Podcasts about gerasenes

Jesus casts a legion of demons out of a man who was exiled from society. Now the townspeople are no longer afraid of the formerly possessed man, they're terrified of Jesus. We ask Lars Olson: Why do the demons ask Jesus for permission to enter the pigs?Why does Jesus grant the demons' request? And why are the people so afraid of Jesus? Lars teaches us that God wants us to fear Him above all else. Why? Because what we fear has all of our attention. CARE OF SOULS - ADDICTIONIn Care of Souls, a special mini-series podcast from Luther House of Study, Lutheran pastors and theologians come together to explore the deeply personal and pastoral task of preaching to and caring for those struggling with life's challenging situations: addiction, death, family disharmony, and more. Rooted in the theology of the cross and the Lutheran tradition of radical grace, this series offers both theological depth and practical guidance for pastors, church workers, and lay leaders. With conversations, real-life stories, and reflections from the front lines of ministry, Care of Souls equips listeners to enter the broken places of addiction not with easy answers, but with the crucified and risen Christ. Because in the end, it's not about fixing people—it's about preaching the Gospel. Listen to Care of Souls wherever you listen to podcasts or on the Luther House website: Care of Souls - Addiction GOSPEL Luke 8:26-39 26 Then they arrived at the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 As he stepped out on land, a man of the city who had demons met him. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he did not live in a house but in the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he fell down before him and shouted at the top of his voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me" -- 29 for Jesus had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many times it had seized him; he was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the wilds.) 30 Jesus then asked him, "What is your name?" He said, "Legion"; for many demons had entered him. 31 They begged him not to order them to go back into the abyss. 32 Now there on the hillside a large herd of swine was feeding; and the demons begged Jesus to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the swine, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When the swineherds saw what had happened, they ran off and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people came out to see what had happened, and when they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind. And they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told them how the one who had been possessed by demons had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them; for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him; but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 "Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you." So he went away, proclaiming throughout the city how much Jesus had done for him. Support the showInterested in sponsoring an episode of Scripture First?Email Sarah at sarah@lhos.org or visit our donation page: lutherhouseofstudy.org/donate

Luke 7:1–50 & 8:40-56 Faith and faithfulness Part 1 The whole of chapters 7 and 8 make up one section of Luke’s narrative so we will read them together though we will only look at chapter 7 in detail in this study. Not least because of the striking similarities and differences in the people involved between the first and last passages 7:1–17 and 8:40–56. 1. Jesus Restores Health and Life! (Luke7:1–17 and 8:40–56) Question 1.What is the second passage about? How does it differ from the first passage? The second passage is about healing of a woman and the bringing back to life of a man’s daughter. Remember: the first was about the healing of a man and the bringing back to life of a woman’s son. Luke has obviously put these particular stories at the beginning and end of this section very deliberately. He has carefully constructed the whole section. The important question is why has he done this–apart from the fact that this was the way that they wrote things in the Roman world of those days? When we look at the two chapters together we will see that he has built them so that the stories of the second part reflect the first part. The first part has two healings, 7:1–17; an account of the doubts of John the Baptist. 7:18–35 and then tells us about contrasting attitudes to Jesus, 7:36–50. The second part reverses that order telling us about contrasting attitudes to Jesus, 8:19–33, 38, 39; then the doubts and rejection by the Gerasenes, 8:34–37 and finally the two healings we have already looked at in 8:40–56. In the middle is a parable about the man who sowed some seed, getting different reactions from the different types of soil. We can think of this as a reflection because the second half is the mirror image of the first half. There are many of these reflections in the Bible. One very obvious example is in Amos 5: 4b–6a, although unlike most of the Biblical reflections that one does not have an important middle. In most of them the middle is important to explain why the second half is different from the first. In our example here in Luke the middle, the parable, is clearly very important, though it does not alter the second part significantly. Luke wants us to see that the whole section is about faith and faithfulness. One Greek word has both meanings whereas we split the two apart in English. By ‘faith’ we mean mainly mental agreement with the teachings of a religion–‘faith’ goes on in our heads. By ‘faithfulness’ we mean living in a way that follows the teachings of that religion–‘faithfulness’ goes on mainly in our actions. We will look at that more in the next study. 2. Jesus and the Centurion (Luke7:1–17) Not for the last time Luke has a story about a centurion. He wants Theophilus (and us) to understand that Christian faith was acceptable to these significant people in the Roman world. Question 2.We are told many good things about the centurion (7:2–5). We are told nothing about the widow of Nain. What can we learn from that? There will have been plenty of people around with a vague faith in God who kept the religious laws, but this Gentile Centurion recognized that God was at work in Jesus and was prepared to act accordingly by trusting Jesus. Are we prepared to turn a vague faith into action when God works? Just possibly Luke knew the centurion because he joined the early church, but the widow of Nain did not, so he did not know her. 3. Doubts of John the Baptist (Luke 7:18–35) Question 3. John expected the Messiah to act like his idea of what a Messiah would do. Jesus quotes Isaiah 35: 5,6 and 61: 1,2 to tell him he is wrong. In what ways was John wrong? What did they expect the Messiah to do? What was Jesus doing that was unexpected? John evidently shared the general expectation of what the Messiah would do. John will have understood himself to be the messenger of Malachi 3: 1 –3; 4: 1–3 and therefore that all that those verses suggested would happen. Particularly if you live in a hostile society it is important, and encouraging, to remember how hostile the society in which Jesus and the early church lived and worked was. 4. Jesus and Debts! (Luke 7:36-50) Question 4.What does Jesus mean when he talks about debts (7:39–43)? Do we have big or small debts to be cancelled? (We probably think we have only small debts to pay (v 41,42) but big or small counts the same!) Do we show as much love as we should for Jesus who cancelled our debts? Jesus was talking about the way in which those who followed him and were members of the people of God needed to remember that they were in debt to God. We, living later, know that we rely on Jesus dying for us to cancel the things in our lives, which stop us, being accepted by God. Since ‘all have sinned’ it does not matter whether our sins are big or small they still stop us being accepted by the Lord. Only in Christ can we have acceptance by God. 5. Jesus, the Pharisee and the woman! (Luke 7:36-50) Question 5. The Pharisee in the final episode of this chapter (v 36–50) is clearly much more concerned with things and ideas. The woman is only concerned with people. What can we learn from these two stories? It is important to remember that some people are very concerned with people but some (a smaller number), find their interest is taken more by ideas and things than people. Both sorts of people are necessary in a healthy church and a healthy society. Conclusion Question 6. In what ways has this chapter stressed faithfulness? Nearly all this chapter (and the next) is about people acting out their faith as a result of what they saw Jesus do. They were in a very positive way following him, not just thinking about him. That is faithfulness. The message to us must be that we have to follow Jesus, not just go to church on Sunday. Tap or click here to save/download this as a MP3 audio file

Welcome to The Daily, where we study the Bible verse by verse, chapter by chapter, every day. And today's shout-out goes to Cory Baron from North Oaks, MN. Cory, thank you for standing with us through Project23. Your commitment is helping others step out of darkness and into the light. This one's for you. Our text today is Mark 5:1-5: They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. — Mark 5:1-5 Jesus and his disciples land in Gentile territory—on the far side of the sea. And the moment they step out of the boat, they're met by a man. But not just any man. He's a strange man who lives among the dead. He's naked. Bleeding. Tormented. Possessed by a legion of demons. (A legion was about 6,000—so this was a case of extreme demonization.) We read that no one could bind him. Not with ropes. Not even with chains. He had legion-like strength—and a soul consumed by suffering. So he lived alone. Crying out. Cutting himself. Unreachable. Unrestrained. Unhealed. This is what evil does. When we give ourselves over to it, evil isolates. It dehumanizes. It pulls us away from people—and pushes us further from peace. But notice—Jesus went out of his way to reach this far-out man. He crossed a violent sea to reach a violent man in a foreign land. To reach an outcast, everyone else had given up on. Jesus doesn't move away from the broken. He moves toward them. Maybe today you feel like this man—alone, tormented, ashamed. Or maybe you've written someone off, thinking they're too far gone. You're wrong. No one is too far from Jesus—not you, not them. Because Jesus can reach anyone, anywhere, at any time. Today, if you've drifted—come back to Jesus, the one who came for you. And if you've given up on someone—don't. Pray that God would send someone who represents Him to move close. Or ask Him if that someone is you. #TheDaily #Mark5 #JesusHeals #NoOneTooFarGone #FreedomInChrist #ComeBackToJesus ASK THIS: What does this man's condition reveal about the power of evil? How does Jesus' arrival in this scene reflect His character and mission? Have you ever felt unreachable—or believed someone else was? What would it look like for Jesus to step into that place today? DO THIS: Think of one person (maybe it's even you) who seems beyond hope—and pray specifically for Jesus to move toward them in power, just as He did for the man among the tombs. PRAY THIS: Jesus, thank you for stepping into places no one else would. Help me believe you can reach anyone—including me. And help me not to give up on those who still need your touch. Amen. PLAY THIS: "Rescue" by Lauren Daigle.

In Isaiah, Cyrus the Great emerges as a unique figure chosen by the God of Israel to fulfill a specific historical task: the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple and the liberation of the Judahites from exile in Babylon in direct fulfillment of the prophecy spoken by Jeremiah.Cyrus's rise to power is depicted not as a product of his strength but as the result of God stirring his spirit and granting him authority over all nations.God bestows upon Cyrus exceptional titles: “my shepherd,” a nomadic-pastoral, Bedouin-styled function typical of prophetic literature, signifying his role in guiding the people of Israel back to God's land, and “my anointed,” indicating a special divine commissioning that parallels, though does not equal, the messianic expectations normally associated with Israelite kings.Through Cyrus's conquests, especially the subjugation of Babylon, the Lord demonstrates his universal sovereignty, demonstrating to all nations that he alone is the Unipolar Hegemon that directs the course of history and holds ultimate authority over the kingdoms of the earth.While Cyrus plays a pivotal role as a pawn on God's political chessboard, Isaiah carefully distinguishes him from the Slave of the Lord.The Slave—often wrongly identified with Israel itself—points to a future messianic figure who carries a broader, more enduring mission: to establish justice, bring light to the nations, and embody God's ultimate purpose. Unlike Cyrus, whose mission is temporal and political, the Slave's work is a universal call to the path of the Lord, extending beyond the restoration of Jerusalem to the transformation of the human race.Thus, Isaiah presents Cyrus as a divinely appointed instrument for a limited, though critical, historical role. At the same time, the Slave of the Lord stands as the ultimate fulfillment of God's plan of victory and liberation for his people and the entire world.Then, in Luke, the Slave landed on the beaches of the Gerasenes.Everything I do, I do for the Slave.This week, I discuss Luke 8:29.Show Notesπαραγγέλλω (parangellō)order, summon, command, send a messageשׁ-מ-ע (shin-mem-ayin) / س-م-ع (sīn-mīm-ʿayn)hear, submit!1 Samuel 15:4 - Saul, Israel's first king, asserts his leadership by gathering a vast army (200,000 foot soldiers and 10,000 men of Judah) to fulfill a divine command: to destroy the Amalekites utterly. Centralized, royal power at its peak.1 Samuel 23:8 - Saul, now insecure in his power, redirects his military might to pursue David at Keilah, driven by jealousy and fear of losing his throne.1 Kings 15:22 - King Asa commands all of Judah to dismantle Baasha's fortifications at Ramah and repurpose them to fortify Geba and Mizpah. Asa's leadership is pragmatic and defensive, focused on security rather than prophetic utterances.Jeremiah 26:14 (LXX) - Jeremiah stands alone before religious and political leaders, “I am in your hands; do with me as seems good and right to you.” Luke's lexical itinerary at Decapolis follows the biblical storyline, shifting from the king's authority to the prophet's vulnerability.Jeremiah 27:29 (LXX) - Jeremiah warns Judah that resisting Babylon will only bring destruction; the people must submit to Babylon's yoke as God's instrument of judgment.Jeremiah 28:27 (LXX) - The theme of the yoke—submission to Babylon's dominion—continues. This reinforces the prophet's earlier warning that Judah's fate is sealed unless they accept God's judgment.ע-ב-ר (ʿayin-bet-resh) / ع-ب-ر (ʿayn-bāʼ-rāʼ)pull along, pass through, pass by, go your way; consistent with nomadic pastoral or shepherd life2 Chronicles 36:22 - This verse marks the beginning of the return from exile. It records that in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia, the Lord moved his heart to make a proclamation allowing the exiles to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. This aligns with the prophecy of Jeremiah being fulfilled — God's promise to bring his people back from captivity after seventy years.Ezra 1:1 - This verse parallels 2 Chronicles 36:22. It highlights that in the first year of King Cyrus of Persia's reign, God stirred his spirit to make a decree throughout his kingdom allowing the Judeans to return and rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem, again, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah.In Arabic, this root carries various functions, including “to cross,” “to pass over,” “to interpret,” or “to take a lesson.”عُبُور (ʿubūr) crossingمَعْبَر (maʿbar) crossing placeتَعْبِير (taʿbīr) expression, interpretation (especially of dreams)א-מ-ר (ʾaleph–mem–resh) / أ-م-ر (ʾalif-mīm-rāʾ)In Arabic, this root is the foundation for words like أَمْر (ʾamr) (“command” or “order”) and مَأْمُور (maʾmūr) (“one who is commanded”). Matthew Cooper observes that אָמַר (amar) “he spoke,” is inter-functional with the Arabic word أمير (emir), which means “prince,” “commander,” or “leader,” from the same root.Joshua 6:7 - Joshua commands his army to advance on Jericho. Specifically, he orders the armed men to proceed, and the seven priests with the trumpets to go before the Ark of the Covenant as they prepare to encircle the city. This is part of the famous account of the fall of Jericho, where the walls come down after the Israelites' obedience to God's instructions.צ-ע-ק (ṣade-ayin-qof) / ص-ع-ق (sīn–ʿayn–qāf)In biblical Hebrew, צעק (ṣāʿaq) means “to cry out, to shout, to call loudly.”1 Samuel 10:17 - Samuel gathers the people of Israel at Mizpah to publicly present Saul as the chosen king. This follows God's command to anoint a king, as the people had demanded one like the nations around them. Samuel is about to cast lots to reveal Saul as God's chosen king formally.In Arabic, صعق (ṣaʿaqa) means “to be struck by thunder, to be shocked, to be stunned.”י-ע-ץ (yod-ayin-ṣade) / و-ع-ظ (wāw-ʿayn-ẓāʾ)1 Kings 12:6 - Rehoboam, Solomon's son and the new king, consults the elders who had served his father about responding to the people's request to lighten their burdens. The elders advise him to show kindness. He does not listen.“To advise, to give counsel.” The Arabic triliteral carries the core function “to exhort, to admonish, to preach.”وَعْظ (waʿẓ) exhortation, admonitionوَاعِظ (wāʿiẓ) preacher, admonisherتَوْعِيظ (tawʿīẓ) act of exhorting, preaching“Call to the path of your Lord with wisdom and the beautiful exhortation (الْمَوْعِظَةِ ٱلْحَسَنَةِ al-mawʿiẓati al-ḥasanati), and discuss with them in that which is best. Indeed, your Lord is most knowing of who has strayed from his path, and he is most knowing of the guided.” Surah An-Nahl (16:125) ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Monsters in the mineshaft!   Patreon (Get ad-free episodes, Patreon Discord Access, and more!) https://www.patreon.com/user?u=18482113 PayPal Donation Link https://tinyurl.com/mrxe36ph MERCH STORE!!! https://tinyurl.com/y8zam4o2 Amazon Wish List https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/28CIOGSFRUXAD?ref_=wl_share   Help Promote Dead Rabbit! Dual Flyer https://i.imgur.com/OhuoI2v.jpg "As Above" Flyer https://i.imgur.com/yobMtUp.jpg “Alien Flyer” By TVP VT U https://imgur.com/gallery/aPN1Fnw “QR Code Flyer” by Finn https://imgur.com/a/aYYUMAh   Links: EP 938 - Can A Pig And A Monkey Have A Baby? (Hybrid Pig In Food Supply episode) https://deadrabbitradio.libsyn.com/ep-938-can-a-pig-and-a-monkey-have-a-baby Think About It Docs 1936 (Great Falls, Maryland Jefferson Wisconsin Mineshaft Monster Gadara Burial Mound Monster stories) https://www.thinkaboutitdocs.com/1936-ufo-alien-sightings/ Jesus Heals Two Men with Demons https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%208%3A28-34%2CLuke%208%3A26-39&version=GNT Did Jesus meet the demoniacs in Gaderenes or Gerasenes? https://thirdmill.org/answers/answer.asp/file/49079#:~:text=The%20two%20names%20are%20interchangeable,a%20little%2Dknown%20small%20village. Strange Magazine Issues 5, 9–20 Paranormal UFO Monsters Occult 1990s Lot (13) https://www.ebay.com/itm/316819697130 ------------------------------------------------ Logo Art By Ash Black Opening Song: "Atlantis Attacks" Closing Song: "Bella Royale" Music By Simple Rabbitron 3000 created by Eerbud Thanks to Chris K, Founder Of The Golden Rabbit Brigade Dead Rabbit Archivist Some Weirdo On Twitter AKA Jack YouTube Champ: Stewart Meatball Reddit Champ: TheLast747 The Haunted Mic Arm provided by Chyme Chili Discord Mods: Mason, HotDiggityDane Forever Fluffle: Cantillions, Samson, Gregory Gilbertson, Jenny The Cat http://www.DeadRabbit.com Email: DeadRabbitRadio@gmail.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/DeadRabbitRadio Facebook: www.Facebook.com/DeadRabbitRadio TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@deadrabbitradio Dead Rabbit Radio Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/DeadRabbitRadio/ Paranormal News Subreddit: https://www.reddit.com/r/ParanormalNews/ Mailing Address Jason Carpenter PO Box 1363 Hood River, OR 97031 Paranormal, Conspiracy, and True Crime news as it happens! Jason Carpenter breaks the stories they'll be talking about tomorrow, assuming the world doesn't end today. All Contents Of This Podcast Copyright Jason Carpenter 2018 - 2025

To become a follower of Jesus, visit: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/MeetJesus (NOT a Morning Mindset resource) ⇒ Get a copy of the MM Companion Journal: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/journal ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ TODAY'S SCRIPTURE: Mark 5:1–13 - [1] They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. [2] And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. [3] He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, [4] for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. [5] Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. [6] And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. [7] And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” [8] For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” [9] And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” [10] And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. [11] Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, [12] and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” [13] So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. (ESV) ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FINANCIALLY SUPPORT THE MORNING MINDSET: (not tax-deductible) -- Become a monthly partner: https://mm-gfk-partners.supercast.com/ -- Support a daily episode: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/daily-sponsor/ -- Give one-time: https://give.cornerstone.cc/careygreen -- Venmo: @CareyNGreen -- Support our SPANISH TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportSpanish -- Support our HINDI TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportHindi -- Support our CHINESE TRANSLATION: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/supportChinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ FOREIGN LANGUAGE VERSIONS OF THIS PODCAST: SPANISH version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Spanish HINDI version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Hindi CHINESE version: https://MorningMindsetMedia.com/Chinese  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ CONTACT: Carey@careygreen.com  ➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖➖ THEME MUSIC: “King’s Trailer” – Creative Commons 0 | Provided by https://freepd.com/ ***All NON-ENGLISH versions of the Morning Mindset are translated using A.I. Dubbing and Translation tools from DubFormer.ai ***All NON-ENGLISH text content (descriptions and titles) are translated using the A.I. functionality of Google Translate.

May 9, 2025Today's Reading: Luke 8:22-39Daily Lectionary: Exodus 39:32-40:16; Luke 8:22-39“And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked [Jesus] to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned.” (Luke 8:36-37)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Jesus arrives in the country of the Gerasenes, across from Galilee, and is immediately greeted by a man who is possessed by demons. This man has been so captive to this demonic oppression that he is naked, living in the tombs of the city, and has frequently burst through the chains used to bind him. This must have been a terrifying sight and a situation that was well-known in the city. Most towns these days have the oddball who may come across as slightly creepy, given his mannerisms and clothing, but magnify that by ten thousand, add in clear demonic elements, and you have a better sense of how the city must have viewed this man. It's safe to assume that most of the people in the city wanted nothing to do with him, and beyond being a nuisance, he was probably a source of a lot of fear. But despite this, after Jesus heals the demoniac and restores him, Jesus is only met with gratitude and wonder by the demoniac himself, who asks to follow Jesus. The people of the city, however, respond with fear. This seems a curious response, as it is logical that Jesus solved a problem for them, so they would all be grateful for it. But they have witnessed the power of Jesus, and though that power is wielded in mercy to heal, restore, and forgive, they also seem to intuit that it could be used for judgment. Indeed, a man who can judge and condemn multiple demons, driving them back to the abyss where they belong, could certainly render judgment against any of our sins. People often have this reaction to Jesus. Many of us hear his words of forgiveness, life, and salvation, and like the demoniac, see healing, restoration, and redemption from our sins that we so desperately want. Others hear and see the word and works of Jesus and receive it only as condemnation and terror, responding by asking him to go away. Just as the parable of the sower earlier in chapter eight illustrates, not everyone will receive the Word of God with joy and thanksgiving; some will not receive it at all and reject it immediately. How people respond to God's Word is not in our control; we should simply be ready to speak it and speak it as one delivered out of bondage by grace.  In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.Almighty God, Your Word is cast Like seed into the ground; Now let the dew of heav'n descend And righteous fruits abound. (LSB 577:1)- Deac. Eleanor Corrow, Higher Things Board Member and coordinator in LCMS Missionary ServicesAudio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Andrew R. Jones identifies ten lies Satan uses in attempts to dismantle God's people and His kingdom. Find encouragement in God's Word of Truth and remember the final victory we have in our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Situated opposite Galilee, the “earth” of the Gerasenes marks the site of God's first tactical strike against Greco-Roman assimilation in Luke.The Greco-Roman rulers who possess and enslave the land impose violence and havoc, sowing death where God's many flocks were meant to roam freely, without interference.Like the abusers in Jerusalem, the occupying forces in Decapolis do not want to live and let live. They seek to assimilate, to convert, to impose, to kill—to force others to become like them, “twice as much the sons of Hell as themselves.”Sure, they may be interested in learning something from those they conquer, but ultimately, everything must be “melted down” and absorbed into something of their own making. It's called a “god complex:”“…the logic of American liberalism is a barely warmed-over Hellenism. The world-embracing, universe-striding Hellenic ideology under Alexander was an assimilationist one. In the Alexandrian ideology, it doesn't matter what tribe your parents are from, what your lineage is, or in what area of the world you were born. If you speak Greek, eat like a Greek, dress like a Greek, walk like a Greek, shit like a Greek, think like a Greek—then you're a Greek. It's exceptionally difficult for an American to consider this ideology and not think of the ‘melting pot'”(Matthew Franklin Cooper, And the Lamb Will Conquer)They do not submit to God, who made the heavens and the earth. They do not accept what was made, as it has been made, by his making. His name alone be praised!Unlike every other revolution in human history, the socio-political rebellion of the biblical tradition—be ye not deceived, O man, it is indeed a political rebellion, though it is not about starting something new, it is a reversion—to accept the Bible is to revert to God as your King, your religion, your tribe, your city, and your homeland.To return to his land is to return not to what we build, create, perceive, synthesize, or formulate through our ideolocial or theological assimilations, but to what God himself provided in the beginning: an open field where all living creatures coexist in his care.This week, I discuss Luke 8:27.Show Notesδαιμόνιον (daimonion) / ש–י–ד (shin–yod–dalet) / ث–د–ي (thā–dāl–yāʼ)Demon, other deity, or god. From the root שדד (shadad), which means “to deal violently, despoil, or devastate.” Klein notes that the Arabic ثَدْي (thady), “breast,” reinforces his observation that שֹׁד (shōd) and שַׁד (shad) are two forms of the same biblical root meaning “breast.” In consideration of this link, and the fact that the original text is unpointed, it is difficult to ignore the consonantal link between chaos, havoc, militarism, and the function “demon,” vis-à-vis the field, and violence against the land, since the land is inherently matriarchal:שָׂדָאוּת (sadā'ut) is a feminine noun meaning “military fieldcraft,” derived from שָׂדֶה (sadeh), meaning “field.”Note that שֵׁדָה (shedah), female demon, and שָׂדֶה (sadeh), field or open land, are indistinguishable in the unpointed text.This intersection is intentional. Consider a related sub-function associated with δαιμόνιον in Luke:שׁדד (shin-dalet-dalet) and שׂדד (sin-dalet-dalet)שׁדד (shadad) to devastate, despoil, or destroy, referring to violence or judgment.שׂדד (sadad) to plow or harrow, referring to agricultural activity.In Semitic languages, the function “demon” likely originates from the Akkadian term šēdu, a protective spirit often depicted in Mesopotamian art as a bull-like colossus or a human-bull hybrid, for example, the bull effigy of Wall Street. The question is not what the demon šēdu protects, but whose interests it serves. Does it protect life in God's field or wreak havoc on behalf of its human sponsors? Does it plow and harrow, or does it despoil?Demonic Evil“For [a] root of all evils is the love of money—which some, desiring, wandered away from the faith,and pierced themselves through with many griefs.”(1 Timothy 6:10)As it is written:“ῥίζα γὰρ πάντων τῶν κακῶν ἐστιν ἡ φιλαργυρία”“the love of money is [a] root of all evils”“πάντων τῶν κακῶν” unambiguously indicates “of all evils,” not “all kinds,” underscoring Paul's deliberate rhetorical force in presenting the love of money not as a moral weakness but as a seed giving rise to every form of evil in God's field.ἱμάτιον (himation) / ב-ג-ד (bet–gimel–dalet) / ب-ج-د (bāʼ–jīm–dāl)Outer garment; cloak.A scarce word in Classical Arabic, بَجَدَ (bajada), means “to strive or exert,” technically different than بِجَاد (bijād) — the pre-Islamic Bedouin term for a striped cloak or blanket, which Klein links to ב-ג-ד.Instead of بَجَدَ (bajada), Arabic typically employs roots like ج-ه-د (jīm–hāʾ–dāl) — جَاهَدَ (jāhada) — the basis of جِهَاد (jihād), to express striving or struggle, especially in a religious context. Related roots such as ج-د-د (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جَدَّ (jadda) “to be serious” — and ج-دّ (jīm–dāl–dāl) — جِدّ (jidd) “seriousness” — reinforce the idea of earnest effort and commitment that underlies the concept of jihād.The بِجَاد (bijād)—a coarse, often red or striped woolen cloak worn by Bedouins—symbolizes striving through its association with the harsh realities of shepherd life in God's open field, demanding simplicity, endurance, and honor, in contrast with the soft garments of city dwellers. The reference to soft garments is not incidental. In Luke 7:25, Jesus mocks those dressed in “soft clothing” who “live in luxury” in the royal houses. As such, John the Baptist is “more than a prophet.” Clothed in the rough and unpleasant garment of a shepherd, he survives under God's rule in the open field with an honor imperceptible in the eyes of city dwellers.It is “the smell of a field” that Luke 8:27 makes terminologically functional here, recalling the transfer of Isaac's blessing to his younger son. Now Luke turns the tables. As Esau was denied his birthright in favor of Jacob, so now Jacob is denied the same in favor of the demon-possessed Gerasene:Then his father Isaac said to him, “Please come close and kiss me, my son.”So he came close and kissed him; and when he smelled the smell of his garments (בְּגָדָ֖י begāday), he blessed him and said,“See, the smell of my sonIs like the smell of a field which the Lord has blessed;Now may God give you of the dew of heaven,And of the fatness of the earth,And an abundance of grain and new wine;May peoples serve you,And nations bow down to you;Be master of your brothers,And may your mother's sons bow down to you.Cursed be those who curse you,And blessed be those who bless you.”(Genesis 27:26–29)οἰκία (oikia

March 14, 2025 Today's Reading: Mark 5:1-20Daily Lectionary: Genesis 13:1-18; Genesis 14:1-24; Mark 5:1-20And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. (Mark 5:13)In the Name + of Jesus. Amen. Unclean spirits hate water. When Jesus explains what happens after an unclean spirit has gone out of a person, he says, “...it passes through waterless places seeking rest, but finds none.” (Matt. 12:43). Waterless places–the wilderness and the desert–are often associated with demonic forces in the Bible. Such a dry spirit can return. Jesus continues, “Then it says, ‘I will return to my house from which I came.' And when it comes, it finds the house empty, swept, and put in order. Then it goes and brings with it seven other spirits more evil than itself, and they enter and dwell there, and the last state of that person is worse than the first” (Matt. 12:45). What do you do when the spirits are many?Such a fate had befallen the madman from the Gerasenes. So wild and erratic and even violent was he that he lived among the tombs–a place filled with dry bones. No one could overcome his seemingly supernatural strength, and his cries and self-harm repelled most other helpers. But then the man met Jesus. He confessed Him to be the Son of God. When Jesus asked him his name, he responded, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” He took a plural pronoun because there was not just one unclean spirit inhabiting the man. His–or rather, their–wild and erratic and even violent behavior was because there was a war going on within him. A struggle for identity. He was a living example of the warning Jesus once gave about unclean spirits and waterless places.There is only one possible destination for this Legion to take care of them for good. “Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.'” Jesus grants the request but then drives the herd of swine into the sea to drown them. Unclean spirits hate water. And having been drowned, they will not return.“What does such baptizing with water indicate? It indicates that the Old Adam in us should by daily contrition and repentance be drowned and die with all sins and evil desires, and that a new man should daily emerge and arise to live before God in righteousness and purity forever.” Baptism makes you a watered place, a place unfit for unclean spirits. Daily contrition and repentance keep the baptismal spring flowing so that there is room for only one spirit. A new spirit. The Holy Spirit.In the Name + of Jesus. Amen.This is the Spirit's entry now: The water and the Word, The cross of Jesus on your brow, The seal both felt and heard. (LSB 591:1)-Rev. Jacob Ehrhard, pastor of St. John's Lutheran Church and School in Chicago, IL.Audio Reflections Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lackey is the pastor at Grace Lutheran Church, Vine Grove, KY.Visit the timeless rhythms of the Christian life with award-winning author Harold L. Senkbeil. As he addresses the concerns and pressures of the world today, you'll discover that even while the world is dying, Christ's death brings about life. True life. One that He offers to you. Order Now!

READ MARK 5:1-20 They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. Jesus sees the Gerasene cemetery as it really is: JUST a PLACE . v. 1-2 This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore,…

Reading Luke 8:26-30 where Jesus arrives at the Gerasenes and is immediately approached by a man with many demons identifying themselves as Legion. Visit wwutt.com for all our videos!

They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. And when he had stepped out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met him. He lived among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any more, even with a chain, for he [...] Read More... The post Choosing Grace and Slaying Demons appeared first on Open Table Metropolitan Community Church.

2 February 2025 | This Liberti Communion Sunday Pastor Steve Huber preaches from Mark 5:1-20 on how Jesus' power and presence is released through his people on Earth. They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.[a] 2 And when Jesus[b] had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed[c] man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus[d] to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Father Charles Murr joins Terry Gospel - Mark 5:1-20 - Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met Him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before Him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with Him, “Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.” And He let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg Him to leave their district. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with Him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in His pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Memorial of Saint Blaise, Bishop and Martyr Memorial of Saint Ansgar, Bishop Saints Blaise and Ansgar, pray for us! Bishop Sheen quote of the day

Gospel Mark 5:1-20 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!” (He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”) He asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “Legion is my name. There are many of us.” And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, “Send us into the swine. Let us enter them.” And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Reflection The most fascinating thing about this passage is the dialog between Evil, Legion and Jesus Divinity incarnate. What you see is a subtle thing. It is the fact that this man who is filled with the Legion's power is being tormented and he's no longer able even to be contained because of his violence. And yet we see in Jesus not a desire to destroy or be violent against evil, because the image of Legion bowing before Jesus, says please don't torment me. And Jesus, in a sense, is not interested in tormenting evil. He's interested in giving people the hope and the promise that he will keep them free of evil. He's not a destructive God. He's a healing, transforming God. Closing Prayer Father, we are shown in this passage a way of dealing with evil that is manifested in people around us. It is not that we need to destroy the person, but we need to pray to free them from the power of evil. Jesus knows that evil is part of our story. We're going to be dealing with it over and over again. But we cannot become like evil and want to destroy. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,to the territory of the Gerasenes.When he got out of the boat,at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.The man had been dwelling among the tombs,and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,and no one was strong enough to subdue him.Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsideshe was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,he ran up and prostrated himself before him,crying out in a loud voice,“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)He asked him, “What is your name?”He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”And he pleaded earnestly with himnot to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.And they pleaded with him,“Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.”And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,where they were drowned.The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the townand throughout the countryside.And people came out to see what had happened.As they approached Jesus,they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,sitting there clothed and in his right mind.And they were seized with fear.Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happenedto the possessed man and to the swine.Then they began to beg him to leave their district.As he was getting into the boat,the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,“Go home to your family and announce to themall that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapoliswhat Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

From the Gospel acclamation: "A great prophet has arisen in our midst and God has visited his people." A reading from the holy Gospel according to Mark (today's readings) As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Following the calming of a storm at sea, Jesus and the disciples arrive at the region of Gerasenes and encounter a man possessed by demons. Living among the tombs and restrained by chains and shackles he smashed, the demon-possessed man meets Jesus at the shore. Night and day, Mark tells us, the man cried out and bruised himself with stones. Recognizing Jesus by name, the demons identifying themselves as Legion, beg Jesus not to torment them. Granting their request, Jesus sends the demons into a nearby herd of pigs, which immediately rush down a steep bank into the sea. The man returns to his right mind, and the witnesses and nearby townspeople beg the man to leave, who first attempts to go with Jesus and then travels to the Decapolis to proclaim what Jesus has done for him. The people are amazed, and word of Jesus begins to spread. Sometimes life would have us living among tombs, possessed by inner demons. If Jesus drove out Legion, he can drive out any of those who name themselves or any who dwell in us in anonymity. "Let your hearts take comfort, all who hope in the Lord." God, stay beside me this moment and throughout the day as I meditate on the power of Jesus Christ your Son to name and cast out any evil within me. Thanks be to you, Lord, for the gifts of baptism and reconciliation and the true food and true drink of the Eucharist. Jesus commanded the possessed man to do one thing. Let me open my heart in gratitude to his command and find joy in it: “Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you.” Help me remember your compassion, Lord, as I place my trust in you. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Mk 5:1-20 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,to the territory of the Gerasenes.When he got out of the boat,at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.The man had been dwelling among the tombs,and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,and no one was strong enough to subdue him.Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsideshe was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,he ran up and prostrated himself before him,crying out in a loud voice,“What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?I adjure you by God, do not torment me!”(He had been saying to him, “Unclean spirit, come out of the man!”)He asked him, “What is your name?”He  replied, “Legion is my name.  There are many of us.”And he pleaded earnestly with himnot to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.And they pleaded with him,“Send us into the swine.  Let us enter them.”And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,where they were drowned.The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the townand throughout the countryside.And people came out to see what had happened.As they approached Jesus,they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,sitting there clothed and in his right mind.And they were seized with fear.Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happenedto the possessed man and to the swine.Then they began to beg him to leave their district.As he was getting into the boat,the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,“Go home to your family and announce to themall that the Lord in his pity has done for you.”Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapoliswhat Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mk 5:1-20 - Jesus and His disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met Him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before Him, crying out in a loud voice, "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me!" (He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!") He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us." And he pleaded earnestly with Him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with Him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And He let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg Him to leave their district. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with Him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Bishop Sheen quote of the day Father Charles Murr joins Terry to discuss the truths that bring people into the Church and how to remain in the Church despite the scandals within the Church today

Mark 5:1-20They went across the lake to the region of the Gerasenes. When Jesus got out of the boat, a man with an impure spirit came from the tombs to meet him. This man lived in the tombs, and no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain. For he had often been chained hand and foot, but he tore the chains apart and broke the irons on his feet. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and in the hills he would cry out and cut himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and fell on his knees in front of him. He shouted at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? In God's name don't torture me!” For Jesus had said to him, “Come out of this man, you impure spirit!” Then Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “My name is Legion,” he replied, “for we are many.” And he begged Jesus again and again not to send them out of the area. A large herd of pigs was feeding on the nearby hillside. The demons begged Jesus, “Send us among the pigs; allow us to go into them.” He gave them permission, and the impure spirits came out and went into the pigs. The herd, about two thousand in number, rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned. Those tending the pigs ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they saw the man who had been possessed by the legion of demons, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. Those who had seen it told the people what had happened to the demon-possessed man—and told about the pigs as well. Then the people began to plead with Jesus to leave their region. As Jesus was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed begged to go with him. Jesus did not let him, but said, “Go home to your own people and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” So the man went away and began to tell in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him. And all the people were amazed. '

Luke 8:26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes, which is opposite Galilee. 27 And when He came out onto the land, He was met by a man from the city who was possessed with demons; and who had not put on any clothing for a long time, and was not living in a house, but in the tombs. Their first thought may have been, let's get back in the boat, storm and all then to stay here! Here is a madman coming at them naked and possessed by demons. Plural! He lived in the tombs and would have been a sight to behold. He had been in this condition for a long time. He was surrounded with death and decay. His dwelling place was the graveyard, the cemetery. Note: This man approached Jesus.  28 Seeing Jesus, he cried out and fell before Him, and said in a loud voice, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg You, do not torment me.” 29 For He had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. For it had seized him many times; and he was bound with chains and shackles and kept under guard, and yet he would break his bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.  It says that he cried out in a loud voice. I would bet it was terrifying! He was bound with chains as a way to subdue him but he would break them. They bound him with chains to keep him from hurting others, but he broke the chains time and again. Finally, they drove him out of town and he lived in the local cemetery, a madman among the tombs, hurting the only person he could – himself. The demons had not only terrorised this man, but the whole region. His madness affected everyone.  He was probably very scary. The people tried to keep him bound, probably to protect the people and to keep him under guard, but nothing worked. The demon would drive him away from people, and the people away from him. We all need fellowship and friendship. The man also has been away from his family for a long time. Think of what everyone thought of the man. What do you picture? Jesus sees a man who needs salvation just like we all do. We may not live in the tombs or cemetery, but He knows our hearts. We may look good on the outside, but even the religious leaders of the day, Jesus saw them as whitewashed tombs with dead men's bones inside. Jesus saw this man in this state and treated him with dignity and respect. Here was a man, a soul that needed to be saved. They had left great times of ministry to get in a boat to go to the other side for ONE MAN. Jesus knew there was a need on the other side of the Sea. Here is a lesson for us all; the ONE is worth it! It may not always be a multitude but One soul matters to God. The Bible says that all heaven rejoices over one sinner who repents. 

Jesus told the demon-possessed man of the Gerasenes to "declare how much God has done for you." While his story may be hard for us to relate to, we all once were "following the prince of the power of the air." We have as much motive to declare God's work for us, if we will immerse ourselves in it. Listen to Gabe Johnson's exhortation for more.

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7 NLT)   You don't have to look hard to find reasons to fear. We live in a crazy world. I can't think of a scarier time than the present, quite frankly. The 24/7 news cycle and social media amplify our sense of danger by bombarding us with images of the latest mass shooting, a Chinese hypersonic missile, or yet another strain of COVID. And that doesn't even take into account our personal triggers. We all know what it's like to wake up in the middle of the night and be gripped by panic, fear, or anxiety.   What we also need to know is that we serve a God who is eternal, sovereign, all-powerful, and loving. He is in control. That's why Paul wrote, “Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6–7 NLT).   Mark 5 tells the story of a demon-possessed man who terrorized people in the region of the Gerasenes. He lived in the tombs and was so powerful that no chains could hold him. Day and night, he cried out and cut himself with stones. He was the stuff of nightmares. Yet when Jesus approached him, it was the demons inside the man who were terrified—because they realized they were powerless against the Lord.   You probably know that when the angel announced Jesus' birth to the shepherds in the field, his first words were “Don't be afraid!” or “Fear not!” depending on your translation (Luke 2:10). But did you know that “Don't be afraid”—or words to that effect—appears more than 350 times in the Bible? That's almost one “Don't be afraid” for every day of the year. Obviously, it's a message God wants us to take away from His Word.   The angel's next sentence explains why: “I bring you good news that will bring great joy to all people” (Luke 2:10 NLT). Our goal is to experience God's joy to the fullest. But fear robs us of that joy. It prevents us from experiencing life as God wants us to. The condition of joy is to let go of fear.   First Peter 5:7 says, “Give all your worries and cares to God, for he cares about you” (nlt). You choose to have joy. You don't wait for it to come if and when your fears go away. It doesn't matter whether you feel it. Paul was in prison when he wrote, “Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again—rejoice!” (Philippians 4:4 NLT). He was able to say, “I'm choosing to rejoice in the Lord, regardless of my very scary circumstances.” You can make the same choice.   Are you struggling with fear or anxiety? Remember God's words from Isaiah 43:2: “When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you” (NLT).   Let go of your fear. Give it to God. Walk boldly and courageously in the path He's laid out for you. — Listen to the Greg Laurie Podcast Become a Harvest PartnerSupport the show: https://harvest.org/supportSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, Jesus shows his authority over wind, rain, and sea. With a word of might, he calms the raging storm and saves the apostles from certain death. Once the storm has subsided, Jesus faces a man who is plagued with a Legion of demons. The man rages and thrashes with the unholy spirit controlling his body, and Jesus calms the man's soul just as he did the storm. This story is inspired by Mark 4:35 – 5:20 & Matthew 8:23-33 & Luke 8:22-39. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 8:26 from the King James Version.Episode 189: Jesus, weary from a day of teaching and ministering, went aboard Peter's boat to sleep while he and the rest of the disciples made preparations to sail to the other side of the sea. However, a great storm was on the sea that night and the boat began taking on water by the bucketful. Frighted Peter woke Jesus up and as Jesus spoke, the wind and waves became silent. When they finally arrived at the shore of the Gerasenes, a broken, bloody, and demon-possessed man ran to Jesus. Not even a legion of demons could stand against God's power as Jesus set this man free!Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_________________OpeningBlessed be God: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.And blessed be his kingdom, now and for ever. Amen.Come, let us worship God our King.Come, let us worship Christ, our King and our God.Come, let us worship Christ among us, our King and our God.Holy God,holy and mighty,holy immortal one,have mercy upon us. (3x)Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. From Psalm 51Open my lips, O Lord, *and my mouth shall proclaim your praise.Create in me a clean heart, O God, *and renew a right spirit within me.Cast me not away from your presence *and take not your holy Spirit from me.Give me the joy of your saving help again *and sustain me with your bountiful Spirit.Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. A PsalmPsalm 54Deus, in nomineSave me, O God, by your Name; in your might, defend my cause.Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.For the arrogant have risen up against me, and the ruthless have sought my life, those who have no regard for God.Behold, God is my helper; it is the Lord who sustains my life.Render evil to those who spy on me; in your faithfulness, destroy them.I will offer you a freewill sacrifice and praise your Name, O Lord, for it is good.For you have rescued me from every trouble, and my eye has seen the ruin of my foes. Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen. The ReadingsGalatians 1:1-10English Standard VersionPaul, an apostle—not from men nor through man, but through Jesus Christ and God the Father, who raised him from the dead— and all the brothers who are with me,To the churches of Galatia:Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins to deliver us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, to whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen.I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God? Or am I trying to please man? If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ.Galatians 1:20-2:5(In what I am writing to you, before God, I do not lie!) Then I went into the regions of Syria and Cilicia. And I was still unknown in person to the churches of Judea that are in Christ. They only were hearing it said, “He who used to persecute us is now preaching the faith he once tried to destroy.” And they glorified God because of me.Then after fourteen years I went up again to Jerusalem with Barnabas, taking Titus along with me. I went up because of a revelation and set before them (though privately before those who seemed influential) the gospel that I proclaim among the Gentiles, in order to make sure I was not running or had not run in vain. But even Titus, who was with me, was not forced to be circumcised, though he was a Greek. Yet because of false brothers secretly brought in—who slipped in to spy out our freedom that we have in Christ Jesus, so that they might bring us into slavery— to them we did not yield in submission even for a moment, so that the truth of the gospel might be preserved for you.The Word of the LordThanks Be to God Mark 5:1-20English Standard VersionThey came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.The Word of the LordThanks Be to GodThe Apostles' CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth;I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. ExamenIn God's presence, think through the day ahead:the work you will do, the people you will encounter, the dangers or uncertainties you face, the possibilities for joy and acts of kindness, any particular resolutions you need to renew, consider what might draw you from the love of God and neighbor, the opportunities you will have to know and serve God and to grow in virtue, remember those closest to you and all for whom you have agreed to pray, ask God's blessings, guidance, and strength in all that lies before you. Gather up these thoughts and reflections in the wordsOur Savior taught us to say: The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The Collects of the DayAlmighty God, you have given your only Son to be for us a sacrifice for sin, and also an example of godly life: Give us grace to receive thankfully the fruits of his redeeming work, and to follow daily in the blessed steps of his most holy life; through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and for ever. Amen. Lord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Closing PrayersA Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. Glory be to the + Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit,now and always and forever and ever. Amen.Lord, have mercy! (3x)God, be gracious to us and bless us and shine Your countenance upon us and have mercy on us.This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!The Father+ is my hope; the Son, my refuge; the Holy Spirit, my protection: All-Holy Trinity, glory to You!Amen!

Send us a Text Message.“They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea.”‭‭—Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭13‬ Support the Show.The American Soul Podcasthttps://www.buzzsprout.com/1791934/subscribe

Jesus and the disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the sea -Mark 4-. When they arrive on the other shore, in the region of the Gerasenes, they are greeted by a demon possessed man.

Jesus and the disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the sea -Mark 4-. When they arrive on the other shore, in the region of the Gerasenes, they are greeted by a demon possessed man.

Jesus and the disciples have just crossed the Sea of Galilee where Jesus calmed the sea (Mark 4). When they arrive on the other shore, in the region of the Gerasenes, they are greeted by a demon possessed man.

We see Jesus' astounding authority over nature, demons, illness, and death through three dramatic events. First, He calms a storm on the Sea of Galilee, astonishing His disciples. Next, He frees a demon-possessed man in the Gerasenes, demonstrating His power over evil spirits. Finally, Jesus heals a woman suffering from a bleeding disorder and raises Jairus's daughter from the dead, showcasing His compassion and divine power.  The Rev. Scott MacDonald, pastor of St. John Lutheran Church in Meridian, CT, joins the Rev. Dr. Phil Booe to study Luke 8:22-56.  The Gospel of Luke, filled with rich narratives and detailed accounts, offers an inspired and historical perspective on the life and teachings of Jesus. Emphasizing Jesus' concern for the poor, outcasts, and social justice, this Gospel narrates parables and miracles that underscore the theme of God's salvation for all people. Luke's account is unique in its inclusion of the birth of John the Baptist, the parable of the Good Samaritan, and the story of the Prodigal Son, culminating in a vivid portrayal of Jesus' death and resurrection, affirming the universal offer of redemption. This Gospel serves as an invitation to understand the depth of God's love and the breadth of His grace extended to humanity through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus.

And They Asked Jesus to Leave MESSAGE SUMMARY: From the Gospel of Luke (8:26-39): And They Asked Jesus to Leave Introduction -- Compassion Unpacked: God wants to have a heart-to-heart talk with us. Therefore, if there is anything in our lives blocking this talk with God, we must remove it – we need to open ourselves to what God will do for us if we will just let go of our life impediments. We must pray for God's guidance that He keeps us from becoming judgmental, self-righteous, self-centered Christians like the Pharisees in Luke 7:36-50. Today's Message -- And They Asked Jesus to Leave: When Jesus stepped ashore after a storm-tossed sail across the Sea of Galilee, Luke 8:26-39 tells us that Jesus was met by a demon-possessed man. True Christians cannot be demon-possessed; the Holy Spirit indwells and possesses Christians. For non-believers, their spirit is void and open to passion by demons. However, Christians can be oppressed by demons. In Luke 8:32-33, Luke tells us that the demons called Jesus by name and asked that they not be removed from the demon-posed man and be sent to the “abyss”. Therefore, Jesus removed the demons from the man and transferred the demons into a large herd of pigs: “Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. Then the demons entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and were drowned.". Subsequently, the people from the town came to observe the formerly possessed man and the fate of the pig herd (Luke 8:36-39): “And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed man had been healed. Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him {Jesus} to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, ‘Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.'". The people of the town asked Jesus, the Creator of the Universe, to leave because he had cost their economy, and they were afraid. However, “asking him {Jesus} to depart” is something we Christians do. We learn from this story of the demon-possessed man and the people of “Gerasenes” that: 1) Jesus has power over demons (demon passion and oppression are real and should not be taken lightly); 2) it is easy to talk those people that we do not know well about what Jesus has done for us, but Jesus wants us to witness to our families and friends; 3) we should be careful what we invest, especially those investments that are against God's law; 4) we do  “ask Jesus to leave” – every time we sin, every time we begin our day without Jesus, every time we walk away from His calling on our lives, every time we say “my will be done” rather than “they will be done”; 5) Jesus wants us to share what He has done for us – wherever we are and whomever we are with, especially where we live and work; and 6) this story tell us Jesus  who Jesus is – the demon-possessed man tells us (Luke 8:32) who Jesus is: “When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, ‘What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.'”. The ultimate question that we all must all answer: “Who do we say that Jesus is?”.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Keeping the Sabbath, Lord, will require a lot of changes in the way I am living life. Teach me, Lord, how to take the next step with this in a way that fits my unique personality and situation. Help me to trust you with all that will remain unfinished and to enjoy my humble place in your very large world. In Jesus' name, amen. Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 129). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: I affirm that because of what God has done for me in His Son, Jesus, I AM RIGHTEOUS IN GOD'S EYES. God made Him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 2 Corinthians 5:21 SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV): Ephesians 6:10; Luke 8:22-25; Luke 8:26-39; Psalms 141:1-10. SCRIPTURE REFERENCE SEARCH: www.AWFTL.org/bible-search/A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. WEBSITE LINK TO DR. BEACH'S DAILY DEVOTIONAL – “As a Jesus Follower, the Greatest Witness for the Gospel that You Can Give Is for Others to See Jesus IN You”: https://awordfromthelord.org/devotional/    DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Welcome to the TFC Biblecast! Start your day off right and join us as we take the next 10 minutes to dive into God's word. Today's verses are from Mark 5:1-20. If we can pray for you, email us at biblecast@tfc.org.

They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. God sent an evil spirit between Abimelech and the citizens of Shechem. They treated Abimelech deceitfully, so that the crime against…

Brain Andrews joins Brad to close out the week Golf talk with Brad Earthquake and Eclipse ------------------ Mark 5:1-30 (NASB) The Gerasene Demoniac ​1  They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “ What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18  As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Miracles and Healing __________________ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Brown Family YMCA 170 Landrum Lane Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Professor Nancy Pearcey joins Doug today A foundation "I Don't Want to Talk About It" Technical difficulties in the last 20 minutes Links: https://www.amazon.com/Toxic-War-Masculinity-Christianity-Reconciles/dp/0801075734 https://terryreal.com/books/ ------------------ Mark 5:1-30 (NASB) The Gerasene Demoniac ​1  They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “ What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18  As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Miracles and Healing __________________ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Brown Family YMCA 170 Landrum Lane Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Studying the Word Kanaf Florida abortion news Be aware, it's coming... Demons Send your questions for Nancy Pearcey ------------------ Mark 5:1-30 (NASB) The Gerasene Demoniac ​1  They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “ What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18  As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Miracles and Healing __________________ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Brown Family YMCA 170 Landrum Lane Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Professor Pearcey will be Thursday's guest ------------------ Mark 5:1-30 (NASB) The Gerasene Demoniac ​1  They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “ What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea... __________________ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Brown Family YMCA 170 Landrum Lane Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Pure Darkeness from the White House Rene Richards Speak the Truth in Love "The Tocix War on Masculinity" ------------------ Mark 5:1-30 (NASB) The Gerasene Demoniac ​1  They came to the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gerasenes. 2 When He got out of the boat, immediately a man from the tombs with an unclean spirit met Him, 3 and he had his dwelling among the tombs. And no one was able to bind him anymore, even with a chain; 4 because he had often been bound with shackles and chains, and the chains had been torn apart by him and the shackles broken in pieces, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. 5 Constantly, night and day, he was screaming among the tombs and in the mountains, and gashing himself with stones. 6 Seeing Jesus from a distance, he ran up and bowed down before Him; 7 and shouting with a loud voice, he *said, “ What business do we have with each other, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I implore You by God, do not torment me!” 8 For He had been saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And He was asking him, “What is your name?” And he *said to Him, “My name is Legion; for we are many.” 10 And he began to implore Him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now there was a large herd of swine feeding nearby on the mountain. 12 The demons implored Him, saying, “Send us into the swine so that we may enter them.” 13 Jesus gave them permission. And coming out, the unclean spirits entered the swine; and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea, about two thousand of them; and they were drowned in the sea. 14 Their herdsmen ran away and reported it in the city and in the country. And the people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 They *came to Jesus and *observed the man who had been demon-possessed sitting down, clothed and in his right mind, the very man who had had the “legion”; and they became frightened. 16 Those who had seen it described to them how it had happened to the demon-possessed man, and all about the swine. 17 And they began to implore Him to leave their region. 18  As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been demon-possessed was imploring Him that he might accompany Him. 19 And He did not let him, but He *said to him, “Go home to your people and report to them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in Decapolis what great things Jesus had done for him; and everyone was amazed. Miracles and Healing __________________ 5 Core Values of SWAT 1. God's Word 2. Prayer 3. Evangelism 4. Discipleship 5. Community ------------------ https://swatradio.com/ SWAT - Spiritual Warriors Advancing Truth Call us Toll-Free at: +1-844-777-7928 Email Us a Question: ask@swatradio.com FIND A SWAT MEETING Brown Family YMCA 170 Landrum Lane Ponte Vedra Beach, FL 32082 Wed. 6:30-7:30 am IHOP 3250 Hodges Blvd Jacksonville, FL 32224 Wed. Night 7-8 pm Salem Centre 7235 Bonneval Rd Jacksonville, FL Wed. 12:00-1:00 pm Jumping Jax House of Food 10131 San Jose Blvd #12 Jacksonville, FL Thursday 6:30-7:30 am The Village Inn 900 Ponce De Leon Blvd St. Augustine, FL Friday 9:00-10:30 am Woodmen Valley Chapel - Woodmen Heights Campus 8292 Woodman Valley View Colorado Springs CO 80908 Thursdays 8-9:15 pm

Istrouma Baptist Church (BR) Mar 31, 2024 ========== March 31 | Easter at Istrouma Welcome! We're glad you've joined us today for our Sunday morning worship service! For more information about Istrouma, go to istrouma.org or contact us at info@istrouma.org. We glorify God by making disciples of all nations. ========== Connection Card https://istrouma.org/myinfo March 31, 2024 Tim Keith ‭‭Mark‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭15‬‬ They came to the other side of the sea, to the region of the Gerasenes. As soon as he got out of the boat, a man with an unclean spirit came out of the tombs and met him. He lived in the tombs, and no one was able to restrain him anymore — not even with a chain  —  because he often had been bound with shackles and chains, but had torn the chains apart and smashed the shackles. No one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains, he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. When he saw Jesus from a distance, he ran and knelt down before him. And he cried out with a loud voice, “What do you have to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you before God, don't torment me!” For he had told him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” “What is your name?” he asked him. “My name is Legion,” he answered him, “because we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the region. A large herd of pigs was there, feeding on the hillside. The demons begged him, “Send us to the pigs, so that we may enter them.” So he gave them permission, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs. The herd of about two thousand rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned there. The men who tended them ran off and reported it in the town and the countryside, and people went to see what had happened. They came to Jesus and saw the man who had been demon-possessed, sitting there, dressed and in his right mind; and they were afraid. ‭‭Leviticus‬ ‭16‬:‭8‬-‭10‬‬ After Aaron casts lots for the two goats, one lot for the Lord and the other for an uninhabitable place, he is to present the goat chosen by lot for the Lord and sacrifice it as a sin offering. But the goat chosen by lot for an uninhabitable place is to be presented alive before the Lord to make atonement with it by sending it into the wilderness for an uninhabitable place. ‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭10‬:‭1‬-‭4‬‬ Since the law has only a shadow of the good things to come, and not the reality itself of those things, it can never perfect the worshipers by the same sacrifices they continually offer year after year. Otherwise, wouldn't they have stopped being offered, since the worshipers, purified once and for all, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? But in the sacrifices there is a reminder of sins year after year. For it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. ‭‭Matthew‬ ‭27‬:‭16‬‬ At that time they had a notorious prisoner called Barabbas. ‭‭Galatians‬ ‭4‬:‭6‬‬ And because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba, Father!” ‭‭Acts‬ ‭2‬:‭23‬-‭24‬‬ Though he was delivered up according to God's determined plan and foreknowledge, you used lawless people to nail him to a cross and kill him. God raised him up, ending the pains of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by death. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭8‬:‭1‬-‭2‬‬ Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬‬ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ‭‭Romans‬ ‭6‬:‭23‬‬ For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭9‬-‭10‬‬ If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. ‭‭Romans‬ ‭10‬:‭13‬‬ for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” God Has A Plan. Jesus is His Plan. What is Your Plan? Want to receive weekly announcements in your inbox each week? https://istrouma.org/email Give Online Text ISTROUMA IBC to 73256 or go to: https://istrouma.org/give Our Website https://istrouma.org

Today's Topics: 1, 2, 3, 4) Gospel - Mk 5:1-20 - Jesus and His disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When He got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met Him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before Him, crying out in a loud voice, "What have You to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure You by God, do not torment me!" (He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!") He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us." And he pleaded earnestly with Him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with Him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And He let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg Him to leave their district. As He was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with Him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Bishop Sheen quote of the day Father Charles Murr joins Terry to discuss the truths that bring people into the Church and how to remain in the Church despite the scandals within the Church today

Gospel Mark 5:1-20 Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea, to the territory of the Gerasenes. When he got out of the boat, at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him. The man had been dwelling among the tombs, and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain. In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains, but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed, and no one was strong enough to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsides he was always crying out and bruising himself with stones. Catching sight of Jesus from a distance, he ran up and prostrated himself before him, crying out in a loud voice, "What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me!" (He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!") He asked him, "What is your name?" He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us." And he pleaded earnestly with him not to drive them away from that territory. Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside. And they pleaded with him, "Send us into the swine. Let us enter them." And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine. The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea, where they were drowned. The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the town and throughout the countryside. And people came out to see what had happened. As they approached Jesus, they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion, sitting there clothed and in his right mind. And they were seized with fear. Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happened to the possessed man and to the swine. Then they began to beg him to leave their district. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him. But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead, "Go home to your family and announce to them all that the Lord in his pity has done for you." Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapolis what Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed. Reflection This is the beginning of the Gospel of Mark, and it's clear that he makes us aware that Jesus came into the world to destroy a power, the power of evil. And it's fascinating in this story that we see this evil being so aware that God has somehow come in the presence of Jesus into the presence of this evil, and He doesn't have a chance, even cries out to God, don't destroy us, please. And Jesus does his destructive work, his best work. And the interesting thing about the people who watch this, instead of saying, this is wonderful, this is wonderful news. They were terrified. They asked him to leave. They didn't understand some power like this over evil. It's interesting that they were frightened by his power. We need to grasp and understand the power that God has given to you and to me, that we have power over evil because of our redemption. And we can't run or ignore that great promise. Closing Prayer Father, we constantly struggle with weaknesses, and we wonder so often why we are plagued by these shortcomings, and we turn to you always. And we need to understand your power over anything that's seeking to destroy us is stronger than that which destroys us. So we should have confidence as we struggle against those weaknesses, knowing that they will ultimately have no power over us. And we ask this in Jesus' name, Amen.

Jesus and his disciples came to the other side of the sea,to the territory of the Gerasenes.When he got out of the boat,at once a man from the tombs who had an unclean spirit met him.The man had been dwelling among the tombs,and no one could restrain him any longer, even with a chain.In fact, he had frequently been bound with shackles and chains,but the chains had been pulled apart by him and the shackles smashed,and no one was strong enough to subdue him.Night and day among the tombs and on the hillsideshe was always crying out and bruising himself with stones.Catching sight of Jesus from a distance,he ran up and prostrated himself before him,crying out in a loud voice,"What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God?I adjure you by God, do not torment me!"(He had been saying to him, "Unclean spirit, come out of the man!")He asked him, "What is your name?"He replied, "Legion is my name. There are many of us."And he pleaded earnestly with himnot to drive them away from that territory.Now a large herd of swine was feeding there on the hillside.And they pleaded with him,"Send us into the swine. Let us enter them."And he let them, and the unclean spirits came out and entered the swine.The herd of about two thousand rushed down a steep bank into the sea,where they were drowned.The swineherds ran away and reported the incident in the townand throughout the countryside.And people came out to see what had happened.As they approached Jesus,they caught sight of the man who had been possessed by Legion,sitting there clothed and in his right mind.And they were seized with fear.Those who witnessed the incident explained to them what had happenedto the possessed man and to the swine.Then they began to beg him to leave their district.As he was getting into the boat,the man who had been possessed pleaded to remain with him.But Jesus would not permit him but told him instead,"Go home to your family and announce to themall that the Lord in his pity has done for you."Then the man went off and began to proclaim in the Decapoliswhat Jesus had done for him; and all were amazed.

Mark 5:1-20 Mark 5:1–20 (Listen) Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.1 2 And when Jesus2 had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed3 man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus4 to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. Footnotes [1] 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes [2] 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9 [3] 5:15 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons [4] 5:17 Greek him (ESV)

Mark 5:1-20 Mark 5:1–20 (Listen) Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon 5:1 They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes.1 2 And when Jesus2 had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. 3 He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, 4 for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. 5 Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. 6 And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. 7 And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” 8 For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” 9 And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” 10 And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. 11 Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, 12 and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” 13 So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea. 14 The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. 15 And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed3 man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 16 And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. 17 And they began to beg Jesus4 to depart from their region. 18 As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. 19 And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” 20 And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled. Footnotes [1] 5:1 Some manuscripts Gergesenes; some Gadarenes [2] 5:2 Greek he; also verse 9 [3] 5:15 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); also verses 16, 18; elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons [4] 5:17 Greek him (ESV)

Luke 8:26-39 They sailed to the region of the Gerasenes, which is across the lake from Galilee. 27 When Jesus stepped ashore, he was met by a demon-possessed man from the town. For a long time this man had not worn clothes or lived in a house, but had lived in the tombs.  28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell at his feet, shouting at the top of his voice, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, don't torture me!”  29 For Jesus had commanded the impure spirit to come out of the man. Many times it had seized him, and though he was chained hand and foot and kept under guard, he had broken his chains and had been driven by the demon into solitary places. 30 Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” “Legion,” he replied, because many demons had gone into him.    Ephesians 1:19-22 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in his holy people, 19 and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is the same as the mighty strength 20 he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, 21 far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. 22 And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church   31 And they begged Jesus repeatedly not to order them to go into the Abyss. 32 A large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside. The demons begged Jesus to let them go into the pigs, and he gave them permission. 33 When the demons came out of the man, they went into the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and was drowned. 34 When those tending the pigs saw what had happened, they ran off and reported this in the town and countryside, 35 and the people went out to see what had happened. When they came to Jesus, they found the man from whom the demons had gone out, sitting at Jesus' feet, dressed and in his right mind;  and they were afraid. 36 Those who had seen it told the people how the demon-possessed man had been cured. 37 Then all the people of the region of the Gerasenes asked Jesus to leave them, because they were overcome with fear. So he got into the boat and left. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone out begged to go with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return home and tell how much God has done for you.” So the man went away and told all over town how much Jesus had done for him.

Support Common Prayer Daily @ PatreonVisit our Website for more www.commonprayerdaily.com_______________The Third Week of AdventThe glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together.Isaiah 40:5 ConfessionOfficiant: Let us humbly confess our sins unto Almighty God.People: Almighty and most merciful Father, we have erred and strayed from your ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against your holy laws.We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done; and apart from your grace, there is no health in us. O Lord, have mercy upon us. Spare all those who confess their faults. Restore all those who are penitent, according to your promises declared to all people in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, that we may now live a godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of your holy Name. Amen.Officiant: Almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us all our sins through our Lord Jesus Christ, strengthen us in all goodness, and by the power of the Holy Spirit keep us in eternal life. Amen. The Lord's PrayerOur Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Invitatory & PsalmsOfficiant: O God, make speed to save us. People: O Lord, make haste to help us. Officiant & People: Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. In AdventOur King and Savior now draws near: Come let us adore him. Venite Psalm 95:1-7Come, let us sing to the Lord; *let us shout for joy to the Rock of our salvation.Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving * and raise a loud shout to him with psalms.For the Lord is a great God, *and a great King above all gods.In his hand are the caverns of the earth, * and the heights of the hills are his also.The sea is his, for he made it, *and his hands have molded the dry land.Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee, * and kneel before the Lord our Maker.For he is our God, and we are the people of his pasture and the sheep of his hand. * Oh, that today you would hearken to his voice! Psalm 84 Quam dilecta!1How dear to me is your dwelling, O Lord of hosts! *My soul has a desire and longing for the courts of the Lord;my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.2The sparrow has found her a houseand the swallow a nest where she may lay her young; *by the side of your altars, O Lord of hosts,my King and my God.3Happy are they who dwell in your house! *they will always be praising you.4Happy are the people whose strength is in you! *whose hearts are set on the pilgrims' way.5Those who go through the desolate valley will find it a place of springs, *for the early rains have covered it with pools of water.6They will climb from height to height, *and the God of gods will reveal himself in Zion.7Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; *hearken, O God of Jacob.8Behold our defender, O God; *and look upon the face of your Anointed.9For one day in your courts is better than a thousand in my own room, *and to stand at the threshold of the house of my Godthan to dwell in the tents of the wicked.10For the Lord God is both sun and shield; *he will give grace and glory;11No good thing will the Lord withhold *from those who walk with integrity.12O Lord of hosts, *happy are they who put their trust in you! Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit: as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen. The LessonsIsaiah 29:1-4 English Standard VersionAh, Ariel, Ariel,    the city where David encamped!Add year to year;    let the feasts run their round.Yet I will distress Ariel,    and there shall be moaning and lamentation,    and she shall be to me like an Ariel.And I will encamp against you all around,    and will besiege you with towers    and I will raise siegeworks against you.And you will be brought low; from the earth you shall speak,    and from the dust your speech will be bowed down;your voice shall come from the ground like the voice of a ghost,    and from the dust your speech shall whisper.Isaiah 29:9-14 English Standard VersionAstonish yourselves and be astonished;    blind yourselves and be blind!Be drunk, but not with wine;    stagger, but not with strong drink!For the Lord has poured out upon you    a spirit of deep sleep,and has closed your eyes (the prophets),    and covered your heads (the seers).And the vision of all this has become to you like the words of a book that is sealed. When men give it to one who can read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot, for it is sealed.” And when they give the book to one who cannot read, saying, “Read this,” he says, “I cannot read.”And the Lord said:“Because this people draw near with their mouth    and honor me with their lips,    while their hearts are far from me,and their fear of me is a commandment taught by men,therefore, behold, I will again    do wonderful things with this people,    with wonder upon wonder;and the wisdom of their wise men shall perish,    and the discernment of their discerning men shall be hidden.”Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. You are God(Te Deum laudamus)You are God: we praise you;You are the Lord: we acclaim you;You are the eternal Father:All creation worships you.To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:Holy, holy, holy Lord, God of power and might,heaven and earth are full of your glory.The glorious company of apostles praise you.The noble fellowship of prophets praise you.The white-robed army of martyrs praise you. Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you;Father, of majesty unbounded,your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.You, Christ, are the king of glory, the eternal Son of the Father.When you became man to set us free you did not shun the Virgin's womb. You overcame the sting of death and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers. You are seated at God's right hand in glory.We believe that you will come and be our judge.Come then, Lord, and help your people, bought with the price of your own blood, and bring us with your saints to glory everlasting. Mark 5:1-20 English Standard VersionThey came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes. And when Jesus had stepped out of the boat, immediately there met him out of the tombs a man with an unclean spirit. He lived among the tombs. And no one could bind him anymore, not even with a chain, for he had often been bound with shackles and chains, but he wrenched the chains apart, and he broke the shackles in pieces. No one had the strength to subdue him. Night and day among the tombs and on the mountains he was always crying out and cutting himself with stones. And when he saw Jesus from afar, he ran and fell down before him. And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” For he was saying to him, “Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!” And Jesus asked him, “What is your name?” He replied, “My name is Legion, for we are many.” And he begged him earnestly not to send them out of the country. Now a great herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him, saying, “Send us to the pigs; let us enter them.” So he gave them permission. And the unclean spirits came out and entered the pigs; and the herd, numbering about two thousand, rushed down the steep bank into the sea and drowned in the sea.The herdsmen fled and told it in the city and in the country. And people came to see what it was that had happened. And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. And those who had seen it described to them what had happened to the demon-possessed man and to the pigs. And they began to beg Jesus to depart from their region. As he was getting into the boat, the man who had been possessed with demons begged him that he might be with him. And he did not permit him but said to him, “Go home to your friends and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you.” And he went away and began to proclaim in the Decapolis how much Jesus had done for him, and everyone marveled.Officiant: The Word of the LordPeople: Thanks be to God. A Song of Praise(Benedictus es, Domine Song of the Three Young Men, 29-34)Glory to you, Lord God of our fathers; * you are worthy of praise; glory to you.Glory to you for the radiance of your holy Name; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you in the splendor of your temple; * on the throne of your majesty, glory to you.Glory to you, seated between the Cherubim; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever.Glory to you, beholding the depths; * in the high vault of heaven, glory to you.Glory to you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; * we will praise you and highly exalt you for ever. The CreedI believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth.I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit and born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died, and was buried. He descended to the dead. On the third day he rose again. He ascended into heaven, and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again to judge the living and the dead.I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen. The PrayersOfficiant: The Lord be with you.People: And also with you.Officiant: Let us pray The SuffragesShow us your mercy, O Lord;And grant us your salvation.Clothe your ministers with righteousness;Let your people sing with joy.Give peace, O Lord, in all the world;For only in you can we live in safety. Lord, keep this nation under your care;And guide us in the way of justice and truth. Let your way be known upon earth; Your saving health among all nations. Let not the needy, O Lord, be forgotten; Nor the hope of the poor be taken away. Create in us clean hearts, O God; And sustain us with your Holy Spirit.Take a moment at this time to reflect and pray for the needs of others. The Third Week of AdventO Lord Jesus Christ, you sent your messengers the prophets to preach repentance and prepare the way for our salvation: Grant that the ministers and stewards of your mysteries may likewise make ready your way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient toward the wisdom of the just, that at your second coming to judge the world, we may be found a people acceptable in your sight; for with the Father and the Holy Spirit you live and reign, one God, now and for ever. Amen.A Collect for PeaceO God, the author of peace and lover of concord, to know you is eternal life and to serve you is perfect freedom: Defend us, your humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in your defense, may not fear the power of any adversaries; through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.A Collect for GraceLord God, almighty and everlasting Father, you have brought us in safety to this new day: Preserve us with your mighty power, that we may not fall into sin, nor be overcome by adversity; and in all we do, direct us to the fulfilling of your purpose; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.For MissionAlmighty and everlasting God, by whose Spirit the whole body of your faithful people is governed and sanctified: Receive our supplications and prayers which we offer before you for all members of your holy Church, that in their vocation and ministry they may truly and devoutly serve you; through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen. ThanksgivingsThe General ThanksgivingAlmighty God, Father of all mercies, we your unworthy servants give you humble thanks for all your goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all whom you have made. We bless you for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life; but above all for your immeasurable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And, we pray, give us such an awareness of your mercies, that with truly thankful hearts we may show forth your praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to your service, and by walking before you in holiness and righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with you and the Holy Spirit, be honor and glory throughout all ages. Amen.A Prayer of St. ChrysostomAlmighty God, you have given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplication to you; and you have promised through your well-beloved Son that when two or three are gathered together in his Name you will be in the midst of them: Fulfill now, O Lord, our desires and petitions as may be best for us; granting us in this world knowledge of your truth, and in the age to come life everlasting. Amen. ConclusionThe grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all evermore. Amen. 2 Corinthians 13:14

In this Bible Story, Jesus shows his authority over wind, rain, and sea. With a word of might, he calms the raging storm and saves the apostles from certain death. Once the storm has subsided, Jesus faces a man who is plagued with a Legion of demons. The man rages and thrashes with the unholy spirit controlling his body, and Jesus calms the man's soul just as he did the storm. This story is inspired by Mark 4:35 – 5:20 & Matthew 8:23-33 & Luke 8:22-39. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Matthew 8:26 from the King James Version.Episode 189: Jesus, weary from a day of teaching and ministering, went aboard Peter's boat to sleep while he and the rest of the disciples made preparations to sail to the other side of the sea. However, a great storm was on the sea that night and the boat began taking on water by the bucketful. Frighted Peter woke Jesus up and as Jesus spoke, the wind and waves became silent. When they finally arrived at the shore of the Gerasenes, a broken, bloody, and demon-possessed man ran to Jesus. Not even a legion of demons could stand against God's power as Jesus set this man free!Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

With family: 1 Chronicles 19–20; 1 Peter 1 1 Chronicles 19–20 (Listen) The Ammonites Disgrace David's Men 19 Now after this Nahash the king of the Ammonites died, and his son reigned in his place. 2 And David said, “I will deal kindly with Hanun the son of Nahash, for his father dealt kindly with me.” So David sent messengers to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came to the land of the Ammonites to Hanun to console him. 3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun, “Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honoring your father? Have not his servants come to you to search and to overthrow and to spy out the land?” 4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved them and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away; 5 and they departed. When David was told concerning the men, he sent messengers to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, “Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return.” 6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, Hanun and the Ammonites sent 1,000 talents1 of silver to hire chariots and horsemen from Mesopotamia, from Aram-maacah, and from Zobah. 7 They hired 32,000 chariots and the king of Maacah with his army, who came and encamped before Medeba. And the Ammonites were mustered from their cities and came to battle. 8 When David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the army of the mighty men. 9 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the city, and the kings who had come were by themselves in the open country. Ammonites and Syrians Defeated 10 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians. 11 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and they were arrayed against the Ammonites. 12 And he said, “If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will help you. 13 Be strong, and let us use our strength for our people and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him.” 14 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near before the Syrians for battle, and they fled before him. 15 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai, Joab's brother, and entered the city. Then Joab came to Jerusalem. 16 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they sent messengers and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates,2 with Shophach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head. 17 And when it was told to David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to them and drew up his forces against them. And when David set the battle in array against the Syrians, they fought with him. 18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 7,000 chariots and 40,000 foot soldiers, and put to death also Shophach the commander of their army. 19 And when the servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with David and became subject to him. So the Syrians were not willing to save the Ammonites anymore. The Capture of Rabbah 20 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, Joab led out the army and ravaged the country of the Ammonites and came and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. And Joab struck down Rabbah and overthrew it. 2 And David took the crown of their king from his head. He found that it weighed a talent3 of gold, and in it was a precious stone. And it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 3 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor4 with saws and iron picks and axes.5 And thus David did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. Philistine Giants Killed 4 And after this there arose war with the Philistines at Gezer. Then Sibbecai the Hushathite struck down Sippai, who was one of the descendants of the giants, and the Philistines were subdued. 5 And there was again war with the Philistines, and Elhanan the son of Jair struck down Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the shaft of whose spear was like a weaver's beam. 6 And there was again war at Gath, where there was a man of great stature, who had six fingers on each hand and six toes on each foot, twenty-four in number, and he also was descended from the giants. 7 And when he taunted Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea, David's brother, struck him down. 8 These were descended from the giants in Gath, and they fell by the hand of David and by the hand of his servants. Footnotes [1] 19:6 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [2] 19:16 Hebrew the River [3] 20:2 A talent was about 75 pounds or 34 kilograms [4] 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew he sawed [5] 20:3 Compare 2 Samuel 12:31; Hebrew saws (ESV) 1 Peter 1 (Listen) Greeting 1 Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 2 according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood: May grace and peace be multiplied to you. Born Again to a Living Hope 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 4 to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, 5 who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 6 In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, 7 so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 8 Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, 9 obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls. 10 Concerning this salvation, the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11 inquiring what person or time1 the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12 It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look. Called to Be Holy 13 Therefore, preparing your minds for action,2 and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14 As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, 15 but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, 16 since it is written, “You shall be holy, for I am holy.” 17 And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one's deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18 knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19 but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. 20 He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you 21 who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God. 22 Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, 23 since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; 24 for   “All flesh is like grass    and all its glory like the flower of grass.  The grass withers,    and the flower falls,25   but the word of the Lord remains forever.” And this word is the good news that was preached to you. Footnotes [1] 1:11 Or what time or circumstances [2] 1:13 Greek girding up the loins of your mind (ESV) In private: Jonah 3; Luke 8 Jonah 3 (Listen) Jonah Goes to Nineveh 3 Then the word of the LORD came to Jonah the second time, saying, 2 “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and call out against it the message that I tell you.” 3 So Jonah arose and went to Nineveh, according to the word of the LORD. Now Nineveh was an exceedingly great city,1 three days' journey in breadth.2 4 Jonah began to go into the city, going a day's journey. And he called out, “Yet forty days, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” 5 And the people of Nineveh believed God. They called for a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least of them. The People of Nineveh Repent 6 The word reached3 the king of Nineveh, and he arose from his throne, removed his robe, covered himself with sackcloth, and sat in ashes. 7 And he issued a proclamation and published through Nineveh, “By the decree of the king and his nobles: Let neither man nor beast, herd nor flock, taste anything. Let them not feed or drink water, 8 but let man and beast be covered with sackcloth, and let them call out mightily to God. Let everyone turn from his evil way and from the violence that is in his hands. 9 Who knows? God may turn and relent and turn from his fierce anger, so that we may not perish.” 10 When God saw what they did, how they turned from their evil way, God relented of the disaster that he had said he would do to them, and he did not do it. Footnotes [1] 3:3 Hebrew a great city to God [2] 3:3 Or a visit was a three days' journey [3] 3:6 Or had reached (ESV) Luke 8 (Listen) Women Accompanying Jesus 8 Soon afterward he went on through cities and villages, proclaiming and bringing the good news of the kingdom of God. And the twelve were with him, 2 and also some women who had been healed of evil spirits and infirmities: Mary, called Magdalene, from whom seven demons had gone out, 3 and Joanna, the wife of Chuza, Herod's household manager, and Susanna, and many others, who provided for them1 out of their means. The Parable of the Sower 4 And when a great crowd was gathering and people from town after town came to him, he said in a parable, 5 “A sower went out to sow his seed. And as he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled underfoot, and the birds of the air devoured it. 6 And some fell on the rock, and as it grew up, it withered away, because it had no moisture. 7 And some fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up with it and choked it. 8 And some fell into good soil and grew and yielded a hundredfold.” As he said these things, he called out, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.” The Purpose of the Parables 9 And when his disciples asked him what this parable meant, 10 he said, “To you it has been given to know the secrets of the kingdom of God, but for others they are in parables, so that ‘seeing they may not see, and hearing they may not understand.' 11 Now the parable is this: The seed is the word of God. 12 The ones along the path are those who have heard; then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved. 13 And the ones on the rock are those who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root; they believe for a while, and in time of testing fall away. 14 And as for what fell among the thorns, they are those who hear, but as they go on their way they are choked by the cares and riches and pleasures of life, and their fruit does not mature. 15 As for that in the good soil, they are those who, hearing the word, hold it fast in an honest and good heart, and bear fruit with patience. A Lamp Under a Jar 16 “No one after lighting a lamp covers it with a jar or puts it under a bed, but puts it on a stand, so that those who enter may see the light. 17 For nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light. 18 Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.” Jesus' Mother and Brothers 19 Then his mother and his brothers2 came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. 20 And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, desiring to see you.” 21 But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.” Jesus Calms a Storm 22 One day he got into a boat with his disciples, and he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side of the lake.” So they set out, 23 and as they sailed he fell asleep. And a windstorm came down on the lake, and they were filling with water and were in danger. 24 And they went and woke him, saying, “Master, Master, we are perishing!” And he awoke and rebuked the wind and the raging waves, and they ceased, and there was a calm. 25 He said to them, “Where is your faith?” And they were afraid, and they marveled, saying to one another, “Who then is this, that he commands even winds and water, and they obey him?” Jesus Heals a Man with a Demon 26 Then they sailed to the country of the Gerasenes,3 which is opposite Galilee. 27 When Jesus4 had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs. 28 When he saw Jesus, he cried out and fell down before him and said with a loud voice, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I beg you, do not torment me.” 29 For he had commanded the unclean spirit to come out of the man. (For many a time it had seized him. He was kept under guard and bound with chains and shackles, but he would break the bonds and be driven by the demon into the desert.) 30 Jesus then asked him, “What is your name?” And he said, “Legion,” for many demons had entered him. 31 And they begged him not to command them to depart into the abyss. 32 Now a large herd of pigs was feeding there on the hillside, and they begged him to let them enter these. So he gave them permission. 33 Then the demons came out of the man and entered the pigs, and the herd rushed down the steep bank into the lake and drowned. 34 When the herdsmen saw what had happened, they fled and told it in the city and in the country. 35 Then people went out to see what had happened, and they came to Jesus and found the man from whom the demons had gone, sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed and in his right mind, and they were afraid. 36 And those who had seen it told them how the demon-possessed5 man had been healed. 37 Then all the people of the surrounding country of the Gerasenes asked him to depart from them, for they were seized with great fear. So he got into the boat and returned. 38 The man from whom the demons had gone begged that he might be with him, but Jesus sent him away, saying, 39 “Return to your home, and declare how much God has done for you.” And he went away, proclaiming throughout the whole city how much Jesus had done for him. Jesus Heals a Woman and Jairus's Daughter 40 Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. 41 And there came a man named Jairus, who was a ruler of the synagogue. And falling at Jesus' feet, he implored him to come to his house, 42 for he had an only daughter, about twelve years of age, and she was dying. As Jesus went, the people pressed around him. 43 And there was a woman who had had a discharge of blood for twelve years, and though she had spent all her living on physicians,6 she could not be healed by anyone. 44 She came up behind him and touched the fringe of his garment, and immediately her discharge of blood ceased. 45 And Jesus said, “Who was it that touched me?” When all denied it, Peter7 said, “Master, the crowds surround you and are pressing in on you!” 46 But Jesus said, “Someone touched me, for I perceive that power has gone out from me.” 47 And when the woman saw that she was not hidden, she came trembling, and falling down before him declared in the presence of all the people why she had touched him, and how she had been immediately healed. 48 And he said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.” 49 While he was still speaking, someone from the ruler's house came and said, “Your daughter is dead; do not trouble the Teacher any more.” 50 But Jesus on hearing this answered him, “Do not fear; only believe, and she will be well.” 51 And when he came to the house, he allowed no one to enter with him, except Peter and John and James, and the father and mother of the child. 52 And all were weeping and mourning for her, but he said, “Do not weep, for she is not dead but sleeping.” 53 And they laughed at him, knowing that she was dead. 54 But taking her by the hand he called, saying, “Child, arise.” 55 And her spirit returned, and she got up at once. And he directed that something should be given her to eat. 56 And her parents were amazed, but he charged them to tell no one what had happened. Footnotes [1] 8:3 Some manuscripts him [2] 8:19 Or brothers and sisters. In New Testament usage, depending on the context, the plural Greek word adelphoi (translated “brothers”) may refer either to brothers or to brothers and sisters; also verses 20, 21 [3] 8:26 Some manuscripts Gadarenes; others Gergesenes; also verse 37 [4] 8:27 Greek he; also verses 38, 42 [5] 8:36 Greek daimonizomai (demonized); elsewhere rendered oppressed by demons [6] 8:43 Some manuscripts omit and though she had spent all her living on physicians [7] 8:45 Some manuscripts add and those who were with him (ESV)

In this Bible Story, we say goodbye to the Prophet Elisha and the end of the era of kings. The nations of Judah and Israel continue to wrestle with God. Soon, a great threat would arise to take Israel captive. This was a threat they were not prepared for.This story is inspired by 2 Kings 13. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is 2 Kings 13:19 from the King James Version.Episode 142: Jonah, a questionable prophet of God, heard the word of God telling him to go to Nineveh and confront the people about their sins. Jonah, giving in to his pride and disgust for the people of Nineveh, said no and immediately boarded a ship headed for Tarshish. While the ship was sailing a deadly storm came upon them and Jonah found out that he could not run from God, and was swallowed by a fish.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In this Bible Story, Jonah is appointed to preach to the great and wicked city of Nineveh. However, Jonah's hatred is deep so Jonah runs from the will of God and boards a ship towards Tarshish. God sends a storm to catch up to Jonah, and Jonah is taken by the sea. In the deep, he's then swallowed up by a large fish, and remains in its belly for three days. This story is inspired by Jonah 1-2. Go to BibleinaYear.com and learn the Bible in a Year.Today's Bible verse is Jonah 1:2 from the King James Version.Episode 143: Jonah, now on dry land, is once again confronted by the voice of God telling him to go to Nineveh. Though it was not his desire, he obeyed. When he finally arrived he gave a sermon and left to watch the city burn. However, to his amazement, the entire city of Nineveh, even their king repented. Furious at this change of events, Jonah, sulked outside the city cursing God for his goodness and mercy. In reply, God gives both him and us a lesson of what it means to have mercy and love what God loves.Hear the Bible come to life as Pastor Jack Graham leads you through the official BibleinaYear.com podcast. This Biblical Audio Experience will help you master wisdom from the world's greatest book. In each episode, you will learn to apply Biblical principles to everyday life. Now understanding the Bible is easier than ever before; enjoy a cinematic audio experience full of inspirational storytelling, orchestral music, and profound commentary from world-renowned Pastor Jack Graham.Also, you can download the Pray.com app for more Christian content, including, Daily Prayers, Inspirational Testimonies, and Bedtime Bible Stories.Visit JackGraham.org for more resources on how to tap into God's power for successful Christian living.This episode is sponsored by Medi-Share, an innovative health care solution for Christians to save money without sacrificing quality.Pray.com is the digital destination of faith. With over 5,000 daily prayers, meditations, bedtime stories, and cinematic stories inspired by the Bible, the Pray.com app has everything you need to keep your focus on the Lord. Make Prayer a priority and download the #1 App for Prayer and Sleep today in the Apple app store or Google Play store.Executive Producers: Steve Gatena & Max BardProducer: Ben GammonHosted by: Pastor Jack GrahamMusic by: Andrew Morgan SmithBible Story narration by: Todd HaberkornSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.