Podcasts about for aaron

This week, as the first installment of a special two-part episode, Sober Coaching Founder, Aaron Barnes, joins Hilary and Jason. Aaron is a nationally certified recovery coach, sober companion, interventionist, personal trainer, author, and prominent sober influencer. Growing up in a religious household, Aaron didn't really experience drugs or alcohol until his late teenage years as he was starting college. However, once the college days began, he was off to the races. He joined a fraternity and things progressed quickly from weekend binge drinking sessions to everything in between. The next 20 years of Aaron's life were filled with a drug-addled whirlwind of parties, using and abusing drugs, selling/trafficking drugs, marriage and divorce, and two rehab stints. For Aaron, the particularly hardest part of his addiction was having a child with three different women, watching each relationship fizzle out fast because of his drug use and lifestyle, but then not being able to be there or have contact with his children because of these same issues. Aaron's family was deeply concerned about the downward spiral his life had become and finally helped him get the help he needed. Today, almost six years later, Aaron discusses the epiphany he had in treatment and explains why the drugs and alcohol were simply just a means to mask the feelings and doubts he had about himself.   Tune in next week to hear Part 2 of Aaron's story. The guys discuss the idea of a “cure” in substance abuse treatment, how Aaron turned his life around, dealing with heartbreak in sobriety, the importance of spirituality, and much, much more!   To find out more about Aaron and his work, please visit:   Ultimate Sober Living: www.ultimatesoberliving.com   Instagram: @ultimatesoberliving   FaceBook: @ultimatesoberliving   YouTube: Ultimate Sober Living     For more information on the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org   If you are interested in donating to the Red Songbird Foundation, please visit:   redsongbird.org/donate     New episode every Thursday!   Check us out on YouTube every Friday! Let The Journey Begin Podcast     Please subscribe, rate, and review!   Listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, or wherever you listen to podcasts.

Christian athlete and Marine aviator are two things first lieutenant Aaron Zimmerman wanted to be known for. Aaron comes from a family that absolutely loves lacrosse, and he says, “if my family had its own crest, it would include a lacrosse stick.” Aaron's story is one that deals not only with the struggles of how we want to define ourselves, but also how God is continually working in our lives, chipping away at the rough edges, molding us, shaping us, and ultimately crushing our idols of identity. For Aaron, that meant going from high school All American in lacrosse, to playing from the bench as a backup at the Naval Academy. Then as a Marine, a medical diagnosis would ground his aspirations of being a Marine aviator. As you listen to his story, here a few questions to ponder:  Aaron says his lacrosse dreams slipped into an obsession that had “too much power and became an idol.” Is there an activity, aspiration, or relationship that has crossed into something you idolize? He acknowledges “not allowing people to speak into my life as would have been beneficial.” Do you allow trusted loved ones or those in a good Christian community to speak into your life? If not, why? Aaron initially asked God, “If I wasn't making flight school and my Marine Corps career an idol like I had lacrosse, then why did you take it away from me?” How does a right relationship with Christ help counter feelings of disappointment or loss? Once officers and enlisted leave the military, there can be a struggle over a lost sense of identity. As a leader, how would you encourage those you lead to not make their military service their identity? I'd love to hear your thoughts. Comment below or email me at podcast@ocfusa.org or josh.jackson@ocfusa.org. 

Today's expert guest on the Flipped Lifestyle Podcast is Aaron Walker from View From The Top (viewfromthetop.com)! Aaron has been in masterminds + relationship with some of the biggest names out there - Jay Abraham, Dan Miller, and Dave Ramsey! Over the years Aaron has built and lead dozens + dozens of masterminds - packed with super high-achieving men and women. In this episode you'll learn: Why masterminds are the key to unlocking your potential and going to the next level How small masterminds can change your life and your family's future Show Notes Years ago at a MercyMe concert Aaron Walker's view on business would change forever - he would stumble upon masterminds because of his buddy Dave Ramsey inviting him to join Dave's mastermind that upcoming week. In this episode Aaron Walker walks us through the in's and out's of what it true means to be in a mastermind, Aaron's own experiences, and what value masterminds bring to every area of your life! What is a mastermind? Your mastermind is a group of trusted advisors, your board of directors that help you excel in every area of your life. People that don't have anything to lose or gain as a result of encouraging or challenging you. These people will throw the flag on you occasionally when you need it, edify you, point out your blind spots, point out your super powers - but also be your listening ear. What does an efficient mastermind look like? How do you structure your mastermind? Aaron says the key to a successful mastermind is time. As people get to you know on a personal level - get to know your goals, your family, all of those things, it allows them to help you effectively. It takes time to understand how you work and your deepest desires (and that's okay)! Give it 6 months. Get the lay of the land - open up. Earn their trust over time and let them earn yours. Don't go in with any preconceived notions. How many hours a week should you spend with your mastermind? Aaron says that he has found spending about an hour a week is adequate to spend with your mastermind. For Aaron, his group consists of 10 people because even if 1 or 2 people are out there is still plenty of energy in the conversation. This help you to develop a servant mentality. (Side note: they still get 90% attendance every single week. You can't add value to the group if you're not there)! What are the 3 biggest benefits of being in a group that is meeting consistently? Here are the 3 biggest benefits of masterminds according to Aaron:  You don't know what you don't know. Aaron learns things every single week after being in mastermind in 20 years. Perspective. You only have one life experience - your own. You have a set geographic area, filters, all of these things. Someone else's perspective is invaluable. Insight. Everyone has different relationships, introductions they can make, resources they can add. How do you convince your spouse masterminds are a good idea? The first thing Aaron recommends is communication. Sit down and ask yourself, “what is my spiritual, professional, and personal development worth?” Communicate those points to your spouse. Will this make you a better spouse? A better mom? A better dad? Will this help you grow your business significantly so you can change your family's future? When it is such an insignificant amount of money compared to your overall net worth - it makes it much easier to get on board. Who knows, your spouse may even get in their own mastermind too! How can introverts be beneficial to masterminds? Regardless of our personalities, we all want to grow. We all need encouragement. We all need feedback - we just present it differently. Diversity within the group is what makes it beneficial. This is what brings in different perspectives! We need the difference in personality to pull things out of each other that the other needs.

Psalms and Wisdom: Psalm 83 Psalm 83 (Listen) O God, Do Not Keep Silence A Song. A Psalm of Asaph. 83   O God, do not keep silence;    do not hold your peace or be still, O God!2   For behold, your enemies make an uproar;    those who hate you have raised their heads.3   They lay crafty plans against your people;    they consult together against your treasured ones.4   They say, “Come, let us wipe them out as a nation;    let the name of Israel be remembered no more!”5   For they conspire with one accord;    against you they make a covenant—6   the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites,    Moab and the Hagrites,7   Gebal and Ammon and Amalek,    Philistia with the inhabitants of Tyre;8   Asshur also has joined them;    they are the strong arm of the children of Lot. Selah 9   Do to them as you did to Midian,    as to Sisera and Jabin at the river Kishon,10   who were destroyed at En-dor,    who became dung for the ground.11   Make their nobles like Oreb and Zeeb,    all their princes like Zebah and Zalmunna,12   who said, “Let us take possession for ourselves    of the pastures of God.” 13   O my God, make them like whirling dust,1    like chaff before the wind.14   As fire consumes the forest,    as the flame sets the mountains ablaze,15   so may you pursue them with your tempest    and terrify them with your hurricane!16   Fill their faces with shame,    that they may seek your name, O LORD.17   Let them be put to shame and dismayed forever;    let them perish in disgrace,18   that they may know that you alone,    whose name is the LORD,    are the Most High over all the earth. Footnotes [1] 83:13 Or like a tumbleweed (ESV) Pentateuch and History: Exodus 27:20–28:43 Exodus 27:20–28:43 (Listen) Oil for the Lamp 20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail (ESV) Chronicles and Prophets: Nehemiah 9 Nehemiah 9 (Listen) The People of Israel Confess Their Sin 9 Now on the twenty-fourth day of this month the people of Israel were assembled with fasting and in sackcloth, and with earth on their heads. 2 And the Israelites1 separated themselves from all foreigners and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers. 3 And they stood up in their place and read from the Book of the Law of the LORD their God for a quarter of the day; for another quarter of it they made confession and worshiped the LORD their God. 4 On the stairs of the Levites stood Jeshua, Bani, Kadmiel, Shebaniah, Bunni, Sherebiah, Bani, and Chenani; and they cried with a loud voice to the LORD their God. 5 Then the Levites, Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah, said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting. Blessed be your glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and praise. 2 6 “You are the LORD, you alone. You have made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them; and you preserve all of them; and the host of heaven worships you. 7 You are the LORD, the God who chose Abram and brought him out of Ur of the Chaldeans and gave him the name Abraham. 8 You found his heart faithful before you, and made with him the covenant to give to his offspring the land of the Canaanite, the Hittite, the Amorite, the Perizzite, the Jebusite, and the Girgashite. And you have kept your promise, for you are righteous. 9 “And you saw the affliction of our fathers in Egypt and heard their cry at the Red Sea, 10 and performed signs and wonders against Pharaoh and all his servants and all the people of his land, for you knew that they acted arrogantly against our fathers. And you made a name for yourself, as it is to this day. 11 And you divided the sea before them, so that they went through the midst of the sea on dry land, and you cast their pursuers into the depths, as a stone into mighty waters. 12 By a pillar of cloud you led them in the day, and by a pillar of fire in the night to light for them the way in which they should go. 13 You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven and gave them right rules and true laws, good statutes and commandments, 14 and you made known to them your holy Sabbath and commanded them commandments and statutes and a law by Moses your servant. 15 You gave them bread from heaven for their hunger and brought water for them out of the rock for their thirst, and you told them to go in to possess the land that you had sworn to give them. 16 “But they and our fathers acted presumptuously and stiffened their neck and did not obey your commandments. 17 They refused to obey and were not mindful of the wonders that you performed among them, but they stiffened their neck and appointed a leader to return to their slavery in Egypt.3 But you are a God ready to forgive, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and did not forsake them. 18 Even when they had made for themselves a golden4 calf and said, ‘This is your God who brought you up out of Egypt,’ and had committed great blasphemies, 19 you in your great mercies did not forsake them in the wilderness. The pillar of cloud to lead them in the way did not depart from them by day, nor the pillar of fire by night to light for them the way by which they should go. 20 You gave your good Spirit to instruct them and did not withhold your manna from their mouth and gave them water for their thirst. 21 Forty years you sustained them in the wilderness, and they lacked nothing. Their clothes did not wear out and their feet did not swell. 22 “And you gave them kingdoms and peoples and allotted to them every corner. So they took possession of the land of Sihon king of Heshbon and the land of Og king of Bashan. 23 You multiplied their children as the stars of heaven, and you brought them into the land that you had told their fathers to enter and possess. 24 So the descendants went in and possessed the land, and you subdued before them the inhabitants of the land, the Canaanites, and gave them into their hand, with their kings and the peoples of the land, that they might do with them as they would. 25 And they captured fortified cities and a rich land, and took possession of houses full of all good things, cisterns already hewn, vineyards, olive orchards and fruit trees in abundance. So they ate and were filled and became fat and delighted themselves in your great goodness. 26 “Nevertheless, they were disobedient and rebelled against you and cast your law behind their back and killed your prophets, who had warned them in order to turn them back to you, and they committed great blasphemies. 27 Therefore you gave them into the hand of their enemies, who made them suffer. And in the time of their suffering they cried out to you and you heard them from heaven, and according to your great mercies you gave them saviors who saved them from the hand of their enemies. 28 But after they had rest they did evil again before you, and you abandoned them to the hand of their enemies, so that they had dominion over them. Yet when they turned and cried to you, you heard from heaven, and many times you delivered them according to your mercies. 29 And you warned them in order to turn them back to your law. Yet they acted presumptuously and did not obey your commandments, but sinned against your rules, which if a person does them, he shall live by them, and they turned a stubborn shoulder and stiffened their neck and would not obey. 30 Many years you bore with them and warned them by your Spirit through your prophets. Yet they would not give ear. Therefore you gave them into the hand of the peoples of the lands. 31 Nevertheless, in your great mercies you did not make an end of them or forsake them, for you are a gracious and merciful God. 32 “Now, therefore, our God, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God, who keeps covenant and steadfast love, let not all the hardship seem little to you that has come upon us, upon our kings, our princes, our priests, our prophets, our fathers, and all your people, since the time of the kings of Assyria until this day. 33 Yet you have been righteous in all that has come upon us, for you have dealt faithfully and we have acted wickedly. 34 Our kings, our princes, our priests, and our fathers have not kept your law or paid attention to your commandments and your warnings that you gave them. 35 Even in their own kingdom, and amid your great goodness that you gave them, and in the large and rich land that you set before them, they did not serve you or turn from their wicked works. 36 Behold, we are slaves this day; in the land that you gave to our fathers to enjoy its fruit and its good gifts, behold, we are slaves. 37 And its rich yield goes to the kings whom you have set over us because of our sins. They rule over our bodies and over our livestock as they please, and we are in great distress. 5 38 “Because of all this we make a firm covenant in writing; on the sealed document are the names of6 our princes, our Levites, and our priests. Footnotes [1] 9:2 Hebrew the offspring of Israel [2] 9:5 Septuagint adds And Ezra said [3] 9:17 Some Hebrew manuscripts; many Hebrew manuscripts and in their rebellion appointed a leader to return to their slavery [4] 9:18 Hebrew metal [5] 9:37 Ch 10:1 in Hebrew [6] 9:38 Hebrew lacks the names of (ESV) Gospels and Epistles: 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 1 Corinthians 1:18–31 (Listen) Christ the Wisdom and Power of God 18 For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. 19 For it is written,   “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise,    and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” 20 Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach1 to save those who believe. 22 For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, 24 but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men. 26 For consider your calling, brothers: not many of you were wise according to worldly standards,2 not many were powerful, not many were of noble birth. 27 But God chose what is foolish in the world to shame the wise; God chose what is weak in the world to shame the strong; 28 God chose what is low and despised in the world, even things that are not, to bring to nothing things that are, 29 so that no human being3 might boast in the presence of God. 30 And because of him4 you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, 31 so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” Footnotes [1] 1:21 Or the folly of preaching [2] 1:26 Greek according to the flesh [3] 1:29 Greek no flesh [4] 1:30 Greek And from him (ESV)

With family: Exodus 28; John 7 Exodus 28 (Listen) The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail (ESV) John 7 (Listen) Jesus at the Feast of Booths 7 After this Jesus went about in Galilee. He would not go about in Judea, because the Jews1 were seeking to kill him. 2 Now the Jews’ Feast of Booths was at hand. 3 So his brothers2 said to him, “Leave here and go to Judea, that your disciples also may see the works you are doing. 4 For no one works in secret if he seeks to be known openly. If you do these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For not even his brothers believed in him. 6 Jesus said to them, “My time has not yet come, but your time is always here. 7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify about it that its works are evil. 8 You go up to the feast. I am not3 going up to this feast, for my time has not yet fully come.” 9 After saying this, he remained in Galilee. 10 But after his brothers had gone up to the feast, then he also went up, not publicly but in private. 11 The Jews were looking for him at the feast, and saying, “Where is he?” 12 And there was much muttering about him among the people. While some said, “He is a good man,” others said, “No, he is leading the people astray.” 13 Yet for fear of the Jews no one spoke openly of him. 14 About the middle of the feast Jesus went up into the temple and began teaching. 15 The Jews therefore marveled, saying, “How is it that this man has learning,4 when he has never studied?” 16 So Jesus answered them, “My teaching is not mine, but his who sent me. 17 If anyone’s will is to do God’s5 will, he will know whether the teaching is from God or whether I am speaking on my own authority. 18 The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet none of you keeps the law. Why do you seek to kill me?” 20 The crowd answered, “You have a demon! Who is seeking to kill you?” 21 Jesus answered them, “I did one work, and you all marvel at it. 22 Moses gave you circumcision (not that it is from Moses, but from the fathers), and you circumcise a man on the Sabbath. 23 If on the Sabbath a man receives circumcision, so that the law of Moses may not be broken, are you angry with me because on the Sabbath I made a man’s whole body well? 24 Do not judge by appearances, but judge with right judgment.” Can This Be the Christ? 25 Some of the people of Jerusalem therefore said, “Is not this the man whom they seek to kill? 26 And here he is, speaking openly, and they say nothing to him! Can it be that the authorities really know that this is the Christ? 27 But we know where this man comes from, and when the Christ appears, no one will know where he comes from.” 28 So Jesus proclaimed, as he taught in the temple, “You know me, and you know where I come from. But I have not come of my own accord. He who sent me is true, and him you do not know. 29 I know him, for I come from him, and he sent me.” 30 So they were seeking to arrest him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Yet many of the people believed in him. They said, “When the Christ appears, will he do more signs than this man has done?” Officers Sent to Arrest Jesus 32 The Pharisees heard the crowd muttering these things about him, and the chief priests and Pharisees sent officers to arrest him. 33 Jesus then said, “I will be with you a little longer, and then I am going to him who sent me. 34 You will seek me and you will not find me. Where I am you cannot come.” 35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we will not find him? Does he intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks and teach the Greeks? 36 What does he mean by saying, ‘You will seek me and you will not find me,’ and, ‘Where I am you cannot come’?” Rivers of Living Water 37 On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as6 the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. Division Among the People 40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, “This really is the Prophet.” 41 Others said, “This is the Christ.” But some said, “Is the Christ to come from Galilee? 42 Has not the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes from Bethlehem, the village where David was?” 43 So there was a division among the people over him. 44 Some of them wanted to arrest him, but no one laid hands on him. 45 The officers then came to the chief priests and Pharisees, who said to them, “Why did you not bring him?” 46 The officers answered, “No one ever spoke like this man!” 47 The Pharisees answered them, “Have you also been deceived? 48 Have any of the authorities or the Pharisees believed in him? 49 But this crowd that does not know the law is accursed.” 50 Nicodemus, who had gone to him before, and who was one of them, said to them, 51 “Does our law judge a man without first giving him a hearing and learning what he does?” 52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee too? Search and see that no prophet arises from Galilee.” [The earliest manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11.]7 The Woman Caught in Adultery 53 [[They went each to his own house, Footnotes [1] 7:1 Or Judeans; Greek Ioudaioi probably refers here to Jewish religious leaders, and others under their influence, in that time [2] 7:3 Or brothers and sisters; also verses 5, 10 [3] 7:8 Some manuscripts add yet [4] 7:15 Or this man knows his letters [5] 7:17 Greek his [6] 7:38 Or let him come to me, and let him who believes in me drink. As [7] 7:53 Some manuscripts do not include 7:53–8:11; others add the passage here or after 7:36 or after 21:25 or after Luke 21:38, with variations in the text (ESV) In private: Proverbs 4; Galatians 3 Proverbs 4 (Listen) A Father’s Wise Instruction 4   Hear, O sons, a father’s instruction,    and be attentive, that you may gain1 insight,2   for I give you good precepts;    do not forsake my teaching.3   When I was a son with my father,    tender, the only one in the sight of my mother,4   he taught me and said to me,  “Let your heart hold fast my words;    keep my commandments, and live.5   Get wisdom; get insight;    do not forget, and do not turn away from the words of my mouth.6   Do not forsake her, and she will keep you;    love her, and she will guard you.7   The beginning of wisdom is this: Get wisdom,    and whatever you get, get insight.8   Prize her highly, and she will exalt you;    she will honor you if you embrace her.9   She will place on your head a graceful garland;    she will bestow on you a beautiful crown.” 10   Hear, my son, and accept my words,    that the years of your life may be many.11   I have taught you the way of wisdom;    I have led you in the paths of uprightness.12   When you walk, your step will not be hampered,    and if you run, you will not stumble.13   Keep hold of instruction; do not let go;    guard her, for she is your life.14   Do not enter the path of the wicked,    and do not walk in the way of the evil.15   Avoid it; do not go on it;    turn away from it and pass on.16   For they cannot sleep unless they have done wrong;    they are robbed of sleep unless they have made someone stumble.17   For they eat the bread of wickedness    and drink the wine of violence.18   But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn,    which shines brighter and brighter until full day.19   The way of the wicked is like deep darkness;    they do not know over what they stumble. 20   My son, be attentive to my words;    incline your ear to my sayings.21   Let them not escape from your sight;    keep them within your heart.22   For they are life to those who find them,    and healing to all their2 flesh.23   Keep your heart with all vigilance,    for from it flow the springs of life.24   Put away from you crooked speech,    and put devious talk far from you.25   Let your eyes look directly forward,    and your gaze be straight before you.26   Ponder3 the path of your feet;    then all your ways will be sure.27   Do not swerve to the right or to the left;    turn your foot away from evil. Footnotes [1] 4:1 Hebrew know [2] 4:22 Hebrew his [3] 4:26 Or Make level (ESV) Galatians 3 (Listen) By Faith, or by Works of the Law? 3 O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. 2 Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? 3 Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by1 the flesh? 4 Did you suffer2 so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? 5 Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith—6 just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? 7 Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. 8 And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify3 the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” 9 So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. The Righteous Shall Live by Faith 10 For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” 11 Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.”4 12 But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”—14 so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit5 through faith. The Law and the Promise 15 To give a human example, brothers:6 even with a man-made covenant, no one annuls it or adds to it once it has been ratified. 16 Now the promises were made to Abraham and to his offspring. It does not say, “And to offsprings,” referring to many, but referring to one, “And to your offspring,” who is Christ. 17 This is what I mean: the law, which came 430 years afterward, does not annul a covenant previously ratified by God, so as to make the promise void. 18 For if the inheritance comes by the law, it no longer comes by promise; but God gave it to Abraham by a promise. 19 Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. 20 Now an intermediary implies more than one, but God is one. 21 Is the law then contrary to the promises of God? Certainly not! For if a law had been given that could give life, then righteousness would indeed be by the law. 22 But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. 24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, 26 for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. 27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave7 nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. Footnotes [1] 3:3 Or now ending with [2] 3:4 Or experience [3] 3:8 Or count righteous; also verses 11, 24 [4] 3:11 Or The one who by faith is righteous will live [5] 3:14 Greek receive the promise of the Spirit [6] 3:15 Or brothers and sisters [7] 3:28 For the contextual rendering of the Greek word doulos, see Preface (ESV)

Ep #130 - In this episode of Empowering Chats I have a conversation with Aaron McCormick author of, Unbounded: Journey to Your Within. Aaron shares his thoughts about those external things that bind us and keep us in internal conflict which prevents us from living our true essence. To Learn more about Aaron check out his website: aaronmccormick.com/ For Aaron's Book visit: aaronmccormick.com/book Susan's website: www.susanburrell.com/

Old Testament: Exodus 28 Exodus 28 (Listen) The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 38 Psalm 38 (Listen) Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. 38   O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,    nor discipline me in your wrath!2   For your arrows have sunk into me,    and your hand has come down on me. 3   There is no soundness in my flesh    because of your indignation;  there is no health in my bones    because of my sin.4   For my iniquities have gone over my head;    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5   My wounds stink and fester    because of my foolishness,6   I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;    all the day I go about mourning.7   For my sides are filled with burning,    and there is no soundness in my flesh.8   I am feeble and crushed;    I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9   O Lord, all my longing is before you;    my sighing is not hidden from you.10   My heart throbs; my strength fails me,    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.11   My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,    and my nearest kin stand far off. 12   Those who seek my life lay their snares;    those who seek my hurt speak of ruin    and meditate treachery all day long. 13   But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,    like a mute man who does not open his mouth.14   I have become like a man who does not hear,    and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15   But for you, O LORD, do I wait;    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.16   For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,    who boast against me when my foot slips!” 17   For I am ready to fall,    and my pain is ever before me.18   I confess my iniquity;    I am sorry for my sin.19   But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.20   Those who render me evil for good    accuse me because I follow after good. 21   Do not forsake me, O LORD!    O my God, be not far from me!22   Make haste to help me,    O Lord, my salvation! (ESV) New Testament: Luke 2 Luke 2 (Listen) The Birth of Jesus Christ 2 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. 2 This was the first registration when1 Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 And all went to be registered, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the town of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David, which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and lineage of David, 5 to be registered with Mary, his betrothed,2 who was with child. 6 And while they were there, the time came for her to give birth. 7 And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling cloths and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn.3 The Shepherds and the Angels 8 And in the same region there were shepherds out in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. 9 And an angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were filled with great fear. 10 And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling cloths and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, 14   “Glory to God in the highest,    and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!”4 15 When the angels went away from them into heaven, the shepherds said to one another, “Let us go over to Bethlehem and see this thing that has happened, which the Lord has made known to us.” 16 And they went with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. 17 And when they saw it, they made known the saying that had been told them concerning this child. 18 And all who heard it wondered at what the shepherds told them. 19 But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, as it had been told them. 21 And at the end of eight days, when he was circumcised, he was called Jesus, the name given by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. Jesus Presented at the Temple 22 And when the time came for their purification according to the Law of Moses, they brought him up to Jerusalem to present him to the Lord 23 (as it is written in the Law of the Lord, “Every male who first opens the womb shall be called holy to the Lord”) 24 and to offer a sacrifice according to what is said in the Law of the Lord, “a pair of turtledoves, or two young pigeons.” 25 Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. 26 And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ. 27 And he came in the Spirit into the temple, and when the parents brought in the child Jesus, to do for him according to the custom of the Law, 28 he took him up in his arms and blessed God and said, 29   “Lord, now you are letting your servant5 depart in peace,    according to your word;30   for my eyes have seen your salvation31     that you have prepared in the presence of all peoples,32   a light for revelation to the Gentiles,    and for glory to your people Israel.” 33 And his father and his mother marveled at what was said about him. 34 And Simeon blessed them and said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is appointed for the fall and rising of many in Israel, and for a sign that is opposed 35 (and a sword will pierce through your own soul also), so that thoughts from many hearts may be revealed.” 36 And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher. She was advanced in years, having lived with her husband seven years from when she was a virgin, 37 and then as a widow until she was eighty-four.6 She did not depart from the temple, worshiping with fasting and prayer night and day. 38 And coming up at that very hour she began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. The Return to Nazareth 39 And when they had performed everything according to the Law of the Lord, they returned into Galilee, to their own town of Nazareth. 40 And the child grew and became strong, filled with wisdom. And the favor of God was upon him. The Boy Jesus in the Temple 41 Now his parents went to Jerusalem every year at the Feast of the Passover. 42 And when he was twelve years old, they went up according to custom. 43 And when the feast was ended, as they were returning, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem. His parents did not know it, 44 but supposing him to be in the group they went a day’s journey, but then they began to search for him among their relatives and acquaintances, 45 and when they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem, searching for him. 46 After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. 48 And when his parents7 saw him, they were astonished. And his mother said to him, “Son, why have you treated us so? Behold, your father and I have been searching for you in great distress.” 49 And he said to them, “Why were you looking for me? Did you not know that I must be in my Father’s house?”8 50 And they did not understand the saying that he spoke to them. 51 And he went down with them and came to Nazareth and was submissive to them. And his mother treasured up all these things in her heart. 52 And Jesus increased in wisdom and in stature9 and in favor with God and man. Footnotes [1] 2:2 Or This was the registration before [2] 2:5 That is, one legally pledged to be married [3] 2:7 Or guest room [4] 2:14 Some manuscripts peace, good will among men [5] 2:29 Or bondservant [6] 2:37 Or as a widow for eighty-four years [7] 2:48 Greek they [8] 2:49 Or about my Father’s business [9] 2:52 Or years (ESV)

Old Testament: Exodus 28 Exodus 28 (Listen) The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail (ESV) New Testament: Matthew 27:27–66 Matthew 27:27–66 (Listen) Jesus Is Mocked 27 Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters,1 and they gathered the whole battalion2 before him. 28 And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, 29 and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” 30 And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. 31 And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him. The Crucifixion 32 As they went out, they found a man of Cyrene, Simon by name. They compelled this man to carry his cross. 33 And when they came to a place called Golgotha (which means Place of a Skull), 34 they offered him wine to drink, mixed with gall, but when he tasted it, he would not drink it. 35 And when they had crucified him, they divided his garments among them by casting lots. 36 Then they sat down and kept watch over him there. 37 And over his head they put the charge against him, which read, “This is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” 38 Then two robbers were crucified with him, one on the right and one on the left. 39 And those who passed by derided him, wagging their heads 40 and saying, “You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself! If you are the Son of God, come down from the cross.” 41 So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 42 “He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him. 43 He trusts in God; let God deliver him now, if he desires him. For he said, ‘I am the Son of God.’” 44 And the robbers who were crucified with him also reviled him in the same way. The Death of Jesus 45 Now from the sixth hour3 there was darkness over all the land4 until the ninth hour.5 46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” 47 And some of the bystanders, hearing it, said, “This man is calling Elijah.” 48 And one of them at once ran and took a sponge, filled it with sour wine, and put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink. 49 But the others said, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to save him.” 50 And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice and yielded up his spirit. 51 And behold, the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And the earth shook, and the rocks were split. 52 The tombs also were opened. And many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised, 53 and coming out of the tombs after his resurrection they went into the holy city and appeared to many. 54 When the centurion and those who were with him, keeping watch over Jesus, saw the earthquake and what took place, they were filled with awe and said, “Truly this was the Son6 of God!” 55 There were also many women there, looking on from a distance, who had followed Jesus from Galilee, ministering to him, 56 among whom were Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of James and Joseph and the mother of the sons of Zebedee. Jesus Is Buried 57 When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. 58 He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. 59 And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud 60 and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. 61 Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb. The Guard at the Tomb 62 The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate 63 and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ 64 Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” 65 Pilate said to them, “You have a guard7 of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” 66 So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard. Footnotes [1] 27:27 Greek the praetorium [2] 27:27 Greek cohort; a tenth of a Roman legion, usually about 600 men [3] 27:45 That is, noon [4] 27:45 Or earth [5] 27:45 That is, 3 p.m. [6] 27:54 Or a son [7] 27:65 Or Take a guard (ESV) Psalm: Psalm 38 Psalm 38 (Listen) Do Not Forsake Me, O Lord A Psalm of David, for the memorial offering. 38   O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,    nor discipline me in your wrath!2   For your arrows have sunk into me,    and your hand has come down on me. 3   There is no soundness in my flesh    because of your indignation;  there is no health in my bones    because of my sin.4   For my iniquities have gone over my head;    like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me. 5   My wounds stink and fester    because of my foolishness,6   I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;    all the day I go about mourning.7   For my sides are filled with burning,    and there is no soundness in my flesh.8   I am feeble and crushed;    I groan because of the tumult of my heart. 9   O Lord, all my longing is before you;    my sighing is not hidden from you.10   My heart throbs; my strength fails me,    and the light of my eyes—it also has gone from me.11   My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,    and my nearest kin stand far off. 12   Those who seek my life lay their snares;    those who seek my hurt speak of ruin    and meditate treachery all day long. 13   But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,    like a mute man who does not open his mouth.14   I have become like a man who does not hear,    and in whose mouth are no rebukes. 15   But for you, O LORD, do I wait;    it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.16   For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,    who boast against me when my foot slips!” 17   For I am ready to fall,    and my pain is ever before me.18   I confess my iniquity;    I am sorry for my sin.19   But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,    and many are those who hate me wrongfully.20   Those who render me evil for good    accuse me because I follow after good. 21   Do not forsake me, O LORD!    O my God, be not far from me!22   Make haste to help me,    O Lord, my salvation! (ESV) Proverb: Proverbs 10:18 Proverbs 10:18 (Listen) 18   The one who conceals hatred has lying lips,    and whoever utters slander is a fool. (ESV)

Morning: Exodus 27–28 Exodus 27–28 (Listen) The Bronze Altar 27 “You shall make the altar of acacia wood, five cubits1 long and five cubits broad. The altar shall be square, and its height shall be three cubits. 2 And you shall make horns for it on its four corners; its horns shall be of one piece with it, and you shall overlay it with bronze. 3 You shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and fire pans. You shall make all its utensils of bronze. 4 You shall also make for it a grating, a network of bronze, and on the net you shall make four bronze rings at its four corners. 5 And you shall set it under the ledge of the altar so that the net extends halfway down the altar. 6 And you shall make poles for the altar, poles of acacia wood, and overlay them with bronze. 7 And the poles shall be put through the rings, so that the poles are on the two sides of the altar when it is carried. 8 You shall make it hollow, with boards. As it has been shown you on the mountain, so shall it be made. The Court of the Tabernacle 9 “You shall make the court of the tabernacle. On the south side the court shall have hangings of fine twined linen a hundred cubits long for one side. 10 Its twenty pillars and their twenty bases shall be of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 11 And likewise for its length on the north side there shall be hangings a hundred cubits long, its pillars twenty and their bases twenty, of bronze, but the hooks of the pillars and their fillets shall be of silver. 12 And for the breadth of the court on the west side there shall be hangings for fifty cubits, with ten pillars and ten bases. 13 The breadth of the court on the front to the east shall be fifty cubits. 14 The hangings for the one side of the gate shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 15 On the other side the hangings shall be fifteen cubits, with their three pillars and three bases. 16 For the gate of the court there shall be a screen twenty cubits long, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen, embroidered with needlework. It shall have four pillars and with them four bases. 17 All the pillars around the court shall be filleted with silver. Their hooks shall be of silver, and their bases of bronze. 18 The length of the court shall be a hundred cubits, the breadth fifty, and the height five cubits, with hangings of fine twined linen and bases of bronze. 19 All the utensils of the tabernacle for every use, and all its pegs and all the pegs of the court, shall be of bronze. Oil for the Lamp 20 “You shall command the people of Israel that they bring to you pure beaten olive oil for the light, that a lamp may regularly be set up to burn. 21 In the tent of meeting, outside the veil that is before the testimony, Aaron and his sons shall tend it from evening to morning before the LORD. It shall be a statute forever to be observed throughout their generations by the people of Israel. The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span2 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,3 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,4 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Footnotes [1] 27:1 A cubit was about 18 inches or 45 centimeters [2] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [3] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [4] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail (ESV) Evening: Matthew 21:23–46 Matthew 21:23–46 (Listen) The Authority of Jesus Challenged 23 And when he entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to him as he was teaching, and said, “By what authority are you doing these things, and who gave you this authority?” 24 Jesus answered them, “I also will ask you one question, and if you tell me the answer, then I also will tell you by what authority I do these things. 25 The baptism of John, from where did it come? From heaven or from man?” And they discussed it among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say to us, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ 26 But if we say, ‘From man,’ we are afraid of the crowd, for they all hold that John was a prophet.” 27 So they answered Jesus, “We do not know.” And he said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things. The Parable of the Two Sons 28 “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ 29 And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. 30 And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. 31 Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. 32 For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterward change your minds and believe him. The Parable of the Tenants 33 “Hear another parable. There was a master of a house who planted a vineyard and put a fence around it and dug a winepress in it and built a tower and leased it to tenants, and went into another country. 34 When the season for fruit drew near, he sent his servants1 to the tenants to get his fruit. 35 And the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. 36 Again he sent other servants, more than the first. And they did the same to them. 37 Finally he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.’ 39 And they took him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. 40 When therefore the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” 41 They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the fruits in their seasons.” 42 Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the Scriptures:   “‘The stone that the builders rejected    has become the cornerstone;2  this was the Lord’s doing,    and it is marvelous in our eyes’? 43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits. 44 And the one who falls on this stone will be broken to pieces; and when it falls on anyone, it will crush him.”3 45 When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they perceived that he was speaking about them. 46 And although they were seeking to arrest him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet. Footnotes [1] 21:34 Or bondservants; also verses 35, 36 [2] 21:42 Greek the head of the corner [3] 21:44 Some manuscripts omit verse 44 (ESV)

Exodus 28–29 Exodus 28–29 (Listen) The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Consecration of the Priests 29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. 10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of4 the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. 15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering5 to the LORD. 19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 21 Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. 22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the LORD. It is a food offering to the LORD. 26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the LORD. 29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days. 31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy. 38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure6 of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin7 of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail [4] 29:12 Hebrew all [5] 29:18 Or an offering by fire; also verses 25, 41 [6] 29:40 Possibly an ephah (about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters) [7] 29:40 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters (ESV)

Exodus 28–29 Exodus 28–29 (Listen) The Priests’ Garments 28 “Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar. 2 And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty. 3 You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood. 4 These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests. 5 They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 6 “And they shall make the ephod of gold, of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and of fine twined linen, skillfully worked. 7 It shall have two shoulder pieces attached to its two edges, so that it may be joined together. 8 And the skillfully woven band on it shall be made like it and be of one piece with it, of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. 9 You shall take two onyx stones, and engrave on them the names of the sons of Israel, 10 six of their names on the one stone, and the names of the remaining six on the other stone, in the order of their birth. 11 As a jeweler engraves signets, so shall you engrave the two stones with the names of the sons of Israel. You shall enclose them in settings of gold filigree. 12 And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the LORD on his two shoulders for remembrance. 13 You shall make settings of gold filigree, 14 and two chains of pure gold, twisted like cords; and you shall attach the corded chains to the settings. 15 “You shall make a breastpiece of judgment, in skilled work. In the style of the ephod you shall make it—of gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen shall you make it. 16 It shall be square and doubled, a span1 its length and a span its breadth. 17 You shall set in it four rows of stones. A row of sardius,2 topaz, and carbuncle shall be the first row; 18 and the second row an emerald, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 and the third row a jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row a beryl, an onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold filigree. 21 There shall be twelve stones with their names according to the names of the sons of Israel. They shall be like signets, each engraved with its name, for the twelve tribes. 22 You shall make for the breastpiece twisted chains like cords, of pure gold. 23 And you shall make for the breastpiece two rings of gold, and put the two rings on the two edges of the breastpiece. 24 And you shall put the two cords of gold in the two rings at the edges of the breastpiece. 25 The two ends of the two cords you shall attach to the two settings of filigree, and so attach it in front to the shoulder pieces of the ephod. 26 You shall make two rings of gold, and put them at the two ends of the breastpiece, on its inside edge next to the ephod. 27 And you shall make two rings of gold, and attach them in front to the lower part of the two shoulder pieces of the ephod, at its seam above the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 28 And they shall bind the breastpiece by its rings to the rings of the ephod with a lace of blue, so that it may lie on the skillfully woven band of the ephod, so that the breastpiece shall not come loose from the ephod. 29 So Aaron shall bear the names of the sons of Israel in the breastpiece of judgment on his heart, when he goes into the Holy Place, to bring them to regular remembrance before the LORD. 30 And in the breastpiece of judgment you shall put the Urim and the Thummim, and they shall be on Aaron’s heart, when he goes in before the LORD. Thus Aaron shall bear the judgment of the people of Israel on his heart before the LORD regularly. 31 “You shall make the robe of the ephod all of blue. 32 It shall have an opening for the head in the middle of it, with a woven binding around the opening, like the opening in a garment,3 so that it may not tear. 33 On its hem you shall make pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet yarns, around its hem, with bells of gold between them, 34 a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, around the hem of the robe. 35 And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the LORD, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. 36 “You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the LORD.’ 37 And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban. 38 It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the LORD. 39 “You shall weave the coat in checker work of fine linen, and you shall make a turban of fine linen, and you shall make a sash embroidered with needlework. 40 “For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty. 41 And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. 42 You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh. They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; 43 and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die. This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. Consecration of the Priests 29 “Now this is what you shall do to them to consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests. Take one bull of the herd and two rams without blemish, 2 and unleavened bread, unleavened cakes mixed with oil, and unleavened wafers smeared with oil. You shall make them of fine wheat flour. 3 You shall put them in one basket and bring them in the basket, and bring the bull and the two rams. 4 You shall bring Aaron and his sons to the entrance of the tent of meeting and wash them with water. 5 Then you shall take the garments, and put on Aaron the coat and the robe of the ephod, and the ephod, and the breastpiece, and gird him with the skillfully woven band of the ephod. 6 And you shall set the turban on his head and put the holy crown on the turban. 7 You shall take the anointing oil and pour it on his head and anoint him. 8 Then you shall bring his sons and put coats on them, 9 and you shall gird Aaron and his sons with sashes and bind caps on them. And the priesthood shall be theirs by a statute forever. Thus you shall ordain Aaron and his sons. 10 “Then you shall bring the bull before the tent of meeting. Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the bull. 11 Then you shall kill the bull before the LORD at the entrance of the tent of meeting, 12 and shall take part of the blood of the bull and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and the rest of4 the blood you shall pour out at the base of the altar. 13 And you shall take all the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver, and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and burn them on the altar. 14 But the flesh of the bull and its skin and its dung you shall burn with fire outside the camp; it is a sin offering. 15 “Then you shall take one of the rams, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 16 and you shall kill the ram and shall take its blood and throw it against the sides of the altar. 17 Then you shall cut the ram into pieces, and wash its entrails and its legs, and put them with its pieces and its head, 18 and burn the whole ram on the altar. It is a burnt offering to the LORD. It is a pleasing aroma, a food offering5 to the LORD. 19 “You shall take the other ram, and Aaron and his sons shall lay their hands on the head of the ram, 20 and you shall kill the ram and take part of its blood and put it on the tip of the right ear of Aaron and on the tips of the right ears of his sons, and on the thumbs of their right hands and on the great toes of their right feet, and throw the rest of the blood against the sides of the altar. 21 Then you shall take part of the blood that is on the altar, and of the anointing oil, and sprinkle it on Aaron and his garments, and on his sons and his sons’ garments with him. He and his garments shall be holy, and his sons and his sons’ garments with him. 22 “You shall also take the fat from the ram and the fat tail and the fat that covers the entrails, and the long lobe of the liver and the two kidneys with the fat that is on them, and the right thigh (for it is a ram of ordination), 23 and one loaf of bread and one cake of bread made with oil, and one wafer out of the basket of unleavened bread that is before the LORD. 24 You shall put all these on the palms of Aaron and on the palms of his sons, and wave them for a wave offering before the LORD. 25 Then you shall take them from their hands and burn them on the altar on top of the burnt offering, as a pleasing aroma before the LORD. It is a food offering to the LORD. 26 “You shall take the breast of the ram of Aaron’s ordination and wave it for a wave offering before the LORD, and it shall be your portion. 27 And you shall consecrate the breast of the wave offering that is waved and the thigh of the priests’ portion that is contributed from the ram of ordination, from what was Aaron’s and his sons’. 28 It shall be for Aaron and his sons as a perpetual due from the people of Israel, for it is a contribution. It shall be a contribution from the people of Israel from their peace offerings, their contribution to the LORD. 29 “The holy garments of Aaron shall be for his sons after him; they shall be anointed in them and ordained in them. 30 The son who succeeds him as priest, who comes into the tent of meeting to minister in the Holy Place, shall wear them seven days. 31 “You shall take the ram of ordination and boil its flesh in a holy place. 32 And Aaron and his sons shall eat the flesh of the ram and the bread that is in the basket in the entrance of the tent of meeting. 33 They shall eat those things with which atonement was made at their ordination and consecration, but an outsider shall not eat of them, because they are holy. 34 And if any of the flesh for the ordination or of the bread remain until the morning, then you shall burn the remainder with fire. It shall not be eaten, because it is holy. 35 “Thus you shall do to Aaron and to his sons, according to all that I have commanded you. Through seven days shall you ordain them, 36 and every day you shall offer a bull as a sin offering for atonement. Also you shall purify the altar, when you make atonement for it, and shall anoint it to consecrate it. 37 Seven days you shall make atonement for the altar and consecrate it, and the altar shall be most holy. Whatever touches the altar shall become holy. 38 “Now this is what you shall offer on the altar: two lambs a year old day by day regularly. 39 One lamb you shall offer in the morning, and the other lamb you shall offer at twilight. 40 And with the first lamb a tenth measure6 of fine flour mingled with a fourth of a hin7 of beaten oil, and a fourth of a hin of wine for a drink offering. 41 The other lamb you shall offer at twilight, and shall offer with it a grain offering and its drink offering, as in the morning, for a pleasing aroma, a food offering to the LORD. 42 It shall be a regular burnt offering throughout your generations at the entrance of the tent of meeting before the LORD, where I will meet with you, to speak to you there. 43 There I will meet with the people of Israel, and it shall be sanctified by my glory. 44 I will consecrate the tent of meeting and the altar. Aaron also and his sons I will consecrate to serve me as priests. 45 I will dwell among the people of Israel and will be their God. 46 And they shall know that I am the LORD their God, who brought them out of the land of Egypt that I might dwell among them. I am the LORD their God. Footnotes [1] 28:16 A span was about 9 inches or 22 centimeters [2] 28:17 The identity of some of these stones is uncertain [3] 28:32 The meaning of the Hebrew word is uncertain; possibly coat of mail [4] 29:12 Hebrew all [5] 29:18 Or an offering by fire; also verses 25, 41 [6] 29:40 Possibly an ephah (about 3/5 bushel or 22 liters) [7] 29:40 A hin was about 4 quarts or 3.5 liters (ESV)

For Thanksgiving Week in the U.S., Tom and Aaron take a break from electoral politics to chat about the media keeping them sane(ish) over the past few weeks. For Aaron it's "The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics & Religion" by social psychologist Jonathan Haidt; for Tom it's "VICE," the 2018 biopic of Dick Cheney, and the podcast "Blowback," exploring the history of the Iraq War and the criminals and conmen who got us into it. Check out the links below to learn more. The Righteous Mind: https://bookshop.org/books/the-righteous-mind-why-good-people-are-divided-by-politics-and-religion/9780307455772 Blowback: https://blowback.show/ VICE: https://www.amazon.com/Vice-Christian-Bale/dp/B07MD6QXHT Support us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/godlycommunists --- Send in a voice message: https://anchor.fm/godlycommunists/message

To Serve Me as PriestsExodus 28:1-43 & 39:1-31by William KlockSo far Exodus has shown us the tabernacle and the most holy place where the Lord’s presence rested on the ark of the covenant and the mercy seat.  It’s shown us some of the furnishings of the tabernacle and the altar that stood outside.  And as we’ve made our way through these chapters, the priests, sometimes alluded to as Aaron and his sons, have been mentioned, but so far not in any detail.  That’s where the next couple of chapters bring us, first as the special garments of the priests are described and then as the ordination or the setting apart of Aaron and his sons is described.  Lord willing, we’ll look at the ordination of the priests next week.  Today we’ll look at Chapter 28.  Here the instructions are given for the garments the priests were to wear.  And as with the previous passages, we read in Chapter 39 that the Israelites followed these instructions to the letter, making the garments just as described by the Lord.  So let’s look at Exodus 28.  It’s a long passage and, like the other passages so far about the tabernacle, it’s very detailed.  We don’t have time to read the whole thing, so bear with me as I summarise some parts of it for you.Verses 1-5 introduce these instructions and give us an overview of most of the chapter:“Then bring near to you Aaron your brother, and his sons with him, from among the people of Israel, to serve me as priests—Aaron and Aaron’s sons, Nadab and Abihu, Eleazar and Ithamar.  And you shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother, for glory and for beauty.  You shall speak to all the skillful, whom I have filled with a spirit of skill, that they make Aaron’s garments to consecrate him for my priesthood.  These are the garments that they shall make: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash. They shall make holy garments for Aaron your brother and his sons to serve me as priests.  They shall receive gold, blue and purple and scarlet yarns, and fine twined linen. The first thing to notice is that Aaron’s family is selected by the Lord to serve as his priests.  The tribe of Levi serves the tabernacle in general, but it’s this subgroup of the Levites, the family of Aaron who will be the actual priests.  But two things need to happen before Aaron and his sons can serve the Lord in the tabernacle: they need to consecrated into their role and they need to have appropriate clothing.  The consecration will happen in the next chapter; here we read about the clothing.  Specifically, the garments of the high priest are listed here: a breastpiece, an ephod, a robe, a coat of checker work, a turban, and a sash.  And we see here in the first part of the description, they’re visually connected with the tabernacle.  Just like the tent where the Lord took up his dwelling in Israel, the high priest’s garments are made of gold, blue, purple, and scarlet yarns and fine twined linen.Notice how important these garments are.  Verse 3 connects these garments with Aaron’s consecration as the Lord’s priest.  No garments, no priesthood.  In fact, the Lord is deadly serious about it.  Jump to verse 43, the last verse of the chapter and we read:[T]hey shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die.  This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. What the garments represent is important enough that they’re integral to the priesthood itself.  And we get a sense here of just how seriously the Lord takes his instruction for worship.  Enter the Lord’s presence—even come near—wearing the wrong thing—an act of disobedience—and it means death for the priest.  The Lord isn’t fooling around here.  It’s no idle threat.  Two of Aaron’s sons don’t last very long as priests.  In Leviticus 10 we read that Nadab and Abihu filled their censors with strange or unauthorized fire.  It’s not clear what exactly they’d done, but whatever it was, it was contrary to the very specific instructions the Lord had given concerning offerings and incense.  Both of them were instantly stuck down and consumed by fire.Brothers and Sisters, the worship of God is serious business.  That may be the first takeaway here.  Verse 2 stresses that all of these detailed instructions were to bring glory and beauty to the worship of the Lord.  It wasn’t just about being finicky.  Everything in these details—the details we’ve seen so far and the details yet to come—was to bring glory to the Lord and to make his worship beautiful.  The New Covenant is vastly different in many ways.  The New Testament gives no commands for what a church should look like, how a minister should dress, what our incense recipe should be, what musical style we should use, or how the Lord’s Table should be constructed.  Much of this is different because Jesus has changed everything for us.  We approach the Lord in a different way than the Israelites did thanks to Jesus and the cross.  But glory and beauty are still—or should be integral to our worship.  Does our worship bring glory to the Lord?  Does it do so, in part, by its beauty? A lot of modern worship does neither.  It’s cheap and commercialised and focused more on the worshipper than on the Lord.  When it comes to Christian worship, there are two elements that will always ground proper worship.  The first is God’s word and the second is the Lord’s Supper.  Word and sacrament.  Hearing God’s word, singing God’s word, preaching God’s word, and responding to God’s word in prayer and song will always fill our worship with the glory of God and will always glorify him.  And eating his Supper in which we recall that in Jesus God has given himself to make us his people and to give us life and hope, in that he is again glorified.  Keep word and sacrament central to worship and our worship will be filled with glory.  And the weight of what we do in that kind of worship naturally encourages us to do it with beauty—to invest ourselves in it for the Lord’s sake.  It won’t always look the same.  It may be liturgical or non-liturgical, the style may vary from place to place, but worship centred in word and sacrament will always bring glory to God.Now, let’s look at Aaron’s vestments.  I won’t go into every detail.  Verses 6-12 describe the ephod.  What’s an ephod?  Well, it’s what’s described here.  From the description it seems it was something like an apron.  Like the tabernacle it was made of gold, blue, and purple yarn and fine linen.  But the important part of the ephod were its two onyx stones, set in gold, and mounted on the shoulders.  Each stone was to be engraved with six of the names of the tribes of Israel.  Why?  Verse 12 says:And you shall set the two stones on the shoulder pieces of the ephod, as stones of remembrance for the sons of Israel. And Aaron shall bear their names before the Lord on his two shoulders for remembrance. It was a reminder that the high priest was the mediator between Israel and the Lord.  When he offered sacrifices or went into the Lord’s presence and the Lord looked down on him, there on his shoulders, pointing heavenward, were the names of the twelve tribes that made up his people.  They were a written memorial to the Lord.  Jesus does the same for us, our mediator with God, entering his presence as our representative and bearing our names into his presence.Next the Lord gave instructions for the “breastpiece of judgement”—the longest set of instructions here.  It was a pouch about 9 inches by 9 inches square, made of the same yarns and linen as the ephod.  It was attached to the shoulderpieces of the ephod with gold chains.  And it was set with twelve different precious stones engraved with the names of the tribes of Israel.  Again, the stones served as a memorial to the Lord when Aaron represented the people.  These precious stones representing the tribes of Israel turn up again at the end of the story as the foundations of the New Jerusalem.The breastpiece also served to hold the Urim and the Thummim.  Like so much else about the passage, these are something of a mystery as well.  As the text presents the Urim and Thummim, they were something the Israelites already had.  We don’t know what exactly they were other than devices for casting lots—probably two stones with something carved on them.  In Hebrew Urim begins with the first letter of the alphabet and Thummim with the last, so that may have something to do with it.  The idea was that a question with a clear binary, yes or no or this or that answer could be posed to the Lord by the high priest and, maybe by reaching into the pouch and drawing out one of the stones (or whatever they were) the Lord would give the answer.  (So, no, the Mormons have it wrong.  The Urim and Thummim weren’t magic glasses used to translate Joseph Smith’s golden plates.)It’s interesting to read of them, because the Lord outlawed the pagan practice of divination in Israel.  So this was something different.  It’s worth noting that the Urim and Thummim were always and only in the possession of the high priest and were only used by him to consult the Lord on behalf of the leader of the people about something that affected the nation.  So it had to be something really significant for the Lord to be consulted through the Urim and Thummim.  It wasn’t like the pagans, going to a fortune-teller to ask if you should buy this car or marry this girl or take this job.  But even then, the Lord didn’t always respond.  We’re told that Saul consulted the Lord this way and received no answer.  After the time of David they are no longer mentioned.  The Mishnah says that they ceased to function after the death of the first prophets and that while the Urim and Thummim were still in possession of the high priest in the time after the exile, they no longer worked[1]—perhaps because the presence of the Lord had not returned to the temple.Next, in verses 31-35 we read the instructions for the robe.  It was to be made of blue cloth and around the hem it was to have golden bells alternating with pomegranates of blue, purple, and scarlet yarns.  Aaron was to wear this robe when he entered the holy place:And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers, and its sound shall be heard when he goes into the Holy Place before the Lord, and when he comes out, so that he does not die. (Exodus 28:35)“So that he does not die” probably refers to this whole section, not just the robe.  The priests were not to deviate from the Lord’s instructions.  The bells, again, are something of a mystery.  When the high priest entered the tabernacle, he was supposed to be the only one there, so the bells may have served as a warning to everyone else to leave.  They may have been a reminder to the priest himself of what he was doing so that he could focus his attention on the Lord and a reminder to those outside of what the priest was doing on their behalf.  In light of the seriousness with which the Lord took all this, the bells may have been a way of assuring the people outside that he hadn’t messed something up and been struck dead as Nadab and Abihu were.  We don’t know.  These are just some possibilities.Now look at verses 36-38:“You shall make a plate of pure gold and engrave on it, like the engraving of a signet, ‘Holy to the Lord.’  And you shall fasten it on the turban by a cord of blue. It shall be on the front of the turban.  It shall be on Aaron’s forehead, and Aaron shall bear any guilt from the holy things that the people of Israel consecrate as their holy gifts. It shall regularly be on his forehead, that they may be accepted before the Lord. So Aaron was to wear a turban—which was otherwise a symbol of royalty—with this golden plate at its front, inscribed with the words “Holy to the Lord”.  It may have served a double purpose.  As the names of the tribes of Israel inscribed on the ephod and the breastplate were memorials to the Lord that Israel was his people, this golden headband inscribed “Holy to the Lord” was a memorial to the Lord: this was his priest whom he had set apart.  At the same time, the headband was a serious reminder to Aaron of the gravity of the office he’d been given.  He represented the people before the Lord.  How he bore guilt isn’t clear.  The Hebrew word used here can mean either to bear sin or to remove sin.  It might have been a reminder to Aaron that he bore the responsibility for the people’s sin before the Lord or (or maybe and/or) that he was the one who made atonement for the sins of the people.Now, finally, the last few verses describe the basic garments of all the priests:“For Aaron’s sons you shall make coats and sashes and caps. You shall make them for glory and beauty.  And you shall put them on Aaron your brother, and on his sons with him, and shall anoint them and ordain them and consecrate them, that they may serve me as priests.  You shall make for them linen undergarments to cover their naked flesh.  They shall reach from the hips to the thighs; and they shall be on Aaron and on his sons when they go into the tent of meeting or when they come near the altar to minister in the Holy Place, lest they bear guilt and die.  This shall be a statute forever for him and for his offspring after him. (Exodus 28:41-43)The Lord gave instructions even for their underpants that remind us of the clothes the Lord made for Adam and Eve, to cover their nakedness.  Aaron and his sons were to be anointed, to be set apart, and to be clothed in these special garments.  They brought glory and honour to the worship of the Lord.  It also meant that the priests stood with glory and beauty—or we could translate the Hebrew “dignity and honour”, before the Lord.  I want to end on that note.  These were beautiful garments, mean to inspire awe and reverence in the people.  They did not approach the Lord casually or carelessly and the priests reminded them of that.  And something I think we might be prone to missing because we no longer rely on human mediators between us and God, is what it meant for the Jews to see these priests standing at the altar or entering the tabernacle, dressed in fine linen, a blue cape, and decked out with gold and gemstones.  This was their representative with the Lord.  Through him they entered the Lord’s presence and through him the Lord was present to them.  To see the high priest in all his finery, in all this glory and beauty, dignity and honour, was what some would call a “religious experience”.This is what Jesus ben Sira describes towards the end of his book of wisdom.  Most of the book is similar to the book of Proverbs, but he ends the book with a hymn in praise of the heroes of Israel: Enoch, Noah, and Abraham; Moses, Aaron, and Phineas; Joshua and Caleb; David and Solomon and he ends his hymn with Simon II, who was the high priest in ben Sira’s own day, about 200 b.c.  I want to read ben Sira’s description of Simon, because it’s the only passage I know of that so vividly describes how the Jews saw their high priest—especially an honourable high priest who commanded the respect of the people.The leader of his brothers and the pride of his people         was the high priest, Simon son of Onias,who in his life repaired the house,         and in his time fortified the temple. He laid the foundations for the high double walls,         the high retaining walls for the temple enclosure. In his days a water cistern was dug,         a reservoir like the sea in circumference. He considered how to save his people from ruin,         and fortified the city against siege. How glorious he was, surrounded by the people,         as he came out of the house of the curtain. Like the morning star among the clouds,         like the full moon at the festal season; like the sun shining on the temple of the Most High,         like the rainbow gleaming in splendid clouds; like roses in the days of first fruits,         like lilies by a spring of water,         like a green shoot on Lebanon on a summer day; like fire and incense in the censer,         like a vessel of hammered gold         studded with all kinds of precious stones; like an olive tree laden with fruit,         and like a cypress towering in the clouds. When he put on his glorious robe         and clothed himself in perfect splendor,when he went up to the holy altar,         he made the court of the sanctuary glorious. When he received the portions from the hands of the priests,         as he stood by the hearth of the altarwith a garland of brothers around him,         he was like a young cedar on Lebanon         surrounded by the trunks of palm trees. All the sons of Aaron in their splendor         held the Lord’s offering in their hands         before the whole congregation of Israel. Finishing the service at the altars,         and arranging the offering to the Most High, the Almighty, he held out his hand for the cup         and poured a drink offering of the blood of the grape;he poured it out at the foot of the altar,         a pleasing odor to the Most High, the king of all. Then the sons of Aaron shouted;         they blew their trumpets of hammered metal;they sounded a mighty fanfare         as a reminder before the Most High. Then all the people together quickly         fell to the ground on their facesto worship their Lord,         the Almighty, God Most High. Then the singers praised him with their voices         in sweet and full-toned melody. And the people of the Lord Most High offered         their prayers before the Merciful One,until the order of worship of the Lord was ended,         and they completed his ritual. Then Simon came down and raised his hands         over the whole congregation of Israelites,to pronounce the blessing of the Lord with his lips,         and to glory in his name; and they bowed down in worship a second time,         to receive the blessing from the Most High. (Sirach 50:1-21 NRSV)Simon was a good and honourable priest, but more than that what ben Sira gets at is that the priest inspired the people.  The priest, standing there as representative of both the Lord and of Israel, reminded them of the covenant, reminded them of the Lord’s words: I will be your God and you will be my people.  And in that, the priest inspired faith and hope and love and loyalty to the Lord and to his covenant.If the priests of the old covenant could inspire the people in faith and hope and love and loyalty to the Lord, Brothers and Sisters, how much more ought Jesus to inspire us to faith and hope and love and covenant loyalty?  Consider that as we come to his Table this morning and recall how, as the writer of Hebrew puts it, he went into the holy place, not with the blood of goats and calves, but to offer his own blood, securing an eternal redemption for his people.  Jesus is our priest and as ben Sira saw the high priest of his day in all his glory as he stood outside the temple offering sacrifices for the people and gave glory to God, we ought to see something even better, even more beautiful, even more glorious as we recall the death of Jesus on the cross.  In him God himself has become our great high priest, giving his own life, that we might live—that might be plunged into the life of his own Spirit and that we might live in hope of the life of the age to come.Let us pray: Heavenly Father, we thank you this morning for your word and how even these minute and seemingly finicky details point remind us of your holiness, point us to Jesus, and inspire us to give you glory.  As we think of the glory of Aaron and his sons, may we be inspired to see the glory of Jesus, our great high priest of whom Aaron was only a dim shadow.  And as we think of the sacrifice that Jesus has offered of himself for us, may we be moved to worship you in glory and beauty.  Through Jesus we pray.  Amen.[1] Sotah 9:12 and Yoma 21b

Today, we jam with the Knight of Investments, Aaron Knightley. Aaron started his property journey through project management doing logistics on the industrial side and movement of steel constructions. Aaron had ambition to move beyond this and be an investor himself and set about getting skilled up by investing education and reading books. And did he make a success if it?! Hell yes. The boy has been on fire ever since and it was just awesome jamming with him on how that journey has been.  The thing that Aaron has truly nailed is raising private finance from high net worth individuals by observing human behaviour and getting himself in the right places at the right time with the right people. And it has massively paid off! He shares some golden nuggets on how he has done this – it is legendary. We rate this fella so much. For Aaron the human side of property is so much around his observation of human behaviour itself and understanding how to leverage that to raise money and create win-win investments.

There are harrowing statistics that reflect the current culture of divorce in America and its negative effects on the population. For perspective, 87% of children involved in school shootings come from child custody battles. In a marriage where both spouses are products of divorce, their chances of the marriage ending in divorce are 200% greater than the general population. Divorce culture is toxic and chaotic and has profound consequences on the children involved—consequences that are likely to impact them for the rest of their lives. In this episode of Divorce, Healthy! https://www.wnct.com/author/aaron-deane/ (WNCT news anchor and TV personality Aaron Deane) joins attorney and author Ashley-Nicole Russell, of https://anrlaw.com/ (ANR Law) to discuss his experiences as a child of divorce, offering a millennial's perspective. Aaron highlights the effect of a custody ruling that afforded one parent primary custody of the children. Such court designations drive secondary parents to internalize a diminished sense of family responsibility– leading to increased rates of absentee parents. Aaron also shares how people of his generation view relationships and marriage, and how the divorce culture has heavily influenced these perspectives. Many choose to avoid marriage altogether, with weddings and children viewed not only as risky, but as massive financial and emotional investments. An unspoken pressure also exists to make marriages work because turning to the court system for dissolution and resolution is traumatic and expensive. After getting a front row seat to the catastrophic divorce culture of the last generation, who can blame them? For Aaron and Ashley-Nicole, it's important to have a complete understanding of yourself so you can make the right decision – even if that means ending your marriage. And, although the situation isn't ideal, you can employ strategies to reduce stress and avoid conflict, leading to a better resolution for you and your family. Remember, ever if you're a child of divorce, you have the power to break the cycle and avoid becoming a discouraging statistic.   Links mentioned in the episodehttps://twitter.com/tv_deane (Aaron Deane's Twitter account) https://instagram.com/tv_deane (Aaron Deane's Instagram account)   To inquire about speaking engagements, purchase your copy of Ashley-Nicole's book “The Cure for Divorce Culture,” or to schedule your private orientation meeting, head to http://www.anrlaw.com (www.anrlaw.com). You can also find us on social media @ANRLaw. Find a better way forward, right here, on Divorce, Healthy!

For Aaron's birthday, we're celebrating with a movie he hated until he loved it - Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs! We discuss the history of this movie, from its directors to its (multiple) source materials, the zany humor that was the precursor to The Lego Movie, and take a bite out of the sequel for even more food puns.

Assuming you know where your money is going, you can actually be super smart with your resident's salary. For Aaron, Kayse and I suggest they do these few tweaks to ensure there are no surprises. Wanting to buy a home soon? Jonathan C. Brozek @ US Bank can help you navigate financing one. Find him here: www.financialresidency.com/usbank

This week’s Misfit Entrepreneur is Aaron Walker. Aaron is an almost 40-year entrepreneur veteran. He started his first business at 18 and sold it by his mid-20’s to a Fortune 500. He went on to start over a dozen other businesses and started Masterminding 20 years ago with people like Dave Ramsey, Dan Miller and others. This led him to start the Iron Sharpens Iron Mastermind group – one of the most renowned and successful groups of its kind. Aaron is also the author or the best-seller “View from the Top – Living a Life of Significance.” Aaron has seen it all, done it all, and has succeeded through grit and determination. But what also has made him so successful and one of the biggest reasons I wanted him to come on the show and to share his wisdom with you, is his straight forward authenticity. Aaron teaches in way to easy to understand, learn, and implement. And it’s the lessons he’s learned in building businesses and Masterminds that I've asked him to give you in this episode. www.ViewFromtheTop.com Aaron has lived in Nashville his whole life and has built all his businesses from there. He grew up poor in an 800 sq. ft. house with 4 kids. His dad was a general contractor, but not a great business man. Aaron started working at 13 and fell in love with business and decided that he was going to be an entrepreneur. He put in extra studies and night school and graduated at the beginning of his junior year. He met some people with money to invest and opened his first store. He got married 2 weeks out of High School and he and his wife went on to build several success companies – selling the first one at 27 years old to a F500 company. That gave him the ability to do some other things and set him up financially. He then went back and bought the company he worked for at 13 and grew it by better managing it and better selling the services. He was 40 years old, working 3 days a week. He had it made. One morning he was driving to the office and a pedestrian stepped out in front of Aaron’s truck and was killed. His life came to a halt. Aaron wasn’t at fault, but when you are responsible for the death of someone, it changed everything. It devastated Aaron. He couldn’t handle the stress and the knowledge that, even though it wasn’t his fault and he was not arrested or anything, a man died by his truck. It ate him. Over the next few years, he sold the business, took 5 years off, moved to a different area, sought counseling, and really changed most of his life. One day, his wife came in and told him he had to get going and do something. Aaron had gained almost 50 pounds. So, he did. He started a construction company, built it to great success and sold it at 50, retiring. At that point, Dave Ramsey and Dan Miller suggested that he coach. He started helping other entrepreneurs and doing Mastermind groups and is now launching his 15th Mastermind in 8 different countries. What do you think is the reason God/the universe, etc. put you in the situation with killing the pedestrian? What was your biggest takeaway after years of thinking about it? At the time of it happening, you don’t see anything that can come up. You just think your life it over. It was a total blindside that disrupted his entire life for years. The truth is that we are all just one second away from being blindsided in some way. Our life can change in a Nano-second. Here’s what he learned. His legacy would have been – Poor kid form Nashville, makes enough money to retire by the time he is 27 and nobody really cares. Aaron realized that he had no significance. His life was not impacting the lives of others. He asked God for another chance and promised the act outward instead of inward. To that point, it had been mostly inward. Now, he hopes to be remembered by people as “my life was different after having known Aaron.” He thought about it and said that to himself you can do both – you can both success and significance. Define what significance means to you and for others… Each person must identify what success means. For Aaron, it the ability choose his schedule and how he runs his life and being financially independent. Money is a great thing if it is not your master. Having a clear conscious is critical. We can be content, but not complacent. Don’t ever be complacent but seek contentment in what you do. You also must have meaning and purpose. Lastly, Aaron wants to leave a legacy of wisdom. Significance is a different thing. To Aaron, significance is meeting the needs of others. Focusing on them and being present with them, truly listening. It means taking the time, even when you are busy, to sacrifice and help others. At the 25 min mark, Aaron talks about “Gratitude Day…” What are your best principles and thoughts on how to succeed in business? People must get over their sense of fear. The 18/30/60 rule. When you’re 18, you think everybody’s talking about you. When you’re 30, you find out it’s not true. When you’re 60, you don’t care. Read the book The Big Leap and learn how to push through those “upper limit challenges.” You also must have a written plan for how you are going to reach your goal and what you are going to do. Then all you have to do is execute. Focus on the task and not the goal. Establish 3 goals every 4 weeks. Be consistent. It takes a certain length of time to reach critical mass in anything you are doing. Delay gratification. There is real truth in the statement that you are the sum of the 5 people you spend time with. The wrong people are an anchor around your success – get rid of them. Get people around you that encourage you, hold you accountable, point out your blind spots, give you the truth, and support you and help you. Great minds talk about ideas, small minds talk about people! What are some of the key components of a successful Mastermind Group? You must have a genuine group You must have a set of shared core values It must be consistent (weekly, monthly, etc.) It needs to be all encompassing. 60% professional, 30% personal, 10% spiritual is how Aaron’s groups breakdown. How does someone start a Mastermind group and find the right candidates? You must first decide on your core values and make sure you group is built on them. Nowadays, virtual groups are easier and allow for more transparency. You must determine what it is you want to accomplish with the group and be clear on it. One word of caution for “in person” groups. Go slow and give info over time to see if they can be trusted. Don’t give everything out right away. Decide on the type of group you want to have. Men or Women focused, gender neutral, etc. You can buy the Mastermind Blueprint book from Aaron. At the 49 min mark, Aaron shares some final pieces of wisdom… When Aaron was growing up, his mom would tell them not to use the word “can’t.” She would say “Can’t couldn’t do it and could did it all.” Build a mindset of “you can.” Find ways to do things. Fear missing an opportunity more than you do failure. Failure is in NOT trying – NOT in being unsuccessful because you tried.   Best Quote: “Can’t couldn’t do it and could did it all...”   Aaron's Misfit 3: Show empathy and be empathetic to those around you. Be transparent to a fault – with a few. Authenticity is the thing people are starving for the most – be authentic.

In this powerful podcast, Aaron and Maia Huey talk about how their father/daughter relationship has evolved over the years. Aaron, host of the podcast, Beyond Risk and Back on the Mental Health News Radio Network and founder of Fire Mountain Residential Treatment Facility, humbly discusses how his addiction lost him custody of his young daughter and how in his recovery, he was able to become the father she needed. Learn how Aaron's mission became to equip Maia with a strong belief in herself and the tools needed for self reliance. Maia, who is due to graduate from college this May and already owns her own marketing company, talks candidly about the pressures of living in her father's shadow and emerging with her own sense of empowerment and identity. This talk reveals the generational impact that parents have on their children and the forgiveness that can exist within that relationship when we listen, own mistakes and love unconditionally. Please join us for both, this heartwarming podcast and the after show!For Aaron's podcast, Beyond Risk and Back, go to: https://www.mentalhealthnewsradionetwork.com/our-shows/beyond-risk-and-back/

Musician Aaron Roche joins us to explore how a diagnosis of bipolar disorder has freed him into greater self-awareness. For Aaron, his music is his medicine, and how he has learned to balance his life is inspiring.

Aaron Hancox and Michael McNamara of Markham Street Films join Stacy in this episode to talk about their documentary,Catwalk: Tales from the Cat Show Circuit, which follows the Canadian competitive cat show world. Aaron is a long-time cat guy whose cat Beau was adopted from a Toronto rescue, but Michael is actually allergic to cats! Aaron stumbled across a local cat show and was surprised and fascinated by how serious and competitive the cat show world was. “If I’m a cat person and I don’t know about this,” he thought, “presumably many people don’t know about this.” And to Aaron, that was the perfect premise for a documentary. During the year-long process, he and Michael followed several cats and their people through the competitive cat show circuit, and learned the complex rules of how cat shows work. In Canada, the cat show season lasts about ten months, and there are shows basically every weekend. Aaron and Michael tell us that cat shows differ from many dog shows in that they are more like beauty pageants, and they tend to be more technical than dog shows—and have more complicated point structures. Aaron and Michael talk about the opportunities for non-purebred cats in these shows, and they look at this film as being just one part of a larger conversation about cats. During the filming of the documentary, they came to understand that the people who participate in cat shows see themselves as part of the solution in terms of issues facing cats, and they do their best to help in many ways, from making sure that shows work only with truly responsible breeders to donating cat show proceeds to rescue groups. For Aaron, the bottom line is that cats bring so much joy to people’s lives in so many different ways that he wanted to share this world with others. “I realized that these animals have such a great power to heal and bring people together,” he tells Stacy, “and anything I could do to spread that joy and love—I’m all for it.” To see Catwalk:Tales from the Cat Show Circuit, you can download it from iTunes, the Google Play store or other streaming services, or you can visit Amazon to buy a copy.

Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage (Smashing Pumpkins) Questions this week: I would love to move into a position where I can work in student ministry full-time. My wife is, rightfully, worried about us losing our insurance and the security that comes with federal employment if I try to start something on my own. What if I don't need any more money? Interview with Aaron Walker (View from the Top). Click for more.  I want to do something outside of the software development arena. “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.” Kahlil Gibran — Tweet This Cliff Fightner's Poem This Week, 48DaysEagles “The talents, of which you've been blessedAre they helping in your life's questDo they help make you moneyKeeping life sunnyOr are they inside, being oppressed” Mentioned in Podcast Make money and serve as a 48 Days Seminar Presenter The new 48 Days Eagles membership site – see this growing community for finding Work You Love 48Days as the code) Cliff Ravenscraft's Live Event on Building a Business Around Your Podcast Upcoming Events with Dan CES Conference with Jim Cockrum (Note: this event has passed) –  Sept 21-23 for all online biz (I'll be there!) askdan@48Days.com Show Notes: Episode – 06-09-17 Title: N/A Subtitle: N/A Summary: In this episode, Dan walks us through a number of questions from our listeners that reminds us that pursuing a life for money and security alone can only take us so far. There is a sincere wrestle to be a person of significance and purpose; a tension that is worth exploring. He also shares an eye-opening interview he had with Aaron Walker, author of View from the Top. Listen as Aaron discusses his own fight searching for a greater purpose after retiring at the age of 27 and how Dan helped him along his new path as a career coach. Sponsored By: Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:07 – Preview of Today's Show on Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage (Smashing Pumpkins) I would love to move into a position where I can work with in student ministry full-time. My wife is, rightfully, worried about us losing our insurance and the security that comes with federal employment if I try to start something on my own. What if I don't need any more money? Interview with Aaron Walker (View from the Top). I want to do something outside of the software development arena. “Work is love made visible. And if you cannot work with love but only with distaste, it is better that you should leave your work and sit at the gate of the temple and take alms of those who work with joy.”– Kahlil Gibran “Doubts are the ants in the pants of faith. They keep it awake and moving.” – Frederick Buechner 02:33 – “The talents, of which you've been blessed Are they helping in your life's quest Do they help make you money Keeping life sunny Or are they inside, being oppressed” – Poem by Cliff Feightner 03:16 – Attend Cliff Ravenscraft's course, Building a Business Around Your Podcast 04:19 – Free Book – DIY Conflict Resolution: Seven Choices and Five Actions of a Master – Nance Schick (use 48Days as the code) 06:30 – John says, I would love to move into a position where I can work in student ministry full-time 07:28 – Check out ChurchJobs.net 08:16 – Why limit yourself to that? 08:38 – Dan presents a scenario to challenge your thinking 09:41 – Consider this 2nd example 10:43 – What if you're in a job that pays $65K a year and you're a student minister volunteer? 11:17 – Dan knows a guy who works as a full-time minister 11:20 – His father-in-law was a Ford dealer who gave him a new T Bird 11:38 – The minister received so much criticism that he had to give the car back to his father-in-law 11:58 – If you're asking for money for your ministry, people will always question your actions 12:21 – Dan would never be able to sleep at night in that situation 12:41 – Read the message of Paul in the New Testament 13:26 – Dan sees some challenges in the way we pay people as ministers 14:06 – A listener asks, My wife is, rightfully, worried about us losing our insurance and the security that comes with federal employment if I try to start something on my own 15:36 – What does security mean in a job that you loathe? 15:55 – The security you think you have is an illusion 16:52 – If you can create 50% of your salary for 15 hours per week on the side, you're in good shape to quit your job 17:20 – Jim says, I want to do something outside of the software development arena 18:00 – Software development is a very broad industry 18:34 – There are millions of opportunities in software development and it may mean you need to modify what you do 18:51 – Don't leave without a clear plan 19:14 – Dan will send you a new copy of 48 Days to the Work You Love 19:55 – Dan plays, Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage (Smashing Pumpkins) 24:24 – Dan shares his interview with Aaron Walker 24:31 – For Aaron, the best part of the book is the foreword written by Dan 25:01 – Aaron's new book is View from the Top 25:29 – At 27 years old, Aaron was able to retire but 18 months later, he woke up to the fact that he gained 50 lbs 26:01– His wife, Robin, told Aaron he should have a purpose, a reason to get up everyday 26:23 – Aaron wished he had Masterminds when he was 27 26:44 – He's thankful Dan was there to help him 26:52 – Dan is the reason why Aaron is coaching now 27:31 – It's not just money that should be the reason to get up every morning 28:22 – Dan knew Aaron had so much to offer that he thought it was selfish for him to retire for the 2nd time 28:52 – Dan invited Aaron to attend Innovate 29:16 – Dan encouraged Aaron to coach because of his experiences and stories 29:37 – “What's ordinary to you is extraordinary to others” 30:09 – Dan helped Aaron open his eyes and gave the possibilities of what could be the future 31:26 – Dan and Aaron talked about how he could borrow the credibility of other people to start 32:01 – Somebody introduced Aaron to podcasts and he started finding guests 32:32 – In the past 30 months, Aaron has had more than 400 interviews 32:39 – Be consistent 32:56 – Aaron has written hundreds of blogs 33:02 – “You don't need to do everything” 34:06 – Aaron's core message and stories are now in his book, View from the Top 34:48 – At 40 years old, life had been so good to him – until August 1, 2001 35:07 – A guy named Enrique was crossing the street to ride a local bus, and an accident happened – Aaron ran over and killed a pedestrian 35:28 – He sold his business and took the next 5 years off 35:48 – Don't make money your only reason to live – there is significance on the other side of the coin 36:11 – Be intentional in being significant 36:31 – Aaron's reason for writing his book is to spread the message that you can gain both success and significance in your life 37:36 – Break free from the things that are holding you back 37:39 – Surround yourself with wise people 37:57 – Go to ViewFromTheTop.com/book and pre order the book to get a FREE digital copy of The Mastermind Blueprint 39:29 – Dan ends the interview 39:56 – Reeba says, I was recently approached by my daughter's art teacher about offering art lessons at our studio. However, there's another art teacher in town who's working to build her own art studio 41:33 – “There are nothing but green lights for you to go ahead” 41:49 – There are so many approaches to teaching art that students can get a broader and healthier view of the options 43:17 – “Having all competitors close together helps everyone” 43:56 – The cluster theory is what businesses understand 44:05 – See the other teacher as a collaborator and not a competitor so you can refer clients to her 45:24 – Dan shares about the scene at Macy's during Christmas time from the movie Miracle on 34th Street 45:26 – As a coach, Dan refers 99% of people who reach out to him to other coaches 46:17 – Talk to the other teacher 46:45 – May Jobs Data says the US added 253K jobs in May 47:13 – Unemployment rate is 4.4% – the lowest in history 47:48 – Employers can't find people to work 48:43 – USPS is looking for package handlers for $14/hour in Franklin, Tennessee 49:16 – Walmart is starting to use their employees as a delivery service 50:20 – Send us your success stories and questions to AskDan 50:57 – The new 48 Days Eagles site – This is the best place for moving your career forward 51:50 – Dan wishes you success and satisfaction 52:03 – Next week's topic: What is your why? 52:23 – Dan closes today's podcast 3 Key Points: Define what security means to you and what you're willing to sacrifice for the sake of it. Don't leave your steady income without a clear, direct plan of action. Living a life just for the sake of money may not be enough—look for a purpose that makes you jump out of bed each day.   Resources Mentioned: To ask Dan a question for the podcast – AskDan The new 48 Days Eagles site – This is the best place for moving your career forward Make money and serve as a 48 Days Seminar Presenter Go to com/48Days and get a free audio of Zig Ziglar's See You at the Top! FreshBooks is offering a 30 day, unrestricted free trial to my listeners. To claim it, just go to https://www.freshbooks.com/48days Go to com/sleepyoulove AND use promo code – sleepyoulove – to save $50 off your purchase of the mattress Dan & Joanne love CES Conference with Jim Cockrum – for all online biz (I'll be there!) Credits: Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives   The post Despite all my rage, I am still just a rat in a cage (Smashing Pumpkins) appeared first on Official Site Dan Miller.

In our very first episode, Style Girlfriend’s Megan Collins talks to NFL analyst Aaron Nagler of Chesehead TV and Fan Duel about going hard after a life you love. For Aaron, that meant starting his career in theatre and winding up in football. Along the way, they discuss the importance of being too busy to complain about small things, the pop music they both can agree on, and just how great being from Wisconsin is (spoiler: it’s pretty great). Please remember: this episode is brought to you for free by our generous sponsor, Lumoid! Go support them so they continue to support us! --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/stylegirlfriend/support

Entrepreneur Spotlight with Aaron Walker of View From The Top. For Aaron's contact information go to leadersinspireleaders.com/viewfromthetop or viewfromthetop.com

DragonCon came and went and took our will to live with it. For Aaron's last episode he rallies his friends to send him off. Brian relives some awkward memories but that shouldn't stop him from recording the next episode with his new co-hosts. Music this week is provided by... us!