Podcasts about every blessing

Hymn Arrangements, Meditation, Prayer, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Hymn Tune is "Nettleton"

Hymn Arrangements, Meditation, Prayer, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Hymn Tune is "Nettleton"

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, Hymn Tune is "Nettleton"

Thank you to Paul, Heather, Dave, Aisha, and Don for being part of this service. Songs from this service: I Love You Lord - https://youtu.be/Bxi4PI0Bf7g -- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing - https://youtu.be/y2Tht_Gv3CE -- Beneath The Cross Of Jesus - https://youtu.be/oAYZKLZ3A9o -- Lord I Need You - https://youtu.be/tp_w5b3eeh0 -- Father Hear The Prayer We Offer - https://youtu.be/yyNvh2RyKrs -- Raise A Hallelujah - https://youtu.be/FTUepIql8mg Scriptures from this service: Communion - 2 Corinthians 12:8-10; 13:4-5. Reading - James 1:2-8. Sermon: James 1:2; 1:2-5; Galatians 5:22-23; James 1:2; 1:9-10; 1:9-11; 1:12-15; 1:16-18; 1:19-24; 1:25; 1:27; 2:1-4; 2:5-10; 3:1-2; 3:9-10; Matthew 5:37; James 3:13-15; 3:17-18; 4:1-3; 4:5-6; 5:7-8; 5:11; 5:13-16; 5:19-20; Hebrews 13:5.

Preached 3/23/25

Luke 6:20 (ESV) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you…Skipping Over…Luke 5:27-31 - Calling of LeviLuke 5:33-39 - Discussion on FastingLuke 6:1-5 - Discussion on Sabbath RulesLuke 6:6-11 - Healing of Withered HandLuke 6:12-16 - Selection of Apostles from DisciplesGreek word that describes representatives in Roman culture who stayed in a conquered territory to establish Roman culture.Looking Ahead…Luke 6:17-19 - Jesus Speaks To A Large CrowdLuke 6:20-49- Sermon on MountLuke 6:20-23 - The BeatitudesNot a term in the BibleEnglish origin around the 15th century, and added to titling of this portion of scripture, most often 20-23State of supreme blessedness and happinessThis portion of scripture is often spoken on with a 70's beatnic, love not war, poetic, passive blend of christianity that welcomes any/all pushbacks that life can bring, because living a life under a mountain of struggle will be rewarded in heaven after we die. That is not the intention of this portion of scripture. Luke 6:20 (ESV) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you He lifted up his eyes on his disciplesIt is a gesture of prayerIt is a gesture of blessingIt connects heaven and earth in view and in wordsView - it sees above and beyond the naturalWords - it resources the earth with the bounty of heavenIllus: vacuum transfer at the bank as a kidJesus is not teaching, He is prophesying to his disciplesIt's more than information, it is a deposit with an invitation to accessBLESS(ED): The deposit of tangible deposits from heaven that add increasing value into one's life until they reach full maturity in heaven.The deposit of tangible deposits from heaven that add increasing value into one's life until they reach full maturity in heaven.As disciples we become citizens of Heaven. We have stepped into the Kingdom of God/Heaven as though we still live lives in this world. To be BLESSED, or walking in BLESSING, is the process of accessing heaven's value while living within earth's limitations. Blessing someone else is the process of access and depositing heaven's value into their life.The believer/follower/disciple/citizen who fails to see, access or transfer heaven's value is to needlessly go without those things that have been freely provided.Ephesians 1:3–10 (ESV) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption to himself as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.Philippians 3:12 (NIV) Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me.Luke 6:20–23 (ESV) And he lifted up his eyes on his disciples, and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God. “Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied. “Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh. “Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets.The poor (those lacking anything) can access supplyThe hungry (those lacking anything) can access food Those who weep can access consolation and joyThose who experience hatred, smile, it will be rewarded.

  Welcome to Hope for the Caregiver here on American Family Radio. This is Peter Rosenberger and I will be your host today through all things caregiver related. I've been a caregiver so long that the hospital Wi-Fi connects automatically. You know you've been a caregiver a long time when you call 911 and they say, Hey Peter, that's my life. I've been a caregiver so long my idea of vacation is waiting in the car during surgery. And even Siri whispers to me, bless your heart. We are still in Denver, in the hospital. And Gracie now has to go back into surgery on Monday or Tuesday. This left leg just does not want to heal up. This will be her 93rd and her 6th during this particular 10-week stretch we pulled. So yeah, I know a little bit about the journey. And I've learned a few things. I'm going to give you some practical things right now. Okay? Just some practical. We're going to get into some heavy stuff later on in the program. But I've got some practical things. One of them is when you're in an elevator. A couple of points in an elevator. For elevator etiquette. And it's not what you think. But it's... I always let ladies exit and enter the elevator before me. I hold the door and make sure they go in properly. I told one guy, there was a bunch of them, and this guy tried to go in. I said, no, you wait for me. I was raised in the South. I'll help the ladies, but I'm not going to help you. You're a grown man. I actually told him that on the elevator. I mean, I've spent a lot of time in the hospital. So these are things I observed. But a lot of people will line up in front of the elevator on the bottom floor. Now, why is that problematic? Why? Well, I'll tell you why. Because there are people going to be getting off that elevator, and they can't get off if there's some yahoo standing right in front of them. And I'm like, has it not occurred to you maybe to wait over to the side? Another thing is, don't be on speakerphone and having a conversation while on the elevator. I understand being on the phone. I'm often on Bluetooth, giving updates and so forth. But when I get on the elevator, I will tell whoever I'm talking to, I'm getting ready to get on the elevator. You keep talking, I'll listen. I got a buddy of mine I was talking to back in Montana. And I said, all right, I'm getting on the elevator. You talk, I'll listen. So he started asking me questions. And I'm like, you didn't understand the point. The point is, I'm getting on the elevator. I'm not going to talk. You talk, I'll listen. Well, what do you want me to talk about? Oh, for heaven's sakes. And so I just kind of, you know, but that's another thing. People get on the elevator and they got speakerphone going. And I'm like, I jump into the conversation sometimes, you know, figured it's there. It's a public conversation now. And then here's something else. And I'm not faulting you for this, but be aware that Be aware of a few things when you're walking into a hospital, into a corridor. Number one is if you're going around corners, drive in the right lane. Okay? Drive in the right lane. We're not in Great Britain. We're in America. Drive in the right lane. So hug the wall on your right side. So when you go around a corner, you're not doing like in NASCAR when you're getting way down low there. You got to go up a little high and come around because there's somebody else coming around that corner and they're driving in their right lane. I have been involved in many near collisions because people were hugging the left corner. Now, that may sound stupid to you, but you spend 10 weeks in a hospital, and then you come back and tell me what you think, okay? And this ain't my first 10 weeks in the hospital with Gracie. So these are things I observed that people are, this is a very big hospital, a lot of people, and everybody's busy, and I understand that. Here's another little tidbit. Situational awareness is everything. Be aware of how you are in space and in time as you're moving in and out of this labyrinth of of a place there where a lot of people are. People are very busy. This is, again, a teaching hospital. So it's very busy. It's always going 24-7. And you have to be aware of where you are in space and in time. Not just, you know... ambling along. I was on the elevator with two women, and they were older women, but not that old. Well, now that I think about it, they're probably younger than me, which, now that's just kind of sad, isn't it? They looked older, but I realized they're probably younger than me. Okay, well, all right, let me just go and cry over that one in the pantry. But Regardless, they were on the elevator and one of them had a walker and they were very nicely dressed. They were very pleasant ladies. And I held the door and they started walking. Well, I was in a bit of a hurry. And these two women, one of them was rather large. I mean, she wasn't gargantuan, but she's a big woman. And the other one was a bit hefty as well. And she had a walker, but a little, not a walker, but one of those things with wheels on it. You know what I'm talking about. And she would sit down and into the elevator and then get up and start moving. That's fine. I live with somebody with mobility impairments. I understand it. But I am always aware of Gracie and me in time and space. Always. When I'm walking anywhere with her, I'm aware of who's behind me, who's in front of me, who's to my left. I'm always aware of things like that. That's just the way I kind of Some of it's my martial arts training, check your six, always look around, head on a swivel. I get that. Some of it's just common courtesy and some of it is just, I just don't want somebody to run into me or me run into someone else. And these two women were ambling along for a little afternoon stroll. But they took up the entire corridor. You couldn't get around them. It was just not a space where I could. And they walked wide, and they were wide. And it wasn't just because of the one with the mobility device. It was just because they were big and clueless. And they went along at their stroll, and I had to go with their pace behind them. And I was in a bit of a hurry. I was like... You know, do you have to take up the entire hallway? You know, because there's always little carts or something on the side of the thing, and you can't easily pass in certain places. And, you know, crash carts and things such as that scattered around the corridor there. So it was like... And you say, you know, Peter, you're being petty. Well, yes, I am. But I've been here for 10 weeks, and I've just, you know... Move it, people. That's what I'm talking about. Thank you for that. That's what it feels like. I'm telling you, that's what it feels like. Move it, people. There's nothing like being in a hospital for a lengthy period of time to... force you into a different kind of, I don't know. But I never cease to be amazed on how people amble and stroll and mosey in a place where there's a high traffic area. And it's a bit jarring because I'm moving quickly. And I'm not just sitting there with Gracie all day long doing nothing. I mean, oh, I think I'll stretch my legs and go down to the cafeteria. I'm working. I have to work all the time. I mean, I don't have to work all the time, but I have to work I can't put my life on hold for 10 weeks. And I've written, by the way, I've written quite a bit here, 40,000 plus words since I've been here. Five published articles and I finished a new book that's going to be out next year. Got one coming out this summer and we'll talk about that. And then I've got a new book that'll be out next year that I think you're going to really like. But I've been working and then I've gotten shipments over to Africa and so forth. I mean, I work. And then I'm looking after her. I'm back and forth to the hospital frequently. I come to do this radio program. I do a live show on Wednesdays. And that's one of the reasons I went in a hurry that day because I had to get back over to the hotel across the street where I do a live show on Wednesday afternoons. And so I was, you know, wanting these women to move a little faster or at least move over, you know, just same thing as being on a highway. You don't go on the interstate at 30 miles an hour. And they just, you know, were clueless. I mean, truly clueless. And I see this a lot in the hospital. If you have to go into the hospital for an extended period of time, be aware that you're going to see high traffic areas and stay to the right. And don't stand right in front of an elevator blocking it so people on the elevator can't get off. You're not getting on unless they get off. And so give them space to maneuver. My father used to always say that. He said, keep moving forward, but give space to maneuver. That was one of his trademark lines. And he was such a student of observing people and their behaviors that he would probably chuckle at this. I don't know if you are, but I'm sorry. I just had to take this moment to vent out because I'm tired of running into people by the elevators and through the hallways of this hospital. Listen, we got more to go. This is Peter Rosenberger, Hope for the Caregiver, hopeforthecaregiver.com. We'll be right back. Thank you. Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. I am Peter Rosenberger, PeterRosenberger.com. PeterRosenberger.com. If you want to explore more of what I put out there for you as a family caregiver, I hope you'll take advantage of it. Right up at the top of the page, you say, check out Peter's Substack page. Well, what does that mean? Well, Substack is an online newsletter. And there are lots of different things that I put out there. You can put video and audio and print and so forth, and that's what I do. And On this page, my latest post is, what do you think? It's called What Do You Think? And it's from my book, A Minute for Caregivers, When Every Day Feels Like Monday. And I post these out every Monday. So if you go out today and subscribe to this, you'll get a missive on Monday to tell you about a new one. But right now, you can go out and read this today, look at it, and there's some other things out there. Some of it's behind a paywall, and you have to subscribe for that if that's your choice you want to do. But this I put out every Monday for free. And this is one I think that would connect deeply with you as a caregiver. I'll give you a bit of a preview of this, okay? And the concept behind it. That's the special bonus that you're going to get today on this program. Like I said, I've been here for a long time. I've devolved into elevator etiquette for a conversation topic. I mean, you get a little bit loopy here when you have these kinds of lengthy hospital stays. But I have often and embarrassingly inserted my opinion during Gracie's long medical journey. I know you're saying to yourself, no, Peter, that couldn't happen. You wouldn't give your opinion. You would be quiet and demure and genteel, and you would be a wallflower. I know you might think that. That may be your first inclination to go there, but... Let me dispel you of that and tell you that I have done this and I don't recall being frequently asked for my opinion, particularly by surgeons. Yet, as the team was observing Gracie's response during the recovery process of one of her surgeries, the lead surgeon looked at me and said, what do you think? All right, now think through that for just a moment. This guy is a serious surgeon, not a lightweight. You don't serve in this particular hospital, this teaching hospital. You don't serve in this capacity as a teacher, as the attending, unless you've got some real game to you. Let me just add, I don't let you work on my wife unless you have some real game to you. Okay? We're pretty hard on docs and surgeons. I had a resident tell me that, you know, I've never seen this before. They were looking at some stuff with Gracie and said, we've never seen this before. I looked at this surgeon and I said, you know, the first time I heard that from a surgeon, Ronald Reagan was president. And they couldn't believe it. I mean, they were stung it. They really don't know how to wrap their mind around that. So anyway, this surgeon looked at me, and he's not a lightweight surgeon. What do you think? Well, you know, four decades of living with Gracie, I understand nuances about her that no medical professional could ever hope to know. They don't have the kind of time to be brought up to speed on Gracie. I have a PhD in Gracie. And it came from the School of Hard Knocks. Most of them, she's knocked on my head. And I hear an amen from Gleason, Tennessee, where Betsy has just said amen. She listens to this program and she's saying amen. I've known Betsy and her husband Tommy for a very, very long time. They've known me since I was 14 or 15 years old. But anyway, the School of Hard Knocks, that's it. A lengthy list of unpleasant events, and I'm saying that with a great deal of diplomacy, has taught me and continues to teach me the value of keeping my opinion to myself and only sharing what I've witnessed and experienced to the best of my abilities. Now, sometimes it gets the best of me, I admit. But I try to stay with my experience. and what I've observed. So when the surgeon graciously sought my thoughts, I stayed on message. I shared what I've observed of my wife and her challenges and avoided speculating. Here's what I've observed. One of the things I've observed that post-operatively, when something can go wrong with a patient, it usually will go wrong with Gracie. That's what I've observed. And I went on to share with him some other things i've observed about her lengthy history nodding with understanding he ordered a few additional tests evidently in part based upon my response and he continued looking for solutions now as a caregiver i'm learning to stay in my lane i really am i don't Don't jump to conclusions that I'm not, even though I went on the whole elevator diatribe at the last block. I'm learning to stay in my lane while speaking with calm authority about what I know. recognizing that my experience is far worthier than my opinion. And I put a quote on there from Kurt Cobain. You may not know who he is. He's a particularly sad, tragic figure who was the lead singer, guitarist, songwriter for Nirvana, a very troubled young man who took his life when he was 27. He had been just a very sad, troubled man, but he was a very deep thinker. And he wrote something once that said, we have no right to express an opinion until we know all of the answers. And again, he was an extremely troubled young man. who sadly took his life. Many attempts tried to take his life before, dealt with drugs and so forth. But in the middle of his distress, he had such profound things that he said, the way he approached things. And I love that quote, we have no right to express an opinion until we know all the answers. And I think of my own life and how many times I have shot my mouth off with an opinion and I didn't even know what I was talking about. And I go back to what I said with this doctor. In my experience, this is what I've seen. This is what I've witnessed. This is what I've observed. And I thought that may be helpful to some of you as caregivers when dealing with your physicians and the medical providers treating your loved one or in general with anyone. Here's what I've witnessed. Here's what I've seen. Because your experience is unimpeachable. It's yours. You've experienced this. Your eyewitness is unimpeachable. This is what you saw. This is what you have encountered. And if you stay in that place, you're not going to get off into the weirdness of opinion. And I also think about that with our Christian faith. How many of us give our opinion versus, here's my experience. That's why I love going back to some of these hymns who have said it so beautifully, O God, our help in ages past. our hope for years to come, our shelter from the stormy blast and our eternal home. Well, that's saying, look, here's our experience. This is what we've seen, what he's done. You know, look at 1 Samuel 7, 12. Then Samuel took a stone and set it up between Mitzvah and Shem and called its name Ebenezer. For he said, thus far the Lord has helped us. And the word Ebenezer means stone of help. Do you know the only hymn that uses the word Ebenezer? It's from Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Here I raise my Ebenezer, hither by thy help I come, and I hope by thy good pleasure safely to arrive at home. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. It's such a great hymn. Sadly, the writer of that hymn, struggled with his faith. Even though he had that great line, bind my wandering heart to thee, prone to wonder, Lord, I feel it. And he struggled, I think, all of his life, or certainly later on in his life, and struggled with his faith. But at that time, he wrote that. Again, sometimes some of the best things can come from people who are struggling mightily with stuff. like Kurt Cobain or like the author of this hymn. His name was Robert Robertson. He wrote that hymn back in 1758. He was just a kid. He was just 22. Kurt Cobain was 27 when he killed himself. And I don't know if Robert Robertson ever... was able to resolve some of those issues in his life that he struggled with as he grew older, and he supposedly left the faith. I don't know. I have no idea. Somebody who knows more about him can maybe let me know. But he wrote this hymn, and it was a powerful hymn, and it's been sung all over the world. Here I raise my Ebenezer. Hither by thy help I've come. So far, thus far, the Lord has. This is my experience. You know, look at Revelation. They overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their opinion. No, that's not what it says. It says they overcame by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony, their experience. When I listen to preachers, one of the things I listen for is their experience. I'm not interested in really your opinion. Show me what the text says. Show me how you've seen this in your life or in others, what you've observed. And anchor me in this text. I'm not interested in your opinion that much. What I am interested in is understanding Scripture on an experiential level, to see these things fleshed out. And so when I talked to that surgeon, I said, look, in my experience, this is what I've watched with Gracie. I've seen this. I am testifying to this. And that was enough for this surgeon to use that in a protocol because it's firsthand experiential. That's the thing about our faith. We're not asked to take a leap of faith into the dark. We're invited by Scripture, asked, commanded by, to anchor our faith in the light. And this is the experience. I look at John, the Apostle John, when he's talking about Jesus being crucified. He said, I've witnessed this. Look at John 1935. He who saw it has borne witness. His testimony is true. And he knows that he is telling the truth that you may also believe. It's almost like John, and I don't know, if you're a theologian or scholar, you could tell me, but it's almost like he is saying this as an affidavit in court. Like, do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth? And he's saying, if you go back and look at the message, sometimes it helps me to understand it if you go back and look at different translations and paraphrases. In the message, it says, "...the eyewitness to these things has presented an accurate report. He saw it himself and is telling the truth so that you also will believe." I gave a firsthand account of credible witness to my wife's medical journey. The surgeon acted on that and made some changes in this. The Apostle John, the prophet Samuel, gave credible witness to what God has done. John gave witness to that. This is what happened to Jesus on the cross so that we will also believe. That's not stepping into the dark. That's acting on the light. And that is hope for the caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger, PeterRosenberger.com. We'll be right back. Peter Rosenberger. He's not a preacher, but he's got great hair. Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. I am Peter Rosenberg. Glad to be with you today. And you know what? You may have just turned this show on midstream. You might be right here in the middle of the show. And you've been up all night having a conversation with the ceiling fan. And you wake up and you hear a program that's for family caregivers of all things. And you think, where has such a program been? Well, it's been right here. But I'm glad you're here with us now. And I've been doing this for 14 years. I've been on American Family Radio now for seven years. And I understand how difficult this journey is. I really do. And I understand what brings me comfort. And I ask you, think about that for just a moment. Most of you know my story. And if you're brand new to the audience and you're just coming in halfway through the show, that's okay. Four decades later. And on Monday or Tuesday, my wife will have her 93rd surgery. Car wreck back in 1983. Now think through the lengthy amount of time this is. How many hospitalizations? We've been here for this particular stretch for 10 weeks. Doesn't show, I don't know when we're going home. But we can't go home until this is done. And I understand how difficult this journey is. So what brings me comfort? What brings Gracie comfort in this? Is it anesthesia? Is it painkillers? Well, it helps ease her pain. But is that what brings her comfort? Is that what brings me comfort? What brings me comfort? I mean, think about it. I mean, I'm working out of a hotel room across the street in not the best part of town in Aurora, Colorado. I'd like to be at home. I could have been out on the snowmobile. and enjoying a beautiful Montana winter. Instead, I'm over here in a hotel, and sometimes I know the other night I had ramen noodle soup. I was tired. I didn't feel like going anywhere, so I just had ramen soup. I remember I was staying at a hotel down the road here. There's several hotels across the street, but now I've camped out at this one. I've been here now multiple times. We've been out here, and this is where I'm going to be permanently, but I don't think we're going to have to come back for another stretch. But I was staying at one down the road, and they got it messed up. This was some years ago. And they got it messed up in our room. But I was in the middle of Gracie's surgery, and I didn't do anything about it until about a week or two after she'd kind of stabilized. And I was checking out one. I mean, I was at the counter, and they had a little, you know how hotels do, they have a little place where you can buy overpriced items. And they had some soup. And I just, you know, it goes back to my college days, some ramen soup. And I had there on the counter my dinner that night because I was tired and I didn't feel like going anywhere. And I paid overpriced ramen soup, you know, and you know how much that stuff costs. But I mentioned the night manager. I said, look, I'm just now getting back with you. But when we got here, they were supposed to have this kind of room for my wife. They didn't have it. They really kind of messed it up and it was very difficult. And I just want to bring that to your attention. And she saw my soup on the counter there and she said, oh, I'm so sorry. Here, take that on us. It's the least we could do. And I used a great deal of restraint. You have no idea the torque involved in this. And I almost said, but I didn't say, it's ramen soup. There ain't no leaster. Of course, it's the least you could do. But she was very sincere, and I let it slide. Eventually, I talked to the daytime manager, and they worked out the problem and got it all squared away. So, you know, this is the way I'm living here. And Gracie's not certainly enjoying where she is. I mean, she's had now, this will be her sixth surgery in this 10-week stretch here. This leg just doesn't want to heal. And they have to go in there and redo something even different now. And so here we are. But we can't leave. This is for all the marbles. If we get this right, she has a better quality of life. If we get it wrong, she's in pretty dire circumstances for the rest of her life on earth. And so I get the journey. What brings me comfort? What has settled my heart down? What has given me the ability to focus and be clear-headed during this? And that is thinking on the things of God. Not abstractly. I'm talking about up close and personal, really contemplating these things. I've been studying. I've been going through the book of John while I'm here. And I am resolved to these things because I know that there's a greater work going on. And that I go back to what I've been saying over the last couple of weeks here with the Heidelberg Catechism. What is my only comfort in life and in death? And that is I belong to Christ. And in this world, he will see fit to allow us to go through very painful things, sometimes horrific things. I don't know why. I'm not really all that excited about it. I don't like it. But I am so committed to this because I see that he has saved me from something far worse. And I belong in his service. And that this is where he's asked us to go. And this is what Gracie said when I was praying for her. I mentioned this two weeks ago before her 91st surgery. And I was like, Lord, this is too many. Gracie said, no, it's not. This is how many he thinks is necessary. And we're going to do what he has led us to do. And I know that, I think it was Karl Marx or Stalin or somebody, one of those guys, who said that religion is the opioid for the masses, right? I can't say that I disagree with that. But I'm not talking about religion. I'm talking about theology. Understanding and knowing, discovering, learning about God. Religion is man's attempt to do these things. Theology is studying what God has already shown us in His Word. That we can know Him. And I've said this before on this program, but I had a caller call in to the Wednesday live show that I do and asked, is suffering required in order to grow in our Christianity? And my answer was, suffering is required to be a human being. In this world, we're going to have it. I mean, it's part of the condition. And you can live your whole life without being afflicted by trauma or disease of any magnitude, not even approaching anywhere near where Gracie is. But you're still going to die. Your body's going to get old and die. Unless Christ returns, none of us are getting out of this thing alive. That's just part of the human condition. It's how we trust God in those things. That's where the difference is. And I go back to this surgical event that we're dealing with here in our life right now. Now, these surgeons that I've been working with here, and they're wonderful men. I've worked with them now for some time, and I've gotten to know them a little bit, but I don't know them all that well. I don't know, for example, her attending surgeons, wife and kids and all those kinds of things. I really don't know a lot of his background. I know where he's from, but that's pretty much about it. But this man, who I barely know, will take my wife into a room with a bunch of strangers who I do not know, and they will do ghastly things to her body with ghastly tools that I wouldn't want to even touch. And then when he comes out, I'll thank him. And Gracie does too. She took his hand one time. Thank you. How often do we do that to people who wear white lab coats or surgical scrubs? Thank you, doctor. Thank you, doctor. And we treat them with reverence and respect, and we barely know them. We don't know where their doctrinal stances are. We don't know what they believe, why they believe it. We don't know those things. We just know that they've been certified to do such and such by the governing authorities of the state and the medical licensing board, and this hospital has vetted them, and the teaching university they went to has properly instructed them. And we take that on faith, even though we've never looked at their transcripts. we've never looked at their grades we don't know anything about them but we will let them go in there and do things to our loved ones and we will thank them for it how much more can we approach the king of kings and lord of lords when he does these things how much more skilled is he and we can know him he has made it possible that's what theology is he's laid it all out this is who i am Now, we will never know Him absolutely because we're not infinite beings like He is. But we can know Him truly. He's immutable. His loving kindness never fails. His grace, His mercy, His wisdom, His justice, His wrath, all of those things laid out. Corrie Ten Boone once said, don't be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God. What brings us comfort is that I am not trusting Gracie to a bunch of people in medical gear that I don't know. I'm trusting her to the one I do know. You're going to hear me do this probably for the rest of the time I have a program. But I love to quote my father. And mom told me this story about him one time. And I've seen this in his life. And I have so many great, wonderful memories of things that he has said and imparted to us. But she was struggling with something young into their marriage. And I don't know how young it was, mom. Mom listens every week. I don't know how young you were, but it was some time ago. And she kind of popped off. How do you know that? because dad was sharing something from scripture with her she said well how do you know this and dad responded very calmly because i know god because i know god what gives me comfort i know god he's told me who he is and i take him at his word And that's what strengthens me. That's what equips me. That's what settles me down. I can produce a lengthy line of people, some of them in this audience, who have known me for a very long time and would say, yeah, that ain't Peter. That's evidence of the redemptive work of Christ in Peter's life because that ain't him. We know Peter. We've seen his work. And that's not me. And thanks be to God, it isn't me. It doesn't have to be you either. We don't have to be reactive all the time. We are invited by Scripture to cast all our cares on Him. We're invited to walk in His statutes, to trust Him, to take Him in His Word. And He gives us all the evidence that we need of said step of faith. And like I said in the last block, we're not stepping by faith into the dark. We're stepping by faith into the light. The credible testimony of others who have observed this, who have walked this, like John himself said in the Gospel of John, I saw it. I was there. Like I said to that surgeon, here's what I've seen. And so when I look at people like my father and like so many who said, here's what I have observed. Here's what I know. Here's what I've experienced. That is what comforts and strengthens me and equips me and fortifies me. And then I could take that into Gracie's hospital room and offer her the same comfort that I myself have received from the God of all comfort. And you know what that is? That is hope for this caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. We'll be right back. Welcome back to Hope for the Caregiver. This is Peter Rosenberger. Do you know what that hymn is? That hymn is called Abide With Me. And it's from my CD, Songs for the Caregiver. I've always loved this hymn. This is my mother's favorite hymn. And I've played this countless times. You can see this, like I said, on my CD, Psalms for the Caregiver. You can download the whole thing wherever digital music is streamed, or you can call Logos Bookstore in Nashville, Tennessee and get a copy of it. They're the only ones that care. It's all out at my website, PeterRosenberger.com, but that's not the purpose of me telling you all this. I used to play this hymn and many others in the sanctuary church where we attended in Nashville for many years and My pastor at the time asked me to play on Sunday mornings as people were coming in to help create a more reverent atmosphere for the church. So people would just talk, you know, yabber. They would come in and be more reflective. So I would work out a lot of these hymn arrangements that I did there. And during the week, I would practice this. And I noticed that I wasn't alone in the sanctuary. And at the back, there was a custodian there at the church And he would be putting hymnals back in the racks and sweeping and straightening it up, very much like my father used to do when he was a young man. And I've got a picture of my father when he was working at a church as a custodian. So I had a very special place in my heart for custodians of churches, and this man was no exception. And I would stop and ask him, I'd say, hey, do you want me to play something for you? And he said, no, just keep playing, just keep playing. So I'd play and sometimes I'd practice there for an hour, maybe more. And a beautiful Steinway up at the front of the church. And that's the cover of my CD is me playing in that sanctuary by myself. Except I have one picture of me playing there. It was taken from the choir loft area where I was. And you can make out Mike in the very back there. And that picture hangs on a wall in my parents' home. I gave that to my father and That picture is juxtaposed against the picture of my dad when he was in the sanctuary serving. Now, why am I telling you all this? Well, this week in the news, they released more of the writings from the shooter at the Covenant School there in Nashville. The first victim that she shot and killed was Mike, the custodian who used to listen to me play the piano. Two years ago this week, I went back to Nashville to play at his funeral And I played for him one last time. I look at the horrific things about that event, and it's still surreal. It's hard to believe. Hard to believe it happened. And the unspeakable tragedy with so many. I refuse, and if this gets me in trouble, you can write letters to peter at the internet dot Google. But I refuse to call this individual a transgender or a guy. was a girl it was a woman 28 years old i believe who was very very very disturbed according to the news reports she had been writing horrifically violent plans for some time and i don't know why it wasn't caught i don't know why nobody seemed to intercept this or say something, but I just know that from the facts, she showed up that day, and Mike was the first person in her path, and she shot and killed him. And I think about all the times that Mike said to me, just keep playing, just keep playing. So I do, and I played at his funeral two years ago this week, and I played, the opening hymn was Great Is Our Faithfulness, And I got to tell you all, I laid into it. I didn't hold back. I didn't play it like a mourner. Mike wouldn't have wanted me to. Play it with conviction. Play it like a believer. And he would want me to do so. I said, this time I was in the front of the church in the choir loft area, different sanctuary. But Mike's casket was just, instead of him being at the back of the church sitting there listening, His casket was right there up front, just 10, 15 feet away from me. And these are hard things. We don't have the words for it. We groan. But we're not alone in our groaning. And I just want to leave you with today. I know this is a bit of a somber note for the show, but I wanted to leave this with because I never forget that the reason why people listen to this program is because they're hurting. And the reason why people give me an hour of their time to listen to this is because they feel like they're drowning. And I understand that sometimes the person who understands you the most is the one who's bled like you have. And I have. Still do. Many times in that sanctuary when I was playing, I was pouring out my heart because I didn't have the words for some of the things that Gracie and I were going through. Mike kept saying, just keep playing. Just keep playing. Just keep playing. The Spirit groans on our behalf. Scripture tells us to pray without ceasing. Just keep praying. Just keep praying. when we don't have the words. And that's why I'm grateful for music. I wish I had the caregiver keyboard here at this hotel while we're in this hospital visit, but I don't. So I have to make do. I look forward to being able to getting home and playing the piano some more. Just keep playing. It's a hard thing to read about that in the news. And this is the world we're in. And it's not going to get any better anytime soon. It doesn't look like. But we are not absolved from walking into that craziness and heartache with the confidence of the gospel. And that is what I am committed to doing. I've been writing a song when the shooting occurred. I've been writing a song that had it for about a month or two, but it wasn't finished. I finished it right after the shooting. In fact, I finished it within that evening because I was just so overwhelmed by watching this. And I had Gracie sing it. I titled the piece Covenant Lament. I really didn't know what else to call it. What else can you say? He's just lamenting. And I went to the words of Scripture that helped shape this. This is all Scripture. And I wanted to leave this with you all today. At the end of this program, some of you are groaning. Some of you are weeping. And I want you to know that there's one who weeps for us and groans for us. And we can trust him. Listen to Gracie sing as we take the show out today. And thank you for your time. I'm Peter Rosenberger. And I remember what my friend Mike told me. Keep playing. Just keep playing.

Sunday Worship for March 30, 2025, from Queen Anne Lutheran Church in Seattle, our 10:30 service—Pastor Dan Peterson; Cantor Kyle Haugen.Prelude—Selections from Mass for the Convents, FrançoisCouperin, (1668–1733) • Introit—Isaiah 66:10; Psalm 122:1 • Gathering Hymn— Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing, ELW 807 •   First Reading— Joshua 5:9-12  • Psalm 32 • Second Reading—2 Corinthians 5:16-21 • Gospel—Luke 15:1-3, 11b-32 • Sermon—Pastor Dan Peterson • Hymn of the Day— Chief of Sinners Though I Be, ELW 609 • Communion Verse—Luke 15:32 • Distribution Anthem—O Taste and See, Timothy S. Flynn (b. 1962) • Sending Hymn —Amazing Grace, How Sweet the Sound , ELW 779) • Postlude—Chorale variations on JESU, MEINE LEBENS LEBEN (ELW 339, “Christ, the Life of All the Living”) Johann Ludwig Krebs (1713–1780)⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Link here to view the bulletin.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Enjoying our worship recordings? Consider giving a gift to our church; ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠go to this link.⁠⁠

“I Am He”.  Jeffrey R. Holland and The Tabernacle Choir Sings ‘Come Thou Font of Every Blessing'.  ACU Sunday Series.   “I Am He”.  Jeffrey R. Holland. October 2024 General Conference Watch this video at- https://youtu.be/wO_zZtt0Nmc?si=eKjEk7gAnBj1yhsu General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ 591K subscribers 199,536 views Oct 6, 2024 President Jeffrey R. Holland speaks at the 194th semiannual general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints held on October 5-6, 2024. Christ's charity—evident in complete loyalty to divine will—persisted and continues to persist. https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/s...   Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing (2011) | The Tabernacle Choir The Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square 902K subscribers 16,678,929 views Nov 1, 2012 Purchase "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing" from the album "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing: American Folk Hymns and Spirituals": Amazon: http://amzn.to/WqlRyH iTunes: http://bit.ly/TV9N9q Deseret Book: http://bit.ly/Qob6tB LDS Store: http://bit.ly/R1mEEu   Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Lyrics: Come, thou Fount of ev'ry blessing, Tune my heart to sing thy grace; Streams of mercy, never ceasing Call for songs of loudest praise. Teach me some melodious sonnet, Sung by flaming tongues above; Praise the mount! I'm fixed upon it, Mount of thy redeeming love.   Here I raise my Ebenezer, Hither by thy help I'm come; And I hope, by thy good pleasure, safely to arrive at home. Prone to wander Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above.   Jesus sought me when a stranger, wand'ring from the fold of God; He, to rescue me from danger, Interposed his precious blood. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above.   O to grace how great a debtor Daily I'm constrained to be! Let thy goodness, like a fetter, Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, Prone to leave the God I love; Here's my heart, O take and seal it, Seal it for thy courts above, Seal it for thy courts above.

“Every Blessing Assigned To You Is Coming”

March 9, 2025 Worship Service Groveport UMC, Groveport Ohio To help support the ministry of the church, please click here https://groveportumc.org/give/ OPENING SONGS: “Now is the Time to Worship” with “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord” WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS OPENING PRAYER: Living God, you are here among us and within us, in the midst of whatever is ailing us. As Jesus reached out and touched the lives of those who gathered around him, may we also reach out in love to you and to each other. Open our lives in this worship to the indwelling power of your Spirit. To you be all glory for now and forever. AMEN. PRELUDE & LIGHTING OF THE ALTAR CANDLES: “Higher Ground” *HYMN “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” #384 CALL TO WORSHIP: Leader: Jesus said, Let the little children come to me… People: We come, each of us a child of God. Leader: Jesus said, do not stop them. People: We come to remove obstacles before children. Leader: Jesus said, it is to such as these that the reign of God belongs. People: We come to recognize that each child is already part of God's realm. Leader: Jesus said, truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the reign of God as a little child will never enter it. People: We come to worship with the trust and vulnerability and dependence of a child. Come, let us worship God. HYMN “Through It All” FIRST SCRIPTURE READING: Micah 6:6-8 OUR TIME OF PRAYER (During our time of prayer, the altar rail is open for all who wish to come forward.) HYMN “Sanctuary” PASTORAL PRAYER THE LORD'S PRAYER OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Chancel Choir *DOXOLOGY *PRAYER OF DEDICATION SECOND SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 13:10-17 SERMON “A Safe Sanctuary” HOLY COMMUNION *HYMN “Just As I Am” - #357 *BENEDICTION *SENDING FORTH “As We Go” POSTLUDE ”Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

March 9, 2025 Worship Service Groveport UMC, Groveport Ohio To help support the ministry of the church, please click here https://groveportumc.org/give/ OPENING SONGS: “Now is the Time to Worship” with “Blessed Be the Name of the Lord” WELCOME & ANNOUNCEMENTS OPENING PRAYER: Living God, you are here among us and within us, in the midst of whatever is ailing us. As Jesus reached out and touched the lives of those who gathered around him, may we also reach out in love to you and to each other. Open our lives in this worship to the indwelling power of your Spirit. To you be all glory for now and forever. AMEN. PRELUDE & LIGHTING OF THE ALTAR CANDLES: “Higher Ground” *HYMN “Love Divine, All Loves Excelling” #384 CALL TO WORSHIP: Leader: Jesus said, Let the little children come to me… People: We come, each of us a child of God. Leader: Jesus said, do not stop them. People: We come to remove obstacles before children. Leader: Jesus said, it is to such as these that the reign of God belongs. People: We come to recognize that each child is already part of God's realm. Leader: Jesus said, truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the reign of God as a little child will never enter it. People: We come to worship with the trust and vulnerability and dependence of a child. Come, let us worship God. HYMN “Through It All” FIRST SCRIPTURE READING: Micah 6:6-8 OUR TIME OF PRAYER (During our time of prayer, the altar rail is open for all who wish to come forward.) HYMN “Sanctuary” PASTORAL PRAYER THE LORD'S PRAYER OUR TITHES AND OFFERINGS: Chancel Choir *DOXOLOGY *PRAYER OF DEDICATION SECOND SCRIPTURE READING: Luke 13:10-17 SERMON “A Safe Sanctuary” HOLY COMMUNION *HYMN “Just As I Am” - #357 *BENEDICTION *SENDING FORTH “As We Go” POSTLUDE ”Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing”

3/02/2025 Transfiguration Sunday 1 John 4:7-21 Dr. Lester Ruth   Slides for March 2, 2025 Music for Sunday's worship gathering A Way to You (Isaac of Nineva) by Chambers Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robinson O For a Thousand Tongues to Sing by Wesley 10,000 Reasons (Bless the Lord) by Redman Behold by Mission House Open Our Eyes […]

Ephesians 2:1-10 especially verses 7-9Psalm 66Hymns: O Praise the Lord for He is Good (Psalm 107)Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing (1 Samuel 7:12)Not What My Hands Have Done (Titus 3:5)

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” Those are lyrics from the Old Hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Those words describe the human tendency that we all face to wander away from God, even though He has been so gracious to us. In today's message, Pastor Bill warns you about the dangers of drifting away from God. Although God is sovereign over all and has the power to keep you, it's your responsibility to walk with Him and not wander from Him.

“Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it, prone to leave the God I love.” Those are lyrics from the Old Hymn, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing. Those words describe the human tendency that we all face to wander away from God, even though He has been so gracious to us. In today's message, Pastor Bill warns you about the dangers of drifting away from God. Although God is sovereign over all and has the power to keep you, it's your responsibility to walk with Him and not wander from Him.

2/2/2025 Epiphany Luke 2:22-40 Anthony Mullins   Music for Sunday's worship gathering Will the Circle be Unbroken? by Habersham/Gabriel Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robinson All the Poor and Powerless by All Sons & Daughters I Am Not Alone by Jobe Your Labor is Not in Vain by Porter’s Gate Worship Open Our Eyes by Rain for Roots […]

QUOTES FOR REFLECTION“Make every effort to come to me soon, because Demas has deserted me, since he loved this present world, and has gone to Thessalonica.”~2 Timothy 4:9-10 “Therefore, brothers and sisters, make every effort to confirm your calling and election, because if you do these things you will never stumble. For in this way, entry into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be richly provided for you.”~2 Peter 1:10-11 “Now the one sown among the thorns—this is one who hears the word, but the worries of this age and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful.”~Matthew 13:22 “O to grace how great a debtorDaily I'm constrained to be!Let that grace, Lord, like a fetter,Bind my wand'ring heart to Thee. Prone to wander, Lord, I feel it;Prone to leave the God I love:Take my heart, oh, take and seal itWith Thy Spirit from above.”~Robert Robinson, “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing”SERMON PASSAGE Hebrews 2:1-4 (CSB) 1 For this reason, we must pay attention all the more to what we have heard, so that we will not drift away. 2 For if the message spoken through angels was legally binding and every transgression and disobedience received a just punishment, 3 how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? This salvation had its beginning when it was spoken of by the Lord, and it was confirmed to us by those who heard him. 4 At the same time, God also testified by signs and wonders, various miracles, and distributions of gifts from the Holy Spirit according to his will.

2 Timothy 1:1-14Isaiah 25:1-9Psalm 65:1-5Hymns: Praise to the Lord the Almighty, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, God in the Gospel of His SonThe Priceless Gospel: OutlineI. A Gracious GospelII. A Holy GospelIII. A Death-Destroying GospelThe editor apologizes for the hum in the audio background.

We continue in the season of Epiphany this week, which highlights that the Gentiles are invited into God's kingdom. This week we study the Epiphany hymn "Hail, Thou Source of Every Blessing" (Hymn 129 in The Lutheran Hymnal), written by Basil Woodd around 1810. Basil was born and educated in England and was ordained as a pastor. This is the only hymn in our hymnal that was written by him.   This hymn uses the account of the Wise Men who came to visit the young child Jesus as the basis for teaching us an important truth. The Gospel is intended for all people, and we, like the Wise Men, receive salvation through Jesus and are able to come and worship Him and bring their gifts of thanksgiving to Him.  This hymn reminds us that God does not discriminate or withhold salvation based on gender, race, age or economic status. Paul writes: "There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ's, then you are Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:28-29). Salvation is for you! Thanks be to God! Join us as we study this hymn about Jesus' work to save all people, and the joy we have in worship and in service to Him!

Send us a textEpisode 236Speaker David Wells Topic: See I am doing a new thing Part 2 What thought our impression blessed you in this teaching?Every Blessing for 2025 Archie and Cathy 

Ask: In what ways have you enjoyed the season of Advent this week? Listen: “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” by Sufjan Stevens  https://open.spotify.com/track/2HGauri7NDGHmTKM3C34g1?si=10ff1916d044485a  Art: Mary and Joseph Look with Faith on the Child of Jesus at His Nativity (1995) by Elizabeth Wang.    Devotional based on the work Shadow and Light: A Journey into Advent, by Tsh Oxenreider

This morning we discuss the blessing Yitzchak gives his son (thinking it is Eisav, actually Yaakov). Rabbi Yaakov Neuberger suggests that the blessing is in two parts, and both parts are necessary, including when we bless our children and grandchildren. Michael Whitman is the senior rabbi of ADATH Congregation in Hampstead, Quebec, and an adjunct professor at McGill University Faculty of Law. ADATH is a modern orthodox synagogue community in suburban Montreal, providing Judaism for the next generation. We take great pleasure in welcoming everyone with a warm smile, while sharing inspiration through prayer, study, and friendship. Rabbi Whitman shares his thoughts and inspirations through online lectures and shiurim, which are available on: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC5FLcsC6xz5TmkirT1qObkA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adathmichael/ Podcast - Mining the Riches of the Parsha: Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/mining-the-riches-of-the-parsha/id1479615142?fbclid=IwAR1c6YygRR6pvAKFvEmMGCcs0Y6hpmK8tXzPinbum8drqw2zLIo7c9SR-jc Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3hWYhCG5GR8zygw4ZNsSmO Please contact Rabbi Whitman (rabbi@adath.ca) with any questions or feedback, or to receive a daily email, "Study with Rabbi Whitman Today," with current and past insights for that day, video, and audio, all in one short email sent directly to your inbox.

Happy Thanksgiving!Piano: 'Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing' arranged by Mark Hayes

Pastor Don Kinder

As we close our series, we focus on the blessing of eternal hope that sustains us through trials, offering us peace and joy even in the most difficult seasons of life.

Pastor Don Kinder

This weeks message centers on recognizing God's faithful provision in our lives. Jesus taught us to trust in God's care, reminding us that our heavenly Father knows what we need before we ask.

When you think of the goodness of God in your life what comes to mind? Today we'll begin a new series that will encourage us to count our blessings, both great and small.

Book your FREE 30 Minute Clarity Call with Jody now!   https://jody.as.me/womensmeditationnetworkclaritysession What is a Clarity Call? This is the first step to giving you the IMMEDIATE relief you crave and will help you to become "unstuck" as you walk the path towards a life of happiness, inner peace and fulfillment. During this call, we're going to explore your ideal life and vision for living the life that you desire. We'll talk about some of the challenges that are getting in your way, and I'll provide you with some practical tools to help you close the gap from where you are now, to your desired destination. Join Premium! Ready for an ad-free meditation experience? Join Premium now and get every episode from ALL of our podcasts completely ad-free now! Just a few clicks makes it easy for you to listen on your favorite podcast player.  Become a PREMIUM member today by going to --> https://WomensMeditationNetwork.com/premium Join our Premium Sleep for Women Channel on Apple Podcasts and get ALL 5 of our Sleep podcasts completely ad-free! Join Premium now on Apple here --> https://bit.ly/sleepforwomen  Hey, I'm so glad you're taking the time to be with us today. My team and I are dedicated to making sure you have all the meditations you need throughout all the seasons of your life.  If there's a meditation you desire, but can't find, email us at Katie Krimitsos to make a request. We'd love to create what you want!  Namaste, Beautiful,

Hey friends!Thanks for listening! This is part 2 of Drew & Rachel answering your questions. Today's episode covers Christian community, Bible passages and worship songs that have helped us in our faith journey, and how to practically maintain purity & keep Christ at the center of dating relationships. Let's dive in together!Christian CommunityYouth Group MemoriesStaying in touch with friends when you graduateHow christian community benefits your Christian walkSpeaking truth in love when you need to be challenged“Mount Rushmore” of Bible PassagesDrew's:Romans 12:1-2 | living sacrifice1 Corinthians 6:18-20 | flee sexual immorality1 Peter 5:6-7 | humble yourself, He will lift you up. Cast your anxieties on Him, He cares for you.Deuteronomy 8:11-181 Samuel 8:7-8 | “They have not rejected you; they have rejected me as their king.”Rachel's:Romans 8 | flesh & the Spirit, adoption, hope, the Spirit interceding for us, nothing can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our LordExodus 33 (& 34:5-7) | God's presence, God's characterHebrews 12 | running the race, discipline as God's children, Mount Sinai vs Mount ZionActs 17 | Bereans searching the Scriptures, Paul in AthensHonorable mentions: Numbers 23:19, Ezekiel 16, Ezekiel 36-37, 2 Corinthians 3-4, and so many Psalms and Isaiah passages Top 5 Christian SongsDrew:The Road, the Rocks, and the Weeds by John Mark McMillanBreathe by Ben WolvertonAll That Breathes by Andrew WordCome Thy Fount of Every Blessing by Robert RobinsonSon of Suffering by Maverick City WorshipHonorable Mentions: Forever YHWH by Elevation Worship, Gratitude / Worthy of It All / You're Worthy of My Praise by Maverick City WorshipRachel:Made for Jesus by John Mark PantanaIs He Worthy / Agnus Dei / We Fall Down by Maverick City WorshipThe Road, the Rocks, and the Weeds by John Mark McMillanRedeemer by Nicole C. MullenTouch Your Robe by Gable Price and FriendsHonorable Mentions: Mark Barlow, Isla Vista Worship, Rich MullinsKeeping Christ at the Center of Relationships:Maintaining purity practically with boundariesHow to keep Christ at the center in datingOther Resources:Sexual Sanity by David WhiteEphesians 5:3Please rate, write reviews, and share with your friends! You can follow us on instagram @lifeishardgodisgoodpodcast and join our Facebook group to stay in touch. May the LORD bless you and keep you!

Pastor Lawson continues our series "Life in Christ: A Study of Ephesians" with a sermon from Ephesians 1:3-14.

Today, we embark on a new series titled 'Melodies of Faith,' where we explore the stories behind some of the most cherished hymns. This series marks a departure from our usual episodes, but we trust you'll find it just as enriching. Hymns have long served as a profound means of expressing biblical truths, each carrying a unique narrative woven into its lyrics. In this series, we'll journey beyond the melodies to uncover the inspiration and stories that led the writers to pen these timeless words. Today, we learn the story behind the hymn written by Robert Robinson. We love  to sing our children songs each night before they go to sleep helping them focus on Jesus before they drift off to sleep and we wanted to  share that experience with you SO, WE HAVE PARTNERED WITH TWO TALENTED MUSICIANS WHO RECORDED THESE HYMNS FOR YOU! Easily listen to the hymn on any of these: Play the previous episode titled "SONG ONLY-Come Thou Fount" Spotify apple music youtube ----------------------------------------------------- To enjoy the library of bonus content (coloring pages, sheets, memory verse, etc) for the episodes go here and click bonus content. By enjoying them, you allow us to keep the episodes free for families all over the world to access and enjoy. From our family to yours, THANK YOU!  To connect with us, go here. For our free Read-A-Loud pdf book go here. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On Sunday, September 1, 2024, our worship director, Cliff Ritchey lead Commonway Church through a morning of worship and reflection. Due to copyright and streaming rules, we cannot post the full service. This video contains those reflection times, a poem by Julie Ritchey, and a rendition of “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing.” Below is a run-down of the songs we did and their original artists. 1. Glorious Things by John Mark McMillan and Sarah McMillan 2. Graves into Gardens by Brandon Lake 3. Hymn of Heaven by Phil Wickham REFLECTION TIME 4. Song for Jules by Cliff Ritchey 5. How Deep the Father's Love for Us by Stuart Townsend 6. Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson (Public Domain) 7. 40 by U2 REFLECTION TIME 8. Open Hands by The Porter's Gate 9. Until These Tears Are Gone by Young Oceans 10. Do it Again by Adam Paulson 11. King of My Heart by John Mark McMillan and Sarah McMillan CLOSING

Glen Hall, baritone, Kate Benson, clarinet, and Stephen Main, piano, Piedmont Community Church, Piedmont, California

Daily Dose of Hope July 18, 2024 Day 5 of Week 16   Scripture:  I Samuel 6-8; Acts 7   Welcome back everyone!  We are finishing up week 16 of the Daily Dose of Hope, the devotional and podcast that complements New Hope's Bible reading plan.  Let's get to our Scripture for today.   We will begin with our Old Testament reading in I Samuel.  Let's start with chapter 6.  The Ark of the Covenant had become a liability to the Philistines and they knew it had to be returned.  They return it to Israel, sending a guilt offering of golden tumors and golden rats along with it, to "appease" the God of Israel.  The Ark is met with much joy by the people of Beth Shemesh, the town to which the Philistines sent the Ark.  They make offerings to the Lord and the Levites set the Ark on a large rock for all to see.    But there were problems here too.  Some of the inhabitants were bold enough to look into the Ark and God struck them down.  To us, this seems kind of harsh but God had given his people strict rules about handling the Ark of the Covenant.  This is where the presence of God dwelt among his people.  It wasn't to be taken lightly.  It wasn't simply a curiosity; it was the presence of the living God and thus, there should be reverence and even fear.  The people seem a bit shocked.  They ask, "Who can stand in the presence of the Lord, this holy God?"    I am quite relieved that we live on the other side of the cross.  Because of Jesus' death on the cross, the veil in the temple was torn.  We no longer have to be fearful about being in the presence of a holy God as the Israelites once did.  As Hebrews 4:16 states, we can go boldly to the throne of grace and receive his mercy.  Jesus has made a way for us to be reconciled to God; no more barriers and no more fear.  At the same time, I think there is still a place for reverence.  We don't need to be hesitant or fearful of God but we should still have a deep respect that God is God and we are not.   In chapter 7, we see the Ark of the Covenant being taken to its proper place and the whole of Israel repenting before the Lord.  Under Samuel's leadership, the Hebrew people put away their false gods and turned back to the one true God.  As a sign of repentance, Samuel called the people to gather at a place called Mizpah, where he sacrificed a lamb as an offering to the Lord.  The Philistines heard about this, all of Israel gathering together, and they decide this would be a good time to attack.  In response, Samuel pleads to God on behalf of the Israelites.  God takes care of things and the Philistines are easily defeated.   Samuel places a stone, called an Ebenezer, to mark the significant event when God interceded on behalf of the Israelites.  In Hebrew, the word Ebenezer actually means stone of help.  The purpose of an Ebenezer, as we see in I Samuel, is to remember what God has done for his people.   When I read this passage, I was reminded of one of my favorite hymns, Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing, which was written by Robert Robinson in 1758.  In one of the verses, we sing, "Here I raise my Ebenezer, Here by Thy great help I've come,  And I hope by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home."  Robinson grew up in a difficult home.  After his father's death, his mother sent him to London to learn a trade but he fell in with a bad crowd.  But God's hand was at work.  Robinson is led one night to a gathering in which George Whitefield preached and Robert Robinson gave his life to Jesus Christ.  At age 23, Robinson begins to pastor a Methodist Chapel and writes the hymn.  To him, raising an Ebenezer meant very intentionally remembering the good work God had done in him, pulling him out of a terrible situation and demonstrating his power and grace.    Think of the good works that God has done in your life.  How has God demonstrated his power and grace?  I'm wondering if we all might go get a large stone and raise an Ebenezer as a way to remember what God has done.   In chapter 8, Samuel is coming to the end of his life.  We read that he wants to appoint his sons to lead Israel but the people are opposed.  His sons, like Eli's sons before him, are more interested in getting rich than caring for the people.  It is a strange thing that we see throughout Scripture, some of the most faithful, strong leaders raise children who have no integrity.  Are they too busy leading the people to lead their own families?  That may need to be a discussion for another day.   In this situation, the people recognize the weaknesses of Samuel's sons and don't want to be led by them.  They request a king.  Samuel is distressed by this and goes to God.  God tells Samuel to warn the people what having a king will mean.  The king will force their sons to fight in wars and their daughters to work as domestic servants.  The king will tax them and take a portion of their crops and livestock.  But the people insisted.  From the earliest of days, God had been the one to direct Israel and choose its leaders. But now the people are demanding something else.  They think a human king will bring stability and safety, as well as a certain status among the nations around them.  And while God knew this was not what was best for Israel (the ideal way was for God to remain the one providing direct guidance and instruction to the people), he granted their request anyway.  God would now achieve his purposes in a new way, through a human king and all his frailties.  God will achieve his purposes.   Acts 7 covers the stoning of Stephen.  When he is dragged in front of the Sanhedrin, Stephen gives a long, eloquent history of how God worked through his people, leading up to Jesus.  The Jewish leaders are offended by his directness and they get really worked up when he looks up at heaven and declares that he sees Jesus standing at the right hand of the Father.  Keep in mind, this would have been blasphemy to the strict Jews who sat on the council.  There was no real trial, no real discussion.  They simply drag Stephen out and start throwing stones.   Stephen was the first Christian martyr.  This was, of course, a sign of what was to come.  But Stephen also offers all Christians a beautiful model of how to live and die, trusting fully and completely in Jesus Christ.    Blessings, Pastor Vicki  

Prelude and Opening Music July 14, 2024 Worship Service PRELUDE “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty” LIGHTING OF THE ALTAR CANDLES *OPENING HYMN “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” #400 HYMN “In Moments Like These”

If you claim works as part of the basis of being right with God, you trade grace for law, and you cancel every blessing of Christ from your life.

Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing Overview Title: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing Key Lines: “Come, Thou Fount of every blessing; Tune my heart to sing Thy grace.” Historical Context: This hymn was not in the original LDS hymnbook... The post 805 Hear Hymn – Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing appeared first on The Cultural Hall Podcast.

New Hymnbook Speculation: We only have confirmation of the Hymn “Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing” as it was announced as being one of the first 12 hymns that will be coming to the Gospel Library in May 2024  ... The post 803 Hear Hymn – The Mini Series appeared first on The Cultural Hall Podcast.

Main Passage: Hebrews 4:14-16 Scripture used: Proverbs 14:10; Hebrews 1:3; Hebrews 7:23-28; Hebrews 1:3b; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Hebrews 12:1-2a; Hebrews 3:1; Hebrews 3:6; Hebrews 3:14; Hebrews 4:14b; Hebrews 10:23; 1 Timothy 1:18-20; 1 John 2:19; John 11:33-36; Romans 12:15; Isaiah 53:4a; Matthew 8:17; Luke 22:42b-44; Hebrews 12:3-4; Revelation 4:2-11; Romans 10:13; Psalm 86:5; 1 John 1:9; Matthew 6:13; Hebrews 2:18; 1 Corinthians 10:13; James 1:5; Isaiah 40:29, 31a; Psalm 34:18; 1 Peter 5:7; Philippians 4:19; Psalm 46:1; Two Hymns Mentioned: Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing by Robert Robinson, 1758 No One Understands Like Jesus by John Peterson, 1952 Main points: Lift Your Eyes to Exalted Deity Hold Fast to Him Trust Your Heart to Humble Sympathy Boldly Approach Him

John Starke preaches from Ephesians 1:3-14, starting our sermon series "For Us and For Our Salvation".

Join us as Michael Grooms delivers his Sunday evening sermon titled "O Thou Fount of Every Blessing".

Hymnology- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Hymnology: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Hymnology- Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

Jason and Roger conclude a 4-part series called A Season of Blessings, taking a deep-dive look at the enduring hymn, O Thou Fount of Every Blessing. In this fourth and final episode of the series, we explore the goodness of God as a “fetter” that binds our wandering hearts to him.

Jason and Roger continue a 4-part series called A Season of Blessings, taking a deep-dive look at the enduring hymn, O Thou Fount of Every Blessing. In this third episode of the series, we explore Jesus seeking the wandering and “interposing” his precious blood.