Refusal to obey certain laws, demands or commands of a government
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1 Samuel 15 from our series, Heart Over Hype.
The sermon examines King Saul's disobedience in 1 Samuel 15, where he partially obeys God's command to destroy the Amalekites by sparing their king and best livestock. This act of partial obedience stems from pride and a desire to please the people rather than submit to divine authority. The preacher emphasizes Samuel's declaration that obedience is superior to sacrifice, warning that rebellion against God is equivalent to idolatry. Saul's attempt to justify his actions through religious ritual highlights the danger of elevating outward worship over genuine faithfulness. Ultimately, Saul's rejection as king demonstrates that true devotion requires complete submission to God's word rather than self-willed compromise.
Is disobedience worth it? “Well. I don’t have to answer to God, so.” Yeah, now. And if He isn’t sending a fish after you that isn’t lucky-you. You’re missing out on so much more if He’s not reeling you in anyways. It’s telling God no to adventure. It’s telling God no to something both hard, and so totally worth it when you’re in the center of God’s will, plan and purposes. It’s telling God no to the fullness of joy. Listen: you can be in the most comfortable, lively, vibrant, distracting place ever with a million things at your fingertips, and inside you’ll still hear the screaming about the void in your life. Because you’ve maybe gone down, down, down to Joppa so as to go to Tarshish, instead of choosing Nineveh. And no matter how inviting Tarshish seems or how ominous Nineveh is, God has ways of making Nineveh your joy anyways, right?
Is disobedience worth it? “Well. I don’t have to answer to God, so.” Yeah, now. And if He isn’t sending a fish after you that isn’t lucky-you. You’re missing out on so much more if He’s not reeling you in anyways. It’s telling God no to adventure. It’s telling God no to something both hard, and so totally worth it when you’re in the center of God’s will, plan and purposes. It’s telling God no to the fullness of joy. Listen: you can be in the most comfortable, lively, vibrant, distracting place ever with a million things at your fingertips, and inside you’ll still hear the screaming about the void in your life. Because you’ve maybe gone down, down, down to Joppa so as to go to Tarshish, instead of choosing Nineveh. And no matter how inviting Tarshish seems or how ominous Nineveh is, God has ways of making Nineveh your joy anyways, right?
Romans 1:18–32 reveals that humanity's deepest problem is rejecting what we know about God. Creation points to His power and truth, yet people suppress that truth and exchange the Creator for created things. This idolatry turns good things into ultimate things, producing desires that never satisfy and leading to greater sin. God's wrath is seen in His “giving them over,” allowing people to pursue what they have chosen and experience the destructive consequences. Paul's list of sins is meant to be a mirror for everyone, exposing the universal tendency to replace God with something else. The answer is not better arguments, culture, or human effort, but repentance and Christ. When we turn back to God, the Holy Spirit begins replacing the fruit of selfishness and sin with love, joy, peace, and self-control. Romans 1 shows the downward path of sin: reject God → replace God → distorted desires → distorted thinking → destructive living. The Gospel reverses that path by bringing us back to the Creator, restoring our hearts and transforming how we live.
August 14 | Judges 2:1-9; Luke 21:29-36; Psalm 91:1-16; Proverbs 21:11-12 // If you enjoy this podcast and would like more Bible based resources to help you reach your full potential in your life in Jesus, go to lifereachresources.com.
Deception comes first. Disobedience comes next. In Part 4 of Return to Eden, Bishop unpacks the story of Adam and Eve and reveals how temptation moves from seeing it → desiring it → taking it → becoming bound by it. Your “when” matters. The wrong timing can make the wrong thing look right. But God always provides a way of escape. And where shame says “hide,” Jesus says “come.” It's time to stop flirting with the fire, recognize the warning signs, and step out of hiding.
Your Faith Journey - Finding God Through Words, Song and Praise
Year A – Pentecost 11; Lectionary 19 – August 9, 2026 Pastor Megan Floyd Romans 10:5-15 Grace and peace to you from God, our Creator, from the Holy Spirit, our Sustainer, and from Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen. *** There is something in this passage from Romans that has always troubled me. You may have heard these words used as a kind of spiritual ultimatum: "If you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." (Rom 10:9) I've heard those words used to frighten people: Have you said the right words? Do you really believe? What if your faith isn't strong enough? What if you haven't confessed properly? But that way of hearing this passage makes salvation sound like something we accomplish. Something we have to get right. And I do not believe that is the gospel. We do not have agency over our own salvation. We don't save ourselves by believing hard enough… And we don't save ourselves by saying the right words. Salvation is God's work… as are grace and mercy… And thanks be to God for that! …because that means our salvation does not depend upon our ability to get God to love us, for God has already acted. In Jesus Christ, God has already come among us... Christ has already died and risen… and God's grace is already being poured out. And that is where Paul takes us in this passage: "The word is near you, on your lips and in your heart." Not far away or hidden behind some spiritual achievement… or locked behind a gate that we have to figure out how to open. The Word is near us… Therefore, the kingdom of heaven is near us… because Christ is near us. Always. And I think the great spiritual challenge of our lives is not figuring out how to make God come closer… but rather… learning to recognize that God is already here. God's closeness comforts me, but it has been especially comforting over this past week of turmoil. Many of us are carrying sadness and anger because Meschac, a young man this congregation helped after he came to our country… was taken into custody by ICE last Sunday morning. He is kind and generous, and exactly the sort of person we want beside us in our neighborhoods and communities. And yet… he has been caught up in a system that treats human beings as problems to be removed… rather than neighbors to be loved. It is hard, in moments like this, to see the kingdom of God, and to believe that Christ is near when humanity's cruelty is so very present. But… this is why Paul's words matter. The Word is near… Christ is near. And Christ is especially near to our friend and neighbor whose dignity is being denied. Our calling is not to manufacture the kingdom of heaven. It is to wake up to it. Jesus spent his ministry opening people's eyes. He showed them that the kingdom of God was not merely some distant destination after death. God's reign was breaking into the world already—in healing, forgiveness, mercy, radical welcome and reconciliation, and of course… through love for our neighbor. And when Jesus says, "Love God, and love your neighbor as yourself," he is showing us what it looks like to live with our eyes open. This is where our confession of faith comes into play… Yes, we want to confess with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and yes, we want to believe it in our hearts. But not because those words are a password that gets us into heaven. We confess Christ because saying it opens our hearts to the reality that is already here. We confess Christ because faith gives us eyes to recognize what God is already doing. We confess Christ because when Christ becomes close to our hearts, our lives begin to change. Our obedience to God's will does not purchase God's grace… it is how we respond to God's grace. Lois Neeves recently gave me a book called Sitting at the Feet of Rabbi Jesus, and the authors put this beautifully: "Disobedience [to the way of Christ] is a problem, but it can also be an opportunity. If half-heartedness has been stunting your growth, you can reverse its downward pull by repenting and asking God to help you respond to him with renewed trust and obedience. As you do, you may find yourself enjoying unprecedented spiritual growth as God opens up new channels for grace to flow into your life. The way we understand Jesus' words about the kingdom is critical to the kind of life we will live. If we think that the 'kingdom of heaven' is simply about Christ's second coming or about going to heaven when we die, we'll be tempted to become passive and complacent. But if Jesus' kingdom is a living, dynamic reality—a reality that is right now steadily advancing against the kingdom of darkness—that's a different story. As followers of Christ, our obedience is vital because it is a catalyst for the Spirit's work, making us more like Jesus so that his reign can spread across the whole earth." Let me summarize that: our obedience does not make God's kingdom come. God is already at work in our lives. But our obedience to God's will and God's ways can help us see it… and our lives can become a way through which God's love can reach someone else. When we refuse to look away from our neighbor's suffering, when we welcome the stranger and the immigrant, when we stand with someone who is afraid, when we speak up against cruelty, when we forgive, when we feed, when we shelter, when we love—we are not earning our place in God's kingdom. We are living as people who have discovered that the kingdom is already here. This is the freedom of the gospel. We don't have to control God. We can't, actually. Nor do we have to secure our salvation. We can't do that either. And we don't have to be afraid that we haven't done enough… because God has already done what we could never do. And because we are freed from having to save ourselves… we are free to love... Free to serve… Free to stand beside our neighbor who is being harmed and offer protection. We are free to let God's Word become as close to us as our own hearts and as natural to us as the words we speak. So… the question for us this morning is not, "Have I done enough to get into heaven?" But rather, "Where is Christ already here, and am I awake enough to see him?" Because, my friends, Christ is here. Christ is near to you, always. And the kingdom of heaven is not merely something waiting for us at the end of our lives. It is God's living presence among us now. And every time we love God by loving our neighbor… every time mercy becomes visible through our lives… every time we choose compassion over cruelty… we discover that God's love is not only around us, but moving through us. God is already here… already loving us… and already redeeming all of creation. And our calling is simply—and profoundly—to wake up, to recognize that holy grace, and to let it flow through our lives and out into the world. It will be challenging at times… but we don't have to do this alone… because… p God is with us. Amen.
Today, Will Carlisle is joined by Jeremy Brooks as we continue our study through the book of Deuteronomy. Join us today on Our Daily Rhythm!
Send us Fan MailGrace saved you once and for all, so why do you need to obey God's Commands anymore? We look at God's word to find the answer. You may be saved, but do you have fellowship with God. Fellowship is tied to eternal rewards and pleasing God here on earth.
07-28-26 Tues PM “The Deafening Silence Of Disobedience” Rev. Ben Ridge Luke 1:5-17You can contact us at https://fpcdurham.org
What was it like growing up as a girl in Mormonism? What about in Seventh-day Adventism? You might be surprised by how much these two very different religions have in common. In this episode, Melissa Duge Spiers joins Mormonish for an honest conversation about purity culture, modesty, dating, shame, and the expectations placed on women in our respective faith traditions. Melissa shares her experiences growing up Seventh-day Adventist, while I reflect on my own upbringing in the LDS Church. Along the way, we discover striking similarities in the messages we received about our bodies, our worth, and what it meant to be a “good” young woman. This isn't about comparing which religion was “better” or “worse.” It's about exploring the lasting impact of these teachings, sharing our stories with empathy, and talking about what healing and growth can look like on the other side. Whether you were raised Mormon, Seventh-day Adventist, or in another faith tradition, we think you'll find plenty to relate to in this heartfelt conversation. We'd love to hear your own experiences in the comments! SUBSTACK: https://substack.com/@melissadugespiers BOOK: https://www.lakedrivebooks.com/books/holy-disobedience/ INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/the.glory.whole/ TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@theglorywhole YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/@theglorywhole3831This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis: Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
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Send us Fan MailJoin us each week as Dawn shares uplifting messages of faith, hope, and encouragement straight from God's Word. Whether you're new to the Bible or looking to deepen your walk with Christ, this faith-based podcast offers a peaceful space to grow spiritually and reflect on God's truth.Each episode features scripture-based devotionals, heartfelt prayers, and honest conversations designed to inspire and strengthen your daily life. http://www.betterhelp.com/TheBarnThis episode is sponsored by www.betterhelp.com/TheBarn and brought to you as always by The Barn Media Group. YOUTUBE https://www.youtube.com/@TheBarnPodcastNetworkSPOTIFY https://open.spotify.com/show/09neXeCS8I0U8OZJroUGd4?si=2f9b8dfa5d2c4504APPLE https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1625411141I HEART RADIO https://www.iheart.com/podcast/97160034/AMAZON https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/7aff7d00-c41b-4154-94cf-221a808e3595/the-barn
There are some relational tensions that don't have clean answers.Not because you don't want resolution — but because the path to resolution isn't fully in your control. And if you have ever experienced a strained relationship with a parent, you know the weight that comes with it. The history. The repeated attempts. The hope that this time will be different — followed by disappointment when it isn't.And then grief happens. And you simply don't have the capacity to keep showing up the same way you always have. So you pull back. Not as a statement — but as survival. And over time, that distance starts to raise questions: Should I be doing more? Am I wrong for not reaching out? Is this a boundary — or is this disobedience?In this episode of Just Nona, I'm answering a heart question from a listener named Candy, who went no contact with her mother after the death of her youngest son — not as a decision, but as a response to grief. Two years later, she is carrying guilt and shame for not initiating reconciliation, while also holding a quiet word from God to be still.This is one of the most layered conversations we have had on this show. And it deserves a real, honest answer.We talk about:Why grief diminishes your relational capacity in ways that are neurological, not just emotionalThe critical difference between reconciliation and repair — and why confusing the two keeps people stuck in cyclesWhy the absence of repair is actually the absence of repentance — and what that means for the relationshipHow guilt and shame distort identity by convincing you that access equals obedienceWhat Romans 12:18 and Ecclesiastes 3:7 actually say about the conditions for peace and the wisdom of silenceHow to discern the difference between conviction from God and conditioning from your pastAnd what obedience actually looks like when God says be stillYou are not a bad daughter for having limits. You are a grieving person who ran out of capacity. And distance is not always disobedience — sometimes it is exactly what God ordered.Order my books at:https://www.nonajones.com/booksListen to Just Nona PodcastNew episodes drop every Monday!https://nonajones.com/applehttps://nonajones.com/spotifyhttps://nonajones.com/amazonPartner with Nona Jones Ministries:If God moves you to support this ministry, you can give here:https://www.nonajones.com/giveFor questions, email lola@nonajones.com.Connect with me:https://www.nonajones.comhttps://www.instagram.com/nonanotnorahttps://www.facebook.com/NonaNotNora
News of the Bogus: 0:43 – Fed Chair Kevin Warsh delivers KEY report to Congress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4RGF_dpK8o 6:43 – Advocates call for Kagan investigation on climate change bias https://www.yahoo.com/news/politics/articles/advocates-call-kagan-investigation-climate-163800468.html 13:47 – NEWS: Jack Smith's Investigative Team Secretly Obtained Text Messages from 44 Members of Congress Amid Trump Probe https://www.grassley.senate.gov/news/news-releases/news-jack-smiths-investigative-team-secretly-obtained-text-messages-from-44-members-of-congress-amid-trump-probe The Actual Records https://www.grassley.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/arctic_frost_filter_review_released_by_grassley_and_johnson.pdf Rand Paul on X https://x.com/RandPaul/status/2077116495428243940 Mike Davis on X https://x.com/mrddmia/status/2078180146373333245 Jack Smith Deposition – House Judiciary GOP (perjury at 4:25:46) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lR-bhPzQYUE 20:50 – Biggest Bogon Emitter: WellLink Health Alliance and Vertex Pharmaceuticals NEO Opioid Education Series: The Future of Pain Management: Cutting-Edge, Non-Opioid Solutions (lie at 15:57) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zREviupFcA “The effects of opioid policy changes on transitions from prescription opioids to heroin, fentanyl and injection drug use: a qualitative analysis” https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9306091/ The Doctor Patient Forum with Claudia A. Merandi and Bev C. Schechtman https://www.patreon.com/thedoctorpatientforum/ 29:57 – Silver Cluon Award: George Lucas The Last Picture Show: A conversation with George Lucas https://a-rabbitsfoot.com/editorial/confessions/the-last-picture-show-a-conversation-with-george-lucas/ 34:20 – Idiot Extraordinaire: New Jersey Contact Members of the New Jersey Legislature to Oppose S. 1677 / A. 3968 https://engage.tesla.com/articles/1389-contact-members-new-jersey-legislature-oppose-s-1677-3968 This Week’s Quote: “Disobedience, in the eyes of any one who has read history, is man’s original virtue. It is through disobedience that progress has been made, through disobedience and through rebellion.” —Oscar Wilde 🔊Pᴏᴅᴄᴀꜱᴛ: https://podcast.bogosity.tv/💬Dɪꜱᴄᴏʀᴅ: https://discord.bogosity.tv/▶️YᴏᴜTᴜʙᴇ: https://www.youtube.com/shanedk▶️Oᴅʏsᴇᴇ: https://odysee.com/%24/invite/@shanedk:4▶️Rᴜᴍʙʟᴇ https://rumble.com/c/shanedk💰Dᴏɴᴀᴛᴇ ᴏʀ ꜱᴜʙꜱᴄʀɪʙᴇ: https://donate.bogosity.tv
This sermon examines the test of obedience as a primary indicator of spiritual maturity and genuine fellowship with God. The preacher argues that true knowledge of Christ is demonstrated through keeping His commandments, which flows from a heart of love rather than mere factual awareness. Disobedience reveals a lack of authentic relationship and allows lies to hinder the transformative power of Scripture in a believer's life. The message emphasizes that God's love is perfected when believers extend sacrificial love to others, particularly by overcoming hatred and bitterness toward fellow Christians. Ultimately, believers are encouraged to stand firm in their positional victory in Christ, using this assurance to pursue obedience and supernatural love.
The Danger of Disobedience Speaker: Ethan Lecroy
The Danger of Disobedience by Ethan Lecroy
What does consigned mean? Is unmerited favor with God a mercy from God? Are bad choices a prerequisite to understanding God's mercy? What is a proper response to God? What is Paul implying when he says that the gifts and calling of God are irrevocable? All this and more on this week's episode. Enjoy!
Season 6Trust that the comforter will guide you into all truth.
Joshua 9:1-27 Deception and Disobedience
Are you trusting God completely—or making excuses to avoid obedience? In this convicting message, Pastor Jeff Schreve examines Hannah's vow to the Lord and the dangers of putting comfort, children, or personal reasoning above God's truth. Learn why obedience matters, how prayer strengthens faith, and how God honors those who faithfully follow Him.
Father Larry and Msgr. Pope join Bill to discuss the SSPX's consecration of four new Bishops against warning from Pope Leo XIV
Stay informed on current events, visit www.NaturalNews.com - Obedience vs. Excellence in America and China (0:11) - The Role of Lawmakers and Medical Education (2:43) - The Impact of Obedience Training on Society (5:57) - The Importance of Disobedience and Non-Conformity (9:29) - The Role of Chiropractors and Natural Health Practitioners (15:00) - The Historical Context of American Betrayal (22:28) - The Impact of Operation Paperclip and Nazi Infiltration (32:08) - The Depopulation Agenda and Technocratic Control (44:17) - The Role of AI and Technological Advancements (1:03:59) - The Importance of Sovereignty and Critical Thinking (1:04:34) Watch more independent videos at http://www.brighteon.com/channel/hrreport ▶️ Support our mission by shopping at the Health Ranger Store - https://www.healthrangerstore.com ▶️ Check out exclusive deals and special offers at https://rangerdeals.com ▶️ Sign up for our newsletter to stay informed: https://www.naturalnews.com/Readerregistration.html Watch more exclusive videos here:
Once a month I teach a tafseer class at UWA, and tonight we finished Surah al-Fatihah. We started back in April, paused in May while I was at Hajj, and picked it up again this week.This is the most important surah in our lives. We recite it at least seventeen times a day — and there has to be a reason Allah asks that of us. The whole reason we sit with it is to see how seven short verses, recited so many times that they almost slip past us, are actually a map for how to live.We began by going back over the verses we'd already covered, because the later ones don't land without them.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Bismillah — In the name of AllahThe first thing to notice is that Bismillah isn't a complete sentence. “In the name of Allah” — and then what? In Arabic this is a shibh jumla, a fragment. The sentence is left open on purpose, and you complete it with your action.That's why the Prophet ﷺ said that anything important begun without Bismillah is cut off from blessing. When you say it, you're invoking Allah's help before you've even started.From that one word, three things follow.First, it's a filter. When you put Allah's name on something, the wrong things become hard to do. I mentioned the Indonesian sheikh who was asked whether smoking is makruh or haram. He refused to give a fiqhi answer. He simply asked the man: can you say Bismillah before you smoke? The man said no, of course not, it wouldn't be appropriate. Then you already know the answer. Put a Bismillah in front of a thing, and you find out very quickly what it's worth.Second, it's a mindset. When you do something in the name of someone great, you raise your game. A footballer plays differently for his country than for his local club — the colours change how seriously he takes it. So when a Muslim acts in the name of Allah, he doesn't do things half-heartedly. The Prophet ﷺ told us Allah loves itqan — excellence, doing a thing to the best of your ability. You see it in the smallest acts, like taking wudu carefully without wasting water, and you see it across the whole of Muslim civilisation. Walk through the old mosques of Andalusia and look at the detail in the calligraphy, the care in every surface. That care begins at Bismillah. Allah is beautiful, and He loves beauty.Third, it's our source of barakah. Because we're invoking Allah's help, we stay humble when we succeed — we know it was His work through us, not our own greatness — and we stay calm when we fail, knowing there may be something better in it. We're not euphoric in success or crushed in failure. We did it Bismillah, and we leave the outcome to Him.Grounded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.Alhamdulillah — All praise is for AllahThen comes gratitude — and gratitude, it turns out, is the real engine of human happiness.There's a study I keep coming back to, out of UC Berkeley and UC Davis. They took people struggling with depression and split them into groups. One group received nothing. One received medication. One was given gratitude work — every day, write down the things you're thankful for. After a month, the group that did nothing got worse, the medicated group improved, and the gratitude group improved just as much as the medicated one.But the follow-up study found something sharper. Gratitude has pillars. To be grateful you need three things: the beneficiary (you, the one receiving), the benefit (the thing itself), and the benefactor (the one who gave it).When a friend buys you a kebab, all three are obvious — you know exactly who to thank. But who do you thank for good rain on a morning you love? For the parents you didn't choose? For children born healthy? You had no hand in any of it. The Bureau of Meteorology reports the weather; it doesn't send it.This is why, for those who removed God, the gratitude eventually collapses — the mind quietly asks, who am I actually thanking? It's no accident that the self-help shelves are filling with crystals and auras and the old paganism is creeping back. People are reaching for a power to thank and finding nothing there.We already have the answer. Alhamdulillah. And the fact that Allah even taught us who to thank is itself a thing to be grateful for — which is why it becomes an endless loop. Alhamdulillah for the Alhamdulillah.Rabb al-'alamin — Lord of all worldsSo who is this we're thanking? Allah is Rabb — and Rabb doesn't just mean Lord. It carries the meaning of nurturing. Not a creator who set the universe running by its own laws and stepped back, but One who creates, sustains, and nurtures every moment. And al-'alamin — everything that exists besides Him.Then immediately: ar-Rahman, ar-Rahim.Why mercy again, so soon after Bismillah? Because it isn't repetition. Imam al-Tabari disliked calling anything in the Qur'an repetition — we repeat ourselves only when we've run out of better things to say, and Allah never has. The mercy here is placed deliberately. The word Rabb — Lord, Master — can stir fear; this is a power that can do anything to us and we can do nothing back. So the instant that fear rises, Allah answers it with love. He is not a Lord laying traps so you'll trip and fall into the fire. Every law He sets is for our benefit, not His — if all eight billion of us turned away tomorrow, it would take nothing from His majesty, and only harm ourselves.This is the balance the scholars call khawf and raja', fear and hope. Lean only on hope and you grow careless; lean only on fear and you despair. Rabb al-'alamin and ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, side by side, hold you upright.Maliki yawm id-din — Master of the Day of JudgmentThis verse is read two ways — Malik (King) and Maalik (Owner) — and here is something worth understanding about our recensions. The different readings of the Qur'an don't contradict each other the way variant manuscripts elsewhere might. They complete each other.A king and an owner aren't the same. I own this iPad — I don't call myself its king. As owner I can use it, lend it, smash it, and no one can question me; I control every detail. But you don't own a country, you reign over it — a king sets the laws that govern the whole. The owner handles the detail, the king handles the big picture. Allah is both. On that Day He sets every rule — who speaks, who goes where, when it begins — and He holds every single soul down to the smallest detail.And notice the word din. Allah could have said yawm al-qiyamah. He chose din, which in Arabic is one vowel from dayn — debt. Religion and debt are bound together, because the reason we worship at all is a debt of gratitude we owe Him.The Prophet ﷺ embodied this. He prayed through the night until his feet swelled, and when Aisha asked why — when Allah had already forgiven him entirely — he answered: should I not be a grateful servant?That's the summit. People worship for different reasons. Some out of fear of the Fire — valid. Some to bargain, O Allah, I have an exam — also valid, also sincere. Al-Ghazali called these levels: the slave who obeys out of fear of beating, the merchant who trades. But the highest is the one who worships out of sheer gratitude, moved by love.An easy way to check where you sit — I use it on myself. Look at how you set your alarm for Fajr. If sunrise is 7:15 and I set it for 7:00, just enough to make the prayer before it's lost, I'm moving out of fear of missing it. The one moved by gratitude sets it for 5:00 — time for tahajjud, some Qur'an, then Fajr. Same prayer. Very different relationship.And this debt isn't only with Allah. The Day of Judgment is the day all debts are settled — including the ones we owe each other. The Prophet ﷺ told us of the true bankrupt: a man who arrives with a mountain of good deeds, sees his scale, thinks he's bound for Paradise — and then the people he wronged come forward. He cheated me. He hit me. He slandered me. His good deeds are handed out one by one until they run dry, and when they're gone, their sins are loaded onto him instead. He started rich and ended in ruin.So al-Fatihah reminds us, seventeen times a day, that everything we do is being counted. This is why the Qur'an says prayer restrains us from indecency — at Fajr you're reminded twice, at Dhuhr four times, before the day can pull you off course. Maliki yawm id-din. Settle your debts before they're settled for you.The turnUp to here, every verse has been about Allah — describing Him, praising Him from a kind of distance. Then the whole surah pivots.Iyyaka na'budu wa iyyaka nasta'in — You alone we worship, You alone we askIn Arabic you'd normally begin with the verb. Allah front-loads iyyaka — “You” — and that inversion is where the word only comes from. It isn't written in the verse; it's created by the word order. Only You we worship. Only You we ask. And He says it twice, to drive it home.Then look at na'budu. We translate it “worship,” and we shrink that to rituals — prayer, fasting, dhikr. But its root means slave. A slave has handed over his freedom; he doesn't get to say no, not this one. So this is far bigger than the window of prayer. Every part of life — how we work, how we rest, how we treat people, how we entertain ourselves — belongs to Allah.People hear “slave” and recoil. Translators reach for “servant” instead, and even that's going out of fashion. But enslaving yourself to Allah is the one freedom that's real — because we are never as free as we imagine.Ask a child almost anywhere in the world to recognise the golden arches and they can, often before they can read. They link it to happiness — the happy meal did its work. But be honest: is that the best burger you've ever had? Is that the best playground in your city? The parks in Perth are better. We didn't choose to want it; a marketing machine chose for us.Or take diamonds. You “need” one to propose — except diamonds are neither rare nor precious. They're abundant; the scarcity is manufactured. The entire idea was a De Beers campaign from the 1920s, and it reshaped what a whole civilisation believes love requires.Even right and wrong get sold to us. Things shift from forbidden to acceptable not because the science changed but because someone with deep pockets lobbied hard enough. A hundred years ago, women in Perth dressed almost like Muslim women — high collars, long sleeves, covered ankles. A century later they're barely clothed, and it's called freedom. Yet the bikini was designed by a man. How is that liberation?So iyyaka na'budu hands us a fixed point. Our right and wrong, our values, our whole standard comes from Allah alone — and that's exactly what makes us stable when everything else is being marketed at us. We reaffirm it seventeen times a day.And iyyaka nasta'in — only You we ask for help. Of course we ask people for help too. But a believer knows that if someone helps me, the help still came through Allah. When I drink to quench my thirst, it isn't the water doing it — it's Allah, using the water as His means. Even so, the Prophet ﷺ told us that whoever doesn't thank people hasn't truly thanked Allah. So this isn't an excuse to skip past gratitude to the person in front of you. Thanking them is part of thanking Him.Ihdina as-sirat al-mustaqim — Guide us the straight pathNow, finally, we ask for something. And of everything a person could ask the Lord of all worlds for — wealth, relief, rescue — the prayer lands on guidance.And there's no “to.” If Allah meant guide us toward the path, the Arabic would include ila. He leaves it out. Professor Quraish Shihab puts it well: if you ask me the way to the musalla, I can point — out the door, left, right, right again. That's directions, and goodbye. But ihdina sirat al-mustaqim, with no ila, is the other kind — come, let's go, I'll walk you there myself. So we're not asking Allah to show us the path from a distance. We're asking Him to walk it with us — every step, every decision, sometimes hour by hour.Then the word sirat itself. Arabic has several words for path — sabil, tariq — but sirat is a wide one. Its root means to swallow something whole; a sirat is broad enough to swallow crowds. This matters. The straight path isn't a narrow ledge for our group alone. It's vast. Whoever prays as we pray, faces our qiblah, eats our slaughter — the Prophet ﷺ called that person a Muslim. We can disagree sharply on creed and method and still not expel one another from the path.And within that one wide road there are subul — lanes. Allah says of those who strive, We will guide them to Our ways — plural. Some people reach Allah most easily through prayer; sunnah prayers come light to them. For others it's fasting beyond Ramadan, or teaching, or feeding the poor, or caring for orphans and single mothers. Different gifts, different lanes, same road.Which means I have no business looking down on anyone. I might memorise more Qur'an than the next person and assume I'm above him — when he may be carrying half his community on his back while I spend my time reciting. Allah handed out different talents on purpose. Use yours as your lane to Him, and leave the contempt behind.The path of those blessed — and the two who lost itAllah doesn't leave the path abstract. He names who's already on it: the path of those You have blessed. Elsewhere He tells us who they are — the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs, the righteous. So this road isn't some untrodden wilderness we have to hack through. People have walked it ahead of us. Find your heroes among them.We're built to follow heroes — it's why influencers now out-earn the executives of the platforms they post on. So Allah meets that instinct and points it somewhere worthy. We should know our prophets. We should know the siddiqin — Abu Bakr, the certified truthful. The martyrs — Umar and Uthman. The righteous companions, each one.If our children can name all eleven players on a football team but not the ten companions promised Paradise, something has gone wrong in the home. I'm not against knowing the players — some people can tell you the exact weight of the racquet Federer uses, custom-made, not the commercial one. Fine. But then let's also know the length and weight of our Prophet's sword. The more we know our heroes, the more we love them, and the more we want to become like them.Then the final turn: not the path of those who earned anger, nor of those who went astray. The classical scholars sometimes named specific groups, but I prefer the reading that looks at character — and it ties the whole surah together.Look back at the seven verses. The opening ones — Bismillah, Alhamdulillah, ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, Maliki yawm id-din — are verses of knowledge. They tell us things. The later ones — only You we worship, guide us — are verses of action. We do something with them.So the two who lose the path are:* The one who has knowledge and refuses to act on it — that's the one who earned anger. He knew and chose not to.* The one who acts without knowledge — that's the one astray. All effort, no guidance, lost despite his sincerity.There's a hadith — discussed by the scholars, used by al-Mundhiri to spur us — where the angels come first for those who knew the Qur'an and didn't live it, before the idol-worshippers, and when those people protest, the answer comes: are the one who knew and the one who didn't know the same? Disobedience out of knowledge is heavier than disobedience out of ignorance.The complete surah is both together: knowledge and action. You know, and you act on what you know.Seven verses. And the Prophet ﷺ told us this is a conversation — every time we recite it, Allah answers, line by line:When you say Alhamdulillahi rabbil 'alamin, Allah says: My servant has praised Me. When you say ar-Rahman ar-Rahim, He says: My servant has glorified Me. And when you say ihdina sirat al-mustaqim, He says: This is for My servant — and for him is what he asked.That's the conversation we have with our Lord at least seventeen times a day. Tonight we finally heard the whole of it.One more thingAt the end of tonight's class, I opened something I've been building for a while.It's called Grounded — a way to actually learn the Qur'an you recite, instead of reading a translation once and forgetting it. It follows the same shape as the class itself: you learn an ayah, you recall it, and then you ground it in a daily habit. One ayah a day. About fifteen minutes.We start, of course, with al-Fatihah — the same surah we've just finished.It's been in private beta with my own students at Qaswa, who've been on it for a while now — competitive enough that some of them stay up at night trying to climb the leaderboard, only to wake up and find they've been overtaken. Tonight I opened it to the UWA cohort as the next group in.If you're a paid subscriber to this Substack, you're next in line. I'll be sending invitations before long, and you'll be among the first outside these classes to join.Stay tuned. Next month, a new surah.Here's the fuller version. Every point gets room to build the way it did in the room, and the app section now places UWA correctly — Qaswa students were already on it, UWA is the second cohort. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.grounded.day/subscribe
Sermon: The Cost of DisobedienceSeries: 1 SamuelScripture: 1 Samuel 15Speaker: Dr. Jimmy A. LongLocation: Grace Fellowship of GreensboroDate: Sunday, June 18, 2026
Disobedience replaces the sweet comfort of God's presence with the terror of shame. Are you still faithfully at your post, or has sin driven you into the shadows? Hear the Father calling your name today, abandon your hiding place, and step back into His open arms.
Pastor Wayne Van Gelderen shares biblical truth that will bring hope and comfort in these uncertain days. May we draw closer to God through this time and impact those around us for eternity. https://fallsbaptist.org https://baptistcollege.org https://www.theegeneration.org https://ontovictorypress.com If you'd like to support this ministry - https://fallsbaptist.org/give/
Join Chris Montgomery in this insightful sermon as he explores the biblical stories of Eve and Cain to uncover the deeper issues behind sin and disobedience. Delve into the narratives from Genesis chapters 3 and 4, and learn how misapplication and misunderstanding of God's word impacted humanity. Discover the relevance of these lessons today and how they can guide us back to a God-centered life.
Episode 138! Joining us in the studio today is Hannah Bottigheimer. Hannah Bottigheimer is a Boston-based writer and former healthcare executive whose work explores motherhood, caregiving, mental illness, and family dynamics. A mother of four, her life changed overnight when her fourteen-year-old daughter developed psychosis and no longer recognized her. What began as a terrifying medical emergency became years of hospitalizations, uncertainty, and the complicated reality of serious mental illness. Through that experience, Hannah began writing about the long aftermath of psychiatric crisis and the way caregiving can slowly reshape identity, family, and everyday life. Her essays and reflections on resilience and reinvention have resonated widely online where she publishes the newsletter, Private Acts of Disobedience. She is currently completing her memoir titled, "The Last Child". Tune in to hear Hannah's story of resilience and bringing herself and her family back from the brink through her love and commitment. Enjoy! ========================================================================Connect with Hannah here:LinkedIn: Hannah Bottigheimer https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-bottigheimer-1512307/Website: https://www.hannahbottigheimer.com/Instagram: @hannahbottigheimerwriteshttps://www.instagram.com/hannahbottigheimerwrites/Thanks for listening! Connect with me below: Website: https://www.ericsardina.com Follow me on: Instagram: @theericsardina Facebook: Eric SardinaLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ericsardina/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@EricSardinaAffiliate: LMNT hydration drink mix: get a free sample pack with your first order by using this link: http://elementallabs.refr.cc/ericsardina
Jonah 1:3-17
Demonstrating Dr. Barnhouse's acute understanding of Romans and his heart for effective preaching, these messages skillful and reverently expound even the most difficult passages in a clear way. Dr. Barnhouse's concern for a universal appreciation of the epistle fuels this series and invites all listeners into a deeper understanding of the life-changing message of Romans. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/791/29?v=20251111
Pastor Sergio continues this series talking to us about why the throne of ourselves will never be fulfilling. As long as we're on the throne of our own heart and not the throne of God, we'll never get fulfillment! You have to give your heart to God in order to have a heart for God. Disobedience opens up the door to lack. We can't let excuses keep us from doing what God tells us to do. When we have a Biblical fear of God, we're submitting to His mission. We don't get to chance God's Word because of our past experiences.
What if you got everything you ever wanted and it still wasn't enough? In this message, Lead Pastor Jamie Nunnally kicks off our annual This Is My Story summer series with the fascinating story of King Solomon.Solomon's story is fascinating because most of us expect cautionary tales from the "bad guys" but Solomon isn't a villain. He was a hero - the son of David, builder of the first Temple in Jerusalem. and writer scripture who God appeared to personally. He was the wisest and richest man who ever lived. Yet despite all of that, Solomon drifted from the Lord at the end of his life.Anybody can have a good beginning but your faithfulness is revealed through your ending.Are you spending your life pursuing things that can't satisfy, or are you spending your life pursuing the only One who can?
1 Samuel 15:1-35 • The Disobedience & Rejection of Saul (5/31/26) Jared Thomsen
In this episode of Sunday School Dropouts, host Andrew Kerbs is joined by memoirist and ex-Adventist advocate Melissa Duge Spiers to discuss her book, Holy Disobedience: Sex, Sin, and Secrets in the Biggest Church No One Knows. Melissa shares the incredible twenty-year journey of bringing her story to publication, including a decade where the manuscript sat untouched and the hurdles she faced with major publishers due to legal anxieties surrounding the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The conversation dives into the unique invisibility of the ex-Adventist community compared to groups like ex-Mormons, exploring the deep cultural conditioning that keeps these stories hidden. Through the lens of her memoir, Melissa reflects on the overwhelming reader response from various religious survivors who finally feel seen, while also discussing her appearance on Mormon Stories with John Dehlin.The discussion also digs into the messy, personal realities of writing a memoir and navigating family dynamics after revealing buried secrets. Melissa opens up about the delicate craft of protective storytelling, changing names, and the deeply disappointing conversation she had with her elderly father regarding the book. Looking toward the future, she shares a glimpse into her upcoming projects, including a novel and a true crime memoir tentatively titled Lies Wide Shut. Ultimately, this episode serves as a powerful call for listeners to deconstruct their faith, seek specialized religious trauma therapy, and find peace within life's inherent messiness.Guest Info: Melissa Duge SpiersWebsite: www.melissadugespiers.substack.com Social Media (Instagram) @the.glory.wholeGet Melissa's book, Holy Disobedience here!This podcast is brought to you by the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery: an online trauma coaching company whose practitioners are trauma informed and trauma trained to work with individuals, couples and families who have experienced high control religion, cults, and religious trauma. For more information on the support that CTRR provides, for resources–including courses, workshops, and more–head to traumaresolutionandrecovery.com or follow us on Instagram: @traumaresolutionandrecovery The views and opinions expressed by Sunday School Dropouts are those of the hosts and not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Center for Trauma Resolution and Recovery. Any of the content provided by our guests, sponsors, authors, or bloggers are their own ideas and opinions.The Sunday School Dropouts podcast is not anti-religion but it is anti -harm, -power and control, -oppression and, -abuse and will speak to the harmful practices and messaging of fundamentalist groups. Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok @andrew_kerbsTo begin working with Andrew as a coach, schedule your FREE inquiry call hereFollow Laura on Instagram and TikTok @drlauraeanderson or on her website: www.drlauraeanderson.com To work with Laura as a coach, therapist, consultant, or to inquire about other services, you can do so hereHosts: Laura Anderson and Andrew KerbsMusic by Benjamin Faye Music @heytherebenji
In this episode, Britten begins a new series exploring self-abandonment through the twelve houses of the birth chart, opening with the First House as the realm of arrival, direction, and how we enter the field of life. Returning to themes from her recent reflections on The Matriarchy is Already Here, she traces the relationship between shame, self-trust, and the ways we learn to leave ourselves behind. Britten's Emergence Astrology sees the language as one of repair, recovery, renewal, and remembering. One that helps reveal where self-abandonment lives and what becomes possible when we choose to stay with ourselves. Britten explores the First House as the helm of the chart: the place connected to action, choice, and the way we steer the boat of our lives. She reflects on self-abandonment as a loss of trust in our own way of moving through the world and asks what it means to remain with ourselves instead. Along the way, she shares why the practice of listening with the Moon has become foundational to the reimagined Emergence Astrology Pathway, her one-to-three year program through the heart of her teachings. Rather than turning away from our own knowing, she invites listeners into a practice of attunement: listening, returning, and learning to trust themselves over time with the reckless freedom they deserve. Learn More About The Emergence Astrology Pathway: The Emergence Astrology Pathway is a one-to-three year passage to utterly transform your relationship to being alive in your body on planet earth in present time. "The Matriarchy Is Already Here" is a phrase that came to Britten this year in a vision. In this vision, she sees the matriarchy not as a top-down political system that rises up with singular leaders. Rather, the matriarchy is all of us – in all bodies – learning to attune to and take care of the Younger Selves within us, helping us trust that we cannot be abandoned when we have ourselves. Disobedience is the way out. But first: we learn to listen within. We gather in community. We devote ourselves each to our own temples. We resource with the divine within and all around us. And we disrupt as we have the capacity to stay with ourselves through the storm of our true voices. The Emergence Astrology Pathway is a path through Britten's most refined, mature, and powerful curriculum. This experience is designed for those who ever find themselves in a position to support another. Whether you're an established therapeutic practitioner, a leader, a parent, or simply a human being with the sincere desire to show up in your fullest integrity, the Emergence Astrology Pathway will be the remembering and the revelation that you most yearn for. You can join the newsletter to be the first to know when more doors open by clicking here. +++ E M E R G E N C E A S T R O L O G Y https://brittenlarue.com/ Instagram: @brittenlarue Order Living Astrology Join my newsletter here Check out my new podcast CRYSTAL BALLERS on Spotify, Podbean, and Apple. +++ Podcast art: Angela George. Podcast music: Jonathan Koe.
Faithful Business Coach | Make Money Online, Mindset Inspiration, Grow in your Christian Faith.
My heart is grieved for the amount of souls walking around that will go to hell if we don't start speaking up. That's the reality we are facing. It makes me sad and we are running out of time. We need to be more bold than ever. We need community, we need other brothers and sisters in Christ to war with us. We need bold pastors who aren't afraid to preach with clarity, Boldness, and conviction. Be encouraged by this episode and let's get ready to ride the Lion into the scary unknown places that the Lord is taking us. Freebie- www.simplyjenniferbrown.com
Send us Fan MailDeuteronomy 27–28 records the covenant blessings for obedience and the curses for disobedience. Israel was commanded to affirm God's law, and obedience would bring blessing in their land, families, work, and security. Disobedience would bring judgment, including disease, defeat, famine, and exile among the nations. These chapters show that Israel's life in the land depended on covenant faithfulness and obedience to the Lord's commands.Support the showStay engaged with new and up-to-date content, including newsletters, articles, podcasts, etc. Download the Teach Me the Bible App from any app store or Apple TV/Roku device.
4. HEADLINE: Resistance Behind Bars: Evin Prison Trials and the Victory of Daily Disobedience GUEST AUTHOR: Nilo Tabrizy SUMMARY: Nilo Tabrizy highlights the enduring defiance of the Iranian uprising. She describes a symbolic "trial" staged by female political prisoners in Evin Prison, including Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi, against judges who sentence protesters to death. Despite 19,000 arrests and numerous executions, the spirit of resistance persists. While street demonstrations have shifted, the movement continues through daily civil disobedience, such as women appearing in public without mandatory hijabs. Artists like Parasu also perform in defiance of state bans. Tabrizy argues this visible rejection of state-mandated dress signals a permanent shift in Iranian society. 41721 PERSIA
Welcome to the book of Judges! Fr. Mike foreshadows the events of Judges, and the cycle of disobedience we'll continue to see Israel go through. He also gives some context on the book of Ruth, and how we can find grace within the frustrating moments of Scripture. Today's readings are Judges 1-3, Ruth 1, and Psalm 133. For the complete reading plan, visit ascensionpress.com/bibleinayear. Please note: The Bible contains adult themes that may not be suitable for children - parental discretion is advised.