Podcasts about Gethsemane

Can good thing like your career, ministry, family, hobbies, or even serving God, become idols? In this episode of the 9941 Podcast, Granger Smith and the crew explore how to recognize when a God-given gift begins competing with God for your identity, security, and attention. Through honest stories about country music, pastoring, football, money, grief, and family, the group shares practical warning signs of idolatry and explains how prayer, Scripture, accountability, and an open-handed posture can help keep priorities in order. Drawing from the rich young ruler, Zacchaeus, Psalm 61, and Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, they discuss what it means to surrender control and sincerely pray, “Not my will, but Yours.” If you’ve ever wondered whether something important in your life has become too important, this biblical conversation offers encouragement for finding freedom, protecting your relationship with God, and placing your identity in Christ.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Join us for a workshop on Isaiah for as low as $39. For more information email TheScripturesAreReal@gmail.comJoin us for fantastic content on our Patreon website: https://www.patreon.com/c/EnlightenEdgeEDU . This week on Patreon Kerry and Ryan Davis explore one of the most powerful Psalms and what it teaches about God and Hesed (God's covenantal love, mercy, and loyalty).Join us for an incredible cruise with amazing spiritual momentum where you hear from Elaine Dalton, myself, Jasen Wade, Kirby Heyborne, Jenny Oaks Baker, Nathan Pacheco, and more. During July you can get $250 off for the second person, and $50 of for each person with the discount code KERRY. Go to https://www.goanddotravel.com/momentum-27-west-2 and join right away!In this episode Kerry and Jenny Oaks Baker explore how music brings power into our lives and thus how we can draw more power out of the Psalms. Jenny shares some stories from her family and life and how it combines with music to bless her life. Then Kerry and Dr. Paul Hoskisson explore names of God, Christ, and others in the scriptures, especially the Psalms, to help us gain more meaning from them. They specifically look at how Jesus used Psalm 110 to teach about who He is, for both the pharisees and us. Then Kerry and Nathan Pacheco talk about Psalm 127 and how we need the Lord to build anything in our lives. Nathan shares how this helped him in his work and career. They talk about how important that is in our families and children being a heritage from the Lord. They explore what it means that children are a heritage from the Lord, a phrase used in Psalm 127 that is also used in the Proclamation on the Family. Then Kerry and Rabbi Jarrod Grover discuss the Hillel Psalms, which were probably psalms that the Savior sang with His apostles just before going to Gethsemane. The Rabbi brings out a small insight from the Hebrew text for several of those psalms, helping us understand them better and the Savior better.We are grateful for our executive producers, P. Franzen, J. Parke, D. Watson, B. Van Blerkom, the Dawsons, M. Cannon, M. Rosema, B. Fisher, J. Beardall, D. Anderson, M. Zitar, J. Edwards, A. Dixon, T. Cottrell, and H. Umphlett, and for all our generous and loyal donors. We are also very grateful for all our Patreon members. We are so thankful for Beehive Broadcast for producing the podcast and for Rich Nicholls, who composed and plays the music for the podcast.Hide

As Jesus approaches His final days on this earth we learn a very valuable lesson from the Garden of Gethsemane which is this: we can joyfully make it through this life when we decide that God's will is more important than our will! Today we will also talk about Peter's failure along with how God can stop anything bad from happening anytime He chooses! Join us for a packed day today!

As Jesus approaches His final days on this earth we learn a very valuable lesson from the Garden of Gethsemane which is this: we can joyfully make it through this life when we decide that God's will is more important than our will! Today we will also talk about Peter's failure along with how God can stop anything bad from happening anytime He chooses! Join us for a packed day today!

There are passages in St. Isaac that can sound almost impossible to modern ears. His words on vigil are among them. “Do not imagine,” he tells us, “that among all the works of monastics there is any practice greater than night vigil.” We hear such words and immediately think of sleep deprivation, bodily exhaustion, long hours of psalmody, standing in darkness while the rest of the world sleeps. We wonder whether such a practice belongs to another age, another kind of human being, perhaps even another understanding of the spiritual life. But this is precisely where we can misunderstand Isaac. Vigil becomes incomprehensible when it is separated from desire. If we begin with asceticism, vigil appears severe. If we begin with love, it begins to make sense. The lover understands the night. There are moments when we do not want an evening to end because we are with someone we love. There are conversations in which we cease looking at the clock. A mother remains awake beside a sick child without calculating the sacrifice. Someone awaiting the return of the beloved listens for every sound in the night. Love changes our experience of time. And so it is with the saints. They did not remain awake because they despised sleep. They remained awake because they had discovered Someone for whom it was worth losing sleep. This is the secret of vigil. “That I May Be With You” The Fathers understood the spiritual life far less as the fulfillment of religious obligations than as the awakening of desire. Beneath fasting, silence, solitude, tears, prostrations, psalmody, and vigil lies a single movement of the heart: I want God. Not merely His gifts. Not consolation. Not religious experiences. Not even virtue considered as a possession. God Himself. This is why St. Isaac describes the mind of the one who keeps vigil as becoming light and buoyant, taking flight “as it were on wings.” The ascetic is not merely staying awake. Something within him is being released. During the day the mind is scattered among a thousand things. We speak. We answer. We plan. We remember. We anticipate. We defend ourselves. We attend to necessities. Even when these things are good, the heart becomes divided among them. Then comes the night. The voices diminish. The demands cease. The world grows quiet. And the soul discovers again the One whom it has been seeking beneath everything else. This is why vigil was so precious to the Desert Fathers and remains so in the teaching of the great modern elders. It creates a space in which the heart can become undivided. The night says: There is nowhere else I need to go. There is nothing I need to accomplish. There is no one before whom I need to justify myself. There is only God. And I am here. The Recovery of Wonder Yet there is something even deeper in Isaac's teaching. Vigil is not merely about attention. It is about wonder. Isaac tells us that the one who perseveres in vigil begins to “gaze upon” heavenly realities. His language is deliberately extravagant: the soul comes to possess “the eyes of Cherubim.” What does this mean? It means that purification changes how we see. The tragedy of fallen existence is not simply that we commit sins. It is that we gradually cease to be astonished by God. We become accustomed to everything. Accustomed to the Gospel. Accustomed to the Eucharist. Accustomed to the name of Jesus. Accustomed to the Cross. Accustomed even to the astonishing claim that the Creator of heaven and earth desires communion with us. And when wonder disappears, desire soon weakens with it. The Fathers knew that the heart must be awakened again. This is one reason vigil has such power. In the silence of the night, familiar words can suddenly become new. “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God…” We may have spoken those words ten thousand times. Yet in the stillness something can happen. Jesus. The Name becomes luminous. God is here. God sees me. God desires me. God has called me into existence that I might share His life. And suddenly prayer is no longer something we are performing. It is encounter. Wonder gives birth to desire, and desire gives birth to greater attention. Then the soul begins to understand why the saints stayed awake. The Vigil of the Lover This is why we must be careful not to turn Isaac's teaching into another spiritual program. Stay awake longer. Say more psalms. Sleep less. Accumulate hours. Isaac himself warns against precisely this distortion. A person may endure “prolonged psalmody,” weariness of the tongue, and “night-long standing,” and yet receive little fruit because the mind is elsewhere. The body is standing before God while the heart is wandering through the world. Isaac asks, with characteristic directness: Why sow so much seed if we continually prevent it from bearing fruit? Vigil without attention becomes habit. Vigil without desire becomes endurance. Vigil without love becomes religious achievement. And religious achievement can quietly feed the very ego that asceticism is meant to dismantle. The true vigil begins somewhere deeper. Stay with Me. This is the invitation hidden within the night. Christ in Gethsemane asked His disciples, “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Perhaps every vigil is, in some mysterious way, our answer to that question. Yes, Lord. I will stay. Not because I am strong. Not because I am an ascetic. Not because I want to imagine myself among the saints. I stay because You are here. Why Vigil Requires the Day This also explains something that Isaac emphasizes strongly and that can easily be overlooked. The vigil cannot be separated from the way we live during the day. If we spend the day deliberately filling the mind with noise, agitation, curiosity, argument, distraction, and endless encounters, we should not be surprised if those same things accompany us into prayer at night. Isaac therefore insists that the monk who desires the fruit of vigil must guard himself from unnecessary disturbance during the day. This is not contempt for the world. It is custody of the heart. The Fathers understood something about human consciousness that our age desperately needs to rediscover: what we give ourselves to leaves traces within us. Everything enters the heart. Images. Conversations. Arguments. News. Resentments. Fantasies. Fears. The opinions of others. The desire to be seen. The need to respond. The mind carries these things into silence. Thus vigil actually begins long before nightfall. It begins with how we guard the heart throughout the day. The School of Freedom This is one reason the disappearance of vigil from much contemporary Christian life is significant. We have not merely lost an ascetical practice. We have lost one of the great schools of desire, attention, and freedom. The modern world teaches us to flee silence. It places a device in our hand capable of filling every empty moment. It trains the eyes to seek novelty and the mind to expect constant stimulation. The Fathers move in precisely the opposite direction. Be still. Remain. Watch. Wait. Listen. Do not flee the emptiness. Because eventually you may discover that it was never empty. Someone was waiting for you there. The purpose of vigil is not to prove that we can conquer the body. It is to become free enough to recognize the presence of the Beloved. “I Sleep, but My Heart Is Awake” The goal, then, is ultimately something greater than remaining physically awake. The goal is wakefulness of heart. “I sleep, but my heart is awake,” says the Bride in the Song of Songs. There is the mystery. The deepest vigil eventually becomes a state of the soul. A person begins to live before God. The Jesus Prayer continues beneath thought. The remembrance of God becomes increasingly continuous. The heart waits for Him. Looks toward Him. Listens for Him. Desires Him. This is the angelic quality Isaac sees in vigil. The angels do not merely “stay awake.” They exist in ceaseless attention to God. Their life is beholding. And Isaac dares to say that through vigil the human person begins to participate in this same movement. The eyes of the heart open. Wonder returns. Desire intensifies. Prayer deepens. The mind grows light. And gradually the soul discovers that the ascetical life is not fundamentally a life of deprivation. It is a life of fascination. The Night Is Not Empty Perhaps this is what we most need to recover from Isaac. We will never understand the asceticism of the Fathers if we begin with what they gave up. We must begin with what they saw. They saw a Beauty before which the beauties of the world grew pale. They tasted a sweetness that made lesser consolations seem small. They discovered a Love so immense that solitude became communion, silence became fullness, fasting became hunger for God, and vigil became the refusal to leave the presence of the Beloved. This is why the teaching on vigil belongs so naturally beside the language of desire and wonder. The ascetic does not remain awake merely because a rule commands it. He has glimpsed something. And because he has glimpsed it, he wants to see more. Wonder awakens desire. Desire gathers the scattered heart. The gathered heart becomes attentive. Attention becomes prayer. And prayer becomes communion. Then something remarkable happens. What once appeared burdensome becomes precious. The night that once seemed long becomes too short. Silence that once frightened us becomes the place we long to enter. And the prayer that once seemed an obligation becomes something from which we are reluctant to depart. The saints kept vigil because they discovered that the night was not empty. The Beloved was there. And once the heart knows this, the deepest question is no longer: Why would anyone remain awake to pray? It becomes: How could love not want to remain? --- Text of chat during the group: 00:18:08 Bob Čihák, AZ: P 222, Homily 20 00:23:28 David Swiderski: The last time we discussed this and sleeping 8 hours straight and for most of time people at least in Europe slept "2" times I went back to my Grandfather's diary and it appears the wood stoves in Northern Wisconsin only lasted 4hrs and you would need to get up and feed the fire so they naturally did vigils and took advantage of the break in sleep. In Spain and Latina America they have a nap in some areas due to the heat (2 hour lunch) and are up till 1 or 2 am. It seems modern western society is a new adaptation of what was a practice for hundreds of years. 00:25:10 Ryan Ngeve: Father what is one to do if these practices and deprivations make us more agitated/irritated and downcast, especially towards  others, as they tend to do? 00:39:01 Gwen's iPhone: my cat does! 00:39:24 James Hickman: Is it safe to call vigils a means to the end, which is nearness to the Lord, such that a super practical means to find closeness with the Lord is this watching for him when there are fewer distractions (not that we are safe from distractions in the night, but that the many combating us in the day are perhaps different in kind or number than those distractions of the night)? 00:42:15 Rod Castillo: I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it. 00:43:46 James Hickman: Reacted to "I pray my daily rosary at 2 am.  It's the only time the house is quiet enough to allow me to devote myself completely to it." with

Was Jesus ever tempted to quit—return to heaven and ask the Father to find another way to save us? He was tested in the wilderness in the beginning of His ministry, now Jesus was tested in the Garden of Gethsemane just as He was ready to give His life on the cross. Visit with Him there.

Today's Scripture passages are 2 Chronicles 25:1-24 | 2 Kings 13:12-13 | 2 Kings 14:15-28 | 2 Kings 15:1-5 | 2 Chronicles 25:25 - 26:10 | Psalm 67 | John 17 - 18:2 | Mark 14:32-42.(Please note John 17:17 is missing and should read "Set them apart in the truth; your word is truth.").Read by Christina Edmondson.Get in The Word with Truth's Table is a production of InterVarsity Press. For 75 years, IVP has published and created thoughtful Christian books for the university, church, and the world. Our Bible reading plan is adapted from Bible Study Together, and the Bible version is the New English Translation, used by permission.SPECIAL OFFER | As a listener of this podcast, use the code IVPWORD40 for 40% off and free shipping on any IVP resource mentioned in this episode at ivpress.com.Additional Credits:Song production: Seaux ChillSong lyrics written by: Seaux Chill, Ekemini Uwan, and Christina EdmondsonPodcast art: Kate LillardPhotography: Shelly EveBible consultant: JM SmithSound engineering: Podastery StudiosCreative producers: Ekemini Uwan and Christina EdmondsonAssistant producer: Christine Pelliccio MeloExecutive producer: Helen LeeTo reach the IVP podcast team, please use this form.Disclaimer: The comments, views, and opinions expressed in this podcast are solely those of the host and/or the guests featured on the podcast and do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of InterVarsity Press or InterVarsity Christian Fellowship.

→ Watch on YouTube → Detailed Show Notes (00:00) The historical background and purpose of the Psalms.(02:14) Many scholars assert that several of the Psalms were used in Israel's temple worship, especially during the first temple period. They can be divided into hymns of praise, pleas for help or laments, and thanksgiving songs.(08:44) Some LDS scholars see the setting of the Psalms directly connected to the temple.(15:13) In Psalm 1 the Tree of Life is seen, similar to Nephi's dream in 1 Nephi 8-11.(17:14) Psalm 2 is an enthronement Psalm. The king is set on a holy hill in Zion and is adopted as a Son of God.(20:36) By making a covenant with God, the king is given the promise of invulnerability. This is both literal and symbolic.(23:35) Psalm 8 depicts God's glorious creations. We are central in his creations.(26:21) “For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels”. The original Hebrew text states that man is “a little lower than the Elohim.”(29:28) Psalm 19 emphasizes the laws of the Lord, portraying the law as “sweeter than honeycomb.”(31:37) Psalm 20 is a plea for help. We receive increased divine attention when we go to the temple.(33:02) Psalm 21 portrays the king receiving the requested blessing, as he comes before the Lord and receives a crown in his presence.(36:29) Psalm 22 describes the Messiah's battle with evil. We are given a glimpse into the Savior's struggle in Gethsemane and Golgotha as he cries out during the day and the night. Justin, in his dialogue with Trypho, connects the sufferer's cry in Psalm 22 with Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane.(42:28) Jesus, though mocked while on the cross, did not revile against those who ridiculed him.(45:31) The Bulls of Bashan compass the Messiah. His bones are out of joint, he is poured out like water, and his hands and feet are pierced.(51:36) The Savior's post-mortal ministry in the spirit world.(56:50) Psalm 23 shows the plan of salvation in the pattern of a three-act play. The rod or staff is an extension of God.(1:01:22) Changing the tenses of the verbs in Psalm 23 can provide additional application.(1:05:03) Psalm 24, “Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord?” As we demonstrate our trust in Jesus and are cleansed, we are promised we will one day come into the Father's presence.(1:07:45) Psalm 24 as a depiction of the ascent of the king coming into the hill of the Lord, with the priests and the Ark of the Covenant.(1:08:58) Psalm 25 is an acrostic psalm. Psalm 29 portrays God's victory over chaos as his “voice is upon the waters.”(1:12:00) Psalm 40 describes how the king's feet are established on the rock, a symbol of sacred kingship. The king prays for the tender mercies and the lovingkindness of the Lord.(1:15:48) The song of redeeming love.(1:20:14) Psalm 46, “Be still and know that I am God.” → For more of Bryce Dunford’s podcast classes, click here. → Enroll in Institute → YouTube → Apple Podcasts → Spotify → Amazon Music → Facebook The post Ep 385 | Psalms 1-46, Come Follow Me 2026 (August 17-23) appeared first on Talking Scripture.

From Eden to Gethsemane, the empty tomb, and the garden city in Revelation, Scripture reveals a God who has never stopped pursuing communion with His people. In this episode, I trace the Bible’s beautiful garden imagery to show how God brings redemption into the places that feel barren, broken, or buried. If you’re walking through grief, disappointment, or a season that feels like a wilderness, I want to remind you that God does not waste your pain; He can transform graves into gardens and broken stories into testimonies of His faithfulness!

When life hits you with grief, disorientation, or feeling utterly forsaken by God, prose often falls short. The Book of Psalms gives us a sacred language to pour out our hearts—whether we are crying out "Help!", singing "Thanks!", or standing in awe of "Wow!" Summary: In this inspiring study of Psalms 1–48, we step out of historical analysis and into the sanctuary of the heart. Often called the "Preface of Jesus Christ," the Psalter offers a timeless collection of prayers, hymns, and prophecies that directly mirror the Savior's life, death, and resurrection. Music as a Lowest and Highest Gear: We explore how David's music soothed Saul's troubled soul and why singing the "song of the heart" is recognized by the Lord as a form of pure prayer. Tree Planted by the Waters vs. Chaff: We analyze Psalm 1, contrasting the deep-rooted disciple who meditates on God's law day and night with the wind-blown "chaff" of ungrounded philosophies. Psalms of Disorientation: We look at David's raw, unfiltered prayers during his lowest moments—such as fleeing from his son Absalom in Psalm 3—and discover how to hold onto hope when family relationships fracture. The Crucifixion Blueprint: We step into the agonizing Messianic prophecies of Psalms 21 and 22, discovering why Jesus uttered the opening line of Psalm 22 ("My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?") while hanging on the cross. The Good Shepherd & The Temple Gate: We savor the poetic imagery of Psalm 23 and the temple entrance requirements of Psalm 24 ("clean hands and a pure heart"). Be Still and Know: We conclude with the quiet sanctuary of Psalms 46–48, learning how to slow down, disconnect from constant distractions, and find Zion in our daily lives. Call-to-Action: The monk John Cassian counseled his brothers to recite the Psalms not as the words of David, but as "your very own prayer." Which verse in Psalms 1–48 felt like it was written specifically for your heart today? Let's share our favorite lines in the comments below. To keep your spiritual foundation deep and "Unshaken," please like, subscribe, and share this video! Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction to the Psalms 15:46 Instructional Psalm (1) 22:38 History & Prophecy, David & Absalom (2-3) 33:47 Pondering, Prayer, Penitence, & Precaution (4-7) 45:38 Psalms of Praise (8-9) 53:00 Trouble & Trust (10-14) 1:11:27 Worthiness, Loyalty, Sincerity, & Thanksgiving (15-18) 1:31:05 Creation, Law, & Victory (19-20) 1:35:47 Messianic Psalms, Gethsemane & Calvary (21-22) 1:56:31 The Lord Is My Shepherd (23) 2:05:44 The House of the Lord & Humble Petitions (24-25) 2:14:53 Temple Worthiness & Readiness (26-27) 2:32:42 Plea, Praise, & Prayer (28-30) 2:37:41 Deliverance for Christ & through Christ (31) 2:44:32 Confession, Hiding, & Hope (32-34) 2:55:53 False Witnesses & Wickedness (35-37) 3:04:30 Forgiveness, Relief, & Thanksgiving (38-40) 3:16:40 Breaking Bread & Thirsting after Water (41-45) 3:30:59 Songs of Zion (46-48) 3:38:42 Conclusion

He sat in the place of honor. He preached the gospel. He cast out demons. And Judas Iscariot still walked straight into the darkest corner of hell — without ever seeing it coming.In this episode, we dig into John 13 and Matthew 26–27 to answer a question every believer should wrestle with: what actually went wrong with Judas? It wasn't a single dramatic moment of rebellion — it was a slow, quiet hardening that looked a lot like normal Christian life right up until it didn't.We walk through four warning signs from Judas's life that show up in ours too:Loving money — how a small compromise (pilfering the money box) became a 30-piece-of-silver betrayalA seared conscience — why sin that once kept you up at night can eventually let you sleep like a babyRejecting the Savior's love — Jesus washed his feet and fed him bread, and Judas still walked out into the nightRemorse without repentance — the crucial, often-missed difference between feeling guilty and actually turning to Christ (2 Corinthians 7:9-10)We also contrast Judas's despair with Peter's repentance — two disciples, two failures, two radically different endings — and talk honestly about what it looks like to examine your own heart instead of pointing at someone else's.

Welcome to Day 2929 of Wisdom-Trek. Thank you for joining me. This is Guthrie Chamberlain, Your Guide to Wisdom. Day 2929– “Lord, Teach Us to Pray” – Luke 11:1-13 Putnam Church Message – 08/09/2026 The Good News According to Luke: “Lord, Teach Us To Pray.”   Last week, our message was “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best,” and we learned that when good things begin to crowd out the best thing, have the courage to exchange what is good for what is best. Today, we continue with our thirty-third message from Luke's narrative of the Good News of Jesus Christ. Today's message is: “Lord, Teach Us To Pray.” Our core passage today is Luke 11:1-13, on page 1614 of your pew Bibles. Jesus' Teaching on Prayer 1 One day Jesus was praying in a certain place. When he finished, one of his disciples said to him, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.” 2 He said to them, “When you pray, say: “‘Father,[a] hallowed be your name, your kingdom come.[b] 3 Give us each day our daily bread. 4 Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.[c] And lead us not into temptation.[d]'” 5 Then Jesus said to them, “Suppose you have a friend, and you go to him at midnight and say, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves of bread; 6 a friend of mine on a journey has come to me, and I have no food to offer him.' 7 And suppose the one inside answers, ‘Don't bother me. The door is already locked, and my children and I are in bed. I can't get up and give you anything.' 8 I tell you, even though he will not get up and give you the bread because of friendship, yet because of your shameless audacity[e] he will surely get up and give you as much as you need. 9 “So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. 10 For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. 11 “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for[f] a fish, will give him a snake instead? 12 Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? 13 If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!” Opening Prayer Father, we come before You today as children who need to learn. We confess that we often pray last instead of first. We try to assemble life by our own wisdom, strength, and effort, and only when we have made a mess do we turn to You. Lord Jesus, teach us to pray. Teach us not only the words of prayer, but the heart of prayer. Teach us to come to the Father with reverence, trust, humility, boldness, and surrender. Holy Spirit, open our hearts to receive Your Word, and make prayer not a last resort, but the daily breath of our souls. In Jesus' name, amen. Introduction: When All Else Fails, Read the Instructions There is an old saying many of us know well: “When all else fails, read the instructions.” Some of us live by that saying a little too confidently. We look at a box marked “Some Assembly Required,” and instead of beginning with the instruction sheet, we dump the parts on the floor, glance at the picture on the box, and say, “I can figure this out.” And sometimes we can. / But every now and then, we get humbled. Imagine Christmas Eve. The children are asleep. A hidden box is dragged from the closet. The parts are laid out with great confidence. Screws, bolts, panels, wheels, rods, brackets — all carefully arranged. The project begins smoothly. But somewhere around midnight, the finished product starts looking less like the picture on the box and more like an abstract sculpture. Finally, with dawn approaching, the builder digs the instructions out of the trash. At the top of the page, in small print, some sarcastic soul has written, “Now that you have made a mess of things, please start over and follow these instructions.” That is funny because it is true. And it is often how we approach prayer. We say, “When all else fails, pray.” But Jesus did not live that way. Jesus did not pray only when He was desperate. / He prayed before major decisions. / He prayed after ministry. / He prayed in solitude. / He prayed with others. / He prayed when crowds pressed in. / He prayed in joy. / He prayed in anguish. / He prayed before the cross. Luke has emphasized this repeatedly. / Jesus withdrew to lonely places to pray. / He prayed before choosing the Twelve. / He prayed on the mountain before the Transfiguration. / He prayed as His mission moved toward Jerusalem. / Prayer was not a spare tire in Jesus' life. / Prayer was the steering wheel. Last week, in “Exchanging What's Good for What's Best,” we saw Mary sitting at Jesus' feet while Martha was worried and upset about many things. Mary chose the one necessary thing — listening to Jesus. Now, in Luke 11, the disciples watch Jesus pray, and they realize they need instruction. They do not say, “Lord, teach us to preach.” They do not say, “Lord, teach us to heal.” They do not say, “Lord, teach us to cast out demons.” They say, “Lord, teach us to pray.” That request is still one of the most important requests any disciple can make. Let's explore four truths that will help us to understand why this one question is so important. These are found on your bulletin insert on the side that is titled: Lord, Teach us to Pray. Main Point 1: Prayer Begins With Relationship and Reverence Jesus begins the model prayer with one word: “Father.” / That is astonishing. Jesus does not begin with “Distant Creator,” though God is Creator. He does not begin with “Almighty King,” though God is King. He does not begin with “Sovereign Master,” though God is Lord. He teaches His disciples to begin with “Father.” In Greek, the word is pater. In Aramaic, Jesus used the intimate word Abba, which we see in Mark 14 when He prays in Gethsemane. Paul later says in Romans 8 and Galatians 4 that by the Spirit, believers cry, “Abba, Father.” This means prayer begins not with technique, but with relationship. We do not come to God as strangers trying to get the attention of a reluctant deity. We come as children to a Father who already knows us, loves us, and welcomes us. But Jesus also teaches reverence. “May your name be kept holy.” (Hallowed be your name.) God is Father, but He is not casual. / He is near, but not common. / He is loving, but

A podcast by Trinity Fellowship. Join us every week Monday through Thursday for The Biblecast! On The Biblecast we take a deeper dive into God's word. We also love to pray for each other. If you would like to submit a prayer you can do so at Biblecast@tfc.org from wherever you are listening! So I want to encourage you - be ready to grab your hot coffee, grab your hot tea, and let's dive in together to God's Word.

Packinghouse's Wednesday night worship service from August 12, 2026 Exodus 6:6–7 — The Four Cups This study looks at the four cups of Passover and the four promises God gave Israel: “I will bring you out, I will deliver you, I will redeem you, and I will take you as My people.” Each promise points beyond Israel's deliverance from Egypt to the greater redemption fulfilled in Jesus, our Passover Lamb. The teaching connects the cup of redemption to communion and Christ's blood of the New Covenant, while looking ahead to the final celebration of God's redeemed people with Christ. It closes with Jesus in Gethsemane, willingly taking the cup of judgment we deserved so that we could receive the blessing of forgiveness, redemption, and belonging to God. - Bob Probert - Sunday, August 16, 2026

On the Cross, the Lord charged the Apostle John to care for His holy Mother. The Apostle settled her in a house in Jerusalem, where she lived for the rest of her days on earth, praying and offering counsel and encouragement to the Apostles. In her old age, the Archangel Gabriel appeared to her and told her that in three days' time she would enter into her rest. Giving thanks to God, she hastened to the Mount of Olives where she prayed continually, preparing herself to meet the Lord. Meanwhile, the Apostles, scattered in various parts of the earth, were caught up in clouds and miraculously brought by the holy Angels to Jerusalem, so that they might all be with the Theotokos at her repose. After she had blessed them, she gave up her soul to God. The Apostles buried her with all honor, solemnity and joy at Gethsemane. The Apostle Thomas, who was delayed (again!) by God's providence, arrived on the third day and went to her tomb, intending to honor her. But when the Apostles opened her grave, they found her holy body gone and only the winding-sheet remaining. That evening the Theotokos appeared to them surrounded by angels, and said to them, 'Rejoice: I will be with you always!'. Thus they learned that she had been bodily translated to heaven, anticipating the general resurrection of all. Her age at her repose is not known, but many say that she was about sixty years old.

Read OnlineA Promise and Sign of Hope“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord; my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant. From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done great things for me and holy is his Name.” Luke 1:46–49Today we celebrate one of the great solemnities on the Church's liturgical calendar: the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Belief in her bodily assumption first took root in the early Church among those who witnessed this glorious event. Though we do not have written firsthand accounts of the Assumption, a variety of traditions have stood the test of time.According to a tradition handed down by Saint John Damascene in the fifth century, all of the Apostles except Thomas were miraculously gathered in Jerusalem at the time of Mary's Dormition, or falling asleep. After reverently placing her body in a tomb near the Garden of Gethsemane, they later opened it at Thomas's request, who had arrived late and wished to venerate her body. To their astonishment, the tomb was empty. This led the Apostles to conclude, through divine revelation, that the Blessed Virgin had been assumed body and soul into Heaven. That empty tomb is still honored today in the cave near Gethsemane and remains a popular place of pilgrimage.This early tradition laid the foundation for the Church's growing conviction through the centuries that Mary's Assumption was not merely a pious belief but a divinely revealed truth. In 1950, this truth was solemnly defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII in Munificentissimus Deus.Why was the Blessed Virgin Mary taken body and soul into Heaven at the completion of her earthly life? Because, by a singular grace, when she was conceived in the womb of her mother—traditionally known as Saint Anne—her conception was the Immaculate Conception. That is, she was conceived without the stain of Original Sin. This grace, called a prevenient or preceding grace, was given to her through the foreseen merits of her Son's future death on the Cross. That grace transcended time and preserved her from sin in advance, making her Son also her Savior, as she proclaimed in the Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God my Savior.”Though the Blessed Virgin Mary was not saved by her own merit, having been given the fullness of grace at the moment of her Immaculate Conception, she perfectly cooperated with that grace throughout her life. She remained free not only from Original Sin but also from all personal sin. Since “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23), and since the Blessed Mother was entirely without sin, her body and soul were never separated in death, which leads to bodily corruption. Instead, having completed the course of her earthly life, the Blessed Virgin Mary “was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Munificentissimus Deus, 44).Why is this important for us today? Because the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is not only a singular privilege granted to her, it is also a sign of hope and a promise of what awaits all who remain faithful to Christ. Mary is the first and greatest disciple; where she has gone, we hope to follow. Her bodily glorification reveals that our salvation is more than spiritual, it also includes the redemption of the body. In a world wounded by sin, suffering, and death, the Assumption shines as a beacon of the final victory of grace. It reminds us that Heaven is our true home, that holiness is possible, and that those who entrust themselves to God alongside our Blessed Mother will share in Christ's Resurrection. As our loving Mother, now enthroned in glory, Mary intercedes for us and draws us ever closer to her Son, encouraging us to live each day with faith, purity, and joyful hope.Reflect today on the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a sign of hope and a promise of what is to come for you and your loved ones. Though we will die and our bodies will be laid to rest, one day our bodies and souls will rise and share in the resurrected glory of Jesus and Mary. This will be our eternity. Turn your eyes to that day, profess your faith in it, rejoice in God your Savior, and proclaim His greatness alongside His most glorious Mother.Most glorious Mother of God, you were singularly privileged to be preserved from the stain of Original Sin at your Immaculate Conception, and you fully cooperated with the fullness of grace throughout your earthly life, thereby meriting the gift of your bodily Assumption when your time on earth was completed. Pray for me, that I may be filled with hope and persevere in grace, so that I, too, may one day share in the glory of the Resurrection. Jesus, I trust in You.  Image: Assumption of the Virgin Mary, by Guido ReniSource: Free RSS feed from catholic-daily-reflections.com — Copyright © 2026 My Catholic Life! Inc. All rights reserved. This content is provided solely for personal, non-commercial use. Redistribution, republication, or commercial use — including use within apps with advertising — is strictly prohibited without written permission.

Every person will face a bitter cup in life. The question isn't whether trials will come, but whether believers will remain faithful when they do. In episode 11 of "Jesus - Our Hero Husband", Duane Sheriff explains that the "bitter cup" is a biblical metaphor for Christian suffering.In our covenant relationship with Christ, we are His bride, and He is our faithful Husband. Under the Old Covenant, a wife suspected of unfaithfulness had to drink a bitter cup mixed with holy water and temple dust. If she was innocent, the bitterness would pass, and she would bear fruit with her husband. This ancient ritual becomes a powerful picture of our faith being tested through trials and afflictions. When we face persecution, hardship, or tribulation, we are drinking our own bitter cups.Will we remain faithful to our heavenly Husband, or will we turn to the world in spiritual adultery? Jesus referred to His suffering at the cross as a cup, praying in Gethsemane that, if possible, it might pass from Him. He drank that ultimate bitter cup for us as our substitute. Now we drink cups of suffering by following His example—not as punishment, but as tests that refine our faith and deepen our loyalty to Him.

In episode 501, Tony Arsenal and Jesse Schwamb dig into the parable of the watchful doorkeeper in Mark 13:32–37 — four tightly packed verses that Jesus uses to call his servants to alertness before his return. But this isn't a passage about spiritual caffeine and white-knuckling your way through the Christian life. Tony and Jesse unpack what "stay awake" actually means through the lens of Reformed theology: active, differentiated stewardship in the ordinary means of grace, faithful vocation in every sphere of life, and a corporate ecclesial readiness that belongs to the whole church, not just the individual. This episode reorients the familiar language of watchfulness away from anxiety and date-setting toward the sturdy, quiet confidence of a believer who knows who they are, whose house they serve in, and why that identity drives everything. Key Takeaways "Stay awake" is a command about identity, not performance. The doorkeeper doesn't do what he does to become the doorkeeper — he's already the doorkeeper. Christians are watchful because of who they already are in Christ, not to earn or secure that status. Vocation is not optional waiting — it's active, differentiated stewardship. Christ's ascension corresponds to the master's departure, and the interim period is characterized by each servant being given his own work, reflecting Calvin's doctrine of vocation and the Reformed insistence that the Christian life between the ascension and the Parousia is not passive. Watchfulness is corporate, not merely individual. The church, as the pillar and buttress of truth, is called to a collective readiness. In Presbyterian polity, every act of a valid church jurisdiction is an act of the whole church — meaning each member has a genuine stake in the faithfulness of the whole body. The ordinary means of grace are the means of watchfulness. Prayer, the Word, the sacraments, fellowship, and sitting under preaching are not supplementary to vigilance — they are the very instruments by which God preserves and prepares his people. Two errors must be avoided: speculative date-setting and practical indifference. Uncertainty about the hour of Christ's return is neither an invitation to calculate nor an excuse for carelessness. It is the very grounds for sustained, ordinary faithfulness. The warnings of Scripture are themselves a means of grace. Following Westminster Confession of Faith 17, the sobering warning of verse 36 is not a threat to the elect's final security but a pastoral instrument by which God preserves his people in living, active faith. The rooster-crowing language of Mark 13 anticipates the Passion narrative. The clustering of watchfulness, the night watches, and the crowing rooster in this chapter echoes the Garden of Gethsemane and Peter's denial — a connection particularly resonant given Mark's traditional association with Peter's testimony. Explanatory Paragraphs Vocation and the Active Interim One of the most theologically rich observations in this episode is the way Jesse frames the master's departure as corresponding directly to the ascension of Christ. The key phrase in verse 34 — "each one his task" — is not incidental detail. It reflects the Reformed doctrine of vocation at full strength: every believer, in every sphere of influence, has been given particular work to do on behalf of the Lord during Christ's bodily absence. This is not a passive waiting room existence. It is an active, differentiated stewardship that is deeply personal and yet accountable to the master who owns the whole house. The ascension does not mean abandonment, and the parable makes that clear by the fact that the servants are left in charge — trusted, commissioned, and expected to be about their work when the master returns. The Church's Corporate Readiness A standout contribution of this episode is Tony's move from the individual to the ecclesial. Drawing directly from OPC Book of Church Order, Chapter 3, he argues that church power is not vested in officers alone but in the whole body of believers. This means that when any legitimate church jurisdiction acts — whether in discipline, instruction, or governance — it is the whole church acting. The parable's doorkeeper is therefore not just a figure for personal piety; he is a figure for the corporate watchfulness that belongs to every member of the household. Tony's point is that a Christian who is disconnected from his local church, indifferent to what is being taught and decided elsewhere in the visible church, is not simply failing at individual holiness — he is failing to be awake in the fullest sense the parable intends. The Ordinary Means of Grace as Watchfulness Itself Perhaps the most pastorally stabilizing insight of the episode is Jesse's observation that watchfulness is not some extraordinary spiritual heroism layered on top of normal Christian life — it is normal Christian life. The ordinary means of grace are ordinary precisely because they are the regular, appointed instruments through which God delivers his grace to his people. Prayer, the Word, the sacraments, and fellowship are not preparatory disciplines that get you ready for the real work of being watchful. They are the work. Tony reinforces this by noting that a person who persistently refuses the ordinary means of grace is not simply being unwise — they are declining the offer of God's grace, which is a far more serious matter than mere spiritual lethargy. Memorable Quotes The doorkeeper doesn't do what he does to become the doorkeeper in this parable. He's already the doorkeeper, and the fact that he's the doorkeeper explains why he's given certain responsibilities and certain commands. That's the way it is for us as Christians. - Tony Arsenal The warnings of Scripture are themselves among the ordinary means by which God preserves His people... the sobering possibility of being found asleep functions pastorally not to threaten the loss of the elect, but to press home the seriousness of watchfulness as the fruit and evidence of genuine faith." - Jesse Schwamb When I go into a patient encounter at the hospital, or when I pull up to a red light, or when I order a sandwich at McDonald's and they get it wrong — I bring with me the fact that I am a Christian, the fact that I am a servant of Christ, that I am a doorkeeper in the house of the living God. - Tony Arsenal Full Transcript Jesse Schwamb: [00:01:00] Welcome to episode 501 of The Reformed Brotherhood. I'm Jesse.  Tony Arsenal: And I'm Tony, and this is the podcast with ears to hear. Hey, brother.  Jesse Schwamb: Hey, brother. Well, we've got some more kingdom teaching on tap right from the mouth of Jesus. We're going through all the parables, if you haven't been tracking with us so far, and we're finding ourselves in Mark chapter 13. And as J- only Jesus can do, packs four verses with all kinds of rich, robust theology, and it's all in this kind of strange setting, actually. A guy heads out of town. He hands his servants the keys. He tells the doorman, "Hey, watch the place," with the same kind of e- enigmatic and vague energy that I imagine, like, your cable internet provider gives you when they give you an arrival time between now and Friday. And then Jesus lists literally, like, every possible hour He might show up, evening, midnight, rooster clock, dawn. And all of this is for His glory and for our benefits. [00:02:00] And we're gonna somehow try to see if we can take all of these four verses, which are so jam-packed, and fit them into our conversation. That's our challenge, and it's gonna be yours to listen to. So welcome to this episode.  Affirm or Deny Segment Jesse Schwamb: But before we do all of that, it is everybody's favorite time. Well, except for Wicked Scriptures. That is really everybody's favorite time. Second favorite time is where we find something in our lives, Tony, that we either affirm with because it's awesome, it's exciting, want everybody to know about it, or conversely, we deny against something because it's just not that great. We don't like it. Don't waste your time with it. So everybody longs to know, in this conversation, are you affirming with or denying against?  Tony Affirms Psalm Music Tony Arsenal: I'm affirming something tonight. Uh, the listener might remember, I don't know, maybe a month and a half back, I affirmed a particular setting of Psalm 63 in the Trinity Psalter Hymnal. And as I was kind of, you know, looking around for, I wanted to find a track to sort of maybe add to the end of the episode just to sort of, [00:03:00] like, put a point on that. I stumbled on, um, a song, singer, I don't know if you'd call him a songwriter, 'cause he's mostly just writing song- psalms. But he's, he's arranging them. He's, you know, writing the guitar line for it or whatever. Uh, his name is Matthew David Montgomery. Uh, I don't know that you would know him from anywhere, but he's on, um- Apple Music, YouTube, Spotify, wherever. Uh, he does an arrangement of O God Show Mercy to Us, which is Psalm 63, uh, setting A, I believe, in the Trinity Psalter hymnal. But, um, it's, it's in other hymnals, other psalters, uh, under the same name with the same tune. Uh, he has a beautiful singing voice. He does a lot of, uh, what's typically called, like, finger style, uh, guitar picking, uh, which is just very melodious and very gentle and soft. Um, it would be a great addition to, like, your morning devotional time to just, like, pick a psalm that he sings, that he's, he's recorded. Um, you can get most of his stuff for free on, uh, YouTube, or again, if you have Apple [00:04:00] Music or Spotify, it's available there. Uh, again, his name is Matthew David Montgomery, and he's got several, uh, several albums. He has ones that specifically is psalms called Psalms for Singing. Um, and then he has a couple finger style hymn songs, uh, hymn albums that are like, you know, like I don't know, more modern hymns, He Will Hold Me Fast, Only Holy God- Right kinda like Getty, um, Getty-style and City Alight songs, those kinds of sort of that complex of modern hymnody. Um, but he's excellent, and it's excellent theologically rich sound music. Um, I haven't listened to everything, but he seems like he's in kind of that, uh, sort of vein of worship music production producer peoples, um, that are just putting out good, accessible music. I know, like, a lot of small churches, uh, have in the past have had to resort to using tracks like this actually to sort of lead their vocal music. Um, that would be something to think [00:05:00] about. It's simple. It's arranged in a straightforward fashion. Many times it's arranged according to the psalters, which are by, almost by definition are designed for congregational singing. So it's good. It's great. Use it for family worship, listen to in your car. I don't know, workout music. I don't know if you would work out to this, but I guess you could try. Um- I love it ... but yeah, I usually, I usually listen to, um, Oh God, Show Mercy To Us probably, like, once a day. I listen to it usually in the morning to kinda center my day and get my head in the right space. Um, but yeah, it's just good stuff. David, um, Mi- Matthew David Montgomery, uh, the specific one was Psalms for Singing, but, um, all of his stuff is really great.  Jesse Schwamb: All right.  Jesse Affirms Hymn Devotional Jesse Schwamb: People are gonna think we're totally conspiring now, but I promise we're not. This is just how our minds work in collective fashion, that we never speak about stuff together. So my affirmation is right in the same vein. So I'm actually excited about this one because it might just be the golden age of daily books about, like, theological meditation. It might be. And [00:06:00] so this one is really good, and I'm super stoked because I'm kind of on the cusp of this one because I got an advance copy of this book, and it's just out now. It's called Awake My Soul, and it's daily readings, 365 hymn texts taken throughout church history from the Middle Ages to 1900. And each hymn for the day includes s- a suggested tune and then, like, a short historical slash, like, theological meditation. The beauty of this- Wow One, I'm learning all kinds of new hymns that are not my favorite. Two, you can either read them or... There's no music included in this, except that in the back there's an index that will give you... There's, like, a little code every day. This is like a s- it's your own treasure hunt. There's a little code on each day, and if you take that code and go back to the end of the book, what you'll find there is names of popular hymns or songs that you do know the, the tune to, and then you can take that same tune and use the same poetic meter that the hymn is in that you don't know, and guess what? You can actually sing it. So you're prepared every day to sing [00:07:00] music and to sing brand-new music with great confidence and high conviction. So this is, like, the bridge here. Go listen to some good music. And I would say if you wanna buy this, because it is brand new, go to hymnworks.com. It's by P&R Publishing. That's where you'll find the best price. It's, like, 25 bucks. It's a beautiful clothbound, like, handsome two-color printing with a ribbon. And also Passion Week and Advent are clearly marked and can be adapted for use in any calendar year. So there you go. Like, it's the double-barreled affirmation for good singing, good hymns. By the way, for all the brothers and sisters of exclusive psalmody, we see you raising your hands in the back. Actually, if you're doing exclusive psalmody, you're in the front. So we see you in the front, and this- And you're  Tony Arsenal: probably not raising your hands.  Jesse Schwamb: You're definitely not raising your hand. We see your hands  Tony Arsenal: in your pockets. Jesse Schwamb: We see you standing there  Tony Arsenal: stoically.  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. We see your hands in your pockets, never coming out. That's fine. Yeah. Uh, this book also is for you because so much of it is actually just, uh, the psalms adapted for kind of [00:08:00] more, when I say contemporary, between the Middle Ages and 1900 worship. So, uh, there you go. I think this is lovely. Uh, we didn't plan it, but you've got two great resources for daily living and daily singing.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Building Daily Liturgy Tony Arsenal: And, you know, I think, um, there is sort of an element, and I'll be quick about this, where we are set up... We have such a, like, a dearth of riches in terms of accessibility to musical worship. And y- you know, used to think of it as, like, daily devotions, but I think the more, I think the more accurate and I think a, a more theologically rich term is a daily liturgy. Right. Um, you know, with books like Be Thou My Vision, um, by I think it's David Gibson, or, you know, he has, like, the Christmas version and the, um, I think there's an Easter version of it where it really walks you through a, a full daily liturg- liturgy with, like, a call to worship and a, a confession of sin. And, [00:09:00] um, and you could take these resources, whether it's an album like David, uh, or, like, um, David Michael Montgomery. That's a country singer, I think. Whatever the guy is that I recommend. I don't have his name in front of me. Uh, whether it's an album like that or whether it's- Right ... this resource Jesse's talking about, or like I've said before, like, just the trendy Psalter Hymnal app on your phone which will play the music for you and display the words. You can take this and there... I, I hate to say it this way because I know there's a lot of people that, that make good profitable use of sort of like evangelical, I would call it, like, fluffy devo kinda stuff. Uh, which ironically on my list of affirmations of things that are in the queue, there's, there's a devotional resource that even kinda falls into this category. Yeah, there is. But, um, there really is no good excuse for not having some sort of robust daily worship pattern. Right. Um, because you can, you can really make use of these resources to create a pretty cohesive, well put-together, pleasurable kind of [00:10:00] daily worship set or liturgy or experience, I don't know, whatever word you wanna slot in there. Um, a- and really get... Like, really just have an excellent experience out of it, really have good resources. So yeah, I'm, I'm on board. I think it's great. I would love to, I would love to be able to, uh, to take a look at that. So maybe next time we're in the same geographical location you'll have to show me. Jesse Schwamb: Oh, I'll bring it. We'll, we'll do it. It actually doubles as a hymnal because it's all indexed, so you can actually- Yeah ... just use it as a hymnal. I love books that give you two purposes. Oh, that's a double threat book right there. And that means, like, for the spaces taken up in your life and on your shelf it can do more than one thing. That's like having a kitchen appliance that, like, I don't know, is like an air fryer and it brews beer. Like, that's worth- Yeah ... the space all the time  Tony Arsenal: Yeah, I, I just recently found out that they make washers that are also dryers, and they're in the same machine, and- Wow.  Jesse Schwamb: That's transformative ... I  Tony Arsenal: would feel like a millionaire if I had one of those- Reading Mark 13 Parable Jesse Schwamb: 'cause- Well, speaking of [00:11:00] feeling like a millionaire, and I think what you challenge us with is settling in some patterns of daily worship and living for God, it just so happens that Jesus has some instruction for us in that same way- Nice ... in Mark chapter 13. So let me start beginning in verse 32. And if you're tracking along or keeping score at home and you've gone to this chapter, what you're probably gonna find is we're actually in the, the parable of the fig tree, or just at the end. But w- we're not gonna touch that one, not yet, so don't get too excited. We're actually coming right at the end of that. So picking up in verse 32: "But of that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but the Father alone." Now, this is Jesus speaking: "See to it, keep on the alert, for you do not know when the appointed time will come. It's like a man away on a journey who, leaving his house and giving authority to his slaves, each one his task, also commanded the doorkeeper to stay awake. Therefore stay awake – for you do not know when the master of the house is coming, whether in the [00:12:00] evening, at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning – lest he come suddenly and find you sleeping. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake." Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  What Stay Awake Means Tony Arsenal: Yeah, it's a good, uh, it's a good parable. And, you know, this is covering a lot of the same ground as other parables that we've, uh, approached. I think what's a little bit, uh, unique or different about this one is that some of the, some of the cautions that we, um, brought out with the other parables, because they were actually longer and had more details, um, some of those cautions don't necessarily apply the same way here. Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? We, we talked about the parable of the 10, of the 10 virgins, or the wise and foolish virgins, whatever you wanna call it, and we talked a lot about how this language of, like, stay awake seemed to be misapplied, uh, as, like, falling asleep is foolish. Because in that para- that particular parable, [00:13:00] um, both the wise and the foolish virgins fall asleep. It's not the falling asleep that was the problem, it was the being prepared, um, for the master's return. Uh, in that case, having the proper equipment, having your, you know, your lamps trimmed, your oil ready, all that stuff. In this parable, um, it really is about being awake. Like, being awake is the task. Yes. It's the specific command. That's right. And so our task tonight is to unpack a little bit about what it even means to be awake, what does this parable say to us about that. Um, but I, I think this one falls a little bit more in line with kind of what we maybe... I know this is weird to say. It falls a little bit more in line with what we've been talking about as a, sort of like a little bit of a legalistic approach to some of the parables. This one really does have, I th- I think, has more to do with, uh, the, the sort of production that Christians are expected to have.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: The, the, the holiness, the good works we're expected to have, and how [00:14:00] that plays into kind of our alertness, our, our fittedness for service, uh, and, and maybe ultimately even the way that we're rewarded in the last, the last times or in, in heaven. All of that kinda plays in here, and this is kind of like Mark's equivalent to sort of like the eschatological parables that we talked about at, at the end of Matthew in, you know, Matthew 25 and, and sort of that area  Jesse Schwamb: I totally agree.  Vocation and Stewardship Jesse Schwamb: I think this bad boy, even just the first verse, it's like a compact statement of the doctrine of vocation and providence all wrapped into one. And it's easy to read it and just kind of fly by that stuff and say, "Of course, I need to be aware of what's going on. I need to be aware of God's presence or seek Him in worship." All that's true, but there's a lot in this because, of course, the master's departure here corresponds clearly to Christ's ascension. There's like a real bodily absence that nonetheless does not amount to like abandonment. And then to your point, what I think starts to differentiate us from some of like the [00:15:00] other parables where we've been very careful about parsing this, has been this assignment, each his own work. It's reflecting like a really traditional like Reformed, I think, emphasis, even from like Calvin's doctrine of vocation, that the Christian life between the ascension and the Parousia is not one of like passive waiting, but there is like an active differentiated stewardship, and it's every believer. And even though it's just a sentence, there's like a lot of particularity in this to remind us that each one has a task, and that task is something that you should undertake on behalf and for the Lord  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, and this, um, the other element of this, um, that I think is interesting is, you know, we don't wanna, um We wanna be careful not to try to build entire theological, like edifices, edifices. I'm not sure which word is right. Edifice. We don't wanna build huge theological structures on top of like slight variations in words. And, and I know that, um, that can [00:16:00] sometimes be very popular in our circles and, and I'm, I s- absolutely support the grammatical historical interpretive method. I don't think it's the only el- only, you know, hermeneutic we should think about. But I definitely agree with the words matter and the meanings of the words matter. Right. But we can also go too far in, like, making an entire theological point hang on the particular choice of a verb pars- like a verb tense or mood or whatever. But I think it's interesting, um, w- the sort of what we might call the parable proper starts in verse 34, but in verse 33 it says, "Be on guard, keep awake, for you do not know when the time will come." That's not the parable. That's Christ giving a command to his immediate audience, and then I think vicariously therefore for us. When we get into the parable and it, and it says, uh, that the command for the doorkeeper, right? So the, he, he takes his servants, he puts his servants in charge, and I s- I take that to mean, [00:17:00] like, he leaves the house to them. Like, he leaves them to their task. They're, they're not, they're not having to report to anybody. They just manage the household- Right ... autonomously or independently. Um, each with his work, so there's this idea that, like, each of the servant has their own proper sort of realm of the house that they manage, right? The gardener's managing the garden, the, the house, you know, the, the, um, the, the person who's in charge of the money is managing that. And the doorkeeper, which is a particular role, his task, his charge, his, he is commanded to stay awake. Now, the phrase, the word for stay awake in verse 30, uh, 34 is not the same word that's used in verse 33. Now, I, I have not done the word study on this or, or the c- commentary work to know how significant that is, but we do affirm that the Holy Spirit inspires each individual word.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think we could make an argument that sometimes a word is just used, um, at least on a, on a [00:18:00] human level. It, it's just you don't wanna use the same word multiple times. Like, just like anyone writing any sort of pi- piece of work, you don't use the same word repetitively. You vary the words. You use, use synonyms to, to spice it up and to give it some variety. But also, I think there may be some significance in the fact that within the story, within the parable, the command to stay awake is a particular word, and then a different word to stay awake and to be watchful, and there's this repetition, "Be on guard. Keep awake." Like, those are parallel statements. Um, those, that's a significant thing that that word is different  Jesse Schwamb: Yeah. It's a huge, I think, reminder that there's all... The- even, again, I can't believe how much is packed. Now that I think about this, we start talking about it into, like, a single sentence. But every believer, like every servant in this house, has been given some kind of task suited to his place. I believe that's what Jesus is trying to impress us with. And that idleness is not an option countenanced by the text because the doorkeeper's [00:19:00] particular charge to watch, like you were saying, functions to me, I think, almost like a synecdoche. Like, it's f- for the whole- Yeah ... household's duty. His vigilance stands for what is in fact required of every servant, since verse 37 will then extend this command to, like, everybody. So just- Yeah ... within, like, this little space of writing or this little space of teaching, I think what we have here is, like, it's realistic for us to say we've got the twin realities that ground really biblical ecclesiology in the interim period. We have Christ's real absence, but that's, like, against, I would say, any collapsing of the already into a fully realized eschatology. And then you have Christ's ongoing ownership and authority over his house, which is the church, against any notion that the church is left to autonomous self-governance. So the house, in other words, re- remains Christ's, and the servants remain accountable to him, not to themselves, like you've just said, and each one is accountable to God in a unique way according to the task that he's given them. So again, this beautiful marriage of [00:20:00] both the responsibility, the providence, and the responsibility that we have before God in being responsible to him, but also that he is governing all things for his good and for his glory.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Doorkeeper Role Explained Tony Arsenal: And you know, I think, um, the word doorkeeper here too, uh, you know, as I peek at the Greek a little bit, the word doorkeeper is also a much broader term than, uh, it might seem. You know, like I think, you know, one of my kid's favorite shows is like Curious George, and there's a character in the, the story that's literally named Doorman, and he's just the guy that like opens the door in the apartment that- Right ... Curious George and the Man in the Yellow Hat. But the word doorkeeper in, uh, in the Greek here, when applied to a, a female, is understood to be like the janitor. So the doorkeeper might even be considered something more like the master of the house. Like think of like, um-  Jesse Schwamb: Lady's ...  Tony Arsenal: uh, like the, the head butler, right? In like if you think of like Downton Abbey, right? Right. The, the guy who actually like takes care of and like [00:21:00] runs, the house manager or something like that might be a better way to look at it. And I think you're right that his charge to stay awake, to keep alert, it does extend to the entire household, but it also is a particular command for that figure.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Right? So yes, everybody is given their task. This, this person, this doorkeeper, he is, um, called out specifically, individually, right? It's not as though he's the only servant in the house. There's all these other servants, they each have their task, and they're all commanded to keep about their business. The doorkeeper, the master of the house, the, I don't know, head butler, the head ch- the chief janitor, I don't know what you would want, the head custodian of the house, um, and don't think of custodian or janitor in terms of like- Like the school janitor who like cleans the toilets and mops up after the kids throwing up and stuff. The, the janitor or the custodian of the house is really the person who kind of like runs the household, the sort of like head servant of the house. [00:22:00] His command to keep watchful, to be on guard or to be alert is because, um, the, the master's return is sudden and unexpected. Right. And so if the doorkeeper doesn't keep up with things, if he's not awake, if he's not running things, if he's not managing things, if he's not alert and awake, then not only does his task get, get, um, undone... And I think like we think of it like, "Oh yeah, be on guard." You sometimes hear this parable or, or variations of this parable taught as like you gotta keep the wolves out, like he's the guard at the door. Right. I don't think that's what this is getting at. It's really more like if this, if the doorkeeper s- falls asleep on the job, then the entire house falls into disarray, and you can't recover that when the master all of a sudden is at the gate. If you're just the guard, I guess you might be able to snap to attention and like, you know, pull your pole arm or whatever it is up. Like you might be able to snap to attention and kind of fake it. But if you're the guy who manages the entire household and the [00:23:00] whole household is in disarray because you've fallen asleep on the job, there's no recovering from that when the master taps you on the shoulder and says, "Please wake up, I'm home." You just can't recover from that. And so I think that's, that's the element of the story, the element of the parable that we probably need to think about a little bit more is, all right, w- no one of us is the doorkeeper of the church.  Jesse Schwamb: That's right.  Tony Arsenal: But also none of us are not the doorkeeper of the church. So like we all have a role and a responsibility in, in the church to sort of like be a part of, an active part of the church, an active part of God's kingdom, which is not, I'm not trying to say we're all gatekeepers, right? We're not all called to be r- to rule over the church. Like there's a particular office of ruling elder that I would say exists, uh, you know, that's codified in the OPC. But even within other kinds of s- setups, there's usually some sort of elder, you know, setup where there's elders that are not teaching elders. They're not there to like teach and minister and, and preach. They're there to [00:24:00] like govern the church and support the needs of the body spiritually. That's really, uh, you know, like a particular office, but that's also a task and a role that we all share as Christians is to, to sh- sort of, I almost said shepherd, but that doesn't feel right, but it also doesn't feel wrong. To sort of like manage the business of the congregation and the church- That's right ... and the, the invisible church as a whole. That's the task of every Christian, and that's really what this parable's getting at, I think.  Jesse Schwamb: I think so too. And I, I don't wanna, like, build too far a bridge away from that point. I think it's worth sitting there for a second because what occurs to me as you were saying that is I just happened to be reading Calvin's commentary this morning in 1 Corinthians 5, and he builds this whole theological argument around this idea that he, he basically is saying, "Why should the Corinthians mourn over one man's sin?" And he gives two reasons. First, as a consequence of the communion that exists among the members of the church, it's becoming that all should feel hurt at or so it's deadly if one of their members should fall. And the second is when such an erroneous sin is [00:25:00] perpetrated in a particular church, the perpetrator is an offender in such a manner that he pollutes the whole society. That is to say, I think it's kind of in line with what you're saying, that corruption in one place will affect the entire body. That is like falling asleep, pulling away from the mission Being found outside of the mission of God's, uh, for God's glory is something that hurts the church body. And we might ask, like if there is in our own lives a persistent sin, some kind of corruption, then we ought to ask, is there any form of corruption that we're contributing to the body of God? And I think those, these like real consequences of what it means to live in a way where we find ourselves, again, outside of what it means to worship whole heartedly, to worship with heart, soul, and mind, all of which we do imperfectly. Yet at the same time- Yeah ... are we being awake? Are we being made aware? Watchfulness and Rest Jesse Schwamb: I, I wonder if part of what's envisioned here and in view with Jesus' teaching is not just this idea... Almost like I think sometimes we, we say stay awake or we say be [00:26:00] watchful, and of course like I love that Jesus mentions like the four watches. Like that's, I think, like a distinctly kind of Roman division of the night into four three-hour segments. And of course it's gonna suggest to Mark's gentile audience that, and, and underscore this point, that it's not which watch, but that no watch may be presumed safe from the master's arrival. And so I think when we hear that stuff we think, "Well, this means like don't fall asleep." In other words, like there's going to be a test somewhere in your life or all of your life where you're going to be legitimately tempted to take a rest, and you can't take a rest. You gotta keep like just going thrust or no th- you, there's no other choice- Right ... but to give it your all. I think what's better here and what's in view is in all areas of life, are you awake to the reality that God has given you work to do in the spheres of influence that you have, in the particular place in which you live, among the church people whom He has given you to worship with? Are you aware that at all times you ought to be moving and working and for His glory, [00:27:00] even while you are literally sleeping in rest so that you might do those things for the next day? So I- Yeah ... I don't wanna get too hyped up on it's kind of like, again, what's the spiritual equivalent of always drinking Celsius and Red Bull and just like toughing it out- Yeah like with your eyes wide open. It's, it's way more than that.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. Yeah, uh, this is gonna seem like a weird transition, but it's, it is but also isn't. Um, I, I saw an interesting video the other... I'm getting super nerdy here right now. But, um, I saw an interesting video on YouTube the other day that was talking about how strange it was that there is like a night shift on the Starship Enterprise on Star Trek Next Generation. But, but actually like- It, it demonstrated something to me that, like, even on a, you know, this is obviously a fictional television show, but, like, even on a spaceship where there is no sun, there is no actual reference- Right ... for what a day is, right? We think of a day, and, and rightfully so, it's locked into a 24-hour cycle because of the [00:28:00] way God has created the Earth to spin, and the sun, and the sunrise, sunset, et cetera. But in this fictionalized universe, in this fictionalized world, there's no sunset. There's no, uh, chronology, yet they still divide on, on this, they still divide the day into these three watches. And it's funny, 'cause they talk about how, like, well, there's, there's the day shift, there's the sort of like second shift, and there's the night shift. And they actually even, like, turn the lights down on the ship to simulate a day-night cycle. And, and what it got me thinking about, and I think in the parable, obviously, like, it's the four watches of the night. Um, I play a lot of Dungeons & Dragons, and, like, when you're gonna do what's called a long rest, you have to determine who's gonna set a watch. If you don't set a proper watch, then the dungeon master may make it so monsters show up and you don't get your long rest. This idea that- Even resting is an appropriate and necessary execution of- Right ... the task to be watchful. That's right. Like, I think that's important. If you are, um, i- if you think of like, uh, Lord of the [00:29:00] Rings, right? And they set a watch. Uh, the responsibility of the people who aren't on watch is to make every, every use of that time to sleep so that if something happens, they're alert. And then when also when it's time for them to take watch, they're able to be watchful. And, uh, the other thing I wanna, wanna just comment really quickly on, because I, I, I didn't do a lot of prep for this episode. Big shocker. We don't prep a lot for these episodes. And this is another Markan parable that I'm not super familiar with.  Church Alertness and Power Tony Arsenal: But one of the things that as we're talking through it I'm, I'm becoming more convinced of, is this really is about not just any one individual being alert, although there is implications for us. It's really about the whole church being alert.  Jesse Schwamb: That's  Tony Arsenal: right. Like, the church is the, uh... I, I think it's in, I wanna say it's in Timothy, I don't know where, but the Church is the buttress and pillar of truth, right? So that's not to say we're the, we're the arbiter of truth, but I wanna read this. The... I don't know any other podcasts, although in our circles there [00:30:00] probably are other podcasts that you might hear someone reading out of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church book of Church Order, Form of Government, chapter three, verse, uh, passage one here. Uh, but this is, this is, as I said, uh, BCO chapter three, Form of Government. Uh, and this is, the chapter is titled The Nature and Exercise of Church Power. And when I was coming into the OPC, I don't think I was surprised, uh, in terms of like I thought the theology was different. I was pleasantly surprised to see that this was articulated and how clearly it was articulated. So I'm just gonna read the whole section here. It says, "The power which Christ has committed to His Church is not vested in special officers alone, but in the whole body. All believers are endued with the Spirit & called of Christ to join in the worship, edification, and the witness of the Church which grows as the body of Christ, fitly framed and knit together through, uh, that which every joint supplies according to the working and due measure of each part." Sidebar commentary. The BCO doesn't [00:31:00] have proof text, but if they did, they would just be citing to Ephesians 5 here. Um, back to what the text says. "The power of believers in their general office includes the right to acknowledge and desire the exercise of the gifts and calling of the special officers. The regular exercise of oversight in a particular congregation is discharged by those who have been called to such work by the vote of the people." So just to summarize that, officers, at least in the OPC Um, ruling elders are nominated and voted into, into office and essentially, uh, given their powers, their official powers, their official responsibilities, not by the presbytery, uh, and not by some hierarchy, but by the congregation. They call from within.  Church Authority From Congregation Tony Arsenal: But that, that means that the power of the ruling elders, the, the authority of the ruling elders, is not derived from some hierarchy. It's derived from the [00:32:00] authority and the exercise of power of the whole church. And the other thing, I won't read this, but the other thing that I found, um, really interesting that I really like is in Presbyterianism, and, and I, I believe Presbyterianism is what the Bible teaches positively as a command. I know there are other church polities, and I know everybody is trying to figure it out, and we don't all agree. I think Presbyterianism is the right way.  Jurisdictions And Whole Church Acts Tony Arsenal: But either way, um Presbyterianism works on a s- sort of an idea of, uh, jurisdictions, right? And they're kinda concentric circles. They're not necessarily hierarchical, but it's, it's narrow jurisdictions and then broader jurisdictions. And the most narrow jurisdiction is the session of a local church over that congregation. But what's really interesting is that the, the Book of Church Order calls out that when any valid jurisdiction of the church is exercising its authority, it's not just that jurisdiction that's [00:33:00] acting. That's an act of the whole church, the entire Orthodox Presbyterian Church. So in a congregation where someone is in unrepentant sin and that, uh, session makes a decision, votes a decision to excommunicate that person, to remove them from the rolls, consider them to be an unbeliever, that's not just an act of that jurisdiction. I- i- as a member of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church, when some church in Sacramento, California, I don't know if there's an OPC in Sacramento, I assume there probably is, but some church in Sacramento, California, the presbytery or the session excommunicates someone, I am e- I'm engaged in that act. That's an act of the whole church.  Watchfulness Beyond Personal Piety Tony Arsenal: And this, the, the only reason I go there and I bring, I kind of dive into that level of granularity is I actually think that this is kind of what this parable is teaching, is that as individuals, we need to be alert because the whole church acting is the whole church acting. So whether this takes the [00:34:00] form of me just being really un- un- like, locked into my local church and making sure that I'm active in my local church, or whether... And I think there are some of us who are called to this, um, and I think our, our podcast in some levels sort of takes this shape a little bit, are watching what other people in the church are doing and sometimes are offering corrections, right? It is not the case that an average blogger has ecclesiastical authority in the strictest sense, but when I see, or, or anyone who is sort of involved in online commentary, podcast, blogging or otherwise, I see someone in the church teaching something elsewhere and I call that out, that's me sort of fulfilling this command of Mark 13. I'm being watchful Because what that Christian says or does, if they're truly a Christian, actually does have something to do with what I believe. It actually does have something to do with me as a believer. That doesn't mean that you should get up in everybody else's business. That's not what I'm saying. Like, sometimes- Right ... the thing [00:35:00] that's going on in the church over there is just that thing that's going on over at the church there. But for example, there was a pretty high-profile, um, uh, ecclesiastical, I don't know if it was a trial, but like an ecclesiastical deposition, I guess, um, for a presbytery down in the Southwest, um, about some pretty gnarly things that were being said by an elder in the OPC church, and I wrote to that presbytery. They haven't sent it to me yet, but I wrote to that presbytery and said, "Hey, what you did at that meeting is an act of the whole church that I'm a part of. Can you send me the minutes?" And I have a right to do that, because I wanna see what's going on. I wanna understand what statements they're making on behalf of the Orthodox Presbyterian Church of America. Or, I just combined like 1,000 different denominations- Yes, you did. ... into one sentence. But I, I think the point is clear, like the, the parable of the watchful doorkeeper or the porter is not about exclusively, I do think there's an element of it, but it's not about our individual piety. It's about the sort of readiness state of the entire church for [00:36:00] Christ's return, if you really boil it all down  Avoid Date Setting And Indifference Jesse Schwamb: Yeah, so we, I think before we leave verse 35, we, we are at least contractually obligated to say, though we've said it before, that there are two errors here that we should definitely seek to avoid. And because we're talking about, again, this idea that we do not know when the master of the house will come, that is the reason why we wait, and we are watchful, like you just said. But it means that the first is any kind of, like, speculative date setting, which is a fool's errand. We've talked about that at length. Yeah. The second one, again, I think we're contractually obligated to say, is a practical indifference, maybe sometimes dressed as, like, pious agnosticism, like treating the uncertainty of that hour as grounds for some kind of spiritual carelessness rather than heightened attentiveness. So I think where all this wraps up with what you said about one representing all, that, that is the church's responsibility. Yes, you're right. In Timothy we get the command that this is the center and the pillar. So I... That obviously all this coheres with just straight-up biblical [00:37:00] doctrine of assurance and perseverance, because the elect are kept by God's power through faith. So what that means is watchfulness is not some kind of, like, anxious uncertainty about final salvation, but instead it is, like, this disciplined fidelity in the means God has appointed. Ordinary Means Of Grace Jesse Schwamb: And what are those means? Like, I feel like this is where everybody just shouts back, "Ordinary means." You know what I mean? When I say means- ... you say ordinary. Means- Or I should, I should say it the other way around. Ordinary. But this idea that, like, what are those things God has put into our lives, has appointed for us to use, has commanded us to up- obtain for ourselves by his power? It's prayer, it's the word, it's the sacraments. It's a mutual watchfulness within that visible church like you were just describing, and it's precisely because the timing of Christ's return has been sovereignly withheld from creaturely knowledge. So there's actually a lot in this that I think assuages that, that really sensitive Christian conscience, which is like, "Well, are you telling me I have to do more?" That's not what we're saying at all. We're, we're saying, "Do the things which God has empowered you to do." And guess what? Those things [00:38:00] are just very chill, very ordinary things that take on extraordinary influence and power in our lives by the work of the Holy Spirit. So again, it's like this whole thing of saying, like, when we work, we work. When we pray, God works. It's the same kind of thing here. There is work to be done. There is a watchfulness to undertake in all the activities of our lives. But it is not like whatever the, again, the equivalent, like, is of, like, spiritual, I don't know, like shots of espresso and, and Celsius to just try to, like, by all accounts, by your own power, somehow just not sleep. Uh- Yeah ... not sleeping is not what this text is about. It's actually about being aware, worshiping in awareness around all the things, and then devoting ourselves to all the stuff that we keep talking about, to praying, to studies in the scripture, to having family devotions and time of worship, to baptism, and to the Lord's Supper. That's what watchfulness is all about.  Tony Arsenal: Yeah. [00:39:00] Yeah, and I, I think, um, you know, this is again I do think this parable has more to do with the idea of kinda getting after it. I, I think that's how we usually talk about it, like getting after holiness. Yeah, it is. Um, I, I think this parable has more to do with that than some of the other parables with similar language that we've talked about. But I, I also think, um, as Reformed Christians, uh, we get the, we get the cart before the horse if we think that even though that's what it's about, that that somehow places the onus on us to do the good works, right? Right. The good works are prepared for us in advance that we might walk in them. And, uh, i- it's not even right to say, like, our responsibility is to walk in them. That's not even quite right theologically. Like, we are going to walk in them. Like, that's, that's the thing, is the doorkeeper is given this charge. He's commanded to stay awake, and in good Augustinian fashion, it's really more along the [00:40:00] lines es- of the doorkeeper is made to stay awake because he's been commanded to. Jesse Schwamb: Yes, that's right.  Tony Arsenal: And I think that's, that's really key.  Fruit Checking And Assurance Tony Arsenal: And yes, there is some- something to say for, uh, fruit checking. And I, I know that there are probably some in our audience that just, like, threw up in their mouth a little bit when I said that. Um, but the, the reality is, a lack of fruit, uh, i- in our life, and by fruit I'm talking about good works. Primarily I'm talking about the ordinary means of grace, like you said. A, a person who is refusing to avail themselves of the ordinary means of grace, right? Right on. Regular church attendance, prayer- Right ... the sacraments, Bible reading, um, sitting under the preaching of the Word, fellowship with other believers. Um, I would even say to some extent regular s- regular financial support of the Church. Mm-hmm. Um, and, and I... There, there are times where that may not be, uh, the most feasible thing, and so that's a decision between you and the Holy Spirit and for you to discuss with your pastor. [00:41:00] But, but the reality is God has given us these ordinary means of grace as a gift and as a way to nourish and support us. When we refuse to take part in those, and I use the word refuse intentionally, when a person refuses to attend church, for the most part most of us who have had a season where we don't, don't attend church, and I, I had a long season when I was in college where I just didn't attend church. There was no good reason for it. I just didn't do it. And if I'm being really honest, it was 'cause at that time in my life I had some sinful patterns that I didn't wanna face up to, right? That's usually what it boils down to.  Jesse Schwamb: Right.  Tony Arsenal: Um, but for those of us who d- who refuse to, uh, take part and to avail ourselves of the ordinary means of grace, that should really cause us to question our salvation. Not because the ordinary means of grace cause our salvation, but because the ordinary means of grace are exactly as they're called. Exactly. They're the ordinary means by which God delivers His grace to us. So if we're refusing to receive God's grace, it means we're refusing to receive God's grace. And the only people ultimately who are not forgiven are [00:42:00] those who receive to ref- you know, refuse to receive God's grace. So I think this, this passage has more to do with us in an indi- sort of on the individual level, us being actively engaged and partaking in the, uh, the administration of the covenant of grace, to use a more technical term, right? The administration of the covenant of the grace are the visible means of grace. If we refuse to be baptized, if we refuse to partake of the Lord's supper, if we refuse to attend church and to sit under the preaching of the word and to pray, then we are, we are turning down God's offer of grace. That's right. We're taking the gift that He desires to give us, and we're saying, "No thank you." Well, when we phrase it that way, it's a flat rejection of God's grace that we're engaged in.  Church Mission And Readiness Tony Arsenal: But on a, on a sort of like big picture scale I think it has to do also along with these lines that I'm talking about of the Church itself being ready. Well, how does the Church prepare itself for Christ's [00:43:00] return? Again, the ordinary means of grace, right? We prepare ourselves by teaching and ministering, right? C- I think it's Colossians 1:28. If I was on Reformed Forum, I'd have this memorized 'cause it's their, like, theme verse. But, like, equipping every person for the ministry of Christ, equipping every person, making sure every person is, uh, mature and ready. Like, all of those things come together as the primary mission of the Church. And I know this is gonna trigger some people, but, like, evangelism is not the primary mission of the Church. The primary mission of the Church is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever, which takes place mostly on the Lord's day. I think all of that, the personal dimension, the corporate dimension, all of that coalesces in this command to be watchful, to stay awake, to be on guard, to s- be about the task, to be in charge of the commands you've been given. All of those different concepts come together in what Christ is talking about here in verse 37 when He says, "I say to you, I say to all, [00:44:00] stay awake." Like- Right ... that's what we're talking about. So it's not as simple as personal piety. It's probably not as complicated as some sort of, like, I don't know, least of these, feed-the-poor schema that happens sometimes. All of that happens. It really is just about the Church being the Church and doing the things the Church does, both on the individual level, but also on the corporate level. Perseverance And Scriptural Warnings Jesse Schwamb: And that's why, as loved ones of God, then we can come to verse 36, which is the full warning, and we actually read it as a great comfort. So it says, "Lest he come suddenly and find you asleep." And after all we're talking about here, the way I read this warning against complacency is entirely consistent with, instead of being contradictory to, the doctrine of perseverance of the saints. Because perseverance is not fatalism, and I'm just... I'm still learning this, loved ones. Like, and even here, what I marvel at is the warnings of scripture are themselves among the ordinary means by which God preserves His people. So I go back to the Westminster [00:45:00] Confession of Faith chapter 17, which notes that, "Believers may, through the temptations of Satan and of the world, fall into grievous sins, and so incur God's displeasure, even while never finally falling from grace." So that sobering possibility of, of quote-unquote being found asleep I think functions pastorally not to threaten the loss of the election, of the elect, but to press home I think, like, the seriousness of watchfulness as the fruit and evidence of genuine faith, which is what you're talking about. That, that's kind of like the Reformed theological jam in a sense, and that's why, where I think we'd anchor like James 2, Hebrews 3 and 4. There is, like, a call of the necessity of perseverance in the means as the mark of the true as opposed to be merely, of course, like some kind of profession of discipleship. The visible church, and we talked about this too, mixed as it is, is here warned that the formal membership in the household is no substitute for actual wakefulness. And so I hope we see that warning as not something [00:46:00] that's like, "Well, you gotta, you gotta check yourself every day 'cause if you just step out of line once, if you fall asleep at any little thing, then it just goes to show you that you weren't serious enough." Instead, it's like you said, Tony, like even the warning itself is proof positive that God will save, that He arrests, that He holds everything firm and secure, and that even the setting of the table or the preparing of the good works and then the way in which you walk in them, we might ask, how is it that you are even walking? Yeah. And so even this is all an act of God, whether we speak about that, uh, that justification, that initial positional sanctification, and even the progressive frame as well is all f- happens here because God is in fact doing that good work. So it's a good warning because it reminds us that what's, I think, the particular and special dispensation of the Christian is that in this falling asleep, as the Westminster Confession says, it may mean that we fall even into grievous sins. We're incurring God's displeasure. We're not disrupting our [00:47:00] identity in Christ, but we are disrupting our harmony with Christ. Yes. And so we always want to seek and to live in that kind of beautiful harmony where there is, I think, obedience for a word. There is a special fellowship that comes from being close to God in this way. We should always strive after that and want that very thing, but at no point does the Christian who even falls into grievous sins, as the Confession reminds us, fall outside of God's mercy and grace. Merely we fall outside of God's pleasure, and we r- we're finally returned to grace by His power in our lives, whi- which He Himself affects so that even in our fall, even in our death every day, there is a little bit of resurrection that restores us. Tony Arsenal: Yeah.  Rapture Ready Misreadings Tony Arsenal: Yeah, another way, um, another way to put this, um, and I, I don't mean to trugger, trig- to trigger, uh, our dispensationalist friends and family who are listening to the show, um, there are I will speak from my own experience coming out of a dispensationalist framework when I was in [00:48:00] high school and early college. Um, there was a lot of focus on being, quote, "Rapture ready." And I, I think sometimes we can read parables like this to think that stay awake means be Rapture ready. And what that means is, like, in some forms of dispensationalism, and I think probably many forms of dispensationalism, there's this idea that, like, if you're not right with God in, in this sense you're talking about, if, like, you're in disharmony with God when the Rapture comes, you may ultimately be saved, but you're not gonna be saved by the Rapture, which means you're gonna have to deal with the tribulation, and that's no good. So, like, if your piety's not on point when the Rapture happens, all your friends are gonna be taken away, and you're gonna be left behind, right? I don't think it's too much of a characteristic- a caricature to talk about Left Behind when there's an entire dispensational book series about this, right? Right. The whole concept behind the Left Behind novel is that it's populated by people who thought they were Christians who weren't. Uh, and some of [00:49:00] those are because they had a false profession of faith. Some of them were just back- what, what a lot of people would just call backslidden Baptists or backslidden Christians who, who had a genuine profession of faith but just weren't living in a holy fashion. I think we can sometimes read this, whether we're dispensationalists or not, we can read these kinds of parables in light of Rapture readiness. I think it's, it's both more assuring and also infinitely more severe than that. Right. It's not about Rapture ready. It's about whether you're saved or not. Right. Whether you are in the kingdom of God, whether you are among the household of believers. All of the people in view in this parable are members of the master's household, right? Uh, they're all his servants. So it's not as though there are some who are, um, outside of his family that are be given, being given a command to be watchful. There's also no consequence implied for the doorkeeper if somehow he's not watchful. It's more along the lines of if you're in the faith, if you are the doorkeeper or a [00:50:00] doorkeeper in the g- in the king's house, then you ought to be watchful because that's what you do. And so there's no, like, implied consequence. There's no assumption that the doorkeeper somehow won't be watchful. So I think if there's any sort of, like, gut check, status check that needs to happen, it's really more along the lines of are we in the Lord's household or are we not? That's right. That's right. And I think that's, that's what you're getting at. If we're in the Lord's household, if we're members of his house, if we're servants in his kingdom, then we will be awake when the time comes. We will be awake when he returns.  Rooster Crow And Passion Echoes Tony Arsenal: And the other thing, and I'll just throw this out there maybe as a tease. I don't, I don't think there's enough here for us to come back to it next week, uh, although I've been wrong before, and sometimes Jesse and I have conversations right after that turn into the next episode. I think it's really interesting- I don't know if you ran into this when you were reading it, but- Yeah ... verse 35: "Therefore stay awake, for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening or at [00:51:00] midnight or when the rooster crows," that's a very interesting phrase to me- It is, yeah ... "or in the morning." It's just another chapter or two when- Yeah ... we see the disciples fall asleep in the Garden of Gethsemane, right? Gethsemane. Um, the disciples fall asleep. We see language of the watches, right? The, the hours that Christ is alive and dies on the cross are associated with the watches. Right. And then of course the rooster crowing. And it's a very well-known, um, uh, I, I don't wanna call it a fact 'cause that might be too strong, but it's a pretty accepted, uh, theory in, in the sort of, uh, academic understanding of the, the authors of the Gospels that Mark, uh, Mark actually represents Peter's testimony. That the sort of a- apostolic imprimatur of the Gospel of Mark is actually that M- John Mark, probably while he was ministering with Peter, was being told these, this account, and he's collecting Peter's, Peter's [00:52:00] statements on the events of the Gospel It is very interesting to me that this phrase about the rooster crowing associated with being watchful and ready in the service of the master- Yep would appear particularly in the gospel that's asso- associated with Peter. Right. And I'll throw that out there just as maybe food for a discussion- ... in our Telegram chat, but I do think e- even that is sort of for our benefit, right? Right. We're not talking about, uh, this isn't a parable about what happens when you betray Jesus and hang yourself with a rope, right? This isn't, this isn't Judas who never was a believer. If we're drawing this peril- parallel, this is a parable about Peter, or related to Peter's experience, uh, who was restored, who ultimately had a moment of sleepiness, I guess, both physically and, you know, spiritually here. Had a moment of, of sleepiness, but ultimately was awake when the master came. That's right. And I think, like, there's something there for us to tease out, and, and again, [00:53:00] maybe we'll leave that for the Telegram chat. Maybe that's just for your own personal study. I've done zero commentary work, so maybe this is a connection that I feel- ... is super novel, but actually everyone else makes. Um, but I just thought it was really interesting how closely that language, that sequence of the watchfulness, the watch, sleepiness, awakefulness, and the rooster crows, how closely that lines up to the events that w- would be if we were going through Mark sequentially- Yep ... we would be encountering in just a couple chapters, right? In just chapter 15. They're coming up. Um, we're talking about this exact thing. So it's very interesting to me, is it... The Holy Spirit is amazing in how He has put together this. Yes. Even if, even if that is a super tenuous connection, it's still a connection. And- Agreed ... I have a tough time thinking anyone who's familiar with the, the passion accounts would read this and not go, "Woo." That's a lot of language from the passion account. It's a lot of- Yes ... language related to what happened in just a few chapters.  Jesse Schwamb: Yes. I'm with you. Like we said, there's so much that's within these couple of verses, and you'd have to think if you were reading this with brand-new eyes, [00:54:00] with eyes that never seen this text before, and you were just going straight through, you'd come in just a few short chapters to that whole narrative in Gethsemane and be like, "What? Did he, didn't he just, didn't this guy Jesus just say to them- Like be watchful, stay awake. And here they're... Isn't that ironic? Here they are in the garden, and he said- Yeah ... to them again, "Stay awake." They fall asleep. He comes back, he's like, "Could you not watch for one

What do you do when you've kept your covenants, guarded your heart, served the poor, and lived with absolute integrity—yet your whole world collapses anyway? In this complete, deep-dive masterclass on the Book of Job, we trace the entire arc of human suffering, theological wrestling, and divine revelation, discovering how a man sitting in ashes moved from raw questioning to the ultimate witness: "I know that my Redeemer liveth." Summary of the Video: This comprehensive guide walks step-by-step through the 42 chapters of the Book of Job. We begin in the pre-mortal council, exploring why God allows the "hedge" of protection to be lowered and why "divine restraint" is an act of love designed to build spiritual muscle. We analyze the four crushing waves of loss that wiped out Job's wealth, health, and ten children, offering a compassionate look at Job's grief and the silent ministry of his three friends. We then unpack the core conflict: the breakdown of "Retribution Theology" (the false idea that sin always equals suffering). We follow the three rounds of intense debate between Job and his accusers, exploring Job's desperate plea for a "Daysman" (Mediator) and his prophetic shadows of Jesus Christ. Finally, we study Job's final oath of innocence, Elihu's breakthrough teaching on the refining purpose of trials, God's breathtaking 59 questions out of the whirlwind, and the profound lessons of Job 42—where intercessory forgiveness for his friends unlocked a double restoration of everything he had lost. Key Doctrinal Insights Included: The Hedged Life & Divine Restraint (Job 1–2): Why God permits trials and how agency requires a space for opposition. The Trap of the Prosperity Gospel (Job 4–27): Why assuming suffering is always caused by personal sin leads to self-righteousness and spiritual collapse. Job as a Type of Christ (Job 16–19): How Job's unearned agony, betrayal, and crying blood prefigure the Garden of Gethsemane and Calvary. The Search for the "Daysman" (Job 9 & 19): The Old Testament promise of Jesus Christ as our Advocate and Redeemer. The Refining Purpose of Pain (Job 32–37): Elihu's perspective that suffering is a divine classroom to purge pride. Hearing vs. Seeing God (Job 42): How trials convert secondhand theology into firsthand, face-to-face relationship with the Divine. The Lesson of the Book of Job: You don't need a line-by-line explanation for every trial in your life as long as you know the God who holds you in His hands. When you stop demanding explanations and start seeking His presence, your crucible becomes your sanctuary. Call-to-Action: Have you ever experienced a season where God felt silent, but looking back, you realized He was refining your faith into pure gold? How has the Book of Job changed your perspective on personal trials? Share your thoughts and testimonies in the comments below! Like and Subscribe for more deep-dive scripture study! Chapter Timestamps: 0:00 Introduction 2:16 Theodicy & the Book of Job 14:32 Perfect Job 21:31 Satan's Plan 33:26 Job's Trials & Testimony 50:11 Physical Suffering & Spiritual Doubt 1:01:39 Friends' Company & Job's Lament 1:16:05 Assuming that Suffering Equals Sin (Eliphaz Round 1) 1:27:16 Job's Self-Defense 1:42:41 Justifying the Lord (Bildad Round 1) 2:01:59 Revealing & Reasoning with God (Zophar Round 1) 2:16:38 Death & Resurrection 2:21:52 Job as Mortal Side of Jesus (Eliphaz Round 2) 2:41:46 Job's Testimony (Bildad Round 2) 2:53:59 Wickedness Never was Happiness (Zophar Round 2) 3:01:44 Accusations & Demanding a Day in Court (Eliphaz Round 3) 3:12:13 Innocence or Holiness (Bildad Round 3) 3:22:49 Wisdom & Worthiness 3:36:37 Job's Closing Argument 3:44:31 Elihu Speaks Up 3:53:25 God is Good and Can Be Trusted 4:17:27 God Reveals Himself 4:30:49 Job Repents & Reviews the Lessons Learned 4:47:56 A Double Portion 4:57:12 Conclusion - The Lesson of Job

Send us Fan MailYou can hear it in the first few minutes: real faith often starts with the shock of hardship. We talk honestly about the pain of trials, the kind that makes you admit, “I didn't keep myself.” From there, we build a case for Christian assurance that doesn't depend on mood, performance, or a good week, but on the steady character of God. We move from a parent's love for their child to a much heavier place: the cross. The most haunting detail we sit with is not just the physical brutality, but the separation Christ endured as he bore sin. We connect that to Gethsemane, where Jesus faces the cup with true agony and yet chooses the Father's will. That thread matters because it frames the atonement as purposeful, complete, and effective, not merely symbolic or unfinished. Then we open Romans 8:32-33 and follow Paul's logic like a lawyer: if God did not spare his own Son, he will also give everything needed to bring his people to glory. And if God is the one who justifies, who can actually lay a charge that sticks? We also talk about the new covenant as an everlasting covenant, like a will that grants an inheritance through Christ's death, and we touch the tension people feel in John 3:16 around “whosoever believes” and how saving faith comes to life. If you're searching for clarity on eternal security, justification, and “can you lose your salvation,” this conversation is for you. Subscribe for more Bible-rich conversations, share this with a friend who's been wrestling with assurance, and leave a review with the question you still have after listening.Support the showBE PROVOKED AND BE PERSUADED!

Some Christians believe the walk of faith should bring them happiness and prosperity. But our Lord's real legacy includes suffering. In this message from Matthew 26, Pastor Lutzer shares three takeaways from Jesus' unanswered prayer in Gethsemane. Let's discover the significance of Jesus' groan, “Not my will, but Yours be done.” To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29?v=20251111

Some Christians believe the walk of faith should bring them happiness and prosperity. But our Lord's real legacy includes suffering. In this message from Matthew 26, Pastor Lutzer shares three takeaways from Jesus' unanswered prayer in Gethsemane. Let's discover the significance of Jesus' groan, "Not my will, but Yours be done." This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

08.12.2026 | Part 22: Jesus Betrayed and Arrested | Pastor Jeff Wickwire What stands out to you most about Jesus’ final hours—His betrayal, the Last Supper, or His prayers in Gethsemane? In this week’s message, Pastor Jeff reminded us that Jesus was both fully God and fully human, experiencing real pain and sorrow so He could understand ours. We also saw how Mary’s costly worship stood in contrast to Judas’ betrayal, and how the Lord’s Supper calls us to remember Christ’s sacrifice.

In this episode, we explore the importance of trusting God's way over our own, especially in difficult decisions like marriage, life, and societal issues. We discuss biblical examples, cultural challenges, and practical steps to align with God's plan for our lives.keywordsfaith, God's way, surrender, marriage, life, biblical principles, cultural issues, Christian living, Bible translation, abortion, gender identityKey topicsThe significance of putting Jesus at the center of marriage and life decisionsThe example of Jesus' surrender in Gethsemane as a model for believersThe importance of biblical fidelity and trustworthy translationsThe cultural battle over life, gender, and morality from a Christian perspectivePractical advice for Christians facing societal and political pressuresSound bites"His ways are higher than my ways""He took on the full judgment of all the sin of all time""This is not Burger King, this is the King of Kings"

In this episode, we explore the importance of trusting God's way over our own, especially in difficult decisions like marriage, life, and societal issues. We discuss biblical examples, cultural challenges, and practical steps to align with God's plan for our lives.keywordsfaith, God's way, surrender, marriage, life, biblical principles, cultural issues, Christian living, Bible translation, abortion, gender identityKey topicsThe significance of putting Jesus at the center of marriage and life decisionsThe example of Jesus' surrender in Gethsemane as a model for believersThe importance of biblical fidelity and trustworthy translationsThe cultural battle over life, gender, and morality from a Christian perspectivePractical advice for Christians facing societal and political pressuresSound bites"His ways are higher than my ways""He took on the full judgment of all the sin of all time""This is not Burger King, this is the King of Kings"

John 18:3 “Judas then, having received the Roman cohort and officers from the chief priests and the Pharisees, came there with lanterns and torches and weapons.” This verse describes some of the events referred to in Acts 4:27. From a God-centered, faith-informed perspective, God was gathering this crowd against His Son. Judas, the Romans soldiers, and Jewish officials were needed for the love of God to be displayed in its glory. We should understand that God put them in Jesus' path so He could express the love of the Father to this world. We may have this same confidence. God is still expressing His love in this world through His Son in us. He puts people in our paths, some friendly and some antagonists. Knowing that the only reason they are in our lives is for God to love them through us, keeps us from stumbling and being discouraged. Jesus' perspective of this event will sound radical to the natural mind, because it is! He received them as from His Father so He could do the will of His Father for His glory. He knew these things were to occur so God's love could be defined, experienced, and expressed, not only in and through Him, but in and through everyone of His disciples throughout the remaining history of mankind. So it is with us today. God is gathering people all over the world to put them in the path of the Son of His love who lives in millions of His own throughout the world. With this understanding, I invite you to pray what I call a Live to Love prayer with me now. “Father in heaven, thank You for another day of life to live to know and love you and live to love with Jesus. Anoint and fill me with the Holy Spirit, the presence and power of Christ, so that I can love and trust You and love everyone You put in my path today, for Your glory.” I hope you'll make this prayer a part of your daily devotions with the Lord. If you do, you'll have the same attitude that was in Christ Jesus as He walked into the garden of Gethsemane: humble, trusting, expectant, fearless, purposeful, and loving. That light shines like the sun in the darkness. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Jesus faced untold agony and suffering in Gethsemane. In the garden, Jesus faced a cup He alone could drink. In this message from Matthew 26, Pastor Lutzer explains what that cup truly was and how Jesus accepted the cup for us. To walk where Jesus walked means walking in Gethsemane. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/172/29?v=20251111

Jesus faced untold agony and suffering in Gethsemane. In the garden, Jesus faced a cup He alone could drink. In this message from Matthew 26, Pastor Lutzer explains what that cup truly was and how Jesus accepted the cup for us. To walk where Jesus walked means walking in Gethsemane. This month's special offer is available for a donation of any amount. Get yours at https://rtwoffer.com or call us at 1-888-218-9337. Moody Church Media [https://www.moodymedia.org/], home of "Running To Win," exists to bring glory to God through the transformation of lives. Erwin W. Lutzer is Pastor Emeritus of The Moody Church in Chicago, where he served as Senior Pastor for 36 years. He is a prolific author of over seventy books. A clear expositor of the Bible, he is the featured speaker on "Running To Win" and "Songs In The Night," with programs broadcasting on over a thousand outlets in the U.S. and across more than fifty countries in seven languages. He and his wife, Rebecca, live in the Chicago area. They have three grown children and eight grandchildren.   SUPPORT: Tax Deductible Support: https://www.moodymedia.org/donate/ Become an Endurance Partner: https://endurancepartners.org/   SUBSCRIBE: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MoodyChurchMedia Daily Devotional and Weekly Digest: https://www.moodymedia.org/newsletters/subscription/

On this episode of The Integrated Life Podcast, Diana Romero shares why The Chosen has become much more than a television series for her family—it has become a catalyst for deeper faith, richer Bible study, and a more personal understanding of Jesus. Journey through some of the most moving moments from Seasons 1–5 as Diana explores the biblical stories behind her favorite episodes, including Peter's calling, Nicodemus' encounter with Jesus, the healing of the woman who bled for 12 years, the feeding of the five thousand, the faith of the Roman centurion, the Triumphal Entry, and Jesus' prayer in Gethsemane. Rather than simply reviewing the series, Diana reflects on how these powerful portrayals have drawn her back into Scripture, helped her better understand the humanity and divinity of Christ, and strengthened her commitment to live out the Great Commission. Whether you're already a devoted fan of The Chosen or you've been hesitant to watch it, this episode will encourage you to approach it with an open Bible, an open heart, and a desire to know Jesus more deeply.

John 18:1 “ When Jesus had spoken these words, He went forth with His disciples over the ravine of the Kidron, where there was a garden, in which He entered with His disciples. Earlier Jesus told His disciples, “I will not speak much more with you, for the ruler of the world is coming, and he has nothing in Me; but so that the world may know that I love the Father, I do exactly as the Father commanded Me. Get up, let us go from here. (John 14:30-31). Jesus had a divine appointment with the devil. Later in vs 4 John tells us that Jesus knew what was coming upon Him. The rendezvous was arranged by God before the world was made, for the Spirit says in 2 Timothy 1:9 that God “saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity.” The Father and Son planned this showdown of light against darkness. In Genesis 3:15 we hear of this appointment. “And I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed; He shall bruise you on the head, and you shall bruise him on the heel." Jesus and Satan knew exactly where and when they were to meet—in another garden. We learn from Luke 22:39 that Jesus often prayed in this garden on the Mount of Olives. “And He came out and proceeded as was His custom to the Mount of Olives.” From the upper room to the Mount of Olives where the Garden of Gethsemane was located, one walks through the ravine of the Kidron valley. As we think about this verse today, let's let this wonderful truth sink in: We are reading about what living to love is all about. God's love is the light of the world and when empowered by faith, it overcomes the darkness and destroys the work of the devil. May we be an expression of Jesus' love today in the darkness. Acknowledgment: Music from “Carried by the Father” by Eric Terlizzi. www.ericterlizzi.com

Pastor Chad Kincer's sermon on Matthew 6:25–34 reminds us that Jesus' command not to be anxious is rooted in the truth that we have a Father who sees us, cares for us, and knows what we need. Instead of getting trapped in our own thoughts and fears, Jesus invites us to look outside ourselves and trust the Father's presence and provision, remembering that if He cares for the birds and flowers, how much more does He care for us. Ultimately, Jesus lived this teaching Himself through Gethsemane and the cross, showing us that even in our darkest moments, our Father knows the way out the other side.

Patrick explores practical and often thorny questions at the intersection of Catholic faith and daily decisions, examining everything from consumer choices linked to corporate ethics, to the meaning of receiving Communion under different forms, to candid discussions about confession and the real presence in the Eucharist. He listens to callers wrestling with misunderstandings about church rules, scriptural authority, the mystery of intercessory prayer, and even the raw ache of grief when faith meets tragedy—offering both clarity and encouragement with every exchange. Matthew - What’s your opinion on patronizing companies who support abortion? (00:40) Danielle - Why does my priest not offer consecrated wine for the parishioners when other parishes do? Can you dip the host in wine? (05:46) Joe - Would the Angel in the Garden of Gethsemane be a good counter example for Protestants who are against intercessory prayer? (11:57) Tim - The example about the invalid mass. When you receive communion under one form of bread, why wouldn't that still be valid then? (20:28) Christine - Protestant friends who left Catholic faith because there are no 'rules' to follow in the Bible. I need help with a response. (26:46) Kim - My son passed away a month ago. Priest said that God did not know that Curtis was going to pass. I thought God was all-knowing? (32:30) Ed - You mentioned scripture about not being prepared. Reminded me of the story you said about the priest's homily of most people heading to hell. (40:35) https://patrickmadrid.substack.com/p/what-this-priest-said-next-left-the

Her Hidden Names by Autumn Dickson Esther's story is one of courage. She is a remarkable woman who was placed in humble circumstances and rose to save her people. In a land that often looked down upon Jews, Esther's heritage should have prevented her from being able to save her people. And yet, she rose to prominence was guided by the hand of the Lord. Here is one verse that introduces Esther and sets the foundation for what I want to talk about. Esther 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. In this verse, we learn that Esther's given Hebrew name was “Hadassah.” In an effort to protect her, her name was changed to “Esther,” a Persian name. Jews were often looked down upon, discredited, and hated. Having a Persian name would have protected Esther from some of the prejudice she would face in court. There is beautiful significance in the fact that Esther changed her name. “Hadassah” means “myrtle.” The myrtle was a fragrant, humble evergreen plant often symbolizing righteousness, peace, beauty, or God's people in biblical imagery. Esther was many of these things, and she rose to represent all of her people. The name “Esther” was also significant. Its Persian roots connect it to the word “star” which she certainly rose to be. Interestingly enough, the name “Esther” also has Hebrew roots, but those Hebrew roots mean “hidden.” Esther's names, with their many meanings, all tell her story very well. It also connects her back to Christ. Esther was placed in a position to save her people. So much of her identity was “hidden” so that she could fulfill her role to save her people. Had her true identity been known, she may have been barred from being queen due to prejudice. In the Old Testament, Christ is known as Jehovah, a latinized version of “YHWH.” This means, “I am.” It is a powerful statement of our Creator. It emphasizes self-existence, sovereignty, and eternal nature. When He comes to the earth, His name is revealed to Mary as “Jesus.” Jesus is the English version of Yeshua, which is a shortened version of Yehoshua. Yehoshua means “YHWH saves.” When Christ came to earth, He did so quietly. Much of His identity was hidden. It was so hidden that the people in Nazareth, who knew Him while He was growing up, rejected Him thoroughly. They were angry when He claimed divine authority and purpose, and they tried to kill Him. If He had come in all of His glory, would things have been different? How would they have felt about Him then? If He had come in all of His glory, He might not have been rejected and put in a position to save us. On a broader note than Nazareth, many of the Jews didn't recognize Him. They were looking for a powerful rebel who would throw off the Roman empire. They did not understand that Jesus was coming to save them in a more important way. Because He didn't come in all of the glory that was due to Him, He was betrayed and rejected. And though He didn't deserve it, we needed it. We needed His true identity to be rejected so that He would be able to fulfill His atonement on our behalf. His “hidden” identity placed Him in a position to save the entirety of the human family. Let's take it a step further. Esther's hidden identity placed her in a position to save her people, but it wasn't just her hidden identity. It was also her humility. Because of her docile and peaceful nature, the king really liked her. When she entered the throne room, the king extended his scepter towards her, sparing her life. Even after being spared, her humility continued. Rather than making a big fuss in the middle of court, she invited the king and Haman to a banquet. At the banquet, her request on behalf of her people was not widely viewed. This likewise ties her to Christ. When Christ saved the world, He did it quietly and without fanfare. As He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane, He may have had an audience on the other side of the veil, but they were likewise hidden. His only companions fell asleep, and Christ accomplished His mission humbly. When it was all over, His success remained quiet as He was betrayed and taken to die. Not even His apostles seemed to understand just what He accomplished in that garden. Both Esther and Christ had identities that were hidden that placed them in a position to save. Both Esther and Christ did so quietly and humbly, and this likewise enabled them to fulfill their missions. What does this mean for us? Each of us has a mission given to us by the Lord. We made promises before we came here. The Lord can place us in the position we need to be in to set us up for our mission. Regardless of whether we are born as an exiled, lowly orphan or born in a stable, He has the power to place us exactly where we need to be. Though it is counterintuitive, sometimes it is the very humble circumstances we are given that enables us to fulfill our own personal missions. Christ utilized kings like Cyrus and Hezekiah to save His people, but He also used those in the humblest circumstances to save His people. None of your circumstances matter; those are easy enough for the Lord to manipulate. What truly matters is whether you're following the Savior. Your mission may be quiet and humble, but if that is the case, then you are in good company. We don't have to go over a loudspeaker to save His people. It doesn't have to look outwardly dramatic. It doesn't have to be filmed or livestreamed or hold a huge audience. We simply have to be willing to follow the Savior, and He will lead us to do good. I testify that we can learn about Christ when we study the scriptures. I testify that everything was set up perfectly for Him to save us, not just with the alignment of circumstances in the New Testament, but also in your own personal life. There is a Plan of Salvation at large, and it has been successfully won. There is also a Plan of Salvation for you, and through the power of God, the circumstances can align for Him to save you too. We can trust Him. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Esther – Part 2 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Are you trying to give abundantly? The Lord promises that when we give with the right heart, He will reward our giving more that we could ever dream! Join us in this program of Woman at the Well Ministries as we open God's Word and see what it says about giving and the ways our giving returns to us.   Scriptures Mentioned in this Episode John 4 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+4&version=KJV Luke 6:38 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+6%3A38&version=KJV 1 Samuel 15:22 (Obedience is better than sacrifice.) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1+Samuel+15%3A22&version=KJV Matthew 26:39 (Garden of Gethsemane – "let this cup pass from me") www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A39&version=KJV John 3:16 www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+3%3A16&version=KJV Matthew 26:53 (He could have called twelve legions of angels.) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+26%3A53&version=KJV Psalm 68:19 (He daily loadeth us with benefits.) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+68%3A19&version=KJV Revelation 3:20 (Behold, I stand at the door, and knock.) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Revelation+3%3A20&version=KJV John 15:9 (Continue ye in my love.) www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John+15%3A9&version=KJV Did you enjoy this episode? It would make a huge difference to us if you took a minute to leave us a review wherever you listen and share the episode on social media!  Have you listened to our new podcast, The Bible Bit Podcast? These short podcasts come directly from the Bible Bits Kimberly writes each week day and shares to our subscribers via text message. You can learn more about Bible Bits right here. Want the BIble Bits in print? Find them here:  Bible Bit books! Do you want to bring Kimberly Miller and Woman at the Well Ministries to your church, upcoming retreat, or conference? Contact us!  Special thanks to the gospel group Fudge Creek for allowing us to use their song Happy Girl. Woman at the Well Ministries is a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving our Heavenly Father and it is through your loving and generous support that our ministry continues to bless others. To learn how to partner with Woman at the Well Ministries, please visit our website.  All of this and more is found on the Woman at the Well Ministries website.

The prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane has been widely discussed and read. There are many important aspects about this time that Christ spent in the garden. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/581/29?v=20251111

Mordecai as a Type of Heavenly Father by Autumn Dickson The book of Esther is generally well-known. A Jewish orphan finds herself in the harem of the king, and she becomes queen after winning his favor. A plot against the Jews unfolds, and all of them are going to be destroyed. At the peril of her life, she stands before the king and invites him to the banquet to plead on behalf of her people. It is very easy to see how Esther is a type of Christ. She intercedes on behalf of her people. She is willing to die in order to do it. She delivers the Jews from death; she gives them a fighting chance. She “rises” on the third day of fasting to go to the king on behalf of delivering her people. There are many parallels that we could talk about. But after pondering on the fact that Esther is a type of Christ, it occurred to me that Mordecai is a type of Heavenly Father. It's not a perfect parallel, but there are two details that point to Mordecai being a type of the Father. Esther 2:7 And he brought up Hadassah, that is, Esther, his uncle's daughter: for she had neither father nor mother, and the maid was fair and beautiful; whom Mordecai, when her father and mother were dead, took for his own daughter. Esther was an orphan, and Mordecai raised her. He loved her. After Esther was taken by Persian soldiers, he walks in front of harem court to check on her everyday. In all the important ways, he was her father. And then, of course, there was this parallel. Mordecai asks Esther to intercede on behalf of the Jewish people. She responds that it might kill her. He responds with this verse. Esther 4:14 For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place; but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this? Mordecai warns that deliverance will come from elsewhere, but that she might not escape in the king's court. He encourages her to risk herself, and we get his famous line that suggests she had been placed in a very specific place where she was capable of saving the kingdom. I love this little parallel too. Christ likewise asked for the cup to be passed by Him in the Garden of Gethsemane, but He willingly took it when it was presented before Him. But it's actually Mordecai that I want to talk about. As Latter-day Saints, we believe that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are two separate Beings. If it is true, then this is actually a very important theology. Combining them into one Personage, completely eliminates the sacrifice of the Father. There is great love in sacrificing yourself; there is also immense love in allowing your loved one to be sacrificed. But unlike with Esther, where deliverance would have risen from elsewhere, there was no one else to save us but Christ. Heavenly Father could have stopped the atonement of Jesus Christ because of His great love for His Son, but He didn't. He allowed Him to be sacrificed. This is no small thing, and we can't afford to look over Heavenly Father's sacrifice. Mordecai understood what it meant to sacrifice a child. Despite the fact that he had likely been moved upon by the spirit to help him see that Esther had been set up to save her people, I can't imagine that there weren't nagging little feelings. Did Mordecai ever think, “What if I ask her to do this and I'm simply sending her to her death for nothing? What if the Lord has a different means of deliverance but Esther is simply killed because I asked her to approach the king? What if her death is my fault?” Obviously, Heavenly Father knew what the sacrifice of Christ was really going to entail. However, Mordecai's experience of worrying over Esther helped him get a better taste of what Heavenly Father experienced as He watched His Son suffer. I've never been asked to sacrifice a child on behalf of the world or even a nation (or at all). Because I've never been asked to sacrifice in this manner, I can only imagine what Heavenly Father felt when He allowed the Savior to take on the sins and pains of the rest of us. Mordecai has a better understanding of what Heavenly Father went through. Esther was separated from her family and taken into the Persian court, a place of danger and intrigue. When Mordecai asked her to go walk into that court and face death, he was asking her to do it alone. Her handmaidens fast with her, but when she truly goes in to face her death, there is no mention of anyone standing with her. Heavenly Father likewise had to completely withdraw from His Son in order to complete the atonement. Christ had to understand what it meant to be truly rejected by God in order to fulfil the atonement completely. Not only did Heavenly Father have to ask the Savior to suffer what He did, Heavenly Father had to leave His Son to do it alone. We cannot overlook what Heavenly Father did for us without robbing ourselves of the chance to be grateful. We cannot combine them into one Personage without running the risk of completely disregarding the sacrifice of our Heavenly Father. The story of the atonement of Jesus Christ is a story of sacrifice. Christ willingly laid Himself upon the altar, but there is One who loved Christ who also allowed it to happen. And honestly, I rather lay down on the altar than ask my child to do it. But in the case of Heavenly Father, He couldn't. He simply had to let Christ do it. The atonement of Jesus Christ preaches great love in the form of self-sacrifice. It preaches love in the form of watching a loved one suffer. Is there any greater love than that? I testify that Christ loves us and volunteered to do what He did. I testify that when Heavenly Father asked who He could send down to the earth to perform the atonement, He knew that only Christ could do so. Christ 100% volunteered, but Heavenly Father knew what He was asking for. I testify that Heavenly Father loved us enough to ask His perfect Son to do that. Between the two of Them, I can think of no greater love that has been offered to us. Autumn Dickson was born and raised in a small town in Texas. She served a mission in the Indianapolis Indiana mission. She studied elementary education but has found a particular passion in teaching the gospel. Her desire for her content is to inspire people to feel confident, peaceful, and joyful about their relationship with Jesus Christ and to allow that relationship to touch every aspect of their lives. Autumn was the recipient of FAIR's 2024 John Taylor Defender of the Faith Award. The post Come, Follow Me with FAIR – Esther – Part 1 – Autumn Dickson appeared first on FAIR.

Status, Power, Influence, Like Refuse Paul Threw It All Out MESSAGE SUMMARY: What are we truly aiming for in life? This powerful message challenges us to examine our ultimate goals and purpose. Drawing from Philippians 3:7-15, we're invited to reflect on the Apostle Paul's radical transformation - from chasing earthly accolades to pursuing an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ. Paul's journey reminds us that success without Christ isn't true success at all. The message encourages us to shift our focus from temporary achievements to lasting transformation, emphasizing that our identity should be rooted in our relationship with Jesus, not in our accomplishments or status. As we contemplate our own lives, we're urged to consider: are we striving for Christ-centered righteousness or merely following religious rules? This introspection can lead us to a deeper, more purposeful faith journey.   TODAY'S PRAYER: Lord, everything in me resists following you into the garden of Gethsemane to fall on my face to the ground before you. Grant me the courage to follow you all the way to the cross, whatever that might mean for my life. And then, by your grace, lead me to resurrection life and power. In Jesus' name, amen.   Scazzero, Peter. Emotionally Healthy Spirituality Day by Day (p. 100). Zondervan. Kindle Edition. TODAY'S AFFIRMATION: Today, Because of who I am in Jesus Christ, I will not be driven by Anger. Rather, I will abide in the Lord's Forgiveness. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5). SCRIPTURE REFERENCE (ESV):  Philippians 3:7-15 (main passage); Philippians 3:4-6; Acts 9 (Paul's conversion); Romans 3:20; Ephesians 2:8-9. A WORD FROM THE LORD WEBSITE: www.AWFTL.org. THIS SUNDAY'S AUDIO SERMON: You can listen to Archbishop Beach's Current Sunday Sermon: “Christians in the Church Must Become Christians in the Marketplace of Unbelievers”, at our Website: https://awordfromthelord.org/listen/ DONATE TO AWFTL: https://mygiving.secure.force.com/GXDonateNow?id=a0Ui000000DglsqEAB

Detailed Sermon Summary:  "Legacy of Love: The Greatest Motivation" Pastor Bryan Hudson, D.Min. The sermon “Legacy of Love” explores how the love of God not only saves believers but also transforms their motivations, directs their lives, and creates a spiritual legacy that can be placed within other people. The central text is 2 Corinthians 5:14–15: “For the love of Christ compels us…that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” The central message is that the God-kind of love is the greatest motivating power in a believer's life. Christ's love should control, compel, and redirect believers so that they no longer live primarily for themselves but for Jesus Christ and the purposes of God. The God-Kind of Love Because the word “love” is used in many different ways, the sermon begins by distinguishing biblical love from friendship, romantic affection, physical attraction, or human sentiment. The love being discussed is the God-kind of love. John 3:16 provides the clearest definition of this love: God loved the world so deeply that He gave His only begotten Son. God's love was demonstrated through sacrifice and action. However, the sacrifice involved more than the Father sending the Son. Jesus also had to willingly accept the assignment. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus struggled with the suffering He was about to face, yet He submitted Himself to the Father's will, saying, “Nevertheless, not My will, but Yours be done.” The God-kind of love, therefore, is a love that willingly sacrifices itself for others. It does for people what they cannot do for themselves. God sent Jesus, and Jesus willingly gave His life to redeem humanity. The Meaning of Legacy Legacy is defined as what a person leaves behind through character, influence, values, accomplishments, relationships, service, teaching, and personal example. Legacy is not limited to money, property, or material possessions. It includes the lasting impact of how a person lived, loved, served, taught, encouraged, and inspired others. An important distinction is made between inheritance and legacy: Inheritance is what we leave to people. Legacy is what we leave within people. Material possessions can be spent, lost, or consumed. However, what has been deposited within a person can continue shaping that person's life and can be passed on to future generations. God did not merely give believers something to possess. Through Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit, God placed His love within them. That love changes their character, thinking, priorities, and motivations. The Pattern of Spiritual Legacy The pattern of the legacy of love flows: From God the Father, to Jesus Christ, to believers, and then through believers to other people. God placed His love and purpose within Christ. Christ places that same love within believers. Believers are then responsible for placing truth, wisdom, faith, encouragement, and godly values within others. This is especially important for people who work with others, including pastors, teachers, counselors, parents, mentors, community leaders, and those who minister to young people. True influence is more than giving people material assistance. Giving food, resources, or practical help is important, but love also seeks to place something lasting within people. The goal is not only to put something into their hands but also to put truth, hope, wisdom, faith, discipline, and purpose into their hearts and minds. This is why education, counseling, mentoring, ministry, public policy, and advocacy are so important. Good policies and systems help create environments where people can receive what they need to grow and flourish. Love motivates believers not only to serve individuals but also to stand and fight for what is right. What Love Does The sermon describes several ways that love actively works: Love is leverage. It has the power to influence, lift, strengthen, and transform people. Love is light. It dispels darkness, exposes deception, and reveals truth. Love is life. It brings hope, renewal, restoration, and spiritual vitality. Love is liberty. It frees people from fear, guilt, sin, bondage, and oppressive motivations. Love is labor. True love works, serves, sacrifices, remains committed, and accepts responsibility. Love is lordship. It flows from allowing Jesus Christ to rule within the heart. All these qualities originate in the truth that God is love. God possesses many attributes, including power, holiness, majesty, wisdom, and glory, but His actions toward humanity flow from His loving nature. Love caused God to send Jesus. Love caused Jesus to accept the cross. Love causes believers to serve others even when circumstances suggest they have already done enough. Love as the Greatest Motivation The greatest motivation is not recognition, convenience, personal gain, emotional excitement, or public approval. The greatest motivation is the God-kind of love. Emotions and inspiration may rise and fall, but the love of God remains present within the believer. Human motivation cannot always be trusted because it is often influenced by selfishness, fear, pride, comfort, or circumstances. However, when the Spirit of Christ is working within believers, God's love can reorient their motivations. The love of Christ causes people to continue serving when service is difficult. It motivates them to remain faithful when their minds or circumstances suggest that they should withdraw, slow down, or give up. Paul's Labor to Form Christ in People Galatians 4:19 reveals the Apostle Paul's motivation: “My little children, for whom I labor in birth again until Christ is formed in you.” Paul used the language of childbirth and labor to describe his ministry. He did not simply enter a city, preach a sermon, and immediately leave. He often remained with people for extended periods because he wanted Christ to be formed within them. Formation takes time. Whether someone is cooking, painting, building, teaching, mentoring, or developing another person, meaningful results rarely happen instantly. Important things must be worked, shaped, nurtured, and developed. Modern society often demands immediate results, but spiritual formation does not work that way. The legacy of love requires patience, presence, commitment, and sustained labor. “If One Died for All, Then All Died” In 2 Corinthians 5:14, Paul writes: “If One died for all, then all died.” Jesus died on behalf of every person. His death provided the possibility of salvation and new life for everyone. This does not mean that everyone is automatically saved. It means that the provision for salvation has already been made and is available to all who believe. Salvation is therefore not far away. Romans 10:8–9 teaches that the word is near, in a person's mouth and heart. When a person confesses Jesus as Lord and believes that God raised Him from the dead, that person will be saved. People may think they are not ready to receive salvation, but Christ has already completed the necessary work. The provision is ready. The invitation is near. They must recognize their spiritual condition and receive what Christ has provided. Apart from Christ, people may be physically alive but spiritually dead. Christ's death and resurrection make genuine spiritual life possible. Living No Longer for Ourselves Second Corinthians 5:15 explains the proper response to Christ's sacrifice: “He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again.” Once people understand that Christ died to give them life, their motivations should change. They should no longer view life as something to be lived only for personal pleasure, comfort, advancement, or self-interest. Those who have experienced God's grace should ask: Why am I still alive? What has God preserved me to accomplish? How should I live in light of what Christ has done? What should motivate my decisions? Believers do not need to experience a near-death event before appreciating that life is a gift from God. Every day should be lived with gratitude and purpose. Because Christ gave His life for them, believers should willingly offer their lives to Him. They retain the power to make choices, but those choices should be made in light of God's mercy and Christ's sacrifice. The Love of Christ Compels Us The word “compels” communicates a powerful controlling and directing influence. Different Bible translations express this idea in several ways: The love of Christ “controls and compels us.” Believers are “ruled by the love of Christ.” Love is the “controlling force” in the believer's life. Christ's love takes hold of believers so completely that they can no longer continue living according to their former motivations. God's love is stronger and more dependable than temporary emotional excitement. Inspiration may come and go, but the love of God remains within believers as a sustaining and guiding force. God's Love as a Spiritual GPS The sermon uses GPS technology as an illustration of how the love of Christ directs believers. When someone enters a destination into a GPS, the system does more than show the person's current location. It continually provides direction. It tells the driver where to turn, warns when the driver has gone off course, and recalculates after a wrong turn. In the same way, the love of Christ becomes a controlling direction in the believer's life. God's love: Sets the destination. Influences decisions. Gives direction. Warns when a person is drifting. Redirects after mistakes. Brings the believer back on course. The love of God is like a spiritual GPS. It does not merely provide information; it provides direction and redirection. During a ministry trip through the northern deserts of Kenya, there was no cellular service, yet GPS continued to work because it communicated through satellites. That experience illustrates God's spiritual presence. Even when normal human connections, resources, or familiar supports are unavailable, God remains present and able to guide. Just as GPS has become a dependable tool for navigation, believers should learn to depend even more completely upon the love and presence of God. Replacing Lesser Motivations If believers possess the love of Christ, they should not continue depending upon older, inferior motivations. Some lesser motivations include: What I want. What benefits me. How other people see me. What makes me comfortable. How I can maintain control. Fear of criticism. Desire for approval. Self-preservation. Pride. Anger. Personal convenience. Concern about how others see us can be especially damaging because people often imagine what others think without having any evidence. Like the Israelites who assumed that the inhabitants of Canaan viewed them as grasshoppers, people sometimes allow imaginary judgments to keep them from entering God's promises. Believers must become dead to these lesser motivations and alive to the legacy of love. Settling the Matter in Our Minds Paul says, “We judge thus,” meaning that believers must reach a settled conclusion. There are certain truths about which believers should stop wavering. They must make firm decisions from which they will not retreat. This is not a time for spiritual indecision. In a rapidly changing and unstable world, believers cannot remain in a state of confusion or perpetual hesitation. They must settle certain matters in their hearts: Christ died for all. Christ died for me. My life belongs to God. I will no longer live only for myself. The love of Christ will motivate my decisions. I will follow God's direction. I will not return to lesser motivations. When the love of God is operating within a believer, decisions motivated by that love will lead in a righteous direction. Believers should question selfish thinking, but they should not continually question the genuine work God is doing within their hearts. Crucified With Christ Galatians 2:20 summarizes the entire message: “I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me.” The old, sinful, self-centered person has been crucified with Christ. The believer now lives a new life through faith in the Son of God. Paul does not merely speak of “my life.” He speaks of “the life which I now live.” This distinction is important because the Christian life is not simply an improved version of the old life. It is the life of Christ operating within the believer. A life controlled only by human ability is limited. A person relying entirely upon “my life,” “my wisdom,” and “my strength” must attempt to solve every problem and confront every spiritual battle alone. However, believers are not limited to themselves. Christ lives within them. They live by faith in the Son of God, who loved them and gave Himself for them. This is the legacy of love: Christ gave Himself so that His life, love, character, power, and motivation could be formed within His people. The Closing Confession of Faith The sermon concludes with a corporate confession affirming the following truths: Believers are living in the legacy of love provided by Almighty God and Jesus Christ. What they have received from God is not only with them but also within them. They are moving away from lesser motivations toward greater motivations. The greatest motivation is the God-kind of love. The love of Christ compels, controls, and motivates them. Because Jesus died and rose again, they no longer have to live for themselves. They can live for the One who died for them and gave them new life. God's legacy of love functions as their spiritual GPS. Their direction and redirection come from the Lord. God's love motivates them to live beyond: Personal desires. Self-interest. The opinions of others. Comfort. The desire to control everything. They have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer the old self that lives, but Christ lives within them. The life they now live is lived by faith in the Son of God, who loved them and gave Himself for them. Central Message The central truth of “Legacy of Love” is that God's love is not merely something believers receive and enjoy. It is something God places within them to transform how they think, live, decide, serve, and influence others. The legacy of love begins with God, is revealed through Jesus Christ, is deposited within believers, and is passed from believers into the lives of others. Because Christ died and rose again, believers are called to abandon selfish and lesser motivations. They are to allow Christ's love to become the controlling, compelling, and directing force of their lives. A genuine legacy of love is created when believers not only give things to people but also place something lasting within them—faith, truth, hope, wisdom, character, courage, purpose, and the life of Christ.

The prayer that Jesus prayed in the garden of Gethsemane has been widely discussed and read. There are many important aspects about this time that Christ spent in the garden. To support this ministry financially, visit: https://www.oneplace.com/donate/790/29?v=20251111

Title: How to Wrestle with GodScripture Reading: Genesis 32:22-32Series: Bizarre BibleDo you find yourself constantly scheming your way through life's challenges? Jacob, a lifelong schemer, finds himself in a mysterious all-night wrestling match in Genesis 32. This encounter becomes an enacted metaphor for his life, forcing him to move from wrestling by scheming to wrestling by trusting God. Ultimately, Jacob surrenders his self-reliance, foreshadowing the ultimate surrender of our Savior, Jesus, in Gethsemane. Choose to wrestle with life's difficulties by surrendering and trusting in God's power, rather than relying on your own schemes.

The Psalms speak about the Savior. Every song listed in that matchless book points us to God; but when we see Christ unveiled in the New Testament, we go back and sing these songs with new meaning and greater understanding.The sermon today is titled "Praying on the Way to Gethsemane." This sermon is the sixth installment in our series "Psalms and the Savior." The Scripture reading is from Psalm 88 (ESV). Originally preached at the West Side Church of Christ (Searcy, AR) on October 19, 2025. All lessons fit under 6 broad categories: Begin, Instill, Discover, Grow, Learn, and Serve. This sermon is filed under LEARN: Christian Scripture.Click here if you would like to watch the sermon or read a transcript.Podcast Notes (resources used or referenced):Thank you for listening!I'd love to connect with you!Watch sermons and find transcripts at nathanguy.com.Follow along each Sunday through YouTube livestream and find a study guide on the sermon notes page.Follow me @nathanpguy (facebook/instagram/twitter)Subscribe to my email newsletter on substack.

Carson and Jason conclude a 3-part series called “These Three,” focused on monumental moments in the lives of Peter, James, and John. In this episode, the Garden of Gethsemane.

30 Marriage Devotional: How to Have a Marriage After GodAbout This EpisodeWhat does it actually mean to have a marriage after God? In our final episode of this podcast series, we share a pivotal moment that transformed our marriage and discuss what it actually means to have a Marriage After God.In This EpisodeJesus in the Garden of Gethsemane: what Aaron heard God ask him through Matthew 26, and how it broke himWhy Christ's "not my will, but yours" is the template for every marriageHow Unveiled Wife and Husband Revolution were born out of sharing the journey, not having it figured outWhy confession and transparency in community dissolves the power that darkness has over a marriageThe difference between pretending to have a perfect marriage and proclaiming the actual message of the gospelWhat a marriage after God looks like — not perfection, but perseverance, reconciliation, and hopefulnessWhy sanctification is not a one-time transformation but a lifelong pursuitThis Week's Call to ActionWrite a love letter to your spouse. Not a quick note — a real one. Name what you've endured together. Name what you see in them. Share where you believe God is taking your marriage. If you're not sure where to start, ask the Holy Spirit to show you what your spouse needs to hear from you.Resources from This EpisodeWatch this devotional series from the beginning and get your copies of Husband After God and Wife After GodMarriage After God Like and subscribe to catch other episodes!If this conversation encouraged you, please share it with a couple you love, and subscribe wherever you listen.Follow us on Instagram: Marriage After God · Unveiled Wife · Husband RevolutionWant to go deeper? Become a patron and help us keep creating resources for marriages that pursue God together.Smith Family Resources, Inc © 2026

What if the habits our culture calls "normal" are actually the reason so many of us feel exhausted, inflamed, and worn down? In this episode, a Christian RN and holistic health coach takes an honest look at the everyday patterns many women accept without question — skipping workouts, relying on convenience food, running on caffeine, and quietly burning out while serving everyone but themselves. Most of us never chose these habits on purpose. We just absorbed them from everyone around us. This episode is an invitation to look at that inheritance honestly, and decide if it's actually serving you. Why Fitness Isn't About Weight Loss — It's About Longevity The episode opens with a challenge to a common assumption: that working out is mainly for weight loss. Instead, the case is made that consistent movement is one of the strongest predictors of a longer, healthier life — regardless of the number on the scale. Using the body's natural adaptability as an example (from breast milk production to muscle growth), the point is simple: your body responds to what you ask of it. Stop asking it to be strong, and it won't be. The Hidden Cost of "Convenient" Living From packaged snacks to daily takeout, convenience food has quietly become the American default. Drawing from her own nursing career and personal health journey, the host shares how she shifted from being "the queen of convenience" to intentionally packing whole-food meals, even while working a demanding hospice nursing job. This section reframes convenience eating not as a harmless habit, but as a slow, cumulative drain on the body — one that autoimmune and chronic illness often trace back to. Putting Yourself Last: A Pattern Worth Examining One of the more personal moments in the episode addresses a habit common among busy, driven women: skipping meals, ignoring hunger cues, and pushing through exhaustion to prove worth or productivity. The host names this pattern honestly, including her own past struggle with it, and connects it to a deeper root: pride and performance, rather than genuine calling. Suppressing Emotions in Christian Culture This section addresses something rarely said aloud in faith circles: the pressure to appear "fine" even when life is genuinely hard. Drawing a parallel to Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane, the host makes the case that honesty with God — including sadness, dread, and grief — is not a lack of faith. It's an invitation to be fully known. When "Keep Serving" Becomes Harmful The episode closes its teaching portion with a hard truth for Christian women: serving others while drowning yourself is not sustainable, and it's not necessarily what God is asking of you. Using Jesus' own ministry pattern — specific people, specific places, intentional rest — the host challenges the belief that faithfulness means saying yes to everyone, all the time. Time-Stamped Highlights 00:00 — The core question of the episode: is "normal" culture making us sick? 01:26 — Why fitness (not weight loss) is tied to longevity 02:22 — The body's adaptability, explained through breastfeeding and strength training 04:19 — Why aches, fatigue, and constant caffeine use aren't actually "normal" 05:44 — A look inside a real workday as a hospice nurse, and why she packs her own lunch 10:32 — Naming the pattern of self-neglect that leads to bitterness and blame 12:53 — Suppressing true feelings in Christian culture, and the example of Jesus in Gethsemane 16:40 — Why people often need to be heard more than they need scripture quoted at them 17:08 — The "keep serving while you're drowning" mindset in church culture 21:03 — A sobering look at U.S. health outcomes and what "normal" is actually producing 23:28 — The two lies that keep people stuck: "it won't matter" and "I can't change" 24:25 — An invitation to identify one specific area God may be nudging you to address Key Takeaways The habits our culture treats as "normal" — skipping movement, relying on convenience food, running on stimulants, neglecting rest — carry a real, cumulative cost to long-term health. Self-neglect often isn't circumstantial; it can be a learned pattern rooted in pride, performance, or fear of being seen as needy. Emotional honesty with God is not a lack of faith. Naming pain doesn't cancel out gratitude or trust. Serving others faithfully doesn't require abandoning your own needs — even Jesus rested, withdrew, and ministered to specific people rather than everyone. Change doesn't require a total overhaul. One honest, specific step matters, and it's worth taking seriously. This episode isn't meant to diagnose or prescribe — it's meant to help you pause and honestly evaluate whether the "normal" you've accepted is actually serving your health, or slowly working against it. Ready to Understand What's Really Driving Your Exhaustion? If this episode hit close to home, don't just let the conviction pass by without action. The More Energy Masterclass was built for exactly this moment — for the woman who is done waiting and ready to actually understand what's going on in her body and her life. In this live training, you'll: Begin to see what may be driving your exhaustion — through a whole-person, faith-centered lens See your health from a perspective conventional medicine never offered you Walk away knowing your most important first steps — specific to your body, your story, and your life Feel inspired, hopeful, and challenged to move forward in a way that finally makes sense Live: Wednesday, August 20th | 7–10 PM Eastern

What does it actually mean to give God glory, and why should we even care? In this episode, Dot and Cara turn to John 17 and the prayer Jesus prayed right before the cross to talk through what glory really means, why we all default to putting ourselves in the middle of the circle, and how surrender and dying to self become the surprising pathway to peace and joy. Pull up a chair, grab your Bible, and lean in with us.Got a question about today's episode or something else you'd like to hear us talk about on the show? Let us know! Episode RecapIntro (00:00)Write this down: John 17:1-5, Jesus' prayer right before Gethsemane (00:00)Cara's honest question: I know I should want to give God glory, but do I actually care? (01:22)What does glory even mean? Dot breaks it down to worship, honor, and bringing light to who God is (03:29)We were made to worship something, and God put desires in us that only He can fulfill (04:21)Why Jesus prayed this prayer before the cross, and what it means that He came to glorify the Father (05:13)The middle of the circle, why so much of our frustration comes from putting ourselves where God belongs (07:12)Being honest about the days you don't feel like you want God to get the glory (10:50)The only way out, recognizing it as sin, humbling yourself, and letting the Holy Spirit do what you can't (11:46)Dying to self isn't a one time thing, it's a daily surrender, and it's the real pathway to peace (13:29)Getting a front row seat to what God is doing, and why we don't bring God value, we just get invited in (20:07)Wanting the crowd's applause is its own kind of sin, and what to do when you catch yourself chasing it (24:05)A simple question to ask yourself this week: am I expecting life, people, or even God to operate the way I think they should? (27:43)Are you interested in having Dot come and speak to your community? Email us at hello@dotbowen.com.Watch Write this Down! on YouTubeFind Dot Bowen on Instagram and Facebook This Episode's Scripture VerseJohn 17:1-5 (ESV) — "When Jesus had spoken these words, he lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said, 'Father, the hour has come; glorify your Son that the Son may glorify you, since you have given him authority over all flesh, to give eternal life to all whom you have given him. And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed.'"

Pressure is unavoidable, but being crushed by it doesn't have to be. In Part 2 of this conversation, Pastor Julie shares a practical, biblical plan for navigating life's most stressful seasons with faith instead of fear. Looking at Jesus' example in the Garden of Gethsemane, she unpacks how positioning yourself in God's presence, praying honest prayers, and leaning on godly community can transform the way you walk through pressure.Whether you're carrying the weight of work, family, finances, relationships, or an uncertain future, this conversation will remind you that God never wastes your pressure. As you position yourself in His presence and trust Him with your purpose, you'll discover that the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead is greater than any pressure surrounding youSubscribe to Shownotes Plus (https://rock.gocf.org/page/2849)Learn More About Sisterhood (https://www.christfellowship.church/ministries/women)Keep Up with Pastor Julie (https://www.instagram.com/juliedmullins/)© 2022 Be Essential Songs (BMI) / Jord A Lil Music (BMI) / Doejones20 (BMI) (admin at EssentialMusicPublishing.com). All rights reserved. Used by permission.

“Behold the Man!” — John 19:5 If there be one place where our Lord Jesus most fully becomes the joy and comfort of His people, it is where He plunged deepest into the depths of woe. Come hither, gracious souls, and behold the Man in the garden of Gethsemane; behold His heart so brimming with […]