Podcasts about Epistle

This sermon is part of an ongoing verse by verse study through the Epistle of 1 John. The subject of this message deals with the words of encouragement the Holy Spirit moved John to write to justified saints in every stage of their WALK OF FAITH.

This is the first lesson in an ongoing verse by verse study of the Epistle of Romans. It was taught in the adult Bible class at Grace Baptist Of Ruston Louisiana.

By Thomas Randle - The epistle of James was labeled an epistle of straw by Martin Luther. What led him to make such an extraordinary statement? Does the epistle of James contradict what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans and Galatians or does it complement them? When James said that “faith without works is dead” was he

Thessalonians 1:1-2:12; Epistle to the Smyrnans by Saint Ignatius of Antioch (4:14); Luke 24:13-35 (7:19); Homily by Rev. Mr. Simon Ortiz (10:30) Support our seminary: archden.org/futurepriests

A new MP3 sermon from Berean Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Paul's Epistle to the Church at Rome | Chapter 8 Subtitle: Paul's Epistle to the Romans Speaker: Sean E. Harris Broadcaster: Berean Baptist Church Event: Bible Study Date: 3/4/2026 Bible: Romans 8 Length: 60 min.

This episode explores the dramatic transformation of the Apostle Paul in the Epistle to the Galatians 1:13–24, tracing his journey from zealous persecutor of the church to passionate proclaimer of Christ. Reflecting on Paul's own testimony, we examine his honest reckoning with a violent past, his refusal to minimize sin or be immobilized by guilt, and his wholehearted embrace of grace. Connecting his words with Epistle to the Philippians 3:7–9, we consider what it means to count former gains as loss for the surpassing worth of knowing Christ. From God's sovereign calling “from the womb,” to all he accomplished, and the astonished response of the early believers, this conversation highlights the power of repentance, divine calling, and a life lived for the glory of God alone.

When the words of Jesus come to me, do they find welcome in fertile soil?Wednesday • 3/4/2026 •Wednesday of 2 Lent, Year Two This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 72; Genesis 42:18–28; 1 Corinthians 5:9–6:8; Mark 4:1–20 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 11 (“The Third Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 60:1-3,11a,14c,18-19, BCP, p. 87); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 16 (“The Song of Zechariah,” Luke 1:68-79, BCP, p. 92)

Get the notes here!Restoring Unity: A Study of Galatians Chapter 6Are you dealing with division, burnout, or the lingering effects of legalism in your fellowship? In this final chapter of Paul's Epistle to the Galatians, we find the “spiritual balm” necessary to heal a fractured church. After dismantling the false teachings of the Judaizers, the Apostle Paul provides a practical roadmap for living out the freedom we have in Christ.Healing through the SpiritThe lesson focuses on the transition from the “works of the flesh” to the “fruit of the Spirit.” When a brother or sister falls, the goal is not condemnation but restoration. We explore what it means to be “spiritually mature”—approaching the broken with a spirit of gentleness while acknowledging our own vulnerability to temptation.The Law of the HarvestPaul introduces the immutable law of sowing and reaping. This teaching provides a clear correction to modern misconceptions about “prosperity,” instead focusing on the biblical mandate to support faithful teachers and invest our resources in the Spirit rather than the flesh. We are encouraged to “not grow weary in doing good,” keeping our eyes fixed on the eternal return that awaits us when we see Jesus.Boasting in the CrossThe climax of this study centers on Paul's defiant resolve: to boast in nothing except the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ. You will learn why religious rituals like circumcision hold no value compared to the reality of the “New Creation.”Complete Lesson Package AvailableTo help you facilitate this study in your own church or small group, I have developed a comprehensive Lesson Product Package. This professional, publication-style resource is ready to be used in your ministry.The Package Includes:Comprehensive Publication Outline: A structured breakdown of verses 1-18 for clear teaching. Teacher Guide: Leadership points on “The Israel of God,” stewardship, and restoration protocols. Student Guide: Printable notes with reflection questions and practical weekly applications. Comprehensive Quiz: A 10-question assessment to ensure theological clarity. Detailed Answer Sheet: Full explanations for every answer based on the Greek context.Video IntegrationThis package is specifically designed to work alongside my video exposition. Each resource includes Video Integration Notes with timestamps, allowing you and your students to follow along with the teaching verbatim.[Download the Galatians 6 Lesson Package Here]Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/lets-talk-scripture/donations

REST – Winter is the season the soul rests. Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out? Jesus' invitation in Gospel of Matthew 11 isn't about escaping responsibility it's about exchanging heavy burdens for His light yoke. It's about rediscovering Sabbath as a gift, not a rule. From creation in Genesis to the promise of a greater rest in Epistle to the Hebrews 4, Scripture reveals that rest is woven into God's design for our freedom. In this episode, we explore: The true meaning of Sabbath Why our culture resists rest How Jesus modeled healthy rhythms What it means to live in the freedom Christ secured (Galatians 5:1) It's time to sit down. To cease striving. To learn the unforced rhythms of grace.   https://www.lifechurchwilm.com/

I learned fishing the need for patience in untangling knots.Tuesday • 3/3/2026 •Tuesday of 2 Lent, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are; Psalm 61; Psalm 62; Genesis 42:1–17; 1 Corinthians 5:1–8; Mark 3:19b–35b This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 13 (“A Song of Praise,” BCP, p. 90); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93) 

What proves real transformation?In this episode, we walk verse-by-verse through Epistle of James 1:19–27 and uncover what James says true faith actually looks like.It's not just hearing the Word. It's not just knowing theology. It's not outward religious performance.James confronts us with the evidence of genuine transformation:– Quick to listen – Slow to speak – Slow to anger – Doers of the Word – Care for the vulnerable – Lives unstained by the worldWe unpack: • Why human anger hinders righteousness • What it means to humbly receive the implanted Word • The danger of self-deception • What “pure and faultless religion” truly isTrials don't just test endurance. They reveal what's rooted.The question isn't “Did I learn something?” It's “What will I do with what I've heard?”✨ LINKS

“Livin' the dream, man, livin' the dream.”Monday • 3/2/2026 •Monday of 2 Lent, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 56; Psalm 57; Genesis 41:46–57; 1 Corinthians 4:8–21; Mark 3:7–19a This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)

March 1, 2026 | Chris Cook

This powerful message kicks off a new series on spiritual warfare, revealing the unseen battle that impacts every believer's life. With honesty and boldness, the sermon addresses the reality of a spiritual enemy who wants Christians distracted, discouraged, and casual about their faith. Drawing from passages like Epistle to the Ephesians 6 and First Epistle of Peter 5, it reminds us that the fight isn't against people—it's spiritual—and we must be alert and prepared.But this isn't a message of fear—it's a call to confidence. Through Jesus, we already have victory. With the promise of First Epistle of John 4:4 at its core, this sermon challenges believers to reject complacency, stand firm in prayer, and live with bold, passionate faith. It's a clear, compelling invitation to step up, stay ready, and walk in the strength God has already given.

In this message from Epistle of James 4, we confront one of the most critical questions for our culture: What causes fights and quarrels among you? The problem isn't politics, culture, or even the other person. The battle is within us. Discover how pride, misplaced desires, and spiritual compromise divide our homes and churchesand how humility, repentance, and surrender to Jesus bring restoration.

In this message from Epistle of James 4, we confront one of the most critical questions for our culture: What causes fights and quarrels among you? The problem isn't politics, culture, or even the other person. The battle is within us. Discover how pride, misplaced desires, and spiritual compromise divide our homes and churchesand how humility, repentance, and surrender to Jesus bring restoration.

Episode 89 From An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope  Mark McGuinness reads and discusses an excerpt from Epistle II of An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope. https://media.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/media.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/content.blubrry.com/amouthfulofair/89_From_An_Essay_on_Man_by_Alexander_Pope.mp3 Poet Alexander Pope Reading and commentary by Mark McGuinness From An Essay on Man Epistle II By Alexander Pope Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;The proper study of mankind is man.Placed on this isthmus of a middle state,A being darkly wise, and rudely great:With too much knowledge for the sceptic side,With too much weakness for the stoic's pride,He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast;In doubt his mind or body to prefer;Born but to die, and reasoning but to err;Alike in ignorance, his reason such,Whether he thinks too little, or too much:Chaos of thought and passion, all confused;Still by himself abused, or disabused;Created half to rise, and half to fall;Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled:The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! Go, wondrous creature! mount where science guides,Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;Instruct the planets in what orbs to run,Correct old time, and regulate the sun;Go, soar with Plato to th' empyreal sphere,To the first good, first perfect, and first fair;Or tread the mazy round his followers trod,And quitting sense call imitating God;As Eastern priests in giddy circles run,And turn their heads to imitate the sun.Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule –Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!   Podcast Transcript In the early 18th century, Alexander Pope's poetry was known to every cultured person in England. He was a fashionable, successful, wealthy writer and the preeminent poet of his age. He was also a canny businessman who published his translations of Homer via subscription, an early form of crowdfunding, and they sold so well he built himself, an extravagantly large villa in Twickenham – and its famous subterranean grotto still exists today. His political satires were so sharp and topical that he was rumoured to carry a pair of loaded pistols when going for a walk, in case one of his targets took violent exception. Phrases from his poetry are still proverbial: ‘hope springs eternal', ‘Fools rush in where angels fear to tread', ‘a little learning is a dangerous thing', ‘To err is human; to forgive divine', ‘What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed', and also the title of the movie, ‘eternal sunshine of the spotless mind'. But these days, Pope has really fallen out of fashion. He's seen as archaic and artificial. In an age when formal poetry is out of fashion, for many people he represents the worst kind of formal poetry: his very regular metre and full rhymes sound clunky to our ears. His rhyming couplets are undoubtedly clever, but that's part of the problem, because these days we associate poetry with emotions and self-expression, so cleverness is seen as a little suspect and somehow inauthentic. And I'll be honest, for a long time, I had that image of Pope. He represented everything the Romantics rebelled against at the end of the 18th century, and as a young poet I was on the side of the Romantics, so I had no interest in Pope. However, a few years ago, I challenged myself to have another look at his work, and what I discovered was a really sharp and thought-provoking and witty and formidably skilful poet, who in certain moods, is an absolute pleasure to read. And he doesn't fit every mood, but then there aren't many poets who do. So turning to today's poem, An Essay on Man is one of Pope's major works, it's about 1,300 lines long. As the title suggests it's a meditation on the nature of what he called mankind, and we call humankind, we have to make allowance for the historic focus on the male as representative of the species. It's also a didactic poem, he's not just reflecting on the subject, he is telling us what we should think about it. Which again, is a deeply unfashionable stance for poets these days, at least when they are on the side of a conservative or establishment position. And he does this in the form of a series of verse epistles, verse letters, which are addressed to Henry St John, Viscount Bolingbroke. The epistle form also means that the poem addresses the reader in a very direct manner, as you would expect in a letter. His basic stance, which we find in many of his poems, is of a reasonable man writing for a group of like-minded people, trying to establish some sort of common sense, shared ideas and principles, in a world where these need to be debated and defined and defended. This was the world of the coffee house and the salon, where people came together to debate, sometimes in very robust fashion. It came to be known as the Augustan age in English literature, by comparison with the satirical and political poetry of the age of Augustus Caesar. OK looking more closely at the poem itself, the excerpt I just read is from the second Epistle, and one of the first things we notice is what Milton would have called the ‘jingling' rhymes: Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great: With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic’s pride, It's pretty unmistakeable isn't it? One pair of rhymes after another. And in case you're wondering, yes, these rhyming couplets do go on all the way through the poem, and indeed all the way through most of Pope's work. And not just in Pope: for over a century, from about 1650 to 1780, this was a hugely popular verse form. They are known as heroic couplets because they are associated with epic narrative poems, such as John Dryden's translations of Virgil and Pope's translations of Homer. Each line is in iambic pentameter, the familiar ti TUM ti TUM ti TUm ti TUM ti TUM, with two lines next to each other forming couplets, and the poem proceeding with one couplet after another. The form can be traced back to Chaucer, who used rhyming couplets for many of his narrative poems. But by the time of Dryden and Pope it had evolved into a tighter couplet form, described as closed couplets, meaning that they were typically self contained, with a sentence, or a discrete part of a sentence, beginning and ending inside the couplet. For instance: Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. That stands on its own as a single thought, a unit of sense, ending with a full stop. And the full rhyme of ‘scan' and ‘man' means the couplet snaps shut at the end – this is the closed couplet effect we associate with heroic couplets. In the next couplet he introduces the idea of man as a creature of ‘middle state': Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great: And then another couplet elaborates on the sense of being pulled in different directions: With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, So the poem proceeds one unit of sense at a time. The couplets are like Lego bricks, and Pope used them to build just about anything he wanted: literary and philosophical discourse here in the Essay on Man and in his Essay on Criticism; mock-heroic social comedy in The Rape of the Lock; actual epic in his translations of the Iliad and the Odyssey; and satire in The Dunciad. It's easy to see how this could become monotonous, and in the work of most poets of the time, it did. But Pope's great achievement was to take this established form and perfect it, sticking very strictly to the formal pattern, while varying the syntax, the grammatical patterns, with great subtlety and complexity, to keep the reader on their toes. Let's take another look at the first couplet. Notice the little pause in the middle of the first line, after ‘thyself': Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; This divides the line into two parts, conveying the dramatic tension in Pope's argument: he's saying that humans are ambitious for knowledge, they want to ‘scan' God, to examine him, but they should really focus on self-knowledge. This tension between opposites is known as antithesis, it's a rhetorical pattern we looked at back in episode 58 about one of Sir Philip Sidney's sonnets, and it's very common in Pope. And the tension is resolved in the next line, which is all one phrase, with no pause: The proper study of mankind is man. Have another listen to the couplet, to hear how the tension is established and then released: Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. So when all of this comes together, the tension and release, the regular rhythm of the metre and the full rhymes clinching the couplet, it has the effect of making the words sound truer than true. The following couplet picks up on the antithesis, and extends it into paradox: Placed on this isthmus of a middle state, A being darkly wise, and rudely great: An isthmus is a narrow strip of land between two bodies of water, so standing on it, you could easily feel precarious and threatened. ‘Darkly wise' means ‘dimly wise', possessing a little knowledge, but not enough for full understanding. And ‘rudely great' means ‘powerful but coarse and unfinished'. And I think we can recognise what Pope is saying from our own experience – that sense of knowing enough to know how little we really know; of having great potential, but struggling to fulfil it. And isn't it delightful how Pope compresses all those feelings into these neat little paradoxes: ‘darkly wise and rudely great'. In another famous line, he describes true eloquence as ‘What oft was thought but ne'er so well expressed', which is exactly what he achieves here. We can also note that ‘darkly wise' and ‘rudely great' are not only antitheses expressed as paradoxes, they are also an example of another rhetorical pattern: parallelism, where similar structures are repeated with variation. In this case ‘darkly' and ‘rudely' are both adverbs and ‘wise' and ‘great' are both adjectives, so grammatically they are identical, which suggests both similarity and difference in mankind's relationship to knowledge and power. The next couplet uses a more elaborate parallelism: With too much knowledge for the sceptic side, With too much weakness for the stoic's pride, So both lines say ‘With too much something for the something else'. It's hard to miss the pattern, isn't it? And notice how the couplet form is perfect for laying out two ideas that seem to counterbalance each other perfectly. So we're only six lines in and Pope has put his finger on a central conundrum in human existence, and conveyed it with at least three rhetorical patterns nested inside each other – antithesis, paradox and parallelism. Not only that, he's handled the metre and rhyme with great skill, wrapping each thought up in the neat little bow of a rhyming couplet. And if your mind is starting to boggle, welcome to the world of Pope's verse: elegant, authoritative and very, very clever. When we look closely, there's a lot going on inside every single couplet. He's like a watchmaker, working at a tiny scale, making an instrument with great precision and balance, that keeps perfect time, and chimes beautifully. And Pope's contemporaries would have found it easier to follow the sense than we do, because they were used to reading this kind of stuff. But I'm sure the poetry would often have given them pause, even if only for a moment, as they read. And my guess is that they would have enjoyed this slight difficulty, and the pleasure of making out the sense, with the little dopamine hit of understanding. Like unwrapping a sweet before you can pop it in your mouth and taste it. So I hope we're starting to see why Pope is the undisputed master of the heroic couplet. Even T. S. Eliot had to admit defeat, when he wrote a passage in this style for The Waste Land, only for Ezra Pound to point out tactfully that he couldn't compete with Pope, and draw the red pencil through it. But the form is more than simply one couplet after another. When he stacks them together, they create verse paragraphs, longer units of thought, that function very like paragraphs in prose. So having established the idea of man caught between opposing forces, he goes on to elaborate on the theme to dazzling effect: He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest; In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast; In doubt his mind or body to prefer; Born but to die, and reasoning but to err; Alike in ignorance, his reason such, Whether he thinks too little, or too much: The couplets are individually brilliant, and cumulatively overwhelming, both in terms of the mental effort required to tease out their meanings, and the tension between action and inaction, divine and bestial impulses, mind and body, birth and death, reason and error. And I think that's why I find this line so funny: Whether he thinks too little, or too much: It feels like he's throwing his arms up and laughing and admitting that he's overthinking it all. The verse paragraph ends with three more couplets, where he sums up the nature of man: Chaos of thought and passion, all confused; Still by himself abused, or disabused; Created half to rise, and half to fall; Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all; Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled: The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! Although Pope is describing a ‘chaos of thought', his own thinking is always sharp, however convoluted his argument becomes. So he sticks to the themes of power and knowledge, undercutting man's pretension by saying he is ‘Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all', and ‘Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled'. And he ends this paragraph with another rhetorical device, the tricolon, which uses three parallel elements to build to a conclusion: The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! We're familiar with this pattern in famous quotes from Julius Caesar, ‘I came, I saw, I conquered', the US Declaration of Independence, ‘Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness', and Shakespeare: ‘Friends, Romans, countrymen!' Here, Pope uses it with typical precision, since if someone is both the ‘glory… of the world' and it's ‘jest', i.e. the butt of its jokes, then that makes that person a ‘riddle': The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! So this sums up the nature of man, and sets up the jesting irony of the next verse paragraph: Go, wondrous creature! mount where science guides, Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides; Instruct the planets in what orbs to run, Correct old time, and regulate the sun; If this were the start of the poem, we might be forgiven for taking Pope's words at face value, but in the light of what has gone before, it's pretty clear that ‘wondrous creature' is a mocking criticism. He was writing this in an age where Newtonian physics was in the ascendancy and people were full of enthusiasm about the new discoveries in science and the possibility of understanding and mastering the physical world. And given that we are still living in a so-called age of reason, I think his criticisms of scientific overreach are still relevant, and the joke is still funny, when he talks about instructing the planets in what orbits to follow, correcting time and regulating the sun. As if measuring were full understanding, let alone complete power. But Pope doesn't confine his criticism to scientists. He also has philosophers in his sight: Go, soar with Plato to th' empyreal sphere, To the first good, first perfect, and first fair; Or tread the mazy round his followers trod, And quitting sense call imitating God; He clearly doesn't have a lot of time for Plato's first principles. Neither is he impressed by the contemporary vogue for what we would call Orientalism: As Eastern priests in giddy circles run, And turn their heads to imitate the sun. It's possible that he had in mind the whirling dervishes of Persia, or maybe this is just a caricature of his idea of ‘Eastern priests'. So obviously this is a joke that hasn't aged so well. OK he ends this verse paragraph with a final jab, which restates the idea from the opening couplet in bluntly comic fashion: Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule – Then drop into thyself, and be a fool! It's hard to imagine a more apt image of intellectual presumption than trying to teach Eternal Wisdom a thing or two, but just in case we miss the point, Pope rams it home with relish: Then drop into thyself, and be a fool! And this is another characteristic aspect of Augustan poetry, particularly the satirical kind, that it can be very crude and direct, with a passage of sophisticated argument followed by a line or two where the mask drops and the insult is laid bare. And no, it's not big or clever, but let's face it, sometimes it can be deeply satisfying. One more little detail, which I can't help wondering about: notice how both of these couplets, conveying the same basic idea in very different tones, both hinge on the word ‘thyself': Know then thyself, presume not God to scan; The proper study of mankind is man. Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule – Then drop into thyself, and be a fool! So that word ‘thyself' could be used to refer to various individuals, and knowing Pope, I wouldn't be surprised if he intended all of them at once. Firstly, the phrasing sounds proverbial, in which case each couplet is an injunction to mankind at large. Secondly, it could refer to the reader, any reader, of the poem, whether Viscount Bolingbroke, an 18th-century wit, or you and me, reading the poem together on this podcast. It could also refer to the specific targets of Pope's criticism, such as the overreaching scientists or philosophers. I think Pope may also have had in mind a target nearer to home: himself. W. B. Yeats wrote in one of his essays, ‘We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry'. And it's entirely possible that Pope is doing both at once: we've seen the brilliance of his rhetoric, in puncturing the pretensions of his fellow men and women. Yet by making poetry as well as rhetoric, he is arguably arguing with himself as well. It was of course be entirely right and proper and expected for a Christian such as Pope to admonish himself as well as others, for the many and various sins he describes in An Essay on Man. So from a moral viewpoint, I think I'm on pretty safe ground in suggesting that ‘thyself' includes Pope. But I would go further, and say that the idea of a brilliant mind that is not quite brilliant enough to fully understand itself may have been a deeply personal subject for Pope. Because what we have here is an extremely clever warning about taking cleverness to extremes. Maybe the irony was not lost on Pope. As he wrote in another poem, An Essay on Criticism, ‘A little learning is a dangerous thing'. So perhaps as we hear this passage again, and enjoy the sparkling wit and scurrilous attacks on others, we can also detect a note of self-reflection, and self-accusation, that makes it a little more poignant than it first appears. From An Essay on Man Epistle II By Alexander Pope Know then thyself, presume not God to scan;The proper study of mankind is man.Placed on this isthmus of a middle state,A being darkly wise, and rudely great:With too much knowledge for the sceptic side,With too much weakness for the stoic's pride,He hangs between; in doubt to act, or rest;In doubt to deem himself a god, or beast;In doubt his mind or body to prefer;Born but to die, and reasoning but to err;Alike in ignorance, his reason such,Whether he thinks too little, or too much:Chaos of thought and passion, all confused;Still by himself abused, or disabused;Created half to rise, and half to fall;Great lord of all things, yet a prey to all;Sole judge of truth, in endless error hurled:The glory, jest, and riddle of the world! Go, wondrous creature! mount where science guides,Go, measure earth, weigh air, and state the tides;Instruct the planets in what orbs to run,Correct old time, and regulate the sun;Go, soar with Plato to th' empyreal sphere,To the first good, first perfect, and first fair;Or tread the mazy round his followers trod,And quitting sense call imitating God;As Eastern priests in giddy circles run,And turn their heads to imitate the sun.Go, teach Eternal Wisdom how to rule –Then drop into thyself, and be a fool!   Alexander Pope Alexander Pope was an English poet and translator who was born in 1688 and died in 1744. As a Catholic he was barred from university and public office, so he educated himself and forged a brilliant literary career, becoming the leading poet of Augustan England, celebrated for his razor-sharp satire and polished heroic couplets. Early success came with An Essay on Criticism and The Rape of the Lock, followed by monumental translations of Homer that made him financially independent. His later works, including The Dunciad, attacked dullness and corruption. In An Essay on Man, he explored human nature, providence, and moral order with epigrammatic clarity. He lived at Twickenham, where he created a famous garden and grotto.   A Mouthful of Air – the podcast This is a transcript of an episode of A Mouthful of Air – a poetry podcast hosted by Mark McGuinness. New episodes are released every other Tuesday. You can hear every episode of the podcast via Apple, Spotify, Google Podcasts or your favourite app. You can have a full transcript of every new episode sent to you via email. The music and soundscapes for the show are created by Javier Weyler. Sound production is by Breaking Waves and visual identity by Irene Hoffman. A Mouthful of Air is produced by The 21st Century Creative, with support from Arts Council England via a National Lottery Project Grant. Listen to the show You can listen and subscribe to A Mouthful of Air on all the main podcast platforms Related Episodes From An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope Episode 89 From An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope Mark McGuinness reads and discusses an excerpt from Epistle II of An Essay on Man by Alexander Pope.Poet Alexander PopeReading and commentary by Mark McGuinnessFrom An Essay on Man Epistle II By Alexander Pope Know... Occupied by Tim Rich Episode 88 Occupied by Tim Rich  Tim Rich reads ‘Occupied' and discusses the poem with Mark McGuinness.This poem is from: Dark Angels: Three Contemporary PoetsAvailable from: Dark Angels is available from: The publisher: Paekakariki Press Amazon: UK... Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold Episode 87 Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold  Mark McGuinness reads and discusses ‘Dover Beach' by Matthew Arnold.Poet Matthew ArnoldReading and commentary by Mark McGuinnessDover Beach By Matthew Arnold The sea is calm tonight.The tide is full, the moon lies...

Feburary 28, 2026

“He pulled me up…from the mud of the mire.”Friday • 2/27/2026 •Friday of 1 Lent, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 40; Psalm 54; Genesis 40:1–23; 1 Corinthians 3:16–23; Mark 2:13–22 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 10 (“The Second Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 55:6–11; BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

Lent is an excellent time to look back and look up and say, “Thank you, Lord!”  Thursday • 2/26/2026 •Thursday of 1 Lent, Year Two This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 50; Genesis 39:1–23; 1 Corinthians 2:14–3:15; Mark 2:1–12 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 8 (“The Song of Moses,” Exodus 15, BCP, p. 85); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)

A new MP3 sermon from Berean Baptist Church is now available on SermonAudio with the following details: Title: Paul's Epistle to the Church at Rome | Chapter 8 Subtitle: Paul's Epistle to the Romans Speaker: Sean E. Harris Broadcaster: Berean Baptist Church Event: Bible Study Date: 2/25/2026 Bible: Romans 8:1-11 Length: 58 min.

God loves “misfit toys.”Wednesday • 2/25/2026 •Wednesday of 1 Lent, Year Two This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 119:49–72; Genesis 37:25–36; 1 Corinthians 2:1–13; Mark 1:29–45 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 11 (“The Third Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 60:1-3,11a,14c,18-19, BCP, p. 87); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 16 (“The Song of Zechariah,” Luke 1:68-79, BCP, p. 92)

In this episode, Greg and Nathan wrap up their journey through Epistle to the Colossians by exploring chapter 4 and what it means to live with Christ at the center of everyday life. Join us as we discover how Christ meets us not just in the extraordinary moments, but in the ordinary rhythms of prayer, work, speech, and partnership — and how faithfulness in the everyday becomes a powerful witness to the world.

We're a mess, and we're driven by envy and insecurity. Tuesday • 2/24/2026 •Tuesday of 1 Lent, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 45; Genesis 37:12–24; 1 Corinthians 1:20–31; Mark 1:14–28  This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 13 (“A Song of Praise,” BCP, p. 90); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93) 

In this episode, we begin our verse-by-verse study through the Epistle of James by walking through James 1:1–18.James writes to believers who have been scattered, persecuted, and stripped of the stability they once knew. Instead of offering shallow encouragement, he gives them truth: trials have purpose.In this passage we talk about:• Why believers face trials • What the testing of faith actually produces • The difference between testing and temptation • How to ask God for wisdom in difficult seasons • Why doubt leads to instability • The danger of trusting in wealth instead of Christ • The promise of the crown of life • God's unchanging character and His good giftsIf you are walking through a hard season, this passage reframes suffering in a powerful way. God is not absent in trials, He is refining His people through them.✨ Subscribe for weekly faith-filled encouragement and practical tools for your walk with God, homeschool encouragement, and life in Hawaii as a military family ❤️✨ Follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok: @brookecollins09 & @thefindingfreedomco✨ LINKS

He alone has stood successfully against the assault of every kind of temptation.Monday • 2/23/2026 •Monday of 1 Lent, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 41; Psalm 52; Genesis 37:1–11; 1 Corinthians 1:1–19; Mark 1:1–13 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 9 (“The First Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 12:2–6, BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 19 (“The Song of the Redeemed,” Revelation 15:3–4, BCP, p. 94)

"At the time of the holy Patriarch Thomas I of Constantinople (607-610), the relics of some unknown holy Martyrs were discovered buried in the district of Eugenius. As soon as the Patriarch exposed them for the veneration of the people who gathered from all over the city, numerous healings took place.   "Many years had gone by when a clergyman named Nicolas, who worked as a book copyist, learnt by divine revelation that among these anonymous relics were those of Saint Paul's disciples, the holy apostles Andronicus and Junia, who are mentioned in the Epistle to the Romans (16:7). The Emperor Andronicus I (1183-5) built a beautiful church at the place where thise relics were venerated." (Synaxarion)

Sermon delivered on the First Sunday of Lent, 2026, in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, by Rev. Tobias Bayer. Epistle: 2 Cor. 6, 1-10. Gospel: St. Matthew 4, 1-11.

February 22nd, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 1:6-9In this urgent message from our No Other Gospel series, Pastor Matt Darby takes us to Epistle to the Galatians 1:6–9 and delivers a clear warning for the church today: don't turn to a different gospel.Galatians reads like a spiritual tornado warning. Paul skips the pleasantries because something dangerous is brewing. The believers were drifting—not by rejecting Jesus outright, but by subtly adding to Him. And that's where the danger lies.At the heart of this message is a powerful truth:Hold fast to the true Gospel, and you hold fast to Jesus.Turn from the Gospel, and you turn from Him.There is no other Gospel because there is no other Savior.Pastor Matt reminds us that the Gospel is not merely information about Jesus—it is the announcement of what Jesus has done. The Gospel is historical, substitutionary, complete, and received as a gift. It is the good news that Jesus Christ lived the life we couldn't live, died in our place, rose in victory, and now offers full forgiveness and right standing with God by grace alone through faith alone.But the Galatians were being tempted by a “Jesus-plus” gospel—Jesus plus law, plus works, plus religious performance. And that same temptation still confronts us today.This episode exposes modern “Jesus-plus” distortions, including:Jesus + good worksJesus + church activityJesus + moral improvementJesus + personal effort to stay savedWhen we begin trusting our performance to secure or maintain our salvation, we drift from grace. And as Paul makes clear, to distort the Gospel is not a small theological tweak—it's spiritual disaster.With clarity and pastoral urgency, Pastor Matt explains why even apostles or angels are not the authority—the Gospel is. Any message that adds to Christ alone ultimately places us under condemnation rather than freedom.In the true Gospel, Jesus received the curse.In every false gospel, we remain under it.This message is both a warning and an invitation: stop trying to earn what God freely gives. Grace is not something you graduate from—it's something you go deeper into.Kingdom math is simple:Jesus + Nothing = EverythingJesus + Anything = NothingThere are only two options—life in Christ alone or condemnation in everything else. Hold fast to the true Gospel. Hold fast to Jesus.Do you know JESUS? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER? ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbgilmer.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support through GIVING: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠

February 22nd, 2026 | No Other Gospel | Galatians 1:6-9In this powerful message from our No Other Gospel series, Pastor Todd Kaunitz walks us through Epistle to the Galatians 1:6–9 and confronts one of the most urgent dangers facing the church—counterfeit gospels.The Apostle Paul opens his letter with strong words: “I am astonished…” The believers in Galatia had embraced the true Gospel—saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ. But after Paul left, false teachers crept in with a subtle distortion: Jesus is necessary, they said—but not enough. Faith in Christ must be supplemented with circumcision and obedience to the Old Testament law.It sounded close to the truth. It used familiar language. But it was fatally flawed.Pastor Todd unpacks the meaning of the word euangelion—“good news”—a proclamation of victory. Just as a king would send word home that the enemy had been defeated, the Gospel announces that Jesus has conquered sin, death, and the grave. The message is clear: salvation comes by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone.But what happens when we add to that message?In this episode, you'll discover:Why “Jesus-plus” gospels actually abandon JesusHow adding works to grace nullifies the finished work of ChristThe difference between a distorted gospel and the true GospelWhy Paul's warning carries eternal weightFrom religious moralism to systems that subtly mix grace and works, Pastor Todd shows how counterfeit gospels often look nearly identical to the real thing—just like a fake bill that passes at first glance. The solution? Become so familiar with the true Gospel that you instantly recognize the counterfeit.Because in God's Kingdom math:Jesus + Nothing = EverythingJesus + Anything = NothingThis message is both a warning and an invitation. The true Gospel is good news—Jesus took the curse so we could receive grace. Any other message is not just a variation. It's no gospel at all.Listen in and rediscover the freedom, clarity, and power of the one true Gospel.Do you know JESUS?: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nblongview.org/do-you-know-jesus⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Need PRAYER?: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nblongview.org/pray⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠SUPPORT through giving: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.nbbctx.org/giving⁠⁠⁠

Are we living in a post-Christian culture? And if so, how should believers respond?In this message from Epistle to the Romans 1:16–32, we confront one of the most sobering passages in Scripture. The Apostle Paul describes a culture that has exchanged the truth of God for a lie — suppressing truth, worshiping creation over the Creator, and experiencing the consequences of that exchange.But this is not a message of condemnation — it is a message of power and hope.The gospel is still the power of God for salvation. In a world that may be drifting from its spiritual foundations, followers of Jesus are called not to shame, outrage, or fear — but to faithful devotion, humility, and transformation.

February 22, 2026 | Derek Jones

Join us as we study through the Epistle to the Galatians in our sermon series, "The Gospel of Grace."In today's podcast, we will be focusing on Galatians 4:12-20.If you have any questions or would like to leave a comment, please feel free to email us at info@ravenswoodbaptist.org

After a serious fall that left me unconscious for an hour and waking up in the ER, Pastor Troy was reminded how fragile life is and how powerful our words are. In this message from Epistle of James 3, we unpack why the tongue holds the power of life and death and why James boldly says, “This should not be!” If you want to understand what real Christianity looks like, this message will challenge and change you.

In this message from Epistle of James 3, we unpack why the tongue holds the power of life and death and why James boldly says, “This should not be!” If you want to understand what real Christianity looks like, this message will challenge and change you.

In this episode of FACTS, Dr. Stephen Boyce explores one of the most beautiful and overlooked writings of the early Church — the Epistle to Diognetus. Written in the second century, this anonymous apology offers a stunning portrait of early Christian identity before Constantine, before the great councils, and before Christianity held cultural influence.What did Christians actually believe about their place in the world?How did they explain themselves to pagan critics?And what does it mean that Christians are described as “the soul in the body” of the world?We'll examine the historical background of the letter, its theology, its apologetic strategy, and its powerful vision of Christians living as citizens of heaven while dwelling among the nations. Long before Christendom, this text shows us a faith that was confident, distinct, and radically countercultural.If you want to understand how the earliest Christians saw themselves — and what that means for the Church today — this episode is for you.#ChurchHistory #EarlyChristianity #EpistleToDiognetus #Patristics #Apologetics #FACTSPodcastIf you'd like to donate to our ministry or be a monthly partner that receives newsletters and one on one discussions with Dr. Stephen Boyce, here's a link: https://give.tithe.ly/?formId=6381a2ee-b82f-42a7-809e-6b733cec05a7Link to the Letter: https://www.newadvent.org/fathers/0101.htm

February 21, 2026

Today is on the Church calendar is Judgement (Meatfare) Sunday in which we hear the Epistle and Gospel readings which focus on how we are to live our life, and that is to have compassion for all.How?Listen…

I still feel the weight of the words: “Remember that you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”Friday • 2/20/2026 •Friday of Last Epiphany, Year Two  This morning's Scriptures are: Psalm 31; Ezekiel 18:1–4,25–32; Philippians 4:1–9; John 17:9–19 This morning's Canticles are: following the OT reading, Canticle 10 (“The Second Song of Isaiah,” Isaiah 55:6–11; BCP, p. 86); following the Epistle reading, Canticle 18 (“A Song to the Lamb,” Revelation 4:11; 5:9–10, 13, BCP, p. 93)

The Principal of His Hill Bible School, Jon Forrest joins Kelly in this episode, sharing a devotion from the Epistle to the Philippians and asking the question: What is your attitude?The right attitude of the believer should reflect the attitude of Jesus Christ. What marked His life was a consistent willingness for the Father to have His way — and the result was always what was best for others.Is your life one of serving others or yourself? Does your attitude agree with Christ's, who emptied Himself and took the form of a servant?www.instagram.com/thehishillpodcast/www.hishill.orgkelly@hishill.org

Sermon delivered on Quinquagesima Sunday, 2026, in Richmond, Texas, by Rev. Tobias Bayer. Epistle: 1 Cor. 13, 1-13. Gospel: St. Luke 18, 31-43.

FULL SHOW NOTESFor summaries of Tim and Jon's responses and referenced Scriptures, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSIntro (0:00-3:17)Are Jesus' Brothers His Half-Brothers or Cousins? (3:17-19:21)What Were Love-Meals? (19:21-31:11)How Should Jude Influence How We Think About the Deuterocanon? (31:11-43:50)What Did the Early Church Believe About Spiritual Beings Procreating? (43:50-50:41)Why Are Demons Never Mentioned in the Gospel of John? (50:41-55:32)Conclusion (55:32-1:00:08)REFERENCED RESOURCES"Firstborn: The Last Will Be First" (podcast series)Jesus and the Jewish Roots of Mary: Unveiling the Mother of the Messiah by Brant PitreThe Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul's Theology by Nijay K. GuptaWord Biblical Commentary Vol. 50, 2 Peter, Jude by Richard J. BauckhamJesus and the Jewish Roots of the Eucharist: Unlocking the Secrets of the Last Supper by Brant PitreLast Supper and Lord's Supper by I. Howard Marshall"How the Bible Was Formed" (podcast series)The Deuterocanon/Apocrypha (video series)"Why the Deuterocanon/Apocrypha Is in Some Bibles and Not Others" (article)The Unseen Realm: Recovering the Supernatural Worldview of the Bible by Michael S. HeiserAngels: What the Bible Really Says About God's Heavenly Host by Michael S. HeiserDemons: What the Bible Really Says About the Powers of Darkness by Michael S. HeiserCheck out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSICBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rabbi Schneider and Dustin Roberts explore Romans 8, talking through what it means for Christ to live in us and how believers navigate the ongoing struggle with sin. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate 

Rabbi Schneider and Dustin Roberts continue in Romans with a discussion that will deepen your understanding of Christian baptism and its spiritual significance. You may be surprised by the Jewish roots behind it and what it reveals about walking in newness of life. **** BECOME A MONTHLY PARTNER - https://djj.show/YTAPartner   **** DONATE - https://djj.show/YTADonate 

The Letter of Jude E5 — In verses 11-16, Jude continues warning his Jewish messianic audience about deceptive, immoral people infiltrating their house churches. He compares them to three characters from the Hebrew Bible—Cain, Balaam, and Korah—who choose rebellion for themselves and lead others astray. Next, he compares the corrupt church members to a series of images from Scripture, including selfish shepherds, rainless clouds, and wandering stars. In this episode, Jon and Tim continue exploring Jude's dense prose, where he seamlessly weaves together allusions to the Hebrew Bible and Second-Temple period literature into a piercing critique of imposters within a community of disciples.FULL SHOW NOTESFor chapter-by-chapter summaries, referenced Scriptures, and reflection questions, check out the full show notes for this episode.CHAPTERSCain, Balaam, and Korah (0:00-23:23)Six Images of Corrupt Leaders (23:23-37:45)The Prophecy of Enoch (37:45-55:42)OFFICIAL EPISODE TRANSCRIPTView this episode's official transcript.BIBLEPROJECT JUDE TRANSLATIONView our full translation of the Letter of Jude.REFERENCED RESOURCESAntiquities of the Jews by JosephusCheck out Tim's extensive collection of recommended books here.SHOW MUSIC“Gentle Lamb” by Lofi Sunday, Yoni Charis“Purple Clouds ft. Marc Vanparla” by Lofi SundayBibleProject theme song by TENTS SHOW CREDITSProduction of today's episode is by Lindsey Ponder, producer, and Cooper Peltz, managing producer. Tyler Bailey is our supervising engineer, who also edited today's episode and provided the sound design and mix. JB Witty writes the show notes. Our host and creative director is Jon Collins, and our lead scholar is Tim Mackie. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.