about this last week when we read about God telling Peter not to be prejudiced—as modern people what we're prone to hearing Peter saying here that there are all sorts of paths to God.  Like Peter used to think that the Jewish people were God's favourites and that only they had an in with him, a way to him, and everyone else in the world was doomed and lost forever, but now, somehow in light of Jesus, he's realised that the ways that the gentiles—or at least some of them—go seeking after God, well, those ways are just as good and that Israel had nothing special.  And we think that, because this is the dominant view in our postmodern pluralistic culture.  Justification is by death—unless you're one of those really obviously bad people like Hitler—so all paths lead to God and how dare anyone remind the world that Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.” So, no, what Peter is saying is that when he—along with most of his fellow Jews—thought that they were God's favourites and that everyone else in the world was simply doomed to one day know the wrath and judgement of God.  They were wrong.  They were wrong for thinking that when God came to visit his people as he promised, he would set them on top and rain down fire and brimstone on the nations.  There's a sense in which that story is true, but they had the timing wrong.  God will come to establish the faithful and to judge the wicked—at the end, after the gospel and the Spirit and the Church have done their work and his glory fills the earth—but God had something else to do first.  He had a great act of amazing grace to make first in order to redeem both Israel and the nations.  This was the massive revelation that was now beginning to settle on Peter.  You can almost sense how Peter is thinking this through and working it out as he talked to Cornelius.  I think he's explaining it to himself as much to these Romans. It's important to understand: the gospel is still exclusive.  I think this was why it wasn't easy for Peter to work this through.  Jesus changes everything.  Jesus opens the way to God for all.  And yet unclean, unholy, idolatrous gentiles are still on the outside.  What Jesus has done is to reconstitute the people of God around himself.  Faith in him, not torah, has become the defining characteristic, the mark of membership in this new family.  His blood purifies us, Jew and gentile alike and makes us new.  This is why Paul, writing to the gentile Corinthians, can describe them as having once been pagans, led astray by dumb idols, but now they're part of Abraham's family.  Jesus has brought them into Israel's story.  He's seen their faces pressed against the glass and opened the door.  If they'll come through his door, they can finally know the living God.  And, of course, Peter's also realising that since God shows no favouritism, his own people now need to come through that same Jesus door too. So Peter says, yes, there was something special about Israel.  Verse 36: “[God] sent his word to the sons of Israel, announcing peace through Jesus the Messiah—he is Lord of all!”  This was how it had to work.  God had chosen Abraham to be the one through whom he would make himself known to a world that had rebelled against him and forgotten him.  The intent all along was to work through Abraham and then his family to restore the whole human race.  By Peter's day the Jews had taken that to mean that they were God's favourites and he hated everyone else, but what it really meant, well, Jesus said in John 3:16: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son, so that whoever believes in him should not die, but have eternal life”—the life of the age to come, life in God's creation set to right and, most important, life in his presence. So Jesus was born one of those people called to steward God's word to the world and he brought God's announcement of peace—of restoration.  He was the promised Messiah, the King, the one in whom God would return to his people and set everything right. So Peter goes on in verse 37: “You know all about this, and how the word spread through all Judaea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism which John proclaimed.  God anointed this man, Jesus of Nazareth, with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, since God was with him.  We are witnesses of everything he did in the land of Judaea and in Jerusalem.  They killed him by hanging him on a tree; but God raised him on the third day, and allowed him to be seen, not indeed by all the people, but by those of us whom God had appointed beforehand. We ate and drank with him after he had been raised from the dead.  And he commanded us to announce to the people, and to bear testimony, that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead.  All the prophets give their witness: he is the one! Everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.” Being so close to the people of Israel, I expect Cornelius knew about Jesus.  And I also suspect that wanting to have a relationship with the people of Israel while being an outsider and a Roman, would have made him very hesitant to think of or affirm Jesus as the Messiah.  All of the Jews he knew denounced Jesus as a fraud and laughed at these men and women going around claiming he'd been raised from the dead.  But God broke through that.  He spoke and he brought Cornelius and Peter together.  It's really a stunning story of God's providence working to fulfil his promises.  Jesus had told his friends that they would carry the good news of his death and resurrection from Jerusalem to Judaea, Samaria, and even to the ends of the earth.  In the First Century there was no better way of doing that then for the gospel to get hold of a Roman.  And so God prepared a Roman to hear it.  He brought this man to Caesarea where he saw something beautiful, something holy, something of the glory of God and was drawn to it.  And when the time was right, he brought an eyewitness to the gospel story to him and he brought him, he brought Peter in a way that Cornelius couldn't dismiss. And the story here is interesting.  Luke doesn't say anything about Cornelius asking, like others do in other places, something like, “What must I do to be saved?”  Cornelius was so close.  He just needed to hear about Jesus.  And Luke writes in verse 44: “While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit fell on everyone who was listening to the word.  The circumcised believers who had accompanied Peter were astonished, because the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out on the Gentiles too.  They heard them speaking with tongues and praising God.” These Romans heard and they just believed.  The Spirit filled them up and as evidence—evidence that these Jewish Christians like Peter and his friends desperately need to see—the Spirit started speaking through these Romans in tongues.  I can imagine those Romans, they spoke Latin, they spoke Greek, they stumbled over Aramaic.  They didn't know Hebrew at all.  And I picture the Spirit suddenly speaking through them to Peter, maybe singing Psalm 110 in fluent Hebrew, because that seems to have been the purpose of tongues in the New Testament.  The Spirit proclaiming the good news and God's glory.  But the main point of this demonstration was to say to Peter and the other Jewish believers that God had seen fit to bring these uncircumcised gentiles into his temple.  Jesus' sacrifice was so powerful, his blood so powerful that it can purify even the gentiles and make them fit to be the dwelling place of God's Spirit.  Cornelius didn't have to get circumcised or change his diet or start observing the Sabbath to fit for the Holy Spirit or to be part of God's new creation.  Because that's going to be the big debate coming up soon in the story.  What happened that day at Caesarea sent a clear message: this new Israel, this new people of God is not defined or marked out by torah, by the law of Moses, but by faith in Jesus and Jesus alone. And Peter gets this.  And so Luke writes, “Then Peter spoke up. “Nobody can deny these people water to be baptized, can they?” he said. “They have received the Holy Spirit, just like we did!”  So he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus the Messiah.  Then they asked him to stay for a few days.” Usually it was the other way around: believe, be baptise, be filled with the Spirit and incorporated into God's new temple.  But in these early days God was sometimes mixing up the process to communicate important messages to the early church.  In Samaria it was the opposite.  The Samaritan had believed, but the Spirit didn't fill them until the apostles paid them a visit.  Here the Spirit fills these new believers before they're even baptised.  And so Peter makes it clear: Let's baptise these people. Not, let's circumcise them to bring them into the people of God, but let's mark them out by baptism.  You don't have to be a Jew to be part of this people.  Just the opposite in a way.  Be baptised, be united with Jesus the Messiah, you become a part of this new people of God, and the Spirit circumcises your heart—he does for you really, and deeply what circumcision and the law had always been external symbols of. As I've been reflecting on this story over the last weeks, I've been moved by how it reveals God's faithfulness and his glory.  This is God taking the first steps to fulfil his promise that through Israel he would bring the nations to himself.  And when you think about the context of this story: the Romans and Judaism in the First Century, it's amazing to reflect on God at work, not just setting his own people to rights here and bringing them to a point where they're accomplishing the mission he'd given them two millennia before when he called Abraham, but he's set things up so that it's just the right representative of the gentile nations who meets Peter.  A man already pressing his face against the glass, a man already valuing the very thing that God had given to his people and that so many of them took for granted.  And now he's brought into the family—not through circumcision—and oddly enough not even through baptism, but directly: hearing the gospel and being filled with the Spirit.  Peter has to rush to catch up with the baptism part—because that's essential too.  And giving the gospel to a Roman centurion.  It's like putting the gospel on a high-speed train to the rest of the empire and from there to the world.  This and what comes next are the setup for the rest of Acts and for Paul's story. But here—I'll just say this in conclusion—here we're reminded what the gospel is and what it's about and how we become part of its story ourselves.  Brothers and Sisters, it's not through what we do.  It's not through who we are.  It's through Jesus.  Through faith in him as the Messiah, as the King, as creation's true Lord who has come to set the world to rights, to drive away the darkness, to defeat sin and death, to bring light and life—and most of all God's presence back to men and women.  His blood is what purifies us from the stain of sin and death.  And when he's washed us clean, he fills us with God's Spirit—with new life and a new way of life.  The Spirit in us is God's glorious future in the present.  And it's Jesus who brings us into that life and into the presence of God. Someone recently asked me why we drink wine in the Lord's Supper and whether it was really necessary.  Why can't we just drink grape juice?  Brothers and Sisters, it's because Jesus' blood is powerful.  And because, like alcohol, Jesus' blood is purifying.  Like the wine that hits your tongue with a bit of a shock, the power of Jesus' blood ought to get our attention—the way it did for Peter that day in Caesarea.  Brothers and Sisters, Jesus' blood is powerful enough to wash away the greatest stain—of sin, of idolatry, of death—to make us sons and daughters of Abraham, sons and daughters of the living God.  Come to the Table this morning.  Eat the bread.  Drink the wine.  And give glory to God. Let's pray: Keep, O Lord, your Church, with your perpetual mercy; and, because without you our human frailty cannot but fall, keep us ever by your help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever.  Amen.

God often shows up in unexpected ways, to unexpected people, and accomplishes what no amount of human ingenuity could ever produce. In Acts 10, Cornelius shows us how one person leaned into God faithfully, without knowing what to expect, and then watched God do far more than he could have imagined. This Sunday, we’ll explore what we can learn from his example and how we can position ourselves to recognize and respond when God is at work.

Wüllenkemper, Cornelius www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

Does the New Testament require baptism by full immersion, or can baptism also be performed by pouring or sprinkling? In this episode of Catholic Answers Live, Brayden Cook responds to major Protestant objections to the Catholic understanding of baptism. He explains what baptism washes away in infants, whether Paul's comparison between baptism and circumcision supports infant baptism, and what Mark 16:16 teaches about the necessity of baptism. Brayden also examines whether Cornelius receiving the Holy Spirit before baptism proves that regeneration occurs apart from the sacrament, whether the thief on the cross disproves baptismal necessity, and whether Scripture requires personal belief before baptism. Finally, he addresses how Catholics can say baptism washes away sin while also affirming that it is Christ's blood that cleanses us from all sin. Join the Catholic Answers Live Club Newsletter Invite our apologists to speak at your parish! Visit Catholicanswersspeakers.com Questions Covered: 03:29 – Where does the New Testament authorize pouring or sprinkling instead of immersion?   11:50 – If infants have committed no personal sins, what sins does baptism wash away—and where does Scripture say that Adam's guilt is removed through infant baptism?  16:45 – Is the Catholic comparison between baptism and circumcision (Col. 2:11–12) really valid, or does the new covenant require conscious faith rather than mere physical descent?  20:55 – If baptism is necessary for salvation, why does Mark 16:16 say that the one who does not believe is condemned, rather than the one who is not baptized?  25:05 – Cornelius received the Holy Spirit before he was baptized (Acts 10:44–48). Doesn't that prove he was already regenerated and saved before baptism?  36:40 – The thief on the cross was promised paradise without being baptized (Luke 23:39–43). Doesn't that disprove the claim that baptism is necessary?  46:10 – Don't Jesus' words, “Whoever believes and is baptized” (Mark 16:16), establish the biblical order: personal belief first, baptism afterward?  51:21 – If Christ's blood cleanses us from all sin (1 John 1:7), why does the Catholic Church claim that baptism washes away sin? 

This week on Hashtag History, we will be discussing Dr. Cornelius P. Rhoads, an American pathologist who was once highlighted on the cover of Time Magazine as THE “Cancer Fighter." He served as director of the Memorial Hospital for Cancer Research, the first director of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, and did groundbreaking research for the Rockefeller Institute of Medical Research.But that's not why we're talking about ol' Corny today. No, we are talking about him because, in 1932, he was exposed by a letter he had written the year prior while working in clinical research in Puerto Rico. In this letter, he wrote that he considered Puerto Ricans to be “beyond doubt the laziest, most degenerate, and thievish race of men ever inhabiting this sphere.” But, oh, wait. It gets so much worse. He continues in this letter to say, “What the island needs is not public health work but a tidal wave or something to totally exterminate the population. It might then be livable. I have done my best to further the process of extermination by killing off eight and transplanting cancer into several more.” But wait…there's more…that we will get to later in the episode.Despite this horrendously racist and alarming language/admission, Rhoads of course went on to receive several awards, such as the Legion of Merit, several honorary doctorates, and a Memorial Award in his honor through the American Association for Cancer Research (though this one was renamed in 2002 after his awful 1931 letter recirculated). We should also mention that his research was instrumental in helping the US Army develop chemical weapons during World War II.Follow Hashtag History on Instagram @hashtaghistory_podcast for all of the pictures mentioned in this episode.Citations for all sources can be located on our website at www.HashtagHistory-Pod.com. You can also check out our website for super cute merch!You can now sponsor a cocktail and get a shout-out on air! Just head to www.buymeacoffee.com/hashtaghistory or head to the Support tab on our website!You can locate us on www.Patreon.com/hashtaghistory where you can donate $1 a month to our Books and Booze Supply. All of your support goes a long ways and we are endlessly grateful! To show our gratitude, all Patreon Supporters receive an automatic 15% OFF all merchandise in our merchandise store, a shoutout on social media, and stickers!THANKS FOR LISTENING!- Rachel and LeahEditor: Alex PerezCopyright: The Hashtag History Podcast

Wüllenkemper, Cornelius www.deutschlandfunk.de, Kultur heute

The TV/Movie Rewind Podcast, with Matt & Todd, returns this week with a returning guest, Gabe Crate, for our return to the Planet of the Apes franchise with: Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975).This is the 6th and final installment of the series that began in 1968 and branched into at least three different timelines from its Charlton Heston beginnings, now arriving at its final, animated end.What Return lacks in animation frames, it more than makes up for in stunning art detail headed by Director Doug Wildey, settling on a more modern look at life on Earth in the 3000s. The Apes have established modern cities complete with movies, TV, radio, airplanes, the works of William Apespeare, and even a bit of kaiju action.Return to the Planet of the Apes (1975) features the voices of:Bill Hudson — voiced by Tom Williams and Richard BlackburnDr. Zaius — voiced by Richard BlackburnJeff Allen — voiced by Austin StokerJudy Franklin — voiced by Claudette NevinsGeneral Urko — voiced by Henry Corden (…wait, is that Fred Flintstone?)Cornelius — voiced by Edwin Mills and Henry CordenZira — voiced by Philippa HarrisDespite its short run (13 episodes), the series is a fascinating artifact: a high‑fantasy, high‑concept reinterpretation of Apes lore that feels like a Saturday‑morning cartoon filtered through the aesthetics of pulp sci‑fi paperback covers. It's weird, ambitious, and absolutely worth revisiting as the final animated echo of the original Apes saga. And as peculiar as the advanced Ape society might seem to fans of the film and TV installments, these elements more closely reflect aspects of the novel (and the original Rod Serling treatment) that were hindered by film‑budget constraints._____________Matt has over 100+ lists for movie suggestions on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Letterboxd⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠You can reach out on Bluesky:@MovieMattSirois Terrible movies often find him, even under under the alias Marcus at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Movie Asylum of the Weird, Bad and Wonderful⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Follow who we follow at the ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Once Upon a Geek⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠TheFade Out Podcast⁠⁠⁠s⁠

What God has Made Clean Acts 9:32-10:23 by William Klock Back in 2012 Barack Obama, in what became something of an infamous campaign speech, told business owners, “You didn't build that.”  His point was that private business relies on public infrastructure, but most people just heard him dismissing their hard work as irrelevant to the businesses they had built.  It wasn't a good campaign move.  But that line keeps coming back to my mind as I read the closing verses of Act 9.  Amazing things were happening in the church.  The apostles were doing amazing things.  The church was growing by leaps and bounds.  And in the middle of it all, Luke says, “You didn't build that.  Jesus did.” You might remember back to when we first started out look at Acts and I said that even though we call the book “the Acts of the Apostles,” what Luke really makes clear throughout is that this is really about the acts of Jesus—picking up where the Gospel left off.  It's just that now Jesus is working indirectly through his people.  We—and I can say that especially pastors—need this reminder.  When we look at the church, when we're tempted to take credit for the things we see happening, Luke reminds us: “You didn't build that.  Jesus did.”  Brothers and Sisters, the glory—all of it—belongs to God and this long story of God and his people, of Israel and the church that continues today has one purpose and one purpose alone: to reveal God's glory. Now,most of Chapter 9 was about Saul of Tarsus and his encounter with Jesus.  That's going to be important.  But first Luke brings us back to Peter.  We'll pick up with 9:32 [page 1091 in the pew Bibles]: “As Peter was going through various places among all the believers, he went down to God's people who lived in Lydda.  There he found a paralyzed man named Aeneas who had been confined to bed for eight years. “Aeneas,” Peter said to him, “Jesus the Messiah heals you!  Stand up and fold up your bed!”  And at once he stood up.  Everyone who lived at Lydda and Sharon saw it, and they turned to the Lord. In Joppa [today it's Jaffa not too far from Tel Aviv] there was a disciple named Tabitha, whose name translates as Dorcas.  She was full of good works and generous deeds.  Around that time she fell ill and died.  They washed her and laid her in an upper room.  Lydda is near Joppa, and the disciples, hearing that Peter was there, sent two men to him with the urgent request that he shouldn't delay, but come to them at once.  So Peter got up and went with them. When he arrived, they took him to the upper room, where all the widows were weeping. They showed him the tunics and the other clothes that Dorcas had made while she was with them.  Peter requested them all to leave.  Then he knelt down and prayed, and turned to the body.  “Tabitha,” he said, “get up!”  She opened her eyes, and when she saw Peter she sat up.  He gave her his hand and lifted her up. Then he called God's people, including the widows, and presented her alive.  This became known throughout the whole of Joppa, and many believed in the Lord.  Peter stayed on in Joppa for some days, at the house of Simon the tanner.” I don't want to spend too much time on this interlude.  Surely there were other wonderful things happening, but Luke focuses us on Peter and the healing of Aeneas and the raising of Dorcas and in them he gives a sense of the church's growth through Judaea.  Dorcas is interesting, because she seems to have lived in a community of widows—and we know that was one group, one demographic where the gospel spread early on—to a group of women living with poverty and grief.  Jesus was good news.  But I think Luke's key point in these verses is in the words of Peter when he told Aeneas to get up: “Jesus the Messiah heals you!”  Not just, “Get up.”  Not, “I've healed you.”  “Jesus the Messiah heals you.”  Peter knew who was at work.  Jesus—and the Spirit—are behind everything we do as the church.  And we need to be reminded of this sometimes.  Sometimes when we're tempted to take the credit for things.  Sometimes when we get frustrated with a lack of things happening or with what seems like too slow a pace and we wish bigger things would happen faster in the church.  Brothers and Sisters, it's Jesus' church, not ours.  He's the one who makes things happen.  If Saul's conversion isn't proof of that, then nothing is.  Trust Jesus.  Wait on Jesus.  Give Jesus the credit. And then there's one other detail here.  Peter's staying at the home of Simon the Tanner.  This says something about who the first Christians were.  Tanning was dirty, smelly work.  It didn't necessarily make you unclean as people used to think, but it was nasty work and it put tanners on the social fringe of society.  But Peter doesn't shrink from Simon's hospitality.  He stays at his house, even though it probably stinks to high heaven.  Most people would think he was crazy, but Brothers and Sisters, this is what the gospel does.  It makes people of unlikely—and even unsavoury backgrounds—family. Now, Luke goes on in 10:1.  “In Caesarea there was a man named Cornelius, a centurion with the cohort called the Italian.”  He was devout, and he and all his household revered God. He gave alms generously to the people, and constantly prayed to God.” As Twenty-first century Christians we might miss how significant these two verses are.  Luke says that there's a centurion named Cornelius at Caesara.  Caesarea was the main Roman base in Judaea.  It was a port city built by Herod the Great to funnel all the shipping into one place to make it easier for him to tax.  But it was also the home of the Roman governor.  It wasn't a backwater.  It was a significant outpost of the Roman Empire and a centurion stationed there—a centurion was the commander of a unit of one hundred soldiers—he had some status.  Cornelius had the respect of his Roman superiors.  But then Luke says that he was “devout”—eusebes.  He was godly, pious, and reverent, not in a vague religious sense, but towards the God of Israel.  He was generous with his money so far as the local Jewish community was concerned, and he was constant in his prayer, again, to the God of Israel. That wasn't unheard of, but it was unusual.  I've said before, there was this group of people, gentiles, pagan in their background, whom the Jews called “God-fearers”.  They were attracted to the God of Israel, to the purity of Jewish life, and to the community they saw there.  Remember, pagan life in the pre-Christian world was mean and brutal and merciless.  The gods were mean and brutal and merciless too—along with being unknowable and fickle.  Sexual immorality was everywhere.  Women and slaves existed to satisfy the desires of men.  In the upper classes, boys were initiated into adulthood through sex with older men.  Marriage was pragmatic and divorce was common.  So were abortion and infanticide.  When you look around the world today and you see the darkness and the brokenness around you and know in your bones that this is not how God meant for things to be, the pre-Christian pagan world was much, much worse.  And for all of Israel's failings, she still stood out as a light in the darkness.  And a lot of the pagans, seeing that, mocked Israel.  But some were drawn to it.  They didn't go all the way.  They had their reasons.  A centurion like Cornelius, for example, would probably have to give up his career—or would be forced out of it—if he was circumcised and chose to live by torah.   So it's interesting—because the progression of the story in Acts will eventually lead us with Paul to Rome.  And it sort of starts here, although it starts with Peter.  And the first Roman we meet breaks all the stereotypes.  He wasn't one of those soldiers who took pleasure in abusing the local Jewish people.  He wasn't one of those Romans doing unspeakable things at the bathhouse.  Caesarea had a huge temple—built by Herod!—a huge temple to the goddess Roma and to Caesar Augustus.  And I can imagine Cornelius going there and going through the motions for his job, but he wasn't the sort to otherwise frequent the pagan temples.  He's a little like Jesus' good Samaritan.  He's supposed to be the enemy.  Everyone wants him to be the enemy.  Everyone wants to hate him.  But he's actually a good guy and even the Jews in his community grow to respect him. So, Luke goes on in verse 3: Cornelius ‘had a vision.  Around three o'clock in the afternoon he saw, quite clearly, one of God's angels coming to him. “Cornelius!” said the angel.  He looked hard at him, terrified.  “What is it, Lord?” he said.  “Your prayers and your alms have come to God's notice,” said the angel.  “What you must do is this.  Send men to Joppa, and ask for someone called Simon, surnamed Peter.  He is staying with a man called Simon, a tanner, whose house is beside the sea.”  When the angel who had spoken with him went away, he called two of his household and a devout soldier from among his retinue.  He explained everything to them, and sent them off to Joppa.” So God's obviously been working in Cornelius for a while now and he's been doing it through his people and their witness.  This why God created a special people.  And Cornelius has been hearing the scriptures—probably in the local synagogue.  But that's not enough.  I mean, even as far at the old covenant went, that wasn't enough.  He wasn't circumcised.  He didn't live according to torah—except maybe in a few ways easy for a gentile to do.  He'd never taken part in Passover.  He couldn't enter the temple.  He was drawn to God, but he was still far away.  He could see the hope that Israel embodied, but it wasn't his hope.  But even life on the fringe of Israel, even life looking towards a God he couldn't actually approach, was better than pagan life.  And this sets things up for where the gospel is going to go and how it's going to challenge the church.  Because up until this point, the gospel, Jesus were still very much a Jewish thing.  To be a Christians was to continue to be a Jew, but to be a Jew living in the fulfilment of the covenant and of God's promises to you and to your people.  But—this is key to the book of Acts—for those promises to be fulfilled also meant that Israel's calling to be a light to the nations, to make God known amongst them, to set them to rights had to be fulfilled.  And bringing gentiles to fringes of the people of God, to make them attracted to the family, but to leave them still outside—that wasn't fulfilment of God's promises.  It anticipated the fulfilment, but somehow the new people of God and the Spirit had to fully incorporate the nations. But up to this point, it seems like those first Christians—pretty much all Jews except for the Samaritans—who were like quasi-Jews—and the Ethiopian eunuch, whom at this point they may not have even known about yet—the idea of Jesus bringing the nations under his rule through the gospel, it doesn't really seem to have been on the radar.  That was the part of the promises that Israel had kind of forgotten—and when they did remember it, they thought of it mostly in terms of God coming on the gentiles and their kings in judgement to rain down his wrath—not his mercy and grace.  And, well, those first Jewish Christians also had plenty on their plate already just proclaiming the gospel in Jerusalem and Judaea.  So, again, it's God who moves things forward—just as he'd done with the Samaritans. And angel appears to Cornelius.  Send for Peter in Joffa.  And so Cornelius chooses two of his servants and one of his soldiers who is also a God-fearer to fetch Peter.  I had to pause there for a bit, because it sounds like Cornelius is devout enough that he's been sort of an evangelist for Judaism even though he isn't even a Jew.  That's pretty remarkable. Now, verse 9, Luke takes us about fifty kilometres down the coast, to Joppa and to Peter: “The next day, as they were on their journey and getting near the town, Peter went up onto the roof of the house to pray.  It was around midday; he was hungry, and asked for something to eat.  While they were preparing it, he fell into a trance.  He saw heaven opened, and a vessel like a great sail coming down toward the earth, suspended by its four corners.  In the sail there was every kind of four-footed creature, reptiles of the earth and birds of the air.' So it starts out pretty ordinary: Peter's hungry and while he's waiting for his lunch he falls asleep and dreams about a banquet coming down from heaven.  But then he looks at what's on this great linen picnic cloth and there's everything.  Clean animals good for food, but also forbidden unclean animals.  He's perplexed.  Why would he dream about eating unclean things.  That's gross.  ‘Then he heard a voice: “Get up, Peter!” said the voice. “Kill and eat!” “Certainly not, Lord!” said Peter. “I've never eaten anything common or unclean!”  Peter was a good Jew.  He lived by torah.  Diet—along with circumcision and keeping the sabbath—were the big things that marked out the Jews from everyone else.  God had chosen Israel, he'd rescued them from Egypt, he'd set them apart, he'd come to live in their midst, and he'd given them his law to set them apart from the nations—to be a holy people.  And out of gratitude for the Lord's grace—not to earn anything, but out of gratitude—they did their best to be obedient.  It was their way of being faithful in response to the Lord's faithfulness.  For the Lord to tell Peter to eat, say, a pig, well, he might just as well have told him to break the Sabbath or to go worship at a pagan temple.  To break the law was to break faith with the God of Israel.  Peter was shocked.  He was confused.  Was this really the Lord speaking?  Verse 15: “What God has made clean,” said the voice, coming now for a second time, “you must not regard as common.”  And just to make a point, verse 16: ‘This all happened three times, and then suddenly the sail was whisked back up to heaven.' Luke writes, ‘When Peter came to himself, he was puzzled as to what the vision he had seen was all about.'  No kidding.  I bet he was confused.  Why would the Lord tell him that something clearly unclean isn't actually unclean.  Had God changed his mind?  I don't think Peter would go in that direction.  He knew as well as anyone that God doesn't change his mind like that.  We'll get back to that in a bit.  I expect Peter started thinking about all those times he was with Jesus and Jesus did something that seemed like it was against torah, but then showed how God was doing something new, how God was fulfilling what torah had always been pointing toward.  But before he had time to work it all through, Luke says, ‘Suddenly, the men sent by Cornelius appeared, standing by the gate. They had been asking for Simon's house, inquiring if someone by the name of Simon called Peter was staying there.  Peter was still pondering the vision when the Spirit spoke to him. “Look,” said the spirit. “There are three men searching for you.  It's all right; get up, go down, and go with them. Don't be prejudiced; I have sent them.”  So Peter went down to the men. “Here I am,” he said. “I'm the one you're looking for.  Why have you come?” “There is a man called Cornelius,” they replied. “He is a centurion, and he's a righteous and God-fearing man. The whole people of the Jews will testify to him.  A holy angel told him in a vision to send for you to come to his house, so that he can hear any words you may have to say.”  So he invited them in and put them up for the night.” When he met the soldiers at the door everything started to make sense.  It wasn't about the food.  The Lord didn't care what Peter ate.  Peter could never eat a nice bacon-wrapped shrimp—and the Lord would be sad for him missing out on the wonder of a bacon-wrapped shrimp—but it was no moral failure on Peter's part.  It wasn't about food; it was about people.  If we put ourselves in Peter's shoes, a first century Jewish fisherman, it makes sense.  Because for someone like him, it wasn't just what you ate, it was just as much who you ate with.  Jews didn't eat with gentiles.  They didn't even go into their houses.  Because even if a gentile wasn't serving you obviously unclean food, like a shrimp or a porkchop, you never knew where that food might have come from.  It might be meat that was offered to an idol and bought from the butcher shop behind the temple.  In the Jewish mind, gentile homes always ran the risk of corpse defilement.  The gentiles didn't take the same care with their dead that the Jews did, plus they aborted their infants and threw them in the privy.  Who knows how you might find yourself defiled if you consorted with gentiles or ate their food.  And to let yourself be defiled that way, well, it was to dishonour God.  Even a God-fearer like Cornelius.  A soldier? He was probably regularly defiled by corpses.  He ate bacon.  Even if he didn't really worship them, he spent time around idols.  If you were a Roman soldier there was no escaping it. And I can easily picture Peter, meeting Cornelius' God-fearing men at the door and, even though he hasn't had a chance to work it all through, something clicks.  Again, it wasn't actually about the food.  It was about people.  In the Jewish mind, these men were pigs: unclean, idolaters.  But God had told him: “Don't be prejudiced against these men.  I've sent them.”  And so he let them into the house.  I expect there was more to it than Luke tells us.  Peter hadn't had a chance to tell any of this to his hosts.  It's not hard to image their, “But…um…Peter…uh…what are you doing…not in my house.”  And in those days, to welcome someone into your house was to offer them hospitality.  His host had just made Peter lunch and now Peter's going to invite these unclean Romans to sit and share it with him.  This went against everything.  But the Lord had been clear: “Don't be prejudiced against them.  Do not call common what I have made clean.”  It'll take a bit for Peter to work the implications of this all the way through, but he knew what to do and I'm sure he was already starting to wrap his head around what the Lord was doing. You see, our problem is this.  Because of the secular thinking that's been ingrained into us, when we hear the Lord say not to be prejudiced and not to call common what he has made clean, our first thought is something like “God changed his mind”  or maybe we're thinking something like, “Good, it was about time God set those prejudiced Jews straight”—as if their keeping apart from gentiles was wrong.  In our culture, the default view is that all religion are the same.  We rankle at the idea that a person's religious views might be wrong.  I've pointed out before that, first, this modern idea of “religion” didn't exist in the First Century.  But the bigger mistake we make is to think that there was something wrong with the law, with torah, with the way Jews kept themselves apart.  And that's not it at all.  If that's what we're thinking, then we're the ones with a prejudice that needs to be removed. Brothers and Sisters, the law was good.  The law was God's gift to his people—and through them to the nations.  When God tells Peter not to call common what he has made clean, it's really important that we hear this properly, because I think we're prone to misreading this as God saying, “You've mistakenly called common what I've called clean”—as if Leviticus and the rest of torah were a mistake.  No.  Cornelius, Romans, gentiles, pagan idolaters were unclean.  They are still unclean today.  The law hasn't changed.  What's changed is that Jesus has shed his blood to purify, to wash clean—not just his own people, Israel, but every last one of us, Jew and gentiles alike.  If we will hear the good news that he has died, that he has risen, and that he is Lord; if we have heard the good news that his blood washes away our sin and our idolatry and the stain of death; if we have heard the good news that he is setting this broken world to rights; if we have heard the good news that in his Spirit, God is fulfilling his promise to build a new temple and to dwell with is people; if we have heard this good news and believed, we are no longer unclean.  Jesus washes away our sin, he washes away our idolatry, he fills us with God's Spirit.  Jew and gentile alike, and he makes us holy. God didn't change his mind.  He didn't retract his previous word.  I can remember once as a young kid in a parking lot, getting distracted, dawdling, and getting left behind when my mom crossed a busy thoroughfare.  Being a kid, blind to traffic, I was just going to run across to catch up with my mom.  But she noticed what had happened and she yelled at me to stay put.  It sticks in my mind, because a complete stranger, seeing what was happening, grabbed my shoulder and held me there when I was about to run.  A moment later Mom told me to come to her, to run across that busy thoroughfare.  And it wasn't that she changed her mind.  Something else changed.  She told me to stay put the first time, because there was a car coming and she didn't want me to run into its path.  But then the car was gone.  It was safe to run to her.  And just so with the law and the gospel.  The law kept Isreal holy so that she could live in God's presence.  The law kept gentiles away, because it's not safe for what is impure, what is sinful, what is unclean to be in the presence of holiness.  Brothers and Sisters, that hasn't changed.  Not one bit.  What has changed is that Jesus, through his death and resurrection, has made a way for us to be washed from the stain of sin and death, to be purified from our idolatry, and to be made holy.  So holy, in fact, that God fills us with his own Spirit and makes us his temple. And that's what God was communicating to Peter that day.  Peter already understood all of that.  He knew that the church, that Jesus' people, filled with the Spirit were the fulfilment of God's promise to return to his people, to rebuild his temple, and to live with them.  But this was the day that God started to show his people: the blood of Jesus and the life of the Spirit weren't just for Jews.  In fact, to fulfil his promises, this new life was also for the gentiles.  Jesus' blood can wash them—can wash us—just as clean.  And in that God reveals his faithfulness and his glory.  And it is his glory, above all, that draws men and women to him in faith.  Just like Cornelius. This is only half the story here in Acts.  I'm already going long.  We'll finish it next week.  But this is the takeaway.  Not so much something you can do, but something you need to know, to understand, so that you can see the glory of God better.  He doesn't change his mind.  In the law, he didn't give Israel something bad that he later had to revoke.  It's all part of the story of God and his people and his redemption of humanity and all of creation.  It's a progressive revelation of himself through promise and fulfilment and at each step of the way, as we see God's goodness, his love, his faithfulness, his glory is ever more revealed.  That's is, I think, how we should think of “law and gospel”.  There's been a lot in the history of the church that has mucked that up, but think on Peter and Cornelius this week—maybe go home and at some point read the rest of the story in preparation for next week—and see the goodness and faithfulness of God—and give him glory.  And as you do, do so in joyful anticipation, knowing that one day, through our witness, through our proclamation of Jesus, the knowledge of that glory will cover the earth as the waters cover the sea. Let's pray: Almighty and everlasting God, increase in us the gifts of faith, hope, and love; and, that we may obtain what you promise, make us love what you command; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

A verse-by-verse Bible study class. This study covers Romans 2:12-16.Topics: The principle of impartial judgment based on knowledge and light received -- The concept of the Law written on the hearts of Gentiles -- Conscience as an internal enforcement mechanism accusing or defending thoughts -- The two greatest commandments as the summary of inherent moral law -- Perspectives from theological commentators on universal moral light -- The potential path to salvation for pre-Christian Gentiles and those without the written Law -- Parallel pathways to salvation between Old Testament saints and Gentiles through faith anticipating Christ -- The role and purpose of Christian missionaries in bringing revelation to seekers -- The Ethiopian eunuch as an example of a Gentile seeker brought into full truth -- Cornelius the Roman centurion as an example of God accepting those who fear Him from every nation.FYI, Scott Sperling hosts a bi-weekly, live, interactive, verse-by-verse Bible study via Zoom. If you're interested in attending, you can email me at ssper@scripturestudies.comFor more Bible studies, visit ScriptureStudies.com

In this evening message from Acts 10:34-48, Pastor Rockhill unfolds what is often called the Gentile Pentecost, the pivotal moment when the gospel and the gift of the Holy Spirit were poured out upon Cornelius and his household. His central burden is the sweeping truth that God shows no partiality, receiving from every nation all who fear Him and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Working through Peter's sermon in the home of Cornelius, Pastor Rockhill traces the key components of the gospel Peter proclaims: Jesus as the Word sent from God, His baptism and anointing by the Spirit, His ministry of healing and authority, His death upon the tree, His bodily resurrection witnessed by many, His appointment as Judge of the living and the dead, and the remission of sins promised through His name to all who believe. He roots this in the covenant promise to Abraham that through his seed all nations would be blessed. Pastor Rockhill highlights the outpouring of the Spirit and the sign of tongues as God's deliberate confirmation that Jew and Gentile share one Spirit, one faith, and one baptism, cautioning that this sign was not meant to be a repeated norm. He also notes that Peter required no circumcision or Old Testament ceremony, anticipating a great controversy in the early church. The application presses hard upon the congregation: since God shows no partiality, neither should His people. Pastor Rockhill challenges believers to look past nationality, culture, and status, welcoming into fellowship all who profess Christ and walk in His truth, that they might be one body to the glory of God alone.

Dr. Ryan Whalen came to Lake Norman in 2007 planning to chase a career as a professional golfer, with dentistry as the side gig. The golf plan didn't last, but the practice he opened on Catawba Avenue in Cornelius — from scratch, at the bottom of the 2008 recession — is still going strong nearly two decades later.Ryan talks with Jeff about why starting a business at zero during a downturn was less terrifying than it sounds, how Whalen Dentistry is built around eliminating stress points for anxious patients, the cosmetic work he's most proud of, and why he has no interest in growing into a high-volume "dental mill." Plus: the tight-knit team he credits for most of it.Whalen DentistryThe Best of LKNHosted by:Jeff HammLKNreal.comSupport the show

Jesus is the most written about, fought over, and misunderstood person in history. But who was he, really? What does the Bible say? Peter's sermon in Acts 10 – the first sermon preached specifically to non-Jews – shows us five teachings of the early church on who Jesus was and what he did to save us. View series on PursueGOD.org: Pursuit (Series)--The PursueGOD Truth podcast is the “easy button” for making disciples – whether you're looking for resources to lead a family devotional, a small group at church, or a one-on-one mentoring relationship. Join us for new episodes every Tuesday and Friday. Find resources to talk about these episodes at pursueGOD.org.Help others go "full circle" as a follower of Jesus through our 12-week Pursuit series.Click here to learn more about how to use these resources at home, with a small group, or in a one-on-one discipleship relationship.Got questions or want to leave a note? Email us at podcast@pursueGOD.org.Donate Now--Lord of AllThe first teaching about Jesus starts with his identity. Was he just a prophet or priest, or was he something more? Peter answers:Acts 10:36 (NLT) There is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of all. Peter calls Jesus “Lord,” a reference to his divinity. Jesus is God the Son, the second person of the Trinity (John 1:1-4). Jesus himself taught this (John 8:58), and his followers believed it. Scripture affirms that Jesus is fully God, creator and sustainer of all things. Colossians 1:15,19-20 (NLT) Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation…. For God in all his fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through him God reconciled everything to himself.But why does this matter? Why is it important to believe that Jesus is fully God instead of just a good man? The answer is that Jesus could not offer us “peace with God” if he were merely human. Jesus is God, and his divinity qualifies him to be our savior.But let's not miss the last part of Acts 10:36. Jesus is Lord of “all,” not just Lord of the Israelites. God's desire from the beginning was that all people would come to know him. That's why Peter was preaching this sermon in the first place. God had sent him to the house of a Gentile, and this was the inauguration of a new kind of movement. Christianity would be a faith for both Jews and Gentiles, because Jesus is Lord of all. Perfectly GoodThe next teaching fills us in on Christ's activity while he was here on the earth. What kind of a person was he? How did he live?Acts 10:38 (NLT) Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil.Jesus was a miracle worker unlike anything the world had ever seen. He cast out demons (Luke 4:40-41) and healed lepers (Luke 5:12-13). He miraculously fed thousands (Matthew 14:13-21), walked on water (Matthew 14:22-33), and even raised a dead guy to life (John 11:38-44).On top of his miracles, Jesus “went around doing good.” This affirms what we learned about God earlier in this series. God is for you, not against you. He's a good God, and Jesus proved it by his actions while he walked this earth.But most important of all was what Jesus didn't do: he never sinned. Jesus was perfect and sinless from start to finish. During his lifetime Jesus proved his power over sin and its consequences. Read his story for yourself and here's what you'll find: Jesus was fully God and fully man, living a sinless life and perfectly modeling the love of God. Again, why is this important? Consider this: if Jesus had been a sinner like the rest of us, then he would have had to die for his own sins. But since he was sinless, he could go to the cross on our behalf. The sin-debt that he paid could be credited to our account, because Jesus didn't owe on the debt. Crucified and RisenSo far we've learned that Jesus is fully God and perfectly sinless. That sets us up for the core teaching of the early church on the person and work of Jesus: he died and rose again. The power of faith in Jesus hinges on these two simple, historical facts. Acts 10:39-40 (NLT) They put him to death by hanging him on a cross, but God raised him to life on the third day. Jesus was about thirty three years old when the Jews put him on trial and the Romans nailed him to the cross (Luke 23:44-46, 24:1-6). From the outside looking in, this was an epic tragedy. But it was God's plan all along, even though nobody saw it coming (Isaiah 53:8-10).And here's the most important part: Jesus didn't stay dead. He rose from the grave after three days, proving once and for all his power over sin and death. This is central to the Christian faith, because a dead savior would be no savior at all: 1 Corinthians 15:14 (NLT) And if Christ has not been raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless.But how do we know that the resurrection isn't just a myth? The simplest proof was the response of his closest followers. Though they abandoned Jesus in fear before the crucifixion, they sold out their lives to his message just three days later. Almost all of Jesus' first disciples died for their faith, because they firmly believed that Jesus was raised to life.Judge of AllThe fourth point of Peter's sermon might come as a surprise to modern listeners. Up until now it has all been good news. But Peter adds a stern warning:Acts 10:42 (NLT) Jesus is the one appointed by God to be the judge of all—the living and the dead. The Bible teaches that someday Jesus will judge you for every good and bad thing you've ever done. And here's the bad news: left to yourself, there's no hope of passing the test at the end of eternity. You were born into sin, remember? The thought of a judgment day should get every person's attention (Hebrews 10:31). That's why Peter included it in his sermon.God is not only loving; he is also fair. And so we can't blame God for not flippantly dismissing our sins (Romans 2:9,16). God did not cancel his wrath against us – he spent it on his Son. At the cross, the justice of God collides with the love of God in the person of Jesus.Forgiver of SinsThank God that Peter doesn't end his sermon at judgment! Here's the final truth he teaches us about Jesus: Acts 10:43 (NLT) Everyone who believes in Jesus will have their sins forgiven through his name. This is the new birth that Jesus offers to sinners. The good news of the Bible is that we can be forgiven – but not through a lifetime of good works. Peace with God comes only through faith in a person: Jesus Christ. This is offered to anyone who believes.Jesus is Lord of all, perfectly good, crucified and risen, judge of all, and forgiver of sins. This is what Peter preached that day to the Gentile household of Cornelius, and it remains the basic message for seekers of God today.So we have a choice to

This month's guest returns after her January visit — it's music writer Vanessa Roulston Mooney, fresh from Jack White, Primavera and Féile na Gréine. We start with the big one: Phoebe Bridgers' Lost Weekend, her first solo album in six years, and whether an hour of cosmic, string-drenched, banjo-flecked ambition is too much of a good thing. Then James Ellis Ford's Lost In Another World, written and recorded alone from a hospital bed in two weeks during leukaemia treatment, and somehow the most accessible thing he's made referencing OMD and Blue Nile. That leads us to J Dilla, who made much of Donuts the same way, and to Dilligence 2, where Busta Rhymes finally uses some of the 300 beats Dilla handed him before he died in 2006, with D'Angelo, Lil Wayne, T3, Talib Kweli, Ludacris and Jon Batiste along for it. Also: GB's Heirsprung, its lyrics cut up from free copies of the London Metro and funded by a Jaguar ad; Never-Never's Colour Form, and the Copenhagen music school quietly producing half the artists Vanessa loves - Erika de Casier, ML Buch, Fine, Snuggle and GB all came through the same place; Cornelius' eighth album; Pulp's first ever live album, somehow; the short, sharp MF DOOM vibes of Denzel Curry and Kenneth Blume's 2; the debut from scuzzy, fizzy Dublin rockers Really Good Time; and the electro-clashing, indie-sleazing EP from Mischa And The Bear. Plus Erykah Badu and the Alchemist, Dolly, Jack White's phone pouches, what we're reading, and the gigs ahead. Plus Dolly, Jack White's phone pouches, what we're reading, and the gigs ahead. Follow Vanessa on Substack.   Listen on Apple | Android | Patreon | Pocketcasts | CastBox | Stitcher | Spotify | RSS Feed | Podlink | Substack * Support Nialler9 on Patreon, get event discounts, playlists, ad-free episodes and access our Discord community.  

Sometimes the Gospels raise questions that feel dangerous to ask: if Jesus is fully God and fully man, how can Scripture also show Him growing, developing, responding, and acting within a specific mission? Joe Rockey brings that tension directly to Father Boniface Hicks through examples like the wedding at Cana, the Canaanite woman, the cleansing of the Temple, and Jesus' outreach beyond Israel. The result is a careful conversation about Christ's humanity, His divinity, and how God's universal plan unfolds through particular people, places, and relationships.Father explains that Jesus' mission is universal in its final purpose—He desires the salvation of the whole world—but proximate in its historical method. Jesus ministers first to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, forms the apostles, fulfills the covenant, and then sends the Church outward to the Gentiles. The apostles themselves had to grow into that understanding, especially through Peter, Cornelius, the Holy Spirit, and the early Church's discernment.The conversation also turns practical: every Christian has a mission field. The whole world matters, but most of us serve the whole by loving, teaching, witnessing, and evangelizing the people directly entrusted to us—family, parish, workplace, friends, and the communities God places before us. Father's own mission field as a parish priest becomes one example of how a specific assignment participates in the broader mission of Christ.Finally, Joe and Father discuss how to read Scripture faithfully. The Gospels are not distortions of Jesus; they are true witness, written by human authors under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes the Holy Spirit preserves details whose full meaning becomes clearer later, like “Easter eggs” in salvation history. Jesus truly grows in His humanity, while His divine mission remains ordered by the Father from the beginning.**Key Ideas*** Jesus is fully God and fully man; His humanity truly develops without His divine mission being confused or incomplete.* Jesus' mission is universal in purpose, but historically begins with Israel and then extends through the Church to the Gentiles.* The Canaanite woman reveals faith and order: the children first, then the household pets—not rejection, but mission unfolding.* Every Christian has a mission field: not everyone all at once, but the people God actually places before us.* Scripture is written through real human authors, but the Holy Spirit is the primary author guiding the deeper unity of salvation history.**Scripture Mentioned*** Wedding at Cana* The Canaanite woman / “lost sheep of the house of Israel”* Cleansing of the Temple / courtyard of the Gentiles* Peter and Cornelius* Council of Jerusalem* The centurion / “Lord, I am not worthy”* Luke 2:51–52 — Jesus growing in wisdom and grace* Moses' staff and the hyssop branch at the Crucifixion**Links & References**None explicitly referenced with a clear official/source link in this episode.**CTA:** If this helped, please leave a review or share this episode with a friend.Questions or thoughts? Email [FatherAndJoe@gmail.com](mailto:FatherAndJoe@gmail.com).### TagsFather and Joe, Joe Rockey, Father Boniface Hicks, Jesus Christ, fully God fully man, Incarnation, humanity of Jesus, divinity of Jesus, mission of Jesus, universal salvation, Israel, Gentiles, Canaanite woman, lost sheep of Israel, wedding at Cana, Mary, do whatever he tells you, cleansing of the Temple, courtyard of the Gentiles, Peter and Cornelius, Council of Jerusalem, centurion, Lord I am not worthy, Luke 2, Jesus grew in wisdom, Holy Spirit, inspiration of Scripture, Gospel writers, salvation history, Old Testament, New Testament, Moses, Moses' staff, hyssop, covenant, chosen people, evangelization, mission field, parish mission, family mission, Catholic faith, relationship with God, relationship with others, relationship with self, discernment, Scripture study, Catholic podcast, Christology, faith questions, asking hard questions

God brings together diverse people through faith in Jesus and makes them a family.

Pastor Jordan Boyce is preaching on Divine Orchestration: When God Answers Prayer Through People.

Cornelius Pollmer war lange bei der Süddeutschen Zeitung und schreibt mittlerweile für die Zeit, seit 2025 ist er dort Leiter des Ressorts “ZEIT im Osten”. Seinen glamourösesten Job aber bekleidet er seit einigen Monaten als einer der Moderatoren der “Apokalypse & Filterkaffee”-Familie. Aber zurück zum Osten, wo in den nächsten Wochen bekanntlich dramatische Wahlen anstehen – im Sachsen-Anhalt-Wahlkampf steckt Cornelius nach eigenen Aussagen so tief drin wie in einer Lebensabschnittspartnerschaft. Also: Was passiert hier gerade? Wie konnte es soweit kommen? Kann Sven Schulze nach dem TV-Duell doch noch das Ruder rumreißen? Und warum ist “der gefährlichste Mann Deutschlands” vielleicht gar nicht so gefährlich, dafür sein Umfeld umso mehr? Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte: https://linktr.ee/ApokalypseundFilterkaffee Du möchtest Werbung in diesem Podcast schalten? Dann erfahre hier mehr über die Werbemöglichkeiten bei Seven.One Audio: https://www.seven.one/portfolio/sevenone-audio

Witness how Peter's obedience to God's vision opens the door for the Gentiles to receive the Holy Spirit, transforming lives and expanding the reach of the gospel beyond boundaries.In this episode, Peter receives a divine vision challenging long-held beliefs about clean and unclean, ultimately leading him to share the gospel with the Roman centurion Cornelius and his household. Through this encounter, the Holy Spirit moves powerfully, breaking down cultural barriers and extending God's grace to the Gentiles.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 5:6, from the King James Version.Download the Pray.com app for more Christian content including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Pray.com is the digital destination for faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Premium This is a preview of our premium episode. Full access is available only to premium subscribers. Click here and learn about the Premium Podcast to access this interview... Play video preview episode | Play audio-only preview episode | Play on YouTube | Play on Spotify Episode Summary Sara Gallagher returns to examine a frustrating reality for project managers: organizations can employ smart, experienced, well-intentioned people and still produce the same bad outcomes again and again. Sara, president of The Persimmon Group and creator of the Big Dumb Questions newsletter, brings more than 15 years of consulting experience to a discussion that starts with artificial intelligence and quickly expands into how organizations make decisions, manage transitions, respond to change, and structure project leadership. She explains how she separates work into simple, complicated, and complex categories when deciding what to give AI, and why simple and selected complicated work offer the most practical opportunities today. From there, Sara and Cornelius examine decision latency and the danger of judging a decision only by its eventual outcome. Sara argues that leaders should focus on whether they made a defensible decision based on the information and criteria available at the time. They also examine project handoffs, where weak preparation can allow value to leak away and risk to increase just as the project reaches a critical transition point.

In this episode of Consider This, Justin Ebert and Drew Moss discuss Acts 10–13 and Psalms 126–150. They explore Peter's vision, the conversion of Cornelius, how God communicates and directs his people, the core message of the Gospel, and how the church can pray boldly, meet needs, and raise up workers for the mission of God. They go into reasons why people don't share the Gospel and whether or not all Christians are even called to do so. They also consider when strong rebuke is appropriate in ministry and, as the year's journey through Psalms comes to a close, reflect on how Christians can continue using the Psalms in prayer, worship, and discipleship.