Podcasts about freely

This is the prettiest study I've ever put together. Initially it was my most expensive, but I've had so many people pour into me this year. I want to give it to you for free! DOWNLOAD HERE!! I hope that you will choose to give to others too by not keeping it to yourself, but sharing it with someone else who would love to be nourished in the word of God also! "Freely you have received, freely give!"

This Scripture meditation on Matthew 5:14–16 uses the lectio divina model to help you pause, breathe, and listen for God’s voice. Step 12 of the 12 Steps invites us to live out the hope and healing we’ve received and to share it with others. It says, Having had a spiritual awakening as the result of these steps, we tried to carry this message to others and to practice these principles in all our affairs. When we experience the transforming grace of Jesus, the natural response is to let it overflow and share it with others. Or as Jesus said, “Freely you received, freely give.” In this meditation, we’ll reflect on Jesus’ words from the Sermon on the Mount, where He calls His followers the light of the world. Even the smallest light can break through darkness, and God’s invitation is simply to shine the light He has already placed within you. As you listen, you’ll be invited to: Reflect on what it means to be a light in the world. Notice how God may be calling you to share His hope and love. Rest in the truth that your light is enough, because it comes from Him. Take a deep breath, quiet your heart, and let Matthew 5 guide you into God’s presence. Helpful Links:Download your FREE companion journal for Rooted and Grounded: Scripture Meditations for Every Step of the Journey here.This journal includes:• All the Scriptures for this series• Weekly reflection prompts• Space to record what God is revealing to you Additional links: You can find out more about me, Jodie, at http://www.jodieniznik.com/ Follow me on Instagram @jodieniznik Follow me on Facebook @JodieGNiznik Learn more about Scripture meditation and download a FREE Guided Scripture Meditation Journal here. Join my Monday email newsletter here, where I send links to the newest meditation every Monday morning. Find out more about my partner, Life Audio, at lifeaudio.com. Download FREE sample chapters from my Bible studies here. Meditation Passage: Matthew 5:14–16, NLTYou are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father. Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

This episode will help you find inner peace through the practice of generosity. Dr. Diana Hill explores the concept of generosity, from personal stories to Buddhist teachings to modern science, revealing how giving freely can transform your mental and physical health. Diana highlights methods to cultivate generosity, empathy, gratitude, and awe, which can enhance your relationships and overall well-being. Tune in to learn practical tips on how to integrate these practices into your daily life and experience the flow of giving and receiving.Listen and learn:The three levels of generosity in Buddhism and their health benefitsScientific insights on how generosity influences attractiveness and social dynamicsPersonal experiences on the power of givingPractical tips to cultivate gratitude, empathy, and awe in daily lifeSuggested Next Episode:Episode 98: Savoring The Good: A Short Meditation With Dr. Diana HillRelated ResourcesGet enhanced show notes for this episodeOrder my book, Wise Effort: How to Focus Your Genius Energy on What Matters Most, and receive special bonus gifts.Want to become more psychologically flexible? Take Diana's "Foundations of ACT" course.Diana's EventsReserve your spot in Diana's Costa Rica retreat in 2026!See Diana at an upcoming eventConnecting With DianaSubscribe for free on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.Leave a 5-star review on Apple so people like you can find the show.Sign up for the free Wise Effort Newsletter.Become a Wise Effort member to support the show.Follow Diana on YouTube, Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook, and Diana's website.Thanks to the team, Craig and Ashley Hiatt, and Benjamin Gould of Bell & Branch for your beautiful...

Young people are not just the Church of tomorrow, they are the Church of Today.In today's message, Pastor Joey McLaughlin preaches about the importance of the "now generation" -- how young people are not just the next generation of Church leaders and disciples, but now. Jesus used 11 young men to flip the world upside down, scripture after scripture tell of young people who were available and said yes and changed the world. If we are going to be a people that radically runs after the great commission, then we must equip this generation and the next to pursue the fulfillment of discipleship here and now. We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

November 17 2025 Monday Who Jesus Made You To Be / Week 01 Justified Freely By God's Grace #findoutwhoyouare My Vision My vision is to teach the world Who They Are In Jesus Christ their Lord and Savior! To Teach them what the Bible says about them and who they have been made to be in the promises of God's Word. This changed my life years ago and completely transformed me from a person full of doubt, fear and unbelief to a strong confident Christian that knows I can do anything through Jesus Christ my Lord and Savior. And I'm determined to teach the world what God has taught and commissioned me to teach and that is His Word.  That commission takes me to jails and detention centers weekly along with other open doors at many churches and ministries that are wanting to teach these important truths to the world. My podcast goes out 6 days a week to help the people I am ministering to grow in the truths that God has taught me for many years now. This podcast is free to all that want to listen and grow strong in who God has made them to be in Christ Jesus their Lord and Savior. My Prayers For The World Ephesians 1:15-23 NLT  'Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.'  Ephesians 3:14-21 NLT 'When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. Glory to him in the church and in Christ Jesus through all generations forever and ever! Amen.' Matthew 11:28  Find Rest In Jesus Christ Your Lord and Savior… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return…  Psalm 37:4  God will give you the desires of your heart… The Galations, having launched their Christian experience by faith, seem content to leave their voyage of faith and chart a new course based on works—a course Paul finds disturbing.  His letter to the Galations is a vigorous attack against the gospel of works and a defense of the gospel of faith.   Paul begins by setting forth his credentials as an apostle with a message from God:  blessing comes from God on the basis of faith, not law.  The law declares men guilty and imprisons them; faith sets men free to enjoy liberty in Christ.  But liberty is not license.  Freedom in Christ means freedom to produce the fruits of righteousness through a Spirit-led lifestyle Romans 3:24 Romans 10:9-10  Salvation… 1 John 1:9  Confess your sins God Will Cleanse You… Romans 13:8  Live in God's Love… Romans 8:16-17  Heirs of God and Joint Heirs with Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Revelation 1:6  We are kings and priest in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Romans 10:13  Call On The Name Of Jesus And Make Him Lord today… The Biblical Definition Of Grace Is God's Unmerited Favor… Matthew 18:19-20  I will agree with you about your prayer request… Acts 10:34  God is not a respecter of persons. He loves and cares for us all the same… Romans 12:3  God has given us His Faith… Biblical Hope Is A Confident Expectation… Romans 5:5  God has given us His Love… 2 Corinthians 5:17  We are new creatures in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… 2 Corinthians 5:21  We are the Righteousness of God in Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… God's Word Is True Above All Opinions…  Romans 12:2  Renew your mind to what God's Word says… Believe God's Word Above All Opinion… Philippians 4:13  We can do all things through Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior… Philippians 4:19  God will provide all your needs… Romans 10:17  Faith In God comes from hearing God's Word… Isaiah 54:17 No weapon will prosper against me… 1 John 4:4  Greater is He In All Of Us… 1 John 1:9  Confess your sins God Will Cleanse You…  John 3:3  You Must Be Born Again… Luke 15:10  Heaven Rejoices Over One Person That Repents And Is Born Again… John 3:16  Believe On The Lord Jesus Christ Your Lord And Savior… 1 Peter 2:24  Healing… Mark 10:29-30  100 Fold Return… Luke 6:38  Give and it will be given unto you… Share This Podcast On Your Social Media Website https://the-prodigalson.com What God's Word Can Do In Your Life https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AJWTZG_x2vE&t=3s Email tstacyhayes@gmail.com YouVersion Bible App  https://my.bible.comi iOS App https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/prodigal-son/id1450529518?mt=8 …  Android App https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=tv.wizzard.android.prodical  Social Media https://www.facebook.com/The-Prodigal-SON-209069136315959/ https://www.facebook.com/noreligion1511/ https://twitter.com/noreligion1511 https://www.instagram.com/noreligion1511/ https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCPx4s1CLkSYef6mp4dSuU4w/featured

In this powerful episode, John shares the unforgettable story of Dr. Goodluck, a man born into extreme poverty in Tanzania whose life was transformed by a single act of generosity—a sponsorship through Compassion International. Today, Dr. Goodluck is a heart and brain surgeon who returned to serve at the very hospital where he nearly died as a child. His story will move you and challenge you. Because real gratitude doesn't stop at “thank you”; it rolls up its sleeves and asks, “How can I join in?” Learn how Jesus sparked a revolution of generosity and how your gratitude can become someone else's breakthrough. Freely you have received… now freely give.

Send us a textIn this unscripted heart-to-heart, Kris LeDonne invites you to explore the beauty of being in progress.After recording the Soraya episode, she realized how many fears — judgment, rejection, comparison, even success — had quietly been keeping her small.This conversation is about moving past those fears, rediscovering creative confidence, and learning to appreciate yourself right where you are.IN THIS EPISODE:The courage to be seen before you're “ready”Why fear of judgment begins as self-judgmentTurning comparison into curiosity and inspirationHow appreciation (not just gratitude) unlocks creative flowThe real-life story behind Kris's handmade “jellyfish chandelier”A gentle practice to help you appreciate your process and your becomingFREE GIFT:Click here to download your Appreciation Practice toolIf this episode lights something up in you, please share it with a friend who's learning to show up in progress.Your presence and your process are both worthy of appreciation.WATCH ON YOUTUBE HERE#PictureLovePodcast #CreativeCourage #SelfAppreciation #AuthenticLiving #PersonalGrowth #FearOfJudgment #SpiritualPodcastNew day - marking the 2500 download milestone it was time for a fresh evergreen intro a refresh! Support the show

In this week's message, Pastor Steve brings us back to the Gospel. Knowing what we freely received allows us to ... Read More

Our church is the kind of community whose aim is to see it in Atlanta as it is in Heaven.So what does that mean? How? How are we going to get heaven here and now?Ipon a thorough examination of the scriptures, that ideology does not seem to be the main message of Jesus. It does not seem to be the vision of the Bible.More than Jesus wants to get us to heaven He wants to get heaven into us.God wants to re-colonize Earth. He wants to reclaim Earth, redeem Earth, renew Earth, restore Earth with the kingdom of Heaven. What Jesus talked about most, what he talked about more than anything else, more than he talked about salvation, He talked about this thing called the kingdom of heaven or the kingdom of God.We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

Snag Our Simplified Budget System!Most people think budgeting means cutting back and saying “no” to everything fun — but we're here to tell you it's actually about saying yes! Yes to dinner out. Yes to vacations. Yes to the things you love — but with cash in hand and zero stress.In this episode, we wrap up the Budget Besties Method with Step 8: Be Bougie on a Budget. You'll hear how real clients and friends are living their best lives — from country clubs and horses to golf memberships and healthy food — all while sticking to their budgets. Because “bougie” looks different for everyone, and it's not about how much you spend; it's about spending with intention.Connect With Us: 1️⃣ Facebook Group – Join the community. Our free group is where the real talk happens. Connect with other women who are learning how to budget, save, and finally feel in control, together. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/facebook 2️⃣ Automate Your Budget Masterclass – Watch it now, no waiting. This FREE on-demand training shows you how to set up a budget that matches your lifestyle, without tracking every dollar or feeling restricted. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/automate 3️⃣ Budget – Grab our Simplified Budget System! You don't need another budget, you need a system that does the math, makes the plan, and gives you permission to spend. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/budget 4️⃣ Private 1-on-1 Coaching – Get a plan and a coach. We'll build your full budget system together, so you always know what to do and feel confident doing it. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/coaching 5️⃣ Be on the Podcast – Free coaching, real convo. Come chat with us on the show! Get real-time financial coaching and help other women by sharing your story. ➡︎ budgetbesties.com/livecall "I love Shana & Vanessa and this podcast is amazing!"

Dear friends,This week in Two Ways News, we continue the theme of family. Having dealt with the family of Cain in chapter 4, we turn to the new family of Adam. In this family, God's word enables us to see the Lord's plans for salvation, hinted at in Genesis 3:15 and worked out in Noah. We don't often have sermons on genealogies, but hopefully this episode will help us see their importance.Yours,PhillipPhillip Jensen: Welcome again to Two Ways News.Peter Jensen: Phillip, you never wore glasses growing up, but I can remember getting my first pair of glasses and realising that most people could see things that had, for me, only been a blurred vision.Phillip: Spectacles are a very important part of life. The reformers, Tyndale and Calvin, saw glasses as a way of understanding the Bible. Here's an excerpt from Calvin's InstitutesFor just as eyes, when dimmed with age or weakness or by some other defect, unless aided by spectacles, discern nothing distinctly; so, such is our feebleness, unless scripture guides us in seeking God.[1]Without the scriptures, we may know there is a God, but we are confused about who he is. But with the glasses of the scriptures, we can see that which before was only a matter of confusion.Peter: In last week's episode, when we were talking about chapter 4 of Genesis and the family of Cain, you said something like this: that in the midst of the gloom of a fallen world, the grace of God was still discernible. How does chapter 5 throw any light on that? It is odd because when you read it, it seems to consist of a list of names and strangely long lifespans.Phillip: The chapter is a genealogy, but why don't we read it? Friends, this is part of God's word. God has chosen to reveal himself in not just one genealogy, but in several. Genesis 4:25-5:32And Adam knew his wife again, and she bore a son and called his name Seth, for she said, “God has appointed for me another offspring instead of Abel, for Cain killed him.” To Seth also a son was born, and he called his name Enosh. At that time people began to call upon the name of the LORD.This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God. Male and female he created them, and he blessed them and named them Man when they were created. When Adam had lived 130 years, he fathered a son in his own likeness, after his image, and named him Seth. The days of Adam after he fathered Seth were 800 years; and he had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days that Adam lived were 930 years, and he died.When Seth had lived 105 years, he fathered Enosh. Seth lived after he fathered Enosh 807 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Seth were 912 years, and he died.When Enosh had lived 90 years, he fathered Kenan. Enosh lived after he fathered Kenan 815 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enosh were 905 years, and he died.When Kenan had lived 70 years, he fathered Mahalalel. Kenan lived after he fathered Mahalalel 840 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Kenan were 910 years, and he died. When Mahalalel had lived 65 years, he fathered Jared. Mahalalel lived after he fathered Jared 830 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Mahalalel were 895 years, and he died.When Jared had lived 162 years, he fathered Enoch. Jared lived after he fathered Enoch 800 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Jared were 962 years, and he died.When Enoch had lived 65 years, he fathered Methuselah. Enoch walked with God after he fathered Methuselah 300 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Enoch were 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not, for God took him.When Methuselah had lived 187 years, he fathered Lamech. Methuselah lived after he fathered Lamech 782 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Methuselah were 969 years, and he died.When Lamech had lived 182 years, he fathered a son and called his name Noah, saying, “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” Lamech lived after he fathered Noah 595 years and had other sons and daughters. Thus all the days of Lamech were 777 years, and he died.After Noah was 500 years old, Noah fathered Shem, Ham, and Japheth.Certain things stand out. Sons and daughters are mentioned each time. It's not just the sons mentioned, nor all the sons; only the first-born sons are named. There's also an incredible sense of life, that they live so long even before they have children, but then they go on living a long life. But there's still that chorus that keeps coming, ‘And he died…and he died…and he died.' Life is still within the family of Adam, yet the death sentence is still there. There are two particularly important characters mentioned: Enoch and Noah. There's a prophecy about Noah: “Out of the ground that the LORD has cursed, this one shall bring us relief from our work and from the painful toil of our hands.” There's a hope for Noah that is different from all the others; there's something special about to happen. What about Enoch?Peter: What we see in Enoch is grace at work. God has been revealed as the great creator. Now, the other name we give him, ‘Saviour', comes into play. The word is not there, but you can see the saviour at play, perhaps with the advent of Seth, who takes the place of Abel. Abel is the man of faith who, even in his death, foreshadows Christ. It is by the family of Seth that men begin to call on the name of the Lord. Presumably, the name of the Lord there is the name ‘Yahweh', the name that people of faith call God as time goes on. Moses has his experience of hearing about the name of God at the burning bush. So, calling on the name of the Lord, perhaps even preaching the name of the Lord, occurs then. It's a signal to us that something significant is happening, that God's grace, his saving power, is at work. He's not going to leave the family of Adam and Eve to perish.Phillip: It's interesting that having had the introduction at the end of chapter 4 about the firstborn son and then the grandson Seth, we have at the beginning of chapter 5 a recap of the story, so to speak, about man being created in the image. The image that man is created in, that Adam has, then passes on to his child Seth. There's a sense in which the dominion to rule the world is passed on, particularly within this family rather than in the family of Cain. There's a godly family here that is then outlined for us.But those long ages testify to life that they have, in all its strength and vigour. Genesis is not telling us everything; it could refer to houses or dynasties. God in his power could have someone live this long, but it's recorded because it is extraordinarily long. People are not going to continue to live that long. When Moses is writing this, he knows that that's not how long people normally live. It may be like Sumerian kings who reigned over this period of time.Peter: They were said to reign for a thousand years, meaning their house, their dynasty, their family, reigned for a thousand years.Phillip: We're not really sure, but it doesn't matter how long they lived, because they died. In this way Enoch is so unique because he walked with God; he was not like the others. God chooses to take him.“Calling on the name of God” is an interesting phrase about God at work in grace. It sounds like it's referring to when people started praying. The phrase is used that way sometimes. The name of the Lord is important to pick up because it's printed in upper case; they were calling on the name ‘Yahweh'. That means that they had personal knowledge of him. When I call God ‘God', I'm talking about what he is, but when I call God ‘Yahweh', I'm talking about who he is; it's a personal relationship. But the phrase ‘calling on' can mean ‘proclaiming', so in Exodus 34, where God proclaims his name to MosesYahweh descended in the cloud and stood with him there and proclaimed the name of Yahweh. Yahweh passed before him and proclaimed, “Yahweh, Yahweh, a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness”God proclaimed the name of Yahweh, and so back in Genesis 4, the time of Enosh was the time when people began to proclaim the name ‘Yahweh'.Peter: This fits with what we read about Enoch. We read that he walked with God, exactly what Adam and Eve used to do before they sinned in the garden. It displays the intimacy of faith, which you understand if you're a Christian believer, where you walk with God.Then this extraordinary phrase, in a chapter that says, ‘And then he died', and we come to Enoch, “And he was not, for God took him.” The same happened later on with Elijah, which presumably means that God took him home to be with him. Hebrews 11:5By faith Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God.In other words, Elijah was walking with God. He had pleased God and so was taken up. So there was something extraordinary about this man, Enoch. The wonderful Matthew Henry, an 18th century commentator on these things, saidEnoch was the brightest star of the patriarchal age, distinguished by true religion and eminent religion. He did not only walk after God, as all good men do, but he walked with God, as if he were in heaven already. To walk with God was the business of Enoch's life. It was the joy and support of his life. Whenever a good man dies, God takes him, fetches him hence, and receives him to himself. Those whose walk in the world is truly holy shall find their removal out of it truly happy.[2]I'll never forget John Newton, the writer of Amazing Grace whom you mentioned last time, saying as he neared the end of his life, “I am a great sinner, and Christ is a great saviour.” Our trust in God, shown by our faith and our behaviour of the way in which we live for him, is what saves us.Phillip: Within the genealogy, though, is the narrative of salvation being worked out.Peter: When I looked at our genealogies in the DNA test that I did recently, I was checking up on our ancestry to give me a sense of who we are and where we've come from. It was to satisfy my curiosity about things. But this genealogy is different.Phillip: This is telling us a story and showing us God's grace at work. In the world of Cain and his great-great-grandson Lamech, where things are going so badly, we go back to Adam, and then we find some who are proclaiming the name of Yahweh. In chapter 3, we were told that the seed of the woman would actually crush the serpent. We've been looking for the serpent crusher ever since chapter 3. It wasn't Cain. It couldn't be Abel. It's Seth's son, Enosh. That's when they start proclaiming the name of Yahweh. So we think, ‘Here it's coming,' and then it's just another person who's dead. There's a long wait. God is very patient in his salvation.Peter: But the genealogy is pointing forward; there's someone coming.Phillip: Enoch is someone who's come, and Enoch is saved, but he doesn't save anybody else. Then there's Noah, and he's coming as ‘the one that's going to reverse the curse'. Now we have the name of the serpent crusher, Noah, and the salvation of the world is going to come with this man. I hope we all know something of the events of Noah's life, which we'll look at next time in terms of the flood, but we also know that Noah didn't turn out to be the saviour of the world either. In 2 Peter chapter 2 we readIf he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly… then the Lord knows how to rescue the godly from trials, and to keep the unrighteous under punishment until the day of judgment.It's a great passage that refers to Noah, and the fact that it's not Noah who is the saviour, but that God is the saviour through Noah. It's unfortunate because the Greek is actually saying something differently here, which I think is important to understand our genealogy. It talks about Noah as “a herald of righteousness with seven others.” Who are the seven? Most people will tell you who the seven are: Noah's wife, their three sons, Ham, Shem and Japheth, and their three daughters-in-law who go nameless; that equals eight people. The trouble is, the Greek doesn't even say eight; it says ‘eighth'. God preserved Noah, the eighth herald of righteousness. I can understand why our translators make it simple with the solution, he and seven others, but it's not eight; it's eighth.What's more, he's a herald of righteousness, but when you read the events of Noah, he doesn't say anything to anybody; he never preaches. But the word ‘herald' means ‘to preach'. So here's a man who doesn't preach and is called ‘the eighth preacher of righteousness'. The answer is found in Genesis 5, because one of the characteristics of the New Testament quoting and alluding to the Old Testament is the accuracy and care with which they treat the Old Testament, and this is a good example. Back in Genesis 4, we're told, ‘This is the time from which they proclaim the name of Yahweh.' It started with Enosh. You then look at the numbers of people who were there: Enosh, then Kenan, Mahallalel, Jared, Enoch, Methuselah, Lamech and number eight, Noah. He's the eighth proclaimer of the name of the Lord. So Peter is referring to that, not to the family numbers that were saved.Peter: We've put on our spectacles, namely the word of God, and we've looked out at the world. We've come across a passage which seems so remote, so different from the way we think, talking about people who are just beyond imagining. But we see the wickedness and corruption of the world, of human culture, to this day: filled with wonderful achievements, but corrupted by human sin always. We've now seen God at work, that in and through human history, invisible to all but those who put on the spectacles of the Bible, God is there, and he's showing his grace to them. But he's also preparing for the ultimate hero of this genealogy, Jesus. Thus, we should have no fear, but every day, even in the midst of the difficulties of living in a world such as the one we've inherited, we should be filled with faith and hope.[1] John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, 1535[2] Matthew Henry, Complete Commentary, 1706Scripture quotations are from The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.Links & RecommendationsFor more on this topic, listen to Phillip's 1997 Campus Bible Study Talk on Genesis 5-11 entitled The Impossible Subject.Freely available, supported by generosity.If you enjoy Two Ways News, why not lend us a hand? Consider joining our Supporters Club—friends who make it possible for us to keep producing this article/podcast.To join the Supporters Club, follow the link below to the ‘subscribe' page. You'll see that there's:* a number of ‘paid options'. To join the Supporters Club take out one of the paid ‘subscription plans' and know we are deeply grateful for your support!* also the free option (on the far right hand side) This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.twoways.news/subscribe

Does God need us to save people?The LORD sovereignly worked through his disobedient prophet to save the sailors (Jonah 1)God turns the spotlight on Jonah in the big storm (1-12; Proverbs 16:33)The sailors worship Yahweh (13-16)God's role: He alone saves people (Ephesians 2:1-10)Your role: Freely speak of your Christian identity (Romans 10:9-15)The LORD sovereignly worked through his grumpy prophet to save Nineveh (Jonah 3)God softens hearts despite Jonah's small efforts in the big cityThe Ninevites repent before GodGod's role: He changes hearts so people believe the message (Acts 13:48; 16:14)Your role: Know the gospel and the Bible (1 Peter 3:15-16)

A sermon on 1 Corinthians 9

Director and creative visionary Isaac Yowman joins Paige to talk about the power of storytelling, getting out of your own way, and his most recent short film, “Sincerely Brad”. This convo is equal parts therapy and a masterclass on being a creative. Pour up, whiners!Follow the Pod: instagram.com/adultishwhines/Follow your Host: instagram.com/paige_crutcher/Follow Isaac: instagram.com/chillvibes/Go to https://betterhelp.com/adultish for 10% off your first month of therapy with BetterHelp and get matched with a therapist who will listen and help #sponsored Use code ADULTISH at adameve.com for 50% off, free gifts and free shipping. Use code AWCLUB at kingsofneon.com for 10% off a custom neon sign.

For most people in Christian circles, "discipleship" becomes a junk drawer word that is used to describe almost anything that happens in the Christian life, or going deeper in Christian education, or just doing life together.So what really is discipleship? What does it mean to be a disciple, who makes disciples?"What I want to show you today that will hopefully blow up all of your modern, conventional understandings of discipleship and put discipleship right back where Jesus put it -- which is in the hands of everyday people."Pastor Joey McLaughlin[17] From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”[18] While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. [19] And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” [20] Immediately they left their nets and followed him. [21] And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. [22] Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. Matthew 4:17–22 (ESV)The Great Commission[16] Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. [17] And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. [18] And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. [19] Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:16–20 (ESV)We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

A media ministry publication of Grace Bible Church in Elkhart, Indiana. Moments of transforming grace from the Bible.

These two concepts aren't often paired, but they are actually intrinsically linked. Everything good that we have is a free gift from the Lord, regardless of how much we have worked for it. When we realize just how much we have been blessed we are filled with a feeling of gratitude. But it also brings a sense responsibility: if we have been so freely blessed, then there is an obligation to freely bless others. As the Lord says, "Freely you have received, freely give."

Bruins players are freely admitting how bad things are //

He lived Freely, he died no fuss. Our heartfelt tribute to the man who was the real rock'n'roll heart of Kiss. Plus three free copies of No Life Til Leather, the Metallica tribute album, not out til Nov 14, to give away in an exciting competition plus news of more live pod gigs!!! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Romans 5:1-2 | Joseph Hart | Hanserd Knollys | Summer Rain by Oliver Massa | Still Life with Fruit, Glassware, and a Wanli Bowl by Willem Kalf | Find more at www.ryanbush.org

God dwells with his people. We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

We Give Freely Have you ever let anger, pride, or offense write a chapter of your story you wish you could erase? In 1 Samuel 25, we meet three people who respond to conflict in three very different ways: Nabal, who hoards; David, who reacts; and Abigail, who gives. Their story asks us a simple but powerful question—when this season of your life is retold, what kind of story will it be? This week, Pastor David unpacks how generosity isn't just about what we give—it's about the kind of person we become. Because generosity doesn't just change what you give; it changes the story your life tells.  1 Samuel 25 Discussion topics Icebreaker - In every season, you'll meet a Nabal, need an Abigail, and battle the David within you. The question isn't which one you admire — it's which one you're becoming. Scripture Reflection (Read 1 Samuel 25:2-11) a. What stands out to you about Nabal's attitude and response? b. Where do you see a “Nabal mindset” show up in our culture today — or even in your own life? How does entitlement or fear keep us from being generous?  Practical Application - Think about a moment recently when you had to choose between reacting in anger or responding in wisdom. What did you learn from it? Where might God be calling you to live more generously — not just with money, but with your words, time, or grace? Personal Reflection (Read 1 Samuel 25:12-13 & 21-22) a. David went from patience (with Saul) to rage (with Nabal) in a single chapter. Why do you think that happened? b. When have you found yourself “strapping on your sword” — reacting instead of responding? What helps you pause before you make a decision that might write a story you'll regret?  Next Steps - Who is someone that God has placed on your heart to be an Abigail to?  Will you take time and intentionally invite them to sit with you during At The Movies?  Check out our other audio series and video playlists that can help you find Jesus in every moment and then discover what's next

Cabin Cousins: Part 3 The love between Charles and Melissa grows. Based on a post by NewMountain80, in 6 parts. Listen to the Podcast at Connections. Chapter Eleven I pressed the green 'send' button and put my phone to my ear as it began to ring. It rang only once before the clear voice of an angel excitedly asked, "Hello?". "Hi, Melissa! I made it home safe," I replied with an equal amount of excitement. "I miss you already," Melissa said with a sigh. "I miss you too." Hearing her voice and remembering the events of the last couple of days, made me hard. As we talked, about nothing in particular, I absently rubbed my erection through my jeans. We talked for about an hour, before we were both running out of things to say. "When can we see each other again?" She asked the question I know she had been dying to ask since she first said hello." "I'm already on the schedule to work open to close all of next weekend, and I don't think I could get away with taking two weekends off in a row." "Yeah, I have to work too." She said. "My bosses are going out of town, so there's no way I could get out of it." "What about the weekend after that? I could probably get it off." I asked hopefully. "Me too." Then, excitedly. "That Saturday is Halloween! We could go to a party?" "That sounds like fun. Up there, or down here?" I asked, meaning where she lived in Duluth, or where I did in the Twin Cities. "Up here. There won't be any brothers sneaking around to overhear us." We both laughed, still slightly embarrassed that my older brother Mark had heard us making love in my tent before dawn that very morning. "I'll figure out what party we'll go to. You need to make up a convincing excuse for your parents on why you're going to be in Duluth all weekend." She said, reminding us both of the importance of keeping our relationship a secret. "I can do that." I didn't want to stop talking with Melissa ever, but I knew I had to. Sighing, I said. "I have to work early tomorrow. I should go get something to eat and get to bed." "Yeah, me too," Her reluctance to end the call was evident. "I'll call you at about eight tomorrow night?" "I'll be here," I said, already excited at the prospect of talking with her again. "I love you, Charles." Those simple words made my heart flutter. "I love you, Melissa," I replied, and in an unspoken agreement that we wouldn't say goodbye, we both ended the call. I sat there for a while, my heart still fluttering. In less than two weeks, I'll see her again. This time, I'll be going to her place in Duluth. The idea of spending a weekend with her, without having to worry about being found out, made me almost giddy with excitement. That night, when I jerked off before falling asleep, it was with the thought of what Melissa and I would do alone in her apartment. When she called me the next day, it was with her new cell phone. She said she had to get one because now she had important calls that she couldn't miss. It wasn't a big thing, but it felt good that she would do it just to make sure she could talk to me. We talked every night for the next week and a half and made our plans for the upcoming weekend. I would go up after work Friday night, and then on Saturday, we would go to a party that one of Melissa's friends, Ashley, was already planning on going to. Melissa excitedly explained that we were going to double date with her friend and her friend's boyfriend, James and that they already had a plan for a costume theme. As curious as I was, Melissa playfully refused to tell me what the theme was, saying that she would take care of getting our costumes together. I had gotten in touch with a high school friend of mine who had started classes at the state university. Rob was a year older than me and had been living in a dorm on campus. I asked him straight up if I could use visiting him as an excuse for being in Duluth with a girl I didn't want my parents to know about. (I specifically did not mention who this girl was.) "You'll owe me one." He had said, laughing. "But I got you, bro." The days went by slowly, the growing ache in my heart tempered only by our nightly phone calls. Knowing that I would hear her voice in the evening, was something I looked forward to from the moment the previous call ended. I loved our talks, even when neither of us had anything particularly interesting to say. But I needed more. I needed to hold her, smell her, and taste her on my lips. The most anticipated Friday had finally come. Since I was taking the rest of the weekend off, my boss had convinced me to work a long shift. A twelve-hour shift that started at eight in the morning sucked, but the money was nice. Besides, Melissa had to work until eight to close up the store she worked at anyway. My work was busy most of the day, the store being filled with people buying last-minute Halloween decorations, or supplies to get one more project done while the weather was still decent. In the evening, business trailed off, and by six-thirty, the store was nearly empty. I tracked down the outdoor lumberyard supervisor, Gary, who was my immediate boss. I asked him if since it was so dead in the store, I could leave early. He laughed and asked if I had a hot date. I grinned and said that yeah, I actually did. He made shooing gestures at me with his hands and laughed again, telling me to hurry up and get out of there. On my way out of the store, I went through a checkout line to buy a pack of breath mints. I saw disposable cameras hanging on a hook next to all the other assorted impulse-buy items they had on display there. I realized that I didn't have a single picture of Melissa, so I bought one of those too. Sales strategy: successful. I had packed my bag the night before, so I left work and drove directly onto the freeway to head north. It was a little more than a two-hour drive to Duluth, but it seemed to take twice that long. I couldn't wait to hold Melissa again. My mouth watered at the thought of kissing her, and my pants got tight when I thought of the moans she would make as I made her cum. I had done some "research" in the time we had last seen each other, and I had a few new things I wanted to try. So lost was I in my imagination, that I almost missed my exit. I pulled off the freeway, and onto Grand Ave. I was less than a mile away now, and the closer I got to her apartment, the more my anticipation grew. As I pulled into the parking lot, and stopped my truck next to Melissa's Toyota, my heart was pounding with excitement. I got out of my truck and was about to knock on her door, the one marked (appropriately, I thought) with the number ten. Before I could knock, the door swung inwards, and there she was. Dressed in gray sweatpants and a pale pink tank top, she stood there for a moment, grinning at me like a little kid who had just opened a Christmas present to find the thing she had wanted most in the whole world. Suddenly, she leaped forward and nearly knocked me over as she wrapped her arms around me. She buried her face against my neck, inhaling deeply. "You're real." She said softly. She pulled back a bit and giggled when she saw the slightly confused expression on my face. She kissed me, deeply and passionately. It was sweeter than I had dreamed about, more delicious than, well, words fail to describe it. All I can say is that after nearly two weeks apart, kissing her was pure bliss. She made a soft moan into my mouth when I grabbed her ass and pulled her in tight to me. I could feel through her sweatpants that she wasn't wearing panties, and my cock twitched at the thought. Neither of us wanted to stop the kiss, but I felt her shiver in the crisp night air. She broke off the kiss and took a half step towards the door. "It's cold out here, come inside." "I gotta grab my backpack," I said pointing back to my truck. "Close the door tight when you come in, it kinda sticks." She said, dashing inside and closing the door just enough so it didn't latch. I grabbed my bag, and hurried in, bumping my back hard against the door until the latch clicked. I got my first look at her apartment. In a word, it was small. It was pretty much a converted motel room. There was a small living room in the front, nearly filled with just a couch, a small desk and chair, and a TV stand. Behind the couch was a countertop island, and just enough kitchen space to fit a refrigerator, a stove, and a sink. To the side of that, was a narrow hallway that I assumed led to the bathroom and bedroom. The furnishings were second-hand, but the place was clean, and had a somewhat cozy feel to it. I had taken all this in in a few seconds, but then my eyes noticed something. On the floor in the living room was a pale pink tank top, the one Melissa had been wearing just a moment before. I dropped my backpack next to the door and started towards the hallway. Though the front room was brightly lit, the hall and what lay beyond was dark. I found her sweatpants, then a little farther, a bra. My eyes were slowly becoming adjusted to the dark, and I could see the outline of a bed in the middle of a small room. As I approached, I began to undress, carelessly tossing my work clothes on the floor. Now completely naked, I put my hands down on the edge of the bed and found her perfect bare feet. I caressed her soles for a moment, then slowly ran my hands up her legs. As I climbed onto the bed, my hands slid further up, and I followed them with a trail of light kisses. When my face reached her groin, I could feel her squirm, eager for my touch. I could smell the wonderful scent of her arousal and could feel the heat of her radiating onto my face. Gently, I pushed her knees aside and slid my palms up her inner thighs. I lowered my face, and as softly as I could, I ran the tip of my tongue up the length of her labia. She inhaled sharply and shuddered. I moved my tongue back down, with the gentlest of contact, and she rocked her hips towards me, desperate for me to do more. Slowly, I pushed my tongue against her hole, and licked her fully, her lips spreading as my tongue moved up. When it brushed across her clit, she twitched and groaned in pleasure. I closed my mouth over her, and lapped gently, running my tongue between her lips and across her clit over and over. She put her hands on my head, holding my face to her as her moans grew louder. Every so often, I changed the motion of my tongue, how fast it went, and how hard or softly I licked her, paying close attention to how her body reacted, and making changes accordingly. We fell into a rhythm, where she started rocking her hips in time with my tongue, and with every motion she expelled her rapid breath quick sharp groan. Suddenly, her hands grasped my hair tightly, and she held her breath as her whole body convulsed. She let out a long satisfied moan, her body continuing to twitch periodically. I licked slowly alongside, and below her pussy, lapping up her delicious juices. She continued to moan, becoming quieter as she came down from her explosive orgasm. I felt so much joy that I was able to do this to her. Her pleasure was my pleasure. Finally, when she was able to speak, she gasped out. "Oh my God that was intense!" She pulled on the back of my head urgently. "Come here." As I moved up, I quickly swiped a hand over my soaking wet face and smeared it on my cock. The hands on the back of my head led my lips to hers, and when our mouths met, I guided my cock into her, burying myself as deeply as I could. We both exhaled a grunt of pleasure. Her legs wrapped tightly around me as we kissed furiously, losing ourselves to unbridled desire. I began to pump my cock in and out of her with deep, hard thrusts. We had to stop kissing to breathe, so we just stared into each other's eyes. The connection we had made two weeks ago was somehow made stronger with our separation. As we gave ourselves completely to each other, we became something so much greater than ourselves. We were a single being, as beautiful as it was indestructible, burning brighter than the sun. With every stroke, her legs pulled me into her, and she started gasping out the occasional word in her sharp exhalations, words like 'yes' and 'harder' and 'faster'. As I felt my orgasm building with unstoppable urgency, I could feel Melissa's build. In a positive feedback loop, her pleasure fueled my own, which in turn fueled hers. Again, as if we were a singular creature, we climaxed together. We never once broke eye contact as I filled her with my seed, and she spasmed tightly around my cock. We both exclaimed in exultant joy at the release. I held her face with my hands, and she held mine. We kissed quickly, as we both struggled to catch our breath. I was in a state of utter awe. Before Melissa, I could never have imagined that it was possible to reach such a state of physical and emotional euphoria. Melissa's eyes were like mirrors to my soul. I saw reflected there, all the love I felt for her, all of my wonder, and my sense of ultimate unity. Saying the words 'I love you' and hearing her respond in kind, would be so inadequate a way to express how we felt about each other, but I said them anyway. "I love you, Melissa," I whispered. "I love you, Charles." She whispered back. We nuzzled each other's necks, both still buzzing in the come-down from our glorious lovemaking. Eventually, though, my cock went soft, and she made that adorable disappointed noise when it slipped out of her. I felt a bit of disappointment of my own, as the weariness of my long day began to set in, and I knew that I didn't have it in me to have a second go with Melissa. She reluctantly released me from the vise-like grip of her legs, and I moved onto my side next to her. She turned and lay on her side, facing away from me. I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close, and she wiggled her ass until my sex-slick cock rested between her cheeks. She sighed with contentment. "Melissa?" "Hmm?" She responded. "When I got here, what did you mean when you said that I was real?" "It was because of a dream I had last night." She said, somewhat sheepishly. "Oh?" I asked. "Yeah. It's kind of silly now, but it was one of those dreams that seem so real. I dreamed that I was here waiting for you. I waited and waited, and you never showed up. So I called you, and your number was disconnected. I looked in my diary, I don't even have a diary, but for some reason, I did in the dream, and it was all just boring stuff. Not a single mention of you at all, not even from when we were just kids. In the dream, I came to the realization that I had imagined everything, that I had become so lonely that I made up my perfect guy, my perfect best friend, and you didn't actually exist." "I'm here," I said. "All of this really happened." "I know." She moved my hand that was around her chest up to her lips, kissing it. "It's just that it seemed so real, it just stuck with me all day, you know?" "Have you been that lonely?" I asked, feeling a pang of sympathy. She nodded slowly. "For as long as I can remember. I've got friends, but I've never been super close to any of them. I've never had anyone who I felt comfortable enough with to just be myself. No one except you." I gave her a little squeeze, and she held my arm tightly to her chest. She continued speaking. "I lived for those weekends at the cabin with you. It was the only thing I looked forward to, the only time growing up that I can remember being truly happy." "What about your parents?" I asked cautiously, still not knowing the story about what happened, and whether or not it was an uncomfortable subject. "I don't want to think about them right now." "I'm sorry," I said, feeling horrified that I might have upset her. She kissed my hand again. "It's okay, really. We can talk about them tomorrow if you want, just..." She yawned and pulled my arms tight around her. "Not right now." I felt such empathy towards her. Hearing of her loneliness, and imagining what was behind it, hurt my heart, as if I had felt it firsthand. I made another silent vow to myself, that I would never let her feel alone. In making that vow, I knew, as surely as I knew that gravity pulls down, or that fire was hot, that I would be there for her forever. I would happily devote my entire life to her, with zero regrets. It was simply the way it was. I kissed her bare shoulder and nuzzled my face into her hair. We were both silent after that, and very soon, I could tell that she had drifted off to sleep. I closed my eyes and listened to her slow steady breath until it lulled me to sleep. Chapter Twelve. I awoke alone in Melissa's bed. I checked my watch, it was just after nine in the morning. I had arrived at about nine last night, and we were both asleep not all that long after that. I couldn't remember the last time I had slept for that long. It felt good. As I stretched, I discovered a note on the pillow next to me. It read: "I wanted to ravish you this morning, but you were sleeping so soundly, I couldn't bring myself to wake you up. I went for a run, be back soon. Love, Melissa." I was sure that, given the choice, I would always happily sacrifice some sleep to be ravished by Melissa. I smiled to myself. We'll just have to make up for it later. I found my underwear in a corner, pulled them on, and headed to the bathroom to take a leak. I retrieved my bag from where I had dropped it last night, carefully tucked Melissa's note away, and dug out my toiletries pouch. I had brushed my teeth and was rinsing with some mouthwash when I heard a key turn the lock on the front door. Melissa pushed the door closed, and smiled when she saw me walking out of the hallway. She kept it very warm in her apartment, so I had been fine to stay in just my boxer briefs. She eyed me up and down as I approached. She moved quickly into my open arms, and we kissed briefly. "Good morning, sleepy head." "Good morning, beautiful," I replied, giving her another quick kiss. Despite the below-freezing temperature outside, she was hot and sweaty from her exercise. She took off her windbreaker and pulled her sweatshirt over her head. She was wearing a black sports bra, that I thought looked very sexy on her athletic figure. "I need a shower." She said. Her exposed skin glistened with sweat. On impulse, I leaned in and licked her, from the middle of her chest, all the way up the side of her neck. She giggled and squirmed a bit and halfheartedly said. "Uh, gross." With my face still against her neck, I breathed in deep through my nose. "I love the way you smell." I licked the sweaty skin of her neck again. "I love the way you taste." She pulled back slightly so she could see me, and the look on her face told me that I had just taken a huge stride in squashing one of her insecurities. "Come shower with me," She said softly. I followed as she led me by the hand to the bathroom. The tiny space felt cramped with two people in it, but I loved the enforced closeness with Melissa. As sensually as she could in the space, she stripped off the rest of her clothes, then tugged down on the waistband of my underwear, sending them to my ankles. She kept her hands on my waist, and I put a hand to her face, kissing her sweetly. She bit the corner of her lower lip, in a pensive expression. "Will you..." She asked slowly. "Let me shave you?" I brushed a hand across my face. What facial hair I was able to grow was fine, blonde, and didn't grow very fast. My face still felt smooth from when I had shaved the previous morning. With a nervous smile, Melissa pointedly glanced down, and I caught her meaning. I had never shaved down there before, and honestly, the thought had never occurred to me. Seeing the slightly hopeful expression on her face, I was open to the idea. "Okay," I replied. Her face lit up. "Really?" I nodded with a reassuring smile. "Yeah." She gave me a quick kiss and started rummaging in a box under the sink. She found what she was looking for, holding up a professional-looking electric trimmer. "First step." She said, getting down on her knees in front of me. She plugged it in and adjusted the little lever that set the trim length. "Ready?" I nodded, finding myself slightly amazed that I felt no fear or hesitation in what she was about to do. She turned on the clippers, and it made a snapping noise, before buzzing loudly. With care, she began to trim above my cock, and big clumps of my curly blonde hair began falling to the tile floor. She patted the closed toilet lid, and I put a foot there, my legs spreading enough so she could get at the rest of me. Carefully, she trimmed one side, then the other, gently holding my erect cock aside as she worked. Then she moved to my balls, holding them as she trimmed up from my perineum. I shivered involuntarily from the vibrations of the trimmer on my most sensitive and private areas. She looked up at me with a smile. I could tell that she was enjoying herself immensely. "That feels good," I said, smiling down at her. She finished with my balls, taking great care in pulling the skin smooth as she trimmed. Before shutting the trimmer off, she held the side of it flat against my perineum and balls. I made a low moan as the powerful vibrations made my whole groin tingle. I was disappointed when the trimmer clicked off. I could see by her satisfied smile that she had made a mental note of how I had responded to that. My cock twitched at the thought of what she would do with that information. She blew hard and brushed her hands over me to get the loose bits of hair off. It felt significantly more drafty down there, and her hands felt cool on my nearly bare skin. The sensation of her hands on the short remnants of my pubic hair was very different, but not in a bad way. She stood and kissed me, then reached in and turned on the shower. She held her hand under the water until it was hot, then stepped in, pulling me in behind her. She had the temperature set much higher than I usually like it, but I got used to it very quickly. I held her in my arms and we kissed passionately as the water cascaded over us. She reluctantly ended the kiss and handed me a bottle of shower gel. "Wash me." She demanded, with desire in her eyes. I squirted gel into my hands, and knelt, deciding to start with her legs, knowing they must be sore from her run. I scrubbed with my hands, massaging her muscles from her feet to her thighs, first one leg, then the other. I loved the feel of her strong muscles and the firm contours they made. Her sighs of relief, when I devoted extra time to deeply massaging her calves and thighs, told me that I was right to start here. Melissa tended to wear loose-fitting clothes, like baggy jeans or sweatpants. I understood why. Her legs weren't what would be called 'classically feminine', and so she felt insecure about how they looked. I thought they were glorious, particularly in the fact that her thighs didn't touch, leaving a one-inch gap that left nothing unseen. I added this to the list of her insecurities that I intended to squash. I stood and kissed her briefly. Using more of the flowery scented gel, I washed her upper body, starting from her shoulders, and working my way down both arms. Again, I took my time, massaging her toned muscles, and getting more satisfied sighs for my efforts. I scrubbed her chest, getting a moan from her as I briefly swirled my soapy hands around her erect nipples. My hands moved across her flat belly, and though I couldn't see her six-pack, I could feel the definition of her muscles under her smooth skin. In the days after our first weekend as lovers, I had thought about the disparity in physical form between us. I wasn't fat, or even chubby. However, I didn't regularly work out or exercise, apart from what I got while at work, so I wasn't in nearly as good of shape as Melissa was. I had been afraid that I would become intimidated by her. Massaging her muscles like this, and feeling her strength, I freely admit that she was stronger than myself. Instead of being intimidating, I found it to be incredibly sexy, and motivating. She was a goddess, and I worshiped her with all of my being. I felt a drive within me to better myself so that she could feel the same way about me. I moved my hands to her groin, scrubbing her in a way that, while not overtly sexual, was incredibly sensuous. I slid a hand between her legs, cupping her ass from below, then ran my soapy finger through her crack. Feeling bold, and curious as to how she would react, I paid extra attention to her asshole, rubbing it briefly with the tip of my middle finger. I looked up at her when I did this. Her eyes were closed, and her smile got a little wider as she made a small indistinct sound of pleasure at the backdoor contact. I rinsed my hands and got more gel. I moved in close, and she draped her arms around my shoulders as my cock nestled between her legs. I scrubbed her back, massaging as I moved slowly down from her shoulders to her ass. She grabbed a bottle of shampoo and squirted some into my palm. "Don't wash all of my hair, just close to my scalp." She said, turning her back to me, and raising her chin. I did my best and managed to keep the suds from dripping into her eyes. I massaged her scalp with my fingertips, which she seemed to particularly enjoy. After rinsing her hair, I used her conditioner, and under her direction, on only the hair below her shoulders. I've got two older sisters, and plenty of female cousins, aunts, and nieces, so I knew that women have very specific routines that they follow with their hair. What instructions Melissa gave, I followed to the best of my ability. If I did it wrong, she didn't seem to care. When she turned to face me, her face had the same serene contentment that it had when she was asleep in my arms. She kissed me and said. "That was amazing. I want to be washed like that every single day for the rest of my life." "I want that too," I said. A ghost of a plan began to form in my mind, and as she began to return the act, washing me with as much care as I had washed her, it grew. It was an inspiration that seemed so perfect, I knew that it had to be right. As she washed me, a portion of my mind thought about what I needed to do later that day. Feeling her soapy hands on my body was heavenly, and surprising in its feeling of intimacy. I found myself sighing and groaning in pleasure as her hands relaxed all tension from my body. As she scrubbed my hair with her shampoo, she giggled. "What?" I asked, finding her giggling infectious. "I just realized, you're going to smell just like me for the rest of the day." "So I'm going to smell awesome? Sweet." I replied, leaning my head under the water as she rinsed my hair. That done, she reached out beyond the shower curtain and came back with a small bottle of shave gel and a bright pink razor. "You sure you're okay with this?" She asked. "Yes," I said with a reassuring smile. I had told her in my tent two weeks ago, that she could do anything that she wanted to do me and that I would love it because it was her doing it. While that was still true, I did want to know what it was like to be hairless. She had me sit on the little built-in bench in the shower, and spread my legs wide. She sat on the floor, close to me, and applied the shaving gel. My cock, having gone soft during the relaxing experience of having my body washed, returned to rock-hard status at her gentle touch. She giggled. "That will make things easier." She picked up the razor and prepared herself to begin. She took a deep breath, and I could tell that she was nervous. "Hey," I said gently, and she looked up, meeting my eyes. "I trust you." That seemed to be exactly what she needed to hear, and she began. She took her time, methodically shaving every bit of me. I will admit to feeling a small twinge of anxiety at feeling the blades of her pink razor moving across my most sensitive skin, but I really did trust her. I watched her steady hands as she worked, and felt a whole new kind of intimacy with Melissa. Feeling the trust I had for her, to overcome any fears I might have had and let her do this, was wonderful. She finished, and we stood. She used her hands to assist in rinsing me off, and I was amazed at how smooth her touch felt on me. I explored my freshly shaved skin, feeling the smoothness for myself. "What do you think?" She asked, a bit nervously. "I like it," I answered truthfully. "It's so smooth." She smiled, her relief plain to see. "It looks bigger," I said. It was her turn to attack one of my insecurities. I wasn't small, and by American standards, I was a little longer than average. But every single man on Earth is insecure to some degree about the size, shape, and appearance of his cock. Just, some more than others. "It's the perfect size for me. I don't need it to be bigger." She put her hands on me again, one around my cock, and the other cupping my balls, this time in a way that was decidedly more sexual. I put my arms around her and kissed her deeply as she continued to fondle me. I trailed a hand down her body and between her legs, teasing her with my fingers. Breaking off our kiss, I said. "I need to be inside of you." Her eyes told me that the need was mutual. She turned around, leaning against the shower wall. She arched her back, sticking her gorgeous ass out towards me, and giving it a little wiggle. I guided my cock into her pussy, sliding in slowly. She let out a satisfied sigh, and pushed back into me, her desire for me to be fully inside her, as great as my own. I had been hard for nearly the whole time since she had returned from her run, and the anticipation had built enough that I knew that I wouldn't last very long. So when I began to fuck her, I did it very slowly. Sometimes I would move as slowly as I could, taking thirty seconds or more to pull my cock out of her until I was almost fully out, before reversing direction and taking another thirty seconds to bottom out again. I loved watching the way her vagina stretched around me. Though it was not as intense of an experience as when I pounded into her as fast and as hard as I could, like we did last night, she seemed to be enjoying it immensely. She seemed to like it the most when I entered her as slowly as possible, and when I did that again, I could tell that she was getting close to cumming. As I ever so slowly slid into her, she moaned with her impending climax, and I had to use my hands on her hips to keep her from slamming back into me. If she liked this technique enough to cum, I wanted to make her cum with just the one type of motion. As my cock crept ever deeper, her breathing got heavier. When finally I bottomed out and pulled her tightly back onto me, she came. I smiled as her pussy gripped me tightly, and she shuddered uncontrollably. Still twitching from her orgasm, she pulled herself off of me, and spun around, kissing me intensely. I pushed myself against her, and we bumped back into the shower wall. Melissa lifted a leg and wrapped it around my waist, holding me in close. I reached down and guided my cock into her again, and she moaned loudly. Freely losing myself to our shared passion, I began to thrust into her. She had her arms over my shoulders, holding on tightly. Suddenly, she put her full weight down onto my shoulders, then took her other foot off the floor, wrapping it around me. I reached down and grabbed her ass, lifting her so she could get a better hold around my waist with her legs. With her legs around me, my hands under her ass, and her back against the wall, she was able to take her weight off my shoulders. She cradled my face in her hands and we stared into each other's eyes as I began to pound into her. I didn't know if it was the angle of my entry or the novelty of the position, but she was almost immediately on the verge of cumming again. As it was last night, the feedback loop of our ecstasy was built with unstoppable quickness, and we both cried out as we came. She squeezed me tightly, almost painfully tightly, with her legs, as her pulsating pussy milked the cum out of me. My legs were burning with the effort of holding her up, so I let her down onto her own slightly wobbly legs. She held on to me to keep herself steady and gazed into my eyes. "How is it possible that we are so good at that?" She asked. I smiled lovingly, feeling the same wonder. "Seriously, every time is better than the last! If you make me cum any harder, I think I'm going to pass out!" We laughed and kissed joyously. The water in the shower had gone lukewarm at some point during our lovemaking, but neither of us had noticed. We both gasped though, when it suddenly turned cold. I was ready to jump out of the shower, but Melissa had me stay, so we could clean off the remains of our sex. She reached between her legs, and I could tell that she was flexing her pelvic floor muscles as she pushed my seed out of her. She brought her cum covered hand up to her mouth, licking it clean. I surprised her by kissing her, and tasting my cum inside her mouth, and felt her smile as we kissed. She had surprised me with that two weeks ago, and though I still found the idea of tasting my seed on my own slightly repulsive, tasting it inside Melissa's mouth was a completely different story. We kissed until it was gone, and she watched me with a smile as I knelt and washed her quickly with the cold water. Once she was clean, I ushered her out of the cold shower and rinsed myself off. When I stepped out of the shower, she greeted me by wrapping a towel around me. I grabbed a second towel off the rack and began drying her off. The whole time, we smiled at each other, both almost giddy in our shared experience. It was by far the longest, and most enjoyable, shower of my life. From the washing to the shaving to the amazing sex, it almost seemed like a dream. Looking into Melissa's eyes, I could see that she felt what I felt at that moment. That, just as our sex gets better every time, with every experience we share, in every single moment we are together, our bond grows stronger. When we were both dry, and Melissa had a towel wrapped around her hair, I hugged her. "I love you more than I thought was possible," I whispered. She didn't reply. She didn't need to reply. Her eyes said more than words ever could. Chapter Thirteen. We went to her bedroom, and I pulled a clean pair of underwear out of my backpack. I had them halfway on when I had to stop and watch Melissa. She was putting on her underwear, a very skimpy-looking thong. Its red fabric had a sheen to it, like silk or satin. She saw me watching her, and took up a sexy pose, smiling at me demurely. "Like what you see?" "Oh, yes," I said, walking over to her, and putting a hand on the front of the thong. Satin. I ran my fingers along the smooth string that went around from the front and gave her bare ass cheeks a firm squeeze with both hands. "I could take you again right now." She giggled and rested her hands on my chest. "I could let you." I was about to kiss her and was seriously intending to follow through on my statement when my stomach rumbled loudly. "Oh, you poor boy, you're starving!" Melissa said. "Yeah, I'm hungry too." She turned, picking up a fuzzy bathrobe and putting it on. I made a disappointed sound when she closed it, tying the chord. She grabbed my hand and led me out of the bedroom. "I meant to make you breakfast after my run, but we got... distracted." I chuckled. "Darn." She looked back at me and grinned. Entering the kitchen, as much as the tiny space could be called that, I noticed that she had indeed been intending to cook me breakfast. There was a carton of eggs and a frying pan set out next to the gas stove. "I hope you like your eggs scrambled, because that's the only way how to cook them." "I prefer them scrambled," I said honestly. I smiled as I watched her turn on the stove, and put a pad of butter in the pan. She looked over at me. "Go get dressed. Put on the black pants I asked you to bring. You brought black pants, right?" I nodded, still smiling at her. "What?" She asked with a little self-conscious chuckle. I stepped in and gave her a sweet closed-lip kiss. "You're amazing," I said, then turned to go get dressed. I glanced back as she was opening the egg carton, with a huge smile on her face. Returning to the kitchen fully dressed in a white tee shirt and black pants that honestly were a little tight on me, I saw that the eggs were almost ready. She dished out the contents of the pan onto two plates, handing me the one with the slightly larger share of eggs. To be continued in part 4. Based on a post by NewMountain80, in 6 parts, for Literotica.

Season 2.6 Episode 3, Chat with Stephanie about the free of travel view, like daily life, creating memories, without the challenge of breaking through the comfort zone第2.6季第3期（英文），和Stephanie聊自由持久的旅行观，自由奔赴和创造回忆的日常，无需冲破安全区的挑战For more information, you can follow the WeChat public account: willyi_You can also follow personal ins: willyi_更多内容，可以关注微信公众号：不著还可以关注个人ins：willyi_「This Season」I want to know,The role played by travelAnd our relationship with it【关于本季】我想知道，旅行所扮演的角色，以及我们与它的关系

Send us a textThe devotion for today, Wednesday, October 15, 2025 was written by Hardy Haberman and is narrated by Jay Williams. Today's Words of Inspiration come from Matthew 10:5-8These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans.  Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'  Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give. Support the show

We are people of the Book.Our understanding of God, life, sex, truth, family, philosophy, politics, marriage, and humanity is not shaped primarily by experience, tradition, popular opinion, culture, or what we're comfortable with. Our understanding of God is shaped first and foremost by the word of God. It is our first source, final authority, the greatest love story ever written, and we really believe it's true. We are people of a book not just because of the evidence and reliability of the scriptures, the reason that we are people of a book, ultimately, is because Jesus was a person of the book. Some people today invent this form of Christianity where they're really into Jesus, but not so into the Bible. "I love Jesus, I love self-help Jesus, I love justice Jesus, I love humanitarian Jesus, I love empowering Jesus, I love forgiving Jesus. I love hippie Jesus, but not really into the Bible." This is a big problem because Jesus was all about the Bible! 16 For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. 17 For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, “This is my beloved Son,[a] with whom I am well pleased,” 18 we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain. 19 And we have the prophetic word more fully confirmed, to which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts, 20 knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation. 21 For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit.2 Peter 1:16-21We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

Manuel Mathieu (b. 1986) is a multi-disciplinary artist, working with painting, ceramics and installation. His work investigates themes of historical violence, erasure and cultural approaches to physicality, nature and spiritual legacy. Mathieu's interests are partially informed from his upbringing in Haiti, and his experience emigrating to Montréal at the age of 19. Freely operating in between and borrowing from numerous historical influences and traditions, Mathieu aims to find meaning through a spiritual or asemic mode of apparition. Mathieu has developed a distinctive abstract visual language, used to create phenomenological encounters that confront our didactic traditions. Amorphous forms vacillate and dissolve into one another, creating boundless landscapes traversable through desire. Through his quest for meaning, transparency and openness he undertakes a process of discovering his work, as opposed to creating it; by doing so the work holds its autonomy and can be assimilated into a space of collective consciousness. The vibrational effect of his work elicits physical and emotional frequencies that offer alternative methods for navigating the world. Drawing from a wide-range of subjects, Manuel's practice combines his sensibility and his formal arts education, which culminated in an MFA Degree from Goldsmiths, University of London. artistdecoded.com manuelmathieu.com instagram.com/manuelmathieu  

Adam works with a client to help them let go of the need to control constantly and instead to trust the process and feel a sense of flow and acceptance.

We often carry the story “I can't sing” or “That's not my voice”, a belief rooted in comparison, in safety, in self-protection. We excuse our expression by saying it's for others: “If I sing well, they'll love me.”  In this week's TIMELESS, Alumnus Alejandra Ortis speaks of the voice as a channel - a conduit for the vibrant force that already dances through us. In this episode, we are invited to shift the gaze: the voice is not you pushing forth, but life moving through you. In  How to Remember Your Voice and Sing Freely, we disentangle from the hidden contracts of love and validation, and rest in the truth that  you are love. The voice is simply an expression of that. We speak about lineage, safety, and how many voices - especially those of women - were muted through ancestral memory. May this conversation be a place of permission to let sound move, to let truth sing, to remember the electric current you are. Join The Rhythm with live practice sessions every Monday and Thursday here. For links and more, visit  https://allthatweare.org/  

I wonder what's your definition for eternal life? How would you define it? What is it? This is a question that is fascinated and captivated human since the very beginning of time.Jesus defines eternal life in John 17:3, "And this is eternal life, that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent."Eternal life is not just a destination, it starts with an introduction -- When you come to know the one true God and Jesus Christ, whom he sent. Eternal life is so much more than many of our 21st century abstractions and conceptions have made it out to be. You see, we've even turned eternal life into a prayer that we pray so that we can go to heaven when we die.Jesus flips the script and defines that eternal life is available now. Eternal life is available today. Eternal life is available in the present. The life of the age to come is available right here and now. You see, so many of us were sold a bill of goods that were Christianity was designed to do was it was designed to rescue you so that you didn't have to go to this place called hell when you died. This means that the first and foremost and primary pursuit of any church, and every person and every pastor and every sermon should be for you to know the only true God. We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

"Freely Generous," Rooted, Acts 20:17-35, The Rev. Dcn. J.D. Meeder.

In this solo episode of The Reformed Brotherhood, Jesse Schwamb explores the profound depths of Jesus' Parable of the Sower from Matthew 13. While this parable might seem unassuming compared to others, Jesse reveals how it serves as the "granddaddy" of all parables—offering a God's-eye view of salvation through the ordinary imagery of farming. The episode examines why different people respond differently to the same gospel message, and challenges listeners to consider what kind of soil their own hearts represent. Through historical context and theological reflection, Jesse unpacks how this parable prepares believers for the mixed responses they'll encounter when sharing the gospel and reminds us that the efficacy of salvation depends not on the sower's skill, but on God's sovereign work in preparing hearts to receive His Word. Key Takeaways The Parable of the Sower provides a framework for understanding the various responses to the gospel message, serving as preparation for disciples who would face both acceptance and rejection. Jesus' parables, particularly the Sower, demonstrate how God uses ordinary, mundane things to express profound spiritual truths about His kingdom. The efficacy of salvation doesn't depend on the skill of the sower but on God's sovereign work in preparing the soil of human hearts. God's Word never returns void but always comes back "full" of either acceptance or rejection—it accomplishes exactly what God intends. Historical context matters: Jesus' audience had high expectations for a Messiah who would establish an earthly kingdom, but Jesus was revealing a different kind of kingdom. The Parable of the Sower shows that the kingdom of God isn't received equally by all—some receive it with joy while others reject it outright. Having "ears to hear" is a gift from God through the Holy Spirit, not merely intellectual understanding but spiritual receptivity. The Word That Never Returns Void The power of God's Word stands at the center of the Parable of the Sower. Jesse highlights Isaiah 55, where God declares that His word "shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose." Unlike human words that often fall flat, God's Word always achieves its intended effect. This doesn't mean universal salvation, but rather that God's purposes are never thwarted. When the gospel is proclaimed, it always returns to God "full" of something—either acceptance or rejection. The parable illustrates this reality by showing the various responses to the same seed. This should encourage believers in evangelism: we are simply called to faithfully sow the seed, while God determines the harvest according to His sovereign purposes. Our success is not measured by conversions but by faithfulness in proclamation. Kingdom Expectations vs. Kingdom Reality The historical context of Jesus' ministry reveals a profound disconnect between what people expected from the Messiah and what Jesus actually delivered. Jesse explains how the Jewish people anticipated a conquering king who would overthrow Roman oppression and establish a visible earthly kingdom. Instead, Jesus announced a kingdom that begins in the heart, dividing even families according to their response to Him. The Parable of the Sower anticipates this mixed response, preparing disciples for both acceptance and rejection. This teaches modern believers an important lesson: the gospel will not be universally embraced, even when perfectly presented. Some hearts are like paths, others rocky ground, others thorny soil. Yet we continue sowing because God has appointed some to be good soil—hearts prepared by the Holy Spirit to receive the Word and bear fruit. This reality should both humble us and embolden our witness. Quotes "The power of this message is in the message itself, but the medium by which it is delivered... it does pierce the heart. It does pierce through bone and marrow. It does divide because it always returns full of either acceptance or full of rebellion and denial." - Jesse Schwamb "We find ourselves humbled. We find ourselves rushing in, coming into the kingdom, fighting to come into it because God has impassioned us with that same zeal that has accomplished this very thing. He implants it in our hearts, in our minds, in our guts, so that we would come before him and worship him." - Jesse Schwamb "Consider what it means that this good news... that God's word is his deed. This is why... it's such a blessing to live in this period of time where we have such easy access for most of us to the word of God, and that we ought to be zealous about getting that word out to all people because behind it and within it and around it is the full power of the Holy Spirit." - Jesse Schwamb Full Transcript Welcome to episode 463 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse, and this is the podcast for those with ears to hear. Hey, brothers and sisters, so I am just one half. Of the Reform Brotherhood squad. Tony, of course, wanted to join us on this episode, but it sometimes happens in life. Our schedules were a little bit crazy this week, and God gave us responsibilities that put us in opposite directions for part of the time. And so that means that today on this episode, I thought. You and I, we could just hang out and Tony will be back to join us in the next episode. [00:01:20] Solo Episode and Parable Series Overview But for now, this is one of those solo or formed brotherhood episodes. And if you have been tracking with us, we just started this great and amazing journey on going through all the parables that our Lord and Savior gives to us in teaching us about the kingdom of God and its power. And we just started by talking about the parable of the sower, in fact. In the last episode, we just covered basically the first two soils, the first half of that amazing little story, and I thought it would be really, really great to camp out in that for just a little bit more because even though Tony's not here, the podcast goes on and we, Tony and I never really. Thinking about these things and when we start a series in particular, we always find that we just gotta keep going back on it in our minds ruminating on what we said and what God was teaching us and the conversations like all good conversations that draw your mind back to the things that you talked about, which I should say maybe before I begin in earnest, that is also my denial, which is saying things like, let's camp out in this text now to be. Sure. There's no wrong reason why, or there's no bad reason to say words like that. It's just when I hear myself say them, I think about all the things that Christians say, like saying like, we should camp out in this text, or Let's sit in it for a while. And I think maybe it's because I'm just not into camping or maybe because I think most of the time when you use the phrase like, sit in, it's not. A happy or blessed or joyful thing that you're describing. So I always find that funny, and yet here I am saying it because I just couldn't think of anything better to say except, you know what? We should pause and maybe ruminate a little bit more. On all of this good stuff that's in Matthew chapter 13, where Jesus gives us the parable of the sower, so you can join me in sharing which little Christian phrases maybe you think you hear, we say too much or just become rote or part and parcel what it means to talk. The best way for you to do that is do me a. Go to your favorite internet device and in the browser, type T me slash reform brotherhood, that will just take you that little link to a part of the internet using an app called Telegram where a bunch of brothers and sisters who listen to the podcast are chatting about the podcast, their live sharing prayer requests, and there's even a place for you to share, Hey, what are the things that Christians say that you think. Why do we say that? Why are we always talking about hedges of protection? Why are we always talking about camping out in a text? So that's a place that you can come hang out. So go to t.me/reform brotherhood. [00:03:56] Deep Dive into the Parable of the Sower But enough of that, let's talk a little bit more about this incredible parable that our Lord and Savior gives us in Matthew chapter 13. It's so, so short in fact that I figured. The best parts of any conversation about the Bible is just hearing from God in his word. So let me read just those couple of verses. It's just eight verses beginning in Matthew chapter 13, the parable of the sower. That same day, Jesus went out from the house and sat beside the sea and great crowds gathered about him so that he got into a boat and sat down and the whole crowd stood on the beach. And he told them many things in parables saying a sower went out to sow. And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path and the birds came and devoured them. Other seeds fell on rocky ground where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up since they had no depth of soil. But when the sun rose, they were scorched. And since they had no roots, they withered away. Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. Other seed fell on good soil and produced grain. Some a hundred fold, some 60, some 30. He who has ears let him hear. [00:05:09] Personal Reflections on the Parable I have to say that of all the parables, and we mentioned in the previous episode that this one is kind of the granddaddy of them all. It's a god's eye view on salvation told in this lovely kind of encased way about horticulture and farming and growing plants. But to be totally transparent, I never really got into this parable. It was never really my favorite one. Like of all the things that Jesus says, of all the creative and wonderful terms of phrase, this one for me always just seemed to be lacking That stuff. You know, it doesn't have really strong characters. It's about a sower, seed and soil, and compared to some other things that seems kind of unassuming and. Not very exciting, quite honestly, to me, and it's not as exciting, I think, as stories about, I don't know, losing something of value and then suddenly finding it and rejoicing and having the characters, feeling yourself in those characters as they go about experiencing all the emotions. That Jesus expresses and keyed in these lovely little riddles called parables. And so for this one, it's always been a little bit kind of like a, okay. It's interesting and the point seems fairly straightforward and it just doesn't captivate me as the others. And I've been thinking about about that, how even in this, it just seems like a really normal, mundane, kind of pedestrian expression of a life in that time. And it's all wrapped up in gardening. And throwing seeds into the ground, not even having control of their outcome. And then in this way, though, expressing and explaining this grand narrative and arc of salvation from God's perspective. So it is, again, another lesson in God using ordinary, normal, almost seemingly mundane things to express his power, to express our lack of control and to show so that he does. Did I just say so to, so that he does all things and certainly we get so much of that in this parable, and so it made me think this week after Tony and I talked about it a little bit. Just how it raises a question in this really normative, kind of unassuming, almost boring, if I can say way, this really profound question, which is, will we be this fruitful, fertile soil? Will we be fruitful followers? Of Jesus Christ. And it doesn't just raise this question, I suppose it also gives us some hope, but it also does so with a warning. It is a maybe a little bit of law and gospel even embedded in these simple means of, again, talking about what it means to plant something and to entrust the planting, the acy of the growth there to the soil and the seed, and there's hope. There's warning and there's so much of that that's in this context of the parable, and that's what's led me to wanna talk to you all a little bit about that as we kinda process together more of what this means. [00:08:00] Historical Context and Expectations of the Messiah I was thinking that when Jesus began his ministry, when he's coming forward, he's really announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God. And it's helpful, I think, to meditate as a second on how profound that is, that he comes again, not just as the message, but the messenger and the medium of that message. I was just kinda ruminating on the fact that. Everybody had high expectations. There was no one, I think, with kind of a low opinion of what was about to happen or of what the Messiah was going to bring or what he was going to do. And here you have like explicitly Jesus' hearers, their ancestors would've been taken into exile and captivity because they had broken the covenant with God. And the prophets had made this case for God's punishment because of their idolatry and their injustice. But that message, and you get this especially in in books like Isaiah. Where there's this mixture that's bittersweet. There is not only an exclusive message of woe for the people, but there is at the same time up against sick, almost running parallel. This promise of a day when God, by his own effort in Zeal, would bring about a restoration where he'd set up visibly an earthly reign through his anointed Wanda Messiah. And so I can only imagine if I could. Even partially put myself in the place of these people who are hearing this particular parable, that there is all this sense that we have strayed from God, that we're covenant breakers, but that he has promised to make a way and that his own zeal will very much accomplish this, but it will be visible and earthly, not just spiritual in the sense that we believe these things and we internalize them in the sense for our being, and therefore we speak about them in these kind of grandiose and ephemeral terms. But more than that, that God was going to come and set up an earthly reign, purely manifested in the world in which we live and breathe and have our being. And so two things would happen. Israel's oppressors would be defeated. And God would institute a pure worship and a reestablished pure worship. And so I can't help but think maybe there was some of this expectation. They're, they're seeing this Messiah, this Jesus, the one who speaks with a different kind of authority, come into their midst. And there I think all these things are somewhere in their minds as their processing. Maybe they should be in ours as well. And so there's this portrait that's being painted here of the prophet saying there's gonna be. Restoration and this image of a seed being sown. And then of course you have these metaphors that Jesus is employing in his own time. Very reminiscent of passages like in Isaiah 55, where you find the prophet saying, for as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there, but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater. So shall my word be that goes out from my mouth. It shall not return empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose and I shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it. What an amazing, glorious promise of God that there is no suboptimal nature. In his expression of who he is and what he's accomplished, that the very thing that he intends to do, he always does, and this word comes back. I think what really strikes me about this passage in particular is the fact that it does not return to God empty. I mean, think about what that means. It's strange in a way. That. In other words, it's full of something. And here I think it's full of response. It's full of anticipation. It's full of this. Like what? What has gone out is now received by the individual and then returns with either acceptance or denial, very much in the same way that we're about to receive it in this parable before us. And in fact, even our ability to understand the parable. This if you have ears, he has ears. Let him hear that itself is an expression. So in other words. The power of this message is again, in the message itself, but the medium by which it is delivered, it does pierce the heart. It does pierce through bone and marrow. It does divide because it always returns full of either acceptance or full of rebellion and denial. And so when we think about the people of Israel. They exactly in that way. They return from exile under Ezra Nehemiah. But even those returns, even those improvements or some of that remediation seems to me like to come short of expectations. You know, Ezra rebuilt the temple, but it paled in comparison to Solomon's original, in fact. If we go to Ezra chapter three, there's like so much honesty as the people are seeing this rebuilt temple. Their response is, is like tragic in a way. So this is Ezra chapter three, beginning verse 12. But many of the priests and Levites and heads of fathers houses, old men. Who had seen the first house as the temple of God wept with a loud voice when they saw the foundation of this house being laid, though many shouted aloud for joy so that the people cannot distinguish the sound of the joyful from the sound of people's weeping for the people shouted with a great shout and the sound was heard far away, even in just the setting up the foundation, the base layer. There are those saying this is. This is not like it used to be. Even this is just far piles in comparison and falls very far short of the original. And of course you have Nehemiah's rebuilt wall around Jerusalem. Couldn't even ensure the holiness of God's people. And so everything up to that point. All of it was still just a shadow. It was like a big, giant disappointment, a blemish as it were, on God's people. Even as there was an attempt to restore, there was still this longing from the inside to have the real McCoy to everything made right to have the true Messiah come, not the one that was the type. Not the thing that was the shadow, not the the poor replacement or the analog, but the real thing. And so you have in response to this, you know, some of God's people move into the wilderness and pursue holy living. Some accommodated to Roman occupation like the Sadducees, some retreated into kind of individual individualistic piety or rule keeping like the Pharisees. And then there's all kinds of accounts of God's people in rebellion. Like Simon, the Zealots. There were some who even located themselves under the legitimate, yet Roman endorsed leadership of Herod, you know the Herodians. So you have all of these people you can imagine literally in the same audience. Jesus pushes back and he begins to teach them. And he starts by talking about horticulture. He starts by saying, A sower goes out and he throws all this kind of seed. And it's not difficult to imagine that all of the seed, all the soil, everything is represented in what he's saying right there. And then it's not a story as if like, well, you take this away and try to process it in such a way that you might come to terms with it later on. It's happening in the here and now. Even what he's saying. Even the message that he's communicating is being man made manifest right there in their midst, and it's not returning a void to him. The one who wrote it to begin with is the one who's speaking it, and it's having its desired effect, even as we read it now, and it reads us today. [00:15:13] Jesus' Ministry and the Kingdom of God And so it's amazing that it's on this stage that Jesus steps out and he stands, especially in the synagogue when he reads from the Isaiah scroll. And he announces that the true jubilee has now arrived and it's arrived in him. You know, by the way, what's interesting there is we have, we have no real reason to think that Israel ever really practiced Jubilee as it was outlined in the scriptures. So we have this beautiful instruction for a reset, a pure reset, and one that is liberty and freedom in so many ways, but especially demonstrated in this economic reality. And Jesus commences his public ministry proclaiming the good new. News that the kingdom of God has arrived. I feel like we have to go there, right? Because this is just so good. So in MOOC chapter four, Jesus stands up. He asks for the scroll, and this is what he reads. Loved ones. These are fantastic words. I mean, hear them from the mouth of our Savior. Again, Jesus reads this, the spirits of the Lord is upon me. Because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind to set at liberty those who are oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. It's such incredibly strong and powerful news. We're getting this sense that there are those who are poor that need. To hear that something will be different. That they are her, that they're seen that all of the straining in life and all of their labor is not in vain, but here is one who's come to rescue them and that those who have been set in prison, those who are chained and under duress and find themselves locked up. That here he has come to proclaim liberty to the captives, and then for those that cannot see, that have lost their way entirely, that are groping in the dark, here is one that's coming to recover the sight. Hear that word, not to give it brand new, but to restore that which was originally present to begin with. Imagine the horror of having your sights and then having it taken away that. Knowing that there was something there that was beautiful in your midst, something that was precious to you, and now to have that restored, in fact, like Blind by de MEUs the Greek, there is more when God says, or Jesus rather, says, what do you want me to do for you? The Greek is very clear, just says, sight again, sight again. And I think we like our ancestors and Israel here before us. We ought to be always clamoring and crying. Then I tell God like, son of David sight again. Would you help me to see truly not as the world appears to be, but we spiritual eyes, to know the truth, to understand how much you love me, and would you gimme the strength to love you? Me back love you back by way of giving, yes, this sight. And then for all those who are downtrodden. Where, wherever, and whatever that means, physically, emotionally, spiritually, that here's the one who has come to, again, set you at liberty and then to say, do you know what this time is? This is the time of the Lord's favor. Why? Because the son of man is here and where the son of man is. There is freedom and restoration. There is a new king over all things. There's one who super intends over all of the earth. Who has been given control over all things and has come to win literally the day for those who are rebellious before God, for those who have sinned, who are covenant breakers, who are gospel abusers, while we were at yet enmity with God at the right time, Jesus and his son for us. And so we find that it's like the pretext, it's the context for all of this, and especially this parable. And of course, rather than. Everybody listening to what Jesus has to say here and just being one over being filled with some kind of winsome logic of what's being said here, of being thoroughly convinced. We know that of course it's not just a matter of evidence, but unless the Holy Spirit comes the same spirit, which is upon Jesus, the sin of God, to change us, to open our ears, that we do not hear these things, we don't hear them as we ought to. We do not give them heed. We do not internalize them, and we cannot understand them. And so because of that, rather than of course meeting with universal acceptance, Jesus, of course, he encounters a host of reactions. Some opposed him. The crowds sometimes were way more motivated, like people in our day by novelty or curiosity or by presume rewards or blessings. You can imagine this is what makes, of course, something like the Blat and grab, its kind of gospel, the prosperity of some of our modern evangelical expression, so incredibly dangerous. Because of course people will say, well, if I can get that blessing, of course I want Jesus. Or if I'm gonna be made, well, yes, I'll, I'll find, I'll take Jesus. If I'm gonna get wealth and riches and a 401k, that's gonna suit my every need. Well sure I'll take Jesus. And of course, the blessing, the reward of getting Jesus is getting the son of God, getting the one who restores us first and predominantly. With God the father himself, that all of those blessings are already ours in the spiritual realm because of Jesus. In fact, we've, we've already been placed with him in the heavenly realms. That is the reward. And so sometimes the gods were a little bit more motivated by, this guy's given us bread before. Let's see if there's gonna be another buffet, rather than he says We ought to eat and drink his flesh. That in that is eternal life, and so we get distracted. And so sometimes novelty and curiosity just win the day. And then of course, on the other hand. Some of the most unlikely unseemly, most sinful were responding with incredible joy and embracing Jesus and his announcement. Tenaciously like voraciously, the ones who were humble, who knew that they needed a savior, they needed a reconciliation that was alien and outside of themselves. Something powerful that could defeat even the sin that was within them and bring about a pure and unbridled atonement, unreserved in its ability to clean. These were the ones who were saying, come, Lord Jesus, these were the ones crying out, saying, have mercy on me, son of David. And we like them. Ought to follow that example. And so throughout Matthew's Gospel and Luke's gospel. There's a mixed response throughout the entire ministry of Jesus. And again, what's unique about this parable, I think, is that Jesus comes setting the stage for that unique response. All of those different kind of options and how people will perceive him, how they respond to him, what they will say to him. And so whether as you go through the narratives in the gospels, you look to. The Samaritan Leopard or the blind beggar, or the Chief tax Collector, or the impoverished widow, all of these were those who were forcing their way into the kingdom in response during the good news. There's really something I think that's beautiful about that, that God allows for us to force our way as it were. When we are convicted of this kingdom, that he is the kingdom and that he brings it to us. That we come headlong, rushing in, falling over ourselves to get into that kingdom by the power of the Holy Spirit. And that's why I think, why, why Luke writes in chapter 16 of his gospel. The law in the prophets were until John. Since then, the good news of the kingdom of God is preached and everyone forces his way into it. What a amazing and lovely thing that God allows us. Which is the truth, to force our way into that. So these were the ones who proved to be the fertile soil for the word of the kingdom, not the ones who chose the places of honor or the privilege, or we saw Jesus one of many important priorities to be managed. What we have here is the ones who forced their way in. These were the ones who proved to be the fertile soil, and I'm not gonna steal. Any of our thunder, because Tony and I are gonna talk about that in the next episode. But I bring that up merely to say there's so much that's rich here. When we think about are we as Christians fruitful and fertile? In our following, after the Lord Jesus Christ. And that's Matthew's great theme of reversal, like beginning in the birth narratives of Jesus and continuing through the very end of his gospel count. Even like in his final parable, Jesus forced the confrontation with his opponents by declaring that God would give the kingdom to those who had produce a harvest for God in honor. His son. That's the truth. And so he was more than simply this messenger in these cleverly created stories announcing the arrival of God's reign. He was the one who brought the kingdom. And actually, in fact, Jesus embodies the kingdom because he was the king, not only of Israel, but the royal son of God who would rule the nations. And because of that. He did represent a threat to overthrow to some just as much as he was meant as a salvation and a blessing to others. He is divisive. In fact, what's interesting is if you track Jesus standing up in the temple. And he comes forward and reads from Isaiah. It's interesting where he stops reading. This is really before kind of the, all the language about the second coming back, him really coming not to bring just salvation, but to bring retribution, to bring justice and punishment for those who are God's enemies. And so really this first coming. Jesus is all about this. It's it's all about having the message of God go out in that return void. It's returning full of the response of God's people, full of the response of God's enemies and therefore. This parable, an ex explanation to his inner circle would be understood as an accounting for the surprising range of responses. And even more than I think like an ex explanation, like explicitly it would be this kind of preparation. This kind of, again, setting a table or opening up a pathway for this hard road that lay ahead for those who would remain true to Jesus. These would be the ones who would serve the ultimate purpose of God's great act of sowing in his son to produce a great harvest. And of course. That is partly what lies the hope for us. I mean, I think I said last time we spoke about this, what I appreciate about this teaching is not only that it doesn't pull any punches, but it's just so. Real, it's so resonant because Jesus already gives us some of the breadth and scope or the continuum of the responses so that when we go out and we should so unreservedly that that is by proclaiming Jesus as the king who has come as the kingdom already ushered in as here, but not yet. When we do this, we can expect already that there'll be various responses. So one for us, it takes away the surprise. The second is it does prepare us. That these things might in fact happen. And three, it gives us a sense that, again, the efficacy of salvation. And we're getting, by the way, this view of salvation from, from God isn't again dependent on the skillset of the sower. Instead, it is God's prerogative. It's always God's prerogative. And here as loved ones, you've heard me say again, I must invoke the phrase, we have God doing all the verbs, right? He's the one walking in the field. He's the one reaching in into the seed bag, as it were. He's the one casting it liberally across the ground. He's the one making it grow. All of this is what God is doing. The preparation of the soil, the casting of the seed, the being present in. Farmland. All of this is what God is doing now. We emulate that by design. So now the call is to do what Jesus has done here in Mala for us, and that is that we also go out into the world and we proclaim this good news because what is unequivocally true is that the good news of Jesus Christ. Is for all people. Now, this does not mean that all people will accept it. That is abundantly clear in the message that Jesus gives to us. It does not prevent though us or him from casting it out to all people. We see that really, really. Vividly. Some will be given ears to hear. We ought to pray that our neighbors, our children, those in our churches and our communities, our politicians, we ought to be praying that all would be given ears to hear, and the seed of God's word will accomplish exactly what God intends and Jesus' word, a proclamation announcing the good news of the kingdom of God. We see vividly the point that God's word is. Deed that this word that he spoke speaks is his action. It's not simply that God says what he will do, but that his very act of speaking is the means by which he does that very thing. When we hear God speak to us, it is proof that we are alive. Not only do like dead men tell no tales, I think I've just inadvertently like quoted from Disney's. Um. Pirates movie, but they hear no tells as well. You know, you have been born again, not a perishable seed, but of imperishable through the living and abiding word of God. Incredible. Isn't it? Loved ones like it's incredible this story that to me on the beginning seems like so kind of. Boring and not particularly catchy and maybe not as interesting as some of the others contained within. This is literally all the words of life in the seed that we've seen thrown and in. It is like the continuum we find, not that it emulates the Old Testament, or that it somehow compliments New Testament, but within all within this parable is all of the scriptures and all of the full plan of God and all of his great love for us. That again, while we were at his enemies, he came and on this path, as he walks among the field, he casts the seed. To all, and he, by his power, gives to some these ears to hear. We find ourselves humbled. We find ourselves rushing in coming into the kingdom, fighting to come into it because God has impassioned us with that same zeal that has accomplished this very thing. He implants it in our hearts, in our minds, in our guts, so that we would come before him and worship him, fall down and find. The one who is our savior, who ushers in the visible kingdom of God, the one that is not built merely on political theories, on good rules. The kind of gospel that didn't come to make bad people good, but came to make dead people alive again. And I think that that is the absolute. Untouchable, unfathomable, almost completely un understandable, if you will, truth of this particular parable. I think this is why the Westminster confession describes the word of God, and particularly the preaching of the word as a means of grace. The word is powerful in itself by the spirits of God. I had to quote the Westminster, of course, at least in honor of Tony, so. [00:30:02] Call to Action and Final Thoughts That's my little challenge to you on this short little episode. It's just you and me and I'm saying to you loved ones. Consider this parable again. Consider how palpable this parable is. Consider what God has for us in it. Consider this soils. And then think about what it means that this good news, we see this within it, this vivid point again, that God's word is his deed. And so this is why though we do not create any kind of legalistic, conscription, or prescription around something like daily Bible study. Why? It's such a blessing to live in this period of time where we have such easy access for most of us to the word of God, and that we ought to be zealous about getting that word out to all people because, because behind it and within it and around it is the full power of the Holy Spirit that is always going out into the world and returning full with response and that when God. Speaks his word. He's always accomplishing his act in that very deed. And so it should be a blessing. We should be compelled to find ourselves in it as much as often as we can because what we're finding there is the power of God for us, in us speaking, administering to us to produce in us a great harvest. That's the promise it's coming, and we're gonna get there in the next. Episode, but what I'll leave you with is just those first two soils thinking about if you have ears to hear, if you have been made alive together with Christ, then consider that there was a time when you are one of the other soils and God who's being rich in mercy has rescued you. Not because of work done in righteousness, not because you've come forward and. Elevate your place to the, to elevate your state to the place of deserving poor. Not because like you came forward with, with empty hands and somehow convinced God that you are worthy enough, or sorry enough or contrite enough. But because of his great mercy, and it's that mercy, I think that compels us to say things to Jesus like Son of David Sight again. Son of David, have mercy on me, son of David. You are the real arrival of the Kingdom of God and your word bears testimony and your Holy Spirit has in a great work in my life. And to that end, I want to follow you and I want to ensure that this word that you've given to me is given to all people. So there's work to do, loved ones. And there's a lot there to process. I hope that you will take some time. Think about this in your own way, and as you are processing this as God is speaking to you, as you are joining together with loved ones from literally all over the world who are hanging out and listening to Tony and I chat about this stuff, that again, you would share your own voice, the best way to do that. Why do you make me beg you? Come join the Telegram chat. You'll have a great time. It's super fun. T me slash Reform Brotherhood. I would also be remiss if I didn't on behalf of myself and Tony, thank everyone who does hang out there, everyone who sent us the email, everyone who shares prayer requests or has prayed for us, and as well everyone who makes sure that this podcast. Is free of charge. It comes with its own expenses. It's not free to produce. And so we're so thankful that those who've said, listen, I've been blessed by the podcast, or It's just been important or special to me. God has done something in it. Or God has renewed a different kind of desire and passion to talk about the things of God or to encourage me in my life. I'm so happy if other things have happened. By the way, it's not because of Tony or me. It's because God is good to us. I mean, can I get an amen? I see that hand. In the back, God is good to Tony and me and we're just so thankful that we get to do this. And so if you'd like to join in supporting financially. Every little gift helps. You can go to patreon.com/reform brotherhood patreon.com, reform Brotherhood, and there you can find a way to give one time or reoccurring all of those gifts together. Make sure that there's no payrolls on this bad boy that you're not gonna get any super weird ads in the middle of it. You're just gonna get us talking. We want to em, I would say be emblematic of what we've talked about here, which is. Freely we've received freely want to give. And for those who join and say, I wanna make that possible so that no one has to be compelled to pay for this kind of thing, I love that we are here for that every day of the week and twice on the Lord's day. So next episode, Tony and I are gonna continue in this parable. We're probably, you know, gonna get together. We'll set up our tents, we'll just camp out here for a little bit. So until we get the tents out, we get the s'mores. And we start camping. Honor everyone love the brotherhood.

The ego drives ambition but can trap us in comparison, fear, and stress. In this episode, I share five practical strategies to shrink your ego: recognize it, practice gratitude, embrace curiosity, be mindful, and transform negative emotions. Learn how to reclaim control, live with purpose, and let your ego serve you instead of ruling you.You Got This, Ryan

Welcome to your weekly UAS News Update. We have three stories for you this week; DJI loses lawsuit against the Pentagon, DJI unveils new Mavic 3 Thermal Advanced, Freely releases the Ember FPV, and an Ohio bill to ban foreign made drones. Let's get to it.First up, DJI has lost its lawsuit challenging the Pentagon's "Chinese Military Company" designation. On September 26th, a U.S. District Judge rejected DJI's challenge, upholding the national security threat classification. The ruling leaves DJI facing major business restrictions and the very real possibility of an automatic product ban.This is because its technology has "substantial theoretical and actual military application," regardless of DJI's own policies against military use. DJI argued that its founder and early investors control 88% of the stock and over 99% of voting rights, but the judge ruled that the ownership structure was "difficult to discern."This is a massive disruption, considering DJI accounts for over 76% of registered drones in the U.S. For public safety agencies, the costs are staggering. The Department of Interior documented price increases from $2,600 to over $15,000 per unit when switching from DJI to approved domestic drones.The biggest threat, however, is a looming deadline. The 2025 National Defense Authorization Act mandates a security review by December 23, 2025. If no federal agency completes this review, DJI will automatically be added to the FCC's Covered List.In some new product news, DJI has quietly launched the Mavic 3TA, an advanced thermal version of its Mavic 3 Enterprise series. This seems to be an iterative update focused on boosting real-world utility for professionals in search and rescue, public safety, and inspections.The Mavic 3TA features an uncooled VOx microbolometer with an 8-micrometer pixel pitch. This smaller pixel pitch should provide finer detail and more accurate temperature readings. The thermal lens also has a longer 60-millimeter equivalent focal length, compared to the 40-millimeter on the 3T. The temperature measurement range is still robust, from -20 to 500 degrees Celsius.It keeps the same compact, foldable design, weighing 920 grams. It has a 45-minute flight time, omnidirectional obstacle sensing, and an IP54 weather resistance rating. The visual cameras are the same as the 3T, with a 48-megapixel wide-angle camera using a 1/2-inch CMOS sensor and a 12-megapixel telephoto lens with a 56x hybrid zoom.Next up, Freefly released the Ember FPV drone, a 500g FPV drone with a high-speed camera on it. By high speed, I mean somewhere between 600 and 3000 fps. While specs aren't yet public on this guy, it looks to be a huge upgrade from the exiting cinelifters we see carry larger cameras.There's also a new bill in Ohio this week, which would ban drones made by a foreign adversary. Of course, AUVSI is in support of stripping public safety agencies from using the best possible equipment, as they've pushed for in other states. If you haven't yet written your comment for Part 108, time is running out. You have until Monday at 11:59PM ET to get your comments in. It's extremely important that you voice your opinions.Like every week, we'll discuss these stories in depth and share our opinions on Post Flight in the premium community. We'll see you there and we'll see you on Monday for the live! https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/136/sb180https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/api/v2/general_assembly_136/legislation/sb180/00_IN/pdf/https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7378982847786823682/?originTrackingId=WoVXzy9%2B7TVAhS3oVQkgHA%3D%3Dhttps://www.regulations.gov/document/FAA-2025-1908-0023/commenthttps://dronexl.co/2025/09/29/dji-unveils-mavic-3ta-enterprise-drone-with-upgraded-thermal-tech/https://dronexl.co/2025/09/26/dji-loses-pentagon-lawsuit/

In Traveling Freely: Essays, Roberto Carlos Garcia explores intersecting topics such as race, identity, American socioeconomic inequality, police violence, our inability to partake in our culture as innocents, and our complicity as Americans in all that's wrong with the United States from the author's specific vantage point as a Black Dominican American man. The voice in these essays is both clear and nuanced, and as readers move through the collection, the various themes cohere into a multilayered investigation of institutional racism and the inherent exploitations of capitalism.In essays that are uniquely straightforward and accessible, Garcia insists that in order to resist state-sanctioned violence against marginalized bodies and populations, we must understand our shared history of oppression—so that we can rise against it effectively and find new paths forward.This episode of BCLF Cocoa Pod was made possible with the support of funds from the Brooklyn Arts Council Local Arts Support Grant.

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button.   You can find Rediscovered Books at rdbooks.org/ or on IG at @rdbooks   The American Library Association's Banned Books Week is October 5-11, so we're sharing an interview with one of the co-owners of Rediscovered Books in Boise, Idaho, a store that has pioneered a program in their city to push back against book banning in their state. Rebecca Leber-Gottberg talks to us about the history of the bookstore, her role there, and books that folks in Boise have been buying, but she also explains the bookstore's Read Freely Project, which is their effort to get banned and threatened books dispersed throughout the community.    And in our book rec section, we're jumping into spooky season with books related to ghosts, but if you don't like horror, don't worry: a lot of these “ghostly” books aren't horror, and some of them may only seem to be about ghosts. We've got a historical fiction about the Sri Lankan civil war, a detective story in which ghosts are witnesses, a nonfiction book about unexplained phenomena which may or may not involve ghosts, a funny novella, a supernatural suspense, and a ghostly gothic novel set in Mexico.   Books Discussed in this Episode: 1- A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway 2- The Shift: One Nurse, Twelve House, Four Patients' Lives by Theresa Brown 3- American Sirens: The Incredible Story of the Black Men Who Became America's First Paramedics by Kevin Hazzard 4- The Queen Bees of Tybee County by Kyle Casey Chu 5- The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer  6- Trans History: A Graphic Novel by Alex L. Combs and Andrew Eakett  7- Lone Women by Victor LaValle  8- Wild Tongues Can't be Tamed: 15 Voices from the LatinX Diaspora edited by Saraciea J. Fennell  9- Under the Same Stars by Libba Bray  10- Shout by Laurie Halse Anderson 11- House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune  12- On Tyranny by Timothy Snyder  13- The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf 14- Firekeeper's Daughter by Angleine Boulley  15- Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley  16- Sisters in the Wind by Angeline Boulley  17- The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins  18- Culpability by Bruce Holsinger  19- Songs for Other People's Weddings by David Levitan  20- A Five Star Read Recommended by Claire @bookishly_claire - Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen 21- The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka  22- The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde 23- Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch  24- Ghost Tamer by Meredith R. Lyons  25- The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale  26- The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas 27- This is Going to Hurt by Adam McKay   Media Mentioned: 1- The Pitt (Max 2025) 2- ER ( 1994- 2009) 3- This is Going to Hurt (2022, Amazon Prime) 4- The Craft Lit Podcast - https://craftlit.com/  

Send us a textIn this episode, recorded during an adult Sunday school talk at Foundation Reformed Church, Jesse shares the urgent need for the gospel in Italy, where only a small fraction of the population embraces a biblical understanding of faith. Highlighting the challenges and opportunities in this mission field, he discusses recent ministry updates, the vision for a new church plant, the call for more laborers, and the need for a mission headquarters. The talk concludes with an exhortation from 2 Timothy 2:1, offering seven keys to being strengthened by God's grace to fulfill our God-given purposes.Appreciate this content? Buy Jesse a coffee at BMC  or support the PMc Missiondirectly.Links:PMc Short-term CohortsMission FacilityVision TripPMc Missions BlogPartnerLong-Term MissionsMissionary InternshipPMc AcademiaThe Italian Cohort - join PMc's online Discord communityServe - PMc has numerous avenues of involvementPodcast Producer - Available PositionLike Jesus driven to His cross, so we drive ourselves to the singular task of the edification (planting) of Biblical churches in Italy.Freely join the online Discord group of PMc! The Italian CohortSupport the showDo you love God, Italians, Italy, and the church of Jesus Christ? Do you want to play a more personal role in missions work abroad? Do you want to get all our content and updates (plus bonus material no one else sees) before anyone else? We invite you to join The Italian Cohort - our online community group on Discord - and gain inside access to the work going on in Italy.

Contrary to most people's popular opinion, Jesus didn't come to just get you into heaven when you die, Jesus came to get heaven into you.You see, the book of Acts begins with Jesus -- the suffering servant, now the resurrected King of the universe -- speaking about the Kingdom of God. He is there first, being the first witness to bear witness by showing his proof and his nail scarred hands, and talking about the Kingdom of God through the power of the Holy Spirit and acts ends with prisoner Paul now doing the same thing that Jesus did in the beginning, bearing witness to Jesus and speaking about the kingdom of God with all boldness, which we know comes through the power of the Holy Spirit.30 For two whole years Paul stayed there in his own rented house and welcomed all who came to see him. 31 He proclaimed the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ—with all boldness and without hindrance!Acts 28:30-31We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Tremayne Thompson. A co-owner of Perfect Note, a dinner supper club with locations in Birmingham, Alabama and Atlanta, Georgia. The conversation is a rich blend of entrepreneurship, community service, music, and food culture.

A pianist once told me the last thing their teacher said at their final lesson after years of study: “Now forget everything I ever told you.”Not exactly the parting wisdom you'd expect, right?But hidden in that odd-sounding advice is an important mental shift that could help you play with more freedom and confidence under pressure.Get all the nerdy details in today's episode. Or, get the text version with references, links, and other details right here:How to Use Focus Cues to Play More Freely on StageA live online performance enhancement class (registration closes on 9.28.2025)Performance Psych Essentials: Work on practicing more effectively and performing more optimally alongside a global cohort of musicians, educators, and learners of all ages. Registration for the live online 4-week class is open! (Class runs from October 5 - November 2)ReferencesAiken, C. A., & Becker, K. A. (2022). Utilising an internal focus of attention during preparation and an external focus during execution may facilitate motor learning. European Journal of Sport Science, 23(2), 259–266. https://doi.org/10.1080/17461391.2022.2042604More from The Bulletproof Musician Get the free weekly newsletter, for more nerdy details and bonus subscriber-only content. Pressure Proof: A free 7-day performance practice crash course that will help you shrink the gap between the practice room and the stage. Learning Lab: A continuing education community where musicians and learners are putting research into practice. Live and self-paced courses

La chanteuse camerounaise Sabrina présente son nouvel album Freely disponible depuis le 15 août. Un album du changement dans lequel la chanteuse chante le développement personnel et le bien-être. Dans la séquence gold, nous célébrons les anniversaires de Christina Milian, Matt Pokora, Kid Ink et Rokia Traoré. Pour visionner les clips, cliquez sur les titres des chansons :  Yorssy & Leto - Pilenli Cheezy feat Oprah - Star Amadou et Mariam feat Fally Ipupa - Sonfo Sabrina - My Africa Sabrina feat Martin's - Saint-Tropez Sabrina - Faraway Christina Milian - When you look at me Matt Pokora - Player Kid Ink feat Chris Brown - Show me Rokia Taroré - Né so Retrouvez la playlist officielle de RFI Musique.

How do we turn the world upside down?Jesus is the only answer!We do no one a favor by giving people a fuzzy gospel. We do no one a favor by disguising the gospel by giving people niceties that distract. The goal is that we would be conformed into the image of Jesus!We preach this on repeat not because we have nothing else to say, but because the gospel is the point. The gospel draws the line in the sand. For Paul in Acts 17 He demonstrates how the power of the gospel is the power to turn the world upside down. The question for us — what are we willing to sacrifice and lay down in our life to see the world turned upside down?Any place where the gospel is preached without disruption is a place where the gospel is not preached. When Paul and his companions had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a Jewish synagogue. 2 As was his custom, Paul went into the synagogue, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that the Messiah had to suffer and rise from the dead. “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah,” he said. 4 Some of the Jews were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a large number of God-fearing Greeks and quite a few prominent women.5 But other Jews were jealous; so they rounded up some bad characters from the marketplace, formed a mob and started a riot in the city. They rushed to Jason's house in search of Paul and Silas in order to bring them out to the crowd. 6 But when they did not find them, they dragged Jason and some other believers before the city officials, shouting: “These men who have caused trouble all over the world have now come here, 7 and Jason has welcomed them into his house. They are all defying Caesar's decrees, saying that there is another king, one called Jesus.”Acts 17:1-7We'd love for you to subscribe to our channel and turn on notifications to get updates on our latest content and resources that will help more people know Jesus and people know Jesus more.GIVE : We believe that generosity is golden. Freely we have received and so freely we give back to God. If you would like to give to support the work Jesus is doing here please visit: https://www.elevatecc.church/give.Elevate City Church is a Jesus Over Everything Church that launched in the Atlanta Perimeter area on October 4th, 2020.Jesus Over Everything.Give us a follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatecity.church/Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/elevatecc.churchPodcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/3H8BBrEFWxGKsTF8wPSvrn?si=epcQMMrmQIiTpeXEnyxMOQPodcast on itunes: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/elevate-city-church/id1536637567Visit our website for more information about who we are as a church and how you can get involved.https://www.elevatecc.church/home

What if the problem isn't finding talent, but that we're all looking for it in the wrong places? Nick Petros is a serial entrepreneur who's appeared on Rising Tide Startups three times now, and for good reason. He's got that restless entrepreneurial itch that sees better ways to do things everywhere he looks, even when it's been "extremely expensive to operate this way." Nick's latest venture is Freely, a platform that's trying to replace the resume and revolutionize how companies find fractional talent. But this isn't his first rodeo. He previously built MyDash, a data integration service, and PinchForth, which started as a growth marketing agency before evolving into something much larger. What sets Nick apart is his experience watching the agency space become "toxic really fast." He's seen how the race to the bottom pricing and endless competition for the same clients create a system where nobody really wins. His experience building Pinchforth taught him that founders don't need agencies to just "do it for them," they need specific expertise delivered by people who are genuinely skilled at what they do. This insight led him to realize that the real problem isn't a lack of talent, it's that we're stuck in outdated hiring models that focus on resumes instead of actual skills. Key Takeaways: Skills Matter More Than Resumes. The most successful professionals are evaluated on performance and abilities, not educational backgrounds or credentials. Fractional Work Is the Future. Remote work is creating opportunities for people to build careers serving multiple clients instead of one employer. Marketplaces Create Race-to-the-Bottom Pricing. Traditional platforms like Fiverr commoditize services and force providers to compete on price rather than value. Pre-Qualified Leads Change Everything. When providers pay to connect with businesses, both sides are more serious about creating value. Most Agencies Got Lucky, Not Smart. The biggest agencies succeeded by riding the wave with amazing brands rather than driving their growth. Businesses Want Line of Sight, Not Options. Companies prefer choosing from three qualified providers over sorting through 600 random applicants. Community-Driven Expertise Builds Trust. Platforms work better when users establish expertise by helping others rather than just promoting themselves.   Listen to the full conversation here: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@risingtidestartups Apple Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/rising-tide-startups/id1330525474 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2eq7unl70TRPsBhjLEsNZR Connect with Nick: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nickpetros/ My Dash: https://www.mydash.ai/ HireFreely: https://www.hirefreely.co/ Closing thought: "Work the way you want to work." Please leave us an honest rating on Spotify, YouTube, or Apple Podcasts. Shoutout to our Great Sponsors:  Naviqus Virtual Services - Hassle-free administrative support services that are efficient, affordable, and tailored to your needs. Check out https://naviqus.com now to jumpstart your business for 2025! Podbrand Media - Have you ever considered starting your own podcast for your company or brand?  Podbrandmedia.com can help.  Affordable and effective in content creation and lead generation!  

A Word of Encouragement with Vicky Mutchler is heard at 11:30 AM Central Time on Faith Music Radio.  Join the Facebook group On a Positive Note to get more words of encouragement from Mrs. Vicky - https://www.facebook.com/groups/171863542874382/

Connect with God — on Abide, a Christian meditation app that provides a biblically grounded place to experience peace and progress in your relationship with Christ. Use this biblical meditation, narrated by James Seawood, to center yourself on the truth in God's word. How well do you serve others? Meditate on Galatians 5:13. Allow the music & nature sounds, deep breathing, prayer, and scripture help you connect with God in a new way. For a 30 day free trial of our premium ad-free content, your trusted friend for meditation is right here: https://abide.com/peace Discover more Christian podcasts at lifeaudio.com and inquire about advertising opportunities at lifeaudio.com/contact-us.

Shares Testimony Freely Acts 26:13-18 Jeremiah Morris

SPONSORS: - Upgrade your wallet today! Get 10% Off @Ridge with code NOTTODAY at https://ridge.com/NOTTODAY #ridgepod Jamie-Lynn and Rob go full spectrum this week — from deep dives into grief, healing, and ketamine therapy to absolute nonsense about farting in driverless taxis and sneezing Tourette's. Jamie opens up about reconnecting with singing after years away, while Rob pitches the first-ever Not Today Pal game show (complete with buzzers, teams, and cunning strategies). The Pals also roast kids' bizarre new gaming habits, debate whether AI belongs in homework, and swap stories about the most annoying quirks of family, friends, and coworkers. Oh — and they also end the show watching robots freak out on humans. Have a question for Rob and Jamie? Reach out at nottodaypalpodcast@gmail.com Not Today, Pal Ep. 111 https://www.instagram.com/jamielynnsigler https://www.instagram.com/nottodaypalshow https://store.ymhstudios.com Chapters 00:00:00 - Intro 00:02:06 - Let's Do A Game Show 00:09:35 - Singing Lessons 00:14:40 - Grief & Ketamine 00:24:49 - Memory Lane 00:27:10 - Annoying Habits 00:34:43 - Using AI For Homework 00:39:31 - Driverless Taxi 00:44:31 - Clip: Robot Freak Out Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How does your attitude affect your generosity?