Podcasts about Satan

If you're a fan of SCREAM then you're going to want to pay attention to today's episode featuring none other than Stu Macher and Billy Loomis themselves, Matthew Lillard and Skeet Ulrich. They're appearing in the upcoming Five Nights At Freddy's 2 and they decided to stop by The Kingcast to talk about their love of King's work and specifically Frank Darabont's adaptation of The Shawshank Redemption. We also talk about their real life friendship, the stain that is toxic masculinity, working with Wes Craven on the original Scream, and even about Skeet's rather... interesting... appearance as a poster above Satan and Saddam Hussein's bed in South Park.

Chapter 4 of Heroes in the Bible: Jesus with Dr. Tony Evans is inspired by the Gospels. This is My Son - The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry. This story is the beginning of Christ's ministry here on earth. This story begins with the heavens splitting open to showcase Jesus as the beloved son of God, and it ends with a battle of mind and emotions between Jesus and Satan. Today's opening prayer is inspired by Mark 1:15, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. Listen to some of the greatest Bible stories ever told and make prayer a priority in your life by downloading the Pray.com app. Sign up for Heroes in the Bible devotionals at https://www.heroesinthebible.com/  Learn more about Dr. Tony Evans at https://tonyevans.org/ See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Welcome to Day 2746 of Wisdom-Trek, and thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom – Theology Thursday – Satan Was Not Allotted a Nation Wisdom-Trek Podcast Script - Day 2746 Welcome to Wisdom-Trek with Gramps!   I am Guthrie Chamberlain, and we are on Day 2746 of our Trek.   The Purpose of Wisdom-Trek is to create a legacy of wisdom, to seek out discernment and insights, and to boldly grow where few have chosen to grow before. Our current series of Theology Thursday lessons is written by theologian and teacher John Daniels. I have found that his lessons are short, easy to understand, doctrinally sound, and applicable to all who desire to learn more of God's Word. John's lessons can be found on his website   theologyinfive.com.   Today's lesson is titled Satan Was Not Allotted a Nation. The Bible presents Satan as the first rebel, deceiving humanity in Eden and setting himself in opposition to Yahweh's purposes from the very beginning. But when God disinherits the nations at Babel (Deuteronomy 32:8-9), there is no indication that Satan is assigned a nation. The divine council sons of God are given authority over the nations, and Yahweh retains Israel for Himself. Satan is nowhere in that picture. This is not surprising. Satan had already rebelled. He had already introduced sin into the world and brought death through deception. Why would he be entrusted with a nation? He would not be, and he was not. But he would not stay excluded. In this first segment, let's explore The Rebellion of the Gods Psalm 82 shows that the gods of the nations, the ones given legitimate rule over the peoples, eventually rebelled. They pervert justice, show partiality, and demand worship for themselves. They become corrupt stewards, and Yahweh condemns them to die like men. This second segment is: The Opportunist Behind the Curtain It is in this spiritual vacuum that Satan likely saw his opportunity. The pattern is familiar. Just as he deceived Eve, it is plausible that he seduced the other elohim as well. He may have promised them greatness, freedom from Yahweh, or worship for themselves. Perhaps he did not originate their rebellion, but he certainly seems to have benefited from it. Over time, as the gods of the nations fought among themselves through their human empires, Satan emerged as the one spirit behind them all.   The third segment is: The Rise of the King of the Gods We can see this in the way ancient religion developed. The gods of Egypt, Canaan, Babylon, Greece, and Rome were originally distinct, but as empires grew and conquered one another, their gods merged. Baal rose in Canaan. Marduk overtook the other gods of Babylon. Zeus became king of Olympus and was later identified with Jupiter in Rome. At each step, the god at the top took on more authority, often absorbing characteristics of the others. The altar of Zeus at Pergamum, described in Revelation 2:13 as the throne of Satan, confirms the trajectory. Zeus had become the highest god of the pagan world. His altar stood like a throne on a high place. Jesus identifies that location not just as idolatrous, but as Satan's seat. This implies that Satan, though never given a nation by God, had risen through the corruption of the divine order to become the ruler over the fallen gods. The fourth segment is: The Usurper's Claim This also explains why Satan could offer Jesus all the...

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Mark & Amber Archer of Fearless Features share stories about their interactions with Satan clubs and witnessing to others. Fearless Features: https://www.fearlessfeatures.org/ Compromised book: https://www.fearlessfeatures.org/compromised www.worldviewmatters.tv © FreedomProject 2025

The Basilica of St. Mary Institute for Faith and Culture Presents: Beauty and the Beast, an Exploration of the Power of Beauty, Part 3 With Fr. James Searby  In this third episode of Beauty and the Beast, Fr. James Searby takes us into the heart of why beauty matters so deeply, not only artistically, but spiritually and morally. This class looks at the collision between a culture shaped by modern narcissism and a Christian vision where beauty, truth, and goodness are real, objective, and radiant. Using the story of Beauty and the Beast as a lens, he explores how our hurried, self-referential age blinds us to beauty and slowly disconnects us from what makes us human. From the sacramental meaning of the body to the power of the Eucharist, from Freud's mirror to Milton's Satan, from Gaston's hollow charm to the Beast's slow awakening, this episode traces how distraction and self-creation deform the soul, and how beauty becomes the doorway back to reality. With help from Aquinas, Balthasar, Scruton, Simone Weil, John Paul II, and classic stories like The Sound of Music, Babette's Feast, and This Beautiful Fantastic, we learn how to train the eye, the heart, and the imagination to recognize real beauty again. This episode is both an unflinching diagnosis of our cultural moment and a hopeful call to rediscover the contemplative life that heals, restores, and opens us to God.

Matt Pauley is heading down to the Winter Meetings, and Sammy Davis Jr. & Satan!- h4 full 1032 Wed, 03 Dec 2025 22:31:38 +0000 E2W5X2jnk8cClNfcZXtMRNpT1ehxpBnQ comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government The Dave Glover Show comedy,religion & spirituality,society & culture,news,government Matt Pauley is heading down to the Winter Meetings, and Sammy Davis Jr. & Satan!- h4 The Dave Glover Show has been driving St. Louis home for over 20 years. Unafraid to discuss virtually any topic, you'll hear Dave and crew's unique perspective on current events, news and politics, and anything and everything in between. © 2025 Audacy, Inc. Comedy Religion & Spirituality Society & Culture News Government False https://

Season 5, Episode 14 | Pastor Chad connects remotely with Linnea Morris to break down 2 Thessalonians 2:1-12, highlighting warnings against deception, the rebellion, Satan's signs and wonders, and condemnation for those who reject truth.

Dimitri and Khalid examine the philosophical oeuvre of Peter Thiel's favorite Stanford professor, the French Catholic academic René Girard, including: Girard's core theories of mimetic rivalry and the scapegoat mechanism, his hot takes about why Christianity is different from every other religion, pagan gods-as-sacralized victims of communal violence, using the devil to drive out the devil, Thiel's disturbing 2004 paper “The Straussian Moment”, his sus efforts to blend Girardian ideas with those of Leo Strauss and Nazi legal theorist Karl Schmitt to revitalize Western Civilization, becoming the Anti-Christ to stop the Anti-Christ (Greta Thunberg), JD Vance's gallingly two-faced embrace of Girardian Catholicism, Thiel installing memetic rivalry as the core dynamic of 21st century social media platforms, and more… For access to the full-length episode, upcoming installments of DEMON FORCES, and the Grotto of Truth Discord, subscribe at https://patreon.com/subliminaljihad.

"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." What if the organizations so many celebrate as symbols of unity, legacy, and purpose… are actually part of something much deeper—something unseen? In this revelatory message, Pavielle Bee exposes how Satan has weaponized deception to make spiritual bondage appear beautiful and allegiance to darkness look like empowerment. Using Scripture and insights, I uncover a strategy the enemy has been perfecting for generations—a war waged in plain sight, disguised as community, culture, and pride. This teaching explores: ✅ How spiritual warfare operates through deception and agreement ✅ The hidden power of vows, oaths, and rituals many overlook ✅ Why some believers unknowingly defend what's actually opposing God ✅ How to recognize when you're part of something that looks godly but isn't ✅ The path to true freedom and spiritual clarity "The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." — Sun Tzu The question is… what if that war has already reached you?   NEXT STEP TO DISCOVERING GOD'S PURPOSE FOR YOUR LIFE 

After denouncing Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., my life changed in ways I never could have imagined. In this video, I'm sharing what has happened since I obeyed God and came out of covenant with the organization — the spiritual breakthroughs, the warfare, and the revelations God began to reveal once I walked away. God opened my eyes to things I couldn't see before — how Satan recruits the best and brightest to advance his agenda, how deception hides behind words like "sisterhood" and "service," and how being part of these organizations can quietly affect a believer's salvation. This isn't about judgment — it's about truth. And when truth shows up, it always calls for a response. If you've ever wondered what happens after denouncing or felt that tug from the Holy Spirit to come out of something that no longer honors God, this video is for you.

COPCK: The Coca-Cola Edition! Also, Gwen Stefani shuts down rumors about her and Blake Shelton are breaking up and a movie is coming out Sammy Davis Jr. ties to the...church of Satan?See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Rabbi Steve Berkson takes us on a deep dive into scripture, into the spiritual underworld, led by an entity known in scripture as HaSatan. Understanding the enemy of our belief is crucial to successfully living a Torah-observant life.• Review• Acts 5 - Why has Satan filled your heart to lie?• Are you lying to Elohim?• Where's your commitment?• Acts 13 - Enemy of righteousness • Acts 26 - The function of a ministry• If you do this, you're in darkness• Works worthy of repentance • But God knows my heart • 1 Corinthians 5 - The usefulness of Satan • Deliver such a one to Satan? • Don't even do lunch with this person • 2 Corinthians 2 - So that Satan doesn't take advantage of us• 2 Corinthians 4 - Satan, the Mighty One of this age • If you struggle with this… • Prayer Listen to the Afterburn tomorrowSubscribe to take advantage of new content every week.To learn more about MTOI, visit our website, https://mtoi.org.https://www.facebook.com/mtoiworldwide https://www.instagram.com/mtoi_worldwidehttps://www.tiktok.com/@mtoi_worldwide You can contact MTOI by emailing us at admin@mtoi.org or calling 423-250-3020. Join us for Shabbat Services and Torah Study LIVE, streamed on our website, mtoi.org, YouTube, and Rumble every Saturday at 1:15 p.m. and every Friday for Torah Study Live Stream at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time.

WELP - Maybe today Satan. SUBSCRIBE ON TWITCH: https://bit.ly/BODTwitch SUBSCRIBE ON YOUTUBE: https://www.youtube.com/barryonsports?sub_confirmation=1 MERCH: https://barryondeck.com/shop ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- INSTAGRAM ▶▶ https://instagram.com/barryondeck TIKTOK ▶▶ https://tiktok.com/@barryondeck FACEBOOK ▶▶ https://facebook.com/barryondeck TWITTER   ▶▶ https://twitter.com/barryondeck PATREON  ▶▶ https://patreon.com/barryondeck ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Thanks for watching

Natasha is joined by Dane Campbell, author of "Growing Up with Satan" on this episode of the Natasha Helfer Podcast. He and Natasha discuss the book and the environment that he was raised in that inspired it: "Growing Up with Satan - Told By a Brother that Knew Him Well" is an account of a boy growing up in an insular community as part of a high demand religion that espoused Satan or Lucifer to be a real and empowered entity that could bear sway on individuals and circumstances. This memoir describes someone facing major life events, how the religion's teachings around Satan and the interplay of forming beliefs led to shame, guilt and fear that was often crippling in life. The writer discusses ways they found to cope with the dogma, and eventually found a way to deconstruct and overcome the trauma of growing up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. His stories as a mormon and exmormon are engaging and can be helpful to any who are struggling to leave cults, high-demand religions and organizations." Dane is taking new clients. You can contact him on his website: https://changewithdane.com/ Additional resources include: Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@ChangewithDane Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/changewithdane Substack: https://substack.com/@changewithdane?utm_source=explore_sidebar You can buy his book at Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/growing%20up%20with%20satan Or Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Growing-Up-Satan-Dane-Campbell/dp/B0FF7H34MV/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1PR6YFN8GOC1R&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.bj2xpbzBH9mrbreRJNUfBytTMeHfyIM4Jn4Fr0qIdiQSP9v4oz6Iw5_wCneijUetAn4mNTIphsS_l-kPqNSNCAErrAoDOlgvWkEwT6ILFNMMq2DluhsFMZ_Q2fqEeT0SW7DaHKOMbkU_QhmYTId4kVZ31Z6dYYdF67YsgzUGTBJ4_G78_42Xr9FvZDGLfKSMMN6D1JVRq9HmIM9Re9b0x8I8OWOw7Pz9b352r72Fnpo.zW8o07oX5iD7p67d-PWkpuTdwpWddOsL8Z6UNCWQkbw&dib_tag=se&keywords=growing+up+with+satan&qid=1764371075&sprefix=growing+up+with+satan%2Caps%2C192&sr=8-1   To help keep this podcast going, please consider donating at natashahelfer.com and share this episode. To watch the video of this podcast, you can subscribe to Natasha's channel on Youtube and follow her professional Facebook page at natashahelfer LCMFT, CST-S. You can find all her cool resources at natashahelfer.com.  The information shared on this program is informational and should not be considered therapy. This podcast addresses many topics around mental health and sexuality and may not be suitable for minors. Some topics may elicit a trigger or emotional response so please care for yourself accordingly. The views, thoughts and opinions expressed by our guests are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views or feelings of Natasha Helfer or the Natasha Helfer Podcast. We provide a platform for open and diverse discussions, and it is important to recognize that different perspectives may be shared. We encourage our listeners to engage in critical thinking and form their own opinions. The intro and outro music for these episodes is by Otter Creek. Thank you for listening. And remember: Symmetry is now offering Ketamine services. To find out more, go to symcounseling.com/ketamine-services. There are also several upcoming workshops. Visit natashahelfer.com or symcounseling.com to find out more.

The pill that cures your disease is in your mouth. Salvation - achieving right standing with God, and receiving all the benefits that go with that - is hard. It's harder than hard, if you try to do it yourself. But if we let God give us His rightness, then it's easy. Yesterday we began to look at Romans 10, and we saw that salvation is available to everyone. Jim has two more points to bring out, today. But we open with a prophecy by Isaiah. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS12032025_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 10

Satan, the accuser and adversary, is the author of fear, division, and the thief who seeks to kill, steal, and destroy our faith, hope, and love (Jn. 10:10). Recognize demonic negative flowing thoughts and AVOID them with a PASSION.Read more here.Support the show

Rendezvous with Satan

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! Aaron's introduction to the paranormal wasn't gentle — it was violent, shocking, and unlike anything he expected. As co-founder of the NW Paranormal Investigative Team, he has spent years exploring hauntings, dark energy, and unexplained phenomena. But nothing prepared him for the case that changed everything. When his team was called to assist with an exorcism, Aaron watched his partner, June, perform something he still struggles to fully understand — the physical removal of a presence no one could see, yet everyone in the room could feel. What happened next forced Aaron to question not only the nature of demons… but the methods people turn to when they're desperate for relief. Including the dangerous belief that Satan himself can be invoked for “help.” Today, Aaron shares that frightening experience, along with his encounters inside Portland's infamous Shanghai tunnels — one of the city's most paranormally active and historically brutal locations. From dark entities to human spirits with unfinished stories, Aaron's journey through the shadows of the Pacific Northwest offers a rare look at the realities of investigating the supernatural. This is Part Two of our conversation. #paranormal #exorcism #paranormalinvestigations #shanghaitunnels #demonicencounter #realghoststories #thegravetalks #hauntings #supernatural #demonology #portlandhistory #trueparanormal Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

What is broken will be made beautiful, what is fractured will be made whole, what can only be dimly seen now will become a clear and present reality, death itself will be erased forever, sin will be no more, and Satan will be banished once and for all! This is the hope of Advent! Pastor Goodwin Deng launches our 2025 Advent series with a sermon from Genesis 3:1-19.

Senator Lisa Murkowski is apparently on board with the don't-follow-illegal orders crowd. She has sympathy for the alleged drug runners, who might have survived the first strike from a MQ-9 Reaper drone.  

Who doesn’t like simple things? But the sinful nature of man likes to complicate things. Paul warns us in 2 Corinthians about our minds being corrupted from the simplicity of Christ. Satan works tirelessly to complicate the gospel message to make it confusing to the minds of men. In this sermon Brother Luke looks at …

Welcome to episode 226 of Grasp the Bible. In this episode, Pastor Drew continues our study, "Piercing Questions: From the One Who Was Pierced." Today we will cover:• A question on Doubt.• “Why did you doubt?” — Matthew 14:31Key Takeaways:• Great faith can quickly become great fear — and fear opens the door to doubt.• Doubt is a lack of confidence in God's character, God's power, or God's promises.• We can see God move powerfully and still allow doubt to creep in.• Doubt grows when human logic overshadows faith.• Satan uses doubt as one of his oldest tools — 'Did God actually say?' (Genesis 3).• Doubt pulls our eyes from the Protector and fixes them on the problem.• Doubt is defeated by remembering what God has done, what He has promised, and who He is.Quotable:• “The wind and waves were always there — doubt overcomes us when we give more attention to our problems than our Protector.”• “Once we understand what God has done in the past and promised for the future, we can act in faith instead of doubt.”• “Faith is stepping out — fear keeps us from stepping to Jesus.”Application:• Recognize that doubt is a confidence problem — not a circumstance problem.• Ask God to help your unbelief (Mark 9:24).• Remember His deeds (Psalm 77:11) and His promises — faith comes by hearing the Word (Romans 10:17).• Submit your logic to God's truth — don't let reasoning overshadow faith.• Keep your eyes on Jesus, not the wind and waves.• Worship as your response — let it anchor your heart.• Take your step out of the boat — obedience builds faith.Connect with us:Website: https://springbaptist.orgFacebook:https://www.facebook.com/SBCKleinCampus (Klein Campus)https://www.facebook.com/SpringBaptist (Spring Campus)Need us to pray for you? Submit your prayer request to:https://springbaptist.org/prayer/If you haven't already done so, please leave us a rating and review in your podcast provider

Could salvation be that easy? The devil would like us to imagine righteousness as something high and far-off; difficult to attain, even difficult to understand - as if salvation were a kind of sadistic and impossible puzzle. But God exposed that lie way back in Deuteronomy - in the passage Paul quotes in Romans 10. We'll look at that passage today, and Jim will help us make 3 discoveries from this chapter. Here's part 1 of, Mercy for All. Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS12022025_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 10

====================================================SUSCRIBETEhttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNpffyr-7_zP1x1lS89ByaQ?sub_confirmation=1==================================================== LECCIÓN DE ESCUELA SABÁTICA         IV TRIMESTRE DEL 2025Narrado por: Eddie RodriguezDesde: Guatemala, GuatemalaUna cortesía de DR'Ministries y Canaan Seventh-Day Adventist ChurchMIÉRCOLES 03 DE DICIEMBREEL VERDADERO JOSUÉ COMO ANTITIPO La historia de Josué debe verse a través del prisma de la tipología. Las guerras dirigidas por él son acontecimientos históricos que constituyen un segmento esencial de la historia de Israel. El objetivo de esas guerras era establecer a los israelitas en la Tierra Prometida, donde podrían disfrutar en paz de la herencia que les había sido asignada, y establecer una nueva sociedad basada en los principios de la Ley de Dios. Más tarde, autores del Antiguo Testamento, como Isaías, presentan la obra del Mesías también como consistente en asignar las “heredades desoladas [a su pueblo]” (Isa. 49:8, RVA-2015), utilizando la misma terminología que es tan frecuente en el libro de Josué. Así como la tarea de Josué había sido repartir la tierra a los israelitas, el Mesías, representado como el nuevo Josué, asigna la herencia espiritual a un nuevo Israel. Lee Hebreos 3:7-4:11. ¿Cómo confirma el Nuevo Testamento que Josué, el nuevo Moisés, es en sí mismo un tipo de Jesucristo? Los autores del Nuevo Testamento presentaron muchos aspectos del ministerio de Jesucristo en términos de la obra de Josué. Así como este entró en Canaán después de 40 años en el desierto, Jesús, el “Josué antitípico”, entró en su ministerio terrenal después de 40 días en el desierto (Mat. 4:1-11; Luc. 4:1‑13) y en su ministerio celestial después de 40 días en el desierto de esta tierra (Hech. 1:3, 9-11; Heb. 1:2). Después del bautismo de Jesús en el río Jordán, su “cruce del Jordán” (Mat. 3:13‑17; Mar. 1:9-11), los escritores del Evangelio citan el Salmo 2:7 e Isaías 42:1; es decir, un salmo mesiánico y una canción acerca el Siervo sufriente de Dios (Mat. 3:17; Mar. 1:11; Luc. 3:22). Por consiguiente, a través de su bautismo, Jesús es presentado como el guerrero divino que librará las guerras de Dios contra las fuerzas del mal mediante una vida de obediencia fiel, incluso hasta la muerte. Su vida y su muerte en la Cruz provocaron la expulsión de Satanás, dirigieron la conquista de nuestros enemigos espirituales, ofrecieron descanso espiritual a su pueblo y asignaron una herencia a los redimidos (Efe. 4:8; Heb. 1:4; 9:15). ¿Qué significa poder “descansar” en lo que Cristo ha hecho por nosotros? Es decir, ¿cómo podemos tener la seguridad de que Jesús ha derrotado a Satanás en nuestro favor? 

Todaywill continue to look at Ephesians 4:7-11. These verses are about the Spiritualgifts that God gives “to each one of us” for unity in the church.These gifts can either be used to build us up or used to tear us down. God hasalready given us the Gift of the Holy Spirit at the moment of our salvation. Atthat time, we were baptized into the body of Christ, and the Holy Spirit cameto dwell within us. This great truth is taught throughout the Epistles in theNew Testament.  Butalong with the Gift of the Holy Spirit, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit,also imparted Spiritual gifts into our life. These gifts are many and you willfind them listed in Romans 12, 1 Corinthians 12-14 and also in Ephesians 4. Weneed to also understand that these Spiritual gifts are not the naturalabilities that we're born with, such as mechanical ability, musical ability,athletic ability, or artistic ability. No, those are natural abilities anddifferent people have different natural abilities.  Butthese are Spiritual gifts and this gifting is very important for us tounderstand as believers. I'm convinced, we will not find real fulfillment,satisfaction, and real contentment in our lives unless we're fulfilling thepurpose for which God created us. Remember in Ephesians 2:8-10 we learned that Godsaved us by His grace, not just so we could go to heaven when we died, butbecause, “We are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, whichGod prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.” He saves us to do “goodworks” for Him through the abilities we have from our Spiritual gifts.  Godknew exactly what gifts the body needed in that particular local church and He “preparedbeforehand” and gifted every believer that became a part of that localchurch with specific spiritual gifts to build up that body of Jesus Christwhich builds up the whole body of Christ around the world. So these arepowerful verses to understand and make sure we begin to comprehend and apply to“each” of our lives as we see in verse 7: “But to each one of us,grace was given according to the measure of Christ's gift”.  Paulsaid something similar in Romans 12:4-6: "For aswe have many members in one body, but all the members do not have the samefunction. So we being many are one body in Christ and individually members ofone another." Having then gifts differing according to the grace that isgiven to us, let us use them”. We should make sure we're exercising thosespiritual gifts that God has given us. Thenin verses 8-10, we read something very interesting. These are wonderful versesreminding us that Jesus Christ first descended that He might ascend. And He ledcaptivity captive. I believe the meaning of this is that just as we werecaptive to Satan by sin before salvation, Jesus Christ because He wasvictorious over death and sin and hell and the grave, He now takes us captivefor His glory, and gives the Spiritual gifts that we need to serve Him. “Jesusdescended that He might ascend”. He descended in obedience to “death of thecross and for that God has highly exalted Him and given Him the Name that isabove every name…” (Philippians 2:8-11).  Jesus“descended to the lower parts of the earth”. I believe that this couldmean that Jesus took there those in paradise previous to the cross and He ledthem up to the third heaven. And Jesus also delivered us from our captivity tosin and Satan and made us His captives to be free to live holy and Godly livesand gave us the Spiritual gifts to serve Him.  Ohmy friend, aren't you so thankful that Jesus “though He was rich, He becamepoor that we through His poverty might be rich” (2 Corinthians 8:9). Wehave the riches of Christ, and the Spiritual gifts that He's given “toeach one of us”, the wealth of Christ Himself living within “eachone of us” today.  Doyou know your Spiritual gifts? Are you using them for the glory of God and thebuilding up of the body of Jesus Christ?

Rabbi Feiner shiurim

December is here and we sent a Satan symbol to the clouds to summon the awesome Sarah Marshall to join us for a batch of satanic panic themed listener tales. Today we hear about satanic Pokémon Tazos, panic at the truck stop, hypnosis gone wrong, possible devil worshippers in the woods, and more. And please... keep your frogs away from us… and that's why we drink! Catch Sarah Marshall on her new show The Devil You Know: https://link.mgln.ai/HHprbw OR on You're Wrong About: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/youre-wrong-about/id1380008439___________________If you think you or someone you know might be struggling with OCD, please don't wait to get help. Go to https://learn.nocd.com/ATTWD and book a free call with their team to learn more. Exclusive $35 off Carver Mat at https://on.auraframes.com/ATWWD Promo Code ATWWD. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A nine-foot skeleton with a skull nearly a foot wide, 28 interlocking teeth, and three-toed clawed feet was discovered buried under a Japanese temple — and men risked their lives to bring it to America. Did they dig up the skeleton of a demon, or the Devil himself? (Read the deep-dive article on the Weird Darkness website:https://weirddarkness.com/satan-skull/)IN THIS EPISODE: “The Devil Is Dead Now, And Here Is His Skeleton!” That's the headline that ran in the Los Angeles Herald on October 6th, 1865. And this was no 19th century click-bait… they actually found real bones that fit the bill. (Satan's Skeleton) *** There are a number of tragic cases where people lose all memory of who they are, and, for whatever reason, no one is able to help them recover their identities. However, few such stories are as complicated and uncanny as the long, long search for the real “Charles Jamison.” (The Man Without a Past) *** Imagine suddenly, without warning, finding yourself in a completely different life. A different place to live, different friends and family. Nothing is the same. This is what happened to author Caroline Leavitt – but that's only half of her truly bizarre story! (My Unconscious Other Life) *** A secret aircraft reportedly crashed during takeoff at RAF Boscombe Down in 1994 sparking what has been an ongoing and fascinating mystery ever since. (The Boscombe Down Incident) CHAPTERS & TIME STAMPS (All Times Approximate)…00:00:00.000 = Show Open00:02:03.385 = Satan's Skeleton00:09:59.626 = *** Man Without a Past00:20:25.707 = My Unconscious Other Life00:27:22.044 = *** The Boscombe Down Incident00:46:51.803 = Show Close*** = Begins immediately after inserted ad breakSOURCES and RESOURCES:"Satan's Skeleton” posted at StrangeAgo.com: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/y5rbrn6d“The Man Without a Past” from the website Strange Company: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/ja63t9n“My Unconscious Other Life” by Rob Schwarz for Stranger Dimensions (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/rm9vtwzf), and Caroline Leavitt for Psychology Today (https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/29ncdr4w)“The Boscombe Down Incident” by Brett Tingley for The Drive: https://weirddarkness.tiny.us/3m8xv44s=====(Over time links may become invalid, disappear, or have different content. I always make sure to give authors credit for the material I use whenever possible. If I somehow overlooked doing so for a story, or if a credit is incorrect, please let me know and I will rectify it in these show notes immediately. Some links included above may benefit me financially through qualifying purchases.)= = = = ="I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness." — John 12:46= = = = =WeirdDarkness® is a registered trademark. Copyright ©2025, Weird Darkness.=====Originally aired: April 13, 2021EPISODE PAGE (includes sources): https://weirddarkness.com/DemonSkeletonABOUT WEIRD DARKNESS: Weird Darkness is a true crime and paranormal podcast narrated by professional award-winning voice actor, Darren Marlar. Seven days per week, Weird Darkness focuses on all thing strange and macabre such as haunted locations, unsolved mysteries, true ghost stories, supernatural manifestations, urban legends, unsolved or cold case murders, conspiracy theories, and more. On Thursdays, this scary stories podcast features horror fiction along with the occasional creepypasta. Weird Darkness has been named one of the “Best 20 Storytellers in Podcasting” by Podcast Business Journal. Listeners have described the show as a cross between “Coast to Coast” with Art Bell, “The Twilight Zone” with Rod Serling, “Unsolved Mysteries” with Robert Stack, and “In Search Of” with Leonard Nimoy.DISCLAIMER: Ads heard during the podcast that are not in my voice are placed by third party agencies outside of my control and should not imply an endorsement by Weird Darkness or myself. *** Stories and content in Weird Darkness can be disturbing for some listeners and intended for mature audiences only. Parental discretion is strongly advised.#WeirdDarkness, #DevilsBones, #SatansSkeleton, #DemonSkeleton, #JapaneseTemple, #GiantSkeleton, #TombOfTheDevil, #ParanormalHistory, #HorrorPodcast, #AncientMystery

This is a Grave Talks CLASSIC EPISODE! Aaron's introduction to the paranormal wasn't gentle — it was violent, shocking, and unlike anything he expected. As co-founder of the NW Paranormal Investigative Team, he has spent years exploring hauntings, dark energy, and unexplained phenomena. But nothing prepared him for the case that changed everything. When his team was called to assist with an exorcism, Aaron watched his partner, June, perform something he still struggles to fully understand — the physical removal of a presence no one could see, yet everyone in the room could feel. What happened next forced Aaron to question not only the nature of demons… but the methods people turn to when they're desperate for relief. Including the dangerous belief that Satan himself can be invoked for “help.” Today, Aaron shares that frightening experience, along with his encounters inside Portland's infamous Shanghai tunnels — one of the city's most paranormally active and historically brutal locations. From dark entities to human spirits with unfinished stories, Aaron's journey through the shadows of the Pacific Northwest offers a rare look at the realities of investigating the supernatural. #paranormal #exorcism #paranormalinvestigations #shanghaitunnels #demonicencounter #realghoststories #thegravetalks #hauntings #supernatural #demonology #portlandhistory #trueparanormal Love real ghost stories? Don't just listen—join us on YouTube and be part of the largest community of real paranormal encounters anywhere. Subscribe now and never miss a chilling new story:

Happy American Thanksgiving! We're taking the week off but as a very special treat we're pulling one of our favourite Pantheon episodes out from behind the paywall. To celebrate the upcoming 30th anniversary it's our deep-dive into Sakura Wars for the Sega Saturn! If you can find 3 entire hours to sneak away from your family this Thanksgiving, it's a rollercoaster ride of emotions and packed with history and context for one of Sega's most important franchises. All the original show notes, including the further reading, are included below so please enjoy this blooming episode of Pantheon of the Blood God! -------------For our $10-and-up patrons, it's the longest Pantheon episode yet. Sakura Wars never came out in the West but its massive success in Japan in the late 90s and early 2000s gives it an often-unseen influence on RPGs. Can this forgotten SEGA franchise surpass the language barrier and make its way into the Pantheon? We talk about: For the last time, it's not a visual novel The history of western theatre in Japan Subversions of gender essentialism The single set of footprints in the sand is when Sakura Wars was carrying the Saturn and also fighting Satan. Further Reading:The Origin of Visual Novels - Bowl of Lentilshttps://youtu.be/7wOtv-J7tOI?si=tRyGSp0Hzd1Yyc4r25 Years With an Invisible Elephant in the Room - Tom Jameshttps://freelansations.medium.com/25-years-with-an-invisible-elephant-in-the-room-6e5402c93960Skies of Arcadia 2019 Developer Interviewhttps://youtu.be/BPngEZ80xnU?si=jMX2dffTcaR0BaS1Sakura Wars Retrospective Playlist - Matt Bhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFMXcpj1mOa7AYfYPMZ80LzAwE3zl-ftVSakura Wars - Kimimi (not mentioned in the episode but good coverage of the series)https://kimimithegameeatingshemonster.com/sakura-wars-corner/Timestamps: 6:56 - Our History with Sakura Wars 18:00 - Development and History 2:08:00 - SPOILERS BEGIN 2:11:00 - SPOILERS END 2:38:48 - Verdict Music Used in This Episode: Move Out! - [Sakura Wars] Geki! Teikoku Kagekidan - [Sakura Wars] Blooming Maidens - [Sakura Wars] Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Romans 5-8 Click HERE to give! Get Free App Here! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on 'The Daily Radio Bible' for a daily 20-minute spiritual journey. Engage with scripture readings, heartfelt devotionals, and collective prayers that draw you into the heart of God's love. Embark on this year-long voyage through the Bible, and let each day's passage uplift and inspire you. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible, where we gather together each day to journey through the Scriptures and warm our hearts by the fires of God's love. On this very first day of December, your host Hunter invites you to reflect on how far we've come this year as we near the completion of reading the entire Bible together. In today's episode, Hunter guides us through Romans chapters 5 to 8, exploring profound truths about grace, hope, and freedom found in Christ. We'll be reminded that our faith isn't about tallying pages read, but about encountering Jesus—the very heart and purpose of God's Word. Together, we'll consider the depth of our human need, the purpose of the law, and the unparalleled gift of God's inseparable love. Take a moment to breathe, pray, and remember: you are loved. Join us as we continue this journey, encourage one another, and let God's joy be our strength. TODAY'S DEVOTION: We are so far from home. All of humanity is lost. It was lost in the garden—lost to the self, lost to sin, lost because of Satan, lost because of a lie. We are so very lost, far more lost than we ever knew. That is why God has given us the law. Sin is so deceptive that it minimizes our plight. We are blind to how lost we are, but the law opens our eyes and shows us just how far from home we truly are. God gave us his word to open our eyes, to prepare us to see and understand the living Word—the Logos, the incarnate Son of God. He is the telos—the point, the purpose, the complete exposition of who God is and who we are in God. Humanity wasn't made for the law. The law was made for us. Humanity was made for God. The law isn't the point—God is the point. Our life in God is what Jesus has come to demonstrate and to make possible for everyone. My prayer is that I will see the blessing of the law, its intent and purpose, and that I will let the law point me to the one I was made for: Jesus. He is the telos. He is the purpose and the point. He has come to reveal himself to you and to the whole world, that we might be set free, that we might be found, that we might come home. May God open our eyes to see him. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family: my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: And now let us pray. Lord of heaven and earth, you have awakened us in your mercy once more. Still our anxious minds, quiet our striving hearts, and help us to rest in the knowledge that we are held by you. May we walk in step with your spirit today—not ahead, not behind, but beside you in trust and love through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O God of all peoples, you formed every soul in your image and breathed life into every heart. Open the eyes of the nations, soften hearts grown cold, and teach us to live as neighbors and friends. Let your spirit move in power, renew the face of the earth, and usher in your reign of peace. Amen. And now, Lord, let me be a bearer of your peace. Where voices divide, let me speak grace. Where fear takes root, let me plant trust. Where the world rushes on, let me walk with you. May I seek not to climb, but to kneel; not to win, but to love; not to grasp, but to give. For it is in emptying that we are filled, in surrender that we are strengthened, and in union with you that we find our truest joy. Amen. And now, as our Lord has taught us, we are bold to pray: Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. Lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation.   Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL  

Dave and Bethlie discuss the book And The Bride Wore White.  And The Bride Wore White takes the "purity talk" to a whole new level. Dannah Gresh is conversational, humorous, vulnerable, and frank, all while supporting every point with Scripture. Reading the book is like hearing from a loving big sister. It's written for high school through college aged girls, and we recommend that moms and their girls (or youth pastor's wives and teen girls) read it together. Charity and I read it together, and we had some great conversations. Be advised that Dannah is careful but frank about cultural struggles and purity issues. If we're being honest, our children, even if we feel they are totally protected from outside influences, are hearing what our world has to say about sexuality. It is worth it to prepare them with truth for the lies that our culture presents.   Dannah is also open and honest (again, carefully) about her own purity failure as a teen. My fear when I first picked up the book, was that it would present her "fall" or "struggle" in such a way that it would give license to sexual sin because, after all, that's what grace is for, right? But that is not at all Dannah's heart. Her desire is to keep girls from the shattering heartache and years of guilt and shame that Satan and our world never promises, but always delivers. The book also addresses how to allow the Lord to free you from sexual sin and to live in victory and healing grace.   *Charity told me that she felt the frankness of the book is needed to make sure every area of purity is well-covered and there is no room for "loop-hole" mentality. She said, "Mrs. Gresh makes sure she tells you every area that is wrong." Chapter Titles Include: And the Bride Wore White: Deciding to Live a Lifestyle of Purity   Satan's Big Fat Sex Lies: Learning to Recognize the Truth   Satan's Biggest, Fattest Sex Lie: Resisting the Lure to Sin   Breakin' Up is Hard to Do: Breaking off Sinful Relationships in Three Steps Purity is a Process: Defining Innocence and Purity Purity Dreams of Its Future: Envisioning a Godly Husband Purity is Governed by Its Value: Discovering Your Value in God's Eyes Discovering Your Value in the Eyes of Others Purity Speaks Boldly: Preparing Your Tongue for Dates Purity Loves Its Creator at any Cost: Pursuing a Love Relationship with Jesus  Purity Embraces Wise Guidance Inviting your Parents into Your love Life Purity Watches Burning Flames: Finding M.O.R.E. to Help You   Each chapter begins with a testimony from a teen or college student who is walking or learning to walk in purity. One of the teen girls to whom I gave this book said that those testimonials really spoke to her.     Every Chapter also begins with Scripture, the very first passage being Titus 2:11-13, "For the Grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, Teaching us that, denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously, and godly, in this present world; Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ;" And so chapter one starts with saying NO to ungodliness and worldly lust, but emphasizing that we cannot maintain that purity on our own.   Every chapter ends with a reflection prompt allowing the reader to journal some ways that the Lord is convicting or encouraging them.

277. Breaking Through Addiction in Marriage with Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith   *DISCLAIMER* This episode is intended for adults.   1 John 1:9 AMP "If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just [true to His own nature and promises], and will forgive our sins and cleanse us continually from all unrighteousness [our wrongdoing, everything not in conformity with His will and purpose].”   *Transcription Below*   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith are clinicians, speakers, and authors with over 20 years of combined experience in counseling, coaching, and guiding couples toward healing and transformation. Their mission is to help couples navigate the complexities of relational challenges, particularly in the aftermath of sexual addiction and betrayal trauma, fostering deep restoration and growth.   Matthew is a Professional Certified Coach (ICF) with a background in pastoral leadership, while Joanna is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, EMDR practitioner, and Certified Clinical Partner Specialist through APSATS. Both hold Master of Divinity degrees and have served together on multiple church leadership teams. Currently, they co-lead their private practice, The Raabsmith Team, where they specialize in helping couples rebuild connection, trust, and intimacy.   Their passion for this work stems from their own journey of restoration. After experiencing the devastating effects of sexual addiction and betrayal in their marriage, Matthew and Joanna embarked on a years-long pursuit of reconciliation. This transformative experience led to the creation of tools like The Intimacy Pyramid™, a practical model for relational restoration and growth co-created with colleague Dan Drake.    Their first book, Building True Intimacy (2023), has sold over 1,000 copies and provides practical guidance for couples to use the Intimacy Pyramid to create enduring connections. They also founded Renewing Us Recovery™, a comprehensive program designed to support couples in the later stages of relational restoration. In November 2025, they will host the inaugural Renewing Us Couples Retreat, offering workshops and connection opportunities for couples on similar paths of recovery and growth.   Matthew and Joanna live in Memphis, Tennessee with their three young children. They prioritize self-care through shared adventures, new experiences, and a weekly game of pickleball.   Free Resource Mentioned in Episode   Building True Intimacy book   Questions and Topics Discussed: What were the warning signs that you noticed when you were newlyweds that tipped you off to believing things weren't quite as they seemed? Are there any common life circumstances, whether nature or nurture, that predispose someone to be more likely to struggle with a sexual addiction? As couples seek to thrive in marriage, will you give us an overview of the intimacy pyramid you wrote a book about?   Other Episodes Mentioned During Episode: Pornography: Protecting Children, Personal Healing, Recovery, and Victory in Christ with Sam Black Pornography Addiction and Helpful Recovery with Crystal Renaud Day   Additional Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: Anatomy of an Affair with Dave Carder Protecting Your Marriage Against Unfaithfulness with Dave Carder Stories Series: Recovery From Sexual Sin in Marriage with Garrett and Brenna Naufel Supernatural Restoration Story with Bob and Audrey Meisner Special Patreon Re-Release Wholehearted Quiet Time with Naomi Vacaro   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”   Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”   John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:12)   Laura Dugger: (0:13 - 1:38) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   Today's message is not intended for little ears. We'll be discussing some adult themes, and I want you to be aware before you listen to this message.   Leman Property Management Company has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com, or connect with them on Facebook.   Matthew and Joanna Raabsmith are my guests today. They are clinicians, speakers, and authors with over 20 years of combined experience in counseling, coaching, and guiding couples toward healing and transformation. Our conversation takes a few turns, from getting to hear their incredible and vulnerable story of healing and then getting tips for talking to our children about topics like sex, and also even receiving some practical wisdom and tips for enhancing our own marital enjoyment.   Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Matthew and Joanna.   Matthew Raabsmith: (1:39 - 1:40) So good to be here.   Joanna Raabsmith: (1:40 - 1:42) So glad to be here. Thanks for having us.   Laura Dugger: (1:42 - 1:51) Oh, truly my pleasure. And let's just start here. Can you share your story going back to meeting and falling in love and your first part of marriage?   Matthew Raabsmith: (1:53 - 2:17) Sure, yeah. It was a little bumpy at first, actually. So, I knew Joanna through her brother. Joanna's brother was one of my best friends, and I got to meet her whenever she would come in town and visit, and she would invade guy night. He would usually bring her along to like a Lord of the Rings movie or something, and I would be a little frustrated because I would be like, oh, you brought your sister. Great. That's wonderful.   Joanna Raabsmith: (2:18 - 2:24) A little off-putting, not super friendly. And I was like, your friend's kind of a jerk. We did not like each other at all in the beginning.   Matthew Raabsmith: (2:24 - 2:54) Not big fans. And eventually over some time, we started to realize we had a lot in common. We liked to do a lot of the same things.   And one summer that Joanna was in town, we started hanging out, started doing more and more together, and really just kind of developed a friendship, which was really fun. And at the very end of the summer, realized that there was something between us. And so, we went on one date.   Our first date, we entered a golf tournament. We won it, and that was a good sign.   Joanna Raabsmith: (2:54 - 2:55) That's a pretty good sign.   Matthew Raabsmith: (2:55 - 3:02) And we went on three more dates over the course of two months and got engaged.   Joanna Raabsmith: (3:03 - 3:07) And then two months after that, we got married.   Matthew Raabsmith: (3:07 - 3:16) Yeah. So, her brother went from like, yeah, it's cool you date my sister, to like, you're not ready to get married. But he's come around now.   Joanna Raabsmith: (3:17 - 3:19) 15 years later. Yeah.   Matthew Raabsmith: (3:19 - 3:40) And, you know, a lot of it was, I think we had a definite sense of being kind of called together, being, you know, something special about who we were as a couple. And also, a recognition that we wanted to figure out what a good marriage looked like. We were really excited about marriage, but we didn't really know what we were doing.   Joanna Raabsmith: (3:41 - 4:15) Yeah, I've had a really great model of healthy relationship. My parents have a wonderful marriage. They work really well as a team.   And so, I knew, like, I want something like that. But as soon as we got married, we realized, but how do you actually build that? There's no, like, instruction manual for, okay, here are the things to do to have a great relationship.   And so, we read books. We went to conferences. You know, we did what we could, but we still found ourselves getting stuck, not able to really create, like, that deep sense of, like, connection intimacy that we really wanted.   Matthew Raabsmith: (4:15 - 5:17) And we started kind of hunting more and more for resources. We found some incredible resources that really changed our understanding of the way relationships work, the way people work, and really, for us, shifted our entire focus of kind of what we wanted to do, even with our life. And as we started to do that, though, we still kind of found ourselves at this kind of glass wall.   We felt like no matter what we tried, there was always this kind of distance between us. And that started to grow kind of over the years that we were together. It wasn't getting better.   It was actually kind of getting worse and worse and worse. And so, Joanna had actually decided to, after we finished our first grad degree together, the idea was we were going to go be pastors. And so, we had finished our kind of theological training.   Joanna decided she wanted to get a master's in marriage and family therapy so we could do some work around marriages and ministry in that way. And her very first-class kind of just set our life in a completely different direction.   Joanna Raabsmith: (5:17 - 6:26) Yes. So, my first class in the MFT program was a two-week intensive called Shame and Guilt. So, that's a really fun two-week intensive to be a part of. And as a part of that, though, they had an anonymous pastor come and share his testimony of struggling with sex addiction, becoming sober, getting into good recovery, healing and restoration in his marriage, kind of like that whole journey. And as he was talking, something inside of me started stirring. And I knew, OK, what he's saying is resonating way too much with me right now.   I think this is the thing. This is what is keeping us stuck, not able to really create the relationship we want. And so, that day I went home and first I just kind of started talking about my class, what I learned, what this pastor had shared.   Right. And nothing. Right.   We're just kind of talking generally about it. And so, finally I couldn't do it anymore. And I just stopped and I looked him square in the eyes and I said, “Are you struggling with this in our marriage right now?”   Matthew Raabsmith: (6:26 - 8:03) Yeah. And for the first time in my life, 20 years, I had been struggling with pornography, sexual addiction, and acting out in our marriage. And for the first time in my life, I was honest.   I had lied for years, both with Joanna and everyone else. And the kind of floodgates just kind of opened up. And I finally said yes.   And it was really hearing the story, I think, is what did it for me. I think it was knowing that somebody else had made it, that their life hadn't come crashing down because that was the greatest fear for me. That the moment anyone found this out, everything in my life would be over. Everything that I loved would be gone.   And so, this kind of story of hope gave me a little bit of courage that day, to be honest. But that started a really long journey for us because there was a lot of damage that was done in both of my hiding. And now kind of this revelation, all the pain kind of came crashing down on Joanna and kind of her shoulders.   And so, we started a quite intensive recovery process. We talked about it being kind of a full-time job. I went to recovery for my addiction and for kind of my acting out behaviors. Joanna had to begin a process of healing from the trauma of this discovery. And that process took us a number of years. It really was a long kind of arduous journey, but one that we ultimately survived and now thrive in our marriage and get the incredible luxury and the kind of gift of helping other couples do that.   So, that's kind of where we find ourselves.   Laura Dugger: (8:04 - 8:30) That is incredible. I just really appreciate you sharing your story. Clearly, stories are so powerful and that's what led to some healing for you and hopefully can open the floodgates for somebody else listening.   So, if we go back in your story, then, Joanna, I'd love to start with you. What were some of those red flags in early marriage that things aren't quite as they seem?   Joanna Raabsmith: (8:31 - 10:28) Yeah, there are a few. You know, I think that, you know, one of the pieces we kind of talked about, like, OK, we knew we're still getting stuck because there's 90 percent that felt really good. But then 10 percent that was extremely chaotic, really destructive.   Right. We would get we call the pain cycles when we get emotionally dysregulated. And there would be some things that, right.   Sometimes we would get into pain cycles, get dysregulated. And I kind of understand why. Right.   Like something happened. There was the disagreement. But other times I couldn't put my finger on it.   Right. Matthew would just get really angry and really shut down. And I wouldn't be able to connect it to anything that had happened in our life.   And so, it was very confusing. It was really hard to understand what was going on. And I think kind of in the same way, when I would pull too close into that connection, that intimacy, he would pull back.   Right. And it felt like even though we both named this goal and this desire, he would never actually partner with me in it. And so, again, that was really confusing because the actions were not matching up with reality and what was happening.   And I think the other piece that was kind of true for us and true for a lot of other people is that our own sexual relationship was fraught with pain. And so, there was, again, a lot that was really good, but also a lot that was really painful and confusing. And some of the pieces just didn't connect.   Right. And I would wonder, OK, what's going on? Well, I guess this is just the reality that like this is how much we get to expect in this area of our life, right.   In our relationship. And so, it was when the pastor started describing his life and addiction and what that looked like emotionally, sexually, relationally. I was like, oh, those are all the things that I'm currently experiencing.   Here's one thing that would answer all those questions that I have. And so, I think that was part of it. He kind of told me, like, OK, this is it.   Laura Dugger: (10:28 - 11:00) That would be so eye opening. And my heart's going out to the couple who is maybe starting to identify with this. Was it and share whatever you're comfortable with from your story or the person's story who opened things up to you?   So, sexually, I'm wondering if it was for you, Joanna, if you were hoping to connect sexually and that wasn't happening and that was confusing. You didn't feel pursued. But I don't want to fill in the blanks.   So, could you elaborate?   Joanna Raabsmith: (11:00 - 12:03) Absolutely. Yeah. And we find it a lot of different ways than couples that we work with.   Right. And so, it can be sometimes on either side of the extreme. And so, for us, it was where there would be kind of times when he'd be fully present and interested and engaged. Right. And then all of a sudden, kind of like I described emotionally, he would just withdraw and not be there. And I would reach out to connect.   And that was this like non-response. And which, again, didn't match up with those other times when he was engaged and wanting to connect. And he would give some sort of excuse that didn't totally make sense.   Right. But I was kind of like, what else? What was I left with except that?   So, I would kind of believe that and go with it, even though it didn't sit right. And so, yeah, I think that was part of it. We will see on the other side for some other couples.   It's the opposite. And maybe that spouse is hypersexual in the relationship. Right.   To the point where there might be pressure, even pressure to do things sexually that people aren't comfortable with. And so, yeah, it can look a lot of different ways. But that was kind of what our disconnect looked like.   Laura Dugger: (12:04 - 12:33) That's so helpful. And there's two different directions I want to go, Matthew. So, I'll set it up.   I guess I'm thinking of the guilt and shame and how those are usually so present. So, I have two questions. Were you when Joanna came to you, were you at a point where you recognize something was off and you wanted freedom from this and or had tried freedom before?   Let's start with that and then I'll go into the other one.   Matthew Raabsmith: (12:34 - 14:40) Yeah, it really was holy timing in a lot of ways. I, you know, for a lot of years I had I hated what I did. I didn't feel like I could stop it, but didn't have a lot of interest in kind of doing anything to stop it.   I kind of just like would just say, “OK, this is going to be the last time.” And then, you know, of course it would come back. But I think at this point I had really started to see the damage that was happening to our relationship.   I could feel us growing close, growing further apart. I could see kind of Joanna and the confusion that she was having. And like she couldn't understand things.   She would ask me a lot of questions that I didn't have answers to. And so, I actually a couple of months earlier, we were at a worship service, and they had said like, “hey, if you are ready to give something up, if you feel like there's something holding you back, come forward and confess it.” And Joanna and I were sitting next to each other, and I remember feeling like the Holy Spirit just like pulling me to like get up out of my seat and I wouldn't move.   I was like, no, because she's going to ask me what I went down for. I'm going there's you know, there's a random kind of prayer partner at the front. I'm like, I'm not going and confessing this to some random person.   And so, I was ready. But I think like I said, I think there was no path forward. It was kind of confess this and everything stops and ends.   But everything like marriage ends, life ends. And so, when she when she brought this, it really did feel like God had kind of been answering a prayer that I've been praying of like, if you give me a way out, I'll take it. I'm desperate.   I want it to stop. And it felt like that. I think it was both this kind of terror and this hope that day.   And even when I said, yes, it was a little bit like, what have I done? Like, could this have been different? Should I have just gone and told someone else privately?   Right. But I think ultimately that it was out between the two of us and that we kind of knew it. We knew what we were dealing with made a huge difference.   But I mean, God had been working in my life, offering opportunities for so long. I just been saying no, no, no. And then finally, you know, I think my heart just broke and it was like, yes, OK, I'm ready for this.   Laura Dugger: (14:40 - 15:14) I love how the Holy Spirit equipped you with that humility and courage to be brave in that moment. And it's such a blessing for all of us to get to see the end or I guess not the end of the story, but you at this point in your story where you're thriving. And so, I hope that offers a lot of hope to people listening.   But let's also pause. And so, going back further in time, Matthew, this was the other part of my question. What was life and attachment and your growing up journey like?   Matthew Raabsmith: (15:15 - 18:09) Yeah, I didn't know that at the time. Right. I a lot of this I figured out in the last couple of years of recovery.   You know, if you would have asked me, you know, as I was growing up about my life, I would have told you I had the perfect family. I had the perfect life. I think I did not realize that some of the things that I was going through weren't perfect, were harder.   And part of that was because I think the way my family dynamic worked was we just swept everything under the rug. You know, whatever happened, we just kind of went, OK, and moved on from. And I learned to do that as a kid.   And that meant a lot of emotional chaos. There was a lot of physical chaos and kind of volatility in our house growing up. And even though I had parents who are still married to this day, have stayed together and have tried to create kind of a stable life.   There was a lot of emotional and kind of relational instability. We moved around a lot. And then once we started moving, I found myself more and more kind of isolated at school. I started dealing with bullying and some things that really kind of left me not knowing how to deal with the pain that I was going through. And so, my way of stuffing things under the rug was getting, you know, escaping, you know, kind of escaping into anything that I could. I watched a lot of TV.   I was a latchkey kid, so I would come home. I'd watch TV a lot in the afternoon and then TV kind of just turned to more and more. And I was exposed pretty young to pornography, actually at a church camp.   I was at a summer church camp. Someone brought a Playboy magazine, and I was exposed to pornography. And I kind of felt that high, that rush.   And that just became kind of a mode of my escape. Right. Of whatever I could do to engage sexually, whether with my mind or with others.   That's how I could get out of the pain I was in. That's how I could stop feeling kind of the chaos that I was having and not realizing that it was becoming this kind of adaptive habit, that it would just be this thing I would go back to more and more. And I grew up at a time that technology was still emerging.   So, I can remember when we got our first computer and no one was talking about safeguards or anything. And so, it was just kind of exposure. Here you go.   Here's everything you could ever want and don't need. And that really became my life. And the more and more that I did, the better and better I got at lying and hiding and even being kind of vulnerable in kind of fake ways.   I would mention things like, yeah, we all have this struggle. And even Joanna, I had told like, you know, that was a struggle of mine in the past, but I've moved on from it. Right.   I told myself and other people just kind of lie after lie after lie so that I could have really this double life. I could appear one way and then I could be acting a completely different way, kind of in the dark.   Laura Dugger: (18:10 - 20:41) Yeah. And that makes sense. I'm thinking back to two episodes.   We did one with a male, Sam Black from Covenant Eyes, and he speaks so much of the origins of pornography and that foothold that Satan gets. And so many times it is in childhood, unwittingly you're exposed and then what it can turn into. And then Crystal Renaud Day came on to share a lot of females struggle with this as well.   And so, I'll link to those if those are a help.   And now a brief message from our sponsor. 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For me, I had to figure out what had really gone on in my life and what was really happening.   Because, like I said, I had become such an expert at hiding from myself and others that I didn't really know how to live any other way. And so, I, you know, Joanna kind of handed me a list of everything this pastor had done. She was like, here you go.   Right. She kind of handed me that list and was like, good luck. And so, I dove in.   I went to a men's intensive. And I think that was probably one of the key places for me to tell my story for the first time. I really took a look at my life and had some people help me take a look and recognize the trauma that I had as a kid exposure that I had experienced and what that really meant to me and helped me understand what I was doing.   But also, kind of what I was doing to myself, how I was really kind of killing myself from the inside out and preventing myself from having the kind of relationship I wanted with God and other people. And so, that discovery was in really ways kind of invigorating for me. I felt like I was living for the first time.   I think I had started to kind of get out of this kind of burden, this fear of always being caught. I told Joanna kind of the history of everything that had happened in my life and our relationship. And so, I was feeling this kind of renewed sense of like energy and excitement of like, this is good.   I want this life. I want the life there that I'm not in constant kind of fear and in constant kind of connection to this thing I hate. And so, which is really different than what Joanna was experiencing.   Joanna Raabsmith: (22:30 - 25:07) Yeah. So, for me, it was very jarring in the beginning. Everything I thought was real came crashing down around me.   And that was especially jarring because I had left kind of the direction, the path that I was on. Right. We talked about our story earlier.   It included two months of dating, two months of engagement before we got married. And that also included me dropping out of law school, getting married and moving to California to pursue a ministry degree so we could work as pastors together or do something together. And so, in that moment, all of that came crashing down.   And I kind of was very lost, not just in our relationship, but in kind of what in the world am I even doing here? What am I going to do moving forward if he doesn't choose recovery? Right.   And so, just all of those question marks, all in that one moment of him answering that question affirmative. And so, so there was like that heaviness on one side and then on the other side was this relief of finally everything I've been experiencing makes sense. Right. Finally, I feel like I actually know what's going on. And because of that, there could maybe be a path forward for us as well. So, is this very, very weird dichotomy in that moment? And so, but I think I knew right away, like, I can't be vulnerable. I can't be intimate with him anymore. Right.   I have to step back in our relationship and wait and see what he chooses to do. Is he going to choose to do the work of recovery and get healthy and start to be honest and safe or not? And so, that's so we kind of did kind of there's some space for a very long period of time while we focused on our own individual recoveries.   And that, again, was a little bumpy for me. This is over a decade ago. And so, there is very little information about what partners experience.   We call it betrayal trauma, and that just wasn't a very common word at the time. And so, some of the resources I plugged into came from a more we would call it codependent, co-addict focus, which just really didn't fit. So, I struggled to find resources that felt like they fit for my journey.   But once I did, it all again, my own healing process started to make sense. And it was so like freeing and liberating to understand. Like, oh, OK, this is what I'm going through. This is why I feel this way.   This is what it looks like to heal and move forward. And so, kind of beginning that process was so important because then when Matthew was kind of in a healthy, safe place, I was as well, and we can start to step in towards each other on that kind of more couples' journey at that point.   Laura Dugger: (25:07 - 25:17) I love how you did that wisely, though, separate first, not rushing into couples at that time. Absolutely.   Matthew Raabsmith: (25:18 - 26:33) Appreciate you calling it wise. I think we were terrified. Yeah, we'll take God's help.   I think he was like, you guys just work on your own stuff for a while. And in some ways, like I said, it was we didn't know what we were doing. But I think we knew we wanted there to be a future between the two of us.   But we knew it had to be completely different in some ways than what we had before, which was scary because we liked what we had before. Like we had a really great marriage in many ways. Right.   There was this portion of it, this hidden portion that was really infecting and killing it all. But what we did have together, we didn't want to totally lose. It just was really hard to know, especially early on, what's going to come forward.   Like, who are we still going to be as we go forward? Are we still going to be a couple who does things together? Right. Who works together? Or is that all kind of going to have to be different? Is that the only way that we have kind of moving forward?   And so, that was that was probably the hardest part was having like this sense of like not wanting to lose us. We were like, if we lost that, that was going to be miserable. And I think a lot of our work was about how do we eventually reclaim this marriage that we want, that we love?   Laura Dugger: (26:34 - 27:04) Yes, because from what I'm sensing, you're friends with each other, you're on purpose or on mission with God. He did a course correction change, putting you on this path to help couples. But your desire to work together, it's like He still honored that in the ministry of reconciliation.   And I'm assuming abundantly blessed it beyond what you could ever dreamed up what we're doing now.   Joanna Raabsmith: (27:04 - 27:42) Right. It's been amazing to see what God has done, how he's used our story, which is so fitting because it was someone sharing their story that brought our healing. And I think because of that and it wasn't right away; it took some time to get to the place where we felt open to God using our story to bring healing to others. But we found as we stepped into that, that we have received such a blessing.   Right. And just being able to sit with other couples in that journey and see them go from that place of pain and confusion to this place of restoration and thriving. Like there is no better work that we could have imagined for ourselves.   Laura Dugger: (27:42 - 28:09) Love that. And really, you did have to pioneer a path. There weren't many resources at that time.   So, that's another reason I'm grateful you can share your story, because I hope it unlocks freedom for others. So, if we're turning more outward now and you're helping as you work with couples, how do you help them identify the difference between sexual struggles and sexual addiction?   Matthew Raabsmith: (28:10 - 30:15) Yeah, that's a great question. And I think that it really kind of exists on a spectrum. And so, everything kind of exists under what we call problematic sexual behavior or unwanted sexual behavior.   Whenever someone is acting in a way sexually that doesn't align with their values. And then the question is, is how often, how compulsive, right? How habituated, right?   How really embedded is that practice? Because the more and more embedded it is and the more and more that I continue to act on that, seeing the damage that it's doing, that's really what qualifies as the addiction. The addiction is when I know that this is causing harm and I and I feel that even though I want to stop it and I've tried to stop.   Right. I can't stop the 12 steps has a great line. They say addicts, you know, addicts have no problem stopping.   It's staying stopped. That's hard for an addict. Right.   And so, that's usually a sign that there's an addiction. And really what that means is that just means that I'm going to have to be even more kind of thorough and scrupulous in my willingness to change a lot. Because if I have built an addictive lifestyle, that means everything I do kind of functions to support that lifestyle.   Right. And so, my part of that was this hiding. I lied about everything.   I would lie about anything just to make sure that I was in control of the narrative. And so, for me, it was recognizing that if I was going to move forward free of my addiction, then it had to begin with honesty, with this kind of radical honesty and transparency and growing in that consistently, because that was the way that I manifested this addiction and kind of kept it going. And so, that's really what the addiction is about, is recognizing what are the kind of pieces in my life that are supporting this addiction to continue to exist?   And how is God going to dismantle those things? Right. And how am I going to be a part of that dismantling?   Laura Dugger: (30:16 - 30:33) That's well said. And also, I'm curious, are there any common life circumstances, whether that's nature or nurture, that are more likely to predispose someone to more likely have this struggle with sexual addiction?   Matthew Raabsmith: (30:34 - 32:30) I mean, there are, I think, you know, the things that we tend to look for are trauma and trauma comes in so many different forms. So, trauma is more it's rare that it's a single event. It's often more a kind of consistent occurrences.   As I mentioned, you know, I can't speak to kind of one event in my life that I say this was the traumatic moment in which everything changed. But it was more of the chaos. And so, I grew up in a family that could be really, really, really loving and incredibly encouraging and fun and silly and in a heartbeat switch into one that was verbally and physically just chaotic and terrifying.   And it was that chaos that kept me on edge. What it did was it created in me kind of a system of always wanting to be on high alert. And that would exhaust me.   That would kind of wear me out. And I would want to kind of numb that kind of feeling away. And so, I think those traumas, I do think early exposure.   Right. I mean, I was exposed early before my brain was ready to really understand what it was dealing with. And I think the third component that we often see is a low level or a kind of really a void of sexual education.   There was I'm sure I had a small talk with my dad at some point, but we were not talking about pornography. We weren't talking about bodies. We weren't talking about sex from a kind of healthy, good way.   I grew up in the church, and it was kind of don't do this until you're married and then you'll be fine. Right. That was the sexual education message.   And so, those things, right, trauma, exposure and lack of kind of education usually forms in someone a difficulty of knowing what they're doing, knowing that it's destroying them before it's really kind of gotten a deep hole.   Joanna Raabsmith: (32:30 - 33:20) I think like the brain. The brain aspect to when we talk about addiction, there are usually chemicals involved in addiction being formed, being created. And so, I think also co-occurring disorders, right, that emotional pain, also things like anxiety, depression, ADHD, where my brain really likes the dopamine it gets from sexual acting out. Right.   And you can actually need it to feel OK. That can also be a factor in kind of especially that addictive side of these behaviors. When my brain gets really attached to that dopamine release that it's getting because maybe I have some other things going on or I just have emotional pain.   I don't know what to deal with, how to handle it, how to regulate that in a healthy way.   Laura Dugger: (33:20 - 34:30) There's so many good points there. I'll just highlight one because there's a profound piece that you were talking about with early exposure to evil and the corruption of it is extremely harmful. And yet not being exposed to God's good design for sex and hopefully being coached by our parents, that is both of those play a part in the addiction. And so, I'm thinking even as we shift to think about parents, I know I've had parents come to me and just say, I don't want to talk about this with my kids.   I don't want to rob their innocence. And my approach is if God made it, this is good. We can talk to them.   You're not robbing their innocence when you're sharing the good age-appropriate parts of sex. And it's so great to be that first one to share with them. And I think it does the opposite of what we would expect.   We're afraid that that might make them hyper sexualized. But would you speak to that? Any encouragement for parents?   Matthew Raabsmith: (34:30 - 36:37) Yeah, it's tricky. I mean, even as parents, we've got kids and its still kind of navigating it. But I do think what it does is it lets someone learn the things they need to in the timeline they need to.   I think part of one of the things is that, you know, really good sexual education starts young. I mean, they start six and seven years old or even younger, just talking about our bodies. Right.   Because I think that's part of it. Really, this is about understanding the goodness of our bodies. This body was created by God, the maker of heaven and earth, and he called it good.   And so, I think part of a good sexual education begins with that. And then, what's really nice is once you've started the conversation, that means if your children are exposed or if they're presented with things that don't line up with what they've been hearing, they now feel safe to come and talk about that. Because that's really what this was about.   I didn't feel safe to talk about what I was exposed to, what people were doing. Right. And what people were encouraging me to engage in.   And so, you know, my parents would ask me how it's going. I would not tell them anything because it wasn't a conversation that they were having with me. And so, I didn't think it was a conversation I was going to have with them.   And so, that meant that as I found myself further and further away from my values, I felt like, who am I going to share this with? And so, part of having the conversation is it normalizes with our kids that this is OK to talk about, which is actually what adults need. I mean, part of our work with couples as adults, we have to get them talking about sex and body parts.   I mean, it's amazing to have 30, 40, and 50-year-olds in our offices and in our sessions. And they're so uncomfortable. Right.   They don't want to talk about sex. They don't want to talk about their bodies. They don't want to talk about what their bodies do.   Right. And we keep being like, this is God's good stuff. Right.   There is goodness here. But you have to begin by talking about it. Right.   Having these conversations.   Joanna Raabsmith: (36:38 - 37:54) I tell all the parents I work with, your kids are going to pick up a narrative about what sex is and what sexuality is, whether you want them to or not. And so, would you rather be the first person to step in and give them a healthy view, a healthy narrative to understand? Right.   And this is beyond kind of the nuts and bolts that everything our kids are learning. They're trying to find a deeper meaning. They don't think it's unconscious when they're young. Right. But they're taking it and they're going, what meaning does this have for me? How does this inform my self-worth, my view of my own value as a human in my body?   And how does it inform my experience of the world and my safety in the world? And am I empowered to make decisions? Am I connected?   Do I belong? Right. All of those questions are asking.   And so, as they're confronted with issues of sexuality, it's going to inform those things. And the world will not give them a healthy narrative about it. Right.   And so, being able as a parent to step in and give them that healthy meaning, that narrative, that understanding of their worth and their safety as they're piecing together kind of sexuality, again, at that age-appropriate level is so important.   Laura Dugger: (37:54 - 38:30) Guess what? We are no longer an audio only podcast. We now have video included as well.   If you want to view the conversation each week, make sure you watch our videos. We're on YouTube and you can access videos or find answers to any of your other questions about the podcast when you visit thesavvysauce.com. And I love that you're talking about this with couples you work with.   So, will you give us an overview of the intimacy pyramid that you actually wrote a book about and you teach to couples?   Joanna Raabsmith: (38:30 - 38:31) Absolutely.   Matthew Raabsmith: (38:31 - 39:15) Yeah. I mean, it was born out of our journey because, as you said, we wandered for a while and we felt a little bit like Israel, just kind of, you know, knowing that the Promised Land was out there, but never really feeling like we could find it. And when we started to piece together, I think the kind of relationship that we had dreamed of reclaiming, we really ask ourselves, how can we make this a more direct, a simpler process, not just for couples who went through what we went through, but really for any couple who's hungry for this, for the couple like us when we were first starting.   It really wants an amazing marriage. And so, we really focused on a kind of simplistic idea of what are the core kind of foundational levels of building really healthy intimacy.   Joanna Raabsmith: (39:16 - 40:10) Yeah. So, the intimacy pyramid, it's actually a triangle. There's a visual that goes along with it.   So, if you imagine the different levels of the triangle, very similar to Maslow's hierarchy of needs, starting at the bottom, you have to start with honesty. And so, we definitely experienced that reality in our own relationship. Right.   This is something we learned from Couples in Betrayal, but like Matthew said, we realized this is where every couple starts. Am I willing to be fully open, fully honest and transparent in this relationship? Am I being my authentic self?   Right. And after that level of honesty, that's when we start to build safety. And that has to do with our ability to communicate in really healthy, constructive ways.   Even when it's hard, even when we're disagreeing, even when we feel like yelling at each other. Are we able to show up with that belief that we both have the same goal? We're trying to build something together.   Matthew Raabsmith: (40:10 - 41:57) And with honesty and safety, that's where we get to work on trust as a couple. That's that next level. And trust is where we start to be more partners, where we're really starting to kind of lean in, work together, kind of be courageous and saying, “Hey, this isn't just my life anymore, right?”   This is our life together. And as that trust is established, this is what allows for the incredible work of vulnerability. And there's been all these studies about vulnerability over the last few years and how important it is.   What we recognize, though, is vulnerability on top of nothing is actually really risky and kind of even dangerous. It's vulnerability that's built on healthy trust where we step in and we do share some of those deeper pains in those wounds, those fears. We start to really heal some of those kind of early traumas that we experience.   It's in that vulnerability. That's what allows a couple to be truly intimate. And it's when they've worked through each of these levels, what we find is these couples, when they reach this kind of this intimacy level, they're passionate about who they are as a couple. They love kind of their relationship itself. They have a purpose to it. They have a sense that like our marriage, our relationship exists for a reason, but they're also really playful.   They're silly. They're really kind of comfortable in their own skin. And it's those five levels really working together that allows them to experience a relationship that gives life. I think one of the things we know is that when God creates, it gives life. And so, God created marriage not to burden us, right? Not to kind of, you know, not even just to get us through, you know, kind of surviving life, but actually to bring more life.   Right. And not just life within the relationship itself, but life outside of it.   Laura Dugger: (41:58 - 42:22) Oh, I love it. And you're also working with couples. I've heard you speak before about the working on offering your spouse the gift of self-awareness. And so, what could couples expect? How do you actually work with them to grow in self-awareness and recognize things like the emotional process they go through in marriage?   Joanna Raabsmith: (42:22 - 43:48) Absolutely. So, awareness. So, in our book, we obviously detail the intimacy period much more.   And that's Building True Intimacy is the name of the book. But each of those levels we just walked through have different components that go into that. And awareness is kind of like one of the most important components of that honesty foundation.   So, we have to start with awareness and we can't really build anything if there's a lack of self-awareness. And so, when we work with couples, one of the first places we start is we kind of look at the past. Are they aware of what they've been through, what those experiences are, and how those experiences have shaped them into the person that is now in the present, showing up with their spouse.   Right. And so, once I start to have that insight from my past, from those experiences, how they shape me, I can better understand my present. What are the things that I feel and why do I feel those things in particular?   Right. And then when I feel those things in a relationship, and these are typically those kind of heavier, more challenging, more painful emotions. How do I respond?   How am I showing up? Because the reality is that all of us cope with emotional pain the same way we cope with physical pain. We go into fight or flight.   That part of our brain gets triggered and we respond with these kind of destructive relational coping behaviors that then hurt my partner.   Matthew Raabsmith: (43:48 - 46:22) Yeah. Like, for example, I told you about that chaos I experienced as a kid. And so, those would always happen around conflicts.   My parents would disagree about something. There would be some type of argument about, you know, and it could be anything where we were going for dinner or what color the curtains were. Right.   But it would create this chaotic environment. So, as I got married, the thing that I didn't like the least was any type of conflict. Joanna and I would get in when I could sense us disagreeing and we are both passionate.   We have opinions and we believe things and we get into this kind of disagreement and argument. It would freak my system out. And I didn't realize that because I didn't really know my past.   I didn't know what was going on. I would just really do anything to shut it down. I get angry and I try to get loud, or I just walk away in the middle of a conversation.   As Joanna was talking, I would just leave the room and my acting out was just a further manifestation of that kind of leaving the relationship. And so, part of my healing journey was to learn about my story and recognize, oh, OK, I can see what's happening. And what's really interesting is it still happens in our life today.   I've been in recovery for 12 years. I still feel the same things. Now it's more like when my kids are getting involved.   Right. And there's energy in the room and people are online. And then I go, oh, yeah, there it is.   There's my system again. It's starting to feel unsafe. It's starting to feel alone. And I know what it wants to do. It wants to get angry, or it wants to just shut down and walk away. And what's incredible is that we've learned the ability to see where we're at but also speak directly to that.   And so, what I get to do for myself now is I get to go, “OK, I know I'm feeling unsafe and I know I'm feeling alone. And I know I want to get angry to solve it, but it won't do it. But here's the truth. The truth is that I'm safe in God's economy. I'm empowered. I have an incredible partner in my life. I've never been alone. I've always had someone there for me. And Joanna is the perfect example of that.”   And that totally changes my sense of really kind of where I am. And it changes how I show up. I tend to be much more calm.   I ask questions rather than make demands. And it's that ability to kind of see where we're at and shift. That's just been such a game changer for our family and just for our own relationship.   We still have to work on it. You know, it doesn't always look that pretty. Right.   But when we do, it's amazing how different it goes.   Laura Dugger: (46:24 - 46:44) And then I just think of the generational impacts that has when people are willing to do the work. And so, if there's a brave couple out there who wants to seek their own help and healing, can you share where they can go for help, including the Raabsmith team and all that you have to offer?   Matthew Raabsmith: (46:46 - 47:30) Yeah, you know, we would love them to connect with us because I think one of the things we recognize was having guides along the way. I mean, we had to figure a lot out ourselves, but we also had some really incredible guides, some mentors, some coaches, some therapists. And so, we always just say, hey, connect with us.   You can find us at raabsmithteam.com. We have a heart for couples who want restoration and reconciliation because that's what we're getting to live and experience. And what's cool is our whole team, they're couples who've been through this work, but who also have been professionally trained to help other couples to just continue to guide and to grow relationships so that they're thriving and they're kind of giving that life.   Joanna Raabsmith: (47:30 - 48:10) Absolutely. We also love to give out resources. And so, we have the kind of we call it the honest connection.   And so, again, if you're starting this journey or even this is for any couple who wants deeper connection, deeper intimacy, learning how to do that on a daily basis in small ways is so important. And so, we have a worksheet that couples can take and use. We're happy to provide that for them for free and kind of try this for 30 days and notice the changes that you experience in your relationship.   And so, that's a great starting point wherever you are in relationship to begin that journey of connection.   Matthew Raabsmith: (48:10 - 48:14) And you just go to raabsmithteam.com/free and that resource is all yours.   Laura Dugger: (48:15 - 48:26) Wonderful. Add links for that in the show notes for today's episode. And is this then for any couple worldwide, nationwide?   Can you work with people?   Matthew Raabsmith: (48:27 - 48:55) We have we've got couples across the world, which is really fun. It's been really neat just to see the way that God has used our work. One of the things when we first started this journey, we started getting couples calling us saying, “Hey, I don't have anybody in my area that specializes in this, that understands this journey. Can I work with you?” And so, we kind of felt a calling to say we want to make sure that we connect with people wherever they are. And so, absolutely.   If you can hear our voice, you can work with us.   Laura Dugger: (48:55 - 49:14) I love that. And just as a little bonus practical tip, you kind of mentioned being proactive to thriving in marriage. Is there any encouragement that you could share or a specific practical tip that anybody could start to incorporate if they want to take their marriage to that thriving level?   Matthew Raabsmith: (49:15 - 50:12) Yeah, I think just the ability to slow down. We have a  nine, seven and six-year-old. We own our own business, and we like life and life can get incredibly fast.   And I think what we have found is when, as I was mentioning, when I learned the ability just to slow down, even if I don't fully just know myself slowing down and checking in, just where am I at right now? Where's my heart? Right. Where do I want to be?   I think I realize that so often my values and my actions aren't aligned when I'm moving too quickly. I'm not being the person that I want to be. And we see that in so many couples. We meet so many couples and there are two really great people who have a hard time working together. They have a hard time kind of being a team.   And it's usually because they're working so fast. They don't realize they're kind of working against each other. So, slowing down, I think, is such a big thing.   Joanna Raabsmith: (50:12 - 51:18) Another piece that's, again, really easy to start right away. A lot of couples we work with, and I think probably even us when we start a relationship, was there were two individuals in a relationship, and it was kind of either me or you. And starting to understand there's this third thing between you, the relationship. There's a third almost entity that really needs care. It needs nurture. It needs you to focus on its needs from time to time.   And so, beginning to approach the day, even approach conversations with this question of like, what does our relationship need right now? And even as you're trying to make decisions, what is the way we can decide this in a way that's good for our relationship or what decision benefits our relationship rather than does it benefit you or me? Because when you get into that struggle, it can become a competition.   It can become transactional really quickly. So, starting to ask that question, starting to talk about the needs and caring for the relationship very intentionally can be a way to shift that.   Laura Dugger: (51:20 - 51:38) Thank you for sharing that. I think that leads into my last question, because you already know we're called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so, as my final question for both of you, Matthew and Joanna, what is your savvy sauce?   Matthew Raabsmith: (51:39 - 52:22) I kind of mentioned this, but I think it's the willingness to be honest. I was so willing to lie to myself and kind of really hide from other people. And I didn't even know that I was doing it.   But as I have learned to be more honest in really kind of healthy ways, right. You can dump, you can whine, you can complain, you can get angry. But truly being honest meant just looking at what I was feeling and trying to kind of figure that out and name that.   As I have learned that ability to be honest with myself and with others, it has just opened up a new world of possibilities. And it has shown me how many people care for me; how much God cares for me. So, I think that honesty is something I just want to practice more and more every day.   Joanna Raabsmith: (52:22 - 53:30) I think for me, just in my own journey and working with so many partners, that importance of being able to make empowered decisions in my life. Right. That I am really intentionally choosing the direction I'm going in life.   Realizing that instead of going into this more helpless, powerless victim stance is such a difference. And really the only thing that changes a lot of times is mindset. You don't have to overhaul your entire life.   Right. You have to add in like four hours of self-care and all of these things. But starting to shift that mindset into, wait, I have power in the decisions I make.   And one of the ways that's really important to do that is growing that self-awareness. I cannot make empowered decisions if I'm not aware of where I'm at emotionally, physically, spiritually. Right.   If I'm not aware of my needs on a regular basis. And so, slowing down to check those things in, sometimes even multiple times in the day if you're not used to that. So, you're more connected to yourself, to what you need, what you want.   So, you can start making those empowered decisions.   Laura Dugger: (53:32 - 54:00) I love that. It's just so enjoyable to host a very lively couple who's humble and you've done your work. And then you're willing to share all this overflow of goodness with all of us.   So, I think my prayer is that the Lord would richly bless you for this open-handed generosity of wisdom and your story and experience that you've shared with us and modeled for us today. So, thank you to both of you for being my guest.   Joanna Raabsmith: (54:00 - 54:03) Thank you so much. It's a joy being here.   Laura Dugger: (54:05 - 57:47) One more thing before you go, have you heard the term gospel before? It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you, but it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there's absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So, for you and for me, it means we deserve death, and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior, but God loved us so much. He made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life. We could never live and died in our place for our sin.   This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus. We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished. If we choose to receive what he has done for us, Romans 10:9 says, “that if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”   So, you pray with me now. Heavenly father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you.   Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life? We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus name we pray.   Amen. If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me. So, me for him, you get the opportunity to live your life for him.   And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason. We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So, you're ready to get started.   First, tell someone, say it out loud, get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes and Noble and let me choose my own Bible. I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it.   You can start by reading the book of John. Also get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ. I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you.   We want to celebrate with you too. So, feel free to leave a comment for us here. If you did make a decision to follow Christ, we also have show notes included where you can read scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “in the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

We believed we were the generation that would never experience death. We also were moon walking, wearing leg warmers, dressing like the guys in Miami Vice or RATT. If you dodged Satan, the Smurfs, led a 'double life,' know all the words to Purple Rain and still knocked on doors Saturday mornings... join us!TWITTER: @exjwpodcastINSTAGRAM: survivingparadisepodcast

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This wasn't Israel's first catastrophic failure. If you want to know what God's going to do with His chosen people now that they have unchosen Him, just leaf backwards in your Bible to one of the many times it happened in the past. Paul is doing that in Romans 9. He picks a couple of scenes from the life of Moses to show that God is sovereign in His mercy, and God is just in His sovereignty. Here's Jim with the final part of his sermon, Can God be Trusted? Listen to Right Start Radio every Monday through Friday on WCVX 1160AM (Cincinnati, OH) at 9:30am, WHKC 91.5FM (Columbus, OH) at 5:00pm, WRFD 880AM (Columbus, OH) at 9:00am. Right Start can also be heard on One Christian Radio 107.7FM & 87.6FM in New Plymouth, New Zealand. You can purchase a copy of this message, unsegmented for broadcasting and in its entirety, for $7 on a single CD by calling +1 (800) 984-2313, and of course you can always listen online or download the message for free. RS12012025_0.mp3Scripture References: Romans 9-11

It's time to ring ting tingle in the season. We start this year with a parody of the all the Hallmark Christmas movies that was actually produced under the Hellmark banner for SyFy channel. Holly accidentally kills her parents with a letter to Satan as a child and moves to the big city as an adult. When her big city job brings her home for the holidays, will she find the man ... men ... man and open unicorn lesbian couple of her dreams? Or will her bah humbug nature repeat the same mistakes and allow the dark lord of lies give the gift of death to the entire town?   Find Us Online- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/halloweenisforever/ Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/halloweenisforever Twitter: https://twitter.com/HallowForever Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@halloweenisforeverpod Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HalloweenIsForeverPod E-Mail: Halloweenisforeverpod@gmail.com

If you or someone you know finds herself in a relationship crisis, how do you navigate the pain—a pain of lost dreams and expectations for yourself but also for your children? You need courage that's for sure, and hope in a God who will never let your down even when you feel like all hope is lost. Jody Allen writes: “Jesus doesn't care about our track records or our reputations – he's all about redemption.” Today we welcome, Jody Allen, mom to young adult twins, Director of Women's Ministry at her church, and author of Hidden Heartache: Finding Courage When Your Husband Struggles with Pornography Some gems from our conversation: Shame can trick us into believing that silence is the best way forward. Being honest with God doesn't make you less of a Christian, it makes you a more genuine Christian. To know that Satan was on the attack helped provide more compassion and gave me perspective that he was the real enemy we were dealing with.  To forgive someone comes with guardrails; we can forgive but it doesn't mean we can entrust ourselves to them like we can fully trust God. Proverbs 3:5, "to not lean on my own understanding" helped me move forward when I couldn't understand the pain and betrayal of a world that celebrates and rewards pornography. Shame is a liar and tells me that my legacy of living a kingdom life is tarnished. When I hear anothers woman's story, I listen with love and empathy because I have felt her hurt and experienced her shame.  You can find Jody and all her free resources at jodyallenwrites.com And the feelings wheel she mentioned can be found HERE.   Leave a comment to be entered in a giveaway.   

Who would you say that people in our culture worship?  It may be the political leaders whom they believe will make our country better.  Maybe it's the technologists who are making our lives easier.  A lot of people worship movie stars, or rock stars, or star athletes.  Some just worship their own prosperity and popularity. Today, Pastor Mark describes an incredibly glorious creation of God.  Surely, this “being” would be happy to be in the place God had put him.  But no, Satan wasn't satisfied.  He wanted equality with God.  You might want to thank God that He didn't make you more awesome than you are.  It might not have turned out much better.

In today's sermon, Pastor Snook leads us in a study of Revelation 20, a chapter in God's Word that pulls back the curtain on the Millennium—a golden age we've all dreamed about but never experienced. This passage walks us through an astonishing timeline: from the church age we're living in right now, through the coming rapture and tribulation, to Christ's second coming when His feet will literally touch the Mount of Olives. But here's what makes Revelations 20 so gripping: Satan himself will be chained and thrown into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, removing one of our three great enemies (the world, the flesh, and the devil) from the equation. This isn't just ancient prophecy; it's a call to examine our own hearts today, to live with anticipation of Christ's return, and to share this hope with a world that desperately needs it.

If you ever feel like you're not good enough for God- not clean enough- not worthy enough- to stand in His presence, let me just tell you- you're right.In fact, we're going to see today that the holiest man in all of Israel was in the same boat. He stands before God absolutely filthy, and Satan is standing by to point out every last one of his flaws.But also in this passage we're going to study today- the fourth of Zechariah's eight night visions- we will observe one of the clearest previews of the Gospel that you'll find anywhere in the Old Testament.Learn all about it today on the God and His Prophets podcast.Watch these episodes at my Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@LukeTaylorPodcastsNeed to get in touch with me? Reach me at GodAndHisProphetsPodcast@gmail.comIf you're looking for a Bible study podcast that goes deep into the major and minor prophets, God and His Prophets offers a verse by verse Bible study through these powerful Old Testament writings. Each episode explores the prophecy in the Bible, from the Book of Ezekiel study and later in Zechariah, helping listeners in understanding prophetic books and seeing their relevance today. We also connect the prophets' words to end times Bible teaching and highlight connections to Revelation, giving you a Christian Bible commentary that equips you for spiritual insight and growth.

Reading the Bible can be confusing. After all, it is an ancient book of a collection of writings by about 40 people over a 1500-year span that details the plan of God through history, prophecy, parables, laws, observations and life guidance teachings. Some of the accounts of specific individuals featured in the Bible can come across as shrouded in mystery. Such is the case with the ending of the lives of Enoch, Moses and Elijah. The accounts of the deaths of these three faithful men can bring more questions than answers. What really happened to them? Was Enoch taken up to be with God? Why was the body of Moses hidden, and why did Satan seem to want it? Did Elijah really go to heaven in a fiery chariot? Moses and Satan Moses' death is recorded in Deuteronomy 34, where God Himself buried him in an unknown location. While this seems to be a very clearly stated end of his life, Jude 1:9 adds the unusual detail of Michael the archangel disputing with Satan over Moses' body, possibly to prevent the people of Israel from idolizing it. Elijah the prophet Elijah's departure in 2 Kings 2 is often misunderstood. Though taken up by a whirlwind with fiery chariots present, the Hebrew word for “heaven” often refers to the sky rather than God's dwelling place. Jesus' statement in John 3:13 confirms that no one ascended to God's heaven before him. Elijah may have been removed from prophetic service or died, but he was not taken to God's abode. Both Moses and Elijah appeared in The Mount of Transfiguration (Matthew 17, Mark 9, Luke 9) vision. This vision was NOT a literal resurrection of Moses and Elijah, as the Bible clearly defines death as the absence of life on any level. Jesus alone was transfigured, while Moses and Elijah symbolically represented the Law and the Prophets, pointing to Christ as the centerpiece of God's plan. Enoch "translated" Finally, in relation to Enoch, “God took him” (or "translated" him according to the King James Version). While many notions exist about Enoch never dying, careful reading of the scripture texts in question reveal that he did die and likely didn't know his death was coming. Examining these fascinating narratives reveals the allure of creating drama where there is none, as well as the dangers of scriptural misinterpretation. Instead of being imaginative, let's rely on the fact that God is in complete control of everything we simply don't know!

This Christmas sermon traces the theme of redemption from its first promise in Genesis 3, demonstrating that Christ's coming was purposeful and prophesied from humanity's fall. Pastor Joe Fant establishes that before we can accept a rescuer, we must recognize our need to be rescued. Through the account of the fall, four critical needs for a redeemer are revealed: the need for accurate revelation of God's word in a world that twists truth, the reminder to walk by faith rather than sight, the necessity of God seeking us out when we hide in sin, and the reversal of the curse that affects all creation. The sermon culminates in the promise that the Redeemer will conquer Satan, provide protection through covering (symbolized by God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skins), and give eternal life through death. Multiple shadows of grace appear throughout Genesis 3, including God cursing the ground rather than humanity directly, God seeking out Adam and Eve rather than abandoning them, and God preventing eternal life in a sinful state by removing access to the tree of life. The message connects the manger to the cross, showing that the Christ child came with the specific purpose to seek and save the lost. Key Points: We need a redeemer to accurately reveal the word of God, as both Satan and humans twist Scripture to their own ends We need a redeemer to remind us to walk by faith and not by sight, as sin promises satisfaction through what we see but delivers only consequences We need a redeemer to seek us out, because left to ourselves we will continue running from God and trying to cover our own sin We need a redeemer to reverse the curse that affects all creation, bringing pain in childbearing, toil in work, and ultimately death The promised redeemer will conquer Satan (crushing the serpent's head while having his heel bruised) The promised redeemer will provide protection through covering (pictured in God clothing Adam and Eve with animal skins requiring sacrifice) The promised redeemer will give life through death (God's mercy in preventing eternal life in a sinful state) Sin produces hiding, fear, and shame—emotions leveraged by Satan but never used by God for good Grace appears throughout the fall narrative: God curses the serpent and ground but not humanity directly, dialogues with his children, and protects them from eternal sinfulness Scripture Reference: Genesis 3 (primary focus—the entire chapter) Genesis 1:26-27, 31 (creation of humanity in God's image) Genesis 2:15-17 (the command regarding the tree of knowledge of good and evil) Luke 19:10 (the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost) John 1 (Jesus as the Word) Hebrews 1 (Jesus as the exact imprint of God's nature) John 3 (Nicodemus and the need for new birth) James 1 (each person's own designer lust) Isaiah 61 (being clothed in righteousness) 1 Timothy (creation order and gender roles)

Life is full of squalls—sudden unannounced and unexpected storms that can lead us to question if God is in control of our lives. Death, sickness, unemployment, broken relationships, fears and failures are some of the troubles Satan uses to swamp us with doubt, usually when we're already stressed and exhausted.How do you respond when you're hit with the squalls of life? Are you like the disciples in Mark 4 who wondered why Jesus slept while their boat was sinking, or do you believe God is in as much control when He's seemingly asleep as when He's obviously awake? Do you pray, “Don't let there be another squall”? Or do you see storms as part of God's plan for your life?Teaching from the Gospel of Mark, Jill Briscoe addresses the issues of suffering and faith, challenging us to examine our beliefs in God in the midst of trouble. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1141/29?v=20251111

«Por tanto, es necesario que prestemos más atención a lo que hemos oído, no sea que nos extraviemos» (Hebreos 2:1) A todos nos ha sucedido. Ponemos un poco de la Palabra de Dios en nuestros cinturones espirituales. Obtenemos algunas victorias. Por primera vez en muchos años nos va muy bien en la vida. Pero, de pronto, nos desviamos del camino y nuestro mundo se derrumba, y tenemos que comenzar otra vez. Eso fue lo que le sucedió a los creyentes de quienes se habla en la carta a los Hebreos. Habían avanzado tanto en la vida espiritual que ya podían ser maestros. Pero con el tiempo se desviaron tanto del camino que fue necesario volver a alimentarlos como a bebés de pecho (lee Hebreos 5:12). ¿Qué fue lo que los hizo tropezar de esa manera? Ellos dejaron que otros asuntos se interpusieran en el camino de la fe. Dejaron que se les olvidaran las promesas de Dios. Por esa razón se desviaron. Esto mismo le ha sucedido a multitud de creyentes en los últimos años. "Bueno, hermano Copeland —dicen algunos—, estamos cansados de este asunto de la fe. La verdad es que no tenemos tanto tiempo para permanecer en la Palabra". Esos creyentes se han olvidado de las promesas de Dios. No es que hayan dejado de creer en ellas; están más interesados en otras cosas. Han bajado mucho su nivel de conocimiento de la Palabra, y ya que un nivel bajo de Palabra equivale a niveles bajos de fe, pronto empezaron a sufrir derrotas en áreas de su vida donde antes habían triunfado. No dejes que eso te suceda. Cuando las cosas vayan bien, no sólo disfrutes las bendiciones de Dios, sino que también profundiza en lo que Él tiene para ti. Presta más atención a las promesas de Dios, concéntrate en seguir adelante y en fortalecerte espiritualmente, no sólo para que te sea suplido lo que necesitas, sino también para ayudar a los demás en sus necesidades. Recuerda: Un nivel bajo de la Palabra = un nivel bajo de fe = tropiezo. No te distraigas tanto disfrutando las victorias presentes, para que mañana no termines en derrota. Examina las cosas que has aprendido. Presta más atención a la Palabra―no menos. Mantente avanzando de fe en fe y así Satanás y sus secuaces, en vez de tratar de hacerte tropezar, se lamentarán: "¡Oh, no, ahí viene otra vez ese hombre de fe tras nosotros!". Lectura bíblica: Hebreos 5:11-14, 6:1-12   © 1997 – 2019 Eagle Mountain International Church Inc., también conocida como Ministerios Kenneth Copeland / Kenneth Copeland Ministries. Todos los derechos reservados.

"The only proper response to them is no response!" Or is it? A look into selective debate engagement and the people who fear it. Also, two recent examples of channels desperate to name-drop the Church of Satan for rage bait, and the end result. Support Satansplain: https://satansplain.locals.com/support  00:00 - Intro 01:43 - "Don't respond to trolls! Ever!", they say 05:00 - No, there are sometimes good reasons: 1) Wrath 09:29 - 2) It's fun 10:28 - 3) Sharpening the Intellect 11:54 - 4) The audience 15:19 - Further thoughts 23:37 - Lisa Barlow's tequila and Church of Satan Magister David Harris's reply 29:37 - Satanecdote: LibsofTikTok stupidity (no, we're not located in Canada)

Episode Highlights (with Timestamps)00:00 – Cold open & introClassic BLC intro voices, goofy movie-style quotes, and the announcement that this is episode 215 of the Black Lincoln Collective Podcast.00:01:05 – “Christmas Bloopers 8” & LaserDisc nonsenseThey joke about a fake Christmas blooper reel coming out on LaserDisc in 2026 and clown on themselves for having a ridiculous back catalog.00:03:00 – “The stars are moving!” – Starlink storyOne of the guys tells a story about his cousin freaking out because the stars are “moving,” only for it to turn out to be a long train of Starlink satellites crossing the sky.00:04:30 – Explaining Starlink & space trainsThey break down what Starlink looks like from the ground, how fast it seems to move, and how easy it would be to mistake it for alien activity if you didn't know better.00:05:35 – Kids & the end of the worldHis 8-year-old declares it's the end of the world, and the crew riffs on how calm adults pretend to be while secretly just thinking about turkey.00:06:50 – “It's Christmas time, guys”The gang hard-pivots from turkey to Christmas, joking about killing the Thanksgiving turkey and moving on to Christmas geese, dolphins, and holiday mascots.00:06:55 – Return of the Christmas dolphin “Porpoisee”They bring back the bit about “Porpoisee the Christmas dolphin/reporter,” teasing that he's supposed to come on the show to suggest holiday gifts.00:07:50 – What do you really want for Christmas?The hosts admit nobody's actually going to buy them what they want, leading to a “big bag of…” joke and some delightfully inappropriate laughter.00:08:45 – Satan shows up for ChristmasSatan (a recurring character/voice) crashes the episode, promising to bring “peace around the world” in his own very questionable way.00:09:50 – Evil gift ideas for everyoneSatan begins listing gifts “for everyone” that are really just elaborate pranks, insults, or emotional traps disguised as presents.00:10:35 – The ring box fake-outHe pitches the cruel idea of giving a woman a fancy ring-sized box with absolutely nothing in it—one of the most evil prank gifts they discuss.00:11:45 – DNA tests & awkward family revealsMore “gifts” like surprise DNA tests to make sure someone's really a citizen or a funnel labeled “My First Love,” leaning hard into chaotic evil humor.00:15:00 – Batteries with no toy / toy with no batteriesThe group riffs on giving someone a vibrator with no batteries or a big pack of batteries with nothing to use them in, escalating into jumper cables and ridiculous visual gags.00:18:55 – Decorating Hell for the holidaysSatan describes decorating Hell with “jingle balls,” streamers, and popcorn strings made the most annoying way possible, turning Christmas décor into punishment.00:19:58 – Favorite Christmas carol & Carole BaskinWhen asked about his favorite carol, Satan names “that bitch Carole Baskin,” then they spin off into jokes about metal vs traditional Christmas music.00:20:40 – Trans-Siberian Orchestra = Devil's Christmas bandThey declare Trans-Siberian Orchestra to be the official soundtrack of Christmas in Hell and joke about their tour being orchestrated by Satan.00:24:00 – Phones, temptation & modern “sins”Satan points out that everyone's scrolling through “ass and titties” on their phone, arguing that basically everyone is low-key working for him.00:28:45 – Back from break: holidays vs burnoutAfter a break, they talk about getting burned out on holiday vibes, why Thanksgiving deserves respect, and how they personally ramp into Christmas season.00:30:10 – Variety's Top 100 Comedy MoviesThe crew introduces Variety's list of the “100 Greatest Comedy Films of All Time” and sets the rules: they won't cover all 100, but they'll argue about the top picks.00:31:00 – Guessing & reacting to the top 10They try to guess the top entries and discover films like Groundhog Day, Young Frankenstein, Fargo, Duck Soup, and Monty Python and the Holy Grail in the upper rankings.00:36:00 – Mockumentaries & Waiting for GuffmanThey talk about the era of mockumentaries, mention Waiting for Guffman, and debate whether it belongs that high on a greatest-comedies list compared to things like Best in Show.00:37:20 – Chaplin, The Great Dictator & classic comedyCharlie Chaplin's The Great Dictator comes up, leading to quick talk about his style and how older films stack up against modern comedy.00:38:05 – #1 greatest comedy: The Naked GunThey reveal Variety's number one pick, The Naked Gun, and compare it to Airplane!, arguing which Zucker-style absurd comedy really deserves the crown.00:39:00 – Where's Airplane!? & other snubsThe guys complain about Airplane! coming in way too low on the list and mention other favorites and holiday comedies that didn't get the respect they deserve. #blcpodcast #podcastingforthepeople #funny #podcast #greenvillesc #scpodcast #yeahthatgreenville Listen at: https://americasfavoritepodcast.com Tweet the Show: https://twitter.com/blcworld Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blcpodcast/ Check us out on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blcpodcast/ Buy Fred and Allan Beer: https://www.patreon.com/blcworld