Podcasts about Essence

Ganel-Lyn Condie is a popular speaker, author, and mental health advocate. With insight shaped by faith, lived experience, and cultural awareness, she brings both compassion and clarity to the question many leaders and members are asking: How do we help people feel seen, known, and loved—especially those on the margins? In this episode, Ganel-Lyn discusses her new book, Sourdough and the Savior, which explores the parallels between the process of making sourdough bread and the teachings of Jesus Christ. The conversation emphasizes the importance of ministering, community building, and personal growth through shared experiences. Links Sourdough and the Savior Watch the video and share your thoughts in the Zion Lab community Transcript available with the video in the Zion Lab community Key Insights Sourdough as a Metaphor: Ganel-Lyn uses sourdough baking as a metaphor for understanding the characteristics of the Savior, illustrating how personal struggles can lead to spiritual growth. Ministering through Connection: The act of sharing sourdough has become a means of ministering to others, fostering connections, and creating opportunities for healing and conversation. Building Community: Ganel-Lyn emphasizes the need for community in the church, particularly for those who may feel isolated. She shares her experience of hosting informal gatherings to create a space for connection without the pressure of formal church events. Vulnerability in Leadership: By sharing her own feelings of loneliness and identity struggles, Ganel-Lyn encourages leaders to be open and vulnerable, which can help others feel seen and understood. Diversity in Gifts: The discussion highlights that everyone has unique gifts to share, and these contributions, no matter how small, can significantly impact the community and help build Zion. Leadership Applications Encouraging Informal Gatherings: Leaders can create opportunities for members to connect outside of formal church settings, fostering a sense of belonging and community. Modeling Vulnerability: By being open about their own challenges, leaders can create an environment where others feel safe to share their struggles, leading to deeper connections and support. Recognizing Individual Contributions: Leaders should encourage members to share their unique talents and experiences, reinforcing the idea that every contribution is valuable in building a strong, diverse community. Highlights 00:03:02 – Ganel-Lyn’s Journey to Writing 00:06:29 – The Struggles of Sourdough 00:10:18 – The Role of Ministering 00:11:03 – Building Zion Through Community 00:13:04 – Sharing Talents and Gifts 00:15:08 – The Impact of Sourdough 00:16:49 – The Importance of Connection 00:20:50 – Navigating Loneliness 00:24:01 – Creating Inclusive Gatherings 00:27:21 – The Essence of Community 00:30:20 – The Role of Church Leaders 00:34:25 – The Importance of Vulnerability The award-winning Leading Saints Podcast is one of the top independent Latter-day Saints podcasts as part of nonprofit Leading Saints’ mission to help Latter-day Saints be better prepared to lead. Find Leadership Tools, Courses, and Community for Latter-day Saint leaders in the Zion Lab community. Learn more and listen to any of the past episodes for free at LeadingSaints.org. Past guests include Emily Belle Freeman, David Butler, Hank Smith, John Bytheway, Reyna and Elena Aburto, Liz Wiseman, Stephen M. R. Covey, Benjamin Hardy, Elder Alvin F. Meredith III, Julie Beck, Brad Wilcox, Jody Moore, Tony Overbay, John H. Groberg, Elaine Dalton, Tad R. Callister, Lynn G. Robbins, J. Devn Cornish, Bonnie Oscarson, Dennis B. Neuenschwander, Kirby Heyborne, Taysom Hill, Coaches Jennifer Rockwood and Brandon Doman, Anthony Sweat, John Hilton III, Barbara Morgan Gardner, Blair Hodges, Whitney Johnson, Ryan Gottfredson, Greg McKeown, Ganel-Lyn Condie, Michael Goodman, Wendy Ulrich, Richard Ostler, and many more in over 800 episodes. Discover podcasts, articles, virtual conferences, and live events related to callings such as the bishopric, Relief Society, elders quorum, Primary, youth leadership, stake leadership, ward mission, ward council, young adults, ministering, and teaching.

In this episode, Julia speaks with Mona about how education — formal, informal, cultural, and familial — quietly shapes the way we lead, often without us realising it.Together, they reflect on moments in their own leading where habits, preferences, and blind spots can be traced directly back to how they were educated — what was rewarded, what was discouraged, and what was never questioned. From structure and organisation to evidence, empowerment, and questioning authority, education sits deep in our Essence.The conversation explores how early learning can both strengthen and limit us. Julia and Mona talk candidly about prejudice versus judgement, the impact of failure, and the importance of learning, unlearning, and relearning as we grow. They reflect on how questioning — something encouraged in some educations and punished in others — becomes central to trust, confidence, and psychological safety in teams.Mona also shares how empathy and grace play a crucial role in leading across difference — recognising that people come with different capacities, experiences, and confidence, and that equality does not mean sameness.This episode is a reminder that leading is shaped long before our first job title — and that the work of leading well often begins with understanding, and questioning, the education that formed us.About the Guest: Mona-Lisa Danieli Mungure is an Attorney in the High Courts of Botswana and the Regional Head of a division in one of Botswana's government Ministries. Additionally, she plays a strategic role in Botswana's human rights discourse where she has served and continues to serve as a national consultant and national legal team coordinator on different occasions. She has experience in various aspects of civil law and she has worked in pluralistic environments including private practice, the public sector and civil society organizations. She is the Executive Director of an award winning initiative called Molao Matters which sits on various regional and national networks to push for women's rights holistically. Molao Matters also provides pro bono services to marginalized women and advances feminist approaches in civic governance and development spaces. Mona-Lisa is also a certified Data Protection Officer and a firm advocate for just practices in data management ecosystems.

In this episode, we discuss Christ's human nature.

On this week's episode of Beautiful and Bothered, Johnny and Kevin are bringing you the best makeup of 2026 so far! Including some insanely amazing affordable drugstore makeup finds from Essence, Revolution, Covergirl, and more! Plus some incredibly innovative launches from IT Cosmetics, About Face, NARS, and Charlotte Tilbury! They also discuss the backlash going viral online from Mikayla Nogueira's peculiar divorce announcement.

Send a textIn this engaging conversation, Katarina Forster and Candace, the LA Facialist, delve into the world of self-care, facials, and the beauty industry. They discuss the importance of facials as a form of self-care, the misconceptions surrounding them, and how Candace built her brand on expertise and community. The conversation also touches on the significance of mindset, manifestation, and personal growth, as well as the transformative power of retreats. Candace shares her insights on skincare essentials and the importance of celebrating personal achievements.Candace:https://www.instagram.com/thelafacialist?igsh=MWJ2bGE2cW16aDh5Ng==Retreat!!!!https://www.instagram.com/radiantretreatcr?igsh=cXJuejh2dWwxa3h2TakeawaysFacials are a luxury and a form of self-care, not a necessity.Understanding client expectations is crucial for satisfaction.Building a brand requires focusing on one's expertise.Creating community is essential in the beauty industry.Mindset and manifestation play a significant role in personal growth.Self-care routines should include effective skincare practices.Celebrating personal achievements is important for self-confidence.Exfoliation and hydration are key to healthy skin.Real connections in the industry foster collaboration and support.Investing in oneself is the best way to create a fulfilling life.Chapters00:00 The Essence of Self-Care and Facials02:55 Building a Brand on Expertise05:59 Creating Community Through Retreats08:54 The Power of Manifestation and Mindset12:13 Navigating Personal Growth and Mentorship14:44 Skincare Essentials for Radiant Skin18:01 Celebrating Success and Personal Achievements

Today we released part one of our interview with Aleah Wright. She's the founder of Wright Beauty, a venture that sells body butter and beauty oil for women. Prior to launching her business, Aleah was a freelance writer, writing about fashion and other topics for magazines including InStyle and Essence. She cut her teeth in the fashion world with internships at Michael Kors and Prada.Join us to hear how Aleah's grit and determination are propelling her career! https://wrightfashions.com/

This week I'm talking to Darren King the Exoacademian. Bio Darren King is a consciousness educator, public speaker, researcher, and podcaster, who aims to both explore and expand the parameters of human consciousness. Darren's focus on human potential is centrally connected not only to our innate, evolutionary drive towards an ever-expanding, emergent awareness driven by curiosity, but also with an eye towards the daunting global challenges we all face, which will require a new “center of gravity” for “human-beingness” to be adequately addressed. The many questions pertinent to this overarching pursuit that Darren is actively engaged in include: Who are we? What other forms of intelligence surround and interact with us? What innate abilities have we let lay dormant and undeveloped within the modern mythos defined under Western civilization? What aspects of reality have we ignored and left unexplored in our race towards a left-brain driven, technological society focused solely on “objective” truth as narrowly defined according to the dictates of the physicalist paradigm? And finally, in light of revelations around psi phenomena, contact with non-conventional (sometimes non or quasi-physical) entities, near-death and out-of-body experiences, and the implications of quantum mechanics, what can we say of the ultimate nature of reality? Darren is the founder of Essence of Being, an initiative designed to help equip humanity to meet the coming evolutionary nexus with a transformed identity rooted in a shared sense of purpose and belonging. This overarching mission is served through in-depth, immersive programs crafted to help people transition from a narrow, “siloed-mind” perspective, to a more robust, heart-centered, generative and interconnected view, positioned to perceive, understand and respond to personal and collective challenges in a timely, comprehensive manner, with the aim of being in service to the greatest good. Darren serves as an advisor to the John Mack Institute, whose overarching aim is to “foster interdisciplinary initiatives that examine the nature of reality and the ways in which humanity's understanding of it influences the condition of all life on earth”. Darren's nuanced thinking and articulate reflections on the Contact phenomenon have earned him respect and a large, dedicated audience. His ongoing research aims to “connect the dots” between the Contact phenomenon and related topics such as near-death experiences (NDEs), out-of-body experiences (OBEs), and psi phenomena, ultimately keying in on what these data may reveal about the nature of reality itself. Darren is regularly featured on a variety of shows and podcasts, exploring these various interrelated matters. Darren's work also includes both Point of Convergence, which, as the name implies, is a podcast examining the uncanny connection between a variety of so-called “contact modalities” and non-ordinary state experiences, and Liminal Phrames, a conversational podcast discussing the history of UFOs/UAP and the Contact phenomenon, and their intersection with ancient human lore and religious history. https://pointofconvergence.net/ https://essenceofbeing.info/ https://www.youtube.com/exoacademian https://www.pastliveshypnosis.co.uk/https://www.patreon.com/alienufopodcastMy book 'Verified Near Death Exeriences' https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DXKRGDFP Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul and Dan pull out and analyze Dave Megarry's famous Dungeon! boardgame, developed at the same time as D&D, published in 1975. How much were the games similar, and were do the differ? What changed in the half-dozen iterations over the years? And does the stripped-down dungeon-crawling game still stand up today?

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent Sunday Soother 22-2-26 when you learn to love yourself you will stop putting your self-esteem in the hands of others. celebrate yourself. nobody knows what it takes to be you. 

Alain Emerson continues our Essence series.

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent  - Saturday Love  Live!  21-2-26 Ep 2

Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent  - Saturday Love  Live!  21-2-26 Ep 1

The Tachash, whose multicolored hide crowned the Mishkan, was unique because its beauty was intrinsic, not imposed. The Targum calls it Sasgona, and Rashi explains it was sas v'ga'eh — joyful and proud in its colors — meaning its coloring expressed its very character. Unlike the ram skins that were dyed red, where the color was external, the Tachash's outer appearance was fully rooted in its inner being. As the uppermost covering of the Mishkan, it reflected the truth of Chai HaOlamim — that every detail of existence, even what appears secondary or external, flows from Hashem, the Ultimate Source. Just as its outer layer was essential, so too in avodas Hashem even minhagim, which may seem external to the mitzvah itself, are deeply bound to holiness and must be performed with full chayus and seriousness.לקו״ש לא-א

The post Self Love Meditation appeared first on Essence of Being.

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent  19-2-26 Early Bounce  Every now and again, something breaks through and sticks. It encourages us when we are down. It pushes us to think differently. It grounds us in what's true—even when everything else is spinning around us. 

Nombuyiselo Shabangu – Scent.Ubuhle SAfm Market Update - Podcasts and live stream

En Norvège, pays de 6 millions d’habitants, il s’est vendu… sept voitures à essence en janvier! Une analyse indépendante juge les ambitions de croissance d’Hydro-Québec « trop optimistes » et « très risquées ». Discussion économique avec Francis Gosselin, économiste. Regardez aussi cette discussion en vidéo via https://www.qub.ca/videos ou en vous abonnant à QUB télé : https://www.tvaplus.ca/qub ou sur la chaîne YouTube QUB https://www.youtube.com/@qub_radio Pour de l'information concernant l'utilisation de vos données personnelles - https://omnystudio.com/policies/listener/fr

In this episode, Adam Buchanan discusses the importance of finding personal validation in bow hunting rather than seeking approval from others, especially through social media. He emphasizes that the joy of hunting should come from the experience itself, not from the size of the game or the opinions of others. Adam encourages listeners to embrace their journey as first-generation bow hunters, to stop outsourcing their legitimacy, and to focus on their own growth and enjoyment in the sport.Bow hunting should be fun; if it's not, something's wrong.Don't let social media dictate your hunting success.It's your tag; hunt for your own experience.Outsourcing validation can lead to dissatisfaction.You can't eat antlers; focus on the meat.Personal validation is more important than likes.The playbook for life is often unfinished.Stop comparing your journey to others.Hunting is about personal growth and experience.Enjoy the process, not just the outcome."Just go shoot a deer.""You can't eat antlers.""This should be fun."Chapters00:00 The Essence of Bow Hunting09:42 Outsourcing Validation in Hunting16:54 The Journey of Self-Validation24:47 Building Personal Legitimacybow hunting, validation, personal growth, social media, hunting success, self-acceptance, first generation bow hunter, outdoor sports, mental health, personal journey

Feeling lost in your career? Questioning your life direction? So many of us spend our 20s and 30s chasing the job titles we're told we “should” have, lofty income goals, or status, only to end up feeling disconnected, unfulfilled, and like we've sold our soul along the way.What if the answer to career clarity and job satisfaction isn't ahead of you… it's behind you?Research shows that people whose adult careers align with their early interests experience higher job satisfaction, better income, and greater educational attainment. If you loved writing, building, organizing, performing, asking questions, leading groups, solving problems, or creating things as a kid, those patterns can still guide what feels meaningful and easeful in adulthood.So in today's episode, we explore how your childhood interests and your true nature as a kid can offer clues for what will bring you long-term career fulfillment — and why reconnecting with who you were as a child is an evidence-based career strategy.Tune in to hear about:Why so many adults feel lost or misaligned in their careersThe disconnect between societal expectations and your authentic selfHow your childhood “essence” reveals your natural strengthsPrompts to uncover your core natureThe new research linking childhood interests to adult job satisfactionHow interests are often more stable than personality traitsHolland's RIASEC career theory in the 6 interest categoriesHow to use your younger self as a practical career compassFor advertising and sponsorship inquiries, please contact Frequency Podcast Network. Sign up for our monthly adulting newsletter:teachmehowtoadult.ca/newsletter Follow us on the ‘gram:@teachmehowtoadultmedia@gillian.bernerFollow on TikTok: @teachmehowtoadultSubscribe on YouTube

Julie Austin and Matthew Cain share their journey in leveraging their military backgrounds to assist veterans in transitioning to entrepreneurship through their podcast Dogtags to Ownership. We explore the definition of mission-driven businesses, the importance of community & networking, and the personal experiences that shaped their call to service. The discussion also touches on the significance of identity, the challenges faced during the Don't Ask, Don't Tell era and how their backgrounds influence their current endeavors. The episode concludes with insights on partnership dynamics and key takeaways for aspiring entrepreneurs.   The Essence of a Mission-Driven Business   Julie defines a mission-driven business as one that embodies a deep sense of purpose and passion. It's not just about making profits; it's about waking up every day with a drive to make a difference. Both Julie and Matt share a commitment to helping veterans transition into fulfilling careers, which their podcast serves a vital role in. They help veterans find meaningful work instead of merely passing time in jobs that don't inspire them. A mission-driven business must not only fulfill its owner's passion but also create a positive impact in the community.   Lessons from Military Service   Julie and Matt share their experiences in the military, which have profoundly influenced their understanding of leadership and community service. In this episode they discuss how the skills and values learned during their service translate effectively into the business environment. For instance, the ability to lead diverse teams and navigate complex situations is invaluable for entrepreneurs looking to make a difference.   Finding Purpose Through Adversity   The discussion also touches on the challenges veterans face during their transitions. Julie candidly shares her experience with the military's 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell' policy, which was a significant barrier for many LGBTQ service members. She reflects on the internal struggle of being true to oneself while serving in the military. However, the repeal of this policy allowed for greater openness and inclusion, fostering a more supportive environment for veterans today. This change parallels the mission-driven ethos of creating spaces where individuals can be authentic and contribute their best selves.   The Importance of Community and Connection   Emphasis on the importance of community was a big theme in our discussion. Their mission is to connect veterans with valuable resources and mentorship opportunities that can help them thrive in the civilian world. By sharing experiences and knowledge, they create a supportive network that empowers veterans to pursue their passions and make meaningful contributions.   Resources + Links Newsletter Sign Up DogTags to Ownership: Website, Instagram, Facebook, TikTok Follow Brian Thompson Online: Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X, Forbes Follow & review the podcast: on Spotify and Apple Podcasts   About Brian and the Mission Driven Business Podcast Brian Thompson, JD/CFP®, is a tax attorney and Certified Financial Planner® who specializes in providing comprehensive financial planning to LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs who run mission-driven businesses. The Mission Driven Business podcast was born out of his passion for helping social entrepreneurs create businesses with purpose and profit. On the podcast, Brian talks with diverse entrepreneurs and the people who support them. Listeners hear stories of experiences, strength, and hope and get practical advice to help them build businesses that might just change the world, too.

In this episode, The Annuity Man discusses:  RMDs as a built-in income stream Building a reliable income floor for Chapter Two Stacking income sources intentionally Choosing truth over product-driven advice   Key Takeaways:  Required Minimum Distributions are not just tax events but forced withdrawals that create predictable income. Like Social Security, they function as an annuity whether you planned for one or not. Seeing RMDs as income rather than irritation changes how retirement planning is approached. Retirement is reframed as Chapter Two, a season focused on lifestyle and freedom. The priority is creating a guaranteed income floor that covers essential expenses regardless of markets. With that baseline secured, retirees gain confidence and flexibility in their financial decisions. An income floor can include Social Security, pensions, RMDs, dividends, rentals, bonds, CDs, treasuries, and MYGAs. RMDs must be factored in because they are predictable and legally required. Failing to include them can lead to unnecessary product purchases and inefficient planning. Not everyone needs to buy an additional annuity. If projected RMD income already meets lifestyle needs, additional guarantees may be unnecessary. A truth-first approach prioritizes client needs over sales, reinforcing trust and long-term credibility.   "You already own an annuity, and it's called Social Security, and it's the best inflation annuity on the planet." —  Stan the Annuity Man   Connect with The Annuity Man:  Website: http://theannuityman.com/  Email: Stan@TheAnnuityMan.com  Book: Owner's Manuals: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/how-do-annuities-work YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCXKKxvVslbeGAlEc5sra2g  Get a Quote Today: https://www.stantheannuityman.com/annuity-calculator!

In this episode, Dr. Zonzie McLaurin explores the concept of legacy, emphasizing that it is not merely what one leaves behind but how one lives and impacts others throughout their life. She outlines three foundational pillars for building a lasting legacy: pouring into people intentionally, creating something that can stand without you, and living your values out loud. Dr. McLaurin encourages listeners to reflect on their current legacy-building efforts and to take actionable steps towards intentional legacy creation.TakeawaysLegacy is about what you activate in others.Your resume reflects what you did; your legacy reflects who you were.Pouring into people creates a ripple effect of impact.Building something that can stand without you is crucial for legacy.Living your values consistently is key to a powerful legacy.Legacy is built in everyday moments, not just significant achievements.You can start building your legacy right now, with every decision.Investing in others is a long-term commitment to legacy.Your legacy is shaped by how you treat others, regardless of their status.Don't leave your legacy to chance; be intentional about it.Sound Bites"Live your values out loud.""I refuse to leave mine to chance.""You can start right now, today."Chapters00:00 The Essence of Legacy04:20 Three Pillars of Lasting Legacy10:13 Living Your Values Out Loud13:49 Building Your Legacy Intentionally

“Situated on the vehicle given by material nature and reminded by the Supersoul within the heart, the living entity struggles all over the universe to fulfill his plans, thinking, ‘I am a brahmana,' ‘I am a kshatriya,' ‘I am an American,' ‘I am an Indian,' and so on. All these designations are of the same essence.” (Shrila Prabhupada, Shrimad Bhagavatam, 4.29.62 Purport)

The World of Eora is a news & lore podcast about the fantasy setting created by Obsidian Entertainment for their cRPG series, Pillars of Eternity, and their action RPG: Avowed.This week's (delayed) episode was *supposed* to be about the Barbarian class and their rich history, etc etc. However it turned into a look at how emotions can affect the soul, and what that means for the world at large. This episode is more of a "questions rather than answers" kind of episode, but fret not - there is still some lore that we can sink our teeth into.worldofeora@gmail.com@worldofeorako-fi.com/worldofeora

Throughout the Overflow series, we have explored the idea that “what fills you reveals you.” The Bible teaches that things you are full of will overflow. This means that, if you want your life to overflow with the fullness and richness that Jesus died to give us, you have to make sure you are full of the right stuff. We have talked about being full of love, joy, and grace, and we have also talked about emptying ourselves of things that don’t reflect Christ. If our job as believers is to be a good reflection of Jesus, then we have lots of work to do before our lives consistently overflow with stuff that looks like Him. Love, joy, and grace is a good start, but there is almost no end to the ingredients with which we need to fill ourselves. We could sum it up by saying that we’d like the overflow of our lives to be Jesus. This week, in the final message of the Overflow series, we’re going to talk about Overflowing Jesus.

От молитвы – к славе Христа / From Prayer to the Glory of Christ Даниил 10:1-11:1Даниил 21I. Суть откровения / The Essence of the RevelationII. Поиск понимания / The Pursuit of UnderstandingIII. Неожиданная встреча / The Unexpected EncounterIV. Удивительная утешение / The Astonishing ComfortV. Невидимая реальность / The Invisible RealityVI. Сила слов Христа / The Power of Christ's WordsVII. Сражающийся Христос / The Warring Christ

Watch this inspiring Sunday Service with Tyagi Shy...

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul  14-2-25 100% Independent Love day Ep 1   Dreams do not come true just because you dream them. It's hard work that makes things happen. It's hard work that creates change.

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul -Sunday soother Love mix  15-2-26 What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul  14-2-25 100% Independent Love day Ep 2  “You don't always need a plan. Sometimes you just need to breathe, trust, let go and see what happens.

Throughout the Overflow series, we have explored the idea that “what fills you reveals you.” The Bible teaches that things you are full of will overflow. This means that, if you want your life to overflow with the fullness and richness that Jesus died to give us, you have to make sure you are full of the right stuff. We have talked about being full of love, joy, and grace, and we have also talked about emptying ourselves of things that don’t reflect Christ. If our job as believers is to be a good reflection of Jesus, then we have lots of work to do before our lives consistently overflow with stuff that looks like Him. Love, joy, and grace is a good start, but there is almost no end to the ingredients with which we need to fill ourselves. We could sum it up by saying that we’d like the overflow of our lives to be Jesus. This week, in the final message of the Overflow series, we’re going to talk about Overflowing Jesus.

התוכן גם קודם עשיית המשכן הגשמי למטה היו קיימים כל עניני המשכן ברוחניות (כמ"ש בפ' תרומה "וראה ועשה בתבניתם אשר אתה מראה בהר"), ומ"מ נצטוו בני ישראל [בתחילת פ' תרומה] לקחת י"ג (ט"ו) דברים גשמיים דוקא "זהב וכסף ונחושת וגו'" (דברים אלו נלקחו מביזת מצרים!), ולבנות משכן בעוה"ז הגשמי דוקא, ודוקא עי"ז נפעל הענין ד"ושכנתי בתוכם" - המשכת עצמות ומהות למטה! וזהו גם הענין ד"המעשה הוא העיקר", שמבלי הבט על גודל העילוי שבכוונת המצוות וכו' נדרשת מיהודי העבודה דקיום המצוות במעשה בפועל! וכמו שאת המשכן עשו מכל סוגי דברים, מ"זהב" עד ל"נחושת" כו', עד"ז יש לעשות את הדירה לו ית' בכל חלקי הבריאה, וכן את ה"משכן" הפרטי שבכל אחד בכל עניניו וכחותיו.ב' חלקים משיחת י' שבט ה'תשמ"ב ל"הנחה פרטית" או התרגום ללה"ק של השיחה: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-02-2026 Synopsis Even before the physical Mishkan was built, all aspects of the Mishkan existed in spiritual form (as the verse states in parashas Terumah: “See and make in their form, as you are shown on the mountain”). Nevertheless, the Jewish people were commanded (at the beginning of the parashah) to specifically take thirteen (or fifteen) physical items, “gold, silver, and copper…” (which were taken from the spoils of Egypt) and to build with them a Mishkan specifically in this physical world. It is precisely in this way that Hashem “dwells among them,” meaning his Essence and Being are manifest down here. This also expresses the fact that “Action is the main thing”: however great and lofty one's intentions in mitzvos might be, ultimately a Jew is required to actually do the mitzvos. And just as the Mishkan was made from all kinds of materials, from “gold” to “copper,” etc., so too the dwelling place for Hashem must be made with all aspects of creation. Likewise, the personal Mishkan within every Jew must be built from all of his faculties and every aspect of his life.2 excerpts from sichah of 10 Shevat 5742 For a transcript in English of the Sicha: https://thedailysicha.com/?date=15-02-2026

Bronagh McIntyre continues our Essence Series..

DJ Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent Music 12-2-26  Live!  Ep1 . Be happy with who you are. Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect but that you have decided to look beyond the imperfections.

Be happy with who you are. Being happy doesn't mean everything is perfect but that you have decided to look beyond the imperfections.  DJ Bully B Essence of Soul 100% Independent Music 12-2-26  Live!  Ep2

Seth dives into the intersection of technology and humanity, questioning whether we're losing our essence in the digital age. He shares a thought-provoking monologue on the importance of being human, referencing President Nixon's words on purpose and the unhappiest people in the world. The conversation takes a turn with a caller's idea to influence Artificial Intelligence (AI) by flooding it with Judeo-Christian values, and a discussion on the impact of screen time on our youth's cognitive abilities.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this episode of Her Empire Builder Show, Tina Tower discusses the often overlooked but effective quiet power moves that contribute to building a sustainable and successful business. Contrary to the myth that business success requires being loud and viral, Tina shares strategies that focus on intentionality, consistency, and strategic planning.   She emphasises the importance of setting boundaries, having white space in your schedule, and focusing on deep work to promote long-term growth without burnout. Tina also highlights the significance of customer experience, optimising funnels, and simplifying business models for better efficiency. The episode offers actionable insights on auditing your offers, refining brand messaging, and enhancing client results—all while maintaining a balanced and fulfilling work-life alignment.   Where to find Tina Tower:  Her Empire Builder: https://www.herempirebuilder.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tina_tower/   00:00 Introduction to Quiet Power Moves 00:14 Debunking the Myth of Loud Success 02:49 The Essence of Quiet Power Moves 04:06 Implementing White Space for Growth 07:14 Deep Work and Strategic Focus 09:56 Optimizing Funnels and Finances 16:32 Quiet Leadership in a Loud World 20:55 Conclusion: Building a Sustainable Business

Welcome to Today with Jeff Vines. On this episode we're talking about Marriage??? and how to fix your marriage. Pastor Jeff says??? if you think this doesn't apply to you, then think again! This message is not JUST for married people. He adds, that looking at 'marriage' helps us to understand what the love of God is like.Support the show: https://www.oneandall.church/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In 2016 Tara Roberts was living in Washington DC feeling, in a new way, the deep fractures in America, including the way we understand our history.  She felt called to be part of trying to heal these divisions.   It was a chance encounter with a photograph at the National Museum of African American History and Culture that changed the trajectory of her life.  It was of a group of Black women on a boat in diving gear who she quickly discovered  were from an organization called Diving with a Purpose, an underwater archeology group with a mission to discover and document the wreckage of slave ships scattered on the ocean floor around the world, and by doing so recover a crucial part of history. Roberts soon quit her job and joined the group to document their work, learning to scuba dive in order to do so. She turned that journey into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “Into the Depths” and became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of National Geographic Magazine.  This work also resulted in a memoir Written in the Waters which both invites us into the fascinating and groundbreaking work below the surface of the Ocean around the globe, and her own personal transformation. Roberts has travelled the world as a diver, backpacker, and adventurer,  bringing to this conversation a global view of history and culture, and a devotion to tell the stories that can bring us together.  She is currently Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. Here's Tara Roberts in conversation with Shayna Schlosberg from the 2025 Portland Book Festival, on Literary Arts, the Archive Project. Tara Roberts spent the last six years following, diving with, and telling stories about Black scuba divers as they searched for and helped document slave shipwrecks around the world. Her journey was turned into an award-winning National Geographic-produced podcast called “Into the Depths” and featured in the March issue of National Geographic magazine. Tara became the first Black female explorer ever to be featured on the cover of Nat Geo. In 2022, Tara was named the Rolex National Geographic Explorer of the Year. Currently, she is an Explorer-in-Residence at the National Geographic Society. And her book Written in the Waters: A Memoir of History, Home and Belonging hits stands in January 2025. Tara also worked as an editor for magazines like CosmoGirl, Essence, EBONY and Heart & Soul and edited several books for girls. She was a Fellow at the MIT Open Documentary Lab. She founded her own magazine for women who are ‘too bold for boundaries..’ And Tara spent an amazing year backpacking around the world to find and tell stories about young women change agents. The journey led to the creation of a nonprofit that supported and funded their big ideas. Shayna Schlosberg is the Vice President of Community Connections at OPB and KMHD, where she leads initiatives to ensure that both organizations authentically reflect and serve the diverse communities of the Pacific Northwest. In this role, she shapes and drives the strategy, vision, and implementation of community representation and inclusion across all aspects of OPB and KMHD's work. Shayna joined OPB and KMHD in 2022. Prior to that, she was the Director of Operations and Strategy at Women of Color in the Arts, a national service organization committed to advancing racial and cultural equity in the performing arts. From 2017 to 2021, she served as Managing Director of The Catastrophic Theatre, an acclaimed experimental theater company in Houston, Texas. Before that, she was Associate General Manager at the Alley Theatre, where she played a key role in expanding the theater's international programming, particularly through partnerships with Latin American artists and companies. Shayna's expertise has been recognized nationally—she has served on grant panels for the National Endowment for the Arts. She is a graduate of several leadership programs, including the National Association of Latino Arts and Culture's Advocacy Leadership Institute, Women of Color in the Arts' Leadership Through Mentorship program, and the 2020 New Leaders Council Fellowship. She was also a founding advisory committee member of the Houston BIPOC Arts Network Fund, a groundbreaking effort born out of the Ford Foundation's America's Cultural Treasures initiative. Shayna served in the Peace Corps in Armenia from 2010 to 2012.

Welcome to Today with Jeff Vines. On this episode we're talking about Marriage??? and how to fix your marriage. Pastor Jeff says??? if you think this doesn't apply to you, then think again! This message is not JUST for married people. He adds, that looking at 'marriage' helps us to understand what the love of God is like.Support the show: https://www.oneandall.church/See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pastor Drew Zylstra preaches from Luke 6:1-11, “The Essence of Sabbath.” —————————— More from Oostburg CRC Sermons: https://www.firstcrcoostburg.org/sermons Bible Study Resources: https://www.firstcrcoostburg.org/resources Original Music: https://open.spotify.com/album/4P7JbJlHzabPNW8GpdxKcB YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJSouYxM1rwWZ4cYAvTIqVA

James Valliant is a retired prosecutor, a philosopher and the author of two books, Creating Christ, and the Passion of Ayn Rand's Critics.#reason#ethics#aynrand

We Are a Community of Refuge and Hope For ALL People. That will always and forever include YOU. Join us in person on a Sunday morning at any one of our campuses! Bowling Green (8AM | 9:30AM | 11AM), Glasgow (9:30AM | 11AM), or Morgantown (9:30AM | 11AM)! SERMON RESOURCEShttps://www.crossland.tv/resources

I delve into the legendary mindset of Kobe Bryant - 00:00 The Essence of the Mamba Mentality 00:59 Obsession with Detail and Relentless Work Ethic 03:24 Anti-Fragile Confidence and Adaptability 06:15 The No Excuses Mindset and Its Broader Implications - This Episode Brought To You By…  Champions Adjust  Use code CAPod10 for 10% OFF

Dr Boyce Watkins speaks about economic immaturity and what this actually means.

Host Jason Blitman talks to author Nikesha Elise Williams about her new novel, The Seven Daughters of Dupree. Conversation highlights include:

In this episode, I sit down with Andy Leonard, host of the Fulfillment Project podcast to discuss the essence of true fulfillment. We delve into Andy's mission to inspire individuals to find purpose beyond material success by integrating faith, family, and meaningful work. Andy shares his insights on the importance of reflection, purposeful living, and combating the comfort-driven culture of modern society. Learn about his personal practices, such as daily reflections, planning, and injecting intentional discomfort to foster growth. Whether you're looking to realign your life's purpose or seeking practical advice on how to show up authentically in your personal and professional life, this conversation is packed with valuable nuggets. Join us as we explore the profound impact of contributing to something greater than oneself and the pursuit of a truly fulfilling life.00:50 The Essence of Work and Fulfillment01:40 Personal Reflections and Practices03:37 The Importance of Intentionality06:48 Fighting Comfort and Embracing Discomfort15:18 Purpose-Driven Workplaces16:10 Finding Purpose in Everyday Work16:51 The Transformative Power of Education19:13 Daily Reflections and Intentional Living21:24 Facing Mortality and Finding Peace23:27 The Concept of a Brave DeathConnect with Andy: • https://substack.com/@fufillmentprojectConnect with Raul: • Work with Raul: https://dogoodwork.io• Free Growth Resources: https://dogoodwork.io/resources

In this episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Tony and Jesse continue their deep dive into the Parable of the Prodigal Son by examining the often-overlooked character of the elder brother. While the younger son's rebellion is obvious, the elder brother's self-righteous moralism represents a more subtle—and perhaps more dangerous—form of lostness. Through careful exegesis of Luke 15:25-32, the hosts explore how religious performance, resentment of grace, and merit-based thinking can keep us far from the Father's heart even while we remain close to the Father's house. This conversation challenges listeners to examine their own hearts for traces of elder brother theology and calls us to celebrate the scandalous grace that restores sinners to sonship. Key Takeaways Two ways to be lost: The parable presents both flagrant rebellion (the younger son) and respectable self-righteousness (the elder son) as forms of spiritual lostness that require God's grace. The elder brother's geographic and spiritual position: Though physically near the house and faithful in service, the elder brother was spiritually distant from the father's heart, unable to celebrate grace extended to others. Moralism as a subtle distance: Self-righteous religion can be more deceptive than open rebellion because it appears virtuous while actually rejecting the father's character and values. The father pursues both sons: God's gracious pursuit extends not only to the openly rebellious but also to the self-righteous, demonstrating that election and grace are sovereign gifts, not earned rewards. The unresolved ending: The parable intentionally leaves the elder brother's response unstated, creating narrative tension that challenges the original audience (Pharisees and scribes) and modern readers to examine their own response to grace. Adoption as the frame of obedience: True Christian obedience flows from sonship and inheritance ("all that I have is yours"), not from a wage-earning, transactional relationship with God. Resentment reveals our theology: When we find ourselves unable to celebrate the restoration of repentant sinners, we expose our own need for repentance—not from scandal, but from envy and pride. Key Concepts The Elder Brother's Subtle Lostness The genius of Jesus' parable is that it exposes a form of lostness that religious people rarely recognize in themselves. The elder brother never left home, never squandered his inheritance, and never violated explicit commands. Yet his response to his brother's restoration reveals a heart fundamentally opposed to the father's character. His complaint—"I have served you all these years and never disobeyed your command"—demonstrates that he viewed his relationship with the father transactionally, as an employer-employee arrangement rather than a father-son bond. This is the essence of legalism: performing religious duties while remaining distant from God's heart. The tragedy is that the elder brother stood within reach of everything the father had to offer yet experienced none of the joy, fellowship, or security of sonship. This form of lostness is particularly dangerous because it wears the mask of righteousness and often goes undetected until grace is extended to someone we deem less deserving. The Father's Gracious Pursuit of the Self-Righteous Just as the father ran to meet the returning younger son, he also went out to plead with the elder brother to come into the feast. This detail is theologically significant: God pursues both the openly rebellious and the self-righteous with the same gracious initiative. The father's response to the elder brother's complaint is not harsh correction but tender invitation: "Son, you are always with me, and all that is mine is yours." This reveals that the problem was never scarcity or the father's favoritism—the elder brother had always possessed full access to the father's resources and affection. The barrier was entirely on the son's side: his inability to receive sonship as a gift rather than a wage. This mirrors the historical situation of the Pharisees and scribes who grumbled at Jesus for receiving sinners. They stood adjacent to the kingdom, surrounded by the promises and covenant blessings of God, yet remained outside because they could not accept grace as the principle of God's dealing with humanity. The invitation still stood, but it required them to abandon their merit-based system and enter the feast as recipients of unearned favor. The Unresolved Ending and Its Challenge to Us Luke deliberately leaves the parable unfinished—we never learn whether the elder brother eventually joined the celebration. This narrative technique places the reader in the position of the elder brother, forcing us to answer for ourselves: will we enter the feast or remain outside in bitter resentment? For the original audience of Pharisees and scribes, this unresolved ending was a direct challenge to their response to Jesus' ministry. Would they continue to grumble at God's grace toward tax collectors and sinners, or would they recognize their own need and join the celebration? For contemporary readers, the question remains equally pressing. When we hear of a notorious sinner coming to faith, do we genuinely rejoice, or do we scrutinize their repentance with suspicion? When churches extend membership to those with broken pasts, do we celebrate restoration or quietly question whether they deserve a place at the table? The parable's open ending is not a literary flaw but a pastoral strategy: it refuses to let us remain passive observers and demands that we examine whether we harbor elder brother theology in our own hearts. Memorable Quotes The father's household is a place where grace produces joy, not just merely relief. The elder brother hears the joy before he sees it. That's often how resentment works, isn't it? We're alerted to the happiness of others and somehow there's this visceral response of wanting to be resentful toward that joy, toward that unmerited favor. — Jesse Schwamb There is a way to be near the house, church adjacent, religiously active, yet to be really far from the father's heart. The elder brother is not portrayed as an atheist, but as a moralist. And moralism can be a more subtle distance than open rebellion. — Jesse Schwamb God doesn't keep sinners from repenting. The reprobate are not prohibited or prevented by God from coming to faith. They're being kept out by their own stubborn refusal to come in. That's where this punchline hits so hard. — Tony Arsenal Full Transcript [00:00:44] Jesse Schwamb: Welcome to episode 477 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  [00:00:51] Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony. And this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey brother.  [00:00:55] Jesse Schwamb: Hey brother.  [00:00:56] Parables and God's Word [00:00:56] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of ears to hear, it struck me that this whole thing we've been doing all this parable talk is really after the manner of God's words. And one of the things I've really grown to appreciate is how God speaks to the condition of those whom he addresses. He considers our ability, our capacity as his hearers to process what he's saying, and that leads into these amazing parables that we've been talking about. He doesn't speak as he is able to speak. So to speak, but I didn't mean that to happen. But as we were able to hear, and that means he spoke in these lovely parables so that we might better understand him. And today we're gonna get into some of the drama of the best, like the crown jewel as we've been saying, of maybe all the parables. The Parable of the Lost Son. We spoke a little bit about it in the last episode. Definitely want to hit that up because it's setting you up for this one, which is the definitive episode. But now we're gonna talk about this first, this younger lost son. Get into some of all of these like juicy details about what takes place, and really, again, see if we can find the heart of God. Spoiler. We can and we'll,  [00:02:04] Tony Arsenal: yeah,  [00:02:04] Affirmations and Denials [00:02:04] Jesse Schwamb: but before we do both of those things, it's of course always time at this moment to do a little affirming with or denying against. Of course, if you haven't heard us before, that's where we take a moment to say, is there something that we think is undervalued that we wanna bring forward that we'd recommend or think is awesome? Or conversely, is there something that's overvalued that's just, we're over it. The vibe is done. We're gonna deny against that. So I say to you, as I often do, Tony, are you affirming with or deny against?  [00:02:31] Tony's Nerdy Hobby: Dungeons and Dragons [00:02:31] Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming tonight. Um, I don't know how much the audience realizes of a giant ridiculous nerd I am, but we're about to go to entirely new giant nerd depths. [00:02:43] Jesse Schwamb: All right. I  [00:02:43] Tony Arsenal: think,  [00:02:44] Jesse Schwamb: let's hear it.  [00:02:44] Tony Arsenal: So, um, I was a huge fan of Stranger Things. Some, there's some issues with the show, and I understand why some people might not, um, might not feel great about watching it. You know, I think it falls within Christian liberty. But one of the main themes of the show, this is not a spoiler, you learn about this in episode one, is the whole game. The whole show frames itself around Dungeons and Dragons, right? It's kind of like a storytelling device within the show that the kids play, Dungeons and Dragons, and everything that happens in the Dungeons and Dragons game that they're playing, sort of like, um, foreshadows what's actually gonna happen in the show. Which funny if, you know Dungeons and Dragons lore, you kind of learn the entire plot of the story like ahead of time. Um, but so I, stranger Things just finished up and I've kind of been like itching to get into Dungeons and Dragons. I used to play a little bit of tabletop when I was in high school, in early college and um, I just really like the idea of sort of this collaborative storytelling game. Um, whether it's Dungeon Dragons or one of the other systems, um, Dungeons and Dragons is the most popular. It's the most well published. It's the most well established and it's probably the easiest to find a group to play with. Although it is very hard to find a group to play with, especially, uh, kind of out in the middle of nowhere where I live. So this is where the ultra super nerdy part comes in.  [00:04:02] Jesse Schwamb: Alright, here we  [00:04:03] Tony Arsenal: go. I have been painstakingly over the last week teaching Google Gemini. To be a dungeon master for me. So I've been playing Dungeons and Dragons more or less by myself with, uh, with Google Gemini, and I'm just having a lot of fun with it. Um, you can get a free copy of the rules online if you, I think it's DND, the letter NDND beyond.com. They have a full suite of like tools to create your character. Access to a basic set of the core rules. Um, you can spend a lot of money on Dungeons and Dragons, uh, and if you want to like really get into it, the books are basically textbooks. Like you're buying $300 or 300 page, $300, 300 page textbooks, um, that are not all that differently costs than like college textbooks. You'll buy a 300 page Dungeon master guide that's like $50 if you want a paper copy. So, but you can get into it for free. You can get the free rolls online, you can use their dungeon, the d and d Beyond app and do all your dice rolls for free. Um, you, you can get a free dice roller online if you don't want to do their, their app. Um, but it's just a lot of fun. I've just been having a lot of fun and I found that the, I mean. When you play a couple sessions with it, you see that the, the um, the A IDM that I've created, like it follows the same story beats 'cause it's only got so much to work with in its language model. Um, but I'm finding ways to sort of like break it out of that model by forcing it to refer to certain websites that are like Dungeons and Dragons lore websites and things like build your, build your campaign from this repository of Dungeons and Dragons stuff. So. I think you could do this with just about any sort of narrative storytelling game like this, whether you're playing a different system or d and d Pathfinders. I mean, there's all sorts of different versions of it, but it's just been a lot of fun to see, see it going. I'm trying to get a group together. 'cause I think I would, I would probably rather play Dungeons and Dragons with people, um, and rather do it in person. But it's hard to do up here. It's hard to get a, get a group going. So that's my super nerdy affirmation. I'm not just affirming Dungeons and Dragons, which would already be super nerdy. I'm affirming playing it by myself on my phone, on the bus with Google Gemini, AI acting like I'm not. Just this weird antisocial lunatic. So I'm having a lot of fun with it.  [00:06:20] Jesse Schwamb: So there are so many levels of inception there. Yeah. Like the inception and everything you just said. I love it.  [00:06:27] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, what I'm learning is, um, you can give an, and, and this is something I didn't realize, what ai, I guess I probably should have, you know, it's not like an infinite thing. Um, you can give an AI instructions and if your chat gets long enough, it actually isn't referring back to the very beginning of the chat most of the time. Right. There's a, there's like a win context window of about 30 responses. So like if you tell the AI, don't roll the dice for me, like, let me roll dices that are related to my actions, eventually it will forget that. So part of what I've been doing is basically building, I'm using Google Gemini when the AI does something I don't want it to do, I say, you just did something I don't want it to do. Gimme a diagnostic report of why you did that. It will explain to me why it did what it did. Right. Why it didn't observe the rules. And then I'm feeding that into another. Prompt that is helping me generate better prompts that it refers back to. So it's kind of this weird iterative, um, yeah, I, I don't, I'm like, I maybe I'm gonna create the singularity. I'm not sure. Maybe this is gonna be possible. We should sit over the edge. It's gonna, it's gonna learn how to cast magic spells and it's gonna fire bolt us in the face or something like that. Right. But, uh, again, high risk. I, I, for one, welcome our AO AI dungeon masters. So check it out. You should try it. If you could do this with chat GPT, you could do it with any ai. Um, it, it, it is going to get a little, I have the benefit because I have a Google Workspace account. I have access to Google Pro or the Gemini Pro, which is a better model for this kind of thing. But you could do this with, with chat GPT or something like that. And it's gonna be more or less the same experience, I think. But I'm having a, I'm having a ton of fun with it. Um. Again, I, I, there's something about just this, Dungeons and Dragons at its core is a, it's like a, an exercise in joint storytelling, which is really fascinating and interesting to me. Um, and that's what most tabletop RPGs are like. I suppose you get into something like War Hammer and it's a little bit more like a board. It's a mixture of that plus a board game. But Dungeons and Dragons, the DM is creating the, I mean, not the entire world, but is creating the narrative. And then you as a player are an actor within that narrative. And then there's a certain element of chance that dice rolls play. But for the most part, um, you're driving the story along. You're telling the story together. So it's, it's pretty interesting. I've also been watching live recordings of Dungeons and Dragon Sessions on YouTube. Oh,  [00:08:50] Jesse Schwamb: wow.  [00:08:51] Tony Arsenal: Like, there's a, there's a channel called Critical Role. Like these sessions are like three and a half hours long. So, wow. I just kinda have 'em on in the background when I'm, when I'm, uh, working or if I'm, you know, doing something else. Um, but it's really interesting stuff. It's, it's pretty cool. I think it's fun. I'm a super nerd. I'm, I'm no shame in that. Um, I'm just really enjoying it.  [00:09:09] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, nerdery is great. That's like part of the zeitgeist now. Listen to culture. It's cool to be a nerd. I don't know much about d and d. I've heard a lot about this idea of this community that forms around. Yeah. The story, correct me if I'm wrong, can't these things go on for like years, decades?  [00:09:25] Tony Arsenal: Oh yeah, yeah. Like, you can do there. There, some of this has made its way into the official rule books, but basically you could do what's called a one shot, which is like a self-contained story. Usually a single session, you know, like you get a Dungeon master, game master, whichever you wanna call the person. Three to four, maybe five characters, player characters. And one session is usually about two hours long. So it's not like you sit down for 20 minutes, 30 minutes at a time and play this right. And you could do a one shot, which is a story that's designed to, to live all within that two hour session. Um, some people will do it where there isn't really any planned like, outcome of the story. The, the DM just kind of makes up things to do as they go. And then you can have campaigns, which is like, sometimes it's like a series of one shots, but more, it is more like a long term serialized period, you know, serialized campaign where you're doing many, um, many, many kinds of, uh, things all in one driving to like a big epic goal or battle at the end, right? Um, some groups stay together for a really long time and they might do multiple campaigns, so there's a lot to it. Game's been going on for like 50, 60, 70 years, something like that. I don't remember exactly when it started, but  [00:10:41] Jesse Schwamb: yeah.  [00:10:41] Tony Arsenal: Um, it's an old game. It's kinda like the doctor who of of poor games and it's like the original tabletop role playing game, I think. [00:10:47] Jesse Schwamb: Right. Yeah, that makes sense. Again, there's something really appealing to me about not just that cooperative storytelling, but cooperative gameplay. Everybody's kind of in it together for the most part. Yeah. Those conquest, as I understand them, are joint in nature. You build solidarity, but if you're meeting with people and having fun together and telling stories and interacting with one another, there's a lot of good that comes out of that stuff there. A lot of lovely common grace in those kind of building, those long-term interactions, relationships, entertainment built on being together and having good, clean, fun together.  [00:11:17] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Well, and it's, you know, it's, um. It's an interesting exercise. It's it, in some ways it's very much like improv. Like you, you think of like an improv comedy like show I've been to somewhere. Like, you know, you go to the show and it's an improv troupe, but they're like calling people from the crowd up and asking them for like different scenarios they might do. It's kind of like that in that like the GM can plan a whole, can plan a whole thing. But if I as a player character, um. And I've done this to the virtual one just to see what it does, and it's done some interesting things. One of the campaigns I was playing, I had rescued a merchant from some giant spiders and I was helping, like, I was helping like navigate them through the woods to the next town. And we kept on getting attacked and just outta nowhere. I was like, what if I sort of act as though I'm suspicious of this merchant now because why are we getting attacked all the time? And so I, I typed in sort of like a little. A mini role play of me accusing this guy. And it was something like, Randall, we get, we're getting attacked a lot for a simple merchant, Randall merchant. What happens if I cast a tech magic? What am I gonna find? And he's like, I don't know what I'm gonna find. I know I don't know anything. And then I cast a tech magic and it shifted. I mean, I don't know where the campaign was gonna go before that, but it shifted the whole thing now where the person who gave him the package he was carrying had betrayed him. It was, so that happens in real life too in these games, real life in these games. That happens in real, in-person sessions too, where a player or a group of players may just decide instead of talking to the contact person that is supposed to give them the clue to find the dungeon they're supposed to go to, instead they ambush them and murder them in gold blood. And now the, the dungeon master has to figure out, how do I get them back to this dungeon when this is the only person that was supposed to know where it is? So it, it does end up really stretching your thinking skills and sort of your improvisational skills. There's an element of, um, you know, like chance with the dice, um, I guess like the dice falls in the lot, but the lot is in the handle. Or like, obviously that's all ordained as well too, but there is this element of chance where even the DM doesn't get to determine everything. Um, if, if I say I want to, I want to try to sneak into this room, but I'm a giant barbarian who has, you know, is wearing like chain mail, there's still a chance I could do it, but the dice roll determines that. It's not like the, the GM just says you can't do that. Um, so it's, it's a, I, I like it. I'm, I'm really looking forward to trying to, getting into it. It is hard to start a group and to get going and, um, there's a part of me that's a little bit. Gun shy of maybe like getting too invested with a group of non-Christians for something like this. 'cause it can get a little weird sometimes. But I think that, I think that'll work out. It'll be fun. I know there's actually some people in our telegram chat. Bing, bing, bing segue. There we go. There's some people in our telegram chat actually, that we're already planning to do a campaign. Um, so we might even do like a virtual reform brotherhood, Dungeons and Dragons group. So that might be a new sub channel in the telegram at some point.  [00:14:13] Jesse Schwamb: There you go. You could jump right in. Go to t.me back slash reform brotherhood.  [00:14:18] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Jesse, what are you affirming since I just spent the last 15 minutes gushing about my nerdy hobby?  [00:14:23] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, no, that was great. Can I, can I just say two things? One is, so you're basically saying it's a bit like, like a troll shows up and everybody's like, yes. And yeah. So I love that idea. Second thing, which is follow up question, very brief. What kind of merchant was Randall.  [00:14:39] Tony Arsenal: Uh, he was a spice trader actually.  [00:14:42] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. I don't trust that.  [00:14:43] Tony Arsenal: And, and silk, silk and spices.  [00:14:45] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. That's double, that's too strict.  [00:14:47] Tony Arsenal: He was actually good guy in the, in the story that developed out of this campaign. He actually became part of my family and like, like, like got adopted into the family because he lost everything on his own. Randy we're  [00:15:00] Jesse Schwamb: talking about Randy.  [00:15:01] Tony Arsenal: Randy Randall with one L. Yeah. The AI was very specific about  that.  [00:15:05] Jesse Schwamb: There's, there's nothing about this guy I trust. I, is this still ongoing? Because I think he's just trying to make his way deeper in,  [00:15:11] Tony Arsenal: uh, no, no. It, I'll, I'll wait for next week to tell you how much, even more nerdy this thing gets. But there's a whole thing that ha there was a whole thing out of this That's a tease. Tease. There was a, there was a horse and the horse died and there was lots of tears and there was a wedding and a baby. It was, it's all sorts of stuff going on in this campaign. [00:15:27] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And I'm sure. Randy was somewhere near that horse when it happened. Right?  [00:15:32] Tony Arsenal: It was his horse.  [00:15:33] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, exactly. That's  [00:15:35] Tony Arsenal: exactly, he didn't, he didn't kill the horse. He had no power to knock down the bridge The horse was standing on.  [00:15:40] Jesse Schwamb: Listen, next week, I'm pretty sure that's what we're gonna learn is that it was all him. [00:15:45] Tony Arsenal: Alright, Jesse, save us from this. Save us from this, please. Uh,  [00:15:49] Jesse Schwamb: no.  What  [00:15:50] Tony Arsenal: you affirming, this is  [00:15:50] Jesse Schwamb: great.  [00:15:50] Jesse's Affirmation: Church Community [00:15:50] Jesse Schwamb: It's possible that there is a crossover between yours and mine if we consider. That the church is like playing a d and d game in the dungeon Masters Christ, and the campaigns, the gospel. So I was thinking maybe is it possible, uh, maybe this is just the, the theology of the cross, but that sometimes, like you need the denial to get to the affirmation. Have we talked about that kind of truth? Yeah,  [00:16:14] Tony Arsenal: yeah,  [00:16:15] Jesse Schwamb: for sure. So here's a little bit of that. I'll be very, very brief and I'm using this not as like just one thing that happened today, but what I know is for sure happening all over the world. And I mean that very literally, not just figuratively when it comes to the body of Christ, the local church. So it snowed here overnight. This was, this is the Lord's Day. We're hanging out in the Lord's Day, which is always a beautiful day to talk about God. And overnight it snowed. The snow stopped relatively late in the morning around the time that everybody would be saying, Hey, it's time to go and worship the Lord. So for those in my area, I got up, we did the whole clearing off the Kai thing. I went to church and I was there a little bit early for a practice for music. And when I pulled in, there weren't many there yet, but the whole parking lot unplowed. So there's like three inches of snow, unplowed parking lot. So I guess the denial is like the plow people decided like, not this time I, I don't think so. They understood they were contracted with the church, but my understanding is that when one of the deacons called, they were like, Ooh, yeah, we're like 35 minutes away right now, so that's gonna be a problem. So when I pulled in, here's what I was. Like surprise to find, but in a totally unexpected way, even though I understand what a surprise is. And that is that, uh, that first the elders and the deacons, everybody was just decided we're going to shovel an entire parking lot. And at some point big, I was a little bit early there, but at some point then this massive text change just started with everybody, which was, Hey, when you come to church, bring your shovel. And I, I will tell you like when I got out of the car. I was so like somebody was immediately running to clear a path with me. One of those like snow pushers, you know what I mean? Yeah. Like one, those beastly kind of like blade things.  [00:17:57] Tony Arsenal: Those things are, those things are the best.  [00:17:59] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. You just run. And so you have never met a group of people that was more happy to shovel an entire large asphalt area, which normally shouldn't even be required. And. It just struck me, even in hindsight now thinking about it, it was this lovely confluence of people serving each other and serving God. It was as if they got up that morning and said, do you know what would be the best thing in the world for me to do is to shovel. And so everybody was coming out. Everybody was shoveling it. It was to protect everyone and to allow one into elaborate, one access. It was just incredible. And so I started this because the affirmation is, I know this happens in, in all of our churches, every God fearing God, loving God serving church, something like this is happening, I think on almost every Lord's day or maybe every day of the week in various capacities. And I just think this is God's people coming together because everybody, I think when we sat down for the message was exhausted, but. But there was so much joy in doing this. I think what you normally would find to be a mundane and annoying task, and the fact that it wasn't just, it was redeemed as if like we, we found a greater purpose in it. But that's, everyone saw this as a way to love each other and to love God, and it became unexpected worship in the parking lot. That's really what it was, and it was fantastic. I really almost hope that we just get rid of the plow company and just do it this way from now on. Yeah, so I'm affirming, recognize people, recognize brothers and sisters that your, your church is doing this stuff all the time and, and be a part of it. Jump in with the kinda stuff because I love how it brings forward the gospel.  [00:19:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. That's a great story. It's a great, uh, a great example of the body of Christ being, what the body of Christ is and just pulling together to get it done. Um, which, you know, we do on a spiritual level, I think, more often than a physical level these days. Right, right. But, um, that's great. I'm sitting here going three inches of snow. I would've just pulled into the lot and then pulled out of the lot. But New Hampshire, it hits different in New Hampshire. Like we all d have snow tires and four wheel drive.  [00:20:02] Jesse Schwamb: It's, it's enough snow where it was like pretty wet and heavy that it, if, you know, you pack that stuff down, it gets slick. You can't see the people, like you can't have your elderly people just flying in, coming in hot and then trying to get outta the vehicle, like making their way into church.  [00:20:14] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:20:15] Jesse Schwamb: So there was, there was a lot more of that. But I think again, you would, one of the options would've been like, Hey, why don't we shovel out some sp spaces for the, for those who need it, for, you know, those who need to have access in a way that's a little bit less encumbered. Oh, no, no. These people are like, I see your challenge and I am going to shovel the entire parking lots.  [00:20:35] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. It used to happen once in a while, uh, at the last church, uh, at, um, your dad's church. We would, where the plow would just not come on a Sunday morning or, or more often than not. Um, you know, what happens a lot of times is the plows don't want to come more than once. Right. If they don't have to. Or sometimes they won't come if they think it's gonna melt because they don't want to deal with, uh, with like customers who are mad that you plowed and that it all melts. But either way, once in a while. The plow wouldn't come or it wouldn't come in time. And what we would do is instead of trying to shovel an entire driveway thing, we would just went, the first couple people who would get there, the young guys in the church, there was only a couple of us, but the younger guys in the church would just, we would just be making trips, helping people into the, yeah. Helping people into the building. So, um, it was a pretty, you know, it was a small church, so it was like six trips and we'd have everybody in, but um, we just kind of, that was the way we pulled together. Um, yeah, that's a great, it's a great story. I love, I love stuff like that. Yeah, me too. Whether it's, whether it's, you know, plowing a, a parking lot with shovels instead of a plow, or it's just watching, um, watching the tables and the chairs from the fellowship, you know, all just like disappear because everybody's just, uh, picks up after themselves and cleans and stuff. That's, that's like the most concrete example of the body of Christ doing what the body of Christ does. Um, it's always nice, you know, we always hear jokes about like, who can carry the most, the most chairs,  [00:22:04] Jesse Schwamb: most  [00:22:04] Tony Arsenal: chairs. Uh, I think it's true. Like a lot of times I think like I could do like seven or eight sometimes. [00:22:10] Jesse Schwamb: Uh, you, that's, so, one more thing I wanna say. I, I wanted to tell you this privately, Tony, 'cause it just cracked me up 'cause I, you'll appreciate this. But now I'm realizing I think the brothers and sisters who listened to us talk for any length of time and in the context of this conversation, but the church will appreciate this too. On my way out, I, I happened because I was there early and the snow was crazy. I parked way further out, way on the edge of the lot to just allow for greater access because of all the shoveling that was happening. And by the way, I really hope there were a ton of visitors this morning because they were like, wow, this, this church is wild. They love to shovel their own lot and they're the happiest people doing it. Some sweaty person just ushered me in while they were casting snow. Like,  [00:22:47] Tony Arsenal: is this some new version of snake handling? You shovel your own lot and your impervious to back injuries.  [00:22:53] Jesse Schwamb: Uh. So I was walking out and as I walked past, uh, there was a, uh, two young gentlemen who were congregating by this very large lifted pickup truck, which I don't have much experience with, but it looked super cool and it was started, it was warming up, and they were just like casually, like in the way that only like people with large beards wearing flannel and Carhartt kind of do, like casually leaning against the truck, talking in a way that you're like, wow, these guys are rugged. And they sound, they're super cool, and they're probably like in their twenties. And all I hear as I pass by is one guy going, yeah, well, I mean that's, I was, I said to them too, but I said, listen, I'd rather go to a church with God-fearing women than anywhere else.  [00:23:36] Tony Arsenal: Nice.  [00:23:37] Jesse Schwamb: I was just like, yep. On the prowl and I love it. And they're not wrong. This is the place to be.  [00:23:42] Tony Arsenal: It is.  [00:23:43] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. This is the place to be. Yeah. So all kinds of, all kinds of good things I think going on in that in the house of the Lord and where wherever you're at, I would say be happy and be joyful and look for those things and participate in, like you said, whether it's physical or not, but as soon as you said like the, our young men, our youth somehow have this competition of when we need to like pack up the sanctuary. How many chairs can I take at one time? Yeah. It's like the classic and it just happens. Nobody says like, okay, everybody line up. We're about to embark on the competition now. Like the strong man usher competition. It's just like, it just happens and  [00:24:17] Tony Arsenal: it's  [00:24:17] Jesse Schwamb: incredible.  [00:24:18] Tony Arsenal: I mean, peacocks fan out their tail feathers. Young Christian guys fan out. All of the table chairs, chairs they can carry. It's uh, it's a real phenomena. So I feel like if you watch after a men's gathering, everybody is like carrying one chair at a time because they don't wanna hurt their backs and their arms. Oh, that's  [00:24:36] Jesse Schwamb: true. That's  [00:24:37] Tony Arsenal: what I do. Yeah. But it's when the women are around, that's when you see guys carrying like 19 chairs. Yeah. Putting themselves in the hospital.  [00:24:42] Jesse Schwamb: That's what I, listen, it comes for all of us. Like I, you know, I'm certainly not young anymore by almost any definition, but even when I'm in the mix, I'm like, oh, I see you guys. You wanna play this game? Mm-hmm. Let's do this. And then, you know, I'm stacking chairs until I hurt myself. So it's great. That's, that is what we do for each other. It's  [00:25:01] Tony Arsenal: just, I hurt my neck getting outta bed the other day. So it happens. It's real.  [00:25:05] Jesse Schwamb: The struggle. Yeah, the struggle is real.  [00:25:07] The Parable of the Lost Son [00:25:07] Jesse Schwamb: Speaking of struggle, speaking of family issues, speaking of all kinds of drama, let's get into Luke 15 and let me read just, I would say the first part of this parable, which as we've agreed to talk about, if we can even get this far, it's just the younger son. [00:25:24] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:25:25] Jesse Schwamb: And again, don't worry, we're gonna get to all of it, but let me read beginning in, uh, verse 11 here. This is Luke chapter 15. Come follow along as you will accept if you're operating heavy machinery. And Jesus said, A man had two sons and the younger of them said to his father, father, give me the share of the estate that falls to me. So he divided his wealth between them. And not many days later, the younger son gathered everything together and went on a journey into a distant country. And there he squandered his estate living recklessly. Now, when he had spent everything, a severe famine occurred in that country and it began to be impoverished. So he went and hired himself to one of the citizens of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. So he went and as he was desiring to be fed with the pods that the swine were eating because no one was giving anything to him. But when he came to himself, he said, how many of my father's men have more than enough bread, but I am dying here with hunger. I'll rise up and go to my father, and I'll say to him, father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me as one of your hired men. So he rose up, came to his father, but while he was still a long way off. His father saw him and felt compassion and ran and embraced him. And the son said to him, father, I've sinned against heaven and before you, I'm no longer worthy to be called your son. But the father said to his slaves, quickly, bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet and bring the fat in calf and slaughter it and let us celebrate. For the son of mine was dead and has come to life again. He was lost and he has been found and they began to celebrate.  [00:27:09] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. This is such a, um, such a, I don't know, like pivotal seminal parable in the Ministry of Christ. Um, it's one of those parables and we, we mentioned this briefly last week that even most. It, it hasn't passed out of the cultural zeitgeist yet. A lot of biblical teaching has, I mean, a lot, I think a lot of things that used to be common knowledge where, where you could make a reference to something in the Bible and people would just get it. Um, even if they weren't Christian or weren't believers, they would still know what you were talking about. There's a lot of things in the Bible that have passed out of that cultural memory. The, the parable of the prodigal son, lost son, however you wanna phrase it, um, that's not one of them. Right. So I think it's really important for us, um, and especially since it is such a beautiful picture of the gospel and it has so many different theological touch points, it's really incumbent on us to spend time thinking about this because I would be willing to bet that if you weave. Elements of this parable into your conversations with nonbelievers that you are praying for and, and, you know, witnessing to and sharing the gospel with, if you weave this in there, you're gonna help like plant some seeds that when it comes time to try to harvest, are gonna pay dividends. Right. So I think it's a really, it's a really great thing that we're gonna be able to spend, you know, a couple weeks really just digging into this. [00:28:40] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, and to define the beginning, maybe from the end, just slightly here, I like what you said about this cultural acknowledgement of this. I think one of the correctives we can provide, which is clear in the story, is in the general cultural sense. We speak of this prodigal as something that just returns comes back, was lost, but now is found. And often maybe there is this component of, in the familial relationship, it's as if they've been restored. Here we're gonna of course find that this coming to one senses is in fact the work of God. That there is, again, a little bit of denial that has to bring forward the affirmation here that is the return. And so again, from the beginning here, we're just talking about the younger son. We have more than youthful ambition.  [00:29:19] The Essence of Idolatry and Sin [00:29:19] Jesse Schwamb: This heart of, give me the stuff now, like so many have said before, is really to say. Give me the gifts and not you, which is, I think, a common fault of all Christians. We think, for instance of heaven, and we think of all the blessings that come with it, but not necessarily of the joy of just being with our savior, being with Christ. And I think there's something here right from the beginning, there's a little bit of this betrayal in showing idolatry, the ugliness of treating God's gifts as if there's something owed. And then this idea that of course. He receives these things and imme more or less immediately sometime after he goes and takes these things and squanderers them. And sin and idolatry, I think tends to accelerate in this way. The distance from the father becomes distance from wisdom. We are pulled away from that, which is good. The father here being in his presence and being under his care and his wisdom and in his fear of influence and concern, desiring then to say, I don't want you just give me the gifts that you allegedly owe me. And then you see how quickly like sin does everything you, we always say like, sin always costs more than you want to pay. And it always takes you further than you want to go. And that's exactly what we see here. Like encapsulated in an actual story of relationship and distance.  [00:30:33] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And I, you know, I think, um. It's interesting to me.  [00:30:39] The Greek Words for Property [00:30:39] Tony Arsenal: You know, I, I, I'm a big fan of saying you don't need to study Greek to understand your Bible, but I'm also a big fan of saying understanding a little bit of Greek is really helpful. And one of the things that I think is really intriguing, and I haven't quite parsed out exactly what I think this means, but the word property in this parable, it actually is two different Greek words that is translated as property, at least in the ESV. And neither one of them really fit. What our normal understanding of property would be. And there are Greek words that refer to like all of your material possessions, but it says, father, give me the share of property. And he uses the word usia, which those of us who have heard anything about the trinity, which is all of us, um, know that that word means something about existence. It's the core essence of a person. So it says, father, give me the share of usia that is coming to me. And then it says, and he divided his bias, his, his life between them. Then it says, not many days later, the younger son gathered all that he had took a journey into the far country. There he squandered his usia again. So this, this parable, Christ is not using the ordinary words to refer to material, uh, material accumulation and property like. I think probably, you know, Christ isn't like randomly using these words. So there probably is an element that these were somehow figuratively used of one's life possessions. But the fact that he's using them in these particular ways, I think is significant. [00:32:10] The Prodigal Son's Misconception [00:32:10] Tony Arsenal: And so the, the, the younger son here, and I don't even like calling this the prodigal sun parable because the word prodigal doesn't like the equivalent word in Greek doesn't appear in this passage. And prodigal doesn't mean like the lost in returned, like prodigal is a word that means like the one who spends lavishly, right? So we call him the prodigal son because he went and he squandered all of his stuff and he spent all of his money. So it doesn't even really describe the main feature or the main point of why this, this parable is here. It's just sort of like a random adjective that gets attached to it. But all of that aside, um. This parable starts off not just about wasting our property, like wasting our things, but it's a parable that even within the very embedded language of the parable itself is talking about squandering our very life, our very essence, our very existence is squandered and wasted as we depart from the Father. Right? And this is so like, um, it's almost so on the head, on the on the nose that it's almost a little like, really Jesus. Like this is, this is so like, slap you in the face kind of stuff. This is right outta like Romans, uh, Romans one, like they did not give thanks to God. They did not show gratitude to God or acknowledge him as God. This is what's happening in this parable. The son doesn't go to his father and say, father, I love you. I'm so happy to stay with you. I'm so happy to be here. He, he basically says like. Give me your very life essence, and I'm gonna go, I'm gonna go spend it on prostitutes. I'm gonna go waste your life, father, I'm gonna waste your life, your existence, your bias. I'm gonna go take that and I'm gonna squander it on reckless living. And I guess we don't know for sure. He, it doesn't say he spends it on prostitutes. That's something his brother says later and assumes he did. So I, I don't know that we do that. But either way, I'm gonna take what's yours, your very life, your very essence. And also that my life, my essence, the gift you've given me as my father, you've given me my life. In addition now to your life or a portion of your life. And I'm gonna go squander that on reckless living, right? Like, how much of a picture of sin is that, that we, we take what we've been given by God, our very life, our very essence, we owe him everything, and we squander that on sinful, reckless living. That that's just a slap in the face in the best way right out of the gate here.  [00:34:28] Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that, that's a great point because it's, it would be one thing to rebel over disobedience, another thing to use the very life essence that you've been given for destructive, self-destructive purposes. And then to use that very energy, which is not yours to begin with, but has been imbued in yours, external, all of these things. And then to use that very thing as the force of your rebellion. So it's double insult all the way around. I'm with you in the use of Greek there. Thank you. Locus Bio software. Not a sponsor of the podcast, but could be. And I think that's why sometimes in translations you get the word like a state because it's like the closest thing we can have to understanding that it's property earned through someone's life more or less. Yeah. And then is passed down, but as representative, not just of like, here's like 20 bucks of cash, but something that I spent all of me trying to earn and. And to your point, also emphasizing in the same way that this son felt it was owed him. So it's like really bad all around and I think we would really be doing ourselves a disservice if we didn't think that there's like a little bit of Paul washer saying in this, like I'm talking about you though. So like just be like, look at how disrespectful the sun is. Yeah. Haven't we all done this? To God and bringing up the idea of prodigal being, so that, that is like the amazing juxtaposition, isn't it? Like Prodigal is, is spent recklessly, parsimonious would be like to, to save recklessly, so to speak. And then you have the love the father demonstrates coming against all of that in the same way with like a totally different kind of force. So.  [00:36:02] The Famine and Realization [00:36:02] Jesse Schwamb: What I find interesting, and I think this is like set up in exactly what you said, is that when you get to verse 14 and this famine comes, it's showing us, I think that like providence exposes what Sin conceals.  [00:36:16] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:36:16] Jesse Schwamb: And want arrives. Not just because like the money ran out, but because again, like these idols, what he's replaced the father with, they don't satisfy. And repentance then often begins when God shows the emptiness of light apart life apart from him. That's like the affirmation being born out of the denial. And so I think that this also is evolving for us, this idea that God is going to use hardship, not as mere punishment, but as mercy that wakes us up and that the son here is being woken up, but not, of course, it's not as if he goes into the land, like you said, starts to spend, is like, whoa, hold on a second. This seems like a bad idea. It's not until all of that sin ever, like the worship of false things collapses under its own weight before it, which is like the precursor of the antecedent, I think, to this grand repentance or this waking up.  [00:37:05] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And you know, I also think it's, um.  [00:37:08] The Depths of Desperation [00:37:08] Tony Arsenal: A feature of this that I haven't reflected on too deeply, but is, is worth thinking about is the famine that's described here only occurs in this far country that he's in. [00:37:17] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:37:17] Tony Arsenal: Right. So even that's right. And this is like a multitude of foolish decisions. This is compounding foolish decisions that don't, don't make any sense. Like they don't really actually make any sense. Um. There's not a logic to this, this lost son's decision making. He takes the property. Okay. I guess maybe like you could be anxious to get your inheritance, but then like he takes it to a far country. Like there's no reason for him to do that. If at any point through this sort of insane process he had stopped short, he would not have been in the situation he was in. Yes. And that, I love that phrase, that providence, you know, reveals, I don't know exactly how you said it, but like providence reveals what our sin can bring to us. Like he first see sins against his father by sort of like demanding, demanding his inheritance early. Then he takes it and he leaves his country for no reason. He goes to this far country, then he spends everything and then the famine arises. Right? And the famine arises in this other country.  [00:38:13] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:38:13] Tony Arsenal: And that's, I think that is still again, like a picture of sin. Like we. We don't just, we don't just take what the father has and, and like spend it like that would be bad enough if we weren't grateful for what we have and what we've been given, and we just waste it. But on top of that, now we also have taken ourselves to a far country. Like we've gone away from the good, the good land of the Lord, as those who are not regenerate. We've gone away from the, the Lord into this far country. And it's not until we start to have this famine that we recognize what we've done. And again, this is, this is where I think we get a picture. There's so many theological, like points in this parable particular that it almost feels a little bit like a, like a. Parable that's intended to teach some systematic theology about for sure, the oral salus, which I think there's probably a lot of like biblical theology people that are ready to just crawl through the screen and strangle me for saying that. But this is such a glorious picture of, of regeneration too. [00:39:16] The Journey Back to the Father [00:39:16] Tony Arsenal: Like he comes to himself, there's nothing, there's nothing in the story that's like, oh, and the servant that he was, the other servant he was talking to mentioned that the famine, like there's nothing here that should prompt him to want to go back to his home, to think that his father could or would do anything about it, except that he comes to himself. He just comes to the realization that his father is a good man and is wise and has resources, and has takes care of his, of his servants on top of how he takes care of his sons. That is a picture of regeneration. There's no, yeah. Logical, like I'm thinking my way into it, he just one day realizes how much, how many of my father's servants have more than enough bread. Right. But I'm perishing here in this, this foolish other country with nothing. Right. I can't even, and the, the pods that the pigs ate, we can even, we can get into the pods a little bit here, but like. He wants to eat the pods. The pods that he's giving the pigs are not something that's even edible to humans. He's that destitute, that he's willing to eat these pods that are like, this is the leftover stuff that you throw to the pigs because no, no, nobody and nothing else can actually eat it. And that's the state he's in at the very bottom, in the very end of himself where he realizes my father is good and he loves me, and even if I can never be his son again, surely he'll take care of me. I mentioned it last week, like he wasn't going back thinking that this was gonna be a failing proposition. He went back because he knew or he, he was confident that his father was going to be able to take care of him and would accept him back. Right. Otherwise, what would be the point of going back? It wasn't like a, it wasn't like a, um, a mission he expected to fail at. He expected there to be a positive outcome or he wouldn't have done it. Like, it wouldn't make any sense to try that if there wasn't the hope of some sort of realistic option.  [00:41:09] Jesse Schwamb: And I think his confidence in that option, as you were saying, is in this way where he's constructed a transaction. Yeah. That he's gonna go back and say, if you'll just take me out as a slave, I know you have slaves, I will work for you. Right. Therefore, I feel confident that you'll accept me under those terms because I'll humble myself. And why would you not want to remunerate? Me for the work that I put forward. So you're right, like it's, it's strange that he basically comes to this, I think, sense that slavery exists in his life and who would he rather be the slave of,  [00:41:38] Tony Arsenal: right? [00:41:39] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. And so he says, listen, I'm gonna come to the father and give him this offer. And I'm very confident that given that offer and his behavior, what I know about how he treats his other slaves, that he will hire me back because there's work to do. And therefore, as a result of the work I put forward, he will take care of me. How much of like contemporary theology is being preached in that very way right now?  [00:41:58] Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  [00:41:59] Jesse Schwamb: And that's really like why the minimum wages of sin is all of this stuff. It's death. It's the consequences that we're speaking about here. By the way, the idea about famine is really interesting. I hadn't thought about that. It is interesting, again, that sin casts him out into this foreign place where the famine occurs. And that famine is the beginning of his realization of the true destruction, really how far he's devolved and degraded in his person and in his relationships and in his current states. And then of course, the Bible is replete with references and God moving through famine. And whereas in Genesis, we have a local famine, essentially casting Joseph brothers into a foreign land to be freed and to be saved.  [00:42:39] Tony Arsenal: Right.  [00:42:40] Jesse Schwamb: We have the exact opposite, which is really kind of interesting. Yeah. So we probably should talk about, you know, verse 15 and the, and the pig stuff. I mean, I think the obvious statement here is that. It would be scandalous, like a Jewish hero would certainly feel the shame of the pigs. They represent UNC cleanliness and social humiliation. I'm interested again, in, in this idea, like you've started us on that the freedom that this younger brother sought for becomes slavery. It's kind of bondage of the wills style. Yeah. Stuff. There's like an, an attentiveness in the story to the degrading reversal in his condition. And it is interesting that we get there finally, like the bottom of the pit maybe, or the barrel is like you said, the pods, which it's a bit like looking at Tide pods and being like, these are delicious. I wish I could just eat these. So I, I think your point isn't lost. Like it's not just that like he looked at something gross and was so his stomach was grumbling so much that he might find something in there that he would find palatable. It, it's more than that. It's like this is just total nonsense. It, this is Romans one. [00:43:45] Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah. And these pods, like, these aren't, um, you know, I guess I, I don't know exactly what these are. I'm sure somebody has done all of the historical linguistic studies, but the Greek word is related to the, the word for keratin. So like the, the same, the same root word. And we have to be careful not to define a Greek word based on how we use it. That's a reverse etymology fallacy. Like dunamis doesn't mean dynamite, it's the other direction. But the Greek word is used in other places, in Greek literature to describe like the horns of rhinoc, like,  [00:44:21] Jesse Schwamb: right,  [00:44:21] Tony Arsenal: this, these aren't like. These aren't pea pods. I've heard this described like these are like little vegetable pods. No, this is like they're throwing pieces of bone to the pigs.  [00:44:31] Jesse Schwamb: Yeah.  [00:44:31] Tony Arsenal: And the pigs, the pigs can manage it. And this is what this also like, reinforces how destitute and how deep the famine is. Like this isn't as though, like this is the normal food you give to pigs. Like usually you feed pigs, like you feed pigs, like the extra scraps from your table and like other kinds of like agricultural waste. These are, these are like chunks of bony keratin that are being fed to the pigs. So that's how terrible the famine is that not even the pigs are able to get food.  [00:45:00] Jesse Schwamb: Right?  [00:45:00] Tony Arsenal: They're given things that are basically inedible, but the pigs can manage it. And this, this kid is so hungry, he's so destitute that he says, man, I wish I could chew on those bony, those bony pods that I'm feeding them because that's how hungry and starved I am. You get the picture that this, um. This lost son is actually probably not just metaphorically on the brink of death, but he's in real risk of starvation, real risk of death that he, he can't even steal. He can't even steal from the pigs what they're eating, right? Like he can't even, he can't even glean off of what the pigs are eating just to stay alive. He, he's literally in a position where he has no hope of actually rescuing himself. The only thing that he can do, and this is the realization he has, the only thing he can do is throw himself back on the mercy of his father.  [00:45:50] Jesse Schwamb: That's  [00:45:50] Tony Arsenal: right. And, and hope, again, I think hope with confidence, but hope that his father will show mercy on him and his, his conception. I wanna be careful in this parable not to, I, I think there's something to what you're getting at or kinda what you're hinting at, that like his conception of mercy is. Not the full picture of the gospel. Yes. His conception of mercy is that he's going to be able to go and work and be rewarded for his laborers in a way that he can survive. And the gospel is so much broader and so much bigger than that. But at the same time, I think it's, it's actually also a confident hope, a faith-filled hope that his father's mercy is going to rescue him, is going to save him. So it is this picture of what we do. And, and I think, I think sometimes, um, I want to be careful how we say this 'cause I don't wanna, I don't want to get a bunch of angry emails and letters, but I think sometimes we, um, we make salvation too much of a theology test. And there's probably people that are like, Tony, did you really just say that? I think there are people who trust in the Lord Jesus thinking that that means something akin to what. This lost son thinks  [00:47:03] Jesse Schwamb: Right.  [00:47:03] Tony Arsenal: Exactly. They trust. They trust that Jesus is merciful and, and I'm not necessarily thinking of Roman Catholics. I'm not thinking of Roman Catholic theology for sure. I do think there are a fair number of Roman Catholic individuals that fall into this category where they trust Jesus to save them. Right. They just don't fully understand exactly what Jesus means, what that means for them to be saved. They think that Christ is a savior who will provide a way for them to be saved by His grace that requires them to contribute something to it. Arminians fall into that category. Right. I actually think, and I, I think there's gonna be if, if there's, if the one Lutheran who listens to our show hears this is gonna be mad, but I actually think Lutheran theology kind of falls into this in a sort of negative fashion in that you have to not resist grace in order to be saved. So I think. That is something we should grapple with is that there are people who fit into that category, but this is still a faith-filled, hope-filled confidence in the mercy of the father in this parable that he's even willing to make the journey back. Right? This isn't like right, he walks from his house down the street or from the other side of town. He's wandering back from a far country. He, he went into a far country. He has to come back from a far country. And yes, the father greets him from afar and sees him from afar. But we're not talking about like from a far country. Like he sees him coming down the road, it, he has to travel to him, and this is a picture of. The hope and the faith that we have to have to return to God, to throw ourselves on the mercy of Christ, trusting that he has our best interest in mind, that he has died for us, and that it is for us. Right? There's the, the knowledge of what Christ has done, and then there's the ascent to the truth of it. And then the final part of faith is the confidence or the, the faith in trust in the fact that, that is for me as well, right? This, this is a picture of that right here. I, I don't know why we thought we were gonna get through the whole thing in one week, Jesse. We're gonna spend at least two weeks on this lost son, or at least part of the second week here. But he, this is, this is also like a picture of faith. This is why I say this as like a systematic theology lesson on soteriology all packed into here. Because not only do we have, like what is repentance and or what does regeneration look like? It's coming to himself. What does repentance look like? Yes. Turning from your sins and coming back. What is, what is the orde solis? Well, there's a whole, there's a whole thing in here. What is the definition of faith? Well, he knows that his father is good. That he has more than enough food for his servants. He, uh, is willing to acknowledge the truth of that, and he's willing to trust in that, in that he's willing to walk back from a far country in order to lay claim to that or to try to lay claim to it. That's a picture of faith right there, just in all three parts. Right. It's, it's really quite amazing how, how in depth this parable goes on this stuff,  [00:49:54] Jesse Schwamb: right? Yeah. It's wild to note that as he comes to himself, he's still working. Yeah, in that far off country. So this shows again that sin is this cruel master. He hits the bottom, he wants the animal food, but he's still unfed. And this is all the while again, he has some kind of arrangement where he is trying to work his way out of that and he sees the desperation. And so I'm with you, you know, before coming to Christ, A person really, I think must come to themselves and that really is like to say they need to have a sober self-knowledge under God, right? Yeah. Which is, as we said before, like all this talk about, well Jesus is the answer. We better be sure what the question is. And that question is who am I before God? And this is why, of course, you have to have the law and gospel, or you have to have the the bad news before you can have the good news. And really, there's all of this bad news that's delivered here and this repentance, like you've been saying, it's not just mere regret, we know this. It's a turning, it's a reorientation back to the father. He says, I will arise and go to my father. So yeah, also it demonstrates to me. When we do come to ourselves when there's a sober self-knowledge under God, there is a true working out of salvation that necessarily requires and results in some kind of action, right? And that is the mortification of sin that is moving toward God again, under his power and direction of the Holy Spirit. But still there is some kind of movement on our part. And so that I think is what leads then in verse 19, as you're saying, the son and I do love this 'cause I think this goes right back to like the true hope that he has, even though it might be slightly corrupted or slightly wa