Podcasts about ephesians

What was an apostle? Do apostles still exist? Why does the ascension of Jesus matter? In this episode, Emma Dotter unpacks the definition, role, and qualifications of an apostle and why Judas needed to be replaced. Then, Watermark's Resident Theologian, Garrett Wikle, joins to explain the doctrine of the ascension, how it shapes our understanding of the rest of Scripture, and why it's significant forfollowers of Jesus today.   ADDITIONAL VERSES MENTIONED:  Ephesians 2:20; Acts 2:43; 1 Corinthians 9:1; Luke 24:50-53, 49; Matthew 26; 28; Daniel 7; 1 Corinthians 15:24-25; 2 Corinthians 5:10; Ephesians 1:20; 2:6; 4:8-11; Philippians 2:5-11; Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews; 1 Peter 3:21-22; Revelation 1; 4-5  RESOURCES FOR FURTHER STUDY:  Acts of the Risen Lord: https://a.co/d/bUChMSg  The Bible Project: https://bibleproject.com/videos/acts-1-12/ GotQuestions: https://www.gotquestions.org/apostleship.html   RELATED JOIN THE JOURNEY EPISODES:  - S4:263 – Introduction to the book of Acts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey/id1600151923?i=1000735019898  - S1:190 – How do I see the Spirit working in my life? https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey/id1600151923?i=1000580392361   WHAT IS JOIN THE JOURNEY?  Join The Journey is a realistic daily Bible reading plan that helps followers of Jesus at Watermark Community Church and beyond enjoy abiding in Jesus together.  Daily Bible lessons for adults: https://www.jointhejourney.com  Daily Bible lessons for parents and families: https://www.jointhejourney.com/jr/7957-what-is-real Weekly Bible podcast for kids: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/join-the-journey-junior/id1660089898   Contact the Join The Journey Team: JoinTheJourney@watermark.org  

Psalm 31:1-6 Psalm 130 Ephesians 4:26-27 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

Ephesians 2:8-10 | Thomas Vincent | Quiet Streams by Brock Hewitt | Lake George by John Frederick Kensett | Find more at www.ryanbush.org

Friends of the Rosary,Today, January 6, on the thirteenth day of Christmas, in many countries and dioceses, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord is celebrated, the manifestation and revelation of the Lord as the light of the nations and the affirmation of our universal salvation.The three Kings — the Magi — come from the East to adore and offer Him gifts.The Epiphany symbolizes our religious journey, following and finding Him in the Eucharist. In our earthly pilgrimage, we try to remove the many attachments in our hearts.St. Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians 3:2-3; 5-6, addresses the Gentile converts from Rome and reminds us of our great privilege of being called to the Christian faith. We are now God's new Chosen People; we are now members of Christ's mystical body.Christmas brings us a new light. Christ begins to enlighten and bless the world, and we share the Church's confidence and her liturgy.Come, Holy Spirit, come!To Jesus through Mary!Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.Please give us the grace to respond with joy!+ Mikel Amigot w/ María Blanca | RosaryNetwork.com, New YorkEnhance your faith with the new Holy Rosary University app:Apple iOS | New! Android Google Play• ⁠January 6, 2026, Today's Rosary on YouTube | Daily broadcast at 7:30 pm ET

In today's episode of How to Grow My Small Business, I'm joined by my friend Lissa Figgins from Redeem Her Time, and this conversation is for every woman who's ever said: “I don't have enough time.” Lisa calls herself an un-time management coach — because she believes time management isn't the solution… it's actually part of the problem. We talk about how hustle culture trains us to measure our worth by what we get done, why busyness becomes a signal to the people we love (“I'm not available”), and how God calls us to steward time — not white-knuckle it. This episode gets real. Lisa shares a powerful story about what her body was doing under chronic stress — and how it became a wake-up call that her “productivity” was actually costing her peace. We also talk about: ROTI: Return on Time Invested Why being a “business owner” can quietly turn into being a “busyness owner” The biblical difference between managing and stewarding  The 3 time shifts most people miss Why multitasking is not your superpower The question that changes everything: “What is it time for?” If you've been craving clarity, margin, and a better way to grow your business without burning out… press play. Christian time management, faith-based productivity, time stewardship, Redeem Her Time, untimed management coach, hustle culture recovery, burnout prevention, ROTI return on time invested, business owner vs busyness owner, multiply time, stewardship mindset, multitasking mistakes, Ephesians 5 redeem the time, parable of the talents time management, CEO time systems, women in business productivity Resources From the Episode Ephesians 5 “redeeming the time / making the best use of the time" ABOUT LISSA FIGGINS Lissa Figgins is a recovering BUSY-ness owner who UN-hurried her heart, finally letting go of her addiction to controlling time, multitasking, and always doing. Now her mission as a Scaling Strategist is helping busy Christian women business owners scale their revenue (+ results). Instead of just managing time, she teaches how to multiply the 24 hours you are entrusted each day so that time is no longer your biggest obstacle, but your greatest opportunity for growth! And most importantly she speaks the truth: YOU. HAVE. TIME. Lissa Figgins: https://facebook.com/lissa.figgins https://redeemhertime.com Free Resource: Scaling Secrets of the Top 1% https://redeemhertime.com/hours 

Jeremiah 31:7-14Psalm 147:12-20 Ephesians 1:3-14John 1:1-18Phil Aud+Second Sunday After Christmaswww.allsoulsknoxville.comAll Souls Substack865-214-6682100 W 5th Ave., KnoxvilleSundays @ 10:30amSupport the show

Chuck Proudfit -- founder of the ministry At Work on Purpose -- told us on a recent show, "to start thinking like a journalist..." What does that mean? And what exactly do journalists do? Well, they find where the story is, and then they join it! And like journalists, we, as Christ-followers, have the opportunity to find what God is doing and join him! Ephesians 2:10 in the Message Translation says, "God creates each of us by Christ Jesus to join him in the work he does, the good work he has gotten ready for us to do, work we had better be doing." Are you a spiritual journalist - seeking out God's story? Take a moment today and ask the LORD what he is up to in your office, in your home, or in your neighborhood. Then pray about how you how you can join in His good works! 

Thanks for listening! We pray you are blessed by this and that you experience the love and closeness of Jesus through it!Here's the scripture referenced in the message:Jeremiah 1:5Genesis 1:26-27 Genesis 2:18 1 Peter 2:9 Ephesians 2:19John 13:35John 17:21-23 Matthew 5:13-16 (NIV)Galatians 5:22-23First time or new here? Visit https://newlifetucson.com/firststepWebsite: https://newlifetucson.comChurch Online: https://newlifetucson.liveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/newlifebiblefellowshiptucsonInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/newlifetucson/Podcast: https://www.buzzsprout.com/2195491

This sermon explores the foundational nature of the church as revealed in Matthew 16:13-20, where Peter confesses Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of the living God." The message emphasizes that the church is built upon this confession of faith in Jesus as both fully God and fully man, the only Savior who can reconcile sinful humanity to a holy God. Pastor Joe Fant stresses that salvation comes through faith alone in Christ alone, not through human works or righteousness. The sermon challenges believers to understand their vital role in building God's church through witnessing, serving, and prayer, while maintaining confidence that no force of darkness can ultimately prevail against the gospel's advance. The message calls for practical commitment in 2026 to share the gospel, serve in the local church body, and devote oneself to prayer, recognizing that God uses Spirit-empowered human effort to accomplish His eternal purposes. Key Points: Jesus deliberately chose Caesarea Philippi, a pagan Roman city with false worship, to declare His authority and announce His church The world remains confused about Jesus' identity, but true believers confess Him as the Christ, the Son of the living God This confession is the foundation upon which Christ builds His church, and it comes only through divine revelation, not human reasoning The gospel is simple: God requires perfection, we are sinful, and only Jesus—fully God and fully man—could live perfectly, die for our sins, and offer His righteousness in exchange The gates of hell cannot prevail against the church; the gospel is an unstoppable offensive force, not merely a defensive position God builds His church through the Spirit-empowered efforts of believers who witness, serve, and pray Every church member has a responsibility to share the gospel, serve in the body, and commit to prayer The challenge for 2026: commit to sharing the gospel with two specific people in your sphere of influence Scripture Reference: Matthew 16:13-20 (primary passage) Supporting references: Genesis 3, Isaiah 53, Deuteronomy 5, Joshua 3, Daniel, John 1:1, John 3, Romans 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 12-13, Matthew 5-7, Matthew 18, Acts 2, 3, and 10, Colossians 4, Matthew 9, Luke 11, James 5:13

Top of 2025 // One of Our Most Engaged Episodes of 2025How can the Church live out the hope of heaven on earth? N.T. Wright joins Jason Daye to explore the powerful, unifying vision of Ephesians and what it means for ministry and life today.How can the Church embody biblical unity in a divided world and reflect heaven on earth by participating in God's redemptive plan?In this episode of FrontStage BackStage, host Jason Daye welcomes Dr. N. T. Wright, one of the world's foremost New Testament scholars and author of The Vision of Ephesians. Together they explore how Paul's letter calls believers to a renewed imagination of heaven and earth united in Christ, and how that vision shapes both our present mission and future hope.Dr. Wright shares practical ways he seeks personal refreshment, offers insights on the temptation to treat heaven as escapism, and reflects on how the Church can embody God's reconciling work in divisive times.They discuss:Why Ephesians offers a “visionary letter” for the Church todayHow heaven and earth unite in God's redemptive planThe difference between escapism and participation in God's renewalWhat true biblical unity looks like in a divided worldHow Scripture shapes leaders who live out the gospel in daily ministryThis conversation invites pastors, ministry leaders, and believers alike to see Ephesians not as distant theology but as a living invitation to join God's ongoing work of renewal, reflect His unity, and live faithfully in anticipation of heaven and earth made one in Christ.Dig deeper into this conversation: Find the free Weekly Toolkit, including the Ministry Leaders Growth Guide, all resource links, and more at http://PastorServe.org/networkSome key takeaways from this conversation:N.T. Wright on the importance of understanding God's grand story: "God's plan from the start was to sum up in the Messiah everything in heaven and on earth."N.T. Wright on the significance of understanding the Church as God's multicultural family: "The Church, from the beginning, was the original multicultural project."N.T. Wright on the importance of developing authentic, contextually grounded expressions of faith: "We need to develop styles of ministry, styles of worship, styles of prayer, lament, and praise, which enable us to take the whole armor of God."----------------Looking to dig more deeply into this topic and conversation? FrontStage BackStage is much more than another church leadership show, it is a complete resource to help you and your ministry leaders grow. Every week we go the extra mile and create a free toolkit so you and your ministry team can dive deeper into the topic that is discussed.Visit http://PastorServe.org/network to find the Weekly Toolkit, including the Ministry Leaders Growth Guide. Our team pulls key insights and quotes from every conversation with our guests. We also create engaging questions for you and your team to consider and process, providing space for you to reflect on how each episode's topic relates to your unique church context. Use these questions in your staff meetings, or other settings, to guide your conversation as you invest in the growth of your ministry leaders. Love well, live well, & lead well Complimentary Coaching Session for Pastors http://PastorServe.org/freesession Follow PastorServe LinkedIn | Twitter | Instagram | FacebookConnect with Jason Daye LinkedIn | Instagram...

“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” (Ephesians 1:4 NLT). In this message series, Pastor Rick walks through what the Bible says about God's love so you will know the depth of his love for you and let it change your life.The Bible says, “We love because he first loved us” (1 John 4:19 NIV). In this broadcast, Pastor Rick teaches why you have to begin with God's nature to be able to understand your life's purpose and calling. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1103/29?v=20251111

This five-day devotional is designed to help you begin the year with clarity, surrender, and intentional living. Rooted in Ephesians 5:15–17, each devotional invites you to slow down, seek God's wisdom, and align your life with His purposes through prayer, fasting, and reflection. Whether you're listening on the go or setting aside quiet time with the Lord, our prayer is that this devotional helps you live each day on purpose.

The Rev. Nick Lannon preaches a sermon on Ephesians 1 (in which Paul outlines the gifts God's adopted children receive), and Matthew 2 (in which wise men visit the baby Jesus). In Christ, God is for you and at work in you.

In "The Schemes of the Devil" based on Ephesians 6:10-12, Jon Harris urges believers to recognize the reality and danger of Satan, a deceptive liar and destroyer who blinds unbelievers and actively tempts Christians toward sin, division, unforgiveness, pride, and false beliefs, yet whose power is limited and ultimately defeated. While unbelievers remain helpless under his dominion and should fear him, Christians need not fear but must take him seriously, staying alert to his tailored schemes that exploit personal weaknesses through lies about others, self, God, and even Satan himself. Victory comes not in our own strength but by continually putting on the full armor of God (truth, righteousness, the gospel of peace, faith, salvation, the Word of God, and prayer), depending on the Lord's might to stand firm against spiritual forces of evil in ongoing spiritual warfare.Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/conversations-that-matter8971/donationsAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy

Submission is a topic that has often been fought over between husbands and wives. However, when God created the concept of submission it was not supposed to be a weapon. Let's discover the proper context of submission, and learn why God asks wives to submit and husbands to lead. __________ Ephesians 5:22–25 KJV, Colossians 3:18–19 KJV, 1 Corinthians 11:3 AMP, Galatians 3:28 KJV, Amos 3:3 KJV, Psalm 133:1–3 KJV, 1 Timothy 2:14 KJV, Genesis 3:6–7 KJV __________ Partner with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/partner Connect with Us: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com Leave a Comment: https://churchforentrepreneurs.com/comments __________    

Psalm 49 Revelation 4:11;5:9,10,12 Ephesians 2:3b-5 Prayer Requests to psp@sqpn.com

279. What if this ONE nutritional upgrade changes everything: An Interview with Sue Becker   Proverbs 14:12 NIV "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death."   *Transcription Below*   Sue Becker is a gifted speaker and teacher, with a passion to share principles of healthy living in an encouraging way.  She is the co-owner of The Bread Beckers and founder of the ministry, Real Bread Outreach, all dedicated to promoting whole grain nutrition. Sue has a degree in Food Science from UGA and is the author of The Essential Home-Ground Flour Book. Sue is a veteran home-schooling mom with 9 children and 15 grandchildren and 1 great-grandchild so far. She and her husband Brad, live in Canton, GA. Through her teaching, countless families have found improved health.   Sue's Instagram: @suebreadbeckers Sue's Website Sue's Podcast   Questions and Topics We Cover: Will you tell us about your professional background and share what led to a life-changing discovery?  In addition to helping us feel better, how can this swap also affect our weight? We are told gluten is the enemy, but you teach how wheat can actually be the cure, not the cause. . . Will you elaborate why even people who are sensitive to gluten can still enjoy this bread and experience greater health benefits because of it?   Related Episodes from The Savvy Sauce: 14 Simple Changes for Healthier Living with Leslie Sexton and Vasu Thorpe 26 Practical Tips to Eating Dinner Together as a Family with Blogger and Cookbook Co-Author, Rachel Tiemeyer 33 Pursuing Health with Functional Medicine Specialist, Dr. Jill Carnahan 129 Healthy Living with Dr. Tonya Khouri 205 Power of Movement with Alisa Keeton (Revelation Wellness) 212 School Series: Benefits of Homeschooling with Jodi Mockabee 256 Gut Health, Allergies, Inflammation and Proactive Solutions with Emily Macleod-Wolfe 261 Edible Theology with Kendall Vanderslice 270 Female Sex Hormones, Periods, and Perimenopause with Emily Macleod-Wolfe 275 Raising Healthy Kids: Free Tips with Emily Johnson   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   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 – 0:09)   Laura Dugger: (0:11 - 1:29) 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.   Have you heard about this one-of-a-kind experience, the Radiant Faith and Wellness event?   It's going to take place January 30th and 31st at the Cannery in Eureka. I hope you learn more or purchase your tickets on this website or check them out on Instagram at @radiantwellnessevent and make sure you stay tuned to find out what the code is so that you can purchase your discounted tickets.   Happy New Year everyone! I am so excited to get to kick off the year with one of the best episodes I can ever remember.   You are in for a treat today with my guest Sue Becker. She is going to enlighten us to the one achievable, easy-to-implement nutritional change that could change everything. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Sue.   Sue Becker: (1:30 - 1:39) Thank you so much for having me. It is a real honor to be able to share my story, share my message with others that can listen and hear.   Laura Dugger: (1:40 - 1:56) Well, it may be one of the times I've most anticipated this conversation, but I'd love to just start by going back. Will you tell us about your professional background and share what led to a life-changing discovery?   Sue Becker: (1:56 - 14:21) Yes, yes. Well, it's a little bit of a long story, but I'll keep it as brief as possible. So, I always say, many years ago, headed off to the University of Georgia as a pre-med student because I loved studying everything about the human body and I wanted to help people and save the world, you know, all the grandiose ideas.   But my big passion was physiology and biochemistry. I loved studying that. Got there and realized, you know, I don't really want to be in school that long and I don't want that type of career after I graduate.   I knew my ultimate goal was to be a stay-at-home mom and I was like, okay, so why am I pursuing this? But I loved the field of study. And so changed my major, got accepted into pharmacy school, spent a quarter there and went, this isn't really what I want to do either.   So then I was led by the Dean of Pharmacy School to the field of food science, which was an up-and-coming industry at the time. I focused my attention more on the microbiology aspect of it and after graduation, I worked for Kraft Foods for almost five years as a bacteriologist in the lab there. I met my husband at the University of Georgia, and we married, actually, our senior year.   And so then, like I said, after I graduated, I started working for Kraft until I had my first child. I did become a mom, for sure. I have nine children, seven biological, two we adopted later in life, ranging in ages now from 45.   My oldest daughter doesn't like me to tell that, but it's too bad. It's what it is. 45 to 29, I believe Olivia is.   Yes, 29. And then I have 19 grandchildren and my very first great grandchild was born just a few weeks ago. So that's been a real blessing and a treat.   But after graduation, because I loved studying, it's funny, I tell everybody I'm a much better student now than I ever was in college. It's funny how you love to study once you don't have to perform with tests and things. But I continued studying physiology, biochemistry, read the works of prominent biochemists of the day and kind of came at everything with believing that we're fearfully and wonderfully made.   Our bodies know what they need and if they're not getting something they need, then chances are we're going to see sickness or lack of health. So, I kind of came at everything from that standpoint. It might be a little simplistic, but I think it's a great starting place.   So, I focused on feeding my family healthy food, you know, supplementing when we needed to. I tell people I grew up Southern. I grew up in a family of cooks and not chefs, but we cooked.   We ate real meat, real vegetables. My husband and I loved to garden. We grew our own corn and peas and beans and tomatoes and all the things.   So, we were eating real food. But we weren't a sickly family for sure, not compared to what others were, but we still had our share, our fair share. And so, we clipped along like this and I, in 1991, because of my interest in physiology, biochemistry, I subscribed to a publication, a health journal.   And the first publication that came into my home was entitled, "How to Greatly Reduce the Risk of Common Diseases." In this journal, the history of white flour was presented. Now, this was very eye-opening information.   Maybe I need to back up a little bit. The food science is not a nutrition degree. It's not a home economic degree.   It's the study of food processing. Everything that has to be done to keep that food safely on the shelf. Something's great. Something's not so great. So, when I read this information, I was like, how did I miss what's done to our bread? Through my studies, I had always read that whole wheat flour was better, but I didn't understand why.   So, in this journal, the history of white flour was presented. All the processing that is done to make that flour sit on the shelf forever, never really. And this is, like I said, what opened my eyes.   I learned that whole grains, real whole grains are the most nutrient-dense food God has given us. But in that journal, I learned that only when they're freshly milled, do they retain all their vital nutrients. You know, like I said, I had read that whole wheat flour was better.   I was trying to buy the stuff in the store, but it was kind of gross, nasty, I say. Didn't make nice bread, certainly not fluffy muffins. So, kind of gave up on that, trying to make bread with the store-bought whole grain flour.   And so, we were just buying whole wheat flour from the store. But I learned in that journal, it's not really what you think it is. And I, so like I said, I also, as a food scientist, what was so enlightening to me, when I read that word enrichment on the bags of flour or the bread products in the store, I thought, wow, we're making this better than it would have been, had we not done this favor.   I soon learned in this journal that that was not a favor that food companies are doing for us. They replace in their enrichment, a mere fraction of the nutrients that are there. And of course, I learned that once the flour is milled, I learned, well, let me, grains are storable, left whole and intact.   They store fairly indefinitely. But once that flour is, once that grain is milled into flour, it begins to spoil. The nutrients begin to oxidize.   So this led to the invention of these huge steel rolling mills that would take out the very nutrient rich bran, the oil laden germ that was causing the spoilage of the flour and leaving only the endosperm part, which is the white flour, protein and starch. Wonderful discovery. This flour won't spoil.   It'll sit on the shelf forever. And like I said, it looked like a wonderful discovery. And this all happened in the late 1800s, early 1900s.   By about 1910, the steel rolling mills had completely replaced the local millers because prior to the 1900s, most of the bread consumed in this country was either milled at home or the flour was purchased from a local miller. The bread was made at home and it was consumed at home. But with this invention, steel rolling, the steel rolling mills displaced the local millers, white flour, white bread became food now for everyone, rich and poor alike.   And can you imagine every housewife going, yay, I don't have to mill my flour anymore. I'll never forget years ago, Brad's 93-year-old grandfather lived with us for a little while. And I was in the kitchen milling some corn for cornbread.   And he went like this from his chair. He went, "I milled a lot of corn in my day." So, you can imagine people were like, hallelujah, we don't have to mill our flour.   But what seemed like an amazing, convenient, life-saving discovery actually turned out to not be so great. Shortly thereafter, the steel rolling mills and white flour became food for everybody. Three diseases became epidemic.   Beriberi, which is a vitamin B1 deficiency, it results in nervous disorders. Pellagra is a vitamin B3 or niacin deficiency, results in GI issues, skin issues, dementia, mental insanity. And that one really interested me because I did some more research on that and actually found out that the first case of pellagra was diagnosed right here in Atlanta, Georgia, which I'm from that area, you know, this area where our store in Woodstock is 35 miles north.   That first year 30,000 cases were diagnosed. Then anemia was the third disease. This puzzled health officials all over the country. They're like, what in the world is going on?   Why are we seeing this outbreak of diseases? And at first they thought beriberi and pellagra were maybe some type of infectious disease. But eventually they traced it to the new white flour that was on the market and the missing B vitamins and iron minerals that were provided by the bran and the germ.   Because for all practical purposes, that's where your nutrients are. The endosperm, white flours, protein and starch, protein and starches that we need, but not without the fiber, the B vitamins, the vitamin E, the inositol, choline, the iron, the calcium, all those nutrients. And so, things kind of clipped along.   They went to the millers and said, you got to put the bran and germ back in because of all the sickness. But the millers were like yeah, no, that's not going to happen because they had found a very lucrative market for the byproducts, which is so often done now in the food industry. Byproducts of the milling process, the bran and germ were sold to the cattle feed industry, white flour to the people.   So they're like, yeah, we're not giving up that money-making market. So things progressed until 1948. And finally, health officials stepped in, the government stepped in and mandated, you've got to fix the flour, you've got to enrich it.   And that's where I discovered what a deceptive term that is for the 35 to 40, who knows really how many nutrients are lost when they take the bran and germ away. They only replaced it with four, three B vitamins and iron. And of course, B1, B2, B3 and iron.   Supposedly, this took care of the beriberi and pellagra. But I always have to stop here and say, how many nervous disorders do we have in our country today? How many, how much GI disturbances and bowel issues, digestive issues?   How about dementia, mental insanity? What about skin eruptions? I don't think it took care of it.   But anyway, they think it did. And then it would take 50 years, 1998, after watching the rising incidence of birth defects and understanding that it was the missing folate that is no longer in the flour, richest food source, or most common, most readily eaten food source of folate, bread. Who knew?   So, they mandated then that a fifth nutrient be added. And that was folic acid, which, let me stop there and say this, these are synthetically produced supplements, vitamins that are being added to your flour. And particularly the B vitamins, this can be very troublesome, because the B vitamins come as a family, they come as a group, they work together synergistically.   When you take one out of context from the other out of balance, it actually depletes you and causes you to have a greater need. We're seeing that now with folic acid and the development of MTHFR, the folate, you know, reductase gene mutation. So anyway, it's caused more problems than it's worth.   And I've always thought about the scripture Proverbs 14:12, I believe it says, "There is a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is death." And we can certainly see that. You know, and if that were not enough, now, we've, we've taken all this away, we produce this beautiful white flour, but the residual oils cause it some yellowing.   So can't have yellowing of that flour. So, they began to choose to bleach the flour and a product called nitrogen trichloride was used for more than 25 years to bleach the flour. It was finally taken off the market because they discovered that this nitrogen trichloride caused seizures in dogs.   Are you ready for this? Hyperactivity.   Laura Dugger: (14:22 - 14:22) Hmm.   Sue Becker: (14:22 - 29:18) When I read that information, it was in 1991. That was the beginning of the scourge of ADD and hyperactivity we're now seeing in our children today. And I couldn't help but wonder, you know, when I read that information, there was one little boy in my son's music class, you know, and, but now, wow, it's pretty prevalent.   So then another bleaching agent is benzoyl peroxide. It's known to destroy B vitamins and vitamin E. And let me just tell you this, grains are one of the, especially wheat is one of the most nutrient dense food groups. Like I said, but it's the, one of the richest food sources of vitamin E and no amount of vitamin E has ever been put back in our enriched right white flour.   So, we lost that source, but now we're using a bleaching agent that's going to destroy it and B vitamins. And then potassium bromate is often used as a dough conditioner. It helps strengthen that gluten structure to help get a better rise in the bread. It's known to cause liver issues and thyroid issues.   And this is what we were consuming. So, wow. Yeah.   Talk about my mind being blown, my eyes being open. And then the rest of the journal was a brief discussion of the common diseases that plague Americans and showed why it was directly related, how it was directly related to our consumption of the processed white flour, lacking the nutrients and the fiber diseases like heart disease, cancer, diabetes, diverticulitis, even varicose veins, skin issues, low energy. I mean, it just went on and on.   And from my, with my background, this made absolute sense. I knew it was scientifically sound, but it was also, it was a Christian publication. It was biblically sound.   And what changed my life here was like I said, always read whole wheat flour, better whole wheat flour, better, but I was buying the stuff in the store and even whole wheat bread in the store. Didn't really see a lot of difference in it. But this introduced me to the idea of an in-home grain mill, buying grain and milling my own flour.   That was life changing. I was like, this is amazing. I can do this.   Wanted a mill. My husband actually bought me a mill for my birthday in 1991. The mill came into our home.   I milled flour. I made bread. I ate bread.   It was delicious. It wasn't gritty. It wasn't heavy.   It wasn't dense. And I tell everyone I pooped the next morning and it was like, what just happened to me? So that was my life-changing experience.   First, first day, you know, my bowel issues were corrected. I had lifelong issues with constipation, struggled with it. Knew I didn't want to take chemical accidents.   So tried to do more alternative solutions, find those and they worked if I did them, but they were, I tell people they were outside of my, your realm of daily eating. You had to do something special. And honestly, sometimes I think we look at alternative methods, you know, supplementation or treatment for ailments that are afflicting us.   And we're not getting, still not getting to the root of the problem. My problem was I was not eating enough fiber. The white bread, the white flour was constipating me.   So this was the only change I made. I tell everyone I've not been constipated since 1991. I know you wanted to hear that, but, but then I had five young children by this time and I, I homeschool my children.   We were active in church and baseball and music lessons and all the things, you know, we were busy. I had nursing baby and, and I, but I'm telling you, when I started just adding this bread to our already real food, we were eating. I noticed significant energy.   Like I said, constipation gone right away. Then I begin to notice first week. It didn't take months.   I was like, wow, I have more energy. My frequent headaches went away. Also with my bowels moving, my chronic constipation went away.   I lived on antihistamines before bread since bread. That's another thing I can stand here and tell you. I've not had an antihistamine or a decongestant of any kind since 1991.   That's pretty amazing. I had frequent migraines, not had one since we started the bread. So those were, I've noticed my sugar cravings went away because now I was getting the real carbohydrates that my body needed and it's sustaining energy.   And then my children, I just noticed they were they were, they would eat and they were satisfied. They love the bread. They love the muffins.   They love the pancakes. It was healthy food. I didn't have to coerce them to eat.   No more snotty noses, no more ear infections for them. And that we just became a much healthier family. And they, my kids didn't necessarily catch every bug that came around.   And if one of them did get sick, didn't necessarily mean that all of us got sick, which a big family, that's, that's pretty significant, you know? And so it was just, and the bread was delicious. When I read that information about whole grains and, and, you know, how bad white flour was, I was, I was thinking that this freshly milled flour was going to be just like the store-bought whole wheat flour I was buying in the store.   And you can probably already tell I'm a very passionate person. So, I read this information. I'm like, we're never eating white bread again.   We're never, white flour's never coming into our house again. And if we have to choke this bread down, we're doing this, you know? Well, we did not have to choke it down at all.   The muffins, the bread, the pancakes, the brownies, cookies, everything I made was absolutely delicious. It was filling and it was satisfying. A lot of people would say, you must spend all your time in the kitchen when all my kids were home.   I'm going, actually, no, we eat breakfast and everybody's satisfied. Nobody snacks. And even my kids begin to notice how other kids snack all the time.   Not my kids, they would eat and they wouldn't eat till the next meal. And so, it was just very, very satisfying. So, I began to share my bread with everybody, bake bread for other people, take it here, take it there.   The next thing I know, so be warned, if you ever start milling and you make bread for somebody, they're going to ask you to make bread for them. So, I did start making bread for other people. And the next thing I know, they're coming to me and saying, my cholesterol dropped 85 points and all I changed was this bread.   You know, I feel better. I have more energy. And the lady with the cholesterol, she, I continued to make bread for her for a while.   And I always laugh. One of the favorite things she liked that I made for her was cinnamon rolls with cream cheese icing. And she said, I ate one after every meal and my cholesterol dropped 85 points in just one month.   And I always laugh. I'm like a statin drug with all kinds of side effects, cinnamon roll with cream cheese icing, you know, and she said, it was her testimony. She goes, "I knew it was the bread. I know it is the bread because three doctors, three different medications, three years, nothing has changed. And this is the only change I made."   So, I started hearing this. And of course, she told all her friends, the next thing you know, everybody's wanting me to make this cholesterol lowering bread for them, you know, and I'll never forget. By this point, I had had my sixth child, still homeschooling, still doing laundry, still baseball, church, all the things. And here I was making bread for my family and then making bread for all these people coming to my door.   And I was spending all day every day making bread and for others and myself. And I just got really tired, to be honest with you. And I was making this bread and a thought came to my mind.   And I just looking back now, I know God put those words in my heart and in my mind. That day, I had also had a few people ask me, would I teach them how to make bread? And where could they get a grain mill?   So the idea came to me, met my husband in the driveway. And I said, when he came home from work, and I said, you know what, I don't think I'm supposed to make bread for the world. I think I'm supposed to teach the world to make bread for themselves.   And that was the beginning right there. We sat down on the porch swing and talked about what we would call it. And I said, I want to call it Bread Beckers.   That's, you know, our, it's funny, we didn't know that at the time. But Becker is a German name that means the baker. So, it is bread bakers.   And anyway, so and, and it's funny, because at that point in 1992, my world was four people, four people had asked me about where they could get a grain mill, and what I teach them to make bread. And today, we, well, we, started our business right then in our home, took a little while to, you know, get everything. And we outgrew our home by 1998, what my husband and I and my children could do.   I mean, it just grew from the testimonies of other people. I mean, just like that lady when and then you get hundreds of people sharing different stories and passing it on, people, people start noticing. So we incorporated with a longtime friend and partner in 1998, moved the business out of our home, we're currently in this lovely 10,000 square foot warehouse, we moved here in 1999.   We have a nice studio kitchen, this is where all my cooking classes take place that we can seat 100 people and regularly we fill up classes like that. We have a lot of online classes already for people to view on our YouTube channel. But and then a few years ago, it's back in 2009, we acquired another warehouse because we are passionate about providing God's people with grain.   That first week here, like I said, customer base of four. A week after starting our business, getting all the license and all that really hadn't started getting anything, God woke me up and said that he was raising up Bread Beckers to be like Joseph to supply his people with grain. And I wrote in my journal that morning that it would be a tremendous thing.   And it would take a few months, we invested in a lot of wheat, we took all of our savings, this was before we incorporated, it was just my husband and I and our family and bought some wheat, you know, and had spent all of our savings. Well, I got a little nervous. And I woke up that morning after unloading all this wheat and writing the checks and seeing the money go out of the savings account.   And I'm like, I don't think the electric company is going to take a bucket of wheat, you know, for payment. So this was my fear. And I felt like, you know, maybe I was being deceived, maybe we were being misled.   And I just cried out to the Lord that he would speak to me and confirm to me that this was what we were supposed to do. And this is how I do it. I just cry out to the Lord.   And then I just go on with my regular Bible reading, not looking for something I could have gone to the story of Joseph because he had already spoken that to me. But my verse for the day in one of my devotionals was Proverbs 11:26. And it says "Cursed is the man who holds back grain when the public needs it. But a blessing from God and man is upon the head of him who sells it."   My husband took that vision. I know you talk about, I was like, what? I could hardly wait for Brad to get up. My husband, Brad, you know, I had awakened early because I was stirring and all just anxious and fearful. And the enemy was just coming at me.   And when I shared that all with Brad that he was sleeping next to me, not knowing that I was in all this turmoil. And he just looked at me and he goes, "Sue, I can think of no other verse that God could have given you to answer and your question and to calm your fears." And so he took it to heart.   So, we now have a second warehouse. It's 13,000 square feet. We are probably one of the largest grain packaging facilities in the southeastern United States.   We have hundreds. I don't know how many we're growing everyday co-ops all over the United States. And we bring in two semi truckloads a week.   I mean, I'm sorry, a month, which is actually a little bit more than that. It's about 190,000 pounds of wheat. That's just wheat.   Package it down into these great food grade buckets, plastic buckets. And we package it with carbon dioxide gas. So it's perfectly storable.   We can guarantee that it's bug free. You know, the enemies of grain are moisture bugs and rodents. So that's why we really firmly believe in packaging it all in buckets.   And like I said, we have probably 180 co-ops now. I don't know. It's growing every day.   We ship wheat all over the country, grain and everything we sell. So it's been a real journey and just a real blessing. And then I started a ministry called Real Bread Outreach.   We clipped along locally, kind of providing grain and grain mills for those who truly can't afford it. But then in 2016, God called me to Haiti. I made 15 trips to Haiti.   We built a bakery there. We trained up another team at an orphanage and they were making bread every day. So right now, in Haiti, it's an intense situation, but the bakery is thriving, feeding about 1,200 school children a day.   And then the other, it's about 150 orphans. Then we went to Tanzania in 2021. We built a bakery there, started a feeding program.   We've helped start a bakery in Israel that is ministering to the Jewish people. We helped train a bakery in Uganda and we've sent mills to missionaries in Japan and the Philippines and Nigeria and Kenya, just all over. And I'll close this part with this.   A few years ago, a friend of mine just, she did, she remembered, she said, "Sue, do you remember when you said to Brad, I don't think I'm supposed to make bread for the world, but teach the world to make bread for themselves." And I'm going to tear up a little bit looking back now, like I said, four people, that was my world. Today, it truly is the world.   And not just because of the internet, but because of where God has called us through our ministry. And it's a real blessing. So, my encouragement to everyone is do the small thing.   You never know where God's going to take you in years to come and how it's going to bless the world.   Laura Dugger: (29:19 - 29:21) So I think that was a lot.   Sue Becker: (29:21 - 29:22) I know.   Laura Dugger: (29:23 - 32:39) It was beautiful. And it makes me think of the verse, do not despise small beginnings for the Lord delights to see the work begin. I'm paraphrasing, but I love how much it has blessed the world.   And I remember the first time I heard you, I was trying to just picture what is a mill, but you literally just turn it on and you pour the grain in and it comes out as flour. It's so easy. And so we purchased our own.   After our conversation, I get to stick in our loaves in the oven. They're still rising right now. And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Radiant Faith and Wellness Event is a unique event designed to bridge the aspects of faith and wellness and to live as our bodies, minds and souls were intended and created. So come together with other like-minded women to receive Christ centered teaching on health and wellness, to nourish your body with good food and to renew your mind and help you shine radiantly. At Radiant, wellness goes beyond worldly standards of wellness and self-help.   So, from worship and inspiring speakers to guided movement, meaningful conversation, biblical teaching, every part of this event is crafted to help you reconnect and step forward renewed. It's the perfect time of year to experience something like this. Radiant is more than just an event.   It's actually a transformational experience and supportive community dedicated to helping women grow spiritually and physically. 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First, this may be a little unrelated, but even thinking of feeding people around the world or feeding our children, you mentioned, you know, a lot of times if your kids were picky eaters, you'd say, okay, ditch the bread and just eat the meat.   But because it's so nourishing and nutritious and that Jesus has given us this as a grace gift, this bread, you can ditch the meat and eat just the bread and get so much nutritional value.   Sue Becker: (32:40 - 37:32) Yes, that and that's funny that you bring that up because, you know, one of the things over the years of studying is of the 44 to 46 absolutely essential nutrients needed by your body for health and to promote life. There's only four slightly deficient or missing in wheat, vitamin A, vitamin C. So, God gave us another kind of food.   Remember in Genesis chapter 1:29, he says, “I've given you plants that bear fruit with the seed in them.” So that's our fruits and vegetables. That's where we get our vitamin A, vitamin C.   Then we get our vitamin D from the sunshine if we get out there and get some. And then B12, of course, is low or is not found in any plant product. That's I mean, plant food.   So, you have to get that from your meat, your red meats and things like that. But that's and so learning that you're absolutely right. When my kids were growing up and the bread was my little toddler, how she'd tell me she was hungry, she would say, “I want a roll with honey.”   That was what she wanted to eat. And I would take the meat off the sandwich. And before bread, it was eat the meat.   After bread, it was just eat the bread, you know, because I knew just from that. And I started thinking about when Jesus said, “Man does not live by bread alone.” He was quoting the Old Testament, but by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God, he was reiterating that you think you're living because you have bread and all the biblical, you know, so many of the biblical feasts, Passover and First Fruits, Pentecost, they're around the barley harvest and the wheat harvest.   Grain was a big part of their life and of their sacrifices and all that. And he was saying, you think you're living just because you have bread. But I'm telling you, there's a spiritual life that you have to feed as well.   So, yeah, that was a fun time seeing the change of my perspective of just eat the bread. And, you know, some days, you know, breakfast was typically a pretty big meal for us. Sometimes it would just be pancakes, but a lot of times it would be eggs and freshly ground grits and bread of some sort, muffins.   And then lunch might be muffins and a smoothie because we really weren't that hungry from the bread at breakfast and then dinner. We eat normal. People think we're weird eaters.   But, you know, like I said, I grew up Southern. So, we do country fried steak. We do pot roast.   We do chicken. We do brown rice, mashed potatoes, green beans. You know, we do it all.   And you mentioned something that was funny. When I first started, when I would take bread places, people go, “Oh, my gosh, this coffee cake is so delicious or this bread is so delicious. Can I get your recipe?”   And I'd go, “Well, yeah, you can have my recipe. But you've got to understand, I mill my own flour.” Two things they would always respond with.   And the first one they would go, “You do what?” And I would go, “I mill my own flour.” The second one absolutely intrigued me for years and years until I did a study on what grain mills, the local millers mills, you know, waterwheels and gristmills and ox treading out the grain.   But they would always say to me, “Where do you live?” And I think they thought I must have had a barn and an ox or I lived by a river to have the gristmill to power my mill. Now, you can see my little mill behind me.   It just sits on my counter. And you're right. Turn it on, pour it in, comes out flour in a matter of seconds.   And I tell people, it's really not any slower or more tedious than taking your flour canister out of your cabinet. And I realize we've deviated in this day and time from even using flour and baking things ourselves when we can go to the store and buy it already baked. But it'll change your life.   I have never seen one dietary change bring so many significant across the board, broad spectrum health benefits to myself, my family, and so many people now that share their testimonies with me. It's just been amazing, just absolutely amazing. And, you know, I always, my husband always likes for me to say, you know, in the 25 years of raising my children on this bread, we only had to take them to the doctor twice for an illness.   Twice. And twice on antibiotics. They needed it.   There's a time and place. Twice to the doctor for an illness. In 25 years, there are people and families that go to the doctor more than that in a week.   So, when people say I can't afford it or I don't have time, I'm like, wow, I can just tell you the life-saving and money-saving advantages are, it's hard to describe. So yeah.   Laura Dugger: (37:33 - 38:05) Yeah. And like you said, it's an enjoyable process. It is.   But also, okay, referencing one other thing, just thinking about these ailments. You had quoted, I believe a doctor just saying about constipation that is, and I don't want to botch it, so I'd love to know if you remember this, that most Americans is that three out of five suffer from constipation or even chronic constipation. And that, was it the number one cause of breast cancer and prostate cancer?   Sue Becker: (38:05 - 39:29) Oh, wow. Yes. I'd almost forgotten that.   Yes. I was listening to a CD that someone shared with me, and it was by an oncologist. And I still remember, I would listen to things as we began to travel and share and teach, and I would listen to teaching.   And so, I had this cassette, if you can remember those or even know what those are. And I remember where I was, I was on I-10 headed to Jacksonville to a homeschool show. And this oncologist at the very end of her message, she said, “Toxins are stored in your, let's see, let me see. So, she said toxins are stored in your fatty tissue. In a woman, it's your breast. It's, and in a man, it's his prostate.”   And she said, “When toxins are not carried out of their, your body daily through bowel elimination, then these toxins get absorbed into the body and stored in your fat tissue.” And she said, “So a direct correlation between cancer and constipation is there.” And, and I was just like, what did she just say?   And that blew me away. I mean, that was not me saying it, this was an oncologist. And she's saying one of the leading issues is constipation.   Wow. Yeah, I'd almost forgotten about that.   Laura Dugger: (39:30 - 39:44) Well, and such a simple swap and getting to still enjoy these foods. But in addition to being healthier and the health benefits and making us feel better, how does this also potentially affect our weight?   Sue Becker: (39:45 - 42:33) Well, that's a good question, because we're all told that bread is bad, that bread will make you fat. And I totally agree. The bread that's in the store is devoid of nutrients.   It's devoid of fiber that fills you up. It's devoid of nutrients that satisfy fiber that fills you up. And it's heavily sweetened, sugared, you know, most of the breads we're eating are not just flour, water, yeast, salt. They're usually loaded with other things.   So, they're not satisfying. The fiber in real bread fills you up. So, like I said, you're not going to overeat, you're going to eat and you're going to be satisfied.   You know, I always tell the story when, when we were eating just bread from the store, I had five children, I would make sandwiches, they would, you know, cut them in half, I would make five sandwiches, they would, or I'd make the whole loaf, actually, they would fight over the last one. After bread, real bread that fills you up, I would make five sandwiches, cut them in half, and sometimes they would eat them all. And sometimes they wouldn't.   It was because it was filling, and it was satisfying. And that's something people need to understand. Also, the nutritional deficiency in the foods that we're eating in the store, especially our bread, they're leaving us malnourished, really.   Dr. Denmark, one of the oldest, well, the oldest practicing pediatrician in the country, she lived right here in Georgia. And she said, “We're the most undernourished, overfed people in the world.” We eat a lot because we're never satisfied, because the foods we're eating does not supply our body with the nutrients that we need.   And so, we're constantly craving. I don't think a lot of people don't understand what cravings are. You're craving food because you're needing a nutrient, you know.   And so, we find that we can eat and eat and eat, and, or not we, but Americans can overeat, and they do overeat because they're never satisfied. And so, real bread fills you up, real bread satisfies, it takes those sugar cravings away, which, you know, a lot of high calorie foods, they're loaded with sugars, and that's what we're craving a lot of times. I read something, women tend to crave sweets and chocolate, and men tend to crave salty.   And, but both, if we're craving, you know, processed foods, you know, you can sit down and eat the whole bag of cookies, where you make cookies from freshly milled flour, one, maybe two, if you go three, you kind of go, I really didn't need that one, you know. So, it's just filling, it's satisfying. We have so many people, testimonies of people saying they've lost, one lady said she lost over a hundred pounds, that was over the course of a while, you know, of a year or so, but she did it right.   She just started eating real food that nourishes and satisfies.   Laura Dugger: (42:34 - 44:21) I want to make sure that you're up to date with our latest news. We have a new website. You can visit thesavvysauce.com and see all of the latest updates.   You may remember Francie Heinrichson from episode 132, where we talked about pursuing our God-given dreams. She is the amazing businesswoman who has carefully designed a brand-new website for Savvy Sauce Charities, and we are thrilled with the final product, so I hope you check it out. There you're going to find all of our podcasts, now with show notes and transcriptions listed, a scrapbook of various previous guests, and an easy place to join our email list to receive monthly encouragement and questions to ask your loved ones, so that you can have your own practical chats for intentional living.   You will also be able to access our donation button or our mailing address for sending checks that are tax deductible, so that you can support the work of Savvy Sauce Charities and help us continue to reach the nations with the good news of Jesus Christ. So, make sure you visit thesavvysauce.com.   And throughout the years, you've seen these different trends from Atkins to Paleo, and now a lot of times we're told gluten is the enemy, but I love how you say that wheat can actually be the cure, not the cause.   So, can you elaborate on that, and even why some people with gluten sensitivities may still be able to consume bread that was made with freshly milled grain?   Sue Becker: (44:21 - 1:01:23) Right, so, yeah, I think what people need to understand is what gluten actually is. And gluten's not really even in grains, it's just an easy way to verbalize it, I guess. So, gluten is the stretchy substance that forms from two proteins that are found uniquely in the wheat family of grains.   So, when you mill wheat into flour, and you hydrate it, wet it, mix it, you know, make a dough out of it, those two proteins, gliadin and glutamine, they form this stretchy substance called gluten. Well, it's very important in bread making that you have these two proteins, because when you make a yeast leavened bread, whether it's sourdough or commercial yeast today, those organisms feed on the carbohydrates both in the wheat and in your dough, and they produce carbon dioxide gas. So, that gluten, those stretchy strands of protein, those two proteins, they trap that carbon dioxide gas, and that's what enables the bread to rise.   So, it's unique to the wheat family of grain. It has always been there. It's why wheat is the king of bread making and always has been.   Who put those two proteins in the wheat family of grains? God did. And just so you know, wheat is not genetically modified, and it has not been altered to produce wheat that has a higher gluten content.   What determines the protein content of grain more than anything, which, what did I say gluten is? It's formed from two proteins. What determines the protein content in grain more than anything is rainfall during the growing season.   So, that's why here in the southeastern United States, we can't make yeast bread making wheat. We can't grow it because we have too much rainfall and it's too warm. So, we grow what's called soft wheat or pastry flour.   That's why southerners eat biscuits, because that's the kind of bread that we can make with the wheat grown here. The colder, drier climates in the breadbasket states of the country, they grow the hard bread making wheat. Now herein lies the problem.   When those steel rolling mills came on the scene and began to take the bran and germ out, what did they leave us with? Protein and starch. Those gluten forming proteins and starch are in that endosperm.   God never intended us to eat that white flour, those protein and starches without the vitamins, the minerals, the enzymes, the vitamin E that the bran and germ provide. So, therein lies a lot of the problem and that's what causes so many digestive issues is that we aren't getting the nutrients and the fiber that will keep our bowels clean and our digestive system moving the way it is supposed to. Now herein lies a bigger problem is that in the food industry and the American people's craving for fluffier bread.   In the food industry, they thought, okay, we can give you fluffier bread. If we take the wheat and we wash it until only all that is left is those two proteins, those gluten forming proteins. They get this stretchy substance and then they dry it and powder it and they add even more pure gluten forming proteins to that white bread.   So, now we have an even bigger problem and then and even in that whole grain bread, people want fluffy bread. They don't want, you know, coarser whole grain bread. So, check your ingredients.   That 100% whole grain bread that you might be already buying, third or fourth ingredient gonna be vital wheat gluten or gluten flour, whatever they call it and that is greatly upsetting the fiber to flour ratio and causing digestive issues. And then, you know, just the heavily consumption of that bread and you know, the commercially processed bread is a real problem. So, now what we have is people, you know, Americans consuming this bread.   Now, they have every symptom of something called celiac disease. Celiac disease is real. It is genetic.   I am learning. I used to say it's not reversible, but I am learning something that you might have the genes for celiac disease, but they can be turned on or turned off. So, perhaps what is happening is you might have the gene, but now it's being turned on by eating and consuming this high gluten, if you will, bread out of context, not the way God made it.   But then also what is also happening is so now we have people that have all the symptoms. Well, let me back up and just explain what celiac disease, celiac disease, true genetic celiac disease. You are born with these genes, the inability to break down that and metabolize gliadin.   That's one of those gluten forming proteins, which the whole wheat family has that. So, if you can't break it down, it's going to cause digestive issues, abdominal cramping. It's going to eventually as those that protein gets dumped into your large intestine, your bowel, it's going to lay down the villi.   You're going to have leaky gut. You're going to have all these issues. That is true genetic celiac disease, but it affects less than 1% of Americans have those genes and have it turned on for true genetic celiac disease.   So, what is being diagnosed today? Well, everybody eating the commercially processed high gluten packed or you know bread, they're developing the same symptoms, digestive issues, abdominal cramping, laying down the villi. So, they're being diagnosed with celiac disease when it a lot of times is not true genetic celiac disease and I'm not professing to be a medical professional.   I'm not giving anybody medical advice, but here's the good news that I do want to say to you. Non-genetic celiac disease is totally reversible. And the good news is people are finding some that have been diagnosed with celiac going gluten-free been gluten-free for 20 years.   They're finding they can eat the freshly milled flour because it has the right ratio and the good fiber and the good nutrients to heal their gut, cleanse their gut, and get their bowels moving, cleans out. So, bring that villi back to life and they're thriving. They're not just tolerating the bread.   They're thriving and finding reversal of many, many, many health issues. And another big issue too is people don't understand that for the most part digestion begins in your mouth, carbohydrate digestion. You chew your food, your saliva mixes with your food and there's an enzyme carbohydrate digesting enzyme called amylase.   Once you swallow that down in your stomach, your stomach is where protein digestion takes place. It must have an acid environment for those protein digestive enzymes to work. God knew that we're fearfully and wonderfully made.   He created cells in our stomach to produce acid brings the pH. If y'all know what pH is down to one very, very acidic could eat a hole in your stomach. But he also created these cells that produce mucus that lines our stomach and protects it from that high acid.   So, that's where protein digestion needs to take place. Here's the problem. What is one of the most commonly prescribed drugs in America? Prilosec, Nexium.   These are antacids. They're prescribing it for something called acid reflux, which is only compounding the problem. So, these antacids are doing exactly what the name of them describes.   They're alkalizing your stomach acid. So, what's that going to do to protein digestion? It's going to compromise it.   Huh? So, yeah, and the real cause of acid reflux is not too much stomach acid. It is actually too low stomach acid.   Our body's not getting the nutrients that needs to produce that stomach acid. Now, it's acid enough that when it comes back up in our esophagus it burns, but there's a little flap that God created right there at our stomach and our esophagus called the epiglottis. Do you know what's and it's supposed to close so that when that stomachs churning and doing its digestion, it doesn't back that acid doesn't back up into your esophagus, but it closes.   It's stimulated to close by the high acid in your stomach. Do you see what's happening here? So, we're being prescribed an antacid which now we don't necessarily get the burn, but there's all kinds of side effects.   We've compromised protein digestion, which what did we say gluten is protein. Also, do you know the technical term for an allergy a food allergy not a sensitivity or an intolerance the technical term for a food allergy is an adverse reaction to a protein component of your food. I have never seen so many food allergies as we see today.   It's very interesting. Some people are diagnosed with a gluten sensitivity. Well, of course, I think everybody is sensitive to the bread and the store.   Some people can tolerate a little bit better than others, but I know when I occasionally, you know, we go out to a party or an event and we usually avoid bread, but sometimes it's on everything. You know, I know I wake up the next morning and I'm like, I don't feel good. I have a stomachache.   So, I think everybody is sensitive to the bread in the store, but we have now hundreds of testimonies of people who thought they had to be gluten-free or say I have, you know, I haven't eaten bread in 20 years because made me sick. It did this it did that and they are finding they can eat the freshly milled flour because even wheat because it's the right proportions all the nutrients, you know, one of the amino acids that's found abundantly and wheat is glutamine Google it and you'll see a lot of health professionals will actually give you glutamine supplements to heal your gut and it's and it's in the bread. So, then part of the other problem that I see then when people think they're gluten-sensitive or have to be gluten-free now mind you if you truly are genetic celiac, you probably will not be able to eat wheat and I'm saying probably now because I'm learning some things that we can turn those genes off.   I don't know but if you truly are genetic celiac, but that is going to be a diagnosis that probably came when you were young you were going to always have had symptoms of these if you are now 20 or 30 and all of a sudden having these issues and you've been eating wheat all your life chances are you're not true genetic celiac. So, that's something you need to look at but people are finding they can eat the flour. They can eat the wheat and part of a real concern of mine is when you go gluten-free if you don't really need to I've been doing some studying as a food microbiologist gut microbiome has been a big topic.   I've shared I've taught way before it was trendy on, you know probiotics and all of that and fermented foods. I've been teaching it since 1992 but what happens that they're finding on these gluten-free diets. It's actually diminishing your good gut microbiome and encouraging the growth of more pathogenic making you more susceptible to C. diff, E. coli and other sickness causing organisms.   Then you're going to have those organisms are critical for breaking down food that gets dumped into the large intestine and encouraging digestion and enzymes that they create and all kinds of B vitamins and I could go on and on so that is being compromised the next thing, you know, you have allergies to eggs allergies to milk these very restrictive diets change that gut microbiome and they are causing a lot of gut health issues and allergy issues. I've talked to two people in the last few months one lady told to go gluten-free been gluten-free for years. She with tears in her eyes couple of weeks ago came down from Ohio hugged me in was came to our store just wanted to come to our store.   I happen to be here that day. She hugged me tears in her eyes and said I was down to eight foods that I could eat another lady in one of my classes came up and said I was down to seven foods that I could eat, you know, so It puts you on a treadmill that I don't think you want to be on when you start very restrictive diets. It's and not just gluten-free, but even you know, the carnivore and the keto and the paleo the heavy meat diets you need whole grains to break the fats down and cholesterol that those foods are providing and I'm a meat eater.   I mean, that's fine, but to exclude the most nutrient-dense food group God has given us in my mind is very dangerous. Let's see if we can get healing and reverse that I have a podcast and I do it's the bread stories now and I one of my favorites and I recommend it more often than any other is episode 66 sit with Sarah Valentine if anybody that I hear of that say they have to be gluten-free or their celiac, I would say she fit the bill for what surely seemed like a true genetic celiac. She was diagnosed in I think she was around 15 or I don't remember her age.   She was in high school. I think but she had always had trouble even as a little one and she was diagnosed with celiac and she said at the end of the podcast, she goes either God supernatural healed me or it was a misdiagnosis, but she had been gluten-free for 15 years. I believe it was and she told me she said and I she had a dairy allergy.   She couldn't eat dairy and she said, you know dairy I cheated on a little bit because it would just cause me a little discomfort. She goes I never cheated on gluten. Well, her brother and her mother heard about me and they Sarah was off at college and they got a mill and started milling because her brother's children had some health issues.   I think they have warts and my work stories are great. But anyway, bought a mill. She came home from school and they said Sari.   We want you to try this. You nope. Nope.   Nope. I'm I can't finally they talked her into trying a little bit should she ate it no issues at all and she told me on that podcast. She said I pooped the best I've ever pooped.   I have pooped in a long time the next morning. I slept the best. I had no headaches had no adverse reaction and she's become if any anyone My poster child for you know, reversing what appears to be celiac disease and being able to thrive on real bread and freshly milled wheat with the right balance of those protein starches nutrients fiber enzymes vitamin E all the things that bring healing and improve digestion get the bowels cleaned out and the gut healed.   So, yeah, it's something that I think excites me the most and I call it food freedom because what I'm seeing is people are in bondage and you know, when you can't eat this and you can't eat that and I understand there's some I have a granddaughter that has a dairy a true dairy allergy and I get it and those are real and you don't want to you know diminish those but we are seeing so many people that the bread in the store totally disrupts their system and causes all kinds of issues were seeing them not only like I said tolerate bread made from freshly milled flour, but bring healing bring healing and I that is so much our Lord that God knows what he's doing in his intentional design. He is all about healing and freedom versus of setting the captives free.   Laura Dugger: (1:01:38 - 1:01:40) Oh gosh, that was a big one. Yeah.   Sue Becker: (1:01:40 - 1:02:10) Yeah, but it also just one real practical thing as we're talking about gluten and fermentation with sourdough. This is a two-parter because if you feed it with white flour or add that I'm assuming that diminishes effects and if you feed it with fresh milled flour and then add that to bake it in bread, is that like double the benefits because you've got the fermentation and the grain or how does that work?   Sue Becker: (1:02:10 - 1:07:07) You know, I can't find any real definitive information, but let's back up and let's talk about sourdough with white flour there for a while when we were still traveling back in the probably early 2000s a lot of teaching coming out going even celiacs can eat, you know sourdough bread and they were making it with white flour and all of this. Is it better than the stuff you're buying in the store? Maybe but white flour is white flour and it's still process is still been stripped of all the vitamins the minerals and the fiber.   So, in my viewpoint, it is no better for you. If you're making it's kind of a waste of time if you're making sourdough bread with white flour. Now, if you start milling your own flour and making your sourdough with that, that's a whole other realm.   And like I said, I've done lots of studies most what I find when I read is that when we went to commercial yeast, we gave up flavor. So, I get that and that the bread is kind of flavorless now. So, I get that a little bit but as Americans and especially children, we like our fluffy bread, don't we?   Yeah, so, kids, you know, don't fret if you're making bread with commercial yeast. That's the way I make most of my bread. But as a microbiologist and knowing that when those lactic acid organisms feed on sugars, they produce B vitamins.   That's like yogurt. Why yogurt has B vitamins and maybe your milk, you know, just uncultured milk doesn't. So, I know that that increases the availability of those nutrients.   So, I think there is definitely some nutritional advantages that you take it to a whole new level. But what I say that commercial yeasted bread is not healthy and you can't do that that you only need to be doing sourdough, you know, I learned to make sourdough from white flour when I was first married long before milling came into our family by the time I had my children I had vacated that and then when I started milling I used commercial yeast and have for most of my years and we saw tremendous health benefits. So, I don't diminish one over the other but I certainly recognize that yeah, you might have some better nutrient bioavailability. I don't buy into the that you have to do the long fermentations to prevent the anti-nutrients like phytic acid from keeping you from absorbing minerals because I've had mineral checks and we've seen people testify that they had to have blood transfusions regularly because they were anemic all their life.   They start milling making their bread with commercial yeast, you know, and they're no longer anemic and we've seen countless people that and the same with me. I'm never low in my minerals. So, I don't buy into that.   But I say, you know, hey if you feel like you can digest sourdough bread better than commercial yeast leavened bread. I'm not going to argue with you go for it do it. But I also don't want to put a heavy burden on especially young moms that are like it's going to take me three days to make bread, you know, or it's you know, no, it doesn't have to so that's kind of my stance on it.   Do what works for your family sourdough is a rhythm. So, you got to kind of get into it about the time I get into it. We take a trip.   I go speak somewhere. I'm gone for four days and I'm like, okay, where am I with this? So, you know, that's just kind of my viewpoint and what I want to encourage people do what works for you what you want what your family likes.   I love I've got sourdough bread rising right now. There's times when I just like I just want you know, that chewy that nice flavorful bread and then there's other times where I want a soft loaf of bread for a good Southern tomato sandwich or my kids like peanut butter sandwiches, you know, so do what works do for your family do what your family is going to eat and love and you know, my husband has a philosophy if it doesn't taste good. It's not good for you.   So, if your family, your children, especially don't like the texture and flavor of sourdough some people do but if especially if your kids are used to the bread from the store, that's going to be a hard transition for them. And if they're not going to eat it and balk at it, then it's not going to bring them the health benefits that you're trying to do for your family. So, make what's cul

The Bible tells us in Ephesians 4:22-24 that we are to "put off our old self...and put on our new self." As you step into the new year, what does that look like for you? Share the bad habit(s) you are planning to put off and what good habit(s) you are planning to put on. Be encouraged to pursue Christ when you join us for Equipped with Chris Brooks. January thank you gift:Practicing the Way: Be with Jesus. Become Like Him. Do as He Did. by John Mark Comer Equipped with Chris Brooks is made possible through your support. To donate now, click here.

My friend, Ed, thought he had the perfect hiding place, and he told me about it. Now, Ed's not really his name, but it is a true story. The incident happened this way. Some years ago when he was a teenager, and he came from a nice Christian family - nice Christian boy, except for some of his reading material. Now, it was before Internet days but there was a magazine called Playboy. He had a habit of going out and buying Playboy and some other magazines like it, and he hid them in an old, unused icebox where no one ever went. And he was sure no one knew the place. Well, when he went to get his dirty magazines one day, they were gone. But that's only part of it. In their place there was a Bible. He knew his dad had to leave it there. There was never any yelling, his dad never talked to him about it, but he bought no more magazines because of that little switch his dad had made. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "The Royal Switch." Our word for today from the Word of God comes from 2 Corinthians 10, and I'm going to begin reading at verse 3. "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." Now, this talks about weapons that will tear down strongholds. And as you study this passage, it becomes obvious that spiritual strongholds are sinful ways of thinking that, well, maybe they've been part of our personality for a long time. Maybe they're wrong ways of thinking about the opposite sex, about depressing feelings in your life, or about a relationship with someone who's hurt you, maybe it's lust, or depression, or bitterness, or self-pity. But it's got a strong hold on us. And then it goes on to say, "We can take captive every one of those wrong thoughts to the obedience of Christ." Now, until you can master the source of sin, which is your wrong thoughts, that sin will master you. How do you do that? Well, Ephesians 6:17 talks about the spiritual weapon that will work. It says, "Take the sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God." learn a lesson from a friend's wise father. Where there had been dirt in the form of those magazines, he put God's Word. He didn't just remove the dirty; he replaced it with a Bible. Now, if you want to beat sin...if you want to beat those wrong thoughts, then you've got to have two strategies working for you. First, take out the garbage - the garbage thoughts - and don't collect any more. That means turning your eyes away from the magazine rack. It means flipping the channel when something comes on that has no business going into your mental computer. It means not ever clicking again to go to those places on the Internet. It may mean, as it did for some of my friends, of putting a picture of Jesus on their computer, or another man who said, "I can't even afford to have a computer at home. I've got to beat the monster inside." It may mean avoiding negative conversations that fuel the dark side of you; canceling a subscription to a magazine, or a streaming service, or monitoring the music you listen to - whatever it takes to be free of the bondage. Secondly, you have to put the Bible where the dirt has been. You take a Bible bath daily. You dwell on what you read. You write it down in a journal so you remember it. You use it that day so it becomes part of your personality. There's no substitute for memorizing the Word of God. D. L. Moody said it so well, "Think sin - think scripture." I like what someone wrote in my Bible one time, "Either sin will keep you from this book, or this book will keep you from sin." Now you have a weapon that can tear down a stronghold of sin and tame the most sinful of thoughts. "Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee." Put God's Word in the same hiding place where you've been hiding that sinful stuff. That is the royal switch.

Equipped: The Word Is A Weapon, Ephesians 6 w/Darren Tyler

Episode DescriptionIn this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack what it means to pursue biblical productivity at the start of a new year. They explore essential productivity for 2026, offering a God-centered vision of work, diligence, and stewardship for ministry leaders.If you've ever felt torn between “doing more” and staying faithful to your family, soul, and calling, this episode will equip and inspire you with a framework for fruitful, sustainable productivity that glorifies God.Key Topics CoveredRedefining productivity – moving from secular hustle to biblical stewardshipProcesses and people – why ministry leaders must build systems and develop volunteersEternal reward – how diligence today shapes the “well done” you will hear tomorrowKey Quote“God doesn't expect maintenance; He expects a return on what He's entrusted to you.”Scripture ReferencesColossians 3:23 – “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men.”Ephesians 5:15–16 – “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time.”Matthew 25:14–30 – The parable of the talents, where the Master commends faithful servants who multiply what they were given.TakeawayBiblical productivity is not about burning the candle at both ends. It is about honoring God with focused, diligent work that builds processes, develops people, and serves the local church. When you treat this year as your “one and only life” and labor with eternity in view, you position yourself to experience the joy of fruitfulness now and the reward of “well done” later.Call to ActionWe hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.Stay Connected for More ResourcesVisit our website: http://leadministry.comFollow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteersFind us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

Monday January 5, 2026II Week After Christmas

"Sacred Things"2 Samuel 6:3-7Pastor Nate ClarkeJanuary 4, 2025WE'RE MOVING! Starting February 1st our Sunday morning services will be at our new permanent church home at 7339 Atlee Road in Mechanicsville VA. Join us for our GRAND OPENING services at 9am and 11am.How should Christians respond to wickedness in the world? https://youtu.be/2OJUIM9YRwAVirginia's proposed Constitutional amendments on Abortion & Marriage - How to VOTE BIBLICALLY: https://youtu.be/Y8z8xTFsOn8Have you heard the news about the FUTURE of Oasis Church?https://www.oasischurch.online/futureSERMON NOTES:- SACRED THINGS- Do not treat sacred things as though they are common- 2 Samuel 6:6-7- You'll mismanage and miss the fullness of sacred things if you see them as common things.- Why do sacred things get treated as common?  1. We get our orders from the world, not from God  - 2 Samuel 6:3a  - 2. We become so familiar with them- The gathering of the church is sacred- 1 Corinthians 12:15-20- What happens at the gathered church?  1. Encouragement from the body  - Hebrews 10:24-25  2. Praise & Worship  - Hebrews 13:15  3. The preaching of God's Word  4. The giving of tithes and offerings  5. The teaching of the next generation  - Psalm 145:3-4  6. The prayers of the righteous  - James 5:15-16- Your salvation is sacred- Ephesians 2:4-5 - Psalm 51:12- “Preach the gospel to yourself every day because every day you forget the gospel.” Martin LutherOasis Church exists to Worship God, Equip the believers, and Reach the lost.We are led by Pastor Nate Clarke and are located in Richmond, VA.Stay Connected:Website: https://oasischurch.online Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oasischurchva/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OasisChurchRVA/

Today is day 5 and we are continuing the section on Salvation with question 5. 4. Can you save yourself from the way of sin and death? No. I have no power to save myself, for sin has corrupted my conscience, confused my mind, and captured my will. Only God can save me. (Psalm 33:13–19; Isaiah 43:8–13; John 3:1–8; Ephesians 2:1–9) Our daily collect comes from the Seventh Sunday of Epiphany found on page 603 of the Book of Common Prayer (2019). If you would like to buy or download To Be a Christian, head to anglicanchurch.net/catechism. Produced by Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Madison, MS. Original music from Matthew Clark. Daily collects and Psalms are taken from Book of Common Prayer (2019), created by the Anglican Church in North America and published by the Anglican Liturgical Press. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Catechism readings are taken from To Be a Christian - An Anglican Catechism Approved Edition, copyright © 2020 by The Anglican Church in North America by Crossway a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

With the hustle and bustle of life, all the places to go and people to see. When life is going great with experiencing a promotion, a pay raise, a new home, a new relationship, more income or an increase of pleasure in our lives, we can easily be tempted to forget about God. Don't Do That!

 #bearingfruit #Spiritualgrowth What is the fruit of your life? Healthy roots produce healthy fruits, and whatever we don't uproot will bear fruit… whether it's good fruit or bad. In this message by Pastor Jon Sanders he asks if we are truly rooted and grounded in God's love, or if we are rooted elsewhere. Our fruits will be the answer to that question. Ephesians 3:14-21, Hebrews 12:15 Don't forget to LIKE, COMMENT, & SUBSCRIBE for more biblical teachings!   Please follow our websites for more! Website: http://www.newlifechurchsf.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewLifeSF/ Youtube: https://youtu.be/7Ig-qXgVAmE/ Pastor Alex Klimchuk New Life Church 500 S 1st Ave Sioux Falls, SD 57104

In a cultural moment marked by anxiety, reaction, and fragmentation, the church is tempted to respond as either a consumer or a crusader. Drawing from Ephesians 3–4, this message invites Passion Creek into a new imagination—one rooted not in speed, technique, or outrage, but in formation. Becoming Peace by Piece names the slow, patient work of God in forming a people who are not tossed to and fro, but who grow into maturity measured by Christ's fullness. Peace is not something we manufacture by willpower, nor something we passively receive—it is something done for us in Christ and formed in us over time as we guard our hearts and walk together under His easy yoke.

A sermon on Acts 17 and Ephesians 2. Speaker: Mike McKinley

Guiding Question How can we find lasting meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life amidst its fleeting nature and inevitable struggles? Summary This message explores the fundamental human struggle with meaning, purpose, and direction in life. Drawing from the wisdom of Moses in the Psalms, it reveals the emptiness and futility of life lived apart from God, marked by fleeting achievements, adversity, and ultimate regret. It calls listeners to recognize the limitations of worldly pursuits and encourages them to seek a life anchored in God — a life characterized by a lasting perspective, a lasting relationship, and lasting labor. The message emphasizes that only through God can we find a truly fulfilling life that endures beyond this temporal existence. Outline: The Reality of Life's Decline and Futility Life's days “decline” like a sigh, full of sorrow and labor (Psalm 90:9-10). Without God, life ends with regret, lost glory, and forgotten achievements. The irony that people fail to connect life's emptiness with being apart from God. Moses' Prayer for a Lasting Perspective (Psalm 90:12) Asking God to teach us to number our days wisely. The importance of seeing life through God's truth rather than worldly illusions. Perspective governs our priorities and how we live. Moses' Prayer for a Lasting Relationship (Psalm 90:13-15) All human relationships are temporary; only God offers a limitless relationship. God's promise to return to those who return to Him (Malachi 3:7). The daily satisfaction that comes from experiencing God's lovingkindness like manna. Moses' Prayer for a Lasting Labor (Psalm 90:16-17) The desire for work that has eternal significance, not just temporal success. The problem of busy lives focused on fleeting, self-centered tasks. The call to invest in God's kingdom and people, producing fruit that lasts beyond our lifetime. Conclusion and Invitation Encouragement to reflect on one's life epitaph—will it say “this was not it” or “everlasting life”? Call to stop “playing church” and to live a real, committed Christian life. Invitation for those feeling lost to seek God's lasting fulfillment. Closing prayer for transformation through God's presence. Key Takeaways Life apart from God is ultimately futile and marked by regret. We need God to teach us a lasting perspective to live wisely and purposefully. A true, lasting relationship with God is the only permanent human relationship. Our work and labor should aim for eternal significance, building God's kingdom. Daily satisfaction and fulfillment come from recognizing and embracing God's lovingkindness. It is never too late to turn to God and find a life that truly lasts. Reflecting on the legacy we leave behind should motivate us to pursue what matters eternally. Scriptural References Psalm 90:1-17 — The entire passage of Moses' prayer, focusing on life's brevity, human frailty, and God's eternal nature. Malachi 3:7 — God's promise to return when His people return to Him. John 8:32 — “You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” Ecclesiastes 12:1 — “Remember your Creator in the days of your youth.” Ephesians 2:10 — “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand.” Jeremiah 9:23-24 — “Let him who boasts, boast in this: that he understands and knows Me.” Recorded 12/28/80

It can be a struggle sometimes to comprehend the concept of “walking worthy” in our calling. It can be interpreted as an aspirational challenge that only creates feelings of inadequacy, which can lead to cycles of comparison, judgment, or division within Christian communities. In Ephesians, Paul was addressing an early church that struggled with unity among diverse believers. The key is understanding the difference between aspirational worthiness and intrinsic worthiness.

Renewal is not about becoming new people as much as remembering who we already are in Christ.Listen in as I read these words from the apostle Paul to the church in Rome. He was writing to the Romans but so much of it applies to us today as well. Read Romans 12:1–2 Focus: Step 1 of renewal—stop conforming.What Does “Conform to the Patterns of This World” Mean?Ephesians 4 mentions some of the patterns of this world: In vs. 22 on downYou were taught, with regard to your former way of life, to put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires.What do the Patterns of this world look like for you today??Busyness = that somehow how busy your calendar is defines your worth and valuePERSONAL COMFORT-That somehow your personal comfort matters more than your characterIMPULSIVE REACTIONS-That its ok to just impulsively react rather than intentionally and thoughtfully respondIDENTITY-Who you are is what you doSELF SUFFICIENCY-That its weakness to surrender and be dependent on God. You somehow have to muscle up and do it all yourself.STRIVING FOR MORE- rather being content with what we've been given.Key Truth: The truth is most families don't consciously choose worldliness—they slowly absorb it. We become kind of like a chameleon based on what or who we're around.Step 1 of Renewal: Awareness Before Action You can't renew what you don't recognize.Practical Reflection Questions for Listeners:What voices are shaping our values more than Scripture?What patterns feel “normal” but don't feel life-giving?Encouragement: Awareness is not condemnation—it's an invitation.Advice Practical Ways to Stop Conforming:Interrupt the Noise around you and EvaluateEvaluate:Media intakeSocial media rhythmsNews consumptionAsk: Is this shaping my peace or stealing it?Practical Tip:  Try a weekly “noise fast” (one evening with no screens, just presence).Slow Down to Notice What's Forming YouRenewal requires margin.The world disciples through hurry.Practical Tip: Build in “pause points”:Morning prayer before phonesFamily check-ins at dinnerSabbath rhythms (even imperfect ones)Name the Lies You've NormalizedExamples:“This is just how families are.”“We're too busy to change.”“It's not that big of a deal.”Truth:  What you don't challenge, you allow to shape you.Offer Yourself AgainTie back to Romans 12:1: Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.Renewal begins with surrenderSimple Prayer: “Lord, I offer You my mind, my time, my reactions, and my family rhythms.” Hope-Filled Reframe: Renewal Is a ProcessPaul doesn't say “be instantly transformed”He says “be transformed by the renewing of your mind”Encouragement for Families:Small changes matterConsistent choices build new patternsGod is patient and present in the processCall to Action:Commit to one small shift this weekWrite it down!Pray over it as a familyClosing Line:“Renewal doesn't start when life slows down. It starts when we choose to stop drifting and start offering ourselves—right where we are.”rocksolidfamilies.Support the show#Rocksolidfamilies, #familytherapy, #marriagecounseling, #parenting, #faithbasedcounseling, #counseling, #Strongdads, #coaching, #lifecoach, #lifecoaching, #marriagecoaching, #marriageandfamily, #control, #security, #respect, #affection, #love, #purpose, #faith, #affairs, #infidelity

How lovely are Your dwellings,O LORD God of hosts! (Psalm 84:1)“no good thing shall he withhold from those who live a godly life.” (Psalm 84:12b)"And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you 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 1:13-14

Ephesians 4:1-16 (Growing Up in Every Way: Speaking the Truth in Love) - Phil Adams by Park Community Church

Ephesians 6:10

Discover a simple practice that has brought breakthrough, clarity, and God's direction for over 25 years. Pastor Kimberly Dirmann shares how to intentionally seek and hear God's specific plan for YOUR life in 2026.God has already prepared good works for you to walk in (Ephesians 2:10), but how do you discover what those are? In this powerful message, Pastor Kimberly teaches the "Roles and Direction" method—a practical way to hear God's voice, write down His vision for your life, and walk in the plans He's prepared.**In this message, you'll discover:**✓ Why God's plans can't be found through natural means (1 Corinthians 2:9-12)✓ How to actually hear the Holy Spirit's direction for your life✓ The "Roles and Direction" practice that transforms how you live each year✓ Real-life testimonies of breakthrough from following God's instructions✓ Practical steps to seek God for His plans in different areas of your life (family, work, ministry, relationships)This isn't generic goal-setting—this is a life-changing practice of partnering with God to discover His perfect plans for you. Whether you're a parent, spouse, leader, business owner, student, or simply God's child seeking direction, this message will equip you with a proven method to hear from heaven.

The Rev. Mary Carter Greene, Canon Pastor Grace Cathedral San Francisco, CA The Second Sunday After Christmas, 11a Eucharist Sunday January 4th, 2025   Jeremiah 31:7-14 Psalm 84:1-8 Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a Matthew 2:1-12

What does it look like to live a life that does not require escape? In this sermon from Ephesians 5:15–21, Artie Farve explores the contrast between numbing what overwhelms us and being filled with the Spirit. This message is not about pressure, perfection, or self-improvement. It is an invitation into wisdom, awareness, gratitude, and presence. As we step into a new year, this teaching calls us to choose fullness over escape and to live lives that are sturdy, spacious, and grounded in Christ.Call to Action Subscribe for weekly sermons and teachings from Christ Community Church. Connect with us online: https://facebook.com/ardmoreccc https://youtube.com/@ardmoreccc https://instagram.com/ardmorecccVisit our website: https://ardmoreccc.com

Join Mateus, Michelle, and Xenia as they kick off an exciting new Bible study series diving deep into the book of Ephesians! This episode launches a journey through one of the most encouraging letters in the New Testament—a powerful message written by Paul from prison to the church in Ephesus, reminding them (and us) of our identity, inheritance, and calling in Christ. FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/thewayuk/ FOLLOW US ON TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@thewayuk/ Want to know more? Find a church that has things happening for young people. Visit https://achurchnearyou.com/youth/ [In partnership with CofE Digital Projects]

You were taught . . . to put off your old self . . . and to put on the new self, created to be like God in true righteousness and holiness. — Ephesians 4:22-24 There comes a time when carrying the baggage of our old life just weighs too much. I remember a season where I kept rehearsing past failures, clinging to shame like a heavy coat in summer. I knew God was calling me to move forward, but it felt safer to stay in the familiar—even if it was painful. Ephesians 4:22-24 hits home here. Paul reminds us that the old self—the habits, thought patterns, and lies we've believed—must be put off. Like clothing that doesn't fit anymore, we're meant to take it off so that we can live in the freedom God offers. Letting go isn't always a dramatic moment. Sometimes it's just quiet and deliberate. It includes choosing not to respond the way we used to. It means surrendering a mindset that has held us captive. It involves refusing to let guilt define us when grace is freely offered. We can't fully embrace the new if we are still clinging to the old. What is God inviting you to release today? Whatever it is, trust that his grace is enough to carry you forward.  Dear Jesus, help me to release what no longer serves your purpose in my life. Give me strength to let go of the old and to step into the new with you. Amen.

Ephesians 6:10-20

Join Pastor Rick for this message series on God's calling for your life. Learn how to discern that calling and use it as a blessing for the church, other people, and yourself.“Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” (Ephesians 1:4 NLT). In this message series, Pastor Rick walks through what the Bible says about God's love so you will know the depth of his love for you and let it change your life.God not only knows where you are; he also knows who you are. He knows what you're going through, why you're going through it, and how you feel about it. He knows you better than you know yourself! Listen as Pastor Rick shares just how much Jesus wants to affirm you and show you his love. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1103/29?v=20251111

Ephesians 2:8-10NKJV

Send us a textA Land Called Homily is where you'll find the weekly talks given by David Chatel at St. Paul's Episcopal Chapel in Magnolia Springs, Alabama. This episode is from the Second Sunday of Christmas and based on Ephesians 1:3-6,15-19a. For more content and information, visit www.davidchatel.com. Thanks for listening!

This five-day devotional is designed to help you begin the year with clarity, surrender, and intentional living. Rooted in Ephesians 5:15–17, each devotional invites you to slow down, seek God's wisdom, and align your life with His purposes through prayer, fasting, and reflection. Whether you're listening on the go or setting aside quiet time with the Lord, our prayer is that this devotional helps you live each day on purpose.

In this sermon we return to Paul's beautiful words from Ephesians about how all things are summed up in Christ, or recapitulated as we say. There's bits about home, new, driving, hiking, baseball, camping, and a junkyard I would visit as a kid. May we encounter the crucified Christ raised from the dead in these words.

What was once hidden is now beautifully revealed. In this rich, verse-by-verse teaching through Ephesians 3, Mason Tucker unfolds the breathtaking “mystery of Christ” and why it matters so deeply for us today.Preaching at RiverSide Church in Princeton, NC, Mason traces how God's redemptive plan—hinted at throughout the Old Testament—comes fully into focus through the person of Jesus Christ. He explains how those once considered outsiders, particularly the Gentiles, are no longer kept at a distance by religious boundaries or regulations. Because of Christ, the doors are flung wide open, and all are welcomed into God's family.As a founding member of Rock Bottom Ministries in Johnston County, Mason brings a pastoral warmth and a deep love for Scripture, carefully walking listeners through the text while keeping the message accessible, hopeful, and Christ-centered. This sermon reminds us that the gospel is not exclusive or elite—it is an invitation of grace to all who were once far off.If you've ever felt on the outside looking in, or wondered how God's big story fits together, this message will encourage your heart and strengthen your faith. Tune in and be reminded that in Christ, the mystery is revealed—and you are invited in.

The Epiphany of the LordThe magi, having been filled with joy, dangerous wonder, and obedience, followed the star which ultimately led to the site of our Lord's birth. Throughout this exciting and dangerous adventure, when challenged by God, the magi chose surrender and trust. The magi's journey from beginning to end ought to help shape our spiritual lives in being attuned toward God and His plans for our lives.   Scripture Reading for January 4, 2025Isaiah 60:1-6Psalm 72:1-2, 7-8, 10-13.Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 Matthew 2:1-12

Episode 9 This week's episode focuses on Ephesians 5:15–6:9 as we continue to explore what it means to walk worthy of our calling. Paul shifts the focus from the church to specific relationships—husbands and wives, parents and children, and finally, relationships in the workplace. Join us as we learn more about walking worthy in our relationships. Enhance your experience—order the study book TODAY and journey through Ephesians with us. www.preceptministries.ca/shop Ephesians — In & Out Study Ephesians — Precept Upon Precept Study This podcast is also available on our YouTube Channel: www.youtube.com/@preceptministriescanada

Today, elder Paul Edgar will lead us in Ephesians 4:7-13 showing us how God gives His Bride gifts, by giving the church officers and gifts to the body, so that the Bride will inherit all things. 

Joe, Cole, and Adam kick off the New Year discussing the new man written about by Paul in Ephesians 4. What are some of the hurdles we run into as we try our best to lean into our new identity in Christ? What do we do with the tension between the new and old man? Thank you for listening!