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CLICK HERE TO WATCH VIDEO OF THIS REFLECTIONMatthew 16:21-27Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised. Then Peter took Jesus aside and began to rebuke him, "God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen to you." He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do."Then Jesus said to his disciples, "Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. What profit would there be for one to gain the whole world and forfeit his life? Or what can one give in exchange for his life? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in his Father's glory, and then he will repay all according to his conduct."
As we now, from a liturgical standpoint, begin to focus on the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, Father and Annie discuss the Sunday readings about the costs - and rewards - of discipleship.
(Hebrews 12:1-4) In this Legacy Archive message, Stephen Olford unpacks Hebrews 12 with a clear call to "look unto Jesus" as the central discipline of Christian life. Jesus Christ both pioneers and perfects our faith, and there is a joy to submitting to the Father's will and completing God's work. Commit to the fight of faith! Find more resources from the ETJ Legacy Archive here: https://enjoyingthejourney.org/resources/etj-legacy-archive/ (10207260829) Join Scott Pauley's study through Scripture this year. Find resources for every book of the Bible by Dr. Pauley and Enjoying the Journey at enjoyingthejourney.org/journey-through-scripture/. Whether you're a new believer or have walked with the Lord for years, you'll find thousands of free devotionals, Bible studies, audio series, and Scripture tools designed to strengthen your faith, deepen your understanding of the Bible, and help you stay rooted in the Word of God. Explore now at EnjoyingTheJourney.org. Extend the Work Enjoying the Journey provides every resource for free worldwide. If you would like to help extend this Bible teaching, you may give at enjoyingthejourney.org/donations/
Read OnlineA Stark Contrast“Get behind me, Satan! You are an obstacle to me. You are thinking not as God does, but as human beings do.” Matthew 16:23This scene likely unfolds in or near Caesarea Philippi, a Gentile region steeped in pagan worship. There, at the mouth of a cave long associated with the entrance to the netherworld—believed by some pagans to be the very gate of Hades—Jesus had just questioned His disciples: “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” and then more directly, “But who do you say that I am?” (cf. Matthew 16:13–15). Peter, speaking with conviction on behalf of the Twelve, boldly proclaimed, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (Matthew 16:16). Jesus responded by declaring him “Peter,” the rock upon which He would build His Church, promising that “the gates of hell shall not prevail against it.”Just moments later, Jesus issues one of the strongest rebukes recorded in the Gospels: “Get behind me, Satan!” The same Peter who had just spoken divine truth now speaks human fear and shortsightedness. In trying to dissuade Jesus from His suffering and death, Peter unknowingly opposes the very mission of the Messiah. Jesus calls this mindset not merely a mistake, but a diabolical temptation—echoing the same temptation He faced in the desert, when satan sought to lure Him away from the Cross with promises of worldly glory.What a stark contrast. Peter goes from being the rock of faith to an obstacle in the Lord's path. But why was Jesus so severe in His response?Because the stakes were eternal. The Cross is not optional. It is the means of salvation—not just for Jesus, but for all who would follow Him. To think otherwise, even with good intention, is to prefer human comfort over divine wisdom. Peter's protest reflects a natural aversion to suffering, but Jesus exposes it for what it truly is: a stumbling block to the will of the Father.This dramatic Gospel scene is recorded for a reason. By calling Peter “Satan,” Jesus wanted to warn him, and us, of the real and ever-present danger of rejecting the way of the Cross. Like Peter, we can easily fall into the trap of wishful thinking and misguided compassion by saying about ourselves or those close to us, “God forbid, Lord! No such thing shall ever happen…” We are saying, in essence: “Lord, please make sure that neither I nor anyone I love ever has to suffer!” But such a prayer, though well-meaning, is clearly mistaken, and Jesus wants that point to be clearly understood.Peter was troubled because “Jesus began to show his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer greatly from the elders, the chief priests, and the scribes, and be killed and on the third day be raised.” But all that Jesus revealed about His suffering was good—very good. Though His suffering was inflicted by the sins of others, His free and loving embrace of that suffering was the greatest act of love the world has ever known. Peter was blinded to this truth. He could not yet see beyond the horror of suffering to the divine good that would come through Jesus' sacrificial embrace of it.Reflect today on Peter's and Jesus' words: “God forbid, Lord!” and “Get behind me, Satan!” In this exchange, Jesus is also speaking to each of us, saying, “Never run from the Cross!” We must never flee from a selfless and sacrificial embrace of suffering, even when that suffering is unjust. God can and will transform all freely embraced suffering into a means of His eternal glory and our sanctification. With our Lord, reject the evil one's false empathy. Reject the lie that suffering is meaningless. Choose instead to lay down your life in love with Christ, and in doing so, you will rise with Him, victorious over every sin and diabolical lie, overcoming even the sufferings of this life through your free and faithful embrace.My compassionate Lord, Your firm rebuke of Peter was direct, powerful, and loving. Rather than offering false comfort or misleading empathy, You spoke a hard truth to awaken Peter—and all of us—to the spiritual necessity of the Cross. Grant me the grace, dear Lord, to say “Yes” to the suffering I must face. May I embrace it not with fear or resistance, but with a heart filled with Your love and unwavering courage. Jesus, I trust in You.Image: Wilfredor, CC0, via Wikimedia CommonsSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.
Mike Figs is back so of course it's another splendiferous episode! Mike Figs explains why Father's Day feels weird to him, Dave breaks down his Baby Boy theory involving Taraji P. Henson and Tyrese's age gap, Derek shares an absolutely insane Tip Drill story and we watch WNBA highlights wishing they would dunk! Then they ask the biggest questions surrounding the Michael Jackson movie and how it ends before he turns white! We play our fun new game, Who's Slang Is It Anyway? It's another episode of No Need for Apologies! DON'T FORGET TO LIKE, SHARE & SUBSCRIBE Watch “Gone in 60 Steps"! https://www.youtube.com/@GoneIn60Steps MERCH https://nnfa.creator-spring.com/ BONUS CONTENT https://www.patreon.com/c/ImDaveTemple?utm_medium=clipboard_copy&utm_source=copyLink -----------------Follow host Derek GainesIG https://www.instagram.com/thegreatboy/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCEQDlfXd3hPcpTkU8xHYBTg Follow host Dave TempleIG https://www.instagram.com/imdavetemple/ YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@DAT46Follow guest Mike Figs IG https://www.instagram.com/comicmikefigs/ Follow No Need for ApologiesIG https://www.instagram.com/nnfapodcast/ TT https://www.tiktok.com/@noneedforapologies FB https://www.facebook.com/noneedforapologies/Produced by Teona SashaIG https://www.instagram.com/teonasasha/TT https://www.tiktok.com/@teonasasha -----------------To advertise your product on our podcasts please email jimmy@gasdigitalmarketing.com with a brief description about your product and any shows you may be interested in advertising on.SEND US MAIL:GaS Digital StudiosAttn: NNFA151 1st Ave # 311New York, NY 10003"No Need for Apologies" - NEW Episodes every Saturday at 3PM/ET on YouTube-----------------⏱️CHAPTERS00:00 Intro00:45 Welcome to the Show01:34 Mike Figs Joins the Show04:00 The teachings of Water Ice08:09 Why Father's Day Feels Weird16:55 Baby Boy Lore18:17 Derek's Tip Drill Story23:30 Michael Jackson Movie Review37:30 Game: Who's Slang Is It Anyway?38:30 "Your Favorite N-Word" Video58:30 The WNBA1:04:30 OutroSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Click here for the DRB Daily Sign Up form! TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Ezekiel 4–7; Revelation 3 Click HERE to give! One Year Bible Podcast: Join Hunter and Heather Barnes on the Daily Radio Bible, a daily Bible‑in‑a‑year podcast with 20‑minute Scripture readings, Christ‑centered devotion, and guided prayer.This daily Bible reading and devotional invites you to live as a citizen of Jesus' kingdom, reconciled, renewed, and deeply loved. TODAY'S EPISODE: Welcome to the Daily Radio Bible! On this August 29th episode, Hunter guides us through Ezekiel 4–7 and Revelation 3. In Ezekiel, we encounter vivid and sobering signs of the judgment coming upon Jerusalem. Ezekiel acts out the siege of the city, revealing the consequences of violence, idolatry, injustice, and a people who have placed their confidence in something other than God. The warnings are difficult, but they call God's people to wake up and see the truth about the path they have chosen. Then, in Revelation 3, Jesus speaks to the churches in Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. He calls the sleeping to awaken, encourages the faithful to persevere, and confronts those who have become comfortable and self-sufficient. The church in Laodicea believes it is rich and needs nothing, yet Jesus tells them that they cannot see their true condition. Still, Jesus does not abandon them. He stands outside the door and knocks, inviting them to open their lives to him and share a meal as friends. Today's devotion asks us to consider whether success, comfort, possessions, or self-reliance have quietly pushed Jesus to the margins of our lives. His knocking is not the sound of condemnation. It is the persistent invitation of love, calling us back into communion and the true riches of his presence. TODAY'S DEVOTION: He stands at the door and knocks. In the vision given to John, we meet Jesus outside the door of the church in Laodicea. The door has been closed from the inside by people who have become content with their own wealth and self-sufficiency. They say, "I am rich. I have everything I want. I don't need a thing." They believe they are thriving. They imagine that their success and resources are evidence that everything is well. But Jesus sees what they cannot see. They are poor. They are blind. They are exposed. Their wealth has blinded them to their need. Success and comfort have taken the place of communion with Christ. They have become so confident in what they possess that they no longer recognize the One standing outside the door. It is a sobering picture. This is not only a warning for churches. It is a warning for each one of us. The seduction of self-reliance can quietly push Jesus away from the center of our lives. We begin to trust our own resources, abilities, achievements, intelligence, or reputation. We may even confuse outward success with inward health. We imagine that we are living fully, while slowly exchanging the life of Christ for something far smaller. But the beautiful thing in this passage is the persistence of Jesus. He does not abandon the church. He does not walk away in disgust. He does not stop loving those who have pushed him outside. He stands at the door and knocks. Jesus continues to invite them into fellowship. He says that if anyone hears his voice and opens the door, he will come in and share a meal with that person as friends. This is not the voice of rejection. It is the voice of love. Jesus wants to open our eyes. He wants us to see the depth of our need and the greatness of his grace. He wants to free us from the illusion that we can create life for ourselves. The true riches are not found in what we possess. The true riches are found in him. In Christ, we are invited into communion, friendship, belonging, and the fullness of the life he shares with the Father and the Spirit. Maybe there is a door in your life that has been closed to Jesus. Maybe there is an ambition, fear, resentment, possession, relationship, or sense of self-sufficiency that has taken his place at the center. Listen today. He is still knocking. His knocking is not an angry demand. It is a gracious invitation to return, to open the door, and to receive the life that only he can give. Let him in. Sit with him. Receive the true riches of his presence. That's the prayer I have for my own soul. That's the prayer I have for my family, for my wife, my daughters, and my son. And that's the prayer I have for you. May it be so. TODAY'S PRAYERS: Lord God Almighty and everlasting father you have brought us in safety to this new day preserve us with your Mighty power that we might not fall into sin or be overcome by adversity. And in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose through Jesus Christ Our Lord amen. Oh God you have made of one blood all the peoples of the earth and sent your blessed son to preach peace to those who are far and those who are near. Grant that people everywhere may seek after you, and find you. Bring the nations into your fold, pour out your Spirit on all flesh, and hasten the coming of your kingdom through Jesus Christ our Lord, Amen. And now Lord, make me an instrument of your peace. Where there is hatred let me sow love. Where there is injury, pardon. Where there is doubt, faith. Where there is despair, hope. Where there is darkness, light. And where there is sadness, Joy. Oh Lord grant that I might not seek to be consoled as to console. To be understood as to understand, to be loved as to love. For it is in the giving that we receive, in the pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in the dying that we are born unto eternal life. Amen And now as our Lord has taught us we are bold to pray... Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our tresspasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not unto temptation, but deliver us from evil, for thine is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image. And nourishing us with spiritual food, now send us forth as forgiven people, healed and renewed, that we may proclaim your love to the world, and continue in the risen life of Christ. Amen. OUR WEBSITE: www.dailyradiobible.com We are reading through the New Living Translation. Leave us a voicemail HERE: https://www.speakpipe.com/dailyradiobible Subscribe to us at YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Dailyradiobible/featured OTHER PODCASTS: Listen with Apple Podcast DAILY BIBLE FOR KIDS DAILY PSALMS DAILY PROVERBS DAILY LECTIONARY DAILY CHRONOLOGICAL
When tomorrow feels heavy before it even arrives, worry can steal the peace God has given you today. The endless what-ifs—What if something goes wrong? What if I can't handle it? What if things don't work out?—can leave you exhausted from carrying problems that haven't happened yet. Jesus offers a different way in Matthew 6:34: “Do not worry about tomorrow.” He isn't telling us to ignore life's difficulties or pretend everything will be easy. He's reminding us that tomorrow belongs to Him. Letting go of tomorrow requires releasing our need for control and learning to trust God's care one day at a time. Jesus points to the birds and flowers as reminders that our heavenly Father knows what we need and faithfully provides. We don't have to figure everything out today. Through prayer, thanksgiving, and trust, we can bring our fears to God and find the strength and peace we need for the day in front of us. Highlights Why Jesus tells us not to carry tomorrow's worries today How worry and the desire for control can steal our peace What the birds and flowers teach us about trusting God's provision Why prayer and praise offer a better path than anxiety and overthinking How God meets us personally in the middle of our burdens Learning to trust God with the future, even when tomorrow may bring hardship A reminder that God's grace is sufficient for each day Want more encouragement throughout your week? Subscribe to The Good Word, LifeAudio’s free weekly newsletter. Sign up at LifeAudio.com/thegoodword Do you want to listen ad-free? When you join Crosswalk Plus, you gain access to exclusive, in-depth Bible study guides, devotionals, sound biblical advice, and daily encouragement from trusted pastors and authors—resources designed to strengthen your faith and equip you to live it out boldly. PLUS ad free podcasts! Sign Up Today! Full Transcript Below: When You’re Tired of Carrying Tomorrow By Sarah Frazer Bible Reading: “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” - Matthew 6:34 Walking down a crowded street, gazing across a stadium filled with cheering fans, or even standing among a group of believers raising their hands in praise we often don’t think of the burdens everyone carries. Jesus, in his ministry here on earth didn’t see the masses, He saw the person. When the crowds would gather at the feet of Jesus, begging for help, Jesus looked and touched each one. The healing didn’t happen in masses, but individually. He did not stand on a stage and declare the Words of God. He reached out and looked deep inside our souls to show us the truth of God’s love for each us. He helps carry our burdens personally. In Matthew chapter 6 Jesus talks about blessedness, prayer, and money. As he spoke to the crowds, did he see the worry, the stress, and the fatigue of each person? In the middle of His sermon He says to them: “don’t worry.” This phrase means to not be anxious or take on the cares of something. Although the idea carries with it a command, Jesus is not saying “try harder.” Instead, He invited them (and us) to let go. The birds and the flowers, which Jesus gives as examples here are not trying harder not to worry - they just don’t. They don’t work harder at gathering food. They work less. The flowers and birds were created by a loving God who meets all of their needs. Worry is about letting go. Because of God’s loving care for us, we have the peace we need to let go of tomorrow's cares. We do not have to carry it any longer. Jesus will later say in Matthew 11:28-30 to lay down our burdens and find rest, true rest, in Him. Anxiety comes from a heart that spends its time overthinking. In a world and age that is consumed with knowledge, we have bought into the lie that more knowledge means more control. And more control means safety. The birds and the flowers don’t control nature and you and I know we sometimes cannot control the circumstances of our lives. In Matthew 6 Jesus is specifically talking about possessions, money, and treasure. Our treasure is what our heart holds dear. Control can sometimes become our treasure. If we try to control our life, keep it in check, we will only be anxious about tomorrow. We are heavy and weary from carrying tomorrow’s questions. In the end, it is fear and not trust that keeps us from finding peace today. Paul uses the same word for anxious in Philippians 4:6. He says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Paul offers us a different path. Instead of worry or control, he invites us to prayer and praise. Carrying tomorrow’s worry not only clouds our view but keeps us from connecting with God. Jesus never promised that tomorrow would be trouble-free. In fact, He acknowledged that each day carries enough burdens of its own. But He also reminds us that we were never meant to carry tomorrow before it arrives. Worry pulls us out of the present moment and places us into an imaginary future where fear often goes unchecked. Prayer, however, brings us back to the presence of God. Look at the birds today. Remember that they depend on the care of their Creator without worry. The flowers bloom without a thought of concern. We, too, can trust our Creator, who loves us deeply. In fact, Jesus says in Luke that we are worth more than any other created being. God invites us to trust Him, and in our prayers, asking God to work, we find peace. God already knows what tomorrow holds, and He holds tomorrow. It isn’t ours to carry anymore. Intersecting Faith & Life: Do you live in fear of the future? All of the what-ifs are out of our control, but they are safe in the loving, sovereign hands of our Savior. Jesus died on the cross, securing our eternal home. We can trust Him with our tomorrows. Our tomorrows might be filled with sorrow, and today you might be facing a daily trial that you wish you could wake up tomorrow and it would be over. Tomorrow might come with hardship and pain. Take Paul’s advice and go to God in prayer. Trust that God’s grace will be sufficient for each day. More than that, we know our God says we do not carry our sorrows alone. What burden are you carrying today that God never asked you to hold alone? Take that worry to Him in prayer. Further Reading: Psalm 55:22 Lamentations 3:22-23 Philippians 4:6-7 1 Peter 5:7 Exodus 16:18-21 Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
Fr. Paul Born currently serves as the Parochial Vicar at Mary, Queen of Martyrs Parish in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In Today's Show: How should we orient ourselves towards wealth and financial success? Are there problems with the Alpha program? Do the Orthodox regard Catholic sacraments as valid? How do we best respond to the Muslim claim that our Bible is corrupted? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
The Father's infinite pleasure in his own perfections is the fountain of our everlasting joy and forgiveness.
Bible-reading funks are more common than most people admit, and they arrive for all kinds of reasons. A busy season of life, a complicated history with how Scripture was taught, the ordinary pull of a tired and distracted mind — any of these can quietly erode the habit of regular Bible reading until weeks have passed and the distance from God's Word feels both familiar and vaguely guilty. The honest acknowledgment that we are not always naturally eager to open the Bible is not a sign of weak faith. It is a sign that faith is a commitment, not just a feeling. Psalm 1 paints a picture of someone whose delight is in the law of the Lord and who meditates on it day and night — and the result is a life that is like a tree planted by streams of water, bearing fruit in season and never withering. That kind of rootedness does not happen accidentally. It is the fruit of a sustained, intentional commitment to staying in the Word even when it does not feel compelling. One practical strategy that has proven remarkably effective for getting out of a Bible-reading funk is finding someone whose spiritual wellbeing matters deeply to you and committing to read Scripture with or to them once a day. It does not have to be a long passage. It does not have to be perfectly timed or beautifully executed. It simply has to happen. Accountability, even the chaotic and imperfect kind, has a way of keeping us tethered to the Word better than good intentions ever do. Stay committed not because it always feels good, but because goodness is only found when we are anchored in the truth and love of God's Word. Today's Bible Verse "Blessed is the one whose delight is in the law of the Lord, and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither."— Psalm 1:1-3, NIV Ponder Today Faith is a commitment, not a feeling. If Bible reading relied on feeling eager and inspired, most of us would rarely open its pages. Discipline practiced in the absence of feeling is what produces the deep-rootedness Psalm 1 describes. Finding someone to read Scripture with creates accountability that good intentions cannot. When someone else's spiritual well-being is connected to our commitment, the stakes shift. We show up not just for ourselves but for them. The goal does not have to be impressive to be effective. One Psalm a day. One short passage. A specific, measurable, realistic commitment practiced consistently will do more for your Bible reading than an ambitious plan that lasts three days. A Bible-reading funk is not a permanent state — it is a season to push through. The feelings of intimidation, boredom, or distance from God's Word are real, but they are not reliable guides for whether we should open the Bible. The Word itself is what revives those feelings over time. Stay the course because Jesus is running it with you. The hard disciplines are the only ones truly worth pursuing and treasuring. A life rooted in Scripture bears fruit in every season — including the ones where the leaves feel like they might not make it. A Prayer for You Today Lord, in our sinful flesh it is so easy to shrug off Your Word, to dismiss its beauty, power, and freedom. Whether it is a busy season, a challenging circumstance, or the enemy's distractions, we too easily place Bible reading on the back burner. Please grant us the discernment to find someone we can read Your truth with, and may this commitment to Scripture revive our hearts and awaken a new desire to stay tethered to who You are through the pages of the Bible. In Your holy name we pray, Father, Amen. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.
How does the human heart go wrong? Pastor Colin talks about three ways, and then how God puts it right.
Fr. Robert McTeigue continues his "Novel Prophecies" series with E.M. Forster's The Machine Stops. Written more than a century ago, the story imagines people living apart from one another and relying on technology for nearly everything. Does Forster's world still look quite so far-fetched today? Father finishes with Weekend Readiness to help prepare you for Sunday Mass. Show Notes The Machine Stops - E.M. Forster Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention--and How to Think Deeply Again Moms Love This Initiation Ritual Freshmen Must Go Through at This Oklahoma High School Christianity-hating activist moves to tear down historic Los Angeles cross — but proud LA group is having none of it White liberal woman says she aborted her baby because of how much she loved him Daily Readings - Twenty-second Sunday in Ordinary Time iCatholic Mobile The Station of the Cross Merchandise - Use Coupon Code 14STATIONS for 10% off | Catholic to the Max Read Fr. McTeigue's Written Works! "Let's Take A Closer Look" with Fr. Robert McTeigue, S.J. | Full Series Playlist Listen to Fr. McTeigue's Preaching! | Herald of the Gospel Sermons Podcast on Spotify Visit Fr. McTeigue's Website | Herald of the Gospel Questions? Comments? Feedback? Ask Father!
[00:30] The Boiling Pot (25 minutes) The AfD is weaponizing nostalgia for life under dictatorship as Germans seethe against out-of-control migration. Ceuta residents are protesting against the flood of Moroccan migrants who overran their city last month. [25:00] A Father's Love (10 minutes) The Apostle Paul showed great love to the Galatian Church area despite their serious problems. [35:50] New Ophel Excavation Begins (15 minutes) [50:25] WorldWatch (4 minutes)
Father encourages us to have Wisdom on our minds, like Jesus.
It was before Christmas, and I went shopping for toys for my kids. Now you might not think there's anything unusual about that – unless you happen to know that all my kids are grown up now. But that doesn't mean they can't have one little spark of childhood left in them, right? For example, I always buy my daughter a doll for Christmas. And we've got one son who for a long time was a big fan of a certain Sesame Street character, and he had a collection of everything Ernie. Well, there came a time when this Ernie toy was one of the hottest Christmas items on the market. I discovered the toy in September in a store before it became an officially hot item. I could have bought it, but I said, "Naw, Christmas is a long way off. I can always get it later." Wrong! When "later" came, no more Ernies to be found. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "When 'Later' Never Comes." When it's a toy you miss because you waited – no big deal. When it's God you miss, when it's eternity in heaven you miss, that's huge. Our word for today from the Word of God, 2 Corinthians 6:2. God says, "In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the day of salvation I helped you." God says here there is a time of His favor; there is a day of His salvation. And that's when you need to grab Him. Then He clearly spells out the time we need to respond to Him. God's Word says, "I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation." When God talks about salvation, He's talking about rescuing us from the death sentence that we're all headed for because of our sin, which is basically the self-rule of our own life. A life that was created to be run by our Creator. This "salvation" came at a very high price for God. See, someone had to die as your substitute to pay for your sin in order for you to be rescued. The only one who was qualified to pay that awful price was God's one and only Son. That is Jesus Christ. So, believe me, it really matters to God what you do with His Son, because of what His Son gave up for you. The only response that can change a person's eternal address from hell to heaven is putting your total trust in Jesus as your only hope of belonging to God and of being with God forever. But so many of us are like I was the day I held that purchase I wanted in my hand. We decide to put it off – make it ours later. I chose to get it later, and later was too late. It was no longer available to me. That's the awful risk you take when you put off Jesus one more day. Maybe you've been around the message of Jesus a lot. Maybe most folks think you belong to Him. But deep in your heart, you know there's never been a time when you've really committed yourself to Him. It could be you've said, "I will give myself to Jesus when I'm ready." You need to hear the words of Jesus recorded in John 6:44. "No one can come to me unless the Father...draws him." You don't come to Jesus when you're ready. You come when God's ready. It's God who makes you ready to trust Jesus. If you feel that tug in your heart right now, this is the only time you can be sure God is readying you to come. There are no guarantees of one more opportunity. That's why the Bible says, "Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near" (Isaiah 55:6). He may not always be findable. He may not ever be this close again. If you've never had that "Jesus, I'm yours" moment, would you do that now and get this settled? Eternity is nothing to wait on, procrastinate on. This could be your "Jesus day." Tell Him, "Jesus, I'm yours. What you did on the cross is my only hope of rescue." Go to our website. There's a pathway there that I've tried to lay out as simply as I could so that you could be sure you belong to Him before you hit the pillow tonight. That website is ANewStory.com. Saying "later" to God's Son is eternally dangerous, because God says the day of salvation is now. It's almost yours now. But later – later may be forever too late.
Money is never just about money, and work is never just about a paycheck. Scripture teaches that God owns everything, gives us the ability to earn, and calls us to work with integrity because ultimately, we serve Christ. Howard Dayton, Founder of Compass Financial Ministry and author of Business God's Way, says those truths should shape not only how Christians manage money, but how we earn it in the first place. Remember Who You're Really Working For The foundation of biblical earning begins with recognizing that God owns everything and that He is ultimately the One we serve. Colossians 3:23-24 says: “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men… You are serving the Lord Christ.” That applies whether you own a business, work for a large company, serve in ministry, or earn a paycheck somewhere in between. Your employer may sign the check, but your work is ultimately an act of service to Christ. Even the ability to earn is a gift from God. Deuteronomy 8:18 reminds us: “You shall remember the Lord your God, for it is he who gives you power to get wealth.” That perspective guards against pride when things go well. Our abilities, opportunities, creativity, and strength are all resources God has entrusted to us. Let Integrity Define Your Work If we represent Christ in the workplace, honesty should characterize everything we do. For business owners, that means treating customers, employees, vendors, and even competitors with integrity. For employees, it means giving an honest day's work, using company resources responsibly, and refusing to take what does not belong to us—even when no one would notice. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16: “Let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.” Our conduct at work can either reinforce or undermine the faith we profess. Biblical integrity means doing what is right because we belong to Christ, not simply because honesty is good for business. Plan Wisely Without Presuming on Tomorrow Running a business or managing a career requires planning. Scripture affirms the value of order and thoughtful preparation. 1 Corinthians 14:40 says, “All things should be done decently and in order.” While the immediate context concerns worship in the church, the broader principle reminds us that order and intentionality have value. At the same time, good planning should never become confidence that we control the future. James 4:13-14 warns those who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit,” reminding them, “You do not know what tomorrow will bring.” Christians should plan carefully while holding those plans with open hands. We prepare responsibly, but we remain dependent on God. Make Generosity Part of the Business Plan Many biblical principles such as honesty, diligence, and planning are also recognized as sound business practices. Generosity, however, can run against the world's instinct to accumulate and protect as much as possible. Proverbs 11:24-25 says: “One gives freely, yet grows all the richer; another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want. Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.” This is not a promise that generous people will always become materially wealthy. Scripture does not teach us to give in order to get more. Instead, generosity reflects trust in God and loosens money's grip on our hearts. For a business owner, generosity might mean giving a portion of profits, caring intentionally for employees, supporting ministry, or finding creative ways to use the company's resources to serve others. Some Christian business leaders have gone even further. Entrepreneurs such as Alan Barnhart and Stanley Tam structured their businesses around extraordinary generosity, viewing their companies not simply as vehicles for personal wealth but as resources entrusted to them for God's purposes. The form generosity takes will look different for every person and every business. The important question is whether we are willing to ask God how the resources He has entrusted to us can bless others. Work as a Steward Earning money God's way begins with a different definition of success. The goal is not merely to maximize income or grow a business. It is to faithfully steward the abilities, opportunities, relationships, and resources God provides. We work diligently because we serve Christ. We act honestly because we represent Him. We plan wisely while remembering that tomorrow belongs to God. And we hold what we earn with open hands so that generosity can become a natural expression of faithful stewardship. When we understand that God is both the Owner and our ultimate Employer, work becomes more than a way to make a living. It becomes another opportunity to honor Him with what He has entrusted to us. On Today's Program, Rob Answers Listener Questions: I'd like to help my daughter buy a home by financing part of the purchase myself. Can we structure a private family mortgage using the applicable federal rate, and how should we handle the interest, paperwork, and tax reporting? I'm behind on filing my taxes and have been quoted more than $600 for preparation. I also run a nonprofit ministry and would like to keep costs down. Where can I find affordable or free tax-preparation help, and could a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA®) assist? I received a Schedule K-1 from an investment held inside my IRA. How should I handle that for tax purposes? My husband and I are dairy farmers with operating and capital lines of credit around 8.5%. We're considering using money from his Roth IRA to pay down the debt. At age 60, would there be taxes or penalties, and is that a wise move? Resources Mentioned: Faithful Steward: FaithFi's Quarterly Magazine (Become a FaithFi Partner) Business God's Way by Howard Dayton IRS Free File | AARP Foundation Tax-Aide | IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) Program FaithFi Field Guide: How Much Money is Enough? Our Ultimate Treasure: A 21-Day Journey to Faithful Stewardship by Rob West Wisdom Over Wealth: 12 Lessons from Ecclesiastes on Money Look At The Sparrows: A 21-Day Devotional on Financial Fear and Anxiety Rich Toward God: A Study on the Parable of the Rich Fool Find a Certified Kingdom Advisor® (CKA) FaithFi App Remember, you can call in to ask your questions every weekday at (800) 525-7000. Faith & Finance is also available on Moody Radio Network and American Family Radio. You can also visit FaithFi.com to connect with our online community and partner with us as we help more people live as faithful stewards of God's resources. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
There is something almost frightening about the stories preserved for us in the Evergetinos. They are frightening not because they portray extraordinary wickedness, but because they reveal how quietly the heart can change. The monk described by Palladios is not a beginner. He is a man of profound silence and prayer, one who has surrendered himself so completely to God that even the necessities of his bodily life have been entrusted to Providence. His life has become contemplation. Prayer is his delight. God provides for him in a miraculous manner. He has tasted something of the life of the age to come. And yet the beginning of his fall is almost imperceptible. He sleeps a little longer. His prayer becomes somewhat shorter. His attention wanders. Earthly concerns begin to occupy a little more space within him. Thoughts once immediately rejected are permitted to remain for a moment. Nothing, at first, seems catastrophic. That is precisely the warning. The Fathers understood that the great falls of the spiritual life rarely begin as great falls. They begin with small permissions. Something formerly guarded carefully is treated casually. Something that once troubled the conscience is dismissed as insignificant. A thought is entertained rather than rejected. Prayer is postponed. Vigilance relaxes. A little comfort is allowed to become necessary. The heart whispers that such things hardly matter. But they matter because the heart matters. There is something extraordinarily precious hidden within the human person: the place of communion with God. The Fathers speak of guarding the heart so insistently because they know what has been entrusted to us. Grace has entered there. The Name has been received there. Desire for God has been awakened there. A fire has been kindled that does not originate in ourselves. The spiritual life, therefore, is not primarily the anxious avoidance of infractions. It is the guarding of a treasure. This changes how we understand vigilance. We do not guard ourselves because God is waiting to punish the smallest mistake. We guard ourselves because love is delicate. Communion can be obscured. Desire can cool. The eye of the heart can become clouded. What has become luminous through prayer can gradually become opaque again. The evil one understands this very well. He does not always attempt to tear a person immediately away from God. With someone who has given himself deeply to prayer, such an assault might be too obvious. Instead, he waits. He works through what appears negligible. A little negligence. A little self-confidence. A little relaxation of watchfulness. A thought that seems harmless enough to entertain. The enemy is patient because he knows that a heart need not renounce God explicitly in order gradually to lose sight of Him. Palladios gives us an extraordinary image of this darkening in the bread. At first the monk receives heavenly bread, pure and provided by God. As his interior life becomes disordered, the bread appears grimy and gnawed. Later it is almost entirely spoiled. What is happening visibly to the bread corresponds to what is happening invisibly within the monk. The gift has not ceased to be gift, but his capacity to receive it has become corrupted. The tragedy is not simply that temptation has appeared. Temptation comes to everyone. The decisive moment comes earlier: he notices the diminishment and does not respond to it. He regards the first symptoms as trivial. This is one of the most penetrating insights in the story. The monk does not suddenly decide to abandon his vocation. He fails to take seriously the cooling of his love. The Fathers would have us become sensitive to precisely this. When prayer becomes burdensome, notice. When mercy toward another begins to disappear, notice. When resentment becomes pleasurable, notice. When the imagination begins feeding upon something we would once have rejected, notice. When silence becomes uncomfortable and distraction increasingly necessary, notice. When we begin excusing in ourselves what once brought us immediately to repentance, notice. Not because every movement of weakness is a catastrophe, but because small movements reveal the direction in which the heart is turning. The story attributed to St. Maximos makes the warning still more sobering. The young monk possesses astonishing spiritual authority. Even wild animals obey him. Those around him naturally interpret such gifts as evidence of sanctity. St. Anthony is less impressed. He sees a ship filled with precious cargo and says, in effect: Yes—but will it reach the harbor? Everything is contained in that image. Grace received is not yet grace preserved. Virtue acquired is not yet virtue safely possessed. Spiritual gifts are not guarantees. Years of asceticism are not guarantees. Miracles are not guarantees. The harbor is reached only through perseverance. This is why Maximos interprets the command to “turn away from evil, and do good” as something more than the avoidance of sin. We must fight to diminish the passions; we must labor to acquire the virtues; and then—we must remain awake in order to preserve what has been given. He connects this with Adam's vocation in Eden: to cultivate and to keep. The heart is a garden. Grace cultivates it with us. Prayer waters it. Tears soften its soil. The remembrance of God makes it fruitful. Virtue slowly becomes something beautiful and living within us. But the garden must also be kept. Perhaps this is why the Fathers can appear severe about things modern people consider insignificant. Their severity is not necessarily born from fear. At its deepest, it arises from wonder. They know what the heart can become. They have seen human beings filled with God. They have seen the mind made luminous through prayer, the passions transfigured, the hardened heart made merciful, and ordinary human beings become bearers of the Holy Spirit. Having seen such things, they cannot regard anything that gradually extinguishes that life as trivial. The treasure is too precious. And yet neither story finally teaches despair. Palladios' monk awakens. Remarkably, his awakening comes while he is teaching others. He hears himself speaking truths that he has ceased to live, and suddenly sees himself. The contradiction becomes unbearable. He runs back into the desert, casts himself upon the ground, and repents. God receives him. The angel's words are filled with mercy: “God has accepted your repentance and has had mercy on you.” Something has nevertheless changed. The miraculous bread does not return. His remaining years are marked by mourning. This is not because God refuses forgiveness. Rather, the story preserves the terrible seriousness of freedom. Forgiveness is complete, yet our choices are real. Grace is not magic, and repentance does not make our history unreal. The Fathers hold together what we so often separate: immense mercy and immense seriousness. Never despair. But never presume. Never imagine that a fall places you beyond the mercy of God. But never imagine that what darkens the heart is therefore insignificant. The Christian life is lived between these truths. Perhaps the most important question, then, is not simply, Have I committed some great sin? It may be much quieter: What is happening to my desire for God? Is the flame growing brighter or dimmer? Is prayer becoming more truthful or merely habitual? Is my heart becoming softer or harder? Am I becoming freer to love, or increasingly absorbed in myself? Have I begun calling “small” those things that slowly make me forget the One whom I love? The evil one is willing to wait. He knows that great falls can grow from tiny seeds of forgetfulness. We too must learn to wait—but differently. We remain before God. We keep the heart. We cultivate the garden. We guard the treasure. And when we discover even the smallest cooling of love, we do not panic and we do not despair. We turn again toward Christ. Immediately. Simply. Humbly. For vigilance, rightly understood, is not living in terror that we might lose God. It is living with the knowledge that nothing is more precious than having found Him. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:08:19 Fr. Charbel Abernethy: Page 61 Section C 00:14:06 Jacqulyn Dudasko: I received my books today! Even had a bit of time to start reading!
There is a sentence here from St. Isaac that overturns almost everything we are inclined to think about asceticism: You suppose these things were ordained simply to oblige you to labor. We imagine the vigil primarily as something difficult. Sleep is surrendered. The body is constrained. Psalms are prayed while the world sleeps. Nature protests and the monk remains standing before God. Looked at from the outside, it appears to be an extraordinary act of discipline. But Isaac tells us that if this is all we see, we have not yet understood the vigil. The question is not how much a man can endure for God. The question is what begins to happen within the heart of a man who desires God enough to seek Him in the night. Something is born there. This is why Isaac speaks so fiercely about the following day. The tragedy would not simply be that we failed in some ascetical rule. The tragedy would be that we received something precious and then lived carelessly enough to lose it. Seeking the One Who Has Already Come to Us The night vigil is born from desire. The monk rises because Someone is there. This is what distinguishes Christian asceticism from mere religious exertion. We are not trying to force our way toward an absent God. We are responding to the God who has already drawn near, already called us, already awakened desire within us. The Beloved has come seeking us. And eventually the heart begins seeking Him. There comes a moment in the spiritual life when prayer is no longer adequately described as obligation. The language of duty becomes too small. A man discovers within himself a hunger for silence because silence allows him to hear more clearly. He desires solitude because solitude removes the thousand competing claims upon his attention. He rises in the night because there are hours when the world has become quiet enough for the heart to recognize what it has always desired. Isaac knows this experience. This is why he speaks of Scripture as well. Reading is not merely preparation for prayer or the acquisition of religious knowledge. Scripture “sows” something within the soul. It gathers the scattered mind. It irrigates prayer. It plants the remembrance of God. It makes the understanding subtle enough to perceive things that previously escaped it. Scripture, silence, prayer, vigil—all begin converging upon the one thing necessary. Christ Himself. And once the heart begins to taste this, the whole ordering of life must change. The Day Must Become the Guardian of the Night Here Isaac becomes extraordinarily demanding. What sense is there, he asks, in sowing throughout the night only to scatter the seed during the day? We stand before God in darkness, struggling to gather the mind. Perhaps after a long while the thoughts settle. Something softens. The Name descends more deeply. Scripture opens itself in a way that cannot easily be explained. A stillness appears that we could never manufacture. Then morning comes. And we throw ourselves back into dispersion. Conversation. Curiosity. News. Opinions. Tasks that did not need to be done. Encounters that did not need to occur. Words that did not need to be spoken. The endless grazing of the mind among things. Isaac's question is devastatingly simple: Why would you do this? Why labor through the night to gather what you willingly scatter during the day? This reveals something essential about the monastic heart. Vigil cannot be isolated from the rest of life. There cannot be one life before God and another life afterward. Isaac says that we must place “no wall of separation” between the night and the day. That phrase is astonishing. The stillness of the night is meant to flow into the day. The remembrance of God cultivated in darkness must become the hidden atmosphere in which we move beneath the light of the sun. The silence of the cell must follow us. The Name must remain near. Our encounters, our speech, our work, even the manner in which we allow ourselves to think must begin to be governed by one question: Will this help me remain with the One whom I have found? This is not narrowness. It is love. Love Makes a Man Careful When something becomes precious to us, we become careful around it. This perhaps explains Isaac's asceticism better than almost anything else. The Fathers guard the senses because something precious has been entrusted to the heart. They guard speech because words can disturb what silence has gathered. They flee unnecessary encounters because the mind can quickly become populated by images, arguments, memories, anxieties, and judgments. They restrain curiosity because the heart cannot gaze simultaneously in every direction and remain simple before God. From outside, such a life may appear severe. From within, it is tenderness. A man in love does not experience every renunciation as deprivation. Some things simply become less interesting because something infinitely more beautiful has appeared. This is why the ascetical life is so counterintuitive. We ordinarily construct our days around what must be accomplished and then attempt to fit prayer somewhere within them. Isaac reverses the order. Order the day around what must not be lost. What if the most important thing that happened today occurred while the world was sleeping? What if the deepest work was not something we accomplished but the quiet gathering of the heart before God? What if the purpose of tomorrow were, in part, simply not to lose it? Then discernment changes. We begin asking not merely whether something is sinful, permissible, useful, interesting, or productive. We begin asking whether it preserves the heart's capacity for God. This is a much more demanding question. “You Would Have Embraced Jesus' Bosom” And then Isaac says something almost unbearably beautiful. Had the monk allowed his daytime life to correspond to the meditation of the night, had he placed no division between them, Isaac says that “in a short time you would have embraced Jesus' bosom.” Here the entire meaning of vigil is unveiled. Not achievement. Not spiritual heroism. Not mastery over sleep. The bosom of Jesus. Communion. Intimacy. Rest in the Beloved. Everything else exists for this. We constrain ourselves because we desire freedom from everything that prevents love. We become silent because we desire to hear. We remain awake because we desire to see. We read because we desire the mind of Christ. We guard ourselves because we have discovered something worth guarding. Even the night itself becomes sacramental in this sense. The darkness strips things of their urgency. The machinery of the world slows. The identities we carry during the day become less important. There is less to perform and less to defend. There is simply the creature before the Creator. The beloved before the Beloved. And the Name. Lord Jesus Christ. The New Life Begins in the Night Isaac finally speaks of those who desire “knowledge of the new life.” That is what vigil opens before us. A new life. Not merely a more disciplined version of the old one. Perhaps this is why the call to stillness can become stronger rather than weaker as the spiritual life deepens. The field of vision narrows. Things once regarded as indispensable reveal themselves as secondary. Activities that once seemed important begin to feel strangely weightless. Even good works must find their proper place. Not because love has diminished. Because desire has become concentrated. One thing is necessary. The night teaches this with a clarity the day rarely permits. And so perhaps Isaac's teaching on vigil reaches far beyond the question of how many hours we sleep. He is teaching us how to construct an entire life around the remembrance of God. Receive the night as gift. Read until the mind is gathered. Call upon the Name. Stand before God when nothing seems to be happening. Remain. And when something begins to awaken within you—some tenderness, some compunction, some clarity, some quiet awareness of the One who has been waiting for you—do not rush away from it. Guard it. Carry it into the morning. Let your speech become quieter because of it. Let your choices become simpler. Let unnecessary things fall away. Let the day itself become an extension of the vigil. For the purpose of the vigil was never simply that we should remain awake. It was that we should awaken. And having awakened, that we should refuse to return to sleep. The Fathers went into the night because they had begun to glimpse the astonishing truth hidden beneath all asceticism: God is worth seeking. God is worth waiting for. God is worth arranging an entire life around. And once the heart has begun to discover Him in the silence, wisdom consists largely in learning not to lose during the day what Love has given us in the night. --- Text of chat during the group: 00:21:49 Ambrose Little: It's supposed to make your head hurt.
Fr. Francisco Nahoe, OFM Conv., has served the Church and the Franciscan Order in Catholic education, campus ministry, parochial ministry, and catechesis. He is a chaplain at Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California, and focuses his scholarly efforts on Renaissance rhetoric and Polynesian ethnohistory. In Today's Show: Why can't Catholic weddings be held outside of a church when regular Masses can be said outside on special occasions? A few relatives of mine never had a funeral Mass. Should I have an individual Mass said, or is a group Mass for all of them okay? Can you explain the Filioque for us? While we know that Mary was sinless, were St. Joseph and St. John the Baptist also sinless? And more. Visit the show page at thestationofthecross.com/askapriest to listen live, check out the weekly lineup, listen to podcasts of past episodes, watch live video, find show resources, sign up for our mailing list of upcoming shows, and submit your question for Father!
Recording from Tulsa, Oklahoma, Nancy closes out August and reflects on the irreplaceable importance of gathering together in person as the body of Christ. As the Father prepares His sons for the days ahead, Nancy shares a clear conviction: we will need Him more, and we will also need one another at entirely new depths. From Oxford gatherings to Cross Encounter and emerging works across the nations, she explores how the Father establishes relationships, prepares people, and reproduces His work through sovereign connections rather than building around one person or ministry. This episode is a call to treasure the body of Christ, remain faithful to the relationships the Father has established, and stay attentive to His timing as He prepares and sends mature sons into their own sovereign, self-governing assignments. As a new season approaches, Nancy encourages us to stay steady, stay connected, and remain fully responsive to the Father as His gospel runs unhindered through the nations. Thanks for Listening! Nancy McCready Ministries is committed to building cultures of personal and corporate discipleship so that believers can walk in maturity and their destiny with the Father. We hope this conversation today has helped you along your journey. JOIN THE CONVERSATION Every journey begins with a conversation, so we would like to invite you to join us on social media to get started! Facebook: www.facebook.com/nbmccready Instagram: www.instagram.com/nbmccready/ YouTube: www.youtube.com/@nancymccreadyministries LINKS The Producer's Way Facebook Group https://www.facebook.com/groups/3441416535919719 Want to host or attend Cross Encounter? Click here: nancymccready.com/crossencounter/ Shop to Support NMM: nancymccready.com/shop
Today's Promise: John 15: 9 What if you really believed that Jesus loves you as much as the Father loves Him? That's the incredible basis of today's promise. God's love for Jesus is beyond anything we can fully comprehend, and Jesus says that same love is extended to you. His love isn't based on your performance, your success, or even your failures. He simply loves you. Jesus invites you to "abide" in His love. To abide is to rest in it, live in it, and make yourself at home in it. When you learn to live from that place of security, something changes. You no longer have to strive to earn God's love. Instead, His love begins to overflow through your life and touch the people around you. Today, discover what it means to rest in the immeasurable love of Christ and allow His love to flow through you.
Aerodynamics, the science of flight, is a highly complex science. This is because many complex forces are acting on anything in flight. These forces include the power available for flight and drag produced by the flying object. Each of these categories includes many additional forces that depend on the shape of the flying object, the shape and length of the wings, the speed and the altitude. This is why, for example, high altitude planes have very long wings.One critical force that has been under recent study is the turbulence that forms at the tips of the wings. The shorter the wing, the more energy-consuming turbulence forms at the tip of the wing. Different wing designs have been tried to decrease this turbulence. Engineers have had some success reducing this turbulence with winglets. You may have seen these small vertical wings on the wingtips of some airplanes.Swiss researchers have been studying vultures with the hope of finding a better solution to this problem because vultures have a relatively short wingspan that has proven to be surprisingly efficient. They discovered that this is because the feathers at the vultures' wing tips spread out. They then tested a wing with a finger-like cascade of blades at the end. Their new wing was more than four times more efficient than the average wing design in use today! It takes a great deal of faith in evolution to think that natural selection possesses such knowledge of aerodynamics. Clearly the vulture was designed by an intelligent Creator who understands aerodynamics even better than we do!Genesis 1:20"And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.”Prayer: I thank You, dear Father, that we can see Your wisdom in the creation. Amen.Ref: “Wingfingers,” Flying. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111
Send us Fan Mail***Read the Bible in a Year with me in 2026 right here on the podcast!***Bible Verses of the Week: Week 35: Matthew 5:16Welcome to the podcast Move Forth With Grace! We will be reading the entire Bible in a year. This is such a perfect way to get into God's Word each day and to develop your own relationship with God our Father through His Son Jesus Christ. I am your host Angela and want to first of all say that I am not an expert in Theology or Church History or a Minister and I never will claim to be. I am a wife and mother who has been reborn and want to be of service to God in gratitude for calling me back home. Welcome to the Podcast! The Bible that I will be reading from is the McArthur Daily Bible. It is a New American Standard Bible.Thank you for being here....thank you for becoming less like you and more like Jesus.May you Move Forth with Grace today!Love, Angela Connect with me on social media or send a prayer request to me on my website here:https://campsite.bio/moveforthBible Teachers that I recommend:Mike Winger on https://biblethinker.org/meet-mike/John McArthur on https://www.gty.orgDr. Chuck Missler on www.khouse.orgNancy Missler on www.kingshighway.orgDale Partridge on www.relearn.orgChuck Smith on http://www.pastorchuck.org/RC Sproul Eschatology Playlist:https://youtu.be/n22MRa0P6_I?si=Aw53nQLSteu6T3-ASupport the show
Deep suffering can drive us away from true hope and comfort. But our Father waits to gather us back to himself.
Welcome back to Father Knows Something! Dad advice with a dash of ADHD, and some millennials chiming in to add their takes. Lauren is back to host this one! Jerry and Lauren discuss write-ins all about relationships, communication, and figuring out when it's time to make a change. From a listener questioning whether her boyfriend still loves her, to someone wondering if a crush on her yoga instructor is worth pursuing, and how to communicate when the same issues keep coming back. These listeners need your advice, so be sure to leave your thoughts in the comments. Thanks for listening, and we'll see you next week! Partners: Mazda: 2026 Mazda CX-50. Designed for Safety. MazdaUSA.com Submit your write-in HERE! Celebration themed ep soon!! https://forms.gle/V6DarM6gJuBRa9uZA Bonus Stories on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/fatherknows !! Our P.O. Box: Father Knows Something. 5042 Wilshire BLVD. #470. Los Angeles, CA. 90036 Follow up on Instagram @ Father Knows Something UPDATE US!! If your story has been read respond here: https://forms.gle/6CP9KoWvJ4NMKewa7 Be sure to subscribe and tell us what you would give for advice! Full-length video episodes are available on YouTube! Index: 00:00 -- Start Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices
How important is your heart? Pastor Colin talks about 6 Bible passages that underline the importance of your heart.
And we're back... A lot of fecal matter in lakes and rivers in Missouri. Doug and Iggy arguing about bathroom etiquette. Beercats is dating a 25-year-old. Where is Parool? KG calls in. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
What if someone's inability to speak has caused the world to underestimate everything happening inside them? I'm joined by attorney, pastor, and Decoding Cody author Joe Infranco to share what changed when Cody, a young man with non-speaking autism, began communicating through spelling. What started as a breakthrough in understanding communication soon raised much bigger questions about autism, consciousness, science, and the spiritual world. Joe shared the evidence that challenged his skepticism, the research surrounding spelling and AAC, and extraordinary accounts involving Jesus, angels, prayer, and a mysterious place known as "The Hill." Throughout it all, he returns to one standard: extraordinary claims should be examined carefully, and with discernment. Learn more about Joseph and Hidden Gifts Ministry: https://hiddengiftsministry.org/ Joe's book Decoding Cody: https://a.co/d/04iJHbFW Joseph on Instagram: @pastorjoinfranco -- NEW Everyday Miracle compilation book on Amazon: https://a.co/d/45cgbP8 Everyday Miracle compilation book on Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/everyday-miracles-julie-hedenborg/1146173449?ean=9798881501808 Subscribe to Julie's YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@everydaymiraclespodcast1395 Website for Everyday Miracles (APPLY!): http://everydaymiraclespodcast.com/ To follow Everyday Miracles Podcast on iTunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/everyday-miracles-podcast/id1447430033 On Social: Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/everydaymiraclespodcast/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/everydaymiraclespodcast TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@everydaymiraclespodcast X: https://x.com/miracles9598 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julie-hedenborg-452028a7/ To email Julie directly: everydaymiraclespodcast@gmail.com -- Scripture ✝️: John 20:29 (NIV) "Then Jesus told him, 'Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.'" 2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV) "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.'" Luke 10:21 (ESV) "In that same hour he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, 'I thank you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that you have hidden these things from the wise and understanding and revealed them to little children; yes, Father, for such was your gracious will.'" --
Ask, Believe, Dream Bigger: The Greater Things Jesus Promised – John 14:12–14 In Episode 149 of Divine Table Talk, Jamie and Jane slow down and dive into just three powerful verses—John 14:12–14—where Jesus makes an astonishing promise about faith, prayer, and the “greater works” His followers will do. What did Jesus mean when He said, “Whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these”? And what do we do with His invitation to “ask me for anything in my name”? Together, Jamie and Jane explore the difference between dreaming with God and simply asking Him to bless our plans. They talk about bold prayers, surrendered dreams, expectations, and what it means to believe that God can accomplish more through our lives than we could ever manufacture on our own. Maybe we've been praying too safely. Maybe we've allowed disappointment to shrink what we're willing to ask God for. John 14 invites us to believe again, ask boldly, dream with God—and remember that ultimately, it is all for the glory of the Father. Reflection Question: Have I allowed fear, disappointment, or past unanswered prayers to make my prayers smaller—and what might God be inviting me to ask Him for again? ____________________________________ Connect with Jamie: Website: www.jamieklusacek.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jamieklusacek Connect with Jane: Website: www.janewwilliams.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/janewwilliams
Father shows us how our lives should be focused on the coming of the Lord.
Ask Mundo Anything: VP Status, Father-to-Father Chat, and More! | 8-27-26See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jesus Died to Make Peace Jesus didn't only die to reconcile us to God; he also died to make peace between people, even in the face of long-standing hostilities. God's plan is to unite people of all kinds together into one new humanity in Jesus Christ. Ephesians 2:11-18 11 Therefore remember that previously you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are called “Uncircumcision” by the so-called “Circumcision” which is performed in the flesh by human hands— 12 remember that you were at that time separate from Christ, excluded from the people of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, having no hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ. 14 For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, 15 by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; 16 and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. 17 And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; 18 for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Free 30 Page eBook to help you Hear and Heed the Bible: https://www.johnwhittaker.net Support this ministry: Set up a recurring monthly or a one-time donation at the link below. http://worldfamilymissions.org/john-whittaker/ The Listener's Commentary - In-depth teaching through books of the Bible to help you learn the Bible for yourself: https://www.listenerscommentary.com Connect with John: Social Media- connect on facebook and instagram Email - john@johnwhittaker.net If you've been helped by this teaching leave a review and share freely - on Facebook, Instagram, X, via email.
What does it take to live your faith out loud in a culture that resists it? Ken Fish and Joel Taylor sit down with Casey Harper—D.C. journalist, host of The Outstanding Podcast, managing editor for broadcast at The Washington Stand, and a speaker at the upcoming Luminosity conference (Nashville, Oct 1–3, 2026). Register: https://kingdomluminosity.org/From his vantage point between the White House and the Capitol, Casey shares his journey from small-town East Texas to the front lines of faith and public life. Together the three explore a recovered theology of persecution "for righteousness' sake," why a healthy faith must be able to stand even when the church is weak, the difference between partisanship and faithful engagement in the public square, and how personal consecration builds the fortitude to do the right thing under pressure. It all ties back to the conference theme—consecration and holiness—and Casey's striking word from Joel 3: "consecrate for war," a call to spiritual preparation, not violence.In this conversation:Casey's journey from East Texas to faith and public life in D.C.What makes living your faith "out loud" so challenging todayRecovering a theology of being "persecuted for righteousness' sake"Why a mature faith can stand alone—without abandoning communityPartisanship vs. politics in the public squareHow consecration builds inner fortitude"Consecrate for war" (Joel 3)—preparation for the days aheadThe example of Perpetua and the great cloud of witnessesHope for a generation looking for something realRegister for Luminosity
It's almost become a gag line; it expresses the attitude of an employee who just wants to meet the bare minimums of their job. You ask them a question, ask them to do some small task; kind of shrugs his shoulders, puts his hands in the air and says, "Not my job!" Well, that can be a lazy response or maybe a wise one in some cases. For example, if you ask me to repair your car, I probably should say, "It's not my job." Or if you ask the local mechanic to take care of your toothache, it would be good if he said, "It's not my job." Or if you ask your dentist to program your computer, it would probably be good for him to say, "It's not my job." See, you really shouldn't be working out of what really isn't your job and you don't know how to do it anyway. I'm Ron Hutchcraft and I want to have A Word With You today about "Trying to Do God's Job." Our word for today from the Word of God is Psalm 84:11, "For the Lord God is a sun and a shield. The Lord bestows favor and honor. No good thing does He withhold from them whose walk is blameless." Wow, that's a great promise, isn't it? No good thing... Any good thing; anything that's really good for you, He will never withhold if your walk is blameless. And, of course, He's the one who defines what's good for us, because He knows best. What's interesting about this verse is that it tells you three responsibilities that are not your job. "It's not my job!" Number one it's not your job to provide. It says here, "The Lord bestows favor." God gives you what you need. Jesus told us in the Sermon on the Mount, "Don't go chasing after food and clothing like the rest of the world does, because your Father knows what you have need of. You seek the kingdom of God and all the things will be taken care of." You lose a lot of peace worrying about where the dollars are going to come from, the transportation, the resources. Three times in that passage Jesus told us, "Don't worry! Don't worry!" They're going to come from your Jehovah Jireh - the Lord who provides. He will take care of it. Although He expects us to work, ultimately the provision of your needs is not your job, but your God. Secondly, protecting is not your job. It says, "The Lord is your shield." We waste a lot of effort defending our position, trying to look good, answering criticism from people, trying to protect our spot, fearing injury, fearing disappointment. What are you doing to just try to protect yourself? The Lord is your shield. It's not your job. Then it's also not your job to promote. It says, "The Lord gives honor to people." Quit trying to get the spotlight for yourself; God exalts people. What are you doing trying to promote yourself? So, what is your job? Well, it says, "He does this for those whose walk is blameless." Your job is your walk. You're supposed to concentrate on cleaning up your walk with God, getting rid of those traits that displease Him and that bring criticism from others. Your job is to focus on spending time with your Lord - treating people as your Lord does, eliminating those stubborn sins that you tolerate rather than eliminate. God's job is to provide your needs, to protect you from hurt, and to promote you to positions that He chooses. I wonder, have you been trying to do one of His jobs? Why don't you concentrate on your own? Concentrate on the purity of your walk, and God will keep His promise, "No good thing will He withhold from those whose walk is blameless."
A Course in MiraclesLesson 239The glory of my Father is my own.
2 Timothy 3:10-19 (NKJV)Andrew and Edwin get practical, talking about a discipline godly parents must have--acquainting their children with the Scriptures.Read the written devo that goes along with this episode by clicking here. Let us know what you are learning or any questions you have. Email us at TextTalk@ChristiansMeetHere.org. Join the Facebook community and join the conversation by clicking here. We'd love to meet you. Be a guest among the Christians who meet on Livingston Avenue. Click here to find out more. Michael Eldridge sang all four parts of our theme song. Find more from him by clicking here. Thanks for talking about the text with us today.________________________________________________If the hyperlinks do not work, copy the following addresses and paste them into the URL bar of your web browser: Daily Written Devo: https://readthebiblemakedisciples.wordpress.com/?p=26626The Christians Who Meet on Livingston Avenue: http://www.christiansmeethere.org/Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/TalkAboutTheTextFacebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/texttalkMichael Eldridge: https://acapeldridge.com/
Luke Richey began coding software at age 14, including work for NASA, and went on to build and sell multiple successful startups. He made a lot of money, lost a lot of money, made some wise decisions, and many terrible ones. A selfish narcissist, he reached the point of taking his own life… except he survived. What followed was a series of extraordinary encounters that led to a radical transformation through Jesus Christ.Today, Luke and his wife Jennifer, are on a very different mission. Nearly half of the world's population (c.3.88 billion people) play video games. For Gen Z and Gen Alpha, gaming isn't simply entertainment, it's where they build friendships, develop identity, and spend much of their free time. These digital worlds have become the neighborhoods of the next generation. They are also places where predators, grooming, exploitation, addiction, bullying, and other forms of harm can flourish.Luke and Jennifer are the co-founders of Haiven, a company on a mission to transform these digital spaces into places of safety, belonging, and hope. Through their work at Gravity Jack and Haiven, they are helping shape legislation, influence the future of online safety, and build AI systems that protect children while empowering healthy communities. Their vision is simple: if billions of young people are growing up in digital worlds, Christians cannot afford to ignore them. These digital spaces represent one of the largest mission fields in history, and one of the greatest opportunities to bring light into places that desperately need it.What a story! ▶️ Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/hwz_BnJA9YkContact: luke@haiven.gg Website: https://haiven.ggX: https://x.com/haiven_ggYT: https://www.youtube.com/@Haiven-gg/Insta: https://www.instagram.com/haiven_ggTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@haiven_ggFB: https://www.facebook.com/haiven.incLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/107795877---
In this episode Kiran Chawla sits down with the family of Herman Harris, who was killed in his home in Maringouin in 2024, and the trial in Iberville Parish where three defendants were found guilty. His widow, Regina Harris, and their sons describe the emotional toll of the case, the evidence shown at trial, and their relief after the verdict.Timestamps06:17 The Injury That Changed Everything11:21 Trial Evidence Shocks The Widow17:00 Remembering Herman Harris21:46 Sons Recall Their Father31:51 Facing The Defendants In Court41:09 A Father's Hidden Legacy43:04 Dreams His Family Lost44:07 Carrying Him ForwardLocal Sponsors for this episode include:Neighbors Federal Credit Union:Another Chance Bail Bonds:Family Worship Center ChurchTwin Team Realty If you are looking to buy or sell your home, look no further!Call (225) 354-9761 Today!Sound and Editing for this audio podcast by Envision Podcast Production:
Thursday August 27, 2026Today we continue our journey through “Spiritual Classics”by Richard Foster with a reading from Simone Weil's “Concerning the Our Father”, alongside Luke 11:1–9. We'll reflect on the prayer Jesus taught His disciples and what it means to approach God with humility, persistence, and trust. Join us for Scripture, reflection, and encouragement as we deepen our prayer life and grow more like Jesus.This is the unfiltered and unscripted daily podcast of Dr. Terry Rolen. Whether you're a devout Christian seeking spiritual growth or someone curious about the teachings of the Bible, this whimsical podcast offers a dynamic, relatable platform for deepening your faith and understanding.
Whose voice has shaped the way you see yourself? Today we're revisiting one of our favorite Hope Talks conversations about identity and learning to see yourself through God's eyes instead of through the opinions of others, your past, or the lies you've come to believe. Together, Haley and Dustin explore why so many of us struggle with shame, insecurity, guilt, and feeling like we're never enough. They discuss how our identity shapes our thoughts, choices, relationships, and spiritual growth—and why lasting change begins by replacing lies with the truth of God's Word. If you've ever struggled to believe you're truly loved, accepted, forgiven, or enough, this conversation will encourage you to see yourself the way God already does: as His beloved child. Subscribe to the podcast and tune in each week as Haley and Dustin share with you what the Bible says about real-life issues with compassion, warmth, and wit. So you have every reason for hope, for every challenge in life. Because hope means everything. Hope Talks is a podcast of the ministry of Hope for the Heart. Listen in -------------- Hope for the Heart resources Join us this fall at the Hope Together Conference! Learn more and sign up here: https://hopetogether.com/ Connect with Hope for the Heart on social! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hopefortheheart Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hopefortheheart Learn more about the ministry and resources of Hope for the Heart: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/ Learn more about Hope Talks and catch up on past episodes: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/hopetalks/ Want to talk with June Hunt on Hope in the Night about a difficult life issue? Schedule a time here: https://resource.hopefortheheart.org/talk-with-june-hope-in-the-night God's plan for you: https://www.hopefortheheart.org/gods-plan-for-you Give to the ministry of Hope for the Heart: https://hopefortheheart.donorsupport.co/page/hope-talks -------------- Bible verses mentioned in this episode Psalm 145:8 – “The LORD is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in love.” Isaiah 43:4 – “You are precious to me. You are honored, and I love you.” Isaiah 41:9 – “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant' I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” Matthew 3:16-17 – “As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” John 13:23 – “One of them, the disciple whom Jesus loved, was reclining next to him.” (See also: John 21:7 and John 21:20 for the phrase “the disciple whom Jesus loved”) Romans 12:3 – “For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.” Romans 15:7 – “Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory” Ephesians 1:4 – “Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes” 1 Thessalonians 1:4 – “God loves you and has chosen you to be his own people” 1 John 3:1 – “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!”
When someone receives a donated organ, they must take powerful drugs to prevent rejection. That's because the body's immune system identifies the implanted organ as "not me." It then assumes that the invader is dangerous and must be destroyed. That brings us to a puzzling mystery that scientists have been trying to solve: Why doesn't a mother's body recognize her unborn baby as being foreign to her body? After all, carrying genetic information from the mother and father, the unborn baby is genetically unique.Some scientists theorize that the placenta is a physical barrier between the baby and the mother's immune system. Others believe that the unborn baby somehow hides from the mother's immune system. A third theory is that the mother's immune system is somehow forced to tolerate the unborn child.New research from scientists at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, Georgia, supports this third alternative. Researchers have shown that the placenta produces an enzyme (IDO) that works to suppress immune cells. In effect, the unborn child puts together just the right enzyme to keep mom's immune system from attacking it. Scientists say that this discovery may lead to new drugs to treat autoimmune diseases and organ rejection.This system or a similar system had to be fully operational in the first creature for successful pregnancies and births. It could not gradually evolve. This fact and the wisdom of this system provides more evidence of an all-wise, all-powerful Creator of every form of life and all that exists.Psalm 139:13"For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.”Prayer: I thank You, Father, that You protected me in my mother's womb. Amen.Ref: J.T., “Don't reject me, fetus tells Mom,” Science News, v.154. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/1232/29?v=20251111
This week we're releasing the final episode of our Prayer Unfiltered series.Over the past several months you've trusted us with some incredibly honest questions about prayer, suffering, healing, God's sovereignty, disappointment, fasting, authority, hearing God, praying in the Spirit, and unanswered prayer.This final conversation brings all of those questions together around one simple truth:Grief and trust are not opposites.If you've ever wondered...Why should I keep praying?Did I do something wrong?Can I tell God I'm angry?How do I trust Him when my story isn't the one I wanted?...we hope this conversation reminds you that prayer has never been about finding the perfect formula. It has always been about relationship with the Father.This conversation explores biblical lament, grief, trust, God's sovereignty, healing, disappointment, and what genuine faith looks like when life doesn't unfold the way we expected.If you've ever questioned God's goodness after unanswered prayer, struggled with disappointment, or wondered how to keep trusting God through suffering, this episode is for you.Thank you for walking through this series with us. Your questions made these conversations possible, and we pray they've encouraged you to bring your whole heart before God.We'll be taking a short break while we travel and teach, but we'll be back soon with new episodes.Until then...Keep asking.Keep seeking.Keep listening.And most of all...Keep talking to your Father.
Send us Fan Mail***Read the Bible in a Year with me in 2026 right here on the podcast!***Bible Verses of the Week: Week 35: Matthew 5:16Welcome to the podcast Move Forth With Grace! We will be reading the entire Bible in a year. This is such a perfect way to get into God's Word each day and to develop your own relationship with God our Father through His Son Jesus Christ. I am your host Angela and want to first of all say that I am not an expert in Theology or Church History or a Minister and I never will claim to be. I am a wife and mother who has been reborn and want to be of service to God in gratitude for calling me back home. Welcome to the Podcast! The Bible that I will be reading from is the McArthur Daily Bible. It is a New American Standard Bible.Thank you for being here....thank you for becoming less like you and more like Jesus.May you Move Forth with Grace today!Love, Angela Connect with me on social media or send a prayer request to me on my website here:https://campsite.bio/moveforthBible Teachers that I recommend:Mike Winger on https://biblethinker.org/meet-mike/John McArthur on https://www.gty.orgDr. Chuck Missler on www.khouse.orgNancy Missler on www.kingshighway.orgDale Partridge on www.relearn.orgChuck Smith on http://www.pastorchuck.org/RC Sproul Eschatology Playlist:https://youtu.be/n22MRa0P6_I?si=Aw53nQLSteu6T3-ASupport the show
The Poco a Poco Podcast with the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal
Episode 312 - Silence of Self-Love Have you ever felt like you had to prove yourself, protect yourself, or hold everything together on your own? In this episode, the friars continue their series on holy silence by reflecting on the silence of self-love. They explore how pride, self-reliance, self-protection, insecurity, and the need to perform can create a lot of noise in our hearts. When we feel threatened, unseen, corrected, or afraid, it can be easy to turn inward and try to defend the self we want others to see. But Jesus invites us into something much quieter and freer, the poverty of being beloved sons and daughters. We do not have to build a fortress around ourselves or work endlessly to be loved. The Father's love is already poured out, already steady, already "maxed out" for us. Join us as we learn to let go of the noise of self-protection and rest in the Father's love that tells us who we really are. The Poco a Poco podcast happens because of many generous donors, including recurring monthly donations of any amount. Thinking about helping out? You can give at https://spiritjuice.org/supportpoco. Thank you!
Jesus tells a little story with big impact. Luke 8: 16-17, “No one lights a lamp and then covers it with a bowl or hides it under a bed. A lamp is placed on a stand, where its light can be seen by all who enter the house. For all that is secret will eventually be brought into the open, and everything that is concealed will be brought to light and made known to all.” Imagine a dark room where you can see nothing. You light a lamp so you can find your way around. How ridiculous would it be to cover that light up and stumble your way through darkness again? You have light now – use it! Jesus is reminding us that he has put his light in us. And his light within us is meant to be seen. Here’s where we get this twisted – we make this about us. Girl, this isn’t about you. This isn’t about others seeing you, noticing you, or liking you. This is about others seeing JESUS IN YOU. The lamp doesn’t say, “Look at me, look at me, I’m so glorious.” No, the lamp simply shines the glorious light it has from within. The lamp doesn’t create the light – the lamp CARRIES THE LIGHT. You don’t have to manufacture God’s light. You don’t have to become impressive. You don’t have to have your life perfectly together. You simply have to stop hiding what God is doing in you. What is God doing within you? If you’ve surrendered your heart and mind to him, he’s changing you. Can you see how he’s rewritten your desires to align with his desires? Can you see how he’s realigned your priorities? Can you see how he’s changed the way you see people and respond to situations? This is the literal work of 2 Corinthians 5:17, “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun.” Do you see how Jesus’ work within you is making you a new person? Can others see it? THAT’S WHAT JESUS IS TELLING US! Let me light something within you that everyone can see. Don’t hide it – let it shine! Does anyone else look back on their journey and cringe at who they once were? Y’all, I disgust my own self. My number 1 goal was to own a private jet. My number 2 goal was to look ridiculously good in my private jet. And you know what I see when I look back on this journey – God was so incredibly patient and gracious with me. While I was growing materialistic and self-absorbed, he was absolutely determined to relentlessly chip away at my heart and recreate me. Now, the deepest desires of my heart are to have an old 1970’s Volkswagon bus where I can roadtrip to a parking lot near you, invite you to come sit down with me for coffee and a devotional, then we lock arms that day and go serve together in your community. I just want to hit the streets with you and shine Jesus in dark places. I want to get my hands dirty. I want to hit my knees. I want to sweat with hard work right along side you that makes a difference. I want my heart to break for the things that break God’s heart and actively do something about it. I want to dance and celebrate and relentlessly cheer for the good things God is doing. And then I want to hop back in my old 1970’s Volkswagon bus and roam around with God to find the next Jesus follower who wants to hop in for some coffee and live devotional and go out on another mission opportunity in their community. This is what Jesus has done in me. He changed me. He changed my desires. He changed my goals. He changed my priorities. I went from wanting a jet to an old van and a mission roadtrip. What has he done in you? What is he DOING in you? Don’t hide it – let it shine! Jesus warns of the danger of the bowl or the bed. He says, “No one lights a lamp and then COVERS it with a bowl or HIDES it under a bed. What’s your bowl? What’s your bed? It’s the things that try to cover or hide the light of Jesus within you. • It’s fear. Fear says hide while Jesus says SHINE. Then your fear becomes the bowl that hides that Jesus light in you. • It’s comfort. Sometimes it’s not that you’re really afraid, it’s just that you’re so darn comfortable as you are. God’s been nudging you to do something, but doing nothing is just easier. God’s been telling you to go, but you’ve been thinking maybe later you’ll do it. God’s been telling you to say something, but you’re just hoping someone else will speak up. Then you know what – your comfort becomes the bed where you lay and hide that Jesus light underneath it. • It’s shame. Shame whispers secrets of the past to us. Shame tells us we’re not worthy. Shame throws every bowl it can find over that Jesus light so the real you isn’t revealed. But there’s one thing you need to remind your shame – Your testimony was never ‘Look how good I’ve been’ – your testimony is forever ‘Look what Jesus has done.’ The darkest places in your life are actually where that Jesus light shines best! You know what else is the bowl trying to cover that Jesus light in you, or the bed trying to hide his light … • It’s busyness. Oh that sneaky little sucker that will slip right into our days and just make us so busy doing a thousand things, but still be hiding the light. We’re busy. We’re accomplished. We’re looking good. But we are so distracted that we aren’t actually showing the light of Jesus to the very people God has placed all around us. That’s my biggest bowl right there. I just get too busy. And my busyness will cover the light of Jesus in me and I’m just leaving people in their darkness instead of just showing them Jesus. Are you doing this too? Let’s get rid of these bowls that try to cover the light of Jesus in us. Let’s banish the beds that try to hide his light. Girls, let’s let what he has put within us SHINE! Matthew 5:16 says: “Let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” Notice what Jesus doesn’t say: “…so everyone will praise you.” He says: “…so everyone will praise your heavenly Father.” That’s the whole point. We don’t shine so people will see us. We shine so people can see Him. That’s a powerful test for our lives: When people encounter me, do they see more of me—or more of Jesus? Your job isn’t to create the light. Your job is to carry it. And your job isn’t to make people admire the lamp. Your job is to make sure the lamp isn’t covered. Jesus, where do You want Your light to shine through me today? And then pay attention. Your life is someone’s opportunity to see Jesus. Don’t hide the light. Carry it. Let it shine. And when somebody sees something different in you, you don’t point to yourself. You point to Jesus. A few years ago I learned a prayer that Mother Theresa would pray every single day. I put that prayer in my notes and began praying it daily myself. It’s not magic words – it’s just a reminder to throw the bowl away and move the bed out so the LIGHT OF JESUS CAN SHINE. Here’s the prayer and how I say it: Dear Jesus, help me to spread your fragrance everywhere I go. Flood my soul with your spirit and life. Penetrate and possess my whole being so utterly that my life may only be a radiance of yours. Shine through me and be so in me that every soul I come in contact with may feel your presence in my soul. Let them look up and no longer see me, but only you, Jesus. Shine on others through me. Let me praise you in the way you love best, by shining on those around me. Let me preach YOU without preaching, not by words but by example of everything I do in love for you. Amen. Follow Pamela on Instagram – https://instagram.com/headmamapamela Or Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/pamela.crim Find out more about BIG Life – http://biglifehq.com
You set out to have more faith, not to practice witchcraft, so nothing about your prayer life ever felt like sorcery. You were quoting Scripture the whole time. You learned to declare the promise, stand on the Word, and pray until the breakthrough came. But somewhere in there your prayers quietly stopped being surrender and became leverage; you found the verse that guaranteed the outcome you already wanted and began aiming it at your finances, your marriage, your body, less like a child asking a Father and more like a technician working a system, and you never stopped to ask what He might want to change in you before He changed anything around you. My guest today is Christa Black Singh. Christa Black Singh spent years at the center of Christian worship, writing songs the church still sings and touring the world's biggest stages, before a search for healing pulled her one degree at a time into manifestation, astrology, tarot, energy work, and finally ayahuasca and plant-medicine ceremonies in Costa Rica, where she lost nearly everything before Jesus brought her home. She came back able to name what most of us cannot see: that the New Age and the prayer meeting are often running the same operating system. In this conversation, we take the cover off all of it: manifestation, Christian witchcraft, the divine feminine, New Thought and the law of attraction, and the self-help gospel that has climbed into too many pulpits under the name of a life-coach Jesus who asks nothing of you and changes nothing in you. Here is what makes it dangerous. It works. The counterfeit really does deliver the house, the outcome, the feeling, and it sends the invoice later, because a power that gives you what you want has become the source you now answer to. The question this conversation forces is not whether the New Age is real. It is whether you have been trying to run your own life as god and calling it Christianity. Wholeness never comes through control; it comes through surrender, through the fear of the Lord, through daily repentance and a hunger for Jesus Himself rather than what He can get you. So before you decide this one is about someone else, look honestly at your own prayers and ask which of them have been trying to bend God's arm instead of bowing your knee. Guest Bio Christa Black Singh is a songwriter and worship musician who spent years at the center of the Christian music world, writing for artists and movements the church still sings and touring for more than a decade with Michael W. Smith, before a long search for healing led her out of the faith and into the New Age through manifestation, energy work, and plant-medicine ceremonies that cost her nearly everything. She has since returned to Jesus and now speaks openly about the deception she once taught, helping others recognize the counterfeit and close the doors it opened. She hosts the Head to Heart podcast and teaches on spiritual discernment, deliverance, and healing. Show Partner SafeSleeve designs a phone case that blocks up to 99% of harmful EMF radiation—so I'm not carrying that kind of exposure next to my body all day. It's sleek, durable, and most importantly, lab-tested by third parties. The results aren't hidden—they're published right on their site. And that matters because many so-called EMF blockers on the market either don't work or can't prove they do. We protect our hearts and minds—why wouldn't we protect our bodies too? Head to safesleevecases.com and use the code WINTODAY10 for 10% off your order. Episode Links Show Notes Buy my book "Healing What You Can't Erase" here! Invite me to speak at your church or event. Connect with me @WINTODAYChris on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.
Nancy Grefe, from Attleboro, Massachusetts, USA
Father tells us it is a privilege to work for the Lord. We may not always have that ability.
Summer is basically over, the kids are back in school, and some of them returned home looking like they'd just completed a six-month combat deployment instead of one day of algebra. Naturally, that sends The Rizzuto Show down memory lane to discuss suspiciously easy senior-year schedules, bowling classes, walking classes, movie classes, and the beautiful teenage realization that maybe calculus simply isn't going to be part of your personal journey.From there, this funny podcast takes a hard turn into NFL chaos with the story of 49ers owner Jed York and an alleged prostitution sting in East Palestine, Ohio. The crew tries to understand how a man connected to billions of dollars somehow ends up at the center of a $140 Sunday-morning situation in a mobile home community. There are questions. So many questions. Mostly: 9:30 in the morning?! The conversation also spirals into other professional sports owners who have spectacularly found themselves in trouble over the years, because apparently owning a franchise does not include the complimentary Common Sense Package.Then we move from bad decisions to an actual nightmare: a workplace prank involving heavy machinery that ended in tragedy. That leads into a rundown of some of the deadliest jobs in America, including logging, commercial fishing, roofing, steel work, trash collection, aviation, mining, construction, and landscaping. Suddenly sitting in a radio studio complaining about the air conditioning doesn't seem quite as heroic.This funny podcast also heads to Death Valley, where extreme heat turns a stranded-car situation deadly, before traveling approximately 8,100 feet up Mount Fuji for our unofficial Father of the Year competition. A dad hiking with his children reportedly decided his exhausted seven-year-old could wait alone on the mountain while Dad and the other child continued toward the summit. Rain? Fog? Early morning? Giant mountain? Details, details. Police eventually ordered Dad to abandon the climb and go back for his kid, proving once again that some parenting advice really should not require law enforcement.And because The Rizzuto Show can never stay on one subject for more than the medically recommended amount of time, Fujifilm sends everybody tumbling into a conversation about words that instantly reveal your age. “Videotape.” “Pocketbook.” “Slacks.” “Icebox.” “Billfold.” “Filling station.” “Supper.” Welcome to the portion of the show where everyone discovers they're approximately 900 years old.It's another funny podcast packed with weird news, sarcastic humor, NFL shenanigans, daily comedy, St. Louis nonsense, questionable life choices, and the kind of conversations that begin somewhere reasonable before wandering directly into traffic.Follow The Rizzuto Show → linktr.ee/rizzshow for more from your favorite daily comedy show.Connect with The Rizzuto Show Comedy Podcast online → 1057thepoint.com/RizzShow.Hear The Rizz Show daily on the radio at 105.7 The Point | Hubbard Radio in St. Louis, MO.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.
Get your copy of The Pursuit of God here! Do you ever find yourself knowing plenty of facts about God, yet feeling like your actual experience of His presence is dry or distant? On this episode of The Daily Grace Podcast, Shelby sits down with Director of Marketing Jennie Heideman to discuss how believers can bridge the gap between head knowledge and a vibrant, living relationship with Jesus. Drawing wisdom from A.W. Tozer's classic work, The Pursuit of God, they explore the comforting reality that God is a living, speaking Father who actively desires to be known and experienced by His children. Together, Shelby and Jennie unpack what it means to practice faith by continuously turning the heart's gaze toward Christ throughout the day. From folding laundry and answering emails to navigating personal surrender, they share how shifting our focus transforms ordinary routines into holy ground. Tune in to learn how Christ's humility offers genuine soul rest and how you can begin experiencing God's presence in every moment of your daily life. Unlock a 10% off coupon when you join The Daily Grace Co.'s email list. Connect with us: The Daily Grace Co. | Facebook |Instagram | Daily Grace Blog | Subscribe to our Podcast Newsletter!