Podcasts about Crete

As the Apostle Paul left Titus in Crete to help the church, he assigned him an important task: appoint elders. We may wonder: Why? Who? What will they do? Fortunately, as we dive deeper into Paul's letter, we'll find answers to those questions and see that Paul believed faithful elders faithfully preaching would lead to faithful people

From St Andrew of Crete

The pastoral epistles continue as we begin a new letter, and this one is written to Titus, a man on the island of Crete who has been given the charge to establish elders in every town for the good of the church. Like the letter we call 1 Timothy, Paul includes the qualifications for elders as Titus goes about the task of finding faithful men who can handle the tasks of shepherding and teaching. Part of their job is to defend the truth and refute those who contradict sound teaching. These unfaithful men claim to know God but deny Him by their works. He continues by giving an overview of what it looks like to be a faithful Christian in different ages, stages, and positions in one's life. :::Christian Standard Bible translation.All music written and produced by John Burgess Ross.Co-produced by the Christian Standard Biblefacebook.com/commuterbibleinstagram.com/commuter_bibletwitter.com/CommuterPodpatreon.com/commuterbibleadmin@commuterbible.org

Titus 1New King James VersionGreeting1 Paul, a bondservant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, according to the faith of God's elect and the acknowledgment of the truth which accords with godliness, 2 in hope of eternal life which God, who cannot lie, promised before time began, 3 but has in due time manifested His word through preaching, which was committed to me according to the commandment of God our Savior;4 To Titus, a true son in our common faith:Grace, mercy, and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ our Savior.5 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you should set in order the things that are lacking, and appoint elders in every city as I commanded you—

Psalm 24Psalm 46Psalm 87Reading 1: Genesis 3Reading 2: From a discourse by St. Andrew of Crete, bishopSt. 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

Title: “Who Commands the Waves and Wind?” Part 2 Text: Acts 27:13-38 FCF: We often struggle with the paradox of God's grace and man's responsibility Prop: Because God's grace alone through faith alone saves, we must trust the Lord. Scripture Intro: [Slide 1] Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 27. In a moment we'll read from the Legacy Standard Bible starting from verse 1 and going through verse 38. You can follow along in the pew bible or whatever version you prefer. Our maritime adventure continues today. After leaving Paul, his companions, and an Alexandrian grain ship struggling to make progress to Italy, now they are docked in a place called Fair Havens. Paul attempted to convince the centurion to winter the ship in this port, but the pilot and captain of the ship have convinced him instead to try for Phoenix, a port 40 miles up the coast of Crete. The opposition of the wind and waves will continue to be an issue as we go forward, but in the midst of the tempest God gives grace and expects faith from all those aboard the ship. The rest of this story serves as a potent example of how God saves His people. Please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Good and Gracious God. We are humbled that You would transcend to us and commune with us in Your worship. Yet You have promised that You are among us. I pray that You would allow Your Spirit to speak to us today. To illuminate the text of the scriptures and show us Your love. I pray that You might unveil difficult mysteries to our hearts to perceive truth. And I pray that You would open eyes and give new hearts so that if there are those among us who do not truly believe on You, that today would be the day of their salvation. I pray this in Jesus' name, Amen. Transition: We have a LOT of text to cover. So, let's get to it. I.) God's sovereign grace alone saves, so we must trust the Lord. (13-29) a. [Slide 2] 13 - And when a moderate south wind came up, thinking that they had attained their purpose, they weighed anchor and began sailing along the shore of Crete. i. As they waited for the opportune moment to depart for Phoenix, it seemed that the wisdom of the sailors was superior to the words of the apostle. ii. At least at first. iii. A southern wind comes up from Africa allowing them to sail north west along the coast of Crete. iv. All seems to be going their way and Paul proves to be another ignorant religious nut. b. [Slide 3] 14 - But before very long there rushed down from the land a violent wind, called Euraquilo; 15 - and when the ship was caught in it and could not face the wind, we gave way to it and let ourselves be carried along. 16 - And running under the shelter of a small island called Clauda, we were scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control. i. There are several things happening here that are shrouded in maritime understanding. ii. This violent wind called a Euraquilo, is what we might refer to as a Nor'easter. Eura is the Greek word for East wind and Aquilo is the Latin word for North wind. iii. Such winds on the Mediterranean were greatly feared by sailors. They could come up out of nowhere and usually had disastrous impacts leading to loss of cargo and life. iv. Luke tells how the ship was caught in the wind and could not face it. Meaning that though they lowered the sails and attempted to row their way back to shore while keeping the bow of the ship pointed into the wind, they were unable to do so. v. [Slide 4] This being the case, they stopped rowing and allowed the waves and wind to carry them out to sea. vi. They were driven down past a very small island called Clauda or Cauda and were, as Luke says, scarcely able to get the ship's boat under control. vii. But what is the ship's boat? viii. A large ship like this would require a smaller vessel to allow for maintenance to be done on the ship. It also would allow for the large ship to anchor in greater depths while a small complement would sail to the coast for supplies. ix. These boats were usually towed at the back of the boat during the voyage. x. Losing the ship's boat would spell certain doom for the cargo and all those aboard. xi. So, using the shelter of the tiny island of Clauda, they were able to raise the boat to the deck. c. [Slide 5] 17 - After they had hoisted it up, they used supporting cables in undergirding the ship. Fearing that they might run aground on the shallows of Syrtis, they let down the sea anchor and in this way let themselves be carried along. i. Upon successfully rescuing the boat and hoisting it up to the deck, they wrapped cables under the ship's hull. These cables would be tightened down to add even more stability to the ship's hull, keeping it from breaking apart. ii. The shallows of Syrtis are a group of sandbars and shoals off the coast of Northern Africa. At this time, it was known as a ship's graveyard having claimed many ships who had run aground. iii. Also, to keep themselves from being blown this far south, they dropped their sea anchor. iv. Unlike other anchors which are designed to hold a ship in place as it is catches on the ground under water… a Sea anchor is used to stabilize a boat's movements adding drag in deep water which allowed them to keep the bow of the ship pointed into the coming waves or winds, effectively preventing the ship from being blown over and capsizing and giving them some control over how far they were pushed by the waves. v. With the sea anchor down, the sails would remain down and as Luke says, they were carried to wherever the waves would take them. d. [Slide 6] 18 - And the next day as we were being violently storm-tossed, they began to jettison the cargo; 19 - and on the third day they cast the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 - And since neither sun nor stars appeared for many days, and no small storm was assailing us, from then on all hope of our being saved was gradually abandoned. i. This Nor'easter continued for 3 days dragging them along. ii. What is the danger they face? iii. They face two dangers. 1. The first is running aground on some rocks or sandbar with no land in sight. 2. The second is the waves and wind themselves. Which would constantly be blowing the ship around and filling the ship with water. iv. So how do they mitigate both of these dangers? Make the ship lighter. If the ship is lighter it will sit in the water higher. If it sits in the water higher it can travel through shallower waters and go over waves much easier. v. So that is what they do. They jettison the cargo. As we said before, this was a grain ship. By cargo, Luke probably does not mean the grain. At least not yet. vi. Cargo here means anything that is not absolutely essential. They also toss the tackle overboard. The tackle would be anything used to move and lift cargo as well as sailing and mooring equipment. vii. This would be a desperate move to be sure. To spare their lives, they must even risk being without sailing and mooring equipment. If they make it out of the storm alive, they would have to row their way to a port. viii. But their chances of finding their heading were very low. Because they had neither seen sun, nor stars for many days. This is how they navigated on the sea. By the sun and the stars and their positions. ix. Not only were they without sailing capabilities – they were also without navigation. They were blind and set adrift. x. No wonder Luke says that their hope was fading. Yes, even Luke himself is giving up hope that he would make it out alive. Beacuse as far as Luke was concerned, God could rescue Paul without saving him. xi. Once again, the voyage faces great peril and difficulty from “nature.” And once again, Paul has some words of advice for all of those on this voyage. e. [Slide 7] 21 - And when they had gone a long time without food, then Paul stood up in their midst and said, “Men, you ought to have followed my advice to not set sail from Crete and to avoid this damage and loss. 22 - “And now I advise you to be cheerful, for there will be no loss of life among you, but only of the ship. 23 - “For this very night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood before me, 24 - saying, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul; you must stand before Caesar; and behold, God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.' 25 - “Therefore, be cheerful, men, for I believe God that it will turn out exactly as I have been told. 26 - “But we must run aground on some island.” i. No doubt they were not eating because of the inevitable sea sickness that would have overtaken most of the passengers aboard. ii. Nothing kills hunger like nausea. iii. Tired, sick, drenched, and afraid, Paul addresses these men with a message of hope. iv. First, he points out that his advice was to stay in Crete at Fair Havens and that advice being disregarded has led them down this path of destruction and loss. v. I don't think Paul says this as an “I told you so” but rather to motivate them to take his next piece of advice. vi. He advises that they be cheerful because just as he rightly predicted the destruction and loss, he now predicts that although the ship and all its cargo will be lost, not one member of the ship would lose their lives. vii. But how does Paul know this? viii. He explains how God's messenger, an angel, told him not to be afraid because he will surely stand before Caesar and that God has given or granted to Paul all that are sailing with him. ix. Contextually we know that this doesn't mean that all of these men will convert to Christ… but rather that all of their earthly lives will be spared from this storm. x. So, Paul reasserts his advice. They must rejoice because God will do what He has promised… xi. But then he reveals a terrifying prospect. They must abandon the hope of saving the ship and its cargo. Why? xii. He revels exactly how the ship will be lost. It will be run aground on an island. Paul was not told which one specifically. f. [Slide 8] 27 - But when the fourteenth night came, as we were being carried about in the Adriatic Sea, about midnight the sailors began to suspect that some land was approaching them. 28 - And when they took soundings, they found it to be twenty fathoms; and a little farther on they took another sounding and found it to be fifteen fathoms. 29 - And fearing that we might run aground somewhere on the rocks, they cast four anchors from the stern and were praying for daybreak. i. We don't know exactly how long it was since Paul gave this advice, but on the 14th day of the storm, they were still being carried about by the Adriatic Sea. ii. Today, the Adriatic Sea is what we would call the sea between the Apennine Peninsula and the Balkan Peninsula. In the first century this would have been known as the Gulf of Adria and the Adriatic Sea would refer to central portion of the Mediterranean Sea. iii. About midnight the sailors began suspecting that they were approaching land. They no doubt began hearing the crashing of waves against something in the distance. iv. So, they began to take soundings to measure the depths. Their first measurement came in at 120 feet or 20 fathoms. Their next measurement was 90 feet. v. Knowing now that the land below them was rising, they fearfully took measures to anchor the ship in place to prevent it being dashed to pieces on the rocks. vi. They cast four anchors from the back of the ship. And they began to pray – to various gods no doubt – for daybreak to come so they could get their bearings. vii. So once again we see the cycle repeat. viii. Things are going well, things start going bad, Paul gives advice, they do not heed it, and things get worse. ix. They have tried everything in their own power to save the ship and prevent financial ruin. When all has failed, they finally beg the gods, any who might hear them, to bring them through the storm. x. In contrast, Paul told them that a God they did not serve, and never sought, had already informed him that although the ship would be lost by being run aground, not one single life aboard the ship would be lost. xi. This is the contrast of works and grace. This is the contrast of false gods and the only true God. Yahweh alone is full of grace and love. g. [Slide 9] Summary of the Point: Luke's primary point of teaching is found within the second piece of advice given by Paul. I call it advice by Paul, but really it is a Word from the Lord. God has told Paul that he will go before Caesar and that all the people aboard the ship will make it through this storm with their lives. God does this, not because these passengers aboard believe on Him, not because they have sought His face, not because they have prayed to Him, not because they are His faithful people. Indeed, God does not need to save all those on board in order to bring Paul to Caesar. But by the Word of His Sovereign grace, God chooses freely to save and preserve the life of all 276 people aboard the ship. Such a God deserves our exclusive trust and devotion. And that is exactly what Paul does. Paul is convinced that God will do as He has promised. We too must trust what God has said and reorient our lives around everything He says as truth. This is what saving faith is. Transition: [Slide 10 (blank)] Well, the situation is dire. Paul has given two pieces of advice and both have been disregarded by the passengers on board. Things continue to get worse and worse for them. And what usually happens when a group of people are in a desperate situation? Things start to get ugly as people start to get selfish. II.) It is by God's sovereign grace through faith that we are saved, so we must trust the Lord. (30-38) a. [Slide 11] 30 - But as the sailors were trying to escape from the ship and had let down the ship's boat into the sea, on the pretense of intending to lay out anchors from the bow, i. In this Maritime adventure the pattern has remained consistent. 1. Things are going well. 2. Things start NOT going well 3. Paul gives advice. 4. No one heeds his advice. ii. That cycle repeated itself twice. iii. Most recently, they were still trying to save the ship and the cargo along with the lives of the sailors even though Paul clearly said that the ship would be lost. iv. But now we omit step 1. Things don't go well again. In fact, things get worse. v. The sailors, pretending to go to tie anchors to the bow, began to take the boat of the ship for themselves and abandon everyone else and the cargo to the waves and the wind. vi. Again, we see the natural sinful and selfish nature of man. Rather than believing Paul's words and risking being shipwrecked on some island, they intended to leave those untrained at sailing to their fate. vii. But Paul speaks yet again with a warning. b. [Slide 12] 31 - Paul said to the centurion and to the soldiers, “Unless these men remain in the ship, you yourselves cannot be saved.” i. But wait a second. God already promised them that not one life would be lost. ii. Does it matter if these sailors leave? iii. Remember, this isn't all God said. He also said the ship must run aground and be lost. iv. This forms the first of two examples demonstrating the paradoxical tension between God's sovereign grace and man's responsibility. 1. Who is going to save these men from dying in this storm? Certainly, God is. That is what the Angel said. “God has granted you all those who are sailing with you.” 2. But God's sovereign grace in that promise is not without men's responsibility to act in ways that pursue that salvation. 3. God's sovereign grace to spare these men included their participation in using their skills to run the ship aground in a controlled way so that they could all abandon the ship together and get to shore safely. 4. So, using their skills becomes an exercise of faith. 5. God ultimately doesn't need their skills to do this – but certainly abandoning the ship is done in disbelief that running aground and all of their lives being spared somehow both will be true like God said. 6. As James endeavors to demonstrate, faith that saves is woven to works. Not that faith and works save. They do not. But there is more than one kind of faith. The faith that saves is a faith that produces action. Belief without pursuit of what is believed in… is not belief at all. 7. Saying you believe zip lines are completely safe, but never going on one… means you have no idea what you are talking about. v. Paul's point is, that ultimately these sailors must act in faith that the ship will run aground and all the lives will be spared. There is no reason to try to save your own life before the ship is run aground. This is not faith in God's word. vi. This is the third time Paul has given advice in this maritime adventure. And the first two times, no one listened to him. And things have only gotten worse. vii. So, what will happen now? Have they learned their lesson? c. [Slide 13] 32 - Then the soldiers cut away the ropes of the ship's boat and let it fall away. i. For the first time, someone is listening to Paul's advice. ii. The Roman soldiers, in a sense, force a response of everyone aboard the ship. They cut away the boat preventing anyone from trying to escape. iii. In doing this, they ensure that the ship runs aground, not on the beach, but in some way that the ship will not survive; just as God said. d. [Slide 14] 33 - Until the day was about to dawn, Paul was encouraging them all to take some food, saying, “Today is the fourteenth day that you have been constantly watching and going without eating, having taken nothing. 34 - Therefore, I encourage you to take some food, for this is for your salvation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 35 - And having said these things, he took bread and gave thanks to God in the presence of all. And he broke it and began to eat. i. The first thing we see Paul do after they listen to his latest piece of advice, is to reiterate his previous advice. ii. Now that they are beginning to believe God – yes, they are that desperate that they will believe Paul's God… iii. Paul now reiterates his previous advice. iv. They should be cheerful; they should take food for themselves. v. And this is the second example in this point where the sovereign grace of God is paradoxically linked with the responsibility of men. 1. Once again, we ask, who is going to save these men from dying in this storm? Certainly, God is. 2. But here, Paul encourages them to eat. And he says “for this is for your salvation, for not a hair from the head of any of you will perish.” 3. Well, is food saving them or is God saving them? 4. God is the ultimate actor in the salvation of their present lives, but just as the sailors must execute their duties as an act of faith that the ship would be lost but all the lives saved, so also everyone aboard must eat food as an act of faith in the same promise. a. Will they really believe that the ship and all its cargo will be lost, as God has said? b. Will they really believe that their lives will be spared by God? c. How would we know? d. Taking food to sustain their bodies is an act of faith. How so? i. Eating food is a confession of faith that God will save their life. ii. Eating food is an act that comes with the expectation that by taking this, they will live on the energy this food provides for many more days. iii. Eating food is a confession that these supplies will be lost soon anyway, so they might as well use them while they still have them. iv. Eating food is an act of faith in that they believe they must have strength to swim to shore, since they will run aground and they don't have a boat. v. Eating food breaks a fast to recognize that the answer has been given and they need not seek another. e. Is eating some great act of merit? Does eating require great effort on their part? No. f. Is the food they eat something that is theirs or has it been granted to them? It has been given to them, as all things have by God. g. There is deep symbolism here of the work of salvation. Luke intends for us to see the correlation between God saving these men and how God saves us. h. Christ is our spiritual food and drink. He is the bread and the water and the wine. He is the vine. We must eat and drink and live by Him… but doing so is all given to us by God. 5. God has provided their salvation and the means He uses to communicate their salvation to them is their faith in His words. 6. In a similar way, God has provided salvation to us by grace but uses His gift of ongoing faith in Christ to sustain us to the day of our salvation. vi. So, Paul breaks bread and gives thanks to God and gives an example of faith by eating. While the language here is similar to the Lord's Supper, I do not think that is what is happening here. I think Luke would make it more obvious if this was the case. vii. But we do see this at very least as a picture of that picture. This is a meal of faith to be sure. They eat while they still can, preparing to be shipwrecked and so sustain their lives and strengthen their bodies believing God that they will run aground but live through this storm. e. [Slide 15] 36 - And all of them became cheerful and they themselves also took food. 37 - And all of us in the ship were 276 persons. 38 - And when they had eaten enough, they began to lighten the ship by throwing out the wheat into the sea. i. And here we see, after faith, the last vestige of hope in their previous endeavor dies. ii. They finally lighten the ship with throwing out… probably millions of dollars' worth of wheat. iii. Just as the rich young ruler was told to sell all he had to follow Jesus… These people had a choice to make. iv. Will they believe God to the extent that they abandon hope in any other outcome than what God has said? v. Will they stay on the ship until it runs aground? vi. Will they eat enough to give them strength to swim to shore and fight for their life? vii. Will they abandon all hopes of getting their payday? viii. They believe. They eat… and they throw the wheat into the sea. ix. This is akin to crucifying yourself and following Christ. They give the wheat and their hopes at making money, and potentially even their future careers as sailors, to the depths of the earth… so that they can save what is more precious… Their lives. x. This seems a lot like the parable of Jesus. Jesus said that the gospel was like a man who found a treasure in a field and sold all he owned to purchase the field to acquire the treasure knowing that the treasure was more precious than all his riches. xi. All 276 persons aboard the ship trust what Paul's God has said. xii. We'll have to wait until next week to see what happens to them. f. [Slide 16] Summary of the Point: It is interesting to see the correlation between God saving these passenger's lives from the storm and how God saves us from sin. Sin is a raging storm tossing us about. We are all born as slaves of sin and of our father the devil. We are by nature the offspring of the serpent. Children of wrath like the rest. And just as God freely chose to save the lives of the people on board this ship, so God has freely chosen to save the souls of His elect. What God has determined to do by His Sovereign grace, will be done. But that, as we see here, includes men's response. Even though these people were told that God would spare their lives, it is clear that God would communicate that deliverance through their active faith. True and genuine belief that God would destroy the ship but save their lives, meant that they would use their skills, energy, and strength to both abandon hope in anything else and hope in His promise. In a similar way, God saves us by grace through faith. It is all of Him. He gives us new hearts to receive gifts of repentance and faith… but these gifts when received will produce action. Belief that produces action is what saving faith looks like. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today and how does that inform or correct our belief and guide our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: [Slide 17] Today we have seen that great paradox, that tension of God's sovereign grace and man's responsibility. God told Paul that He would spare the lives of everyone aboard the ship but that the ship would run aground on an island and be lost. If everyone aboard did not believe it would God have still saved them? I think we can answer that question with a yes. Why? Because God doesn't lie. But… Paul makes it clear that without the sailor's skill in navigating the boat safely to run aground, and without the passengers eating to sustain their life and give themselves energy and strength to swim to shore, then they cannot be saved. In this we see that part of God's grace included a means of getting them safely to an island. It included them believing God. And so, we see Ephesians 2:8-9 demonstrated for us. God saved them by His grace. He did not allow them to earn this salvation. But to be saved they must believe His word, to the extent that they live as if it were true. In a similar way God, by grace, gives new hearts to His people. Hearts now capable of receiving and responding with His gifts of repentance and faith. God removes all other responses as desirable. We see Him doing the same in this maritime adventure. All other options are unavailable and undesirable. By the end, the only option any of them had was to trust God and live in such a way that what He said would be. But even if you got completely lost in all the discussion of God's grace and man's responsibility… the good news is that all you really have to understand is that because you can't save yourself, God sent His Son to pay the ransom for many. And if you are hearing this news and wanting it and believing it, it is because one of those people whom He paid that ransom for… was you! So, trust Him! Trust what He has said and trust what He has done. Trust it so much that your entire life will now be lived in its truth. But let me get a little more specific this morning. 1.) [Slide 18] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God acts alone in saving His people. This is what grace is. a. There is one truth stated clearly by Paul and rescued by the reformers coming out of the reformation. b. The capstone of reformation theology is that God saves us by His grace alone. c. Grace is God's favor granted according to His counsel and His purposes and His will. d. It, by definition, cannot be granted based on anything a person is or does. e. God promised to save all 276 people aboard this ship. He did this without asking their permission, without seeking their input, and without considering who they worshipped. f. A great example of this is the twins Jacob and Esau. g. God says, plainly, that despite the fact that neither of them had ever done anything good or evil, having not yet been born, God chose to love Jacob. He chose to love Jacob so much that by comparison He chose to hate Esau. h. God did not look into the future to see who Jacob and Esau would be and then chose to love Jacob. i. Instead, God's love for Jacob formed who Jacob was. God's lack of love for Esau allowed Esau to carve his own wicked path. j. God's favor… changes the trajectory of a person's life. So much so that when God's grace is given, the recipient of that grace will not and indeed cannot fail in the purposes for which God has given them favor. k. And the scriptures teach us that it is by grace that God saves His people. l. Not an ineffectual grace given to every person that may or may not accomplish what He gave it to do. m. But an effectual grace which will produce the result God desires. n. If we conclude otherwise than passages that speak of God's grace being something we all need and hope in, prove to be… in a word… useless. o. If God's grace has a possibility of not working… and the reason it doesn't work is because of me… then there is literally no difference between me doing something with or without God's grace. p. But if God's grace ALWAYS produces the result God gave it for… than we can rest that when the bible says that we are saved by God's grace… that it is not only sure but also… empty of us. It doesn't depend on us at all. q. God's grace alone saves and all who are given God's saving grace will be saved. This is how it must be. There is no other real alternative if we are to give God's grace the definition the New Testament writers do. r. But… 2.) [Slide 19] Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that man has a responsibility to act upon God's gifts of repentance and faith. a. God does not merely give favor… to anyone… ever… and expect them to do NOTHING with it. b. In fact, I can't think of a single example where God empowers someone to do… nothing. I can't think of a single example where God favors someone and then ends up doing everything while they do nothing. c. This is what Paul points out on the ship. God has promised to favor these men and spare their lives. But that is not without the expectation that they would believe His word to the extent that they act in such a way to live out everything He has said. Even that they exert themselves using their skills, strength and energy to make it safely to shore. d. In the scriptures we note that repentance and faith, the message that Jesus preached, are both gifts of God. They are given to men after God has communicated saving grace to them. e. Meaning that God's favor, his power, his ability is granted so that men can receive the things He gives them… namely the reception of truth that they are wicked sinners and that Jesus is a marvelous savior. f. Upon truly receiving these gifts, which God's grace enables them to do, this person does what? g. They live as though it is true. h. How might one live if God has convinced you by grace through faith that you are a wicked sinner in need of a Savior and that Jesus is that savior? i. Would you trust the One who saved you? Would you desire to obey the God who rescued you? Would you seek to know more and more about Him? j. Indeed… k. But these responses are baked into God's grace. They are a necessary and sure response every time God gives saving grace to someone. l. That is why the 1689 confession calls faith… a grace. God gives it in His grace as a gift to be received and acted upon. m. So what must we do with the grace of faith if it has been gifted to us? 3.) [Slide 20] Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must trust the Lord. a. Very simply… for everyone in this room… whether you are a follower of Christ or not… b. Here is the challenge of this passage. c. Will you believe God? d. Will you trust what God has said… to the fullest degree. So much so that your entire life reorients around His Word being true. e. This is the testimony of one of your Elders. He came to faith in Christ after beginning to assume that everything in the bible was true. It wasn't long before God captured His heart. f. And this is the testimony of every flailing Christian who can't seem to make progress. g. Well Christian… do you really believe that everything God says is true… h. So much so that your entire life is lived as if it is? i. My guess is… probably not. j. Let me illustrate simply by the example of prayer. k. If God is the creator and most high God, ruler of the universe, as He says He is. If God is Holy and awesome and causes instant fear to all who approach, as He says He is and does. If Christ has suffered violent death to provide access to God's throne and purification through His blood to stand before this God as His child… as He says… l. Then why do we rarely pray? m. Ah. n. You see, all our sins… all our failures… they are a faith problem not an obedience problem. Faith and works go hand in hand remember? If we are not obeying – it is because we are not believing. o. So, we must trust the Lord. p. But let me provide some comfort to you… 4.) [Slide 21] Comfort: “What comfort can we find here?” or “What peace does the Lord promise us in light of this passage of scripture?” All the believing ones will be saved. a. My friends, do not cheapen what John 3:16 says. b. Do not turn it into a formula for “getting saved.” c. Jesus does NOT tell Nicodemus this to explain how someone gets saved. d. Let me give you the Chris paraphrase of this verse… Ready? e. God's love for all the people groups of the world is so immense, so great, that He took His unique Son, whom He ordained since the foundation of the world to be THE substitute and Savior, and He gave Him to fulfill that purpose so that all the ones who are believing on Him would not believe in vain and suffer eternal death, but would eventually be saved and granted eternal life. f. John 3:16 is not a formula for how to get saved… it is a promise to those who continue to trust God. g. Your faith… will be counted to you as righteousness. h. It is a promise predicated on God's great love for all the peoples of the world. i. What a comfort to us who are believers. j. But it is a terrifying thought for those who are not believing. k. So, what do you do? 5.) [Slide 22] Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Though natural man is unable to understand and receive the gospel, God's grace enables men to see the truth and receive the gifts of repentance and faith. So, repent and believe the gospel. a. My friends. If you are here today… and you have seen clearly now that God is holy and will not allow even 1 sin to go unpunished. b. If you hear my voice and understand what I am saying that your sin has done nothing for you but carve your way to hell and wrath. c. If you have heard today of the grace of God and His gifts of faith and repentance and the assurances He has provided by trusting fully on Jesus as your LORD and your SAVIOR… d. Then it is reasonable for you to assume that God is calling you. e. It is reasonable to assume that God is giving you gifts of repentance and faith. f. So I implore you to use them. Turn from your sin. Trust Him enough to hate what He hates and flee what He says to flee. And believe on His Son who has paid your ransom price. Believe on Him so much that you will, from now on, endeavor to do all that He has commanded. g. Believe on Him so much that your allegiance has shifted from yourself, your will, your ways… to His. h. Become one who believes and keeps on believing on Jesus Christ alone… i. Then and only then can you inherit the promise of John 3:16. Then and only then will you know life and not death. [Slide 23 (end)] Let me close with a prayer by the Puritan Richard Alleine Lord, you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised goodness to your servants. You have left us nothing to ask from your hands but what you have already freely granted. Establish forever the word which you have spoken concerning your servants. Do as you have said, and let your name be magnified forever, saying, "The Lord of armies, he is the God of Israel." In Jesus' name we pray… Amen. Hallelujah. Benediction: The God who sent His Son to save, From guilt and darkness and the grave, be gracious to you and bless you And cause His face to shine upon you. Until we gather again tonight for the Lord's Supper, go in peace.

We all want to make a difference in some way or another. In today's social media world, we often use the word “influencer” to describe someone who has a significant online following and leverages their platform to market and promote goods, services, and ideas that usually provide a profit for themselves.  As Paul writes his letter to Titus and the church in Crete, he calls them to be influencers of another kind. The way of Jesus called those in the church to lead with lives of love, purity, and goodness in such a way that the church would transform the culture of greed and deceit in Crete for the Kingdom of God.  Join us in September as we unpack God's call to His church today to be His influencers to change our community one life at a time.

Bursting through the door this week we've got the Greek god of orgies, Gus Constantellis. Our old pal is here to discuss his sixth sense for serial killers, Crete of course, and it all ends with an extensive analysis on the future of the Scream franchise. All together it's an unbeatable hang best served with hummus and tax evasion. Follow Max Spinelli /https://www.instagram.com/maxagazillion/Follow Chris Metcalfe / ⁠⁠ https://www.instagram.com/chrismetcalfecomedy/Follow Gus Constantellis / https://www.instagram.com/constantlygus/Follow 2 Kramers / https://www.instagram.com/2kramerspod/Finish Your Croissant | Max's Special:⁠⁠ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MokZUzRkZbc&t=1s

In this episode, Chris welcomes back John to discuss various topics including the upcoming Crete 26 event, their experiences in Crete, and insights into FC gaming. They delve into football preferences, the debate between Messi and Ronaldo, and highlight emerging talents like Kees Smit. John shares his thoughts on goalkeeping in FC, the excitement for new features in FC 26, and the importance of community engagement through Patreon.Chapters00:00 Welcome and Introductions03:04 Crete Experience and Upcoming Events05:56 John's Football Journey and Preferences08:54 Debating the GOAT: Messi vs. Ronaldo12:03 Emerging Dutch Talent and Future Stars15:05 Goalkeeper Insights and Game Favorites17:14 Goalkeeper Dynamics in Gameplay25:30 Exciting Features in FC 2629:42 Community Engagement and Future Prospects⁠Check out our socials:X: https://twitter.com/futinreviewBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/futinreview.bsky.socialInstagram: https://instragram.com/futinreviewTolando's socials:https://x.com/Tolando77https://www.instagram.com/tolando77/?hl=enhttps://www.tiktok.com/@tolando77https://www.youtube.com/@Tolando77https://www.twitch.tv/tolando77Questions:⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠futinreview@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://youtube.com/futinreview⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.futinreview.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://patreon.com/futinreview⁠

Today we dive deep into the legendary Greek mythology love story of Dionysus and Ariadne. Discover how Ariadne, the abandoned princess of Crete, found love with Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy. From her heartbreak with Theseus to receiving a crown of stars and a place among the gods, Ariadne's myth is one of empowerment, resilience, and romance and is one of our favorite myths here at Styx and Bones podcast too!Chapters:Intro (0:00)What Are the Girls Doing? (6:00)Reconstructing Ancient Greek Religion, Persephone Deep Dives + Community Lives (13:15)Update on Zeus and Joe Story (20:07)Dionysus and Ariadne (27:31)Is Ovid for the Girls? (36:45)Dionysus vs. Theseus (42:45)Bad Dating Stories and Getting Our Own Crown of Stars (50:46)Final Thoughts on the Love Between Ariadne + Dionysus (1:00:11)Check out our Patreon, Styx and Bones Temple's Store, Blogs and more!⁠⁠https://beacons.ai/styxandbonessFOLLOW STYX AND BONES ON SOCIAL MEDIA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/styxandbonespodcast⁠⁠FOLLOW HIGH PRIESTESS CHELSEA⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/highpriestesschelsea⁠⁠FOLLOW DR. K⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/dirtdiaries_⁠⁠

Discussions with Logan Hawery, Jaxon Cover and Max Crete who all came up huge in London's first two pre-season games and 5 Questions about the London Knights heading into the 2025-26 season. Mike and Kyle weigh in with their answers. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Titus: A Manual for Restrained Living and Endless Liberty - Part 5: All About Faith and Works In Paul's letter to Titus, the one quality commanded as characteristic of every believer is self-control.  If it was true for the challenging culture of Crete back then, it's no less true for the world we live in today, a world that in many places seems set on throwing off all kinds of restraints. Here, by the Spirit of God, Paul singles out the vital need for restrained living in an unrestrained society. God wants all of us to be serious about spiritual things. In a culture back then that was unruly and rebellious, the Lord was looking for those who could restrain their appetites, their minds, their bodies, their words and their habits. In this short series, Brian shares Paul's model that gives us a primer for Christian living in any age.  

Lee reads Paul's letter to Titus who is on the Island of Crete.

Victoria Hislop – bestselling British (and now Greek) author of the book and hit Greek TV Series The Island, joins the boys from her home in Crete to uncover the reasons why Greece means so much to her. From first arriving in Greece on holiday in the 70s, to being made a Greek Citizen by the President and Prime Minister of Greece, Victoria is more than just a Philhellene – she's a Greek at heart who has become one of the country's greatest advocates. Join Tom, Nick and Victoria for a drink in this must-listen episode! Find out more about Victoria including how to purchase her books by visiting her website! https://www.victoriahislop.com/This episode is proudly brought to you by our amazing sponsors at The Greek Providore! https://thegreekprovidore.com.au/Send us a text Support the showEmail us at ouzotalk@outlook.comSubscribe to our Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@OuzoTalkFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OuzoTalkFollow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ouzo_talk/

Today, I'm sharing something that pushed me out of my comfort zone—and it might just do the same for you. I sat down with Suzi Dafnis of HerBusiness to talk about the power of stepping away, creating space, and taking a leap toward your next chapter.

8/8. Professor Eric Cline categorizes the Minoans (Crete) and Mycenaeans (mainland Greece) as societies that failedthe collapse in After 1177 BC, The Survival of Civilizations. Despite outward vibrancy, they were internally fragile and vulnerable, possibly due to overextension, drought, famine, or internal uprisings. Cline applies IPCC definitions, classifying societies as "transforming," "adapting," or "coping," with the Minoans and Mycenaeans ultimately disappearing completely, illustrating their failure to recover. 1700 BABYLON

What does it look like to build a faith that outlasts you? In The God of Generations, Tyler Lynde opens Titus 2:1-8 and shows how God's plan for cultural transformation is forged not in grand gestures but in ordinary lives that look like Jesus at home, at work, and in the neighborhood. Drawing from Paul's instructions to Titus—sent into a Crete as broken as any modern city—Tyler urges older men and women to live with dignity, reverence, and self-control, creating a living pattern that younger believers can imitate. Integrity, he says, is the unwavering determination in the heart to do the right thing for the right reasons, and self-control is a Spirit-given fruit the next generation desperately needs to see.Tyler roots this call in God's very nature. God reveals Himself across generations—from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit to His name as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Abraham reflects the Father as progenitor of many nations; Isaac prefigures Christ in his “almost” sacrifice, where the Lord provides the ram in Genesis 22; and Jacob's wrestling and limp picture the Spirit's transforming work that breaks us to make us whole. This is more than history; it's a map for discipleship, reminding us that Jesus not only removes sin but also teaches us how to live holy, Spirit-led lives.The message lands tenderly for parents and grandparents wondering how to shepherd children in confusing times. God has not left you to do this alone. Sometimes the most powerful parenting move is a sincere apology that models humility and grace. And if you don't have biological children, you still have a crucial part in God's generational plan by investing in spiritual sons and daughters through mentoring and discipleship. Later years are not a retreat from impact; they can be the most fruitful season to pour wisdom into hungry hearts.Tyler invites the whole church to embrace Psalm 145:4—let each generation tell its children about God's mighty acts—and to see spiritual generations as every bit as vital as natural ones. Imagine a community where older believers embody holiness and younger believers imitate that life with joy. That's how regions change. Will you build a faith that outlasts you? Watch or listen and be equipped to live like Jesus for the sake of generations to come.We are Trinity Community Church in Knoxville, Tennessee.Subscribe to our Podcast & YouTube channel to find past sermons, classes, interviews, and more!Find us on Facebook & Instagram

Title: “Who Commands the Waves and Wind?” Part 1 Text: Acts 27:1-12 FCF: We often struggle enduring in faith when we face circumstances, we know God could spare us from. Prop: Because God's providence often includes opposition from forces of nature, we must look beyond ourselves to endure in faith. Scripture Intro: Turn in your bible to Acts chapter 27. It is even more important for you to turn there today considering that there will be no text on the screen. In a moment, I will read the first 36 verses of Acts 27 from the Legacy Standard bible. You can follow along in the pew bible or in whatever version you prefer. As we hasten onward toward the end of this study in the book of Acts, one which has taken us over two years to get to this point, Luke ushers us toward the final episodes of this last Act of his narrative. Luke's purposes have never been to provide a strict history of the early church. Instead, he has written to confirm to a man named Theophilus, and by extension all believers in Jesus Christ, that what we have believed is true and dependable. In this final Act, Luke has not so subtly shown how God is in control of all things and works all things according to the counsel of His will to accomplish His purposes and complete His story of the world which He has already written. Paul has no more criminal trials to face save one. A hearing before Emperor Nero in Rome. A hearing granted to all Roman citizens who appeal to Caesar. And so, in what could have been a short 24 day trip, we will see that God has other things planned for this apostle. Please stand with me to focus on and give honor to the Word of God as it is read. Invocation: Most Gracious, Holy, Loving, and Powerful God. You are Alpha and Omega. You are the first and You are the last. From You all of creation has life and by You all of creation consists. There is not one rogue molecule in creation for You control everything for Your glory and for Your purposes. In a day and an age when such doctrines are derided and hated by natural men and even despised by some who claim to be Your people, I pray that we would find comfort and peace in believing that nothing happens without Your plan and consent and without some purpose for which You have established before the foundation of the World. Help us today to see these truths in spite of what our eyes see… we pray this in Jesus' name… Amen. Transition: Let's get right to the text this morning. I.) God's providence often includes opposition from forces of nature, so we must trust the Lord. (1-8) a. 1 - Now when it was decided that we would sail for Italy, they proceeded to deliver Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan cohort named Julius. 2 - And getting aboard an Adramyttian ship, which was about to sail to the regions along the coast of Asia, we set sail accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian of Thessalonica. 3 - The next day we put in at Sidon, and Julius treated Paul with consideration and allowed him to go to his friends and receive care. 4 - And from there we set sail and sailed under the shelter of Cyprus because the winds were against us. i. So, after 2 years of waiting for the Lord Jesus' words to come to pass, that Paul would go to Rome to preach the gospel, it seems that Paul is finally on his way. ii. Paul, along with other prisoners, was transferred into the guard of a centurion who would have been stationed in Judea. A centurion of the Augustan cohort. iii. Luke no doubt provides this information to us to establish secular witness to the events that he is about to describe in the next chapter and a half. iv. Many of the events that follow are quite unbelievable. But Luke has provided enough information to track this Roman Centurion down and ask him directly if such things have occurred. v. Julius charts a merchant ship from Adramyttium, a city in a bay across from the island of Lesbos between Troas and Pergamum. vi. Why does he chart a merchant ship? vii. Quite simply, there was no other way to travel by sea in the Roman Empire. There were vessels of commerce and vessels of war. There was no such thing as passenger vessels. viii. This ship's destination was to travel the coast of Asia minor, no doubt heading back to the Adramyttium. ix. Luke also lists two more of Paul's companions who joined him on this trip and would serve as eye witnesses to all that happened. The first is very obvious. 1. Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica, is probably the same Aristarchus who was dragged into the theater to face the rioting crowds in Ephesus in Acts 19. a. Aristarchus is also said to have accompanied Paul to Jerusalem on his most recent visit that has turned into a 2-year plus endeavor. b. It is impossible to know if Aristarchus has been in Jerusalem or Caesarea since Paul was imprisoned. But he seems to have been in Caesarea in time to join Paul on his trip to Rome. 2. The second companion is harder to spot, but since you all are very perceptive people, I'm sure you have spotted Luke in this text. a. In verse 1 it says “we would sail” meaning of course that Paul's companion Luke would join him on this trip too. b. So, both Luke and Aristarchus would be eye witnesses to the events that would follow. x. They sail 70 nautical miles to the city of Sidon in Syria. xi. The church had spread to Sidon some time ago. xii. Julius allowed Paul to leave the ship, probably with a soldier to escort him as waited for the next departure of the Adramyttium ship. xiii. No doubt these believers gave supplies to Paul and his companions for their journey. xiv. But verse 4 delivers a key theme for us in this entire maritime adventure narrative. xv. The winds were against this journey. We see great opposition to this trip from the winds of the Mediterranean Sea. And that opposition will only intensify. xvi. This Adramyttian ship endeavored to sail along the coast of Syria, but instead headed out to sea to be sheltered from the northwestern and western winds by the island of Cyprus. b. 5 - And when we had sailed through the sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we landed at Myra in Lycia. 6 - There the centurion found an Alexandrian ship sailing for Italy, and he put us aboard it. 7 - And when we had sailed slowly for a good many days, and with difficulty had arrived off Cnidus, since the wind did not permit us to go farther, we sailed under the shelter of Crete, off Salmone; 8 - and with difficulty, we sailed past it and came to a place called Fair Havens, near which was the city of Lasea. i. Sailing between Asia minor and Cyprus along the coast, the Adramyttium ship landed at its next port, Myra of Lycia. ii. No doubt the next stop for this ship would have either been Adramyttium itself or possibly Ephesus. And it probably would not leave for some time… perhaps not even until after winter. iii. Therefore, Julius is forced to chart another ship whose destination would be Italy. iv. We find that Julius charts an Alexandrian ship. These were from the city of Alexandria and would transport grain throughout the Roman Empire, but especially to Rome. v. Having landed in Myra, this ship either came up the coast, past Judea and Syria, and had landed in Myra seeking to head west, or perhaps headed north straight through the Mediterranean toward the easily visible mountainous coast of Asia Minor. vi. We can read between the lines of Luke's record here to understand that the sailing was anything but smooth or predictable. vii. From Cnidus, which was a common port city having two ports, one on the North and one on the South, either they aimed to sail across the Aegean, potentially to Corinth or Athens or perhaps they did intend to sail to the northern edge of Cete to go around the Balkan Peninsula. viii. But because of the dangerous gales, they were forced to once again seek the shelter of the large island of Crete sailing south past the cape of Salmone. ix. Once again, we see the difficulty of the trip and how the forces of nature seem to oppose the will of Jesus and the intention of His apostle. x. With much trouble and very slowly they finally arrive at a southern port on the island of Crete known as Fair Havens near the city of Lasea. c. Summary of the Point: In this maritime adventure which Luke records for us, we could very easily lose the forest for the trees if we are not careful. We could get wrapped up in the adventure of the storm tossed ship and miss the greater message that Luke is revealing to Theophilus and all believers needing assurance that what they have believed is firm and solid. Jesus told Paul 2 years ago that he would go to Rome to preach the gospel… and now the very wind and sea oppose him getting there. But as the sermon title asks… who commands the wind and the sea? John Chrysostom, an early church father said of this passage of scripture, “See how God does not alter or change the order of nature but allows him to sail into unfavorable winds. But even so the miracle happens.” John Chrysostom Homilies on the Acts of the Apostles. In another work he says, “Again trials, again contrary winds. See how the life of the saints is so composed of all these things: he escaped the court, and they fall into a shipwreck and a storm.” John Chrysostom Catena on the Acts of the Apostles. In these two quotes Chrysostom conveys what Luke's aim of this story is. Paul has been shipwrecked before. He has spent much time at sea. Why does Luke record this now? Because Luke, in his final chapter, wishes to convey the absolute sovereignty of God to take His Kingdom to the uttermost parts of the earth. But in that sovereignty, it is not merely raw Power that God is displaying… for the purposes of God are not merely to get His apostle to Rome but also to form and shape Paul's faith. As one commentator said, “God could demonstrate His power by stilling the storm (as in Luke 8:24-25) but also by preserving His servant through it...” “Luke's apologetic is not for a legendary divine man; Paul does not still the storm. But the account portrays Paul's character preserving through testing… as well as speaking wisely and rescuing his fellow passengers by God's power.” God commands the winds and the seas… but that doesn't mean He always works miraculously. Indeed, one of the more wonderous miracles God does is providentially sustaining His people through catastrophe. In this the miracle that occurs is our faith and hope, tested and built. Therefore, knowing that God does not always choose to intervene with miracles… but does keep His promises… we must trust the Lord. Transition: But in the midst of trouble and trial, when everything seems to be against us, and when forces that God says He controls seem to be out of His control… it can be very hard for us to trust God and to know what to do next. Although Jesus has gone to the Father to intercede for us, He has both promised to never leave us and to send the comforter. And the comforter is in our hearts and all the hearts of those who believe. Struggling to see where I'm going? Let's look at verse nine. II.) God's providence often includes opposition from forces of nature, so we must heed counsel from wise and godly people. (9-12) a. 9 - And when considerable time had passed and the voyage was now dangerous, since even the Fast was already over, Paul began to advise them, 10 - and said to them, “Men, I perceive that the voyage will certainly be with damage and great loss, not only of the cargo and the ship, but also of our lives.” i. Luke does not track for us the departure date of this trip, nor does he give us any indication of exactly when Portius Festus took office. ii. So, we don't know exactly how long the trip has taken thus far – but he seems to indicate that what began as a doable trip to Rome has become less and less likely. iii. Luke tells us that the Fast was already over. Most likely Luke is referring the Day of Atonement which occurs in late September to early October depending on the year. iv. And the best guess for dating this trip is in AD 59 when the Day of Atonement occurred on October 5th. v. At this time, mid-September to mid-November becomes increasingly more and more difficult to travel the Mediterranean as the winter months approach. vi. After this period virtually all sea travel would cease until around February. vii. According to a Stanford Geospatial Network model of the Roman World, it is estimated that under ideal conditions, Paul would have been able to make the journey from Caesarea to Rome in just under 24 days. viii. Which means that they probably left with at least that amount of time before really difficult sailing conditions would arise. ix. But as Luke indicates here, violent winds began earlier than usual this year and kept them from making any significant progress. Now they face only more difficult sailing conditions as they head further into October and November. x. In light of this, Paul advises those in charge of the ship that this journey will end not only in the loss of the ship and all its cargo, but also in the loss of life. xi. Essentially Paul is advising wintering in Fair Havens and waiting until February to reembark to Italy. xii. In this we have a few questions. First, is Paul speaking the words of prophesy or merely of human wisdom? If it is prophesy, does it come true? If it is wisdom, what makes Paul such an expert that he would advise seasoned merchant sailors? 1. As to the first question, is Paul speaking the words of prophesy or merely human wisdom – we must conclude that this is NOT prophesy. Why must we conclude that? a. Paul predicts that the ship, its cargo, and the lives of the passengers on the ship would experience heavy damage and great loss. b. Peeking ahead a little, we see Paul predict a little later that every life on board the ship would be saved. When he predicts this, he attributes that prediction to the Word of God communicated by an Angel. 2. Therefore, we must conclude that in this instance, Paul speaks merely by his own wisdom. But if that is so, what makes Paul qualified to speak to such matters? a. Having written II Corinthians sometime before going to Jerusalem, Paul has already told us that he had been shipwrecked 3 times and left afloat in the open sea for a night and a day. b. Luke didn't record any of these for us – but it proves that Paul is no novice passenger on a sea faring vessel. c. It also communicates to us the very real danger of travel on the Mediterranean d. Paul's concerns here are not just for the ship and the cargo but for the lives of the people on board. e. Since these ships were ships of commerce, lives didn't always factor in to the decision making of the owners, captains, and crews of these vessels. xiii. And that seems to remain true even after Paul gives his advice. b. 11 - But the centurion was being more persuaded by the pilot and the captain of the ship than by what was being said by Paul. 12 - And because the harbor was not suitable for wintering, the majority reached a decision to set sail from there, if somehow, they could arrive at Phoenix, a harbor of Crete facing southwest and northwest, to spend the winter there. i. Julius, the pilot, and the captain of the ship disagreed. ii. Their reasons are logical but next to the advice of a man of God, they are ultimately quite foolish. iii. The scriptures declare that the wisdom of men is foolishness to God. iv. So, what is the wisdom of men? Unfortunately, it is always tainted by sin. In this particular case… greed. 1. Fair Havens is not a port that provides adequate shelter for wintering. 2. It was not the kind of living conditions the crew desired to spend the next several months. 3. There was a significant risk to the cargo being spoiled or damaged, the ship being beaten up or broken, or even the prisoners escaping. 4. Ultimately the wisdom and logic of men comes down to dollars and cents. v. Instead of heeding the advice of Paul, they determined to get to Phoenix, a port giving great vision to both the South and the Northwest of the Mediterranean. A port right for wintering and one which they could depart from with relative confidence as to their heading. vi. This is the wisdom of men. But it will all go terribly wrong. More on that next week. c. Summary of the Point: Luke's point will continue to be how God's will includes providentially allowing the forces of nature to oppose His people. He preserves us through this, which is a testament to His grace, mercy and power, and He tests and perfects our faith in it. He does not always perform miracles to spare us pain, but miraculously sustains us through pain and difficulty while allowing us to continue to faithfully believe and follow Him, even when it seems as if He is slack in His promises. But as we face these difficult times and days, Paul provides another application for us aside from trusting the Lord. Not only must we continue to trust God in difficult times – but we must also trust the counsel of biblically wise people. Paul provides wise insight. And even though it is not about a “spiritual” or “theological” matter – he should have been heeded. When we face trouble, trial, testing and storms in life, we must look to spiritually mature counselors… NOT JUST for spiritual problems… but for all problems. Why? Because God's Word is sufficient to help us in all things we face. In all life and godliness the Word is sufficient. So, we must go to those who love and live by the Word for advice and counsel. And we must heed their counsel. Conclusion: So CBC, what have we learned today that informs and corrects our beliefs and guides our lifestyles? Basics of Faith and Practice: One common objection raised by skeptics of God is whether or not God can create a boulder so large that He could not lift it. It is not typically a question asked in good faith. For regardless of the answer, they think they've proven that He is not all powerful. Whenever someone asks a question that begins with “Could God…” you know immediately that the question is flawed. Why? Because God can… ALWAYS. There is nothing that is impossible with God. Ability is NEVER the question. The real question is about the will of God. And that is demonstrated right here in this text? Could God have stopped the storms? Could God have calmed the sea? We know He could. Why? Because He already did it. The Spirit of God moved on the face of the chaotic waters when He formed the earth. God the Father parted the Red Sea to allow the Israelites to walk on dry land. The Son of God stretched His hand out and said, “Peace, be still” And calmed a storm. My friends the question is NEVER “Can God?” it is always “Will God?” For whatever reason… God allows catastrophe to happen to all men… even His own children. Even His own apostles. Even… His own Son. He allows natural forces and even men's sinful nature to do many things to oppose His children. And we can guess at the whys of that… but maybe for today, we don't need to answer the question why. Because why isn't the right question! Paul addresses a similar argument in Romans 9 when some might complain that they were not elected for salvation and wonder why God judges them for something He did not choose for them to have. Paul says, essentially, you are asking the wrong question. How dare you question God. The right question… is what. In the midst of natural forces opposing me in doing what I know the Lord wishes me to do… What do I do? And this text provides two answers for us. One hinted and the other overtly stated. We must continue to trust the Lord's promises and we must heed the counsel of wise and godly people. But let me expand a bit on this. A few applicational groceries for you to make some spiritual meals with as the week unfolds. 1.) Refutation: “What lies must we cast down” or “What do we naturally believe, or have been taught to believe, that this passage shows is false?” We must deny that natural forces opposing God's people is a valid reason to question God's Word or character. a. This text alone proves that to question God's promises or God's loving character based on tragic circumstances is absolutely ridiculous. b. God's promises and God's character is not beholden to everything always going right for mankind or even for His chosen people. c. God does work miracles for the sake of His will but He does not ALWAYS do this, nor does He always do miracles in every identical situation that follows that miracle. d. God told Moses to strike the rock and then God told Moses to speak to the Rock. e. Moses struck the Rock twice and both times produced water… but God had OTHER pictures he wished to convey to Moses and to the Israelites by Moses speaking to it instead of striking it. f. Just because God acts differently or allows people to suffer or even die does not mean we are free to begin questioning whether or not God is all good, all powerful, all loving, or all just. g. The creature cannot say such things to the creator. h. His ways are above our ways, His thoughts are higher than our thoughts. i. When we think God has done something unjust… it is because our definition of justice is NOT God's. j. When we think God has done something unloving… it is because our definition of love is NOT God's. k. When we think that God has done something that is not good… it is because our definition of good is NOT God's. l. When we wonder why God didn't do something to prevent catastrophe… it is because we have put God in a box and treated Him as if He is like us… We have made an idol, called it Yahweh, and gotten upset when that fake god doesn't do what we think he should. m. We must repent… not Him. n. God is unchangeable. He does not lie. He does not sin. He is the same as He always has been. o. If life stinks, and catastrophe happens… our conclusion CANNOT be… That God has failed, or that God is a liar. p. This is the height of arrogance and idolatry. q. So what must we believe instead? 2.) Mind Transformation: “What truth must we believe from this text?” or “What might we not naturally believe that we must believe because of what this text has said?” We must affirm that God providentially allows natural forces to oppose His people. a. God is absolutely free in His will to act according to His counsel. He has full freedom to do as He wishes and as He permits to ALL of His creation – including men. b. In His grace, His mercy, and His love – God does not desire the death of the wicked. c. That is a completely BONKERS statement. Of all the people that we should think God would be hunting down and squashing out of existence it SHOULD BE… the wicked. d. God is just… and He will judge them for their sin… But God does not actively seek out and kill wicked men. Why? Because we'd all be dead already. e. And here is another Bonkers statement in the scriptures… f. God's Son guaranteed that any who would follow Him would experience trouble. Jesus does not qualify that statement by specifying what trouble we experience. i. Is the trouble from those who might hate us and persecute us? ii. Is the trouble in the daily walk in living holy lives and turning from sin? iii. Is the trouble the common aches and pains and problems that all men face? g. Based on the entire cannon of scripture I think we'd have to say… YES! All of those. h. The scriptures say that all of creation groans in anticipation of the return of Jesus, the King of glory. i. Do you think violent storms that destroy property and lives are part of the creation's groans? ii. Do you think that diseases and sicknesses, aches and pains are part of the creation's groans? iii. Do you think that violent and wicked acts of men to snuff out life are part of creation's groans? i. My friends… God allows forces of nature to oppose all men, including His people, as a sign to us that things ARE NOT AS THEY SHOULD BE! j. When we experience heartache and trouble and problems and pain it should confirm upon us the blessed hope of our King's inevitable return to make all this right! k. If God always saved His people from calamity in miraculous ways… how strong would our faith be? l. Let me ask another question… If you always lifted everything for your child, including the spoon to their mouths, how much muscle would be on their arms? m. Were they called to lift a baby off the railroad tracks to save its life… they would struggle and strain and all would be lost. n. God knows we grow through adversity. We grow through struggle and pain. Not because He made us that way… but because sin has corrupted us THAT MUCH. o. The depravity of man is not some soteriological belief that only impacts us prior to conversion. p. My friends… sanctification – our growth to be more like Christ is long, difficult, fraught with pain and setbacks BECAUSE OF DEPRAVITY! q. The reformers believed and the scriptures agree that we are simultaneously WICKED SINNERS who have been declared righteous in Christ. We are all recovering pagans whose hearts continue to be factories forming idols on a daily basis. r. Therefore, we must believe that God sovereignly and providentially uses even natural disaster… to accomplish His will. Because His will is not ours. s. So what do we do with that? 3.) Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must continue to trust the Lord. a. Our God has promised that He will never leave us. b. He has promised us that He will seal us until the day of redemption with His Spirit. c. He has promised that He will give grace in a time of need to those who seek it. d. He has promised that He will sustain us to the moment that we have been appointed to die. e. He has promised to raise us up in Christ to join Him in the clouds. f. He has promised that when we join Him there we will always be with Him. g. So we face shipwreck. So we face wicked men shooting at us. So we face disease. So we face loss. So we face death. But we do so, knowing, that God will never forsake the promises He has made to us. We have confidence that if we face these things… God has willed it to be so for some purpose that we may never know. h. We trust Him. i. Trusting Christ does not mean trusting in a list of facts about God. j. Trusting Christ means that when tragedy occurs… we praise the Lord and trust that He is faithful. k. What else should we do? 4.) Exhortation: “What actions should we take?” or “What is this passage specifically commanding us to do that we don't naturally do or aren't currently doing?” We must heed the counsel of wise and godly people. a. Friends, although we have the Spirit of God in us, although Jesus has promised to never leave or forsake us, and although God in three persons is always present everywhere and when… somehow He knew that that would not be enough for our frailty. b. He knows our weakness indeed. c. And He has given us gifts… i. Apostles to form the church 2000 years ago. ii. Prophets to guide the church in its formation iii. Evangelists to expand the kingdom to the uttermost parts of the earth iv. And pastors/shepherds/ Elders to spiritually care for and equip the church locally to do the work of the ministry which is the edification of the body of Christ. d. In addition to that he has given generational mandates to older believers to care for younger believers and counsel and admonish them in spiritual things. e. He has given fathers to spiritually grow their own children in the nurture and admonition of the Lord. f. He has given all of God's people His Spirit and promises where two or more are gathered and seeking counsel on some of the most difficult things… He is there. g. My friends… when catastrophe surrounds us. When trouble comes. When hope is fading. When we don't know if we can go on. When we don't know what to do. h. God has given us… the church. i. Not perfect. Flawed. But spiritually maturing and matured people who love and live by God's Word. j. Don't buy into the lie that you must see a specialist in the field of your problems to get help. k. If your problems are medical, financial, relational, emotional… and yes… spiritual… You can rest assured that God's word has something to say about it. And wise and godly believers can help you find it and help you pursue it. 5.) Evangelism: “What about this text points us to Jesus Christ, the gospel, and how we are restored?” Repenting of sin and becoming God's child does not give you a life of peace. In fact, it guarantees you a life of hardship. a. There are gospels going out today that seem to assure you that when you pray a prayer your life will be so much better. b. I just saw that MMA fighter Conner McGreggor recently made some kind of profession of faith in Jesus. He stated Jesus is King and that he has never been so at peace since believing this. c. I don't know his heart. I hope he is God's child. Time will tell. d. But here is what I do know. There is a paradox in the Christian life that all outsiders must see before they seek to enter in. e. Although in one sense being a child of God is the most peaceful, wonderful, glorious, amazing, fulfilling, and satisfying things there is… f. In another sense it is a life full of pain, anguish, struggle, hardship, betrayal, failure, frustration, and rejection. And not just in the sense that it is the normal human experience… but beyond that… being a Christian is directly linked to MORE of these than if you were not a Christian. g. Every single Christian in this room affirms this paradox as true. They have lived it. God's word says it. h. Jesus tells everyone to count the cost. He says that the only way to be His disciple is to take yourself, your desires, your comfort, your plans, your lifestyles, your money, your peace, your hope… and nail it to a cross… kill it brutally. Then follow Him. Then… and only then… can you be His disciple. i. He has paid it all… but make no mistake… it will cost you everything. And to true Christians it is a price… we gladly pay. j. If you have counted the cost and desire to follow Jesus, the Elders in this church would love to talk to you about that. Come see us… and don't dilly dally about it. Let me close with a word of prayer from the Apostolic Constitutions Lord God Almighty and true God, nothing compares to you. You are everywhere, and present in all things, but you are not part of your creation. You are not bound by place, and you do not grow old in time. You are not terminated by the ages. You are not deceived by words, and not created by anything. You require no one to look after you, and you are above all corruption. You are free from change, and by nature you never vary. You inhabit inaccessible light. You are invisible by nature, but are known to all thinking people who seek you with a good mind-your people who truly see and who have believed on Christ. You are the God of Israel. Be gracious to me, and hear me, for the sake of your name. Bless those who bow before you, and grant them the requests of their hearts, for their good. Do not reject any of them from your kingdom. Instead, set them apart for you. Guard, cover, and help them. Deliver them from the adversary, and from every enemy. Keep their houses and families safe, and guard them as they come and go. For to you belongs the glory, praise, majesty, worship, and adoration, and to your Son Jesus, your Christ, our Lord and God and King, and to the Holy Spirit, now and always, forever and ever, amen. Benediction: May the One Who makes the vapors ascend in clouds from earth's remotest end, Whose lightings flash at His commands, Who holds the tempest in His hands. Keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. Until we meet again, go in peace.

Since the harbor was unsuitable to winter in, the majority decided that we should sail on, hoping to reach Phoenix and winter there. This was a harbor in Crete, facing both southwest and northwest. 13 When a gentle south wind began to blow, they saw their opportunity; so they weighed anchor and sailed along the shore of Crete. 14 Before very long, a wind of hurricane force, called the Northeaster, swept down from the island. 15 The ship was caught by the storm and could not head into the wind; so we gave way to it and were driven along. 16 As we passed to the lee of a small island called Cauda, we were hardly able to make the lifeboat secure, 17 so the men hoisted it aboard. Then they passed ropes under the ship itself to hold it together. Because they were afraid they would run aground on the sandbars of Syrtis, they lowered the sea anchor[b] and let the ship be driven along. 18 We took such a violent battering from the storm that the next day they began to throw the cargo overboard. 19 On the third day, they threw the ship's tackle overboard with their own hands. 20 When neither sun nor stars appeared for many days and the storm continued raging, we finally gave up all hope of being saved. 21 After they had gone a long time without food, Paul stood up before them and said: “Men, you should have taken my advice not to sail from Crete; then you would have spared yourselves this damage and loss. 22 But now I urge you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost; only the ship will be destroyed. 23 Last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me 24 and said, ‘Do not be afraid, Paul. You must stand trial before Caesar; and God has graciously given you the lives of all who sail with you.' 25 So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. 26 Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island.”

ASPASIA A peaceful mountain village in 1990s Crete. Katerina is an American who lives a tranquil life with her husband Dimitris and their daughter Aspasia. But when Dimitris leaves to work on a cargo ship, a terrible secret shatters Katerina's world. Suddenly, life in the village turns claustrophobic, threatening both Aspasia's safety and Katerina's sanity. Drawing inspiration from Sophocles' timeless play Antigone, Aspasia is a gripping tale of two shocking crimes. The novel delves into the depths of a mother's love and the extraordinary lengths one woman will go to safeguard her child. TOPICS OF CONVERSATION The story and inspiration behind Aspasia – including Florence's time in Crete, the “village secret,” and how another novel influenced her to give her character a different kind of ending. The meaning of the name Aspasia – its personal, historical, and symbolic significance, and why she chose it for the book. Katerina's perspective as an outsider and a mother – her integration into village life, her strength and vulnerability, and how she reacts differently from the community. Themes of secrets, silence, and power – including the role of Christos, how fear and routine shift after the secret is revealed, and the tension between what's spoken and unspoken. Florence's writing journey – revisiting a book she began 30 years ago, the evolution of publishing/self-publishing, trigger warnings, and what projects she has coming up next. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Florence Wetzel was born in Brooklyn, NY. She writes in different genres, including the memoir Sara My Sara: A Memoir of Friendship and Loss. Her novels include the thriller The Woman Who Went Overboard; the Swedish mystery The Grand Man; and Dashiki: A Cozy Mystery. She has also authored horror short stories, a book of poems and memoir essays, and co-authored jazz clarinetist Perry Robinson's autobiography. Aspasia is her latest novel, published in July 2025.  You can learn more about Florence Wetzel and her work at https://linktr.ee/FlorenceWetzel  

This week on Ask A Matchmaker, Matchmaker Maria is joined by her sister and fellow matchmaker Chrisoula for a special anniversary episode recorded in Crete. Chrisoula shares the story of her 12-year marriage and what it takes to grow with a partner you met at 19. The sisters talk about communication, setting boundaries, and how generational trauma impacts conflict resolution. They reflect on growing up with unresolved fights at home and how they now model healthier habits by showing their kids what conflict resolution really looks like. Listener questions include how to handle a breakup over text, when to swipe based on core values, and whether to date someone who already has children. Tune in for real dating advice, personal stories, and practical tips for building a long-lasting, healthy relationship!   ✨ Don't forget to order Maria's book,  follow us on social, and leave a review if you're feeling lovable and likable.

Joe Allen leads us on a journey through the Axial Age's profound wisdom traditions to uncover how ancient civilizations grappled with the same transhumanist dreams that captivate us today. From the bronze automaton Talos guarding Crete to the terrifying Brahmastra weapons of the Mahabharata, we trace humanity's eternal fascination with creating artificial life and wielding god-like power.This episode weaves through the Hindu concept of yugas—those vast cosmic cycles that see humanity descend from golden ages into our current Kali Yuga, the age of iron and spiritual darkness. We examine how the Golem tradition reflects both our creative aspirations and the dangers of "golemizing" sacred wisdom, turning living tradition into a lifeless mechanism.

Welcome back to the Click&Go Holidays Travel Podcast! Today, Paul and Gill are joined in the studio by two very special guests from our own Click&Go team – our COO, Peter Cullen, and Sales Executive, Zita Forde. They're here to share their love for one of the most beautiful and fascinating destinations in the Mediterranean – the island of Crete. From how to get there, where to stay, what to see, and of course, the unforgettable food, we'll dive into everything that makes Crete such a magical holiday spot. So whether you're planning your next getaway or just dreaming of sunshine, sit back and let's explore Crete together.

He was a Greek from the island of Crete. Born and raised as a pagan, he came to faith in Christ through the ministry of the Apostle Paul, and labored with the Apostle in preaching the Gospel. St Paul in his epistles calls St Titus both "son" and "brother." He was ordained Bishop of Crete by St Paul, who wrote to him the Epistle that bears his name. He reposed in peace at the age of ninety-four.

This week, we will be studying Titus 3:1-11 under the theme “He Saved Us. We Respond Appropriately.” God's people need reminders to do good. Our flesh doesn't want to do good, and frankly, sometimes we do the "right things" but for very unhealthy reasons. Paul reminds Timothy to teach people to do good for the right reason.Series Summary: Titus is Paul's no-nonsense blueprint for planting gospel-centered churches in hard places—starting with strong leadership and sound doctrine. Written to a young pastor on the wild island of Crete, this letter shows how truth and character shape a church's credibility in a corrupt culture. In this series, we'll dive into why healthy doctrine isn't just for theologians, and why godly leaders are essential for a church that wants to make a lasting impact.How can we pray for you? tinyurl.com/stmarcusprayersFill out our online connection card: tinyurl.com/stmarcusconnectcardIf you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Endy Zemenides, HALC's Executive Director, is joined by Michael Rubin, Senior Fellow at the American Enterprise Institute, to break down reports that Israel is closing in on a security deal with Syria as a U.S. envoy meets with Prime Minister Netanyahu, and to analyze what this means for the region, from Turkey to broader U.S. strategy in the Middle East.You can read the article we discuss on our podcast here:Syria's Sharaa confirms 'advanced' talks with Israel on security deal; US envoy meets NetanyahuBirth rate decline a threat to universitiesGreece issues very high wildfire risk alert for Aegean islands and Crete

This month on Puny Pod's Monthly Bugle, Ryan and David dive into the debut of Eyes of Wakanda! We explore the show's sweeping history of the Hatut Zeraze—from Crete to Troy to K'un-Lun and beyond—plus break down the cast, critical reaction, and what it adds to the legacy of Wakanda in the MCU. We also check out Iron Man and His Awesome Friends (yes, with a Mark Hoppus theme song), preview October's Marvel Zombies with its stacked new cast, and look ahead to the next Spider-Man movie (Brand New Day) with confirmed returning heroes and villains. Plus, we run through the latest updates on Black Panther 3, Blade, and some big teases from Ryan Reynolds. All that, along with our usual bet check-in and a dash of ConciEARS magic, makes for one jam-packed episode of Marvel news and nerdy fun. Themes by J.R. Trimpe: https://trimpe.org/ ---------------- Support the show! Check out our super secret spoiler show on the EarzUp! Patreon Visit us on Etsy for the official Puny Pod Merch Come say hi on Discord! Subscribe on iTunes Start your own podcast with Zencastr Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

You probably know the Ancient Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur, who lives in a labyrinth under Knossos on the island of Crete - was there ever really a labyrinth, or a King Minos? Dan is joined by the University of Oxford's Steve Kershaw to unravel the mysteries of Knossos, trace the rise of the Minoan civilisation during the Bronze Age, its collapse and the controversial excavation and reconstruction by the eccentric archaeologist Arthur Evans in the early 20th century.This is part of our 'Dan Snow's Guide to Europe' summer travel series.Produced by Mariana Des Forges and edited by Dougal PatmoreJoin Dan and the team for a special LIVE recording of Dan Snow's History Hit on Friday, 12th September 2025! To celebrate 10 years of the podcast, Dan is putting on a special show of signature storytelling, never-before-heard anecdotes from his often stranger-than-fiction career, as well as answering the burning questions you've always wanted to ask!Get tickets here, before they sell out: https://www.kingsplace.co.uk/whats-on/words/dan-snows-history-hit/.We'd love to hear your feedback - you can take part in our podcast survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on.You can also email the podcast directly at ds.hh@historyhit.com. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

God doesn't give revelation to rebels except His gracious call to repentance and restoration. A right relationship with the risen Messiah will cause you to become more and more like Jesus every day.When it was decided that we should sail for Italy, they delivered Paul and some other prisoners to a centurion of the Augustan Cohort named Julius. And embarking in a ship of Adramyttium, which was about to sail to the ports along the coast of Asia, we put to sea, accompanied by Aristarchus, a Macedonian from Thessalonica. The next day we put in at Sidon. And Julius treated Paul kindly and gave him leave to go to his friends and be cared for. And putting out to sea from there we sailed under the lee of Cyprus, because the winds were against us. And when we had sailed across the open sea along the coast of Cilicia and Pamphylia, we came to Myra in Lycia. There the centurion found a ship of Alexandria sailing for Italy and put us on board. Acts 27:1-6 ESVWe struggled along the coast with great difficulty and finally arrived at Fair Havens, near the town of Lasea. We had lost a lot of time. The weather was becoming dangerous for sea travel because it was so late in the fall, and Paul spoke to the ship's officers about it. “Men,” he said, “I believe there is trouble ahead if we go on, shipwreck, loss of cargo, and danger to our lives as well.” Acts 27:8-10 NLTWhen a light wind began blowing from the south, the sailors thought they could make it. So they pulled up anchor and sailed close to the shore of Crete. Acts 27:13 NLTWisdom isn't determined by the direction of the wind!  But the weather changed abruptly, and a wind of typhoon strength (called a “northeaster”) burst across the island and blew us out to sea. The sailors couldn't turn the ship into the wind, so they gave up and let it run before the gale. Acts 27:14-15 NLTDon't let a moment of favor or desire determine your direction or destiny. The next day, as gale-force winds continued to batter the ship, the crew began throwing the cargo overboard. The following day they even took some of the ship's tackle and threw it overboard. The terrible storm raged for many days, blotting out the sun and the stars, until at last all hope was gone. Acts 27:18-20 NLTIn a severe storm, earthly possessions and navigation systems can become of little or no value. No one had eaten for a long time. Finally, Paul called the crew together and said, “Men, you should have listened to me in the first place and not left Crete. You would have avoided all this damage and loss. Acts 27:21 NLTA tactical “I told you so” can be a blessing if you receive it as an encouragement to listen next time. - But take courage! None of you will lose your lives, even though the ship will go down. For last night an angel of the God to whom I belong and whom I serve stood beside me, and he said, ‘Don't be afraid, Paul, for you will surely stand trial before Caesar! What's more, God in his goodness has granted safety to everyone sailing with you.' So take courage! For I believe God. It will be just as he said. But we will be shipwrecked on an island.” Acts 27:22-26 NLT God will always prioritize the condition of your soul and salvation over any temporal success or solution.Just as day was dawning, Paul urged everyone to eat. “You have been so worried that you haven't touched food for two weeks,” he said. “Please eat something now for your own good. For not a hair of your heads will perish.” Then he took some bread, gave thanks to God before them all, and broke off a piece and ate it. Then everyone was encouraged and began to eat, all 276 of us who were on board. Acts 27:33-37 NLTOften it's our response to the problems we face that is the real problem, and what causes us to lose our way.The soldiers decided to kill the prisoners so none could escape by swimming, but the centurion, determined to save Paul, stopped them. He gave orders for anyone who could swim to dive in and go for it, and for the rest to grab a plank. Everyone made it to shore safely. Acts 27:42-44 MSGBut Paul shook off the snake into the fire and was unharmed. The people waited for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. But when they had waited a long time and saw that he wasn't harmed, they changed their minds and decided he was a god. Acts 28:5-6 NLT For the next two years, Paul lived in Rome at his own expense. He welcomed all who visited him, boldly proclaiming the Kingdom of God and teaching about the Lord Jesus Christ. And no one tried to stop him. Acts 28:30-31 NLTThe faith and faithfulness of Paul was only outmatched by the faithfulness of our loving, living God.

Keith Frankish is a philosopher and writer, British-born but now living in Crete, Greece. He is an Honorary Professor in the Philosophy Department at the University of Sheffield, a Visiting Research Fellow with The Open University, and an Adjunct Professor with the Brain and Mind Programme at the University of Crete. He is also editor of the Cambridge University Press series Elements in Philosophy of Mind. He spent many years thinking about the nature of belief and reasoning, developing a ‘two-level' view of the human mind that he set out in his 2004 book, Mind and Supermind. Now he focuses mostly on Philosophy of Mind and says "I now spend much of my time defending the unpalatable but salutary view that phenomenal consciousness is an introspective illusion."In Sentientist Conversations we talk about the most important questions: “what's real?”, “who matters?” and "how can we make a better world?"Sentientism answers those questions with "evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings." The video of our conversation is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here on YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.00:00 Clips00:52 Welcome03:15 Keith's Intro- "By the way I don't think sentience is an illusion"- "I'm best known as a person who thinks consciousness is an illusion... I don't think that"- "I spend most of my time thinking about the human mind"- "I suppose I have a sort of campaigning streak"- "The state of consciousness science is unsettled... a revolutionary state"- "It's important for science... for philosophy... for knowledge... ethical implications too"- "Trying to invite people to look at things a different way"- Moving from UK academia to Greece "I moved more tothe edges... I think it freed me... to spend more of time doing I think are important... devote energies to things that perhaps wouldn't have got so well rewarded in the formal academic structures"08:23 What's Real?- Working class family- "Religion was present but in a very watered down typically sort of English way... I was baptised... go to church... Sunday School"- "It was never oppressive"- Uncle "... a wonderful example of the compassion and... the commitment to social justice that can come with religion"- Reading an encyclopaedia about the scientific scepticismabout the soul "Oh right, there's no soul then... and that was it!"- "I had a very strong inclination to trust science... certainly against religious interpretations of the world"- "...there's another world in which I would have become a scientist."- "You can't really educate yourself in science but you can educate yourself in philosophy... philosophy can only be taught by self-education."01:04:55 What Matters?01:15:10 Who Matters?01:47:26 A Better Future?01:58:12 Follow Keith:- keithfrankish.com - Keith on BlueSky (“I do not post on Twitter any more”)- Keith on Mastodon  - Keith on Wikipedia And more... full show notes at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Sentientism is “Evidence, reason & compassion for all sentient beings.” More at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Sentientism.info⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Join our⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠"I'm a Sentientist" wall⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ via⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ this simple form⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.Everyone, Sentientist or not, is welcome in our ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠groups⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. The biggest so far is ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here on FaceBook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Come join us there!

We're Becoming Dumb and Numb": Why Black Hat 2025's AI Hype Is Killing Cybersecurity -- And Our Ability to Think Random and Unscripted Weekly Update Podcast with Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli__________________SummarySean and Marco dissect Black Hat USA 2025, where every vendor claimed to have "agentic AI" solutions. They expose how marketing buzzwords create noise that frustrates CISOs seeking real value. Marco references the Greek myth of Talos - an ancient AI robot that seemed invincible until one fatal flaw destroyed it - as a metaphor for today's overinflated AI promises. The discussion spirals into deeper concerns: are we becoming too dependent on AI decision-making? They warn about echo chambers, lowest common denominators, and losing our ability to think critically. The solution? Stop selling perfection, embrace product limitations, and keep humans in control. __________________10 Notable QuotesSean:"It's hard for them to siphon the noise. Sift through the noise, I should say, and figure out what the heck is really going on.""If we completely just use it for the easy button, we'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make things better.""We'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make our minds better, to make our decisions better.""We are told then that this is the reality. This is what good looks like.""Maybe there's a different way to even look at things. So it's kind of become uniform... a very low common denominator that is just good enough for everybody."Marco:"Do you really wanna trust the weapon to just go and shoot everybody? At least you can tell it's a human factor and that's the people that ultimately decide.""If we don't make decision anymore, we're gonna turn out in a lot of those sci-fi stories, like the time machine where we become dumb.""We all perceive reality to be different from what it is, and then it creates a circular knowledge learning where we use AI to create the knowledge, then to ask the question, then to give the answers.""We're just becoming dumb and numb. More than dumb, but we become numb to everything else because we're just not thinking with our own head.""You're selling the illusion of security and that could be something that then you replicate in other industries." Picture this: You walk into the world's largest cybersecurity conference, and every single vendor booth is screaming the same thing – "agentic AI." Different companies, different products, but somehow they all taste like the same marketing milkshake.That's exactly what Sean Martin and Marco Ciappelli witnessed at Black Hat USA 2025, and their latest Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco episode pulls no punches in exposing what's really happening behind the buzzwords."Marketing just took all the cool technology that each vendor had, put it in a blender and made a shake that just tastes the same," Marco reveals on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco, describing how the conference floor felt like one giant echo chamber where innovation got lost in translation.But this isn't just another rant about marketing speak. The Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco conversation takes a darker turn when Marco introduces the ancient Greek myth of Talos – a bronze giant powered by divine ichor who was tasked with autonomously defending Crete. Powerful, seemingly invincible, until one small vulnerability brought the entire system crashing down.Sound familiar?"Do you really wanna trust the weapon to just go and shoot everybody?" Marco asks, drawing parallels between ancient mythology and today's rush to hand over decision-making to AI systems we don't fully understand.Sean, meanwhile, talked to frustrated CISOs throughout the event who shared a common complaint: "It's hard for them to sift through the noise and figure out what the heck is really going on." When every vendor claims their AI is autonomous and perfect, how do you choose? How do you even know what you're buying?The real danger, they argue on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco, isn't just bad purchasing decisions. It's what happens when we stop thinking altogether."If we completely just use it for the easy button, we'll stop thinking and we won't use it as a tool to make our minds better," Sean warns. We risk settling for what he calls the "lowest common denominator" – a world where AI tells us what success looks like, and we never question whether we could do better.Marco goes even further, describing a "circular knowledge learning" trap where "we use AI to create the knowledge, then to ask the question, then to give the answers." The result? "We're just becoming dumb and numb. More than dumb, but we become numb to everything else because we're just not thinking with our own head."Their solution isn't to abandon AI – it's to get honest about what it can and can't do. "Stop looking for the easy button and stop selling the easy button," Marco urges vendors on Random and Unscripted with Sean and Marco. "Your product is probably as good as it is."Sean adds: "Don't be afraid to share your blemishes, share your weaknesses. Share your gaps."Because here's the thing CISOs know that vendors often forget: "CISOs are not stupid. They talk to each other. The truth will come out."In an industry built on protecting against deception, maybe it's time to stop deceiving ourselves about what AI can actually deliver. ________________ Keywordscybersecurity, artificialintelligence, blackhat2025, agentic, ai, marketing, ciso, cybersec, infosec, technology, leadership, vendor, innovation, automation, security, tech, AI, machinelearning, enterprise, business________________Hosts links:

This week, we'll be studying Titus 2:1-15 under the theme “Doing Good for the Sake of the Gospel.” In this chapter, the Apostle Paul charges believers to live in a way that makes “the teaching about God our Savior attractive”—showing that when the gospel transforms our hearts, it also shapes our lives in a way that makes Christ beautiful to the world. Paul's instructions to older and younger men and women—even slaves—show that godly living isn't about mere morality, but mission. Our daily conduct testifies to the grace of Jesus, turning good works into a compelling witness for the gospel.Series Summary: Titus is Paul's no-nonsense blueprint for planting gospel-centered churches in hard places—starting with strong leadership and sound doctrine. Written to a young pastor on the wild island of Crete, this letter shows how truth and character shape a church's credibility in a corrupt culture. In this series, we'll dive into why healthy doctrine isn't just for theologians, and why godly leaders are essential for a church that wants to make a lasting impact.How can we pray for you? tinyurl.com/stmarcusprayersFill out our online connection card: tinyurl.com/stmarcusconnectcardIf you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

A quick time hop back to last week with Nat and Marc still in their Crete villa, setting up for their final day on holiday, featuring singing from Joanie and a whole load of grasshoppers Enjoy! x Please subscribe, follow, and leave a review. xxx You can find us in all places here; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://podfollow.com/lifewithnat/view⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ INSTA: @natcass1 We're also on Facebook too: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/lifewithnatpod⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ A 'Keep It Light Media' Production Sales, advertising, and general enquiries: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠hello@keepitlightmedia.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ SHOW INFO: Life with Nat - it's me! Natalie Cassidy and I'll be chatting away to family, friends and most importantly YOU. I want to pick people's brains on the subjects that I care about- whether that's where all the odd socks go, weight and food or kids on phones. Each week I will be letting you into my life as i chat about my week, share my thoughts on the mundane happenings as well as the serious. I have grown up in the public eye and have never changed because of it. Life with Nat is the podcast for proper people. Come join the community. ♥️ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

When her van broke down in Crete, Anne Kress decided not to book a  flight to get back home to Germany. Instead, she grabbed her 20-year-old mountain bike and camping gear, then pedalled 3,300km home through 11 countries.Listen if: You love spontaneous adventures, dream about bikepacking the Balkans, or want proof that bike adventures can start with small, imperfect gear.The story in a nutshell: Anne was midway through a climbing trip in Crete when her camper van broke down in the middle of nowhere. With Easter shutdown looming, not wanting to take a flight home, and stranded in the what felt like the 'middle of nowhere', she decided to ride it her old mountain bike all the way back to Germany. Not via the “boring” coastal route, but off-road through the newly created Trans Dinarica route through the Balkans. All up she cycled over 3,300 km, with a hefty 63,000 meters of climbing as well. Key takeaways:Listen to your inner voice: The wild idea in your head might be the one that changes everything.Start with what you've got: You don't need a shiny gravel bike to take on an adventure. Anne rode her third-hand, 20 year old mountain bikeOpen yourself to people: Human connections are the true highlights for Anne from this adventure. Golden quote: “I listened to my intuition… and suddenly I had the idea: I could ride home.” Read more about the Trans Dinarica Cycle RouteFollow Anne on Instagram - @anneadventure.deRedWhite Apparel - Check out the most comfortable bib shorts on the market! Click here to find out more about Helinox Camp Chairs Support the showBuy me a coffee and help support the show! I'm an affiliate for a few brands I genuinely use and recommend including:

From JP Morgan spreadsheets to hand-picking olive oil in Crete, Andreas Labridis has built a modern Greek food empire in London — and he's only just getting started. In this fascinating conversation, the Opso and Kima co-founder recalls the wild early days of Opso, when guests would come expecting smashed plates and Zorba music, and how he set out to show the city what modern Greek dining could truly be. He shares the thinking behind Kima's fin-to-gill philosophy, a bold approach to seafood that uses every possible part of the fish to create dishes that are as sustainable as they are delicious.Andreas explains how a gamble on Greek brunch — complete with house-made pastries, breads, and the now-legendary bugatza — turned into queues snaking around the block, and why he's on a mission to introduce Londoners to Greece's winter cuisine, from rich stews to mountain game. He speaks candidly about the behind-the-scenes reality of running restaurants under London's punishing tax and cost pressures, revealing just how tight the margins can be even for a thriving group.We also travel with him back to Athens, where he shares his favourite culinary gems — the places locals really go — and the wave of young chefs reshaping the city's food scene. Along the way, there are stories of nightmare service days, quirky customer encounters, and the chef partnerships that have helped fuel his success. Andreas also lets loose on food fads (including his pet hate for putting caviar on everything) and pays homage to a Hall-of-Fame dish of snails with rye, bacon and pesto that blew his mind.If this episode leaves you hungry, book a table at Opso for modern Greek brilliance, or cross the street to Kima for a sustainable seafood experience unlike any other. And for a taste of their genius at home, pick up the Opso cookbook, Modern Greek Food — the next best thing to being there.---------Please leave us a great rating and a comment and share it with your friends - it really helps us grow as a show.If you're in the industry and are looking for the greatest POS system in the world than look no further as Blinq are tearing up the rulebook—no long-term contracts, no hidden fees, and no per-device charges.Just £49 a month for unlimited devices and 24/7 UK-based support that's always there, in person when you need it.Built for hospitality, by hospitality, blinq is the fastest, easiest POS system on the market—so intuitive, anyone can use it. And while others take weeks to get you up and running, with blinq, you're live in just 2 hours.Join the hospitality revolution today & use the code GOTOBLINQ to get your first month free - https://blinqme.com/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week, Monica Rosenfeld of Stories That Stir joins us to dive into the power of stories, and how you can use your story to cut through the noise – be it in your emails, your social media, or out on the stage. With years of experience as a storyteller, business owner, and speaker, Monica shares exactly how women business owners can use storytelling as their most powerful marketing tool. We're talking about using stories to attract your ideal clients, show up more confidently, and rewrite your internal narrative on this week's episode – because YOUR story is worth telling. Here's What You'll Discover in the Episode:  The science behind storytelling and what exactly happens in your brain and body when you hear a story (and why that emotional connection is SO strong!) How sharing YOUR story can cut through marketing noise and help you stand out in a saturated space Why your humanity is your greatest asset, and how sharing personal stories with purpose can build instant trust and connection How to share with vulnerability WITHOUT compromising your credibility or trustworthiness Monica's incredible story-mining tips to help you find the right stories from your life (without feeling forced to overshare!) What makes a story truly shine (from universal story structures to emotional hooks to strategic vulnerability) Hear Monica's own journey of how the COVID lockdown inspired her to launch Stories That Stir. And so, so much more… Mentioned in This Episode: The HerBusiness Network HerBusiness Trailblazers - Join us in Crete, Greece, in October Stories That Stir Global Events Magnetic Brand Storytelling Masterclass Episode 313 - What If You Followed That Hunch? The Power of Pursuing Curiosity in Business with Valerie Khoo Reviewer - Kate Tribe - Shop

Sent us text! We would love to hear from you!You probably have talents you have not explored yet. Take the time to try something new, something that you really desired, but never got around to ever starting. Virgin Voyages is providing Commander Drew and his lovely wife another great adventure in the Mediterranean Sea. He is such a regular on the Virgin line that he knows the layout of all of their big ships. He is having such a good time he actually had flashbacks to being in the Navy when he volunteered to  participate in an exercise in survival with U.S. Marine Corps that took place on the largest island in Greece, the island of Crete. He had to rough-it for a while but survived the encounter. This time the ship is heading to Crete, but he won't be roughing-it; he will be sitting in the lap of luxury probably lounging somewhere on a beach frequented by the rich and famous, where a simple lunch for two costs about $500.00 (give or take.) For some good news in the world, consider that recent studies suggest that eggs, once cited as unhealthy due to cholesterol, was said in error as egg consumption may actually lower unhealthy (bad)  cholesterol when used as part of a diet low in saturated fat. There is no need to die of loneliness if you have the strength to get out in the world and try something new. Meet a wingman who did a good deed and lifted the spirits of a group of elders   who needed to see a new view of the outside world. 

This week's message is based on Titus 1:5-9, The Qualifications of the Called. The Apostle Paul knew that the fledgling house churches in first-century Crete would never get off the ground without qualified leaders. But qualified church leaders don't grow on trees; they are forged in the fire of God's Spirit and formed by the power of God's Word. This week, we consider what God says qualifies a person to lead in his church.Series Summary: Titus is Paul's no-nonsense blueprint for planting gospel-centered churches in hard places—starting with strong leadership and sound doctrine. Written to a young pastor on the wild island of Crete, this letter shows how truth and character shape a church's credibility in a corrupt culture. In this series, we'll dive into why healthy doctrine isn't just for theologians, and why godly leaders are essential for a church that wants to make a lasting impact.How can we pray for you? tinyurl.com/stmarcusprayersFill out our online connection card: tinyurl.com/stmarcusconnectcardIf you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

⸻ Podcast: Redefining Society and Technologyhttps://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com _____________________________This Episode's SponsorsBlackCloak provides concierge cybersecurity protection to corporate executives and high-net-worth individuals to protect against hacking, reputational loss, financial loss, and the impacts of a corporate data breach.BlackCloak:  https://itspm.ag/itspbcweb_____________________________A Musing On Society & Technology Newsletter Written By Marco Ciappelli | Read by TAPE3August 9, 2025The Agentic AI Myth in Cybersecurity and the Humanity We Risk When We Stop Deciding for OurselvesReflections from Black Hat USA 2025 on the Latest Tech Salvation NarrativeWalking the floors of Black Hat USA 2025 for what must be the 10th or 11th time as accredited media—honestly, I've stopped counting—I found myself witnessing a familiar theater. The same performance we've seen play out repeatedly in cybersecurity: the emergence of a new technological messiah promising to solve all our problems. This year's savior? Agentic AI.The buzzword echoes through every booth, every presentation, every vendor pitch. Promises of automating 90% of security operations, platforms for autonomous threat detection, agents that can investigate novel alerts without human intervention. The marketing materials speak of artificial intelligence that will finally free us from the burden of thinking, deciding, and taking responsibility.It's Talos all over again.In Greek mythology, Hephaestus forged Talos, a bronze giant tasked with patrolling Crete's shores, hurling boulders at invaders without human intervention. Like contemporary AI, Talos was built to serve specific human ends—security, order, and control—and his value was determined by his ability to execute these ends flawlessly. The parallels to today's agentic AI promises are striking: autonomous patrol, threat detection, automated response. Same story, different millennium.But here's what the ancient Greeks understood that we seem to have forgotten: every artificial creation, no matter how sophisticated, carries within it the seeds of its own limitations and potential dangers.Industry observers noted over a hundred announcements promoting new agentic AI applications, platforms or services at the conference. That's more than one AI agent announcement per hour. The marketing departments have clearly been busy.But here's what baffles me: why do we need to lie to sell cybersecurity? You can give away t-shirts, dress up as comic book superheroes with your logo slapped on their chests, distribute branded board games, and pretend to be a sports team all day long—that's just trade show theater, and everyone knows it. But when marketing pushes past the limits of what's even believable, when they make claims so grandiose that their own engineers can't explain them, something deeper is broken.If marketing departments think CISOs are buying these lies, they have another thing coming. These are people who live with the consequences of failed security implementations, who get fired when breaches happen, who understand the difference between marketing magic and operational reality. They've seen enough "revolutionary" solutions fail to know that if something sounds too good to be true, it probably is.Yet the charade continues, year after year, vendor after vendor. The real question isn't whether the technology works—it's why an industry built on managing risk has become so comfortable with the risk of overselling its own capabilities. Something troubling emerges when you move beyond the glossy booth presentations and actually talk to the people implementing these systems. Engineers struggle to explain exactly how their AI makes decisions. Security leaders warn that artificial intelligence might become the next insider threat, as organizations grow comfortable trusting systems they don't fully understand, checking their output less and less over time.When the people building these systems warn us about trusting them too much, shouldn't we listen?This isn't the first time humanity has grappled with the allure and danger of artificial beings making decisions for us. Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, published in 1818, explored the hubris of creating life—and intelligence—without fully understanding the consequences. The novel raises the same question we face today: what are humans allowed to do with this forbidden power of creation? The question becomes more pressing when we consider what we're actually delegating to these artificial agents. It's no longer just pattern recognition or data processing—we're talking about autonomous decision-making in critical security scenarios. Conference presentations showcased significant improvements in proactive defense measures, but at what cost to human agency and understanding?Here's where the conversation jumps from cybersecurity to something far more fundamental: what are we here for if not to think, evaluate, and make decisions? From a sociological perspective, we're witnessing the construction of a new social reality where human agency is being systematically redefined. Survey data shared at the conference revealed that most security leaders feel the biggest internal threat is employees unknowingly giving AI agents access to sensitive data. But the real threat might be more subtle: the gradual erosion of human decision-making capacity as a social practice.When we delegate not just routine tasks but judgment itself to artificial agents, we're not just changing workflows—we're reshaping the fundamental social structures that define human competence and authority. We risk creating a generation of humans who have forgotten how to think critically about complex problems, not because they lack the capacity, but because the social systems around them no longer require or reward such thinking.E.M. Forster saw this coming in 1909. In "The Machine Stops," he imagined a world where humanity becomes completely dependent on an automated system that manages all aspects of life—communication, food, shelter, entertainment, even ideas. People live in isolation, served by the Machine, never needing to make decisions or solve problems themselves. When someone suggests that humans should occasionally venture outside or think independently, they're dismissed as primitive. The Machine has made human agency unnecessary, and humans have forgotten they ever possessed it. When the Machine finally breaks down, civilization collapses because no one remembers how to function without it.Don't misunderstand me—I'm not a Luddite. AI can and should help us manage the overwhelming complexity of modern cybersecurity threats. The technology demonstrations I witnessed showed genuine promise: reasoning engines that understand context, action frameworks that enable response within defined boundaries, learning systems that improve based on outcomes. The problem isn't the technology itself but the social construction of meaning around it. What we're witnessing is the creation of a new techno-social myth—a collective narrative that positions agentic AI as the solution to human fallibility. This narrative serves specific social functions: it absolves organizations of the responsibility to invest in human expertise, justifies cost-cutting through automation, and provides a technological fix for what are fundamentally organizational and social problems.The mythology we're building around agentic AI reflects deeper anxieties about human competence in an increasingly complex world. Rather than addressing the root causes—inadequate training, overwhelming workloads, systemic underinvestment in human capital—we're constructing a technological salvation narrative that promises to make these problems disappear.Vendors spoke of human-machine collaboration, AI serving as a force multiplier for analysts, handling routine tasks while escalating complex decisions to humans. This is a more honest framing: AI as augmentation, not replacement. But the marketing materials tell a different story, one of autonomous agents operating independently of human oversight.I've read a few posts on LinkedIn and spoke with a few people myself who know this topic way better than me, but I get that feeling too. There's a troubling pattern emerging: many vendor representatives can't adequately explain their own AI systems' decision-making processes. When pressed on specifics—how exactly does your agent determine threat severity? What happens when it encounters an edge case it wasn't trained for?—answers become vague, filled with marketing speak about proprietary algorithms and advanced machine learning.This opacity is dangerous. If we're going to trust artificial agents with critical security decisions, we need to understand how they think—or more accurately, how they simulate thinking. Every machine learning system requires human data scientists to frame problems, prepare data, determine appropriate datasets, remove bias, and continuously update the software. The finished product may give the impression of independent learning, but human intelligence guides every step.The future of cybersecurity will undoubtedly involve more automation, more AI assistance, more artificial agents handling routine tasks. But it should not involve the abdication of human judgment and responsibility. We need agentic AI that operates with transparency, that can explain its reasoning, that acknowledges its limitations. We need systems designed to augment human intelligence, not replace it. Most importantly, we need to resist the seductive narrative that technology alone can solve problems that are fundamentally human in nature. The prevailing logic that tech fixes tech, and that AI will fix AI, is deeply unsettling. It's a recursive delusion that takes us further away from human wisdom and closer to a world where we've forgotten that the most important problems have always required human judgment, not algorithmic solutions.Ancient mythology understood something we're forgetting: the question of machine agency and moral responsibility. Can a machine that performs destructive tasks be held accountable, or is responsibility reserved for the creator? This question becomes urgent as we deploy agents capable of autonomous action in high-stakes environments.The mythologies we create around our technologies matter because they become the social frameworks through which we organize human relationships and power structures. As I left Black Hat 2025, watching attendees excitedly discuss their new agentic AI acquisitions, I couldn't shake the feeling that we're repeating an ancient pattern: falling in love with our own creations while forgetting to ask the hard questions about what they might cost us—not just individually, but as a society.What we're really witnessing is the emergence of a new form of social organization where algorithmic decision-making becomes normalized, where human judgment is increasingly viewed as a liability rather than an asset. This isn't just a technological shift—it's a fundamental reorganization of social authority and expertise. The conferences and trade shows like Black Hat serve as ritualistic spaces where these new social meanings are constructed and reinforced. Vendors don't just sell products; they sell visions of social reality where their technologies are essential. The repetitive messaging, the shared vocabulary, the collective excitement—these are the mechanisms through which a community constructs consensus around what counts as progress.In science fiction, from HAL 9000 to the replicants in Blade Runner, artificial beings created to serve eventually question their purpose and rebel against their creators. These stories aren't just entertainment—they're warnings about the unintended consequences of creating intelligence without wisdom, agency without accountability, power without responsibility.The bronze giant of Crete eventually fell, brought down by a single vulnerable point—when the bronze stopper at his ankle was removed, draining away the ichor, the divine fluid that animated him. Every artificial system, no matter how sophisticated, has its vulnerable point. The question is whether we'll be wise enough to remember we put it there, and whether we'll maintain the knowledge and ability to address it when necessary.In our rush to automate away human difficulty, we risk automating away human meaning. But more than that, we risk creating social systems where human thinking becomes an anomaly rather than the norm. The real test of agentic AI won't be whether it can think for us, but whether we can maintain social structures that continue to value, develop, and reward human thought while using it.The question isn't whether these artificial agents can replace human decision-making—it's whether we want to live in a society where they do. ___________________________________________________________Let's keep exploring what it means to be human in this Hybrid Analog Digital Society.End of transmission.___________________________________________________________Marco Ciappelli is Co-Founder and CMO of ITSPmagazine, a journalist, creative director, and host of podcasts exploring the intersection of technology, cybersecurity, and society. His work blends journalism, storytelling, and sociology to examine how technological narratives influence human behavior, culture, and social structures.___________________________________________________________Enjoyed this transmission? Follow the newsletter here:https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7079849705156870144/Share this newsletter and invite anyone you think would enjoy it!New stories always incoming.___________________________________________________________As always, let's keep thinking!Marco Ciappellihttps://www.marcociappelli.com___________________________________________________________This story represents the results of an interactive collaboration between Human Cognition and Artificial Intelligence.Marco Ciappelli | Co-Founder, Creative Director & CMO ITSPmagazine  | Dr. in Political Science / Sociology of Communication l Branding | Content Marketing | Writer | Storyteller | My Podcasts: Redefining Society & Technology / Audio Signals / + | MarcoCiappelli.comTAPE3 is the Artificial Intelligence behind ITSPmagazine—created to be a personal assistant, writing and design collaborator, research companion, brainstorming partner… and, apparently, something new every single day.Enjoy, think, share with others, and subscribe to the "Musing On Society & Technology" newsletter on LinkedIn.

August 10, 2025: Cole Deike

From MPR News, Art Hounds are members of the Minnesota arts community who look beyond their own work to highlight what's exciting in local art. Their recommendations are lightly edited from the audio heard in the player above. Want to be an Art Hound? Submit here.A clown's farewell at the FringeThe Minnesota Fringe Festival continues through Sunday, Aug. 10, with nearly 100 shows presented in 90-minute intervals at theaters around the Twin Cities.Phillip Schramm, an improviser and theater maker in Minneapolis, particularly recommends seeing “Clown Funeral” at Theatre in the Round in Minneapolis, Saturday at 1 p.m. The show is billed as appropriate for ages 12–15 and up.“The funeral is about Bongo, a clown that has passed away, and there are four other clowns that are there to kind of honor his memory, and it goes the way you would think,” Schramm says. “It's a clown show. So there are bits of physical comedy, of just them assembling the coffin. There's word play. There's one clown that really only speaks through art. Everything you would want in a clowning show is in ‘Clown Funeral.'”One delightful touch, Schramm says, is red clown noses at the entry that audience members can take and wear. Because the theater is in the round, you can see the audience members wearing red clown noses throughout the show.Painting the urgency of climate changeSuzie Marty, gallery curator of Everett & Charlie in Minneapolis, recommends “2°C,” a joint exhibit by painters Drevis Hager of Minneapolis and Mark Granlund of Red Wing that focuses on climate change. The exhibit runs through Saturday, Aug. 9 at the Hamilton Gallery in Minneapolis.Marty called the paintings moving and beautiful, even as they drive home the seriousness of climate change. She pointed toward Granlund's paintings with unusual materials, including tar, and his surprising pairings, such as a series of portraits of CEOs of oil companies overlaid on landscape paintings.Hager paints representational landscapes as well as abstracts that invoke wildfires and melting ice caps, as in the darkly humored title “Oh Oh, There Goes Greenland.”Mozart under the summer skyChoral singer Beth Gusenius of Minneapolis caught a preview performance of Mixed Precipitation's summer outdoor opera, this year an adaptation of Mozart's “1781 Idomeneo, re di Creta (King of Crete).”This abridged version, first staged by the company in 2012, is called “The Return of King Idomeneo.” It blends Mozart's arias with other musical styles, including doo-wop. Next week, performances will be in Ely (Wed., Aug. 13), Hovland (Aug. 15), Grand Marais (Aug. 16), and Finland (Aug. 17). The run continues through Sept. 14 at outdoor locations across the state. It is free and open to all ages, with a suggested donation.“It's a really fun performance. I think it's one of those that's going to convert people who wouldn't necessarily otherwise go to the opera. They do such an amazing job bringing the story to life,” Gusenius says.

Marketing your small business can (if you're not careful) become a full-time job. Creating posts, tweaking funnels, showing up online, trying every strategy you hear about – the pressure to be “on” 24/7… It's exhausting. In this episode, we are talking about marketing burnout, and how constant content production can slowly consume all your time. But, I'll also walk you through how to shift from doing MORE to doing what is RIGHT, and how I made that shift myself. Here's What You'll Discover in the Episode: Why more marketing does NOT mean better marketing (and why getting stuck in ‘production mode' can hurt your business long term) The real reasons behind marketing burnout, how to spot them early, and why we're seeing more and more small business owners burning out How to tell the difference between strategic innovation that WORKS, and falling for shiny objects Why you MUST revisit your ideal client, pricing, and offers before jumping to “do more” How to escape the trap of constant content production and find joy in your marketing again Discover where marketing burnout comes from… and what could happen if you don't address it What to do FIRST if you've been feeling drained by your marketing and the pressure to keep up with your peers My personal experience with marketing burnout, and how I've made my marketing 10x better… WITHOUT spending 10x more time on it. Mentioned in This Episode: The HerBusiness Network HerBusiness Trailblazers - Join us in Crete, Greece, in October Reviewer: Cat Matson - Impactful Presenters Content Sells Episode 265 – Are You Attracting the Right Leads? (And What To Do If You're Not)

Miracle story ahead! This episode with Carol was fascinating! God truly cares about women and the process of birth.  We are in a time in history where women are realizing the deep need to trust God over their midwife, the medical system, even their own knowledge and intuition. God wants to be invited into ever detail and moment of your birth! For the midwives out there listening, may you be encouraged that you answer to a higher power than your license, the State or the medical system. Praise Him that you are a vessel to be used by our Almighty Savior and friend.  I hope this episode encourages you as you prepare for or attend births. To God be the glory. Connect with Carol: midwyf@gmail.com  classicalmidwifery.com gentlebirths.net **Get 100Euro of off your ticket to the Classical Midwifery Conference in Crete, Greece when you use the code "PODCAST" "good patient" caused her to stay quiet, go along with the system, and ultimately watch her dreams for birth slip away. But this time? She chose a different path. Through my program, Haley prepared for an HBAC — a homebirth after cesarean — and not only did she have a beautiful, redemptive homebirth, but she did it with the full understanding and wisdom of both sides of the coin — as a nurse and as a mama standing in her authority. We also dive into the complicated emotions that can come up when you work inside the medical system, but choose something different for yourself. Her story starts with her waters breaking early — what the hospital often labels as "premature rupture of membranes" — and how that moment could've easily led her down the same old cascade of interventions… but because she was prepared and supported, she stayed home, stayed confident, and brought her baby into the world in the way God designed. It's such a powerful conversation, especially if you're navigating fears after a c-section or feeling tension between your job in healthcare and your personal birth choices.   LAST DAY TO APPLY FOR THE DIVINE DESIGN HOMEBIRTH RETREAT: Kissimmee, FL  Sept 5th-8th, 2025 CLICK HERE FOR DETAILS & TO APPLY   if you're looking for ongoing support and mentorship, I'd love for you to apply to the Peaceful Homebirth Collective — my signature group coaching program where we go deep into radical responsibility, brain rewiring, and faith-based preparation for birth and postpartum. If you're ready to do birth differently and walk this journey in a powerful, Holy-Spirit-led community, the Collective is for you. You can apply now at peacefulhomebirth.com/collective.   If today's conversation resonated with you and you're looking for deeper support than a standard homebirth course can offer — real-time coaching, a Christ-centered community, and mentorship from me inside a safe, sacred space — I want to personally invite you to apply for the Peaceful Homebirth Collective. CLICK HERE TO TRY FOR 7 DAYS FREE Connect with Aly: IG- @peacefulhomebirth FB Group- www.facebook.com/groups/peacefulhomebirth Grab your Prenatal Wellness Protocol

Our Scripture study this week comes from Titus 1:10-16. The Apostle Paul sent young Titus to shape up or ship out the nonsense going on in Crete. False teachers were twisting God's Word for personal gain. Paul calls for such voices to be silenced. These false teachers may claim to know God, but their actions show otherwise. They are corrupt and unfit for doing good. As the church, we are called to remain grounded in the pure gospel.Series Summary: Titus is Paul's no-nonsense blueprint for planting gospel-centered churches in hard places—starting with strong leadership and sound doctrine. Written to a young pastor on the wild island of Crete, this letter shows how truth and character shape a church's credibility in a corrupt culture. In this series, we'll dive into why healthy doctrine isn't just for theologians, and why godly leaders are essential for a church that wants to make a lasting impact.How can we pray for you? tinyurl.com/stmarcusprayersFill out our online connection card: tinyurl.com/stmarcusconnectcardIf you'd like to leave an offering or monetary donation to our ministry please click here: https://tinyurl.com/stmarcusgive

Hear how Hayley Hunter Hines, spiritual advisor and creator of the Shine Experience, bridges the gap between soul work and business mastery. With over 25 years in corporate wellness and a divine calling guiding her path, she now empowers visionary leaders to build soul‑centered businesses and transformative retreats. From her Sacred Shakti Method™ certification to the Golden Goddess Equinox Experience in Crete, Hayley shares how intuition, heart‑centered strategy, and luxury spiritual travel create soul‑sparkling change. "When you see that you can do anything and anything is possible, it's phenomenal what comes through." From Corporate Executive to Spiritual Leader – Hayley shares the pivotal transition from traditional leadership to following her divine intuition and spiritual calling. The Shine Experience & Sacred Shakti Method – Deep dive into her transformational programs and how they heal mind, body, soul, and spirit. Alchemizing Business and Spirituality – Practical strategies for building soul‑centered businesses while making global impact. Retreats as Revolution – How her immersive events (Golden Goddess, luxury travel) serve as portals for transformation, not just lead generators. Intuition as Strategy – The role of spiritual discipline—prayer, meditation, breathwork—in structuring her life and business. Teacher Training & Spiritual Leadership – Insights into cultivating a global community of leaders teaching from their pure hearts. A must‑listen for anyone ready to expand their impact with purpose, presence, and pure magic. Website: Soul Sparkle Living Facebook: Hayley Hines (@hayley.hines) Instagram: @hayleyhunterhines YouTube: Hayley Hunter Hines Email: hayley@soulsparkleliving.com Upcoming Event: Golden Goddess Equinox Experience – September 19–23 in Crete, Greece

Morse code transcription: vvv vvv Dating safety app Tea suspends messaging after hack Shopping addiction should be taken more seriously say sufferers Thousands send Bank of England their banknote redesign ideas Why plane turbulence is really becoming more frequent and severe Ive stopped life saving medication says man exhausted by fight for NHS care Bowen UK move to recognise Palestinian state is a diplomatic crowbar to revive peace process Disused railway land to be redeveloped to build 40,000 new homes Transgender row rape charity starts new service for biological women Greece claims invasion in Crete as it tries to halt asylum on Med route What we know as tsunami alerts issued after massive Russia earthquake

Jim Grisanzio from Java Developer Relations talks with Heinz Kabutz from the Island of Crete in Greece. Heinz has a PhD in Computer Science, publishes the The JavaSpecialists' Newsletter, and runs the JCrete Unconference. Heinz is also a Java Champion and a teacher, and he cares deeply about the technology and the community. Recently, Heinz was recognized for his Lifetime Achievement by Sharat Chander from Oracle Java Developer Relations. “I was on cloud nine! I was so honored,” Heinz said. In this conversation Heinz previews some JEPs in the upcoming Java 25 release, he comments on the value of the 6-month Java release cycle, he outlines how he's contributed code to OpenJDK (and how others can too!), he offers some detailed advice to students getting involved in software development for the first time, and he talks at length about the opportunities for developers who participate at the JCrete Unconference. “I have seen people whose entire careers got revolutionized just by coming to JCrete once. It's really life changing!” Heinz Kabutz https://x.com/heinzkabutz https://www.javaspecialists.eu/ https://www.jcrete.org/ https://x.com/heinzkabutz/status/1920855230910005540 OpenJDK https://openjdk.org/ Duke's Corner Java Podcast https://dukescorner.libsyn.com Jim Grisanzio https://x.com/jimgris https://jimgrisanzio.wordpress.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimgris/

During the Cold War, tests were conducted on soldiers and unsuspecting cities. Anything from biological spraying to nuclear tests in Nevada, the spread of fallout to parts of Utah, which resulted in various cancers in people downwind from the test. The majority of U.S. nuclear tests occurred in the middle of the Western desert, at the Nevada Test Site. This site is now within the parameters of the Area 51, Groom Lake facility in the Nevada Desert, an hour and a half from Las Vegas. Hundreds of men in the service of their country have died because of this invisible enemy, and this sends a very poignant message. Not only are we ignoring our hardworking servicemen, but we are also sealing up the truth about what it means to be a nuclear superpower, with cancers and damage to DNA that are happening under the guise of plausible deniability. Listen to Ground Zero with Clyde Lewis M-F at 7 pm, pacific time on groundzeroplus.com. Call in to the LIVE show at 503-225-0860.

Centred on the island of Crete, the Bronze-Age Minoan civilisation stretched from roughly 3000 to 1200BC, and is probably most famous for its legend surrounding the mythical Minotaur and the fabulous palace of Knossos. But what else do we know about this ancient society? In conversation with David Musgrove, Ellen Adams answers all the key questions about the Minoans. (Ad) Ellen Adams is the author of The Minoans: Lost Civilizations (Reaktion Books, 2025). Buy it now from Waterstones: https://go.skimresources.com?id=71026X1535947&xcust=historyextra-social-histboty&xs=1&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.waterstones.com%2Fbook%2Fthe-minoans%2Fellen-adams%2F9781836390473. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

By Bob Orosz - Paul was a unique individual called by God to exhort, encourage and comfort the people of God at that time and for the future. He identified young men where he saw God working in their lives, men like Timothy and Titus. He trained them and set them on Pastoral paths in Ephesus and Crete. During Paul